High School Football: Winners and Losers from Sep. 18-20

If last week was a roller coaster for high school football, this past week was even crazier when it came down to game results on the national level. But the real story cones down to just more than just who won and lost. 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

Mater Dei head coach Raul Lara: There’s no high school football head coach in America more happy with the way his team played than Mater Dei‘s Raul Lara. The Monarchs’ lead man knew with the way his team played last week against Corona Centennial wasn’t anywhere near the standard of Mater Dei football and they needed to bounce back. Bounce back they did as the Monarchs played fearless against a Bishop Gorman group playing with tons of confidence coming off a 35-10 thrashing of East St. Louis. With the offense looking a lot more like the unit in the first half of the season-opening win against St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.), Mater Dei could be making things a lot more interesting down the stretch of the season.

Miami Central Rockets: Maybe folks down in South Florida just forgot who’s really in charge when it comes to high school football between the 954 and 305. The Miami Central Rockets have given us enough evidence to show that they are worthy of restarting the conversation of being nationally recognized. The Rockets’ 31-21 victory over American Heritage on Friday night was impressive in the fact of though the Patriots didn’t have Dia Bell, Leon Strawder played very well in his debut nonetheless. What will really decide this is when the Rockets face off against rival Northwestern Bulls on Oct. 4 at Traz Powell Stadium.

McCallie School, Lone Peak, Rockwall, Waxahachie: No teams boosted their stock on a national level like the McCallie School Blue Tornado, Lone Peak Knights, Rockwall Yellowjackets and Waxahachie Indians did in their respective upset victories. All four teams, whether they were at home or on the road, were able to make it happen against teams ranked inside of the national high school football Top 25. How the Massey Ratings and other services view the victories and how far up the ranks this boosts them will be another story. For this past week, salute to these four teams in coming away with absolute stunners.

LOSERS

Bishop Gorman Gaels: It has been well documented what Bishop Gorman‘s record was heading into Friday night’s contest against Mater Dei: 0-4. The time just seemed right for the Gaels to finally get over the hump of never beating the Monarchs and bringing one home for Las Vegas. Instead, it was Mater Dei making the necessary plays throughout the game to pull off the victory. It had to been a bittersweet feeling for the Gaels knowing that they had their opportunities all throughout the evening at the friendly confines of Fertitta Field and just couldn’t come away with the win. This likely seals Bishop Gorman’s chances of seriously competed for a mythical national title this season.

Nationally ranked Texas teams: If you were the Duncanville or North Crowley, last week just wasn’t a fun one for you whatsoever. Both Panthers teams fell victim to the upset bug as each nationally ranked Texas high school football program was upended on back to back nights. First up was North Crowley getting upset by Rockwall on Thursday night, in a game that came down to the final play. Friday night it would be Duncanville taking a loss as they got stunned by a upset-minded Waxahachie Indians’ group. For how talented both programs were the last couple of seasons, they were bound to take a fall in the talent department. We just weren’t believing it would happen this soon for either Panthers team, respectively.

Corner Canyon & Mission Viejo: If either Corner Canyon or Mission Viejo was going to lose, we just weren’t quite expecting it to come against the opponents they fell to this past week. The Chargers have played multiple opponents that seemingly had more talent in teams like Florida’s West Broward and Arizona’s Liberty. Then flipping to the Mission Viejo side of things, the Diablos have plenty of games along the docket that on paper against Southern California powers that look like ones they could potentially drop at some point during the season. In each case, the teams didn’t just lose, but both lost by double digits. They’ll both remain in the national conversation, but the losses will certainly see the Chargers and Diablos drop in the next set of rankings.

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 National 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 National High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the gridiron excitement across the country.