No. 1 Mater Dei (CA) Monarchs continue to rule Blue Star Media Elite 25 football rankings; No. 10 Hoover (AL) secures Class 7A, Region 3 title and moves up after big win

BENSALEM, Pa. — For the viewers on the East Coast, Saturday night’s game from California was the perfect capper to a cool, autumn afternoon. And thankfully it was carried by a local cable network.

Then-No. 12 Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) at No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) were the rankings for the Trinity League rivals entering game and it was worth staying way past our bedtime.

Running back Quincy Craig had a crazy stat that essentially changed the course of the game: five carries for 19 yards. However, his final four carries went for touchdowns, including one late in the second quarter for a 24-17 lead. Craig was named player of the game by Bally Sports SoCal which televised the game. He entered the game with one TD in the six previous games. The Monarchs (7-0) ruled, again, winning 46-37 at the Santa Ana Bowl before nearly 10,000. The game sold-out to the general public in two minutes.

Tremendous theater from Orange County, California. The stadium lights even went out with 4:44 left in the game. And no there was no Hollywood finish only Mater Dei head coach Bruce Rollinson improving to 28-3-1 against the Friars during his 33-year run on the sidelines. Rollinson calls this game the biggest each season. It means more than St. John Bosco, which in recent years has more of a national feel with the winner taking home a state championship.

Elsewhere, two teams from the Blue Star Media Elite 25 high school football rankings lost to an opponent from the rankings. We already rehashed No. 13 Servite, which slipped one slot following a loss to the Trinity League rivals.

No. 10 Hoover (Ala.) zoomed up 10 spots after taking down Alabama’s No. 1 team from Class 7A Thompson (Alabaster). No. 12 Thompson dipped six spots after a last-second 24-21 loss to the Bucs (10-0). Both teams have the week off before the 7A first round starts on Nov. 5. Good chance they meet again in the playoffs. They’ve met for the last four years in the semifinals. The rematch will likely occur, barring a major upset, with much more than the Region 3 title at stake.

The playoffs in Ohio, New York and Illinois have been drawn up and get started this weekend. Several others are going or will be in the coming weeks. Next up are states such as New Jersey, California and Florida.

So, that’s a wrap for the fourth weekend in October. The Blue Star Media Elite 25 rankings return on Nov. 2. Have a Happy Halloween this upcoming weekend; stay safe!

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Football Rankings, Oct. 26, 2021

1. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (7-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Recap: Defeated then-No. 12 Servite (Anaheim), 46-37. RB Quincy Craig, who entered the game with one touchdown, carried only five times for 19 yards but found the end zone on four of them. Sophomore QB Elijah Brown passed for 248 yards and a 22-yard TD to Notre Dame-bound WR C.J. Williams. RB Raleek Brown, an Oklahoma pledge, dashed 22 yards with 7:49 left to put the game out of reach. The Monarchs clinched the Trinity League crown. The regular season concludes this week and the “second season” arrives the first weekend in November for California schools.

Next: Friday vs. JSerra (San Juan Capistrano).

2. Westlake, Austin, Texas (8-0)

Previous: 2.

Recap: Defeated Akins (Austin), 56-6. The Chaps left no doubt scoring 48 unanswered points in the first half. Two games are left in the regular season and the District 26-6A title will come down to the final week against rival Lake Travis (Austin) on Nov. 5.

Next: Friday at Austin High.

3. St. John Bosco, Bellflower, Calif. (8-1)

Previous: 3.

Recap: Defeated Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita), 41-16. RB Rayshon Luke darted 25 yards for a score to make it 14-3 in the second quarter. Junior Pierce Clarkson tossed three TDs and Michigan State-bound signal caller Katin Houser ran for score and passed for another in the rout. The Braves are back at it this weekend with one of the nation’s top teams. More great drama from the Trinity League.

Next: Friday vs. No. 13 Servite (Anaheim).

4. Collins Hill, Suwanee, Ga. (9-0)

Previous: 4.

Recap: Defeated Mountain View (Lawrenceville), 28-0. This upcoming weekend is the regular season finale and then a bye before starting the Class AAAAAAA playoffs on Nov. 12.

Next: Friday at Mill Creek (Hoschton).

5. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (7-0)

Previous: 5.

Recap: Defeated East St. Louis (Ill.), 49-8. The game was played at a neutral venue in Jackson, Miss.

Next: Friday at Auburn (Ala.).

6. Katy, Texas (8-0)

Previous: 7.

Recap: Idle. The Tigers will be fully rested for the final two games.

Next: Thursday at Katy Taylor.

7. Southlake (Texas) Carroll (8-0)

Previous: 8.

Recap: Defeated Northwest Eaton (Haslet), 47-24. The offensive explosion was guided by RB Owe Allen’s 163-yard rushing, three-TD night while junior QB Kaden Anderson threw for 163 yards and two scores and ran for another. The Dragons are in the driver’s seat for the District 4-6A title with two games left.

Next: Friday vs. Keller Timber Creek.

8. Chandler, Ariz. (7-0)

Previous: 9.

Recap: Defeated Queen Creek, 26-7, for a 43^rd straight victory. The Wolves picked up a quality win over a previously undefeated team and got back injured WR Kyion Grayes II, an Ohio State recruit, on the field. He caught a fourth-quarter scoring pass to put away a plucky team. Really, it was special teams that won it with two blocked punts, including a game-changer recovered in the end zone by Jacob Holmes when it was close at 12-7.

Next: Friday vs. Casteel (Queen Creek).

9. Bergen Catholic, Oradell, N.J. (8-0)

Previous: 10.

Recap: Defeated Seton Hall Prep (West Orange), 38-28. It was a wild fourth quarter that saw the teams combine to score 35 points. Trailing 28-24, RB Ryan Butler scored on runs of 65 and 6 yards late in the fourth quarter. Butler finished with 232 rushing yards and three TDs on 25 carries. Notre Dame-bound QB Steve Angeli hit on 12 of 21 passes for 221 yards and two scores, including one of 70 yards to Santino Correa, who had six receptions for 138 yards. Christian Ross paced the defense with 1.5 sacks. The score was knotted at 14 by halftime, setting up an entertaining finish. A perfect regular season in on the line this week against a stout league foe.

Next: Saturday at St. Peter’s Prep (Jersey City).

Opens: Friday at Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio).

10. Hoover, Ala. (10-0)

Previous: 20.

Recap: Defeated then-No. 6 Thompson (Alabaster), 24-21. QB Bennett Meredith threw a 14-yard TD pass to Jabari Gaines with 14 seconds remaining to rally the Bucs from a 21-17 deficit. The Bucs are the Region 3 champions. The Bucs are off until the playoffs kick off next month.

Next: Nov. 5 vs. Sparkman (Harvest) in Class 7A first round.

11. Bixby, Okla. (8-0)

Previous: 11.

Recap: Defeated Muskogee, 56-14. The Spartans rolled to 28 points in each of the opening two quarters to put it away.

Next: Friday at Ponca City.

12. Thompson, Alabaster, Ala. (9-1)

Previous: 6.

Recap: Upended at then-No. 19 Hoover, 24-21. The two-time Class 7A champions lost for the first time in 27 games. North Carolina-bound QB Conner Harrell threw for 180 yards and two scores, including a 71-yarder to Jaylen Ward, but did not play in the second half. Don’t be surprised when the two meet again in the playoffs as they have for the last four years in the Class 7A semifinals.

Next: Nov. 5 vs. Florence in Class 7A first round.

13. Servite, Anaheim, Calif. (8-1)

Previous: 12.

Recap: Lost to No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana), 46-37. The game featured four ties and it would have been a fifth but a two-point conversion with 7:49 left in the game made it 39-37 and Mater Dei added one more score to wrap up the Trinity League championship. Arizona-bound QB Noah Fifita threw for 302 yards and TDs of 22 and 17 yards to Oregon commit Tetairoa McMillan. RB Houston Thomas rushed for two TDs.

Next: Friday at No. 3 St. John Bosco (Bellflower).

14. Jesuit, Tampa, Fla. (8-0)

Previous: 13.

Recap: Defeated Blake (Tampa), 44-0. The Tigers sent the Homecoming crowd happy and it took 62 seconds for them to take a 7-0 lead on a QB Luke Knight TD strike to Joquez Smith. Later in the first quarter, Smith sped 54 yards for his 10^thscore in the last four games. A.J. Cottrill added a 10-yard scoop-and-score to make it 23-0 and then Knight tossed his second TD of the night all in the first.

Next: Friday vs. King (Tampa).

15. St. Thomas Aquinas, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (8-1)

Previous: 14.

Recap: Defeated previously-unbeaten Dillard (Fort Lauderdale), 23-13. The Raiders grind out the type of win they will need to defend their Class 7A state championship. Dillard led 7-0 after one quarter but the Raiders rallied for a 16-7 edge they would not relinquish. Adam Hussey had an 80-yard blocked kick return recovery for TD to clinch it in the fourth quarter. RB Anthony Hankerson rushed for two scores.

Next: Friday at Nova (Davie).

16. Milton, Alpharetta, Ga. (7-1)

Previous: 15.

Recap: Defeated Roswell, 44-34. The game was tied at 7 before the Eagles blew it open and then held on.

17. St Frances Academy, Baltimore (5-1)

Previous: 16.

Recap: Idle.

Next: Friday vs. West Toronto Prep (Etobicoke, Ontario).

18. Center Grove, Greenwood, Ind. (9-0)

Previous: 17.

Recap: Idle.

Next: Friday vs. Franklin Central (Indianapolis) in Class 6A sectionals.

19. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (9-0)

Previous: 18.

Recap: Defeated Roosevelt (Eastvale), 64-0.

Next: Thursday at Corona.

20. Hamilton, Chandler, Ariz. (7-0)

Previous: 20.

Recap: Idle.

Next: Friday at Highland (Gilbert).

21. Corner Canyon, Draper, Utah (9-1)

Previous: 21.

Recap: Idle. The Chargers earned a first-round bye as the top seed and play a team that overtime to advance.

Next: Friday vs. Kearns in Class 6A second round.

22. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (8-1)

Previous: 22.

Recap: Defeated Foothill (Henderson), 59-0. Sophomore QB Micah Alejado hit on all seven passes for 208 yards and three TDs of 86, 10 and 13 yards to three different receivers and rumbled 22 yards for a rush score of his own in the first quarter. The Gaels were up 43 points by halftime and then bench emptied. The offense five outscored Class 5A Desert League opponents, 273-0, averaging nearly 55 points in the process.

Next: Thursday vs. Faith Lutheran (Las Vegas) in Class 5A Southern Region quarterfinals.

23. Loyola Academy, Wilmette, Ill. (9-0)

Previous: 23.

Recap: Defeated Mount Carmel (Chicago), 21-19. The Ramblers escaped with a narrow two-point win over a league rival, giving them a taste of the Class 8A state playoffs.

Next: Saturday vs. Downers Grove South in Class 8A first round.

24. Valor Christian, Highlands Ranch, Colo. (9-0)

Previous: 24.

Recap: Defeated Rock Canyon (Highlands Ranch), 43-10. The regular closes this weekend.

Next: Friday vs. ThunderRidge (Highland Ranch).

25. St. Edward, Lakewood, Ohio (8-1)

Previous: 25.

Recap: Defeated Archbishop Hoban (Akron), 28-17. QB Christian Ramos passed for 144 yards and rushed for two TDs from 10 and 1 yards. RB Danny Enovitch ran for 125 yards and an 11-yard score. WR Rayshawn Manning Jr. recovered a fumble in the end zone for six points.

Next: Friday vs. Lorain Division I, Region 1 first round.

Dropped: None.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. St. John’s College, Washington, D.C. (7-0)
2. Stone Bridge, Ashburn, Va. (8-0)
3. Archbishop Spalding, Severn, Md. (9-0)
4. Iona Prep, New Rochelle, N.Y. (7-1)
5. La Salle College, Wyndmoor, Pa. (7-1)

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

Midwest

1. Medina, Ohio (10-0)
2. Millard South, Omaha, Neb. (9-0)
3. Lakeville (Minn.) South (8-0)
4. Kennedy, Cedar Rapids, Iowa (9-0)
5. Cathedral, Indianapolis (9-1)

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

Southland

1. Catholic, Baton Rouge, La. (8-0)
2. Oakland, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (9-0)
3. Dutch Fork, Irmo, S.C. (8-0)
4. Male, Louisville, Ky. (8-0)
5. Mill Creek, Hoschton, Ga. (8-0)

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

Far West

1. St. Francis, Mountain View, Calif. (7-0)
2. Graham (Wash.)-Kapowsin (8-0)
3. De La Salle, Concord, Calif. (6-2)
4. Central Catholic, Portland, Ore. (8-0)
5. Tualatin, Ore. (7-1)

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

About: The Blue Star Media Elite 25 High School Football Rankings are released weekly from August until the conclusion of the high school season in December. 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. Follow him on Twitter at @clawlor.