BENSALEM, Pa. – Let the postseason begin!
Several states such as New York, Western Pennsylvania, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana are already knee deep in playoffs. Within two weekends, Florida, Texas, Georgia and California will join the fray. It’s time to see if the teams we’ve tabbed as Blue Star Media Go-To 25 high school football royalty can finish with state championships. In some states, it takes up to six playoff games to eventually hoist the coveted silverware.
Finally the Go-To 25 rankings have multiple additions. After weeks of consistency and a boatload of victories, three teams were dropped—but not necessarily for good—making room for those that sat on the cusp for a majority of the regular season.
Redemption can be found in the postseason. Call it a second chance in the second season.
A big welcome to No. 18 Upper St. Clair (Pittsburgh), Pennsylvania’s top-ranked Class AAAA team; No. 16 Manatee (Bradenton, Fla.); and No. 23 Mission Viejo (Calif.)—all of who join the Go-To 25 rankings. Upper St. Clair finished the regular season unbeaten for the first time since 2006 when it won WPIAL and PIAA Class AAAA titles. Mission Viejo is a perennial power from southern California and Manatee registered a key comeback victory in a meeting of Florida’s top teams.
Speaking of Manatee, the Hurricanes are one of the favorites in Florida’s Class 7A and made the biggest splash entering the Go-To 25 rankings at No. 16. Meanwhile in New Jersey, No. 8 St. Joseph Regional (Montvale) received a five-slot boost after defeating previously ranked Paramus Catholic. SJR has a tough one this week when they visit De Paul Catholic (Wayne) on Friday. De Paul features seven big-major players headed to Miami, Villanova and Rutgers. SJR can inch closer to a league title with a win while the Spartans (6-1) could nudge their way into the Big North United Division race.
We thought about dropping No. 22 North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.) and No. 25 Moeller (Cincinnati), but figured with the playoffs approaching and the competitive nature of both Georgia and Ohio, to keep them around and wait for the postseason to play out. Both schools will figure prominently in their state championships.
So, who is the next team to drop or have their seasons ended in the playoffs? Who will be next to enter the Go-To 25 rankings? Will it be your team? We’ll have it all ready to go next week.
I’ll make my weekly plea for fans to support your local high school football program. In some cases, the season is complete. Have a safe and happy Halloween.
Hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor
Blue Star Media Go-To 25 Rankings
1. Booker T. Washington, Miami (9-0)
Previous rank: 1.
Recap: Defeated Norland (Miami), 41-14.
Up next: Saturday vs. Edison (Miami).
2. Allen, Texas (8-0)
Previous: 2.
Recap: Defeated McKinney Boyd, 49-26. Highly touted junior QB Kyler Murray threw for 330 yards and four TDs and ran for two scores on only seven carries.
Up next: Friday vs. McKinney.
3. Central, Miami (7-1)
Previous: 3.
Recap: Defeated Carol City (Miami), 48-19.
Up next: Saturday vs. Palmetto (Miami).
4. Hoover, Ala. (9-0)
Previous: 4.
Recap: Defeated Tuscaloosa County (Northport), 41-0. QB Jack Hutcheson fired three TD passes as the Bucs rolled to an early lead.
Up next: Friday vs. Opelika
5. De La Salle, Concord, Calif. (8-0)
Previous: 5
Recap: Defeated Amador Valley (Pleasanton), 63-14.
Up next: Friday at Monte Vista (Danville).
6. St. John Bosco, Bellflower, Calif. (8-0)
Previous: 6.
Recap: Defeated JSerra (San Juan Capistrano), 48-7.
Up next: Friday vs. Mater Dei (Santa Ana).
7. Katy, Texas (8-0)
Previous: 7.
Recap: Defeated Strake Jesuit (Houston), 49-7.
Up next: Saturday vs. Katy Cinco Ranch.
8. St. Joseph Regional, Montvale, N.J. (6-0)
Previous: 13.
Recap: Defeated No. 24 Paramus (N.J.) Catholic, 27-14.
Up next: Friday at De Paul Catholic (Wayne).
9. Serra, Gardena, Calif. (8-0)
Previous: 8.
Recap: Defeated Cathedral (Los Angeles), 45-14.
Up next: Friday vs. St. Francis (La Canada).
10. DeSoto, Texas (8-0)
Previous: 9.
Recap: Defeated Duncanville, 55-29.
Up next: Friday at Grand Prairie.
11. North Shore, Galena Park, Texas (8-0)
Previous: 10.
Recap: Defeated West Brook (Beaumont), 46-14. Six different players scored TDs for the Mustangs.
Up next: Friday vs. La Porte.
12. Ensworth, Nashville, Tenn. (8-0)
Previous: 11.
Recap: Defeated Baylor Prep (Chattanooga), 16-9.
Up next: Friday at Brentwood Academy.
13. Sandy Creek, Tyrone, Ga. (7-0-1)
Previous: 15.
Recap: Defeated LaGrange, 35-0. The Patriots’ defense puts up a third shutout in the last four games.
Up next: Friday at Carrollton.
14. Colerain, Cincinnati (9-0)
Previous: 16.
Recap: Defeated Middletown, 49-10. De Tuan Smith carried 12 times for 177 yards and two TDs and QB Kelvin Cook ran for a pair of scores in the first quarter.
Up next: Friday at Oak Hills (Cincinnati).
15. Cibolo (Texas) Steele (7-1)
Previous: 17.
Recap: Defeated East Central (San Antonio), 38-10. RB Justin Stockton rushed for 118 yards and two TDs.
Up next: Friday vs. Corpus Christi Carroll.
16. Manatee, Bradenton, Fla. (9-0)
Previous: Not ranked.
Recap: Defeated University (Fort Lauderdale), 28-24. The Hurricanes rallied from a 21-0 deficit in a battle of unbeaten.
Up next: Friday vs. Palm Harbor University.
17. Apopka, Fla. (8-1)
Previous: 18.
Recap: Defeated Edgewater (Orlando), 70-0.
Up next: Friday at Olympia (Orlando).
18. Upper St. Clair, Pittsburgh (9-0)
Previous: Not ranked.
Recap: Defeated Mount Lebanon (Pittsburgh), 35-7. Trevor Morrow (158 yards rushing) and Stephen Mackowick each scored two TDs as the Panthers recorded their first unbeaten regular season since 2006. The postseason draw was Monday night in Pittsburgh.
Up next: TBD in WPIAL Class AAAA first round.
19. St. Thomas Aquinas, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (7-1)
Previous: 20.
Recap: Defeated Hollywood Hills (Hollywood), 47-7.
Up next: Friday at Plantation.
20. Oscar Smith, Chesapeake, Va. (8-0)
Previous: 22.
Recap: Defeated King’s Fork (Suffolk), 62-12.
Up next: Friday at Great Bridge (Chesapeake).
21. Edna Karr, New Orleans (6-1)
Previous: 23.
Recap: Defeated Belle Chasse, 35-14. Jeriah Tolbert caught three TDs passes from QB Kerry Taylor.
Up next: Friday at McDonogh 35 (New Orleans).
22. North Gwinnett, Suwanee, Ga. (7-1)
Previous: 12.
Recap: Lost to Collins Hill (Suwanee), 53-28.
Up next: Friday at Mountain View (Lawrenceville).
23. Mission Viejo, Calif. (8-0)
Previous: Not ranked.
Recap: Defeated Tesoro (Las Flores), 37-7.
Up next: Friday at Trabuco Hills (Mission Viejo).
24. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (8-1)
Previous: 25.
Recap: Idle. The Stags close out the regular season this weekend.
Up next: Saturday at Archbishop Carroll (Washington).
25. Moeller, Cincinnati (8-1)
Previous: 14.
Recap: Lost to St. Edward (Lakewood), 45-42.
Up next: Friday at Trinity (Louisville, Ky.).
Dropped: No. 19. Loyola Academy (Wilmette, Ill.); No. 21 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.); and No. 24 Paramus (N.J.) Catholic.
High-Fives by Region
East
1. Paramus (N.J.) Catholic (5-2)
2. Ocean Lakes, Virginia Beach, Va. (8-0)
3. Coatesville, Pa. (9-0)
4. Central Catholic, Pittsburgh (9-0)
5. Neshaminy, Langhorne, Pa. (9-0)
Geography: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.
Midlands
1. Cass Tech, Detroit (9-0)
2. St. Edward, Lakewood, Ohio (7-1)
3. Blue Springs, Mo. (9-0)
4. Brother Rice, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (9-0)
5. Eden Prairie, Minn. (8-0)
Geography: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
South
1. Jenks, Okla. (8-0)
2. Mallard Creek, Charlotte, N.C. (9-0)
3. Northwestern, Rock Hill, S.C. (9-0)
4. Smithson Valley, Spring Branch, Texas (8-0)
5. University, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (8-1)
Geography: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
Far West
1. Folsom, Calif. (8-0)
2. Mountain Pointe, Phoenix (9-0)
3. Bellevue, Wash. (8-0)
4 Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (7-1)
5. Bingham, South Jordan, Utah (9-0)
Geography: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
About: The Blue Star Media Go-To 25 High School Football Rankings are released weekly from September 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 December 23. Follow him on Twitter at #clawlor.
