Hard to believe but a few states will hit the midway point of the season this weekend. After covering high school sports for nearly three decades, more teams are playing national-themed games allowing the rankings to gain more credibility.
Triple Option
What we learned
The top four teams from the Blue Star Media Go-To 25 high school football rankings are static but No. 5 lost and dropped pack into the pack but not out of the rankings.
No. 17 Central (Miami) is one resilient team. Credit the Rockets for scrapping their offensive philosophy and put the ball in the hands of their best player. Central downed nationally ranked Booker T. Washington (Miami) with a second half game plan that featured the Wildcat offense. Central isn’t done running the gauntlet, though, because on Friday it travels across state to No. 3 Manatee (Bradenton, Fla.) for another slobber-knocker.
No. 25 Plant (Tampa, Fla.) tumbled 14 slots after getting pasted by 30 points against No. 7 John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.) in New Orleans in national TV. The Panther hang out the rankings and should run the table in the regular season and be a real factor in defending their Class 8A state championship. This appears to be Curtis’ strongest team since the days of Joe McKnight (now with the New York Jets).
Yes, there was a casualty as Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) had its win streak halted at 46 games against Gilman School (Baltimore), which plays one of the East’s most challenging schedules.
No. 24 Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) debuts in the Blue Star Media Go-To 25 rankings after demolishing a formidable foe from Long Island, N.Y. The Crusaders are off to Nevada later this week for a game at No. 19 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas). It will be a true test for the Crusaders, who have a high-octane offense that hung 59 points in the opener. Gorman won’t be a pushover at home and have already knocked off nationally ranked Good Counsel (Olney, Md.). If the Crusaders pass this test, they still have rivalry games against St. Joseph Regional (on Sept. 22) and Don Bosco Prep (on Oct. 27).
Should be another exciting weekend on the gridiron. Rivalry games are to be played and new heroes will emerge. Hope to see you at a game. Pulcher, Imperfectus, Accuratiorem. – Christopher Lawlor
Game Balls
Two quarterbacking performances stood out.
Quarterback Johnny Stanton of No. 4 Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.), celebrating his 18th birthday last Friday had a memorable night, earning Blue Star Media National Co-Player of the Week honors. Stanton, a Nebraska recruit, hit on 17 of 21 passes for 325 yards and three TDs and rushed for 89 yards and two scores in a 55-0 thumping of Trabuco Hills. With Stanton at the controls, the Eagles’ offense set a school record with 610 yards and scored points on eight of nine drives. Stanton’s 414 yards of total offense gave him a school record of 5,461 yards, surpassing the career mark of 5,260, set by Carson Palmer from 1995-97.
USC-bound Max Browne of regionally ranked Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.) threw for 387 yards and three TDs on 18 of 29 accuracy in beating Cottonwood (Murray, Utah), 57-25. Browne outdueled Cottonwood’s QB Cooper Bateman, who will attend Alabama.
Games of Week
There is a pair of games involving the Blue Star Media Go-To 25 teams on Friday. In Bradenton, Fla., No. 3 Manatee hosts No. 17 Central (Miami). This one could rattle the national rankings. At least one national ranking service has Manatee as the top-ranked team. Central has already lost and another one could vanquish them from the Go-To 25 rankings.
In the desert, No. 24 Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) visits No. 19 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) on Friday at 10 p.m. ET. Bergen Catholic should be used to the heat after spending the hottest summer on record in New Jersey. The Crusaders have a high-powered offense and will be ready for the Gaels, who come off a bye week.
Elsewhere, in Sandy, Utah, there’s a game for Class 5A supremacy between crosstown rivals. Friday it’ll be a war when Alta, No. 5 in the Far West Region, visits Bingham, kicking at 7 p.m. MT.
Blue Star Media Go-To 25 rankings
1. Grayson, Loganville, Ga. (2-0)
Previous rank: 1.
Recap: Idle. After two games, the Rams were off, but now the long haul begins.
Up next: Friday vs. Parkview (Lilburn).
2. Skyline, Dallas (2-0)
Previous: 2.
Recap: Defeated Martin (Arlington), 37-34. Leading 30-20 at halftime, QB Devante Kincade hit Lamont Leveis for a 9-yard TD with 7:40 left in the final quarter for a 37-27 edge. Kincade passed for 222 yards and two scores and ran for another and RB Jordan Stevenson rushed for 176 yards and TDs of 58 and 52 yards.
Up next: Friday at Bowie (Arlington).
3. Manatee, Bradenton, Fla. (2-0)
Previous: 3.
Recap: Defeated at Riverview (Sarasota), 49-7. QB Cord Sandberg accounted for four TDs, including three in the air. The Hurricanes have another stern test this week from Miami-Dade County.
Up next: Friday vs. No. 17 Central (Miami).
4. Santa Margarita, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. (3-0)
Previous: 4.
Recap: Defeated Trabuco Hills, 55-0. QB Johnny Stanton, a Nebraska recruit, passed for 325 yards and three TDs and added two more rushing scores and Ryan Wolpin ran for 173 yards and three scores. Herb Welsh improved to 246-52-2 in his 300th game as a head coach at three schools.
Up next: Friday vs. Carson at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo.
5. De La Salle, Concord, Calif. (2-0)
Previous: 6.
The Rub: Defeated Mullen (Denver), 30-13. After a sluggish start, the Spartans polished off the Colorado school scoring 23 consecutive points. Senior RB Tiapepe Vitale rushed 129 yards and a TD on 22 carries.
Up next: Friday vs. St. Mary’s (Stockton).
6. John Curtis Christian, River Ridge, La. (2-0)
Previous: 7.
Recap: The Patriots raced to a 27-point lead at the break en route to a 33-3 win over then-No. 11 Plant (Tampa, Fla.) in the All State Sugar Bowl Classic at the Superdome in New Orleans.
Up next: Friday vs. East St. John (Reserve).
7. Camden County, Kingsland, Ga. (3-0)
Previous: 8.
Recap: Defeated Johnson (Savannah), 55-0. The Wildcats subbed early but not before Antonio Wimbush scored two TDs in a 21-0 first-quarter showing.
Up next: Friday vs. Beach (Savannah).
8. Vista Murietta, Murietta, Calif. (2-0)
Previous: 9.
Recap: Defeated South (Anchorage, Alaska), 49-8. Su’a Cravens, a preseason Blue Star Media All-American, scored on offense (10-yard run), defense (75-yard interception) and special teams (blocked punt for 8 yards).
Up next: Friday vs. Redland East Valley.
9. Butler, Matthews, N.C. (3-0)
Previous: 10.
Recap: Defeated Vance (Charlotte), 48-6. Tennessee-bound QB Riley Ferguson connected on 13 of 23 passes for 275 yards and a TD while Josh Glisson caught a TD pass and rushed for 122 yards and two TDs.
Up next: Friday at Myers Park (Charlotte).
10. Trinity, Louisville (2-0)
Previous: 12.
Recap: Idle. The next three games are against out-of-state opponents.
Up next: Friday vs. Elder (Cincinnati).
11. Moeller, Cincinnati (3-0)
Previous: 13.
Recap: Defeated Detroit Catholic Central (Novi, Mich.), 61-33. The Crusaders exploded for 27 points in the third period. QB Spencer Iacovone hit on 17 passes for 233 yards and a pair of scores and RB Keith Watkins, a Northwestern recruit, rushed for 177 yards and four TDs.
Up next: Friday at St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.).
12. Lake Travis, Austin, Texas (2-0)
Previous: 14.
Recap: Defeated New Braunfels Canyon, 49-7. QB Baker Mayfield totaled 256 yards and four TDs (192 yards passing and three TDs and 64 yards and one score) while RB Shaun Nixon carried six times for 105 yards and scores of 3 and 87 yards. Nixon has passed for 604 yards in two games.
Up next: Friday at Round Rock Westwood.
13. Hoover, Ala. (2-0)
Previous: 15.
Recap: Defeated Hueytown, 45-6. QB Connor Short hit on 15 of 22 passes for 189 yards and three scores as the Bucs recorded the most lopsided victory in the series since 1970.
Up next: Friday vs. Jackson-Olin (Birmingham).
14. Ensworth School, Nashville, Tenn. (4-0)
Previous: 16.
Recap: Defeated Raleigh-Egypt, 47-0. The Tiger’s high-powered offense has produced 191 points in four games.
Up next: Friday at Baylor School (Chattanooga).
15. Katy, Texas (2-0)
Previous: 17.
Recap: The Tigers scored 23 unanswered points, touched off by Isaiah Brown’s 72-yard interception return for a TD, in a 23-9 win over Alief Taylor.
Up next: Saturday at The Woodlands (Conroe).
16. Allen, Texas (2-0)
Previous: 18.
Recap: Defeated Cedar Hill, 37-20. Jeff Harris ran for 154 yards and two TDs on 17 carries.
Up next: Friday vs. Hebron.
17. Central, Miami (1-1)
Previous: 19.
Recap: Defeated then-No. 5 Booker T. Washington, 37-26. QB Joseph Yearby, who started the game as a running back, passed for 75 yards and rushed for 73 yards and two TDs in a Wildcat offense, while Clemson-bound Dalvin Scott produced an electrifying 71-yard TD run and rushed for 147 yards in 12 carries.
Up next: Friday at No. 3 Manatee (Bradenton).
18. Booker T. Washington, Miami (1-1)
Previous: 5.
Recap: Lost to then-No. 19 Central (Miami), 37-26.
Up next: Saturday at Cedar Hill (Texas).
19. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (2-0)
Previous: 20.
Idle.
Up next: Friday vs. Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) on Fox Sports West.
20. Goose Creek, S.C. (3-0)
Previous: 21.
Recap: Defeated Summerville, 49-14. Georgia-bound RB-WR Tramel Terry totaled 129 yard and two TDs and RB Caleb Kinlaw ran for two TDs and QB danrtez Bennamon fired two TD passes.
Up next: Friday vs. Fort Dorchester (North Charleston).
21. Bellevue, Wash. (2-0)
Previous: 22.
Recap: Defeated Bothell, 35-7. QB Jack Meggs completed 7 of 8 passes for 167 yards and three TDs before the break. Budda Baker caught a 39-yard TD pass to kick off the scoring.
Up next: Friday vs. Sammamish.
22. St. Thomas Aquinas, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (2-0)
Previous: 23.
Recap: Defeated Cypress Bay (Weston), 43-17. QB John O’Korn totaled 234 yards and passed for two scores and rushed for two more while Fred Coppet darted 71 yards for a TD.
Up next: Friday vs. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.).
23. Good Counsel, Olney, Md. (2-1)
Previous: 25.
Recap: Defeated St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.), 14-10.
Up next: Friday vs. H.D. Woodson (Washington, D.C.).
24. Bergen Catholic, Oradell, N.J. (1-0)
Previous: Not ranked.
Recap: Defeated St. Anthony’s (Melville, N.Y.), 59-21. RB James Dawson dashed for 135 yards and a TD while QB Jonathan Germano threw for 308 yards and four scores. At one point, the Crusaders scored on eight of nine possessions to snap their host’s 29-game win streak dating back to September 2009.
Up next: Friday at No. 19 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas).
25. Plant, Tampa, Fla. (1-1)
Previous: 11.
Recap: Lost to No. 7 John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.), 33-3.
Up next: Friday vs. Jefferson (Tampa).
Dropped: No. 24. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) lost to Gilman School (Baltimore), 13-6.
High-Fives by Region
East
1. North Allegheny, Wexford, Pa. (2-0)
2. LaSalle College, Wyndmoor, Pa. (2-0)
3. Hylton, Woodbridge, Va. (2-0)
4. Don Bosco Prep, Ramsey, N.J. (0-1)
5. Gateway, Monroeville, Pa. (2-0)
Geography: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.
Midlands
1. St. Ignatius, Cleveland (3-0)
2. Cass Tech, Detroit (3-0)
3. Colerain, Cincinnati (3-0)
4. Carmel, Ind. (4-0)
5. Bolingbrook, Ill. (3-0)
Geography: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
South
1. Byrnes, Duncan, S.C. (3-0)
2. Lassiter, Marietta, Ga. (2-0)
3. Cibolo (Texas) Steele (2-0)
4. DeSoto, Texas (2-0)
5. Southlake (Texas) Carroll (1-1)
Geography: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
Far West
1. Alemany, Mission Hills, Calif. (3-0)
2. Skyline, Sammamish, Wash. (2-0)
3. Jesuit, Portland, Ore. (2-0)
4. Kahuku, Hawaii (3-0)
5. Alta, Sandy, Utah (4-0)
Geography: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
About: The Blue Star Media Go-To 25 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 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.
