THROWDOWN: Key games in Blue Star Media Elite 25 football rankings will feature rivalries in California, Florida, Georgia and New Jersey

BENSALEM, Pa. – It must be the calm before the storm because for the second straight week, the Blue Star Media Elite 25 football rankings nearly went untouched.

That’s rare but it’s happened before and likely again but for the upcoming weekend, change is inevitable. There will be two Friday night matchups from California and Georgia featuring Elite 25 teams.

The Game of the Week is without question No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) at No. 5 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.). Mater Dei senior quarterback Elijah Brown has thrown for 25 touchdowns this term and is 36-1 as a starter. This one usually has National Championship implications and the winner is the Trinity League champion and the top seed in the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Division I playoffs. The rivals will likely play again in the postseason next month.

In Georgia, it’s meeting between unbeatens coming off byes with No. 7 Buford visiting No. 14 Mill Creek (Hoschton). Additionally, a Region 1-AAAAAAA showdown with No. 13 Colquitt County (Norman Park) going to Camden County (Kingsland). All four Georgia teams will be high seeds in the Class AAAAAAA state playoffs.

No. 20 Central (Miami) faces undefeated No. 22 Norland (Miami) Friday in a battle of rivals in Class 2M, District 13. Central is 3-2 but has lost to a pair of Elite 25 teams that hovering near the top-5.

Norland is the lone addition to the Elite 25 after another Miami dropped out. Otherwise, the Elite 25 order went undisturbed.

There are Saturday matinees too.

No. 25 Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) hosts longtime rivals St. Joseph Regional (Montvale) in a Super Football Conference donnybrook at “The Jack” or Crusader Stadium. New Jersey’s top two teams could see each other next month in the Non-Public A playoffs. This rivalry is a fierce one will help reshape rankings nationally and locally.

Outside Cleveland, two of Ohio’s top Catholic programs collide as Moeller (Cincinnati) travels to No. 24 St. Edward (Lakewood) Saturday at 4 p.m. EDT.

Since there is no movement this week—expect major changes next time—that will do it for another week.

That will do it for another week.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 football rankings return on Oct. 17.

For some teams, the playoffs are two or three weeks out. In Alaska, the playoffs started last weekend with the Division III final between Barrow (Utqiaġvik) and Kenai Central Saturday in Anchorage and Division I and II title games on Oct. 21. We’ll give you the results from the 49^th state.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Football Rankings, Oct. 10, 2023

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

Previous rank: 1.

Recap: Defeated JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano), 42-0. Stanford-bound QB Elijah Brown threw for four touchdowns and moved to an eye-watering 36-1 as a starter. The defense pitched a second straight Trinity League shutout heading into the showdown with No. 5 St. John Bosco.

2. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (8-0)^

Previous: 2.

Recap: Defeated Shadow Ridge (Las Vegas), 42-17. The Gaels only led 7-3 at halftime but exploded for 21 unanswered third quarter points. Two games remain in the regular season.

Next: Friday at Desert Pines (Las Vegas).

3. Duncanville, Texas (5-0)

Previous: 3.

Recap: Defeated Waxahachie, 44-10.

Next: Thursday at Mansfield.

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

Previous: 4.

Recap: Defeated Bartram Trail (St. Johns), 49-20.

Next: Friday vs. Pine Forest (Pensacola).

5. St. John Bosco, Bellflower, Calif. (6-1)

Previous: 5.

Recap: Defeated Servite (Anaheim), 56-27.

Next: Friday vs. No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana).

6. Chaminade-Madonna College Prep, Hollywood, Fla. (7-0)

Previous: 6.

Recap: Defeated Dillard (Fort Lauderdale), 55-20.

Next: Oct. 20 vs, Avant Garde Academy (Hollywood).

7. Buford, Ga. (6-0)

Previous: 7.

Recap: Idle.

Next: Friday at No. 14 Mill Creek (Hoschton).

8. North Shore, Galena Park, Texas (6-0)

Previous: 8.

Recap: Defeated Summer Creek (Houston), 31-21.

Next: Friday vs. West Brook (Beaumont).

9. St. Thomas Aquinas, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (6-1)

Previous: 9.

Recap: Defeated Boyd Anderson (Lauderdale Lakes), 58-0.

Next: Friday at Fort Lauderdale.

10. St. Joseph’s Prep, Philadelphia (5-1)

Previous: 10.

Recap: Defeated La Salle College (Wyndmoor, Pa.), 42-6.

Next: Friday vs. Father Judge (Philadelphia).

11. DeSoto, Texas (5-0)

Previous: 11.

Recap: Defeated Mansfield Legacy, 64-3. RB Deondre Riden Jr. scored a pair of TDs in the first quarter and Sam Houston State-bound QB Darius Bailey passed for 166 yards and two scores.

Next: Friday vs. Mansfield Lake Ridge.

12. Westlake, Austin, Texas (6-0)

Previous: 12.

Recap: Defeated Anderson (Austin), 67-14.

Next: Friday vs. Dripping Springs.

13. Colquitt County, Norman Park, Ga. (6-0)

Previous: 13.

Recap: Idle.

Next: Friday at Camden County (Kingsland).

14. Mill Creek, Hoschton, Ga. (6-0)

Previous: 14.

Recap: Idle.

Next: Friday vs. No. 7 Buford.

15. Walton, Marietta, Ga. (6-0)

Previous: 15.

Recap: Defeated North Cobb (Kennesaw), 35-27.

Next: Friday vs. Kennesaw Mountain (Kennesaw).

16. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (7-0)

Previous: 16.

Recap: Defeated Bishop Amat (La Puente), 56-14.

Next: Friday at Alemany (Mission Hills).

17. Bixby, Okla. (6-0)

Previous: 17.

Recap: Defeated Enid, 69-7. It was a Happy Homecoming in the Sooner State.

Next: Friday at Broken Arrow.

18. Cherry Creek, Greenwood Village, Colo. (7-0)

Previous: 18.

Recap: Defeated Smoky Hill (Aurora), 47-0. The Bruins shut out a second straight opponent.

Next: Friday at Eaglecrest (Centennial).

19. American Heritage, Plantation, Fla. (4-1)

Previous: 19.

Recap: Defeated Western (Davie), 28-14. The Patriots trailed 7-6 at halftime but rallied for 15 points in the third for a 21-7 lead.

Next: Friday vs. Stranahan (Fort Lauderdale).

20. Central, Miami (3-2)

Previous: 20.

Recap: Defeated Northwestern (Miami), 17-10. The Rockets survived last weekend against one of their fiercest rivals and will need that same effort this weekend with another Miami Dade power.

Next: Friday at Norland (Miami).

21. Corner Canyon, Draper, Utah (8-1)

Previous: 21.

Recap: Defeated Bingham (South Jordan), 38-3. Utah-bound QB Isaac Wilson threw for two TDs and rushed for another one and RB Bryton Brady ran for two scores. The regular draws to a close this weekend.

Next: Friday vs. Herriman.

22. Norland, Miami (6-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Recap: Defeated Booker T. Washington (Miami), 20-19.

Next: Friday vs. No. 20 Central (Miami).

23. Massillon (Ohio) Washington (8-0)

Previous: 23.

Recap: Defeated Austintown-Fitch (Youngstown), 42-7.

Next: Friday vs. Warren G. Harding (Warren).

24. St. Edward, Lakewood, Ohio (7-1)

Previous: 24.

Recap: Defeated Clarkston Football North (Mississauga, Ontario), 35-15.

Next: Saturday vs. Moeller (Cincinnati).

25. Bergen Catholic, Oradell, N.J. (5-1)

Previous: 25.

Recap: Idle.

Next: Saturday vs. St. Joseph Regional (Montvale).

Dropped: No. 22 Columbus (Miami).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (6-0)
2. Imhotep Institute Prep, Philadelphia (7-0)
3. Freedom, Woodbridge, Va. (5-0)
4. St. Joseph Regional, Montvale, N.J. (5-1)
5. Bishop McDevitt, Harrisburg, Pa. (7-0)

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

Midwest

1. Mount Carmel, Chicago (7-0)
2. Belleville, Mich. (7-0)
3. Archbishop Hoban, Akron, Ohio (7-0)
4. Loyola Academy, Wilmette, Ill. (7-0)
5. Brownsburg, Ind. (8-0)

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

Southland

1. Gainesville, Ga. (6-0)
2. Grimsley, Greensboro, N.C. (7-0)
3. Clay-Chalkville, Pinson, Ala. (6-0)
4. Edna Karr, New Orleans (5-0)
5. Destrehan, La. (6-0)

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

Far West

1. Centennial, Peoria, Ariz. (7-0)
2. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (5-2)
3. Kahuku, Hawaii (8-1)^
4. Serra, San Mateo, Calif. (6-0)
5. 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.