The consensus is that Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) is the top high school football team in the land. But it's not unanimous.
High School Football America and USA Today, along with the MaxPreps Computer Rankings, all had the Monarchs as the top team in the nation, while the MaxPreps Xcellent Top 25 rankings and PrepNation chose the SoCal power No. 2, behind Texas UIL 6A-Division I state title winner North Shore (Houston). But the Mustangs wound up tied for second in the Composite Top 25 with St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.). The MaxPreps Computer ranking for North Shore (No. 8) hurt the overall average for the Texas title winner.
Rounding out the Top 5 were IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) in fourth and the runners-up to Mater Dei and North Shore, De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) and Duncanville (Texas), respectively, in a tie for fifth.
Only schools recognized by two or more media outlets are eligible for
inclusion in the composite rankings. Teams were assigned a score of 40
for each media outlet that did not recognize them as part of their Top
25, rewarding teams that received consensus acclaim.
MaxPreps Composite Top 25 High School Football Rankings1. (Last time 1) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)Average rank: 1.4
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 2
PrepNation: 2
USA Today: 1
MaxPreps Computer: 1
High School Football America: 1
2. (tie) (2) St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)Average rank: 2.8
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 3
PrepNation: 3
USA Today: 3
MaxPreps Computer: 2
High School Football America: 3
2. (tie) (5) North Shore (Houston)Average rank: 2.8
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 1
PrepNation: 1
USA Today: 2
MaxPreps Computer: 8
High School Football America: 2
4. (3) IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)Average rank: 4.6
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 5
PrepNation: 5
USA Today: 5
MaxPreps Computer: 3
High School Football America: 5
5. (tie) (5) Duncanville (Texas)Average rank: 9.4
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 4
PrepNation: 4
USA Today: 10
MaxPreps Computer: 12
High School Football America: 17
5. (tie) (6) De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)Average rank: 9.4
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 9
PrepNation: 12
USA Today: 11
MaxPreps Computer: 4
High School Football America: 11
7. (7) Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio)Average rank: 10.8
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 16
PrepNation: 8
USA Today: 8
MaxPreps Computer: 13
High School Football America: 9
8. (8) St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia)Average rank: 12.4
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 11
PrepNation: 19
USA Today: 6
MaxPreps Computer: 22
High School Football America: 4
9. (15) St. Frances Academy (Baltimore)Average rank: 13.2
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 6
PrepNation: 11
USA Today: 4
MaxPreps Computer: 5
High School Football America: NR
10. (9) Folsom (Calif.)Average rank: 13.8
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 17
PrepNation: 17
USA Today: 16
MaxPreps Computer: 7
High School Football America: 12
11. (10) Warren Central (Indianapolis)Average rank: 14
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 10
PrepNation: 6
USA Today: 7
MaxPreps Computer: NR
High School Football America: 7
12. (11) Centennial (Corona, Calif.)Average rank: 14.6
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 14
PrepNation: 20
USA Today: 14
MaxPreps Computer: 9
High School Football America: 16
13. (12) St. John's (Washington, D.C.)Average rank: 15.4
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 13
PrepNation: 18
USA Today: 20
MaxPreps Computer: 20
High School Football America: 6
14. (13) St. Louis (Honolulu)Average rank: 16
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 7
PrepNation: 15
USA Today: 12
MaxPreps Computer: 6
High School Football America: NR
15. (14) Dutch Fork (Irmo, S.C.)Average rank: 17.4
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: NR
PrepNation: 7
USA Today: 9
MaxPreps Computer: 23
High School Football America: 8
16. (20) Allen (Texas)Average rank: 21.8
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 8
PrepNation: 25
USA Today: 15
MaxPreps Computer: NR
High School Football America: 21
17. (16) Lakeland (Fla.)Average rank: 22
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 18
PrepNation: 10
USA Today: 23
MaxPreps Computer: 19
High School Football America: NR
18. (16) Chandler (Ariz.)Average rank: 22.2
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 15
PrepNation: NR
USA Today: 17
MaxPreps Computer: 21
High School Football America: 18
19. (18) St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio)Average rank: 24
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 24
PrepNation: 24
USA Today: 22
MaxPreps Computer: 10
High School Football America: NR
20. (19) Central (Phenix City, Ala.)Average rank: 24.6
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: NR
PrepNation: 9
USA Today: 24
MaxPreps Computer: NR
High School Football America: 10
21. (21) Milton (Ga.)Average rank: 26.4
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 19
PrepNation: 13
USA Today: NR
MaxPreps Computer: NR
High School Football America: 20
22. (22) Christian Brothers (St. Louis)Average rank: 26.6
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: NR
PrepNation: 21
USA Today: 21
MaxPreps Computer: 11
High School Football America: NR
23. (22) Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.)Average rank: 27
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 23
PrepNation: NR
USA Today: 18
MaxPreps Computer: NR
High School Football America: 14
24. (24) John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.)Average rank: 27.8
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: NR
PrepNation: 16
USA Today: NR
MaxPreps Computer: 18
High School Football America: 25
25. (25) Broken Arrow (Okla.)Average rank: 29.4
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: NR
PrepNation: 14
USA Today: NR
MaxPreps Computer: NR
High School Football America: 13
Ranked in 2 PollsColquitt County (Norman Park, Ga.)Central (Miami)University Lab (Baton Rouge, La.)Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.)St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.)Ranked in 1 PollAlcoa (Tenn.)Aledo (Texas)Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)Carol City (Miami)Colerain (Cincinnati)Horn Lake (Miss.)JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)Longview (Texas)Mentor (Ohio)Oakland (Murfreesboro, Tenn.)Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.)
Bruce Rollinson and the Mater Dei Monarchs are the No. 1 team in the Composite Top 25 rankings.
Photo by Louis Lopez
