High School Football: Winners and Losers from Oct. 30-Nov. 1

If you think college football has been whacky, the high school football scene hasn’t been that far behind whatsoever. The week of Oct. 30-Nov. 1 provided more surprises and upsets around the country and we’re all here for it. We’re looking at the players who impressed, the coaches who stood out and the fans who are either celebrating or scratching their heads. This week, we’re highlighting the biggest winners and losers – the people and moments that made the past weekend memorable.

WINNERS

Southern California high school football fans: We were going to list Mater Dei, but the win for the Monarchs meant so much more beyond just them. It’s the continued parity that’s taken over high school football in the CIF Southern Section that has really captivated folks and made every week must-see matchups. With the matchups that were just announced for the CIF Division I bracket, don’t worry, it might not be the last time we see St. John Bosco–Mater Dei face each other as they are on opposite ends of the bracket. What can’t be dismissed, though, is the possibility that another team, like Centennial or Sierra Canyon or Santa Margarita Catholic or Mission Viejo could crash that rematch between the the Braves and Monarchs. That’s what made this all so much more interesting and Mater Dei’s 36-31 win brings more intrigue to what should be an interesting Division I playoffs in Southern Cal.

La Salle College Explorers (Pa.) quarterback Gavin Sidwar: If there’s anyone that really might’ve savored in the victory over St. Joseph’s Prep School on Saturday afternoon, it was Sidwar. Having quarterbacked the Explorers to a 10-0 season last year and facing the Hawks, which ended in a 21-14 loss was a bittersweet feeling for the Missouri commit. Getting another chance at the defending PIAA Class 6A state champions and ending their season, priceless. Sidwar threw multiple touchdown passes, leading La Salle Prep to a 24-14 win and into the 6A, District 12 championship game. The Explorers stopped the Hawks’ quest to win a fourth straight state championship in their tracks and the feeling has to be good for Sidwar and crew.

Valdosta Wildcats (Ga.): Rivals got an up close look into the rich tradition that is carried on year in and year out over with the Valdosta Wildcats and it’s no wonder the program has won 973 games and counting. Tradition. That very tradition is something special down in South Georgia as you wouldn’t have known it was Halloween when Valdosta took on crosstown rival Lowndes in the Winnersville Classic on Friday night. The Wildcats came away with the 23-14 win in front of a packed house and also won the AAAAAA, Region 1 championship as they head into the postseason. There’s a lot of viable contenders in Georgia Class AAAAAA, but with the way Valdosta is currently playing, there’s reason to believe America’s winningest high school football program could win a state title in December.

LOSERS

St. John Bosco Braves (Calif.): Now we know there’s plenty of parity when it comes to the CIF Southern Section because we just talked about it, but what an opportunity St. John Bosco just had to close out the regular season with a 10-0 and be the unanimous No. 1 team in the land. No questions asked, just labeled the best team in the country. Yes, the Braves still secured the No. 1 seed in the Division I tournament. Yes, they can still win California’s Open Division championship. Just the kind of mental advantage they would’ve had in the case of facing Mater Dei for a second time might’ve done wonders. St. John Bosco head coach Jason Negro knows he’s got a younger group and they’ll learn from this loss, but it just seems like a chance for the program was missed.

St. Joseph’s Prep School Hawks (Pa.): Remember all of those preseason predictions we made? Welp, down goes one of them and we don’t think it’ll be the first and last one, either. We predicted that the Hawks would repeat as the PIAA Class 6A state champions for a fourth straight time and why not? The Hawks seemingly had all the pieces in place to make that happen again. Having a talented junior quarterback in Charlie Foulke and sophomore sensation Jett Harrison made this offense look like one of the best in the country on paper. As ESPN personality Chris Berman always says, and that’s why they play the game. A 28-point lead blown at the Broward County Classic at the very beginning of the season we feel set the tone for what ended up being a disappointing 2025 campaign for St. Joseph’s Prep School.

Irmo Yellowjackets (S.C.): So you might or might not have heard about this alleged incident over in South Carolina so we will fill you in. Dutch Fork head coach Tom Knotts didn’t hold back words after his team’s 28-21 victory over crosstown foe Irmo, accusing the Yellowjackets of breaking into the Silver Foxes’ Hudl account and watching film the very morning of the game. Knotts spoke to The State reporter Lou Bezjak and levied film accusations towards an Irmo player that he believes was using their Hudl account throughout the week of the game. “Well, they broke into our Hudl account. And Hudl is where we film and they then watched all of our practices this week. That’s bullcrap,” Knotts said. Knotts had stated he didn’t believe Irmo head coach Aaron Brand knew what had happened, but obviously wasn’t too thrilled that someone at 6 a.m. was watching film via the Dutch Fork Hudl account. Interesting situation to say the least, but it would be the Silver Foxes coming away with the win at the end of the day.

How to Follow National High School Football

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.