MaxPreps Top 25 high school football rankings

Video: FB Live - Xcellent 25 Football Rankings
Steve Montoya and Zack Poff break down the Xcellent 25 football teams.

This past weekend was one of the best of the season in high school football.

St. John Bosco and Corona Centennial turned in one of the best games of 2016 in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals, combining for nearly 100 points and 1,100 yards of offense, including a fourth quarter that saw six lead changes. Re-al Mitchell's 67-yard touchdown run with just over five minutes left was the difference as the Braves clinched a spot in the section title game for the fourth consecutive season with a 49-47 victory.

No. 4 DeSoto had to overcome a 10-point deficit with under three minutes left. Four-star quarterback Shawn Robinson found Laviska Shenault jr. for a 55-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 45-42 and after an unsuccessful onside kick attempt, the Eagles forced a fumble, then three plays later Robinson ran it in from 13 yards for the game-winning score to complete one of the best comeback wins of the weekend.

Upsets were on tap, too, as one of the newest teams to the rankings, Chandler, beat previous No. 8 Mountain Pointe 36-17 in the Arizona 6A championship game to claim its second state title since 2014.

Three teams ranked in the Top 25 added hardware this weekend too, as Cass Tech, Saguaro and the previously mentioned Chandler all won state titles.

With five Xcellent 25 teams losing, it made room for four new teams. Corona Centennial stayed in the Top 25 because its loss came to one of the best teams in the country.

See football playoff brackets from across the country

1. (1 last week) Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), 14-0
It has been a while since Bishop Gorman was trailing to a Nevada opponent in the second quarter, yet that was the case against Arbor View (Las Vegas) when the Gaels were down 10-7. It didn't last long, as the Gaels scored 35 unanswered points and cruised to a 56-17 win to clinch a spot in the state championship game for the eighth-consecutive year. The win also extended the Gaels' winning streak to 53 games, which is currently the second longest active win streak in all of high school football. National Player of the Year frontrunner Tate Martell finished with five touchdowns and Jalen Nailor was his favorite target, as he hauled in three of those scores.
Next game: Saturday vs. Liberty (Henderson) in the Nevada 4A state championship game

2. (2) IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), 11-0
Season complete.

3. (3) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 13-0
Mater Dei fell behind 14-0 early against Rancho Cucamonga but outscored the Cougars 48-7 to cruise to an easy victory and clinch a spot in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship game. The last time the Monarchs played in a section title game was 2013, and it is against the same school they will see on Saturday, St. John Bosco. This will be the 14th matchup between the two rivals since 2004, and Mater Dei snapped Bosco's six-game winning streak against them earlier this season with a 26-21 win in October. This time around a spot in the CIF Open Division state championship game is likely on the line.
Next game: Saturday vs. No. 8 St. John Bosco (Bellflower) in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game

4. (4) DeSoto (Texas), 13-0
The Eagles were three minutes away from getting their wings clipped, but they flew through adversity and found a way to erase a double-digit deficit against Abilene and advance to the 6A-D2 UIL Texas quarterfinals with a 49-45 win. Four-star quarterback Shawn Robinson had a few costly turnovers but he helped erase that by throwing for 300-plus yards and rushing for nearly 150 to go with four total touchdowns, including the game-winner from 13 yards out. The Battle of Belt Line is up next, as DeSoto faces off against rival Cedar Hill at Cowboy Stadium this Saturday in one of the biggest games of the weekend. The two faced off earlier this season and DeSoto cruised to a 33-18 win in September, but this time around Cedar Hill's 4-star quarterback Avery Davis will be 100 percent healthy.
Next game: Saturday vs. No. 23 Cedar Hill in the 6A-D2 UIL Texas state quarterfinals

5. (6) Grayson (Loganville, Ga.), 12-1
The Rams are playing as well as anyone in the country right now. They have won 12 in a row and 11 of those have come by at least 22 points. They took down back-to-back defending state champ Colquitt County, 49-21, to advance in the playoffs. Grayson had a monster night on the ground, rushing for nearly 400 yards with 3-star Michigan commit Kurt Taylor rushing for 204 yards and three scores and 4-star South Carolina commit Jamyest Williams rushing for 103 yards and two touchdowns. The Rams are trying to win their first state championship since 2011 but they have to get by a very good Mill Creek team in the 7A state semifinals first.
Next game: Friday vs. No. 19 Mill Creek (Hoschton) in the Georgia 7A state semifinals

6. (5) DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.), 13-0
Season complete.

7. (7) Allen (Texas), 13-0
Allen faced arguably its toughest opponent of the season in San Angelo Central, and the Eagles snapped the Bobcats' 22-game home winning streak with a 34-21 win. After falling behind 14-7 in the first quarter the Eagles outscored the Bobcats 27-7 the rest of the way. Senior quarterback Mitchell Jonke had another nice game with three touchdowns, two passing and one rushing, and the junior backfield duo of Brock Sturges and Kirby Bennett combined for 235 yards rushing and one score. Allen has won 70 of its 71 last games and is trying to win its fifth state championship in school history, and fourth since 2012.
Next game: Saturday vs. Duncanville in the 6A-D1 UIL Texas state quarterfinals

8. (11) St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), 11-2
The Braves move up three spots this week after beating Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 49-47 in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals. It was easily one of the top games of the year, if not the best, as both teams answered touchdown for touchdown in the fourth quarter. The story of the game was junior quarterback Re-al Mitchell. Bosco is capable of beating anyone in the country when he plays well and that showed on Friday night. He completed 17 of 22 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns and also eclipsed the century mark on the ground. St. John Bosco is happy to meet Mater Dei in the CIF-SS D1 finals because the Braves want to avenge one of their two losses after blowing a nine-point fourth quarter lead in the first meeting. The Braves have some confidence on defense because the No. 1 quarterback in the Class of 2019, JT Daniels, had one mediocre game this year, and it came against St. John Bosco.
Next game: Saturday vs. No. 3 Mater Dei (Santa Ana) in the CIF-SS D1 championship game

9. (9) St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 10-2
St. Thomas Aquinas continues to roll after its triple overtime loss to No. 1 Bishop Gorman. The Raiders made it seven in a row after cruising to a 50-10 win over Mater Academy Charter (Hialeah Gardens) in the Florida 7A state quarterfinals. During their seven-game winning streak the Raiders have outscored the opposition 300-44. St. Thomas Aquinas is trying to become the first team from Broward County to win three consecutive state championships but upcoming opponent Venice is 12-0.
Next game: Friday vs. Venice in the Florida 7A state semifinals

10. (10) Roswell (Ga.), 13-0
There might not be a more underrated team in the Xcellent 25 than Roswell. The Hornets always just find a way to win, including Friday's 42-21 win against North Cobb (Kennesaw). They have won 27 of their last 28 games with the only loss coming to Colquitt County in the 6A state championship game last year. Roswell has one of the best defenses in the country led by 4-star safety Xavier Mckinney and 4-star Clemson commit Leanthony Williams jr. They are allowing less than 10 points per game in 2016.
Next game: Friday vs. Westlake (Atlanta) in the Georgia 7A state semifinals

11. (13) American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), 12-0
American Heritage took down defending 5A state champs Bishop Moore (Orlando) 20-7 to clinch a spot in the 5A semifinals. Defense was the story once again for Patrick Surtain's team and a case could be made that they have the No. 1 defense in all of high school football. Junior running back Jordan Johnson led the way on offense for the Patriots, rushing for nearly 200 yards and two scores.
Next game: Friday vs. Jesuit (Tampa) in the Florida 5A state semifinals

12. (14) Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.), 14-0
Saguaro won its fourth-consecutive state championship by dominating Catalina Foothills (Tucson) in a 42-14 victory and claimed its ninth state title over an 11-year span. The Sabercats also own a 25-game winning streak and the remarkable thing about it is only one of those wins came by less than one touchdown. A strong case could be made that this was the best single season for any Saguaro team in school history, as they won all 14 games by at least 15 points and outscored the opposition 644-139. Junior quarterback Max Massingale had a big-time year, throwing for 2,000-plus yards and rushing for 1,000. But the main cog for this Saguaro team was senior running back Stone Matthews, who finished with 2,088 yards rushing and 31 touchdowns.

13. (15) Cass Tech (Detroit), 14-0
Cass Tech fell behind 14-7 early to Catholic Central (Novi) but they outscored the Shamrocks 42-6 the rest of the way to win the Michigan Division 1 state title. It was the school's third state championship and first since 2012. Things couldn't have gone any better for senior quarterback Rodney Hall, who missed last year's state championship game because of an injury. One year later he got to play in this one, and he had a big-time impact. The 3-star Northern Illinois commit matched a state finals record by throwing for five touchdown passes and the No. 1 wide receiver in the Class of 2017, Donovan Peoples-Jones, hauled in six receptions for 118 yards and two scores to cap off a perfect season and arguably the best single season in Cass Tech history.

14. (16) McGill-Toolen (Mobile, Ala.), 13-0
Idle.
Next game: Wednesday vs. Hoover in the Alabama 7A state championship game

15. (12) Centennial (Corona, Calif.), 11-2
Corona Centennial was so close to being 13-0 in 2016, but couldn't hang on to beat No. 2 IMG Academy back in September and now No. 8 St. John Bosco this past weekend. It was an instant classic and there was a key play in the game in the final three minutes when Centennial had it fourth and 3 at the Bosco 47-yard line. Miles Reed looked like he powered forward for the first down but the referees ruled him short, and Bosco converted a couple first downs afterwards to run out the clock. Despite falling short to claim its third-consecutive section title, it was still a great year for the SoCal power.

16. (21) Lake Travis (Austin, Texas), 12-1
Lake Travis keeps moving up in the rankings, as the Cavaliers reeled off their 12th consecutive win. One could make a case they are playing better than anyone in all of Texas. They rolled through Los Fresnos in the third round of the 6A-D1 UIL Texas state playoffs, 54-7, as 3-star SMU commit Charlie Brewer had a perfect first half. The senior quarterback completed 12 of 12 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns and added another 45 yards on the ground and one more score. It was 44-0 at halftime and the starters rested the entire second half. Up next for Hank Carter and Lake Travis is Sam Ehlinger and Austin Westlake in the regional final, a team they beat 49-7 earlier this year, and they have won nine in a row against the Chaparrals.
Next game: Friday vs. Westlake (Austin) in the 6A-D1 UIL Texas state quarterfinals

17. (17) Bingham (South Jordan, Utah), 14-0
Season complete.

18. (18) Trinity (Louisville, Ky.), 14-0
Trinity advanced to the Kentucky 6A state championship game after beating St. Xavier (Louisville) 24-14 in the semifinals. Head coach Bob Beatty is very familiar with the state championship game, in his 17-years as head coach it will be the 14th appearance in the finals, and he has led Trinity to 11 state championships. If he gets No. 12 it will be the most by a head coach in state history. It would also be the school's 24th state championship.
Next game: Saturday vs. Lafayette (Lexington) in the Kentucky 6A championship game

19. (23) Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.), 13-0
Mill Creek held off a very good McEachern (Powder Springs) team to win 31-28 and clinch a spot in the Georgia 7A state semifinals. The biggest play of the game came with just over three minutes left, as Cameron Turley hit senior wide receiver Ace Williams for a 64-yard touchdown to go up 31-21. McEachern scored a touchdown on its next drive but after an unsuccessful onside kick attempt Mill Creek got a first down thanks to a penalty on McEachern to ice the game. Williams finished the night with two touchdowns and senior running back Joe Thomas led the way on the ground, rushing for a game-high 119 yards.
Next game: Friday vs. No. 5 Grayson (Loganville) in the Georgia 7A state semifinals

20. (20) St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia), 12-0
The Philly power reeled off its 12th-consecutive win with a 38-17 victory over Parkland (Allentown) to advance to the Pennsylvania 6A state semifinals. The D'Andre Swift show was in full effect, as the 2017 Georgia commit rushed for 318 yards and two touchdowns, and while Najee Harris is the No. 1 overall recruit in the Class of 2017, one could make a case that Swift has been the best running back in all of high school football.
Next game: Saturday vs. North Penn (Lansdale) in the Pennsylvania 6A state semifinals

21. (NR) Chandler (Ariz.), 12-2
The last time Chandler lost was back in early September to Mountain Pointe, and it was a 52-7 loss. Revenge was sweet for the Wolves because that is who they got to play in the Arizona 6A state championship game and this time they cruised to a dominant 36-17 win. It was the 10th-consecutive win for Chandler and it was also the school's second state championship in a three-year span. Class of 2017 Oregon State commit TJ Green had a big-time game as he rushed for 233 yards and three scores and Jarick Caldwell had 104 yards receiving on five receptions and two touchdowns. Senior cornerback Imani Lee led the way on defense with two interceptions and one was a remarkable one-handed pick to get momentum back on Chandler's side for good.

22. (22) East (Salt Lake City), 14-0
Season complete.

23. (NR) Cedar Hill (Texas), 11-2
Cedar Hill makes it way back into the Xcellent 25 after winning its ninth-consecutive game. The Longhorns cruised to a 56-28 win over a very good Mansfield team to clinch a spot in the 6A-D2 UIL Texas state quarterfinals against rival DeSoto. Cedar Hill's offense is one of the most explosive in the country and it showed this past weekend as the Longhorns totaled over 600 yards of offense with 4-star Notre Dame commit Avery Davis throwing for 265 yards and two scores, adding another 53 yards on the ground with another touchdown. Four-star Oklahoma commit Charleston Rambo hauled in five catches for 108 yards and a score and senior running back Marquise Forman hit the century mark on the ground and found the end zone twice. Cedar Hill's only two losses this season came to No. 1 Bishop Gorman and No. 4 DeSoto, and it gets a chance to avenge that loss this Saturday at Cowboys Stadium.
Next game: Saturday vs. No. 4 DeSoto in the 6A-D2 UIL Texas state quarterfinals

24. (NR) South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C.), 11-1
South Pointe makes its first appearance in the Xcellent 25 this season after an impressive win in the second round of South Carolina 4A state playoffs. The 61-7 triumph over Airport (West Columbia) made it eight in a row for the Stallions. South Pointe scored on seven of its first eight offensive possessions and senior running back Voshon St. Hill found the end zone four times.
Next game: Friday at Belton-Honea Path in the South Carolina 4A state quarterfinals

25. (NR) St. Ignatius (Cleveland), 13-1
St. Ignatius moves into the Xcellent 25 this week after winning its 10th-consecutive game and clinched a spot in the Ohio Division 1 state championship game. The Wildcats beat Olentangy Liberty (Powell) 24-14 and earned a spot in the state final for the first time since 2011, when they won it all. They are going to need to get by a red-hot St. Xavier (Cincinnati) team that knocked off the No. 1 seed Colerain (Cincinnati) in the second round.
Next game: Friday vs. St. Xavier in the Ohio Division 1 state championship game

Bubble teams

The Woodlands (Texas), 13-0
The Woodlands clinched a spot in the 6A-D1 UIL Texas state quarterfinals. The Highlanders cruised to a 52-31 win over Bowie (Austin, Texas) advancing to the regional final for the first time since 2011 and if they win next Saturday against Round Rock (Texas) they will advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2003.
Next game: Saturday vs. Round Rock (Texas) in the 6A-D1 UIL Texas state quarterfinals

Cocoa (Fla.), 11-1
Cocoa earned its biggest win of the season by knocking off Booker T. Washington (Miami) 24-21 to advance to the Florida 4A state championship game. The win had to feel extra special because the Tornadoes had knocked Cocoa out of the playoffs in each of the last five seasons. Cocoa's only loss this year came back in early September against No. 1 Bishop Gorman. Four-star South Florida commit Bruce Judson led Cocoa on a 78-yard touchdown drive to give the Tigers the lead for good with just over a minute left. Cocoa is one win away from winning its first state title since 2010, the last of a three-peat.
Next game: Dec. 8 vs. Bolles (Jacksonville) in the Florida 4A state championship game

Norman North (Okla.), 12-0
Idle.
Next game: Friday vs. Union (Tulsa) in the Oklahoma 6A-I state championship game

St. Louis (Honolulu), 10-1
Season complete.

Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.), 12-1
Rancho Cucamonga's season came to an end against No. 3 Mater Dei (Santa Ana) in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals but it was still a great year for head coach Nick Baiz and the Cougars. They showed they can hang with the best teams in all of Southern California by advancing to the semifinals in arguably the most competitive playoff bracket in the country.