The high school football season scene last week brought more clarity to where teams are on the national level. St. John Bosco (Calif.) soars to the second spot in the rankings after a narrow victory over St. Frances Academy (Md.) last week.

Another exciting, jam-packed slate of games is on deck this week as teams around the nation continue their quests for state championships. Below are the top 25 high school football teams in the country, according to the Massey Ratings, as of Sept. 8.

1. Mater Dei Monarchs (Calif.) (3-0)

Coming off a virtual bye week because of the forfeit win over Bishop Montgomery, Mater Dei faced a Kahuku (Hawaii) having something to prove and they gave the Monarchs everything they wanted.

Mater Dei behind a stellar rushing performance from running back Kennie Liggett, who rushed for over 170 yards, was able to slip by Kahuku in a 21-18 decision. For the Monarchs, having such a close scare early on in the season by a team not ranked in the national Top 25 is a surprise.

The Monarchs now are staring a gauntlet of road games ahead, with Corona Centennial, Bishop Gorman (Nevada) and Orange Lutheran all on the slate coming up.

2. St. John Bosco (Calif.) (3-0)

St. John Bosco finally got a challenge after going the first two weeks with little to no resistance. The Braves were able to defend home turf at Panish Family Stadium and defeat St. Frances Academy (Md.) in a 21-14 victory.

In Week’s 1 and 2, St. John Bosco only played two quarters against Manatee (Fla.), coming away with a 31-0 victory, the Braves returned home and routed Texas’ Eastwood 66-7.

The Braves are at the friendly confines of home for the next two weeks as they’ll face Juniperro Serra and St. Louis (Hawaii).

3. Grayson (Ga.) (4-0)

The loss of quarterback Travis Burgess for the rest of the season is a massive blow, but don’t tell the Grayson Rams that it’s going to hold them back whatsoever. In their latest victory, Grayson crushed North Carolina’s Mallard Creek in a 63-13 win.

The Rams will have a little different look to them when they operate on offense moving forward, leaning on junior quarterback Deuce Smith to lead the way behind center. The Rams’ defense will need to step up as well.

Up next for the Rams is a road trip over to Grovetown (3-1).

4. Bishop Gorman (Nev.) (3-0)

Returning inside of the Top 10 of the rankings, according to Massey, is Bishop Gorman
after an interesting victory by a technicality.

In last week’s 35-14 win over Lone Peak (Utah), game officials called the contest with just less than 10 minutes left in the third quarter as more than three Knights players left the bench area. By rule in Nevada, the team that commits the infraction forfeits the game, which gave the win to Bishop Gorman.

The game many in Sin City are looking forward to is the Sep. 19 meeting between the Gaels and top-ranked Mater Dei Monarchs.

5. Buford (Ga.) (3-0)

Are the Buford Wolves the prohibitive favorite to win Georgia’s Class 6A high school football classification? Last week Buford cruised to a 65-21 demolishing of Roswell, showing that this team is improving week to week.

One of the top defensive front sevens in the Peach State resides in Buford, as they feature four-star edge rushers Bryce Perry-Wright (Texas A&M) and Dre Quinn (Clemson) along with four-star safety Tyriq Green (Georgia). Through three games, the defense has only yielded 48 points and has shown they can play with the best of ‘em.

Buford might have their toughest challenge of the season to date when they welcome Douglas County into Philip Beard Stadium this week.

6. Duncanville Panthers (Texas) (2-0)

After plenty of time speculating on whether Duncanville is as good as last year’s team, the Panthers got to take the field and show everyone in the Lone Star State what they’ve got.

Duncanville faced a South Oak Cliff squad that upset North Shore just a couple weeks ago and the Panthers slipped away with a 35-28 victory.

Junior standout quarterback Maximus The Great Denson has looked very comfortable at the controls of the offense and should lead the Panthers to bundles of points and wins this fall.

Having a defense that can stuff just about anything right back in your face is a massive luxury. That’s exactly what Duncanville will be able to do to most opponents on Friday nights. Coming off the edges are a pair of four-stars in Kevin Ford and Landon Barnes that combined for 28.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks in 2024.

The Panthers have another week off before they take the field again on Sep. 19 against Waxahachie.

7. Corner Canyon (Utah) (4-0)

No team inside of this Top 10 has played as much football as Corner Canyon has this season. When looking closer at the Chargers, there’s not many programs as well traveled, either.

Latest victory for Corner Canyon is indicative of their experience against teams in and outside of Utah as the Chargers cruised past one of Arizona’s top teams in Liberty, 45-14.

Texas A&M commit Helaman Cusaga has been locked in behind center, throwing for 1,122 yards and 10 touchdowns through four games.

8. Bixby Spartans (Okla.) (3-0)

Bixby last week was sitting pretty at the No. 2 spot, but this week take a dip down a half dozen spots after defeating Charles Page 56-7.

The Spartans started off the season defeating rival Owasso at Tulsa‘s Skelly Field at HA Chapman Stadium.

Senior quarterback Carson Kirby has been impressive this season as he has completed 34 of 47 passes for 456 yards and four touchdowns. The Spartans as a team has rushed for 419 yards and eight scores on 63 attempts, with running back Jayson Moll leading the way at 122 yards and two touchdowns.

9. North Crowley (Texas) (2-0)

The defending Class 6A Div. I state champions opened up their 2025 campaign with a 22-18 win over Lancaster continued the winning ways with a 36-27 victory against DeSoto.

North Crowley seems to have figured out an answer for its quarterback situation, as DeMarcus Harris stepped in and played admirably, throwing a momentum-shifting touchdown pass against the Eagles.

The Panthers will now face a very tough Guyer club before hosting Rockwall on Sep. 18. Wins the next two weeks would go a long way in figuring if North Crowley will be able to run the table or not this fall.

10. Mission Viejo (Calif.) (3-0)

Rounding out the top 10 is the Diablos, who are coming off a 58-13 dismantling of Folsom, which feature BYU commit Ryder Lyons at quarterback.

Since opening up the season with a 7-3 victory over Santa Margarita Catholic, Mission Viejo has had no such issues when it comes to scoring. In the last two weeks, Mission Viejo is averaging 55.5 points per game.

11. Thomas County Central (Ga.) (4-0)
12. Southlake Carroll (Texas) (2-0)
13. St. Frances Academy (Md.) (1-1)
14. Carrollton (Ga.) (4-0)
15. Brownsburg (Ind.) (3-0)

16. Aledo (Texas) (2-0)
17. IMG Academy (Fla.) (3-0)
18. Sierra Canyon (Calif.) (3-0)
19. Bryant (Ark.) (2-0)  
20. Skyridge (Utah) (4-0)

21. Allen (Texas) (2-0)
22. Langston Hughes (Ga.) (3-0)
23. Prosper (Texas) (2-0)
24. Basha (Ariz.) (2-0)
25. Thompson (Ala.) (2-1)

For high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the state, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the gridiron excitement across the country.