MaxPreps Texas Top 25 high school football rankings

With two weeks remaining in the regular season, wrapping up district championships is the immediate concern for highest-ranked teams in MaxPreps Texas Top 25.

Playoff qualification is a forgone conclusion for the elite since four teams from each district are included in the playoff field.

There was no change in the top 12 spots this week.

Games of interest for Week 9 include a couple of Houston-area battles of ranked teams, No. 3 Katy vs. No. 18 Cinco Ranch (Katy) for the District 19-5A lead and No. 4 Pearland vs. No. 13 Manvel for the District 22-5A top spot.

Four teams debut in the Texas Top 25 this week: Cinco Ranch, Fort Bend Elkins (Missouri City), Longview and Summer Creek (Houston).

Here's the MaxPreps Texas Top 25 following Week 8 games.

Be sure to check out our new Metro pages for Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio.


1. DeSoto 8-0 (Last week 1)
Desmon White, who during the week switched his college commitment from North Texas to TCU, accounted for 546 yards and six touchdowns in a 55-29 romp over 4-4 Duncanville. Chris Lacy, an Oklahoma State pledge, caught eight passes for 210 yards and three scores. The win assured DeSoto its 18th consecutive playoff berth. Up next is a Friday road trip to 1-7 Grand Prairie.

2. Allen 8-0 (2)
Kyler Murray had a hand in six touchdowns, throwing for four and running for two, in a 49-26 victory over 4-4 Boyd (McKinney) that gave the Eagles sole possession of the District 10-5A lead. Murray, a junior, threw for 330 yards and four scores as Allen posted its 19th straight victory. Up next is a Friday home game against 3-5 McKinney.

3. Katy 8-0 (3)
Sophomore Kyle Porter, filling in for injured Rodney Anderson, rushed for 198 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Tigers to a 49-7 romp over 0-8 Strake Jesuit (Houston). Kiley Huddleston hooked up with Sloan Spiller on a pair of touchdown passes as Katy recorded its 46th straight regular-season victory. Next is a Saturday showdown with 7-1 Cinco Ranch (Katy) for the District 19-5A lead.

4. Pearland 8-0 (4)
Marlon Walls, a senior safety, returned two interceptions for touchdowns and Jonathan Goff added a third in a 52-6 rout of 2-6 Pasadena Memorial (Pasadena). Walls' touchdown returns covered 28 and 22 yards and Goff's was for 42 yards. The defense limited the Mavericks to 50 total yards. Up next on Friday is a key District 22-5A road showdown at 7-1 Manvel.

5. North Shore (Houston) 8-0 (5)
Maciah Long rushed for two touchdowns, part of the Mustangs 46 consecutive points in a 46-14 drilling of West Brook (Beaumont) Friday night at Houston's Reliant Stadium. Even the defense got in the scoring act as Darius Mouton returned a fumble 23 yards for a score. Next is a Friday home game against 5-3 La Porte.

6. Westfield (Houston) 8-0 (6)
Ed Oliver, a 6-2, 283-pound sophomore defensive tackle, punched in a couple of short touchdown runs to key a 24-point second half in the Mustangs' 31-17 victory over 1-7 Klein Forest (Houston). Rayquan Jones accounted for the only Westfield touchdown in a 7-7 first half. Latevius Downs rushed for 104 yards and a score in the second half. Up next is 6-2 Kingwood in a District 13-5A tussle on Friday.

7. Lamar (Houston) 7-0 (7)
SMU pledge Darrell Colbert threw three touchdown passes and ran for two more in a 56-7 blowout of 3-5 Madison (Houston). Ronnie Wesley contributed a pair of touchdowns for Tom Nolen's Redskins, trying to return to a state title game again after last year becoming the first Houston ISD team in two decades to accomplish the feat. Next is a District 20-5A showdown against 7-1 Bellaire on Friday.

8. Coppell 6-1 (8)
Sophomore Brandon Rice rushed for 74 yards and three touchdowns and the Cowboys defense limited 2-6 Marcus (Flower Mound) to 150 yards in a 41-3 victory. Quarterback Skyler Bonneau threw for 143 yards and two scores. Up next is a Friday home game against 6-1 Ryan (Denton).

9. Carroll (Southlake) 7-1 (9)
Senior running back A.J. Ezzard accounted for 172 yards and five touchdowns in a 52-17 pounding of 4-4 Keller. Ezzard rushed for 151 yards and four scores and caught one of three touchdown passes thrown by Ryan Agnew. Next for the Dragons, now 5-0 in District 4-5A, is a Thursday road trip to 6-2 Fossil Ridge (Keller).

10. Steele (Cibolo) 7-1 (10)
Justin Stockton, a Texas Tech pledge, rushed for 118 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 38-10 victory over 3-5 East Central (San Antonio). Quarterback L.G. Williams threw for one score and ran for another in the Knights' seventh straight win after an opening-night one-point loss to Madison (San Antonio). On Friday, Steele hosts 3-4 Carroll (Corpus Christi).

11. Skyline (Dallas) 7-1 (11)
Emmanuel Harris was on the receiving end of two touchdown passes from Sederian Copeland in the Raiders' 62-17 thumping of 3-5 Richardson. Johnathon Spencer and Jordan Neely returned kickoffs for touchdowns in the second half. Up next is a Thursday date with 1-7 W.T. White (Dallas).

12. Smithson Valley (Spring Branch) 8-0 (12)
Backup quarterback Austin Franco was on high alert, and a good thing for the Rangers in a 23-6 victory over 6-2 Canyon (New Braunfels). With Garrett Smith going down with an injury in the first half, Franco came on and completed eight passes for 69 yards. He alertly recovered a teammates' fumble at the Canyon 2 and took it in for an important touchdown. Up next is a Friday home game against the 3-5 Unicorns of New Braunfels.

13. Manvel 7-1 (15)
Sophomore Deriq King went 8 for 8 passing for 214 yards and four touchdowns in a 61-0 blanking of 1-7 Rayburn (Pasadena). Reggie Hemphill had a pair of touchdown catches for the Mavericks. Up next is a District 22-5A showdown against 8-0 Pearland on Friday.

14. Bowie (Arlington) 7-1 (16)
Three quarterbacks combined for eight touchdown passes in a 69-14 rout of 3-5 Sam Houston (Arlington). Senior Keaton Perry led the way with 294 passing yards and five touchdowns as Bowie scored 42 points in the first quarter. Brican Crossley topped the receiving corps with six catches for 147 yards and three scores. The Vols, now the sole leader in District 3-5A with a 5-0 record, face 4-4 Arlington on Friday.

15. Aledo 8-0 (17)
After national publicity for a bullying charge by a parent on the wrong side of 91-0 score the previous week, the Bearcats settled for a 59-13 road win over 5-3 Southwest (Fort Worth). Luke Bishop threw for 311 yards and four touchdowns and added 93 rushing yards and a score. Next is a District 7-4A showdown against 8-0 Granbury Friday at Aledo.

16. Hendrickson (Pflugerville) 9-0 (18)
Samaje Perine's 96-yard touchdown run with five minutes remaining gave the Hawks a come-from-behind 21-17 victory over 4-4 Round Rock. Perine, an Oklahoma pledge, finished with 225 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. Chance Waz had a 30-yard interception return for the Hawks. Up next is the regular season finale on Friday against 2-6 McNeil (Austin).

17. Cedar Hill 6-2 (19)
The Longhorns defense limited 6-2 Mansfield Timberview (Arlington) to 93 total yards and produced a score of its own with a 30-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Doveon Dillard in a 44-6 victory. Justin McMillan hit Damarkus Lodge with a pair of touchdown throws and Aca'cedric Ware led the ground game with 95 yards and a score. Up next is road game Friday against 5-3 Mansfield. Both are 4-1, tied for second in District 7-5A.

18. Cinco Ranch (Katy) 7-1 (NR)
Denzell Bates rushed for two touchdowns and quarterback Luke Klingler threw for 185 yards and a clinching touchdown to Evan McDowell in the Cougars' 28-14 victory over 6-2 Seven Lakes (Katy). Up next is a Saturday showdown for the District 19-5A lead against 8-0 Katy.

19. Fort Bend Elkins (Missouri City) 7-1 (NR)
Out of the playoffs a year ago because of three-game skid at the end, the Knights are determined to write a different ending. Quarterback Jonathan Giles ran for two touchdowns and passed for another in a 30-23 defeat of 7-1 Fort Bend Bush (Richmond). The Knights are 5-0 in District 23-5A. Up next is a Saturday date with 2-5 Fort Bend Travis (Richmond).

20. Cedar Park 7-1 (22)
Nate Grimm helped the Timberwolves inch closer to the District 25-4A title by accounting for 375 yards in a 34-0 blanking of 7-2 Vandegrift (Austin). Grimm threw for 269 yards and added 106 yards and two scores on the ground. Up next is its cross-town rival, 4-4 Vista Ridge (Cedar Park), on Friday.

21. Reagan (San Antonio) 8-0 (23)
For the second week in a row, Efren Rodriguez had an interception return for a touchdown to help the Rattlers get off on the right foot in a 42-14 triumph over 6-2 District 26-5A challenger Johnson (San Antonio). Against an opponent averaging 51.6 points, the Reagan defense stood up to the challenge. Quarterback Ty Summers threw for 183 yards and a pair of scores. Up next is 5-3 Churchill (San Antonio) on Friday.

22. Lake Travis (Austin) 7-1 (24)
Dominic De Lira threw for three touchdowns and ran for another in a 47-7 rout of 2-6 Del Valle. Varshaun Nixon, a Texas A&M commit, chipped in with a pair of scoring runs. Up next is the regular season finale on Friday against 5-3 Westlake (Austin).

23. Sachse 8-0 (25)
Senior Kent Myers leads the Dallas area in passing with 2,417 yards and 29 touchdowns. Bruce Brookins (36 catches, 551 yards, 10 touchdowns) and Devin Duvernay (28 catches, 500 yards, eight touchdowns) are his top targets. Coming off an open date, the Mustangs will go on the road Friday to face 1-8 South Garland.

24. Longview 7-1 (NR)
Dezmond Chumley threw for 226 yards and four touchdowns in the Lobos' seventh straight win, a 37-22 triumph over 6-2 North Mesquite. L'Darrius Peterson rushed for 111 yards as Longview cemented its hold on the District 12-5A lead with a 4-0 record. On Friday, the Lobos host 4-4 Lee (Tyler).

25. Summer Creek (Houston) 8-0 (NR)
Senior Aaron Sharp threw for four touchdowns (giving him 20 for the season) and ran for another in a 48-0 rout of 2-6 Porter. Jordan Braden rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown for the Bulldogs. Up next is 5-3 Barbers Hill (Mt. Belvieu) on Friday.

Dropped out: No. 13 Seven Lakes (Katy), No. 14 Martin (Arlington), No. 20 Fort Bend Bush (Richmond), No. 21 Mansfield Timberview (Arlington).

On the bubble
Atascocita (Humble) 7-1, Brandeis (San Antonio) 7-1, Clear Creek (League City) 7-1, Cy-Fair (Cypress) 7-1, Fort Bend Bush (Richmond) 7-1, Martin (Arlington) 6-2, Ryan (Denton) 6-1, Texas City 8-0, The Woodlands 6-2, Trinity (Euless) 6-2