Three additions to Blue Star Media Elite 25 football rankings highlight late November shakeup; No. 25 St. Joseph Regional (NJ) wins 20th state title

BENSALEM, Pa. – Three weeks remain in the high school football season which will conclude on Saturday, Dec. 20 and with it plenty of state champions will be crowned. Same goes for the Blue Star Media Elite 25 football rankings.

Securing the Blue Star Media Elite 25 National Championship is still up in the air as the season rolls into the month of December. Several states have determined state champions, including four teams from the Elite 25.

We had the pleasure of attending the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Non-Public A final at frigid MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. No. 25 St. Joseph Regional captured the hardware after defeating then-No. 16 and archrivals Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey), 24-21. The Green Knights won their 20^th state championship but the first since 2018.

SJR (10-2) trailed previously-unbeaten Bosco (11-1), 14-10, in the third quarter but things turned quickly. Try two touchdowns in a mere 21 seconds to overturn the narrow loss to  the Ironmen in the regular season.

Poof!

Running back Nate Bailey, a Harvard recruit, scored on a 35-yard run to make it 17-14. On the ensuing kickoff, SJR recovered a fumble and a few plays later quarterback Lamar Best bolted 10 yards for the decisive touchdown. Bosco replied with a fourth-quarter TD but it wasn’t enough.

In the Rose Bowl, No. 7 Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) dismantled then-No. 4 Corona (Calif.) Centennial, 42-7, to win the California Interscholastic Federation Division 1 final in Pasadena. The Eagles are 10-3 after bagging their first sectional title since 2011 and the first for first-year coach Carson Palmer, who starred at USC and later played several seasons in the NFL with the Bengals, Raiders and Cardinals. It was USC-bound WR Trent Mosley’s night with four TDs.

The Eagles will play De La Salle (Concord) on Dec. 13 for the CIF Open Division Bowl championship at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo. Kickoff is 8 p.m. PT. The Northern California team has not won the Open Division since 2015 with Mater Dei and St. John Bosco claiming every title.

This week’s rankings nine teams moved up in the Elite 25 rankings with three newbies from California, New Jersey and Arizona; five remained the same and eight teams fell with two teams going down a whopping 13 spots. No. 11 Northwestern (Miami) made the biggest jump up 14 slots. Four teams have won state or postseason conference titles.  Nine teams from the Elite 25 have completed their seasons.

No. 22 Basha (Chandler, Ariz.) and No. 15 De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) along with No. 25 St. Joseph Regional have been added to the Elite 25. Basha has a state final on Saturday and De La Salle must wait for their chance at a state title on Dec. 13.

This weekend features state championship games in Illinois, Kentucky, New York, Oklahoma, Colorado, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Alabama.

Game of the Week: Tennessee Division II, Class AAA final between Baylor School (Chattanooga) and Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga. Both private schools are unbeaten.

More top games this weekend include Friday’s matchups: No. 10 Bixby (Okla.) vs. Owasso (Okla.) for the Class 6A-I title; Olentangy Orange (Lewis Center, Ohio) vs. St. Xavier (Cincinnati) in Division I final in Canton, Ohio; No. 6 Allen (Texas) vs. No. 23 North Crowley (Fort Worth) in Class 6A, Division I Region 1 final to be played at DATCU Stadium in Denton; and No. 5 Carrollton (Ga.) vs. North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.) in the Class 6A semifinals and the first meeting between the teams; and No. 13 Clay-Chalkville (Pinson, Ala.) vs. Saraland in Class 6A final at Protective Stadium in Birmingham.

Saturday’s games: Ralston Valley (Arvada, Colo.) vs. Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Colo.)  in Class 5A final at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins; No. 22 Basha (Chandler, Ariz.) vs. Chandler in the Arizona Open Division final to be played at Arizona State University’s Mountain America Stadium in Tempe and No. 1 Southlake (Texas) Carroll vs. Denton Guyer in the Class 6A, Division II Region 1 final at Crowley ISD Stadium in Fort Worth; Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) vs. South Warren (Bowling Green, Ky.) in Class 6A final at Kroger Field in Lexington; and La Salle College High (Wyndmoor, Pa.) vs. Central Catholic) in PIAA Class 6A final at Chapman Field in Mechanicsburg.

Few notables before we wrap things up for this week.

In Nevada, No. 2 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) won the Class 5A Open Division state championship but had a curveball tossed in their direction. The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association’s Board of Control last week changed its format.

Gorman, which traditionally plays one of the top national schedules, appears to be playing more games in Southern Nevada. The state has devised a way to short-circuit the Gorman with a 10-team Open Division with each team playing nine regular season games leaving them one independent game. Sounds more like the state is squashing Gorman’s national footprint and that could lead to less players headed to the Roman Catholic co-ed school. In other words, they are attempting to level the playing field.

A few years ago, there was speculation the Gaels wanted to compete in California’s vaunted Trinity League with the likes of powerhouses Mater Dei (Santa Ana) and St. John Bosco (Bellflower). That’s pie-in-the-sky thinking but it certainly makes sense. It’s about a four-hour bus ride in normal traffic and who’s to say the league membership wants the Gaels a football-only member. In a drastic measure, the Gaels could opt to play as an independent such as Elite 25 teams St. Frances Academy (Baltimore) and IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.). The Gaels would schedule 10 games and likely not play for a Nevada state championship.

This decision is something to monitor.

In Illinois, it was a winter wonderland last weekend. That forced the postponement of four state championship games on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal. The title games affected were Class 8A, 7A, 6A and 5A. The Class 1A through 4A championships were played on Friday, but Saturday’s games were rescheduled.

“The postponement of the IHSA Football State Finals is unprecedented in the state playoffs’ 51-year history,” IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said in a prepared statement. “All of the competing teams in Class 5A, 6A, 7A and 8A have been alerted that their state championship games will not be played on November 29, but that they will be played in the coming days. We appreciate the patience and understanding of these schools and communities as we work to determine the best and safest solution to rescheduling these contests and crowning state champions in our four largest classes.”

That means the four games will be played on Tuesday and Wednesday. The 5A and 6A games will be played at Illinois State but the Wednesday’s Class 8A and 7A will shift to Northern Illinois University’s Huskie Stadium in DeKalb. The 8A clash between No. 14 Mount Carmel (Chicago) and Oswego starts at 6 p.m. CT. The opening game in 7A pits Chicago Catholic League rivals St. Rita and Brother Rice at 3 p.m.

Well, that’s it for the month of November.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 football rankings will return on Tuesday, Dec. 9.

Keep up with us on X (formerly Twitter, @clawlor) for all announcements and other exclusives from the gridiron and the hardwood. Basketball rankings return regularly Christmas week.

Bye for now.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Football Rankings, Dec. 2, 2025

1. Southlake (Texas) Carroll (13-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Recap: Defeated Prosper, 49-31, in Class 6A, Division II Region 1 semifinals. Pittsburgh-bound  QB Angelo Rena threw for 235 yards and three TDs. RB Parker Harris rushed for 95 yards and two scores on eight carries.

Next: Saturday vs. Denton Guyer in the Class 6A, Division II Region 1 final at Crowley ISD Stadium in Fort Worth.

2. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (11-1)*

Previous: 5.

Recap: Defeated Arbor View (Las Vegas), 44-7, in Nevada Class 5A Open Division championship game. The Gaels, who have won five straight state titles, led 28-0 at halftime as Hawaii-bound QB Maika Eugenio threw for 218 yards and four TDs, including a pair to WR Zyren Menor. Season complete.

3. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (9-0)

Previous: 2.

Recap: Season complete.

4. Buford, Ga. (13-0)

Previous: 6.

Recap: Defeated Douglas County (Douglasville), 30-15, in Class 6A quarterfinals. RB Dylan McCoy ran for 123 yards and ripped off a 75-yard TD run and Andrew Ivanciuc booted FG from 48, 43 and 39 yards. This weekend’s trip to Winnersville won’t be a walk in the park.

Next: Friday at Valdosta in Class 6A state semifinals.

5. Carrollton, Ga. (13-0)

Previous: 11.

Recap: Defeated No. 3 Grayson (Loganville), 34-14, in Class 6A quarterfinal.

Next: Friday vs. North Gwinnett (Suwanee) in Class 6A semifinals.

6. Allen, Texas (13-0)

Previous: 12.

Recap: Defeated Odessa Permian, 56-13, in the Class 6A, Division I Region 1 semifinals. The Eagles rolled to a 35-0 lead at halftime and had 533 yards of offense.

Next: Friday vs. No. 23 North Crowley (Fort Worth) in Class 6A, Division I Region 1 final to be played at DATCU Stadium in Denton.

7. Santa Margarita, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. (10-3)

Previous: 10.

Recap: Defeated then-No. 4 Corona (Calif.) Centennial, 42-7, in the CIF-Southern Section Division 1 championship game. It was the program’s first sectional title since 2011. QB Trace Johnson threw for 383 yards and four TDs. WR Trent Mosley caught 10 passes for 292 yards and two TDs and ran for two more, Dash Fifita added 11 tackles.

Next: Dec. 13 vs. De La Salle (Concord) in the CIF Open Division state championship.

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

Previous: 7.

Recap: Season complete.

9. St. Thomas Aquinas, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (12-1)

Previous: 8.

Recap: Defeated McArthur (Hollywood), 34-7, in Class 5A, Region 4 final.

Next: Friday vs. Riverdale (Fort Myers) in Class 5A state semifinals.

10. Bixby, Okla. (12-0)

Previous: 9.

Recap: Defeated Broken Arrow, 49-17, in Class 6A-I semifinals. Jack Gill ran for three TDs. The Spartans will play in their 11^th straight state final.

Next: Saturday vs. Owasso in Class 6A-I final to be played in Edmond.

11. Northwestern, Miami (12-0)

Previous: 25.

Recap: Defeated Central (Miami), 50-29, in FHSAA Class 3A, Region 4 final. Essentially this was the de facto Class 3A state championship contest. The Bulls won’t lose again.

Next: Friday vs. Bishop Moore (Orlando) in the Class 3A state semifinals.

12. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (11-0)*

Previous: 13.

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

13. Clay-Chalkville, Pinson, Ala. (14-0)

Previous: 15.

Recap: Defeated Muscle Shoals, 30-13, in Class 6A semifinals.

Next: Friday vs. Saraland in Class 6A final to be played at Protective Stadium in Birmingham.

14. Mount Carmel, Chicago (13-0)

Previous: 15.

Recap: Idle. Game with Oswego for the Illinois Class 8A state championship on Saturday night was postponed to Wednesday due heavy snow in Normal.

Next: Wednesday vs. Oswego in Class 8A final to be played at Northern Illinois University’s Huskie Stadium in DeKalb.

15. De La Salle, Concord, Calif. (12-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Recap: Idle. The Spartans enter the Elite 25 after winning their 33^rd consecutive CIF-North Coast Section championship.

Next: Dec. 13 vs. No. 7 Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita) in CIF Open Division Bowl final in Mission Viejo.

16. Grayson, Loganville, Ga. (12-1)

Previous: 3.

Recap: Lost to No. 11 Carrollton (Ga.), 34-14, in Class 6A quarterfinals. Season complete.

17. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (11-2)

Previous: 4.

Recap: Lost to then-No. 10 Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita), 42-7, in CIF-Southern Sectional Division 1 final. Season complete.

18. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (8-3)

Previous: 17.

Recap: Season complete.

19. St. John Bosco, Bellflower, Calif. (9-2)

Previous: 18.

Recap: Season complete.

20. Corner Canyon, Draper, Utah (12-1)*

Previous: 20.

Recap: Won UHSAA Class 6A state championship. Season complete.

21. Edna Karr, New Orleans (12-0)

Previous: 21.

Recap: Defeated Evangel Christian Academy (Shreveport), 49-21, in the LHSAA Select Division I quarterfinals.

Next: Friday vs. Catholic (Baton Rouge) in the LHSAA Select Division I semifinals.

22. Basha, Chandler, Ariz. (11-1)

Previous: Not ranked.

Recap: Upset then-No. 22 Liberty (Peoria), 19-16, in the Arizona Open Division semifinals.

Next: Saturday vs. Chandler in the Arizona Open Division final to be played at Arizona State University’s Mountain America Stadium in Tempe.

23. North Crowley, Fort Worth, Texas (12-1)

Previous: 23.

Recap: Defeated Coppell, 46-21, in Class 6A, Division I Region 1 semifinals.

Next: Friday vs. No. 6 Allen in Class 6A, Division I Region 1 final to be played at DATCU Stadium in Denton.

24. Chaminade-Madonna College Prep, Hollywood, Fla. (10-2)

Previous: 24.

Recap: Defeated True North Classical Academy (Miami), 35-14, in the FHSAA Class 1A, Region 4 final.

Next: Friday vs. Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville) in FHSAA Class 1A state semifinals.

25. St. Joseph Regional, Montvale, N.J. (10-2)*

Previous: Not ranked.

Recap: Won the NJSIAA Non-Public A state championship, defeating then-No. 16 Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), 24-21, in the championship game. It was the program’s 20^th state championship but the first since 2018. Trailing 14-10 in the third quarter, Harvard-bound RB Nathan Bailey and QB Lamar Best ran for scores in a 21-second stretch, flipping the score to 24-14. Season complete.

Dropped: No. 16 Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.); No. 19 Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.) and No. 22 Liberty (Peoria, Ariz.).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. La Salle College High, Wyndmoor, Pa. (12-1)
2. Central Catholic, Pittsburgh (13-1)
3. Christian Brothers Academy, Syracuse, N.Y. (12-0)
4. Iona Prep, New Rochelle, N.Y. (11-1)**
5. Archbishop Spalding, Severn, Md. (10-2)*

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

Midwest

1. Brownsburg, Ind. (14-0)*
2. Detroit Catholic Central, Novi, Mich. (14-0)*
3. Olentangy Orange, Lewis Center, Ohio (14-0)
4. Arrowhead, Hartland, Wis. (13-1)*
5. Dowling Catholic, West Des Moines, Iowa (12-1)*

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

Southland

1. Grimsley, Greensboro, N.C. (13-0)
2. Bryant, Ark. (13-0)
3. Baylor School, Chattanooga, Tenn. (11-0)
4. North Shore, Galena Park, Texas (11-2)
5. Oakland, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (14-0)

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

Far West

1. Chandler, Ariz. (10-2)
2. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (10-1)
3. Cherry Creek, Greenwood Village, Colo. (13-0)
4. Folsom, Calif. (12-1)
5. Lake Oswego, Ore. (12-1)*

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

Records through Sunday’s games

 * Denotes a state or conference postseason champion [Note: a second asterisk indicates a team has multiple postseason titles.]

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. The final rankings will be released in December. Follow him on X (or Twitter) at @clawlor.