National High School Football Rankings: Top 25 Teams - Sept. 1

The high school football season continued last week, as many of the country’s top programs were in action. Plenty of interesting results followed. Reigning Texas state champion North Shore survived a fourth-quarter scare, Grayson (Ga.) topped Thompson in an instant classic and Creekside (Ga.) routed one of the Lone Star State’s top teams.

Another jam-packed slate is on deck as teams 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. 1.

1. Mater Dei Monarchs (Calif.) (2-0)

A win is a win they say. For the top-ranked Monarchs, their win this week came by way of forfeit.

Mater Dei‘s only game of the season on the field remains its 26-23 victory over St. Thomas Aquinas at the Broward County Classic High School Football Showcase. The Monarchs didn’t get to play last week after Bishop Montgomery forfeited its game due to a lack of available players.

The Monarchs will get back on the field this week when they welcome Kahuku (Hawaii) into Santa Ana Stadium on Friday night.

2. Bixby Spartans (Okla.) (1-0)

Bixby jumps to the No. 2 spot after soundly defeating rival Owasso last week at Tulsa‘s Skelly Field at HA Chapman Stadium.

Senior quarterback Carson Kirby kicked off Bixby’s season with a bang as he completed 15 of 20 passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns. The Spartans rushed for 254 yards and four scores on 42 touches, with running back Jayson Moll leading the way at 106 yards and a touchdown.

Next up, Bixby will go on the road and face Charles Page.

3. St. Frances Academy Panthers (Md.) (1-0)

St. Frances Academy could be the best team in the country and this week’s challenge against No. 7 St. John Bosco will be a massive opportunity to make that case.

The Panthers will lean on Virginia commit Jae’Oyn Williams and 2027 running back Sa’Nir Brooks, as the pair helped them cruise past Chaminade-Madonna Prep at the Broward County Classic High School Football Showcase over a week and a half ago.

What separates St. Frances Academy from many of the nation’s elites is the play of their defense, led by five-star edge rusher Zion Elee, who is a Maryland commitment. Also flying around on defensive side of the ball is Alabama five-star safety commit Jireh Edwards and four-star corners Hakim Satterwhite and Raylaun Henry. With a dominant front seven and strong back end, it’s hard seeing many teams get by the Panthers this season.

4. Duncanville Panthers (Texas) (0-0)

Duncanville lost a handful of starters on both sides of the football from last season’s team, but the Panthers bring back more than enough to warrant a spot among the nation’s top high school football teams.

This week is when everyone will get their first look at the Panthers when they face a South Oak Cliff squad that upset North Shore this past Friday.

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 biggest question surrounding the team will be who is in line to replace Alabama freshman Keelon Russell at quarterback. It will likely come down to last year’s backup, rising senior J’Coryon Rivers or junior standout Maximus The Great Denson.

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

The loss of quarterback Travis Burgess for the rest of the season is a massive blow, but Grayson showed major resilience this week by beating Thompson, the top-ranked team in Alabama, in a 24-23 classic.

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.

6. Buford (Ga.) (2-0)

With Burgess out for Grayson, Buford may now be the prohibitive favorite to win Georgia’s Class 6A high school football classification.

The Wolves continue to feature one of the top defensive front sevens in the Peach State, featuring four-star edge rushers Bryce Perry-Wright (Texas A&M) and Dre Quinn (Clemson) along with four-star safety Tyriq Green (Georgia). Through two games, the defense has only yielded 27 points and has intercepted three passes on the back end.

Buford returns to the field this week when they go on the road to face Mallard Creek (N.C.).

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

St. John Bosco hasn’t been challenged much through the first two weeks of the high school football season.

After only playing two quarters against Manatee (Fla.), coming away with a 31-0 victory, the Braves returned home and routed Texas’ Eastwood 66-7. This week’s contest against No. 3 St. Frances Academy (Md.) will be a massive step up in competition.

8. North Crowley (Texas) (1-0)

The defending Class 6A Div. I state champions opened up their 2025 campaign with a 22-18 win over Lancaster that was too close for comfort.

Something to monitor week to week for North Crowley is its quarterback situation, which was thrown into flux when Jacob Torres was ruled ineligible for the entire high school football season.

For head coach Ray Gates, it’ll be between seniors DeMarcus Harris, CJ Alexander, and junior Hayes Cloutier, who transferred from from Inglewood (Calif.) during the off-season. The Panthers will now face rival DeSoto, who is coming off a 70-28 throttling by Creekside (Ga.).

9. IMG Academy (Fla.) (3-0)

Another week, another win for IMG Academy.

The Ascenders went into the Battle at the Beach Classic and faced a feisty Winslow Township club that kept things interesting for a couple of quarters. IMG Academy still came away with a comfortable 35-14 victory over the Eagles.

What has been impressive for Florida’s top high school football team is the way they’ve dominated opponents in the trenches. The Ascenders owned the line of scrimmage against both the Royals and Buccaneers. Leading the offensive charge through two games is 6-foot-2, 225-pound Louisville commit Lekhy Thompkins, who scored multiple touchdowns in the Ascenders’ first few games.

The Ascenders have a well deserved bye week before hosting Coronado (Nev.) on Sept. 13.

10. Carrollton (Ga.) (2-0)

Rounding out the top 10 is the Trojans, who are coming off a 28-21 victory over Rome.

Carrollton has dealt with life after Julian Lewis quite well so far, but things won’t be getting any easier in the coming weeks. The Trojans will see where they are at this high school football season in back-to-back games against Gainesville (Ga.) and A.H. Parker (Ala.), respectively, on Sep. 12 and 19.

High School Football Rankings: Nos. 11 – 25

11. Bishop Gorman (Nev.) (2-0)
12. Thomas County Central (Ga.) (3-0)
13. Southlake Carroll (Texas) (1-0)
14. Corner Canyon (Utah) (3-0)
15. Brownsburg (Ind.) (2-0)

16. Bryant (Ark.) (1-0)
17. DeMatha Catholic (Md.) (1-0)
18. Mission Viejo (Calif.) (2-0)
19. Sierra Canyon (Calif.) (2-0)
20. Orange Lutheran (Calif.) (2-0)

21. Bergen Catholic (N.J.) (1-0)
22. Creekside (Ga.) (3-0)
23. Douglas County (Ga.) (3-0)
24. Aledo (Texas) (1-0)
25. Jenks (Okla.) (1-0)

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.