BENSALEM, Pa. – Two more weekends and we can call it a season. And just like that the high school season will be complete and it’s been a heckuva run for the Blue Star Media Elite 25 high school football rankings.
There are still a handful of teams that are under consideration for the Blue Star Media Elite 25 National Championship. Last weekend top-ranked Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) completed their second straight championship campaign, winning California’s high-end Open Division Bowl title. The Monarchs are in the mix to defend their Elite 25 National Championship but others could be putting together a solid resume that would go a long way to making the ultimate decision more difficult.
You’ll notice multiple shifts in the Elite 25 rankings to reflect the postseason results.
No. 8 Lakeland (Fla.) enters the Elite 25 rankings with a bang! The Dreadnaughts knocked off then-No. 9 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale), 33-20, to capture Florida’s Class 7A state title. Coach Bill Castle, a living coaching legend, took his team to the Promised Land with a perfect 15-0 record. Now they reap the benefits.
This week state championships will be conducted in California, Georgia and North Carolina while Texas is down to the state semifinals. No. 2 Allen (Texas) plays No. 14 Duncanville in the loaded UIL Class 6A, Division I semifinals. Three nationally ranked teams are alive in the four-team bracket and a fourth, Lake Travis, was an Elite 25 preseason team, and could wind up re-entering with a successful finish.
Don’t forget the prestigious GEICO State Champions Bowl Series will be played on Dec. 22 in Arizona, where No. 17 Centennial (Peoria) hosts regionally ranked Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Wash.) in a game televised on the ESPN family of networks and another game is slated for Georgia or Florida. We’re hearing if No. 3 Colquitt County (Norman Park, Ga.) wins the Georgia Class AAAAAAA title on Wednesday, they might host a game against No. 24 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore), a team that has not played in over a month. That second matchup we’ll know officially by Thursday morning.
OK, so that catches you up.
The Blue Star Media Elite 25 football rankings will return for the final time on December 24. Call it an early Christmas present.
Keep in mind the Elite 25 boys and girls’ basketball rankings will be updated on December 18 and 19—before the holiday hoop tournament schedule gains momentum. Follow me on Twitter at @clawlor.
Season’s Greetings to all—this is a great time of year.
Thank you for checking back and we hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor
Blue Star Media Elite 25 Football Rankings, Dec. 11, 2018
1. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (12-2) # *
Previous rank: 1.
Recap: Won CIF Open Division Bowl Game, stopping No. 4 De La Salle (Concord), 35-21, in the championship game. QB Bryce Young tossed two touchdown passes and RB Shakobe Harper ran for a trio of second-half TDs. The Monarchs make it back-to-back titles in the nation’s toughest bracket. Season complete.
2. Allen, Texas (14-0)
Previous: 2.
Recap: Routed Midway (Waco), 51-7, in the Class 6A, Division I, Region 2 final. The Eagles led 10-0 at halftime and exploded for 34 uninterrupted points in the third and it was onto the state semifinals. QB Grant Tisdale ran and passed for two TDs, accounting for nearly half his team’s offense.
Next: Saturday vs. No. 14 Duncanville in the Class 6A, Division I semifinals to be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
3. Colquitt County, Norman Park, Ga. (14-0)
Previous: 3.
Recap: Idle. A scheduling conflict with the venue pushed back all of Georgia’s state championship games to midweek.
Next: Wednesday vs. Milton (Alpharetta) in the Class AAAAAAA final at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
4. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (7-1)
Previous: 8.
Recap: The Ascenders do not compete for a state championship. Season complete.
5. De La Salle, Concord, Calif. (12-1)
Previous: 4.
Recap: Lost to No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 35-21, in the CIF Open Division Bowl Game. Season complete.
6. St. John Bosco, Bellflower, Calif. (13-1)
Previous: 5.
Recap: Season complete.
7. Warren Central, Indianapolis (14-0)*
Previous: 6.
Recap: Won Class 6A state championship. Season complete.
8. Lakeland, Fla. (15-0)*
Previous: Not ranked.
Recap: Upset then-No. 9 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale), 33-20, in the Class 7A state final. The Dreadnaughts never trailed and carried a 10-0 lead into the third period. It is the program’s seventh state title and the first since 2006. Season complete.
9. Dutch Fork, Irmo, S.C. (13-0)*
Previous: 11.
Recap: Won the Class 5A state championship, defeating T.L. Hanna (Anderson), 59-20, in the final. QB Ty Olenchuk threw for 294 yards and three TDs and ran for another. It was the third straight championship for the Silver Foxes and fourth under head coach Tommy Knotts, who now has 11 state crowns on his sparkling dossier. Dutch Fork’s offensive machine outscored opponents, 770-131. Season complete.
10. St. Joseph’s Prep, Philadelphia (13-0)*
Previous: 12.
Recap: Won Class AAAAAA state championship, defeating Harrisburg, 40-20, in the final. It was the fourth state title for the Hawks in six years. Sophomore QB Kyle McCord completed 26 of 27 passes for 283 yards and two scores both to Marques Mason. RB Kolbe Burrell rushed 18 times for 149 yards and a TD. Season complete.
11. North Shore, Galena Park, Texas (14-0)
Previous: 13.
Recap: Defeated Cy-Fair (Cypress), 38-21, in the Class 6A, Division I, Region 3 final.
Next: Saturday vs. Lake Travis in Class 6A, Division II semifinals to be played at NRG Stadium in Houston.
12. Saint Louis, Honolulu (11-0)*
Previous: 10.
Recap: Won Hawaii Open Division championship. Season complete.
13. John Curtis Christian, River Ridge, La. (13-0)*
Previous: 19.
Recap: Won Division I state championship, topping Catholic (Baton Rouge), 49-7, in the final for the program’s first title since 2013. The Patriots never trailed and went up 14-0 in the first quarter on TD runs by Ma’khi Smith and Corey Wren. Season complete.
14. Duncanville, Texas (13-0)
Previous: 20.
Recap: Walloped Southlake Carroll, 51-7, in the Region 1 final.
Next: Saturday vs. No. 2 Allen in Class 6A, Division I semifinals to be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
15. Carol City, Miami Gardens, Fla. (9-3) @
Previous: 15.
Recap: Season complete.
16. Archbishop Hoban, Akron, Ohio (15-0)*
Previous: 16.
Recap: Won the Division II state championship. Season complete.
17. Centennial, Peoria, Ariz. (14-0)*
Previous: 17.
Recap: Won 5A state championship but the Coyotes were selected for a postseason bowl game before Christmas.
Next: Dec. 22 vs. Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Wash.) in GEICO State Champions Bowl Series.
18. Chandler, Ariz. (13-1)*
Previous: 18.
Recap: Won 6A state championship. Season complete.
19. Longview, Texas (14-0)
Previous: 23.
Recap: Shut out Westfield (Spring), 14-0, in the Class 6A, Division II, Region 2 final. After a scoreless first half, the Lobos scored twice in the final 24 minutes.
Next: Saturday vs. Amarillo Tascosa in the Class 6A, Division II semifinals at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
20. St. John’s College, Washington, D.C. (9-1)
Previous: 21.
Recap: Won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference regular season title. Season complete.
21. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (12-1)
Previous: 22.
Recap: Advanced to the CIF-Southern Section Division 1 semifinals. Season complete.
22. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (11-3)*
Previous: 24.
Recap: Won 10thstraight Nevada state championship in capturing the Class 4A crown. Season complete.
23. St. Thomas Aquinas, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (13-2)
Previous: 9.
Recap: Upset by then-unranked Lakeland, 33-20, in Class 7A final. The Raiders never led in this one. Season complete.
24. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (9-0)
Previous: 7.
Recap: Lack of competition hurt this team. They do not play for a state or conference championship.
Next: Dec. 22 at Lee County (Leesburg, Ga.) in GEICO State Champions Bowl Series.
25. St. Edward, Lakewood, Ohio (11-3)*
Previous: 25.
Recap: Won Division I state championship. Season complete.
Dropped: No. 14. Converse (Texas) Judson.
High-Fives by Region
East
- St. Joseph Regional, Montvale, N.J. (10-2)*
- Gonzaga, Washington, D.C (9-3)*
- Manchester, Midlothian, Va. (15-0)*
- Penn Hills, Pittsburgh (16-0)*
- Bergen Catholic, Oradell, N.J. (10-2)
Geography: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.
Midwest
- Christian Brothers College, St. Louis (12-1)*
- Burke, Omaha, Neb. (13-0)*
- Lakeville (Minn.) North (13-0)*
- Muskego, Wis. (14-0)*
- Chippewa Valley, Clinton Township, Mich. (14-0)*
Geography: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Southland
- Wake Forest, N.C. (13-0)
- Broken Arrow, Okla. (13-0)*
- Phenix City (Ala.) Central (14-0)*
- Horn Lake, Miss. (15-0)*
- Oakland, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (14-1)*
Geography: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
Far West
- Valor Christian, Highlands Ranch, Colo. (14-0)*
- Eastside Catholic, Sammamish, Wash. (12-1)*
- Folsom, Calif. (13-1)
- Oaks Christian School, Westlake Village, Calif. (12-1)
- Union, Camas, Wash. (14-0)*
Geography: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
* Won state or conference postseason championship
# Includes a forfeit loss
@ Includes two forfeit losses
About: The Blue Star Media Elite 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 in late December. Follow him on Twitter at #clawlor.
Senior Writer and national analyst for Blue Media and compiles the Blue Star Elite 25 national boys and girls high school basketball and football rankings during the season. Lawlor, an award-winning writer, is a voting committee member and advisor for several national high school events, including the McDonald’s All-American Games. He previously wrote for USA TODAY and ESPN.com, where he was the national preps writer, while compiling the national rankings in four sports.
