Prep School Gridiron
Which States Have the Best High School Football Teams?
No one really knows who is the best, but ESPN, USA Today and the National Prep Poll try to rank America's high school football teams, with mixed success.
The best high school football teams in the nation come from Florida, California, Ohio and Texas, according to the three organizations that try to rank the prep teams nationally. That, anyway, was how they looked after the September 13-15 weekend play.
Giving 25 points for first place, 24 for second, etc., Florida led all states with four of its schools scoring 178 points in the three polls. It was followed by California with six teams and 159 points, Texas with four teams and 142 points, and Ohio with three teams and 142 points. They were the only states to earn 100 points or more.
Rankings can change radically week to week
But stay tuned because the prep rankings can change radically from one week to another, even more than the college ratings change. The universities are much easier to rank because there are fewer schools and many of the top teams play one another. The high school teams, on the other hand, seldom cross state lines.
The ESPN poll, USA Today poll and National Prep Poll can differ significantly, even in the same week.
After the Northwestern High School Bulls from Miami, FL, defeated the Carroll High School Dragons from Southlake, TX, they jumped to first in all three polls, scoring a perfect 75 points.
The September 18 rankings:
Here’s how the teams ranked in total points earned in the three polls after the September 15 weekend games. The points are based on 25 for first place, 24 for second, etc.
- Northwestern of Miami, FL--75
- St. Xavier of Cincinnati, OH--71
- Carroll of Southlake, TX--64
- Katy, TX--62
- Mater Dei of Santa Ann, CA--59
- South Panola of Batesville, MS--54
- Prattville, AL--51
- Pahokee, FL--49
- Booker T. Washington, Miami, FL—48
- Northside of Warner Robins, CA—45
- Maryville, TN—42
- Curtis Christian of River Ridge, LA—39
- Colerain of Cincinnati, OH—37
- De la Salle of Concord, CA—37
- Cardinal Mooney of Youngstown, OH—34
- Hamilton of Chandler, AZ—31
- Union of Tulsa, OK—26
- DeMatha of Hyattsville, MD—17
- Jenks, OK—15
- St. Bonaventura, Ventura, CA—15
- Central Catholic of Pittsburgh—14
- Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, CA—10
- Roswell, GA—10
- Muskegan, Mich—9
- Smithson Valley of Spring Valley—9
Others earning points in one or more of the polls: Don Bosco of Ramsey NJ and Edison of Huntington Beach, CA, 8 each; Cedar Hills, TX, Centenial of Carona, CA and Independence of Charlotte, NC, 7 each; Lakeland, FL and St. Anthony of South Huntington, NY, 4 each; Columbine of Littleton, CO 2; and Gateway of Monroeville, PA, Hoover, AL and Liberty of Bethlehem, PA, 1 each.
Prep Football Composite Rankings
