Christopher Lawlor
QUIET: Blue Star Media Elite 25 football rankings static this week; No. 1 Mater Dei (CA), No. 5 St. John Bosco (CA) open Trinity League with easy wins
BENSALEM, Pa. – For the first time this season, the Blue Star Media Elite 25 football had no movement with everyone who played came away with victories.
Obviously, this trend won’t continue.
There were three teams enjoying the bye weekend off, No. 2 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) received a forfeit win and won’t be challenged in Nevada the rest of the season and No. 23 Massillon (Ohio) Washington had its game with St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.) halted midway through the fourth quarter due an injury to SJC’s quarterback.
We’re less than two weeks away from the weekend of Oct. 13 when three pivotal games, including two pairing Elite 25 teams, will be played.
No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) travels to No. 5 St. John Bosco and No. 7 Buford (Ga.) goes to No. 14 Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.) meet on Oct. 13 while No. 25 Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) entertains St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.) on Oct. 14 in a rivalry game and won’t likely be the last meeting between the New Jersey’s top two teams.
We’ll have all the results starting later this week from the first weekend in October.
Well, that’s it for another week.
The Blue Star Media Elite 25 football rankings return on Oct. 10. The month of October is when the contenders and pretenders emerge and the playoff brackets are revealed. Most teams are down to three or four games in the regular season.
Stay safe. We hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor
Blue Star Media Elite 25 Football Rankings, Oct. 3, 2023
1. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (6-0)
Previous rank: 1.
Recap: Defeated Servite (Anaheim), 49-0. Stanford-bound QB Elijah Brown threw for five touchdowns and moved to 35-1 as a starter.
Next: Friday vs. JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano).
2. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (7-0)^
Previous: 2.
Recap: Claimed a forfeit win.
Next: Friday at Shadow Ridge (Las Vegas).
3. Duncanville, Texas (4-0)
Previous: 3.
Recap: Idle.
Next: Friday at Waxahachie.
4. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (4-0)
Previous: 4.
Recap: Idle.
Next: Friday vs. Bartram Trail (St. Johns).
5. St. John Bosco, Bellflower, Calif. (5-1)
Previous: 5.
Recap: Defeated Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita), 42-7. RB Chauncey Sylvester ran for three scores.
Next: Friday vs. Servite (Anaheim).
6. Chaminade-Madonna College Prep, Hollywood, Fla. (6-0)
Previous: 6.
Recap: Defeated Coconut Creek, 35-27.
Next: Friday at Dillard (Fort Lauderdale).
7. Buford, Ga. (6-0)
Previous: 7.
Recap: Defeated Collins Hill (Suwanee), 43-0. The Wolves have a weekend off before playing one of the nation’s top teams.
Next: Oct. 13 at No. ghghgh Mill Creek (Hoschton).
8. North Shore, Galena Park, Texas (5-0)
Previous: 8.
Recap: Defeated C.E. White (Houston), 42-6.
Next: Thursday vs. Summer Creek (Houston).
9. St. Thomas Aquinas, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (5-1)
Previous: 9.
Recap: Defeated Miramar, 38-6.
Next: Friday vs. Boyd Anderson (Lauderdale Lakes).
10. St. Joseph’s Prep, Philadelphia (4-1)
Previous: 10.
Recap: Defeated Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.), 61-0.
Next: Friday vs. LaSalle College (Wyndmoor, Pa.).
11. DeSoto, Texas (4-0)
Previous: 11.
Recap: Idle.
Next: Friday at Mansfield Legacy.
12. Westlake, Austin, Texas (5-0)
Previous: 12.
Recap: Defeated Del Valle, 58-0. The Chaps recorded their third shutout of the term.
Next: Thursday at Anderson (Austin).
13. Colquitt County, Norman Park, Ga. (6-0)
Previous: 13.
Recap: Defeated Lincoln (Tallahassee, Fla.), 56-16. The Packers raced to a 21-0 lead after one quarter.
Next: Oct. 13 at Camden County (Kingsland).
14. Mill Creek, Hoschton, Ga. (6-0)
Previous: 14.
Recap: Defeated Central Gwinnett (Lawrenceville), 47-7.
Next: Oct. 13 vs. No. 7 Buford.
15. Walton, Marietta, Ga. (5-0)
Previous: 15.
Recap: Defeated North Paulding (Dallas), 44-24.
Next: Friday at North Cobb (Kennesaw).
16. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (6-0)
Previous: 16.
Recap: Defeated Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks), 34-10. QB Wyatt Becker passed for 311 yards and two TDs.
Next: Friday at Bishop Amat (La Puente).
17. Bixby, Okla. (5-0)
Previous: 17.
Recap: Shut out Southmoore (Moore), 66-0. The Spartans are averaging 61 points per game.
Next: Friday vs. Enid.
18. Cherry Creek, Greenwood Village, Colo. (6-0)
Previous: 18.
Recap: Defeated Cherokee Trail (Aurora), 48-0. The Bruins have four games left on the regular-season docket.
Next: Friday vs. Smoky Hill (Aurora).
19. American Heritage, Plantation, Fla. (3-1)
Previous: 19.
Recap: Defeated Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale), 48-7.
Next: Friday at Western (Davie).
20. Central, Miami (2-2)
Previous: 20.
Recap: Defeated North Miami Beach, 54-0.
Next: Friday vs. Northwestern (Miami).
21. Corner Canyon, Draper, Utah (7-1)
Previous: 21.
Recap: Defeated Copper Hills (West Jordan), 49-7. Utah-bound QB Isaac Wilson threw for four TDs, including three to WR Tate Kjar.
Next: Friday vs. Bingham (South Jordan).
22. Columbus, Miami (6-0)
Previous: 22.
Recap: Defeated Miami Senior, 44-0.
Next: Saturday vs. Homestead.
23. Massillon (Ohio) Washington (7-0)
Previous: 23.
Recap: Defeated St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.), 28-7. The game was called with 6:45 left after a player was injured. The Tigers trailed 7-0 in the first but rattled off the game’s final 28 points.
Next: Friday at Austintown-Fitch (Youngstown).
24. St. Edward, Lakewood, Ohio (6-1)
Previous: 24.
Recap: Defeated St. Ignatius (Cleveland), 42-7.
Next: Saturday vs. Clarkston Football North (Mississauga, Ontario).
25. Bergen Catholic, Oradell, N.J. (5-1)
Previous: 25.
Recap: Defeated DePaul Catholic (Wayne), 31-13. Junior QB Dominic Campanile threw for 138 yards and two TDs and RB Kaj Sanders rushed 125 yards on 10 carries, including a 72-yard score.
Next: Oct. 14 vs. St. Joseph Regional (Montvale).
Dropped: None.
East
- Central Catholic, Pittsburgh (6-0)
- DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (5-0)
- Imhotep Institute Prep, Philadelphia (6-0)
- Freedom, Woodbridge, Va. (4-0)
- St. Joseph Regional, Montvale, N.J. (5-1)
Geography: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.
Midwest
- Mount Carmel, Chicago (6-0)
- Belleville, Mich. (6-0)
- Archbishop Hoban, Akron, Ohio (6-0)
- Loyola Academy, Wilmette, Ill. (6-0)
- Kimberly, Wis. (6-0)
Geography: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Southland
- Norland, Miami (5-0)
- Gainesville, Ga. (6-0)
- Grimsley, Greensboro, N.C. (6-0)
- Holy Cross, New Orleans (5-0)
- Clay-Chalkville, Pinson, Ala. (6-0)
Geography: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
Far West
- Chandler, Ariz. (6-0)
- Kahuku, Hawaii (7-1)^
- Corona (Calif.) Centennial (4-2)
- Serra, San Mateo, Calif. (5-0)
- O’Dea, Seattle (5-0)
Geography: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
^ Includes a forfeit victory
Records are through Sunday’s games.
About: The Blue Star Media Elite 25 High School Football Rankings are released weekly from August 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. Follow him on X (formerly 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.
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