No. 18 Atascocita (TX), No. 24 La Salle College (PA) record quality wins to enter Blue Star Media Elite 25 football rankings; Texas District 11-6A faceoff is national game of the week

BENSALEM, Pa. – Whenever there’s an influx of three newcomers to the Blue Star Media Elite 25 football rankings in early October, it’s a rare occasion. There are circumstances tied to latest arrivals that hail from power states Georgia, Pennsylvania and Texas.

The easiest starting point is District 23-6A (near Houston, Texas), where three teams this season have been tapped for the Elite. Last weekend, North Shore (Galena Park) and Humble Creek (Humble) were ranked with Atascocita (Humble) lurking in the shadows. Well, No. 7 North Shore won in blowout fashion in district play but then-No. 20 Summer Creek was tripped up.

No. 18 Atascocita enters the Elite 25 after stopping Summer Creek, 42-39 in a wild west shootout. Atascocita held large leads only to see Summer Creek chip away but eventually fall short by three points. Barring any upsets, the Eagles (5-0) meet North Shore on Oct. 25. North Shore then visits Summer Creek on Nov. 8 or the final game of the regular season. What a district race!

In the Philadelphia Catholic League Red Division, there’s a new king, at least for now. No. 24 La Salle College (Wyndmoor, Pa.) upended rivals St. Joseph’s Prep (Philadelphia), 35-34, in four overtimes. Prep was No. 14 but dropped out of the rankings with the Explorers (7-0) joining. The Explorers should run the table for the Red Division regular season title but the two will meet in the PIAA District 12 Class 6A playoffs or the PCL Red championship game in November. The teams were ranked 1-2 entering Saturday night’s contest.

The game was scoreless at halftime and 14-all headed into overtime. Prep (3-2) should have lined up for a chip-shot field goal with 8 seconds left and a dependable kicker Leo Ricci warming up. Prep coach Tim Roken inexplicably decided to run a play and his quarterback rolled right and a batted pass was picked off inside the 10-yard line.

Overtime.

Prep took a 34-27 lead in the fourth extra session. La Salle then scored on fourth down to make it 34-33 when Joe O’Brien caught one on the goal line. The Explorers rolled the dice, going for the two-point conversion and got it when Desmond Ortiz snagged QB Gavin Sidwar’s pass deep in the end zone.

Game over.

The 104^th meeting between the all-male prep schools, dating back to 1915 was a doozy. Don’t fret, they’ll do it again soon enough.

Also entering the Elite 25 is No. 23 North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.). North Gwinnett is Georgia’s third-ranked Class 6A (largest classification) team. No. 6 Carrollton (Ga.) and No. 13 Buford (Ga.) are Georgia’s top-two in 6A and among the Elite 25 brethren.

Kudos to La Salle and Atascocita. On the surface it appears their wins were upsets but they weren’t. Both are quality teams with long roads ahead.

No. 2 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) rallied to stop then-No. 21 Orange (Calif.) Lutheran, 28-24, Freshman QB Koa Malau’ulu passed for four touchdowns in the second half when the Braves trailed 10-0. The Trinity League never fails to produce power programs and Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) recorded a huge win over JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano) last Friday. And No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) plays Servite on Friday.

Another superlative.

In Hawaii, Campbell (Ewa Beach) picked up a huge win and performance from QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. The 6-foot-4 California recruit shredded previously unbeaten Mililani, 41-20, in a key OIA Open Division game late Saturday night. It was the first win by the Sabers over the Trojans since the 2011 term.

Sagapolutele carved up Mililani for 350 yards and six TDs on 23-of-31 accuracy. In six games, he’s thrown for 2,002 yards and 32 TDs with only two INTs. The Sabers average nearly 50 points through six perfect outings. This won’t be the last time the Oahu rivals meet this season.

Here are three other games worth noting.

The game of the week is clearly No. 3 Duncanville (Texas) at No. 8 DeSoto (Texas) Friday in a District 11-6A slobberknocker kicking off at 7 p.m. CT in Eagle Stadium. In South Florida, supremacy in Broward County pits No. 11 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) and Chaminade-Madonna College Prep (Hollywood) Friday. No. 25 Orange Lutheran meets JSerra Catholic Friday.

This week’s Elite 25 had some movement. No. 18 Atascocita, No. 23 North Gwinnett and No. 24 La Salle College are the additions. Fifteen teams, including the top-13 remained the same. No. 25 Orange Lutheran tripped four spots after a narrow loss and six teams ascended the rankings with five moving up three positions.

That’s it for another week. The Blue Star Media Elite 25 rankings return on Oct. 15.

I’m Just Saying: Here’s something I culled from X (formerly Twitter). Maui families (in Hawaii) got $700; Hurricane Helene families get $750; Illegal aliens get $13,000 EBT cards with $5,000 cash; Ukraine President Zelenskyy got billions. What is wrong with this current administration? Really, $750 for all that destruction and death in the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida?

Bye for now.

We hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 High School Football Rankings, Oct. 8, 2024

1. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (5-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Recap: Defeated Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita), 40-18. Oregon-bound RB Jordon Davison ran for three TDs.

Next: Friday at Servite (Anaheim).

2. St. John Bosco, Bellflower, Calif. (6-0)

Previous: 2.

Recap: Defeated then-No. 21 Orange Lutheran, 28-24. Freshman QB Koa Malau’ulu threw for four TDs and 270 yards in the second half. The game featured five lead changes as the Braves were down 10-0 at the break.

Friday vs. Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita).

3. Duncanville, Texas (4-0)

Previous: 3.

Recap: Idle.

Next: Friday at No. 8 DeSoto.

4. Milton, Alpharetta, Ga. (7-0)

Previous: 4.

Recap: Defeated Lanier (Sugar Hill), 49-7.

Next: Friday at Gainesville.

5. North Crowley, Fort Worth, Texas (5-0)

Previous: 5.

Recap: Idle.

Next: Friday vs. Mansfield Lake Ridge.

6. Carrollton, Ga. (7-0)

Previous: 6.

Recap: Defeated Westlake (Atlanta), 63-27.

Next: Friday vs. Chapel Hill (Douglasville).

7. North Shore, Galena Park, Texas (5-0)

Previous: 7.

Recap: Defeated Humble Kingwood, 48-21.

Next: Thursday vs. Goose Creek Memorial (Baytown).

8. DeSoto, Texas (4-1)

Previous: 8.

Recap: Idle. The District 11-6A title is on the line.

Next: Friday vs. No. 3 Duncanville.

9. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (5-1)

Previous: 9.

Recap: Defeated Foothill (Las Vegas), 50-0. QB Maika Eugenio completed 10 of 14 passes for 154 yards and three scores. The Gaels recorded their second straight shutout and have outscored two Nevada Class 5A Division I opponents, 99-0.

Next: Thursday at Arbor View (Las Vegas).

10. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (5-1)

Previous: 10.

Recap: Defeated Venice (Fla.), 21-16. The Ascenders are off for the next two weekends.

Next: Oct. 25 at East St. Louis (Ill.).

11. St. Thomas Aquinas, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (6-1)

Previous: 11.

Recap: Defeated Hollywood Hills (Hollywood), 64-0.

Next: Friday at Chaminade-Madonna College Prep (Hollywood).

12. Bergen Catholic, Oradell, N.J. (4-1)

Previous: 12.

Recap: Idle.

Next: Saturday vs. Paramus Catholic.

13. Buford, Ga. (5-1)

Previous: 13.

Recap: Defeated Collins Hill (Suwanee), 34-7.

Next: Thursday vs. Dacula.

14. Mission Viejo, Calif. (7-0)

Previous: 17.

Recap: Defeated Poly (Long Beach), 49-14, in SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

Next: Oct. 18 vs. San Clemente.

15. Gaffney, S.C. (4-0)

Previous: 15.

Recap: Game with Eastside (Taylors) was postponed.

Next: Friday vs. Byrnes (Duncan).

16. Corner Canyon, Draper, Utah (7-1)

Previous: 16.

Recap: Defeated Copper Hills (West Jordan), 49-14. QB Bronson Evans tossed two TD passes.

Next: Friday vs. Bingham (South Jordan).

17. Archbishop Spalding, Severn, Md. (7-0)

Previous: 18.

Recap: Defeated St. Mary’s (Annapolis), 54-0. The Cavaliers rolled to a 42-0 lead at halftime.

Next: Friday vs. Concordia Prep (Towson).

18. Atascocita, Humble, Texas (5-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Recap: Defeated then-No. 20 Summer Creek (Humble). 42-39. The District 23-6A title race just took a new turn.

Next: Friday vs. Humble.

19. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (4-2)

Previous: 22.

Recap: Defeated Roosevelt (Eastvale), 61-0.

Next: Thursday at Vista Murrieta (Murrieta).

20. DePaul Catholic, Wayne, N.J. (6-0)

Previous: 23.

Recap: Defeated Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey), 21-20. A failed two-point conversion in the third quarter was the difference. Junior QB Derek Zammit completed 14 of 19 passes for 216 yards and two TDs to Notre Dame-bound WR Elijah Burress. The Spartans were down 20-14 in the fourth when Burress caught the game-winner from 30 yards.

Next: Oct. 17 vs. St. Peter’s Prep (Jersey City) to be played at Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson.

21. Belleville, Mich. (6-0)

Previous: 24.

Recap: Defeated John Glenn (Westland), 42-15.

Next: Friday vs. Wayne (Mich.) Memorial.

22. Liberty, Peoria, Ariz. (4-1)

Previous: 25.

Recap: Defeated Chandler, 45-20.

Next: Friday vs. Pinnacle (Phoenix).

23. North Gwinnett, Suwanee, Ga. (6-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Recap: Defeated Peachtree Ridge (Suwanee), 44-22.

Next: Wednesday at Berkmar (Lilburn).

24. La Salle College, Wyndmoor, Pa. (7-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Recap: Defeated then-No. 14 St. Joseph’s Prep (Philadelphia), 35-34, in four overtimes. The Explorers land in the Elite 25 after surviving a grueling Philadelphia Catholic League Red Division showdown that was scoreless at halftime and tied at 14 through regulation. The teams entered as the top-two teams in the PIAA Class 6A rankings.

Next: Friday at Bonner-Prendergast (Drexel Hill, Pa.).

25. Orange (Calif.) Lutheran (4-2)

Previous: 21.

Recap: Lost to No. 2 St. John Bosco (Bellflower), 28-24. TJ Lateef, a Nebraska recruit, threw for 209 yards and two scores. Despite the loss, OLu remains in the Elite 25.

Next: Friday vs. JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano) to be played at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa.

Dropped: No. 14 St. Joseph’s Prep (Philadelphia); No. 19 Phenix City (Ala.) Central and No. 20 Summer Creek (Humble, Texas).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. St. Joseph’s Prep, Philadelphia (3-2)
2. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (4-1)
3. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (3-3)
4. Imhotep Prep Charter, Philadelphia (6-1)
5. Phoebus, Hampton, Va. (5-0)

Geography: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.

Midwest

1. East St. Louis, Ill. (6-0)
2. Lincoln-Way East, Frankfort, Ill. (6-0)
3. Mentor, Ohio (7-0)
4. Brownsburg, Ind. (7-0)
5. Cardinal Ritter College Prep, St. Louis (5-0)

Geography: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Southland

1. Lakeland, Fla. (6-0)
2. Venice, Fla. (6-1)
3. Chaminade-Madonna College Prep, Hollywood, Fla. (5-2)
4. Norland, Miami (5-1)
5. Boyle County, Danville, Ky. (6-0)

Geography: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

Far West

1. De La Salle, Concord, Calif. (5-0)
2. Basha, Chandler, Ariz, (5-1)
3. Campbell, Ewa Beach, Hawaii (6-0)
4. Servite, Anaheim, Calif. (6-0)
5. JSerra Catholic, San Juan Capistrano, Calif. (5-1)

Geography: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

Records are through Sunday

About: The Blue Star Media Elite 25 High School Football Rankings are released weekly from August until the conclusion of the high school season. Criteria considered are the quality of the team and its players, strength of schedule, tradition, and quality of the team’s league, conference, region or district. The rankings are compiled by Blue Star Media’s Christopher Lawlor, who consults with a national network of coaches, talent evaluators and prep sports writers. The final rankings will be released in December of the 2024 season. Follow him on X at @clawlor.