SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25: Mater Dei back on top in national high school football rankings
Mater Dei is back in a familiar spot: No. 1 in the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 national high school football rankings.
The Monarchs ended the 2021 season as the top-ranked team in the nation, and after Saturday's 17-7 win over previous No. 1 St. John Bosco, Mater Dei returns to its perch.
The Monarchs played a brutally physical style of defense and executed at a high level on offense to win the rivalry showdown.
On the other end of the rankings, Lehi (Utah) debuts following an impressive 28-24 win over Timpview (Utah).
Get the complete breakdown of the latest SBLive/SI Power 25 national high school football rankings below.
SBLive/SI's national football rankings are compiled by SBLive reporter Connor Morrissette and Sports Illustrated's Director of Football Recruiting John Garcia based on observations and conversations with an extensive network of coaching and media sources across the country. The rankings will be released every Monday throughout the 2022 season.
SBLIVE/SI POWER 25 NATIONAL FOOTBALL RANKINGS
Oct. 10, 2022
1. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) (7-0)
Last week: 2
Last game: 17-7 win over No. 4 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)
Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.)
Ranking rationale: Mater Dei did it again. Going up against a St. John Bosco defense with more national recruits (12) than starters (11), the Monarchs ran the ball well with sophomore Jordon Davison and QB Elijah Brown to eat the clock and beat the Braves 17-7. Mater Dei finished the game with 176 yards on the ground. Both Davison and Brown rushed for TDs. On defense, Zabien Brown and Daryus Dixson snagged interceptions and the Monarchs' ends, tackles and linebackers consistently won at the line of scrimmage. Mater Dei is the best team in the country. They've won five of the last six games against St. John Bosco.
2. Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.) (5-0)
Last week: 3
Last game: 28-0 win over Gulliver Prep (Miami, Fla.)
Next game: Oct. 13 vs. Somerset Academy Key (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
Ranking rationale: Chaminade-Madonna hasn't played since Sept. 22 due to Hurricane Ian.
In one of the games of the year in Florida high school football, Chaminade-Madonna beat No. 6 American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) 42-34 last month. Davion Gause rushed for three touchdowns and Cedric Bailey connected on an 85-yard touchdown pass play with Jeremiah Smith to lift the Lions to a thrilling win.
“They’re going to win it all, too,” American Heritage head coach Mike Smith said of Chaminade-Madonna postgame. “That’s one of the best football teams, and I’ve been here 10 years, and that’s one of the best football teams we’ve seen in my 10 years here. They’re well coached. They have a lot of talent. They’re going to go get it.”
3. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) (7-1)
Last week: 5
Last game: 69-0 win over Legacy (North Las Vegas)
Next game: Oct. 14 at Palo Verde (Las Vegas)
Ranking rationale: Bishop Gorman's three-point loss to No. 1 Mater Dei back in August looks even better following Mater Dei's 17-7 win over No. 4 St. John Bosco last week. Bishop Gorman performed much better on offense against the Monarchs' vaunted defense than St. John Bosco did. Based on that result and Bishop Gorman steamrolling every Nevada team they've faced, the Gaels move up to No. 3 this week.
Bishop Gorman has 15 of the top 25 2023 recruits in the state of Nevada on its roster, according to 247Sports.com. USC wide receiver commit Zachariah Branch and Georgia cornerback commit Justyn Rhett are the headlining recruits.
4. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) (6-1)
Last week: 1
Last game: 17-7 loss to No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Next game: Oct. 14 vs. JSerra (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
Ranking rationale: Defensively, St. John Bosco struggled against Mater Dei's rushing attack, but the Braves' defense only gave up 17 points in last week's rivalry loss. What killed St. John Bosco was poor offensive execution. Quarterbacks Pierce Clarkson and Caleb Sanchez completed only 14 passes for 106 yards. Clarkson, the Braves' starter, missed the second half after suffering a concussion in the first half. He was sacked three times and never really looked comfortable. Sanchez didn't look comfortable either facing constant pressure over the final two quarters.
The Braves have one of the most talented rosters in the country and they will most likely get another crack at the Monarchs in the Division 1 Southern Section championship game in November. That game will most likely decide the national No. 1 ranking.
5. Miami Central (Fla.) (6-0)
Last week: 4
Last game: 42-7 win over Northwestern (Miami)
Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Norland (Miami)
Ranking rationale: Central dominated a good Northwestern team 42-7 last week. The Miami Herald called the performance "near-perfect."
"We came out and dominated," Central quarterback Keyone Jenkins told Mark Stallworth postgame. "The City thought it was going to be a big game. It really wasn't."
Jenkins, an FIU commit, threw a TD and rushed for a second score. The impressive victory keeps Miami Central in the national title hunt.
In their first game of the season, the Rockets handed No. 8 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) its first loss to an in-state opponent since 2013.
6. American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) (6-1)
Last week: 6
Last game: 42-18 win over Western (Davie, Fla.)
Next game: Oct. 14 at Stranahan (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Ranking rationale: American Heritage made a statement in its 21-2 win over a very talented Cardinal Gibbons team two weeks ago. The Patriots had a goal line stand on Cardinal Gibbons' opening possession. On offense, 2023 running back Mark Fletcher and wide out Brandon Inniss, two Ohio State commits, had big games to lead American Heritage to victory. Last week, the Patriots rolled to a 42-18 win over Western. American Heritage's lone loss this season came against No. 2 Chaminade-Madonna 42-34.
7. St. Frances Academy (Baltimore) (5-0)
Last week: 8
Last game: 22-15 win over No. 25 Kahuku (Hawaii)
Next game: Oct. 28 at Arundel (Gambrills, Md.)
Ranking rationale: St. Frances Academy got Kahuku's best shot before coming back to win 22-15 two weeks ago. Quarterback Michael Van Buren completed the Panthers' turnaround with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Kyree Benton with just 39 seconds to play in the fourth quarter. The Panthers also got two defensive scores in the game.
Van Buren has received scholarship offers from Alabama, Miami and Oklahoma, among others. Class of 2023 4-star defensive lineman Dashawn Womack (LSU commit) is the top player for the Panthers on defense. He scored a 75-yard touchdown on a fumble recovery against Kahuku.
St. Frances had an opponent cancel at the last second last week and now the Panthers won't play again until the last week of October.
8. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) (4-1)
Last week: 9
Last game: 45-0 win over St. Thomas More (Oakdale, Conn.)
Next game: Oct. 14 at American Collegiate Academy (Clearwater, Fla.)
Ranking rationale: Since losing to No. 4 Miami Central (Fla.) 20-14 to open the season, IMG has outscored its next four opponents 199-45. In the class of 2023, three of the top 35 recruits in the country are on IMG's roster, per 247Sports.com, and in the 2024 class, five players are ranked in the top 20 nationally. The Ascenders are stacked with blue chip prospects.
9. Chandler (Ariz.) (6-0)
Last week: 10
Last game: 40-21 win over Casteel (Queen Creek, Ariz.)
Next game: Oct. 21 at Mountain View (Mesa, Ariz.)
Ranking rationale: Chandler led 34-0 over Casteel at halftime last week. Running back Ca'lil Valentine supplied three rushing touchdowns for the Wolves — all in the first half — including scoring on an 80-yard run on the first play from scrimmage.
Before the high school football season began, one Arizona high school football insider said this about the Wolves: "Chandler is easily No. 1 in Arizona, the runaway favorite." Expect the Wolves to go undefeated.
10. Westlake (Austin, Texas) (6-0)
Last week: 11
Last game: 66-17 win over Anderson (Austin, Texas)
Next game: Oct. 14 at Dripping Springs (Texas)
Ranking rationale: Westlake has won 46 games in a row dating back to 2019. The Chaparrals are led by senior receivers Jaden Greathouse, a Notre Dame commit, and Keaton Kubecka, a Kansas commit. Class of 2023 interior lineman TJ Shanahan is committed to Texas A&M and class of 2023 edge rusher Colton Vasek is committed to Oklahoma.
Despite their dominant run, Westlake is ranked at No. 10 because the Chaparrals have played a very easy schedule. When the playoffs come and Westlake goes up against better competition, they'll have the opportunity to rise in the rankings.
11. North Shore (Houston, Texas) (6-0)
Last week: 7
Last game: 34-27 win over Summer Creek (Houston, Texas)
Next game: Oct. 14 vs. West Brook (Beaumont, Texas)
Ranking rationale: North Shore led by two scores for much of the game against Summer Creek, but the Mustangs allowed the 3-3 Bulldogs to hang around, which drops North Shore to No. 11 this week. Without starting QB Kaleb Bailey, who suffered an injury two weeks ago, senior UTSA commit David Amador slid over from receiver to play QB for the Mustangs. He rushed for 235 yards and three touchdowns against Summer Creek.
North Shore has won three Class 6A Division I state championships in the last four years in Texas. Can they win a fourth without their starting QB if Bailey is done for the season?
12. Guyer (Denton, Texas) (6-0)
Last week: 12
Last game: 56-7 win over Boyd (McKinney, Texas)
Next game: Oct. 14 at Braswell (Little Elm, Texas)
Ranking rationale: Guyer's explosive offense was at it again two weeks ago in the Wildcats' 56-7 win over Boyd. Jackson Arnold, a 2023 Oklahoma commit, threw two touchdowns.
In addition to Arnold, two other Guyer seniors have verbally committed to big-time college programs: safety Peyton Bowen is a Notre Dame pledge and safety Ryan Yaites is committed to LSU. Guyer's next measuring stick game comes against Allen on Oct. 20.
13. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) (6-0)
Last week: 13
Last game: 24-6 win over Dillard (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Fort Lauderdale (Fla.)
Ranking rationale: St. Thomas Aquinas beat a good Dillard team 24-6 to stay undefeated. Senior QB Hezekiah Harris threw two touchdowns in the win. Defensively, the Raiders recorded six tackles for loss and had an interception.
St. Thomas Aquinas won a 7A state title in Florida a season ago and the team is in a great position to repeat with wide receivers James Madison II and Chance Robinson, two top 100 2024 recruits, in the fold. In terms of committed players, 2023 safety Conrad Hussey is a Penn State pledge, 2023 receiver Isaiah Hardge is committed to the University of Colorado and 2023 defensive lineman Jason Hammond is an Iowa State commit. Hammond recorded two tackles for loss against Dillard.
14. Buford (Ga.) (6-0)
Last week: 14
Last game: 23-3 win over Collins Hill (Suwanee, Ga.)
Next game: Oct. 14 vs. No. 16 Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.)
Ranking rationale: For the second straight game, Buford won on defense and with its run game in the team's 23-3 win over Collins Hill two weeks ago. Senior Alabama commit Justice Haynes rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. Can the Wolves get away with playing that style of football against premier competition? We'll find that out this week when Buford hosts No. 16 Mill Creek.
15. Colquitt County (Norman Park, Ga.) (6-0)
Last week: 15
Last game: 30-7 win over Lincoln (Tallahassee, Fla.)
Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.)
Ranking rationale: Colquitt County debuted three weeks ago after beating Cedar Grove (Ellenwood, Ga.) by a larger margin (39-17) than No. 16 Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.) did (52-36) earlier this season. Charlie Pace rushed for 117 yards on 17 carries and in the second half, the Packers' defense pitched a shutout against Cedar Grove. Pace is committed to Georgia State. He's one of five Packers committed to play Division 1 college football.
In Colquitt County's 30-7 win over Lincoln two weeks ago, Pace rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries.
16. Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.) (6-0)
Last week: 16
Last game: 58-7 win over Central Gwinnett (Lawrenceville, Ga.)
Next game: Oct. 14 at No. 14 Buford (Ga.)
Ranking rationale: Mill Creek led 30-0 at halftime against previously undefeated Central Gwinnett two weeks ago. The Hawks scored points in a variety of different ways. Hayden Clark completed 15 of 19 passes for 294 yards and two touchdowns, Trajen Greco returned a fumble for a touchdown and Jamal Anderson returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown. Anderson is committed to Clemson. Mill Creek plays at No. 14 Buford this week in what will be the biggest high school football game in Georgia so far this season.
17. Corona Centennial (Corona, Calif.) (6-1)
Last week: 17
Last game: 62-14 win over Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.)
Next game: Oct. 14 at Vista Murrieta (Murrieta, Calif.)
Ranking rationale: Since falling to No. 2 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 43-20, the Huskies have responded with four running clock wins over JSerra (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.), Temecula Valley (Calif.), Chaparral (Temecula, Calif.) and Roosevelt. Corona Centennial is the clear No. 3 team in California and should once again make a deep postseason run in November before running into either Mater Dei or St. John Bosco.
18. Duncanville (Texas) (5-0)
Last week: 18
Last game: 24-7 win over Waxahachie (Texas)
Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Mansfield (Texas)
Ranking rationale: Duncanville won its 36th consecutive District game last week.
Here's a name to remember: freshman Zach Turner. The 6-foot-3, 210 pound receiver caught a touchdown for Duncanville against Waxahachie. Turner has already received an SEC scholarship offer from Missouri.
On the other side of the ball, Duncanville has arguably the best defense in Texas high school football. The Panthers forced three fourth quarter turnovers against Waxahachie to break the game open. Duncanville is firmly in the 6A Division 1 state championship mix in the Lone Star State.
19. Lipscomb Academy (Nashville, Tenn.) (7-0)
Last week: 19
Last game: 42-0 win over Knoxville Catholic (Knoxville, Tenn.)
Next game: Oct. 14 vs. PURE Academy (Memphis, Tenn.)
Ranking rationale: After two challenging out-of-state wins against Milton (Ga.) and Thompson (Alabaster, Ala.) to start the year, Lipscomb Academy has crushed its last five opponents by a combined score of 228-18. Lipscomb is loaded this season led by 2023 QB Hank Brown, a Liberty commit. He's protected by mammoth 2023 offensive tackle Brandon Solis. Class of 2023 wide receivers Junior Sherrill (Vanderbilt commit) and Nate Spillman (University of Tennessee commit) are two other top players on offense. Defensively, 2024 linebacker Edwin Spillman and 2024 cornerback Kaleb Beasley are both top recruits in their class.
20. St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia, Pa.) (5-1)
Last week: 20
Last game: 40-11 win over La Salle College (Wyndmoor, Pa.)
Next game: Oct. 28 at Roman Catholic (Philadelphia)
Ranking rationale: St. Joseph's Prep's beat up La Salle College 40-11 last week. Class of 2024 QB Samaj Jones rushed for an 82-yard touchdown in the first quarter and the Hawks never looked back. Jones has received scholarship offers from Louisville, Penn State and Tennessee.
In its season opener, St. Joseph's Prep hung around with No. 13 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) for four quarters, which pushed the Hawks into the Power 25. St. Joseph's Prep fell in that game 48-37, but the Hawks have won five straight since then and they most likely won't lose again this year.
21. Langston Hughes (Fairburn, Ga.) (7-0)
Last week: 21
Last game: 59-0 win over East Paulding (Dallas, Ga.)
Next game: Oct. 21 vs. Newnan (Ga.)
Ranking rationale: Hughes doesn't have a marquee win on its schedule yet, but the Panthers have so much talent on their roster and they've won in such a dominant fashion this season, they stay at No. 21 this week. Led by 2023 Ohio State tight end commit Jelani Thurman and 2023 Georgia offensive lineman commit Bo Hughley, Hughes has outscored its first seven opponents 368-59. Junior quarterback Air Noland has completed 70% of his passes and thrown 25 touchdowns with only three picks. Expect the Panthers to go undefeated this fall.
22. Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati) (8-0)
Last week: 22
Last game: 25-10 win over St. Ignatius (Cleveland)
Next game: Oct. 15 vs. St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio)
Ranking rationale: Archbishop Moeller won on defense in its 25-10 victory over St. Ignatius. Matthew Seliga snagged two first half interceptions. On offense, tailback Jordan Marshall led the Crusaders with 107 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Archbishop Moeller is the consensus No. 1 team in Ohio.
23. Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio) (8-0)
Last week: 23
Last game: 28-14 win over St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio)
Next game: Oct. 14 at Benedictine (Cleveland)
Ranking rationale: Behind 219 yards rushing and three touchdowns from 2023 Buffalo commit Lamar Sperling and six forced turnovers by the defense and special teams, Archbishop Hoban beat rival St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio) 28-14 last week. Archbishop Hoban has the best resume in Ohio high school football thanks to recording impressive wins over Iona Prep (New Rochelle, N.Y.) and St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio).
24. Liberty (Peoria, Ariz.) (5-0)
Last week: 24
Last game: 35-7 win over Basha (Chandler, Ariz.)
Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Brophy College Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Ranking rationale: The Lions proved that they're the No. 2 team in Arizona high school football in last week's 35-7 win over previously undefeated Basha. Junior quarterback Navi Bruzon played a near-perfect game completing 17 of 20 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 46 yards and a TD. On defense, junior linebacker Keaton Stam made 10 tackles and recovered a fumble.
25. Lehi (Utah) (9-0)
Last week: NR
Last game: 28-24 win over Timpview (Provo, Utah)
Next game: Oct. 12 vs. Orem (Utah)
Ranking rationale: Through nine weeks, Lehi is the top team in Utah high school football thanks to coming out on top in games against Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah) and Timpview (Provo, Utah). Class of 2023 QB Jackson Brousseau, a Colorado State commit, has thrown 22 touchdowns this season. The other top recruits on Lehi's roster are 2023 defensive lineman Isaac Terrell (Washington State) and 2024 offensive tackle Jensen Somerville.
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DROPPED OUT
No. 25 Kahuku (Hawaii) (7-2)
MOVED IN
No. 25 Lehi (Utah) (9-0)
ON THE BUBBLE
Auburn (Ala.)
Belleville (Mich.)
Brownsburg (Ind.)
Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Carroll (Southlake, Texas)
Catholic-B.R (Baton Rouge, La.)
Columbus (Miami, Fla.)
Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah)
DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)
Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.)
Dutch Fork (Irmo, S.C.)
Edgewater (Orlando, Fla.)
Edna Karr (New Orleans, La.)
Iona Prep (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
Kahuku (Hawaii)
Katy (Texas)
Lakeland (Fla.)
Lakota West (West Chester, Ohio)
Loyola Academy (Wilmette, Ill.)
Mount Carmel (Chicago, Ill.)
Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.)
Skyridge (Lehi, Utah)
St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio)
Washington (Massillon, Ohio)
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