No. 17 Duncanville (TX) re-enters Blue Star Media Elite 25 rankings; No. 22 Saguaro (AZ) captures Arizona Open Division title

BENSALEM, Pa.  — The penultimate weekend for the Blue Star Media Elite 25 high school football rankings featured a shakeup. The biggest game that caused so much commotion was contested in the Arizona desert.

The result was considered an upset. Same goes for a state semifinal game in Texas.

Let’s pick up the pieces near Phoenix, where No. 23 Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.) entered the Elite 25 rankings after shocking then-No. 15 Chandler (Ariz.), 20-15, in the Arizona Open Division final. Chandler had won five straight state crowns but that streak was interrupted on Saturday night in Tempe.

In Texas, there’s no real shocks when the UIL playoffs reach the semifinal round, but when then-No. 5 Southlake Carroll was shellacked 35-9 in the Class 6A, Division I semifinals it was an eye-opener considering the margin of loss. With the win No. 17 Duncanville re-enters the Elite 25 rankings and will face regionally ranked North Shore (Galena Park) Saturday for the 6A, Division crown.

With one weekend left, the action will shift to Florida and Texas. Florida has four state title games in Fort Lauderdale on Friday and Saturday. In Arlington, Texas (home of the Dallas Cowboys), the state championship bonanza kicks off Wednesday for a four-day run of championship games at AT&T Stadium. Talk about a cool environment to hoist the hardware.

However, there’s more in Las Vegas, Nevada, where the GEICO State Champions Bowl Series features two nationally charged games at Bishop Gorman High School on Friday and Saturday. The annual event has two pairings in games that will be shown on ESPNU.

The big news from California is top-ranked Mater Dei (Santa Ana) rolled to the CIF Open Division Bowl game title, hammering Serra (San Mateo), 44-7, in the final.

That means the Monarchs (12-0) are in the pole position to capture another Blue Star Media Elite 25 National Championship when the final rankings are revealed later this month.

But not so fast. That’s because No. 2 Westlake (Austin, Texas) still has a championship game on Saturday against Denton Guyer for the Class 6A, Division II silverware. The Chaps (15-0) could leapfrog the Monarchs with an impressive win. Or do the Monarchs have the juice to stay atop the Elite 25?

We won’t give any hints to the race to No. 1 but it’s between those two schools. The body of work will ultimately tell the story.

That’s it for the second weekend in December.

Before we sign off for another week, the staff at Blue Star Media recognizes the life of Dave Campbell from Texas. If you are a football fan from Texas and beyond, especially on the schoolboy level, then Mr. Campbell’s name resonates.

Mr. Campbell, 96, passed away last Friday (on Dec. 10). The sports journalist founded Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, a publication known as “bible of Texas football” on all levels: high school, college, junior college and the NFL. He founded the publication in 1960, sold it in 1985 but remained hands on with the magazine and website until his death.

For more on Mr. Campbell visit the website where a brilliant tribute lives. Texas football won’t be the same and this weekend when the UIL championship are played, we’re sure more memories and stories will be relived.

God Bless, Dave Campbell.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 final rankings will be revealed by Dec. 21. We’re sure the Elite 25 will have a fresh look with teams being repositioned based on the final results from the final weekend of play.

If you live in Nevada, Florida or Texas there’s still a chance to watch championship football this weekend.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Football Rankings, Dec. 14, 2021

1. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (12-0)*

Previous rank: 1.

Recap: Won CIF Open Division Bowl Game, defeating Serra (San Mateo), 44-7, in CIF Open Division Bowl game final. The Monarchs led 21-0 after the first quarter. Season complete.

2. Westlake, Austin, Texas (15-0)

Previous: 2.

Recap: Defeated then-No. 4 Katy, 45-14, in the Class 6A, Division II semifinals. QB Cade Klubnik carved up the defense for five TD passes and RB Jack Kayser rushed for 141 yards and a score. The Chaps scored on their first six possessions and advanced to the state title tilt.

Next: Saturday vs. Denton Guyer in Class 6A, Division II championship game to be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

3. Collins Hill, Suwanee, Ga. (15-0)*

Previous: 3.

Recap: Won Class 7A state championship, defeating then-No. 16 Milton (Alpharetta), 24-8, in the final. The Eagles claimed the program’s first title since its inception in 1994 and rolled over five opponents by outscoring them 208-19.

Next: Saturday vs. Graham (Wash.)-Kapowsin in GEICO Bowl Series.

4. Bergen Catholic, Oradell, N.J. (12-0)*

Previous: 6.

Recap: Won Non-Public A championship. Season complete.

5. Servite, Anaheim, Calif. (10-3)

Previous: 7.

Recap: Season complete.

6. St. John Bosco, Bellflower, Calif. (10-2)

Previous: 8.

Recap: Season complete.

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

Previous: 9.

Recap: Idle.

Next: Saturday vs. Pine Forest (Pensacola) in Class 6A final to be played at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

8. St. Thomas Aquinas, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (13-1)

Previous: 10.

Recap: Idle.

Next: Saturday vs. Tampa Bay Tech (Tampa) in Class 7A final to be played at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

9. St Frances Academy, Baltimore (8-1)

Previous: 11.

Recap: Season complete.

10. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (9-1)

Previous: 12.

Recap: Season complete.

11. Thompson, Alabaster, Ala. (13-1)*

Previous: 13.

Recap: Won third straight Class 7A state championship. Season complete.

12. Bixby, Okla. (13-0)*

Previous: 14.

Recap: Won fourth consecutive Class 6A-II state championship. Season complete.

13. Katy, Texas (14-1)

Previous: 4.

Recap: Lost to No. 2 Westlake (Austin), 45-14, in the Class 6A, Division II semifinals. The Tigers were never in this lopsided contest. Season complete.

14. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (11-1)

Previous: 17.

Recap: The Huskies advanced to the CIF-Southern Section Division I semifinals. Season complete.

15. Center Grove, Greenwood, Ind. (14-0)*

Previous: 18.

Recap: Won second straight Class 6A championship. Season complete.

16. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (12-1)*

Previous: 19.

Recap: Won Nevada Class 5A state championship. Season complete.

17. Duncanville, Texas (13-1)

Previous: Not ranked.

Recap: Defeated then-No. 5 Southlake Carroll, 35-9, in the Class 6A, Division I semifinals. QB Solomon James was perfect, hitting on all 12 passes for 164 yards and three TDs and rushed for another.

Next: Saturday vs. North Shore (Galena Park) in Class 6A, Division I final to be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

18. St. Edward, Lakewood, Ohio (15-1)*

Previous: 20.

Recap: Won Division I state championship. Season complete.

19. Southlake (Texas) Carroll (14-1)

Previous: 5.

Recap: Upended by Duncanville, 35-9, in the Class 6A, Division I semifinals. The Dragons were blindsided.

20. Central, Miami (11-2)

Previous: 21.

Recap: Idle.

Next: Friday vs. Merritt Island in the Class 5A final to be played at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

21. St. John’s College, Washington, D.C. (11-0)*

Previous: 22.

Recap: Won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Capital championship. Season complete.

22. Saguaro, Scottsdale, Ariz. (12-1)*

Previous: Not ranked.

Recap: Won Arizona Open Division championship, beating then-No. 15 Chandler, 20-15, in the finals. The Sabercats ended Chandler’s five-year reign as champions and knocked off a second consecutive Elite 25 team in the postseason. QB Devon Dampier tossed a 45-yard TD pass to sophomore RB Jaedon Matthews with 4:25 left for the winning score. Dampier wound up hitting on 12-of-17 passes for 156 yards and two scores. Season complete.

23. Oscar Smith, Chesapeake, Va. (13-1)*

Previous: 23.

Recap: Won Class 6 state championship, defeating James Madison (Vienna), 42-17, in the final. It was the Tigers’ second state title in the same calendar year after capturing one in the springtime when Virginia school played due to the coronavirus. The Tigers built a 21-10 lead at the break and 35-17 through three quarters. Season complete.

24. Milton, Alpharetta, Ga. (12-2)

Previous: 16.

Recap: Lost to No. 3 Collins Hill (Suwanee), 24-8, in the Class 7A final. The Eagles ran into a juggernaut last weekend. Season complete.

25. Hoover, Ala. (12-1)

Previous: 24.

Recap: Season complete.

Dropped: No. 15 Chandler (Ariz.) and No. 25 Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Mount Lebanon, Pittsburgh (15-0)**
2. Stone Bridge, Ashburn, Va. (15-0)*
3. Iona Prep, New Rochelle, N.Y. (11-1)**
4. Quince Orchard, Gaithersburg, Md. (14-0)*
5. St. Joseph’s Prep, Philadelphia (10-4)*

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

Midwest

1. Cathedral, Indianapolis (14-1)*
2. Lakeville (Minn.) South (13-0)*
3. De La Salle Collegiate, Warren, Mich. (13-0)*
4. Franklin, Wis. (14-0)*
5. Joliet (Ill.) Catholic Academy (14-0)*

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

Southland

1. Oakland, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (15-0)*
2. Zachary, La. (15-0)*
3. Catholic, Baton Rouge, La. (12-1)*
4. North Shore, Galena Park, Texas (14-1)
5. St. Xavier, Louisville, Ky. (14-1)*

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

Far West

1. Central Catholic, Portland, Ore. (14-0)*
2. Graham (Wash.)-Kapowsin (14-0)*
3. Chandler, Ariz. (11-2)
4. Hamilton, Chandler, Ariz. (11-1)
5. Bellevue, Wash. (14-0)*

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

*Won state or postseason conference championship [Teams have won two postseason championships in some states]

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.