SBLive/SI Top 25 high school football rankings: Mater Dei is 2023 national champion
We asked our readers who they thought should be the No. 1 high school football team in the nation when the final two states — Georgia and Texas — completed their state championship games last weekend.
And while DeSoto, their overwhelming choice (more than 66% of the vote as of early Monday morning), made a compelling case capped by a commanding performance in the Texas 6A Division 2 final, in the end, it wasn’t enough to sway us from our choice.
Mater Dei is the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 national champion for the 2023 season.
The Monarchs rode one of the nation’s best defenses to their fourth California (CIF) Open Division state championship in the past six seasons, winning games against the Hawaii Open state champion (Kahuku), Georgia’s 5A runner-up (Creekside), Centennial of Corona, Calif., and St. Frances Academy of Baltimore.
They avenged their only defeat against Trinity League rival St. John Bosco in the CIF playoffs, then shut out Northern California’s top team, Serra, in the state final.
Here are the final SBLive/SI Power 25 national high school football rankings.
FINAL SBLIVE/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED POWER 25
1. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) (13-1)
2. DeSoto (Texas) (16-0)
3. Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.) (14-0)
4. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) (12-0)
5. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) (10-0)
6. St. Joseph’s Prep (Philadelphia) (13-1)
7. Duncanville (Texas) (14-1)
8. St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) (15-1)
9. Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) (11-1)
10. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) (13-1)
11. Washington Massillon (Ohio) (16-0)
12. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) (11-2)
13. North Shore (Galena Park, Texas) (15-1)
14. Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.) (12-1)
15. Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah) (13-1)
16. Liberty (Peoria, Ariz.) (12-1)
17. Cocoa (Fla.) (14-1)
18. Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.) (11-1)
19. Aledo (Texas) (16-0)
20. Kahuku (Hawaii) (12-2)
21. Ben Davis (Indianapolis) (13-1)
22. Milton (Ga.) (13-2)
23. Serra (San Mateo, Calif.) (12-1)
24. Bixby (Okla.) (13-0)
25. Clay-Chalkville (Ala.) (14-0)
Dropped out
Honorable mention
-- René Ferrán | rferran.scorebooklive@gmail.com | @sblivesports