Greatest high school football teams to never win a national championship

For the past three non-COVID high school football seasons, one matchup has made the difference in determining the national champion – Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) vs. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.).

Traditional Trinity League rivals, Mater Dei and St. John Bosco meet at least once every year and sometimes twice. Either the Monarchs or the Braves have played in every Southern Section Pac-5 or Division 1 championship game since 2012 and they have met three times in the final. In two of those years, the winner of the championship game was crowned national champion.

In the last two title game contests between Mater Dei and St. John Bosco, an argument could be made that the loser be considered for national champion status if only it had lost earlier in the season rather than in the final. Thus both Mater Dei and St. John Bosco have fielded national championship-caliber teams, only to finish at No. 2.

There's a good bet that scenario could happen again this year as Mater Dei is No. 1 in the MaxPreps Top 25 while St. John Bosco fell from No. 1 to No. 4 following an early October loss to the Monarchs. The two teams could meet again in the Southern Section final.

Which begs the question, who are the greatest high school football teams to never win a national championship? Using national rankings by the National Sports News Service (NSNS), USA Today, the Fab 50 and MaxPreps, as well as a variety of other national rankings, we have selected 25 of the greatest teams since 1959 when the NSNS began the first official end-of-the year rankings. This list of national champions was used to determine the teams ineligible for our list.

Teams are listed in chronological order. Almost famous

Valdosta (Ga.), 1961
Record: 12-0
Coach: Wright Bazemore
Who's No. 1?: Washington (Massillon), 11-0
Highlights: One year prior to being named No. 1 by the National Sports News Service in 1962, Valdosta finished 12-0 and won the second of three straight state championships. The state championship was the eighth in Bazemore's career at Valdosta. He went on to win 14 state championships before he retired in 1971. The Wildcats posted seven shutouts on the season and gave up just 54 points. Bruce Bennett earned Back of the Year honors by the Atlanta Constitution.

Loyola (Los Angeles), 1963
Record: 12-0
Coach: Mario di Muro
Who's No. 1?: St. Rita (Chicago), 9-0
Highlights: The Cubs went 12-0 in 1962 behind the rushing talents of Southern Section player of the year Steve Grady but did not even finish in the top 15 of the national rankings by NSNS. With junior running back Mike Bergdahl leading the way in 1963, the Cubs moved all the way up to No. 2 including a 21-0 win over El Rancho in the section championship game. Loyola might have had a strong claim to the national title considering that St. Rita played only an eight-game schedule and then won Chicago Prep Bowl for a 9-0 record.

Washington (Massillon, Ohio), 1964, 1965
Record: 10-0, 10-0
Coach: Earle Bruce
Who's No. 1?: Coral Gables (1964), 12-0; Miami Senior (1965), 12-0
Highlights: Take your pick for which Tiger team should have been No. 1 since they were both worthy and both were coached by future Ohio State mentor Earle Bruce in his only two years at Washington. The 1964 team ended McKinley's (Niles) 48-game win streak and also knocked off undefeated McKinley (Canton) in the season finale when the two teams were ranked No. 1 and 2 in the state polls. The following year, Washington handed Benedictine and Warren Harding their only losses of the season. Both Massillon teams finished No. 2 in the national rankings behind Florida schools: Coral Gables in 1964 and Miami Senior in 1965. The 20 straight wins also gave Bruce 43 straight wins as a head coach.

Washington (Massillon), 1970
Record: 10-0
Coach: Bob Cummings
Who's No. 1?: Reagan (Austin, Texas), 13-1-1
Highlights: The last Massillon team to win an Associated Press state championship, the Tigers averaged 41.2 points per game and had six shutouts. It also handed Benedictine and McKinley (Canton) their only losses of the season. Reagan (Austin), received the nod as national champions despite a loss and a tie. However, Reagan had previously won national titles in 1967 and 1968.

T.C. Williams (Alexandria, Va.), 1971
Record: 13-0
Coach: Herman Boone
Who's No. 1?: Valdosta, 13-0
Highlights: Now known as Alexandria City, T.C. Williams is the team depicted in the Denzel Washington film "Remember the Titans." Under coach Herman Boone, the Titans were, perhaps, much better than the one shown in the movie. Only one of the games was within a touchdown and they won nine by shutout, including the 27-0 championship game over Andrew Lewis.

Lakeside (Atlanta, Ga.), 1972
Record: 14-0
Coach: Wayman Creel
Who's No. 1?: Bristol (Tenn.), 12-0
Highlights: Ranked No. 2 in the state for the entire season, Lakeside finally moved into the top spot after beating Central (Macon) in the championship game. Lakeside posted six shutouts on the season and won its second state title in three seasons. Creel went on to win over 300 games in his coaching career.

Americus (Ga.), 1975
Record: 14-0
Coach: Alton Shell
Who's No. 1?: Loyola (Los Angeles), 13-0
Highlights: Looking at the season scores, it's hard to see why the NSNS went with Loyola as the national champion. The Los Angeles team gave up 131 points on the season and won the section championship game by one point over St. Paul, 14-13. Americus, meanwhile, gave up just 8 points on the season and had 13 shutouts. The Panthers won their championship game 34-0 over Dalton. Americus is now known as Sumter County.

Clarke Central (Athens, Ga.), 1979
Record: 15-0
Coach: Billy Henderson
Who's No. 1?: Archibishop Moeller, 13-0
Highlights: The Archbishop Moeller powerhouse was at full strength under Gerry Faust in the late 1970s so there wasn't much room for any other teams to be named national champion. However, Clarke Central would have had a good argument. Ranked No. 1 all season long in Georgia, the Gladiators only had two close games, beating Douglass and Peachtree by one point each. The title was the second of three state championships under Henderson, who had a record of 222-65 in 23 seasons at Clarke Central.

Oak Ridge (Tenn.), 1980
Record: 14-0
Coach: Emory Hale
Who's No. 1?: Archbishop Moeller, 13-0
Highlights: In the final season under Hale, Oak Ridge won games by an average of 29 points and had only one opponent come within eight points. The Wildcats roared through the playoffs, winning the final against Germantown, 13-0. Oak Ridge also won a state title in 1979, finishing 13-1.

McKinley (Canton, Ohio), 1981
Record: 13-0
Coach: Terry Forbes
Who's No. 1?: Warner Robins, 15-0
Highlights: You could easily make a case for McKinley as the top team in the nation in 1981 over Warner Robins. First, the Bulldogs defeated defending national champion Archbishop Moeller 13-0 in the state final. The win ended Moeller's 45-game win streak and a stretch of 108 games without a shutout. They also knocked off Washington (Massillon) in their annual rivalry game. The Bulldogs had nine shutouts on the season and allowed just 32 points. There's even a documentary about the season called "Thirteen and 0: The Story of the 1981 Canton McKinley Bulldogs."

Valdosta (Ga.), 1982
Record: 15-0
Coach: Nick Hyder
Who's No. 1?: Archbishop Moeller, 13-0
Highlights: National champions in 1984, 1986 and 1991 under coach Nick Hyder, the Wildcats could have won a fourth in 1982 in Hyder's first unbeaten/untied season. Valdosta was ranked No. 1 for 13 straight weeks after the second game of the season. Hyder's crew knocked off Peachtree Ridge 10-7 in the championship game.

East St. Louis (Ill.), 1983, 1984
Record: 13-0, 13-0
Coach: Bob Shannon
Who's No. 1?: Berwick, 13-0 (1983), Valdosta, 15-0 (1984)
Highlights: The Flyers finished both the 1983 and 1984 seasons ranked No. 2 in the nation and had a 26-game win streak over the two seasons. In 1984, East St. Louis beat Downers Grove South 38-6 despite their opponent having given up just 52 points in its first 12 games. The 1983 team defeated Addison Trail in the championship game, giving Shannon his second state championship. Both teams were led by quarterback Ronnie Cameron, a two-time all-state player.

Warren Central (Indianapolis, Ind.), 1985
Record: 14-0
Coach: Jerry Stauffer
Who's No. 1?: East St. Louis, 14-0
Highlights: It's no surprise that East St. Louis was named national champion in 1985 after posting back-to-back-to-back state championships and a 40-0 record, but Warren Central shouldn't be overlooked. Led by Gatorade National Player of the Year Jeff George, Warren Central posted back-to-back 14-0 seasons and won the 1985 state championship game in a rout with a 41-7 win over Valparaiso. The Warriors scored 545 points on the season and posted seven shutouts.

East St. Louis (Ill.), 1989
Record: 14-0
Coach: Bob Shannon
Who's No. 1?: Odessa Permian, 16-0
Highlights: Was there a better program in the nation during the 1980s than East St. Louis? The Flyers finished second three times and won a national title in 1985. The 1989 team could have earned a national title as well if not for Permian's 16-0 season. The Flyers racked up 615 points during the season and defeated Thornton in the 6A finals 55-8.

Permian (Odessa, Texas), 1991
Record: 16-0
Coach: Tam Hollingshead
Who's No. 1?: Ben Davis, 14-0
Highlights: The last of six state championships for the Panthers and the second in three years (Odessa was banned from playoffs in 1990 for rules violation), Permian defeated a Marshall (San Antonio) team led by future NFL All-Pro Priest Holmes, 27-14. Permian scored 626 points on the season and went 39-2-1 from 1989 to 1991.

Valdosta (Ga.), 1992
Record: 14-0
Coach: Nick Hyder
Who's No. 1?: Berwick, 15-0
Highlights: The last state championship for Hyder, Valdosta was ranked No. 1 all season and edged Clarke Central 17-14 in the 4A championship game. The Wildcats had six shutouts and gave up just 61 points on the season.

Southridge (Miami, Fla.), 1993
Record: 15-0
Coach: Don Soldinger
Who's No. 1?: St. Ignatius, 14-0
Highlights: Under Soldinger, a former assistant coach at University of Miami with Jimmy Johnson, Southridge overcame the devastation of Hurricane Andrew in 1992 to put together one of the greatest seasons in South Florida history. The state's first 15-0 team defeated defending state champion Manatee with a state record for points scored in a 69-36 win. They were led by running back Troy Davis, who became the first running back in Dade County to gain over 2,000 yards rushing and was a Heisman Trophy finalist while at Iowa State.

Tyler (Texas), 1994
Record: 16-0
Coach: Allen Wilson
Who's No. 1?: De La Salle, 13-0
Highlights: The second state championship for Tyler after Earl Campbell led the Lions to a title in 1973. Tyler finished second behind De La Salle (Concord, Calif.), which was in the third year of its 151-game win streak. The Lions scored 555 points on the season and defeated Westlake (Austin) in the final, but they are known more for a 48-44 regional playoff win over Plano East that MaxPreps called the greatest game in high school football history.

De La Salle (Concord, Calif.), 1995-97
Record: 13-0, 12-0, 12-0
Coach: Bob Ladouceur
Who's No. 1?: St. Ignatius, 14-0 (1995); Hampton, 14-0 (1996); Hampton, 13-0 (1997)
Highlights: While St. Ignatius and Hampton were worthy candidates for national champions in the mid-1990s, De La Salle could easily have been chosen three times during that span. De La Salle dominated Northern California, upping its win streak from 39 in a row to 76 in a row and breaking the national record of 72 set by Hudson (Mich.). However, the only game played outside of Northern California was a season opener against Rancho Buena Vista in 1996. After three straight second-place finishes in the Fab 50 national rankings, De La Salle scheduled Mater Dei in 1998, won the game and claimed the first of six straight national championships.

Long Beach Poly (Calif.), 2001
Record: 12-1
Coach: Raul Lara
Who's No. 1?: De La Salle, 12-0
Highlights: The Jackrabbits were ranked No. 1 in the nation for the first month of the season until losing to De La Salle in the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in national rankings history. Poly featured four future NFL players in Darnell Bing, Winston Justice, Marcedes Lewis and Manuel Wright. Poly won a Southern Section championship and finished No. 3 in the nation by both the Fab 50 and USA Today.

North Shore (Houston, Texas), 2003
Record: 15-0
Coach: David Aymond
Who's No. 1?: De La Salle, 13-0
Highlights: Posting the first state championship in school history, North Shore scored a whopping 702 points. The season was the third of eight straight undefeated regular seasons for the Mustangs. North Shore would have had a difficult time knocking off De La Salle for the top spot considering that the Spartans had extended their win streak to 151 straight games.

Independence (Charlotte, N.C.), 2004
Record: 16-0
Coach: Bill Geiller
Who's No. 1?: Southlake Carroll, 16-0
Highlights: Tommy Knotts took a year off to coach at the college ranks and Geiller ended up leading the Patriots to a state championship and their highest ranking in school history at No. 2 by USA Today. Joe Cox led a prolific passing attack with 4,509 yards and 65 touchdowns. The Patriots extended their winning streak to 109 games in a row.

Mission Viejo (Calif.), 2004
Record: 14-0
Coach: Bob Johnson
Who's No. 1?: Southlake Carroll, 16-0
Highlights: While USA Today had Independence ranked No. 2 in the nation, the Fab 50 had the Diablos. Mission Viejo won a Southern Section championship and had one of top quarterbacks in the country in future NFL starter Mark Sanchez. The Diablos defeated Long Beach Poly and De La Salle on back-to-back weeks and won the section crown over Mater Dei.

St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), 2018
Record: 13-1
Coach: Jason Negro
Who's No. 1?: Mater Dei, 13-2 (one loss by forfeit)
Highlights: The Braves crushed Mater Dei early in the season 41-18 and cruised through the normally rugged Trinity League to earn a No. 1 national ranking by MaxPreps heading into the Southern Section Division 1 championship rematch with the Monarchs. This time Mater Dei came out on top 17-13 and went on to finish No. 1 overall. The Braves ended the season ranked No. 2.

Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 2019
Record: 12-1
Coach: Bruce Rollinson
Who's No. 1?: St. John Bosco, 13-1
Highlights: One year after knocking off St. John Bosco in the Southern Section final and finishing No. 1 in the nation, the Monarchs fell victim to the same scenario in 2019. This time Mater Dei clobbered the Braves in Trinity League play and held the No. 1 national ranking heading into the section final. However, Bosco turned the tables for a 39-34 win, dropping the Monarchs to No. 2.