High school football playoffs: CIF Southern Section Division 1 headlines top 10 toughest postseason brackets

It's the best time of the year in high school football as every state is now in playoffs or has crowned champions. We are zoning in on the top 10 postseason brackets in the country and Southern California's CIF Southern Section Division 1 bracket headlines the list.

There are four MaxPreps Top 25 teams in the eight-team field led by No. 3 St. John Bosco (Bellflower) and No. 5 Mater Dei (Santa Ana). The bracket also features No. 19 Centennial (Corona) and No. 21 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth).

Checking in at No. 2 on the list is the largest classification in Georgia. The AAAAAAA bracket has more teams ranked in the MaxPreps Top 25 with five than any other in high school football. The five nationally ranked teams include No. 8 Mill Creek (Hoschton), No. 11 Colquitt County (Moultrie), No. 12 Walton (Marietta), No. 16 Buford and No. 17 Carrollton.

Texas takes home the next two spots in the UIL 6A Division 1 and Division 2 brackets. No. 6 North Shore (Houston) and No. 15 Duncanville headline the 64-team field in Division 1. These two have met in four of the last five state title games. North Shore won it in 2018, 2019 and 2021, while the Panthers are the defending state champs.

No. 7 DeSoto is the lone MaxPreps Top 25 team in the 6A D2 field and it features four teams in our expanded top 100.

Florida's 2M bracket rounds out the top five. It has two MaxPreps Top 25 teams in it — No. 13 Norland (Miami) and No. 20 American Heritage (Plantation). It also has the four-time defending state champs, Central (Miami). They are the first team out of the MaxPreps Top 25 at No. 26.

Ohio's Division I and II brackets along with Arizona's Open Division, the CIF Southern Section Division 2 field, and Louisiana's Division 1 Select field round out the list.

All teams listed in each bracket are either ranked in our MaxPreps Top 25 or expanded top 100 list.

1. CIF Southern Section Division 1

MaxPreps Top 25 teams (4): No. 3 St. John Bosco (Bellflower), No. 5 Mater Dei (Santa Ana), No. 19 Centennial (Corona), No. 21 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth)

Teams 26-100 (4): No. 76 Orange Lutheran (Orange), No. 78 Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita), No. 81 JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano), No. 83 San Clemente

MaxPreps Top 25 teams (5): No. 8 Mill Creek (Hoschton), No. 11 Colquitt County (Moultrie), No. 12 Walton (Marietta), No. 16 Buford, No. 17 Carrollton

Teams 26-100 (2): No. 50 Grayson (Loganville), No. 77 Parkview (Lilburn)

MaxPreps Top 25 teams (2): No. 6 North Shore (Houston), No. 15 Duncanville

Teams 26-100 (4): No. 27 Westlake (Austin), No. 48 Vandegrift (Austin), No. 52 Atascocita (Humble), No. 58 Katy

MaxPreps Top 25 teams (1): No. 7 DeSoto

Teams 26-100 (4): No. 35 Summer Creek (Houston), No. 55 Byron Nelson (Trophy Club), No. 70 Southlake Carroll (Southlake), No. 75 Willis

MaxPreps Top 25 teams (2): No. 13 Norland (Miami), No. 20 American Heritage (Plantation)

Teams 26-100 (2): No. 26 Central (Miami), No. 85 Booker T. Washington (Miami)

MaxPreps Top 25 teams (1): No. 23 St. Edward (Lakewood)

Teams 26-100 (2): No. 97 Lincoln (Gahanna), No. 100 Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati)

MaxPreps Top 25 teams (1): No. 22 Liberty (Peoria)

Teams 26-100 (3): No. 31 Centennial (Peoria), No. 33 Basha (Chandler), No. 42 Chandler

MaxPreps Top 25 teams (1): No. 14 Massillon

Teams 26-100 (2): No. 32 Archbishop Hoban (Akron), No. 79 Avon

Teams 26-100 (4): No. 40 Long Beach Poly (Long Beach), No. 84 Los Alamitos, No. 86 Serra (Gardena), No. 96 Rancho Cucamonga

Teams 26-100 (1): No. 63 John Curtis Christian (River Ridge)