New Jersey High School Football Top 25 Rankings - Sept. 1

High school football got rocking and rolling in the Garden State last week, starting off with the Battle at the Beach Classic down in Ocean City, New Jersey and well into the weekend.

Bergen Catholic entered the preseason as the state’s No. 1 ranked team and validated that by defeating Illinois’ top team East St. Louis in a 22-21 thriller. Who else has made the cut in the first set of the Top 25 rankings out of the Garden State?

The Massey Ratings, officially used during the BCS era, is a model that ranks sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule, and margin of victory.

Here is the latest New Jersey high school football Top 25 rankings, according to Massey.

1. Bergen Catholic Crusaders

The Crusaders had themselves a doozy of a regular season opener when they defeated East St. Louis (Ill.) at the Battle at the Beach Classic in Ocean City. Bergen Catholic had to block a punt and return it for a touchdown in the final minutes in order to pickup a thrilling 22-21 win to start the season. Sophomore Jackson Vaughn is just heading into his second season of playing varsity ball, but against the Flyers was a menace and notched three sacks on the evening. Things don’t get any easier for Bergen Catholic when they travel down to Florida for the Adidas Classic and face West Boca Raton (Fla.), who won the Class 6A title last year.

2. Don Bosco Prep Ironmen

For the first time in New Jersey high school football history, a team from the Garden State has gone to the Lone Star State and won. The Ironmen pulled off a thrilling 14-10 win over the Cardinals and now look to follow up the groundbreaking win with another out-of-state team in Monarch (Fla.) coming into town. Looking ahead at Don Bosco Prep’s schedule, the Ironmen have teams like St. Anthony’s (N.Y.), DePaul Catholic, St. Joseph Regional and rival Bergen Catholic. When it comes to regular season schedules, not many schools can stack up to Don Bosco’s.

3. DePaul Catholic Spartans

Not teams looked as impressive as DePaul Catholic did to start the 2025 season, with the Spartans winning in a rout, 31-3, over Pope John XXIII last week. Washington commitment Derek Zammit was solid in the victory, completing 16 of 21 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns. Also chipping in the win was senior running back Marquan Carter, who rushed for over 100 yards on 13 carries. The schedule heats up this Friday as DePaul Catholic will hit the road down to the DMV and face Good Counsel (Md.), who is coming off a 14-7 win over Columbus (Fla.).

4. St. Joseph Regional Green Knights

The Green Knights didn’t get to kickoff their season last week on the field, receiving a forfeit win over Riverdale Baptist (Md.). St. Joseph Regional will get a second chance to get things rolling against a different DMV team when they travel down to the nation’s capital to face St. John’s College High on Saturday afternoon. Green Knights feature one of the most talented secondaries around, led by Tennessee commit KJ McClain.

5. Hun School Raiders

One of the top prep schools in the country is off to a 1-1 start after falling to the NFL Academy overseas, 34-21, then bouncing back last week with a dominating 48-0 victory over Pennington. There’s little doubt annually on the strength of the Raiders’ schedule, as they have games against IMG Academy, The First Academy and St. Frances Academy all lined up. This week, Hun School will be facing Archbishop Spalding in Maryland.

6. St. Augustine Prep
7. Winslow Township
8. Red Bank Catholic
9. Northern Highlands
10. St. Peter’s Prep

11. Delbarton
12. Rancocas Valley Reg H
13. Rumson-Fair Haven
14. Camden
15. Old Tappan

16. Washington Township
17. Toms River North
18. Pascack Valley
19. Seton Hall Prep
20. Phillipsburg

21. Millville
22. Delsea Regional Sch
23. Bishop George Ahr
24. Atlantic City
25. Ramapo

How to Follow New Jersey High School Football

For high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the Garden State, 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 state of New Jersey.