High school football rankings: Walton of Georgia on the rise in this week's composite top 25

Raiders one of four new teams after impressive 2-0 start.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Steve Montoya

By Steve Montoya

Sep 6, 2023, 3:30pm

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Four new teams join this week's top 25 media composite high school football rankings after several upsets over the weekend.

Walton (Marietta, Ga.) made the biggest jump to No. 20 overall after being ranked by four of six media outlets. The Raiders are off to a 2-0 start and averaging 56 points per game.

Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) has had three impressive wins to start the season. The Lancers have another tough one in front of them as they travel to play Chandler (Ariz.). After that, they have another newcomer to the top 25 in Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.).

One of four Texas teams in the rankings, Westlake (Austin, Texas) is coming off a 47-0 blanking of Judson (Converse). Senior Paxton Land and sophomore Rees Wise combined to throw four touchdown passes.

The composite top 25 takes into account a wide range of approaches to high school football rankings by six different media outlets. That includes computer algorithms by CalPreps and High School Football America as well as expert rankings from MaxPreps, SBLive, Blue Star Media and National HSFB.

To be considered for the rankings a team must be recognized by two or more media outlets. Teams were assigned a score of 40 for each media outlet that did not recognize them as part of their top 25, rewarding teams that received consensus acclaim.

Senior Wake Forest commitment Jeremy Hecklinski has thrown for 535 yards and seven touchdowns during Walton's 2-0 start. (Photo: Corey Jones)

Top 25 composite football rankings

1. (No. 1 last week) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)

Average rank: 1.1
MaxPreps Top 25: 1
CalPreps: 1
High School Football America: 2
SB Live: 1
Blue Star Media: 1
National HSFB: 1

2. (2) St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)

Average rank: 2.3
MaxPreps Top 25: 3
CalPreps: 3
High School Football America: 1
SB Live: 2
Blue Star Media: 2
National HSFB: 3

3. (3) IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)

Average rank: 3.1
MaxPreps Top 25: 4
CalPreps: 2
High School Football America: 4
SB Live: 3
Blue Star Media: 4
National HSFB: 2

4. (4) Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)

Average rank: 3.3
MaxPreps Top 25: 2
CalPreps: 4
High School Football America: 3
SB Live: 4
Blue Star Media: 3
National HSFB: 4

5. (5) Buford (Ga.)

Average rank: 6.5
MaxPreps Top 25: 5
CalPreps: 8
High School Football America: 5
SB Live: 5
Blue Star Media: 6
National HSFB: 10

6. (6) Duncanville (Texas)

Average rank: 7.3
MaxPreps Top 25: 8
CalPreps: 6
High School Football America: 6
SB Live: 6
Blue Star Media: 5
National HSFB: 13

7. (7) Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.)

Average rank: 9
MaxPreps Top 25: 7
CalPreps: 12
High School Football America: 9
SB Live: 7
Blue Star Media: 13
National HSFB: 6

T8. (8) Central (Miami, Fla.)

Average rank: 9.3
MaxPreps Top 25: 13
CalPreps: 13
High School Football America: 20
SB Live: 19
Blue Star Media: 17
National HSFB: 12

T8. (9) St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Average rank: 9.3
MaxPreps Top 25: 12
CalPreps: 5
High School Football America: 11
SB Live: 10
Blue Star Media: 11
National HSFB: 7

10. (10) St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio)

Average rank: 9.6
MaxPreps Top 25: 10
CalPreps: 10
High School Football America: 8
SB Live: 8
Blue Star Media: 8
National HSFB: 14

11. (11) St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

Average rank: 10.8
MaxPreps Top 25: 11
CalPreps: 11
High School Football America: 7
SB Live: 18
Blue Star Media: 10
National HSFB: 8

12. (12) North Shore (Houston, Texas)

Average rank: 12.8
MaxPreps Top 25: 9
CalPreps: 16
High School Football America: 17
SB Live: 12
Blue Star Media: 7
National HSFB: 16

13. (13) DeSoto (Texas)

Average rank: 13.3
MaxPreps Top 25: 15
CalPreps: 7
High School Football America: 18
SB Live: 11
Blue Star Media: 12
National HSFB: 17

14. (16) Centennial (Corona, Calif.)

Average rank: 15.6
MaxPreps Top 25: 13
CalPreps: 13
High School Football America: 20
SB Live: 19
Blue Star Media: 17
National HSFB: 12

15. (19) Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.)

Average rank: 17.1
MaxPreps Top 25: 19
CalPreps: 23
High School Football America: 14
SB Live: 14
Blue Star Media: 18
National HSFB: 15

16. (17) Colquitt County (Norman Park, Ga.)

Average rank: 18
MaxPreps Top 25: 14
CalPreps: NR
High School Football America: 15
SB Live: 15
Blue Star Media: 13
National HSFB: 11

17. (18) American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.)

Average rank: 18.3
MaxPreps Top 25: 16
CalPreps: NR
High School Football America: 13
SB Live: 15
Blue Star Media: 17
National HSFB: 9

18. (23) Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.)

Average rank: 24.1
MaxPreps Top 25: NR
CalPreps: 14
High School Football America: 19
SB Live: 16
Blue Star Media: 16
National HSFB: NR

19. (24) Columbus (Miami, Fla.)

Average rank: 26.8
MaxPreps Top 25: 24
CalPreps: 12
High School Football America: 12
SB Live: 21
Blue Star Media: 24
National HSFB: NR

20. (NR) Walton (Marietta, Ga.)

Average rank: 27.3
MaxPreps Top 25: 18
CalPreps: 19
High School Football America: 23
SB Live: NR
Blue Star Media: NR
National HSFB: 24

20. (25) Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah)

Average rank: 27.3
MaxPreps Top 25: 22
CalPreps: 20
High School Football America: NR
SB Live: NR
Blue Star Media: 23
National HSFB: 19

22. (22) Saraland (Ala.)

Average rank: 28
MaxPreps Top 25: NR
CalPreps: 9
High School Football America: NR
SB Live: 19
Blue Star Media: NR
National HSFB: 20

23. (NR) Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.)

Average rank: 28.3
MaxPreps Top 25: 20
CalPreps: 24
High School Football America: NR
SB Live: 24
Blue Star Media: NR
National HSFB: 22

24. (NR) Westlake (Austin, Texas)

Average rank: 30
MaxPreps Top 25: NR
CalPreps: NR
High School Football America: 21
SB Live: 25
Blue Star Media: 14
National HSFB: NR

25. (NR) Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)

Average rank: 30.5
MaxPreps Top 25: NR
CalPreps: 15
High School Football America: NR
SB Live: NR
Blue Star Media: 23
National HSFB: 25

Ranked by two media outlets

Belleville (Mich.)

Langston Hughes (Fairburn, Ga.)

Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.)

Serra (San Mateo, Calif.)

Ranked by one media outlet

Aledo (Texas)

Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio)

Bixby (Okla.)

Carrollton (Ga.)

Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.)

Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Colo.)