The Sporting News 2025 High School Football Top 25 - Week 10: October 14

The Rise and Fall of a National Champion

The previous SN No. 4 Mater Dei [Santa Ana, CA] Monarchs officially saw their run as national champions end in a 7-6 home loss to the previously unranked Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles. Meanwhile, their rivals, the SN No. 1 St. John Bosco [Bellflower, CA] Braves, continued to look like the dominant team on the national high school football scene.

The season began, of course, with their positions reversed; Mater Dei was listed as the unanimous preseason No. 1 by every major selector, including here in The Sporting News High School Football Top 25. The Monarchs entered the season as the defending back-to-back national champions having won a consensus title in 2023, splitting the vote with the Bishop Gorman [Las Vegas, NV] Gaels and the DeSoto [TX] Eagles, before winning a unanimous title in 2024.

They appeared to be well-stocked to make a run at a third title, before struggling in their first two games. They beat the No. 6 St. Thomas Aquinas [Fort Lauderdale, FL] Raiders, 26-23, on the road in the season opener before slipping past the Kahuku [HI] Red Raiders at home in a shockingly close 21-18 decision. Still, they entered the third game of the season on September 12 as solid favorites to win at the Top 25 Centennial [Corona, CA] Huskies who were coming off a 33-27 loss in overtime to the same Santa Margarita squad that upset Mater Dei last Friday night.

Centennial had not beaten the Monarchs in a decade, but when it was all said and done, the Huskies held on for a 43-36 win in a wild affair in Corona, California. Mater Dei fell from the the No. 1 spot to No. 7, but bounced back on the road a week later to upset Bishop Gorman, the team that replaced them at No. 1. That opened the door for St. John Bosco to move into the No. 1 position in the SN Top 25 where they've resided ever since. Mater Dei then won on the road two weeks ago at the Orange [CA] Lutheran Lancers in an underwhelming 25-10 victory before last Friday's stumble against Santa Margarita Catholic.

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Both those teams now have two losses, and Mater Dei falls to No. 17 in this week's rankings. Santa Margarita re-enters the list at No. 15 – just in time for another big home game against that No. 1 St. John Bosco squad in a game that will be The Sporting News High School Football Game of the Week. The Braves are 7-0, and they are widely expected to win against an Eagles' squad that has featured an elite defense while struggling at times to generate offense. Santa Margarita is under the direction of first-year head coach Carson Palmer, an alum of the program and a former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL All-Pro at quarterback.

St. John Bosco only has to win out to win the title as The Sporting News High School Football National Champions – a feat that still could be easier said than done. A Santa Margarita win, meanwhile, would throw the rankings into complete disarray while opening the door for a new national title contender to emerge – most likely the SN No. 2 IMG Academy [Bradenton, FL] Ascenders or the SN No. 3 Grayson [Loganville, GA] Rams. The one familiar name that won't be in the running, no matter what they do from here out, is the one we all expected to be standing at the very end.

Understanding the SN Top 25 through Transparency

Like any set of rankings, things may not always make sense at first glance, and there are as many approaches to ranking teams as there are selectors. Some rankings are simply a reflection of what has happened to date, and many of these are algorithm-based, subject to wild weekly swings like the Massey Ratings that are part of The Sporting News Composite Rankings released on Wednesdays.

Other rankings are more predictive – an attempt to account for what has happened, while attempting to line up teams in a way that will reflect potential future results. SN's approach falls somewhere in line with this way of thinking, and each week we first attempt to rank the teams by resume before considering wins and losses and head-to-head results. No system is perfect, but at least understanding our approach can help understand why we have the teams where we do.

With Mater Dei finally out of the way for good, it's currently a three-horse race out front with either St. John Bosco, IMG Academy, or Grayson all in line to take a shot at the title should any of the other two teams in that trio stumble before the finish line. All three of those teams have huge games remaining on the schedule, however, and it isn't out of the question that if they all lose at least once, we could be forced to look elsewhere for a national champion. While the scenarios are complicated, there are still, theoretically, if not realistically, paths to a national title for all of the top 12 teams in the SN Top 25.

Further analysis is available each week in SN's Roadmap to the National Championship which attempts to assess which teams have been eliminated from national title consideration.

SN Top 25 Rankings and Upcoming Games

SN No. 1 St. John Bosco [Bellflower, CA] Braves - 2025 Record: 7-0 - Last Week: SN No. 1 - Next Game: 10/17/2025 - at SN No. 15 Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles (5-2) - Last Game: 10/10/2025 - St. John Bosco 48, NR Orange [CA] Lutheran Lancers 0 (3-4) - W/L Streak: 7 wins

SN No. 2 IMG Academy [Bradenton, FL] Ascenders - 2025 Record: 6-0 - Last Week: SN No. 2 - Next Game: 10/17/2025 - vs. NR NFL Academy [UK] - Last Game: 10/3/2025 - IMG Academy 27, NR Venice [FL] Indians 14 (3-3) - W/L Streak: 7 wins

SN No. 3 Grayson [Loganville, GA] Rams - 2025 Record: 8-0 - Last Week: SN No. 3 - Next Game: 10/24/2025 - vs. NR South Gwinnett [Snellville, GA] Comets (5-2) - Last Game: 10/9/2025 - Grayson 58, NR Rockdale County [Conyers, GA] Bulldogs 10 (4-3) - W/L Streak: 22 wins

SN No. 4 St. Frances Academy [Baltimore, MD] Panthers - 2025 Record: 6-1 - Last Week: SN No. 5 - Next Game: 10/17/2025 - vs. NR Hun [Princeton, NJ] Raiders (6-2) - Last Game: 10/10/2025 - St. Frances Academy 60, NR St. Thomas More [Oakdale, CT] Chancellors 0 (0-1) - W/L Streak: 5 wins

SN No. 5 Centennial [Corona, CA] Huskies - 2025 Record: 6-1 - Last Week: SN No. 6 - Next Game: 10/17/2025 - at NR Murrieta [CA] Valley Nighthawks (6-1) - Last Game: 10/10/2025 - Centennial 63, NR Vista Murrieta [Murrieta, CA] Broncos 14 (5-3) - W/L Streak: 5 wins

SN No. 6 Buford [GA] Wolves - 2025 Record: 7-0 - Last Week: SN No. 9 - Next Game: 10/17/2025 - at NR Central Gwinnett [Lawrenceville, GA] Black Knights (3-3-1) - Last Game: 10/9/2025 - Buford 58, NR Dacula [GA] Falcons 7 (3-4) - W/L Streak: 7 wins

SN No. 7 Southlake [TX] Carroll Dragons - 2025 Record: 7-0 - Last Week: SN No. 11 - Next Game: 10/17/2025 - vs. NR Northwest [Justin, TX] Texans (2-4) - Last Game: 10/9/2025 - Southlake Carroll 66, NR V.R. Eaton [Fort Worth, TX] Eagles 7 (3-3) - W/L Streak: 7 wins

SN No. 8 St. Thomas Aquinas [Fort Lauderdale, FL] Raiders - 2025 Record: 6-1 - Last Week: SN No. 7 - Next Game: 10/17/2025 - at NR Monarch [Coconut Creek, FL] Knights (4-3) - Last Game: 10/8/2025 - St. Thomas Aquinas 41, NR NFL Academy [UK] 38 - W/L Streak: 6 wins

SN No. 9 Bishop Gorman [Las Vegas, NV] Gaels - 2025 Record: 7-1 - Last Week: SN No. 8 - Next Game: 10/17/2025 - vs. NR Somerset Academy Losee [North Las Vegas, NV] Lions (0-8) - Last Game: 10/10/2025 - Bishop Gorman 58, NR Mojave [North Las Vegas, NV] Rattlers 0 (3-5) - W/L Streak: 3 wins

SN No. 10 Chaminade-Madonna [Hollywood, FL] Lions - 2025 Record: 6-1 - Last Week: SN No. 10 - Next Game: 10/24/2025 - at NR Cardinal Gibbons [Fort Lauderdale, FL] Chiefs (5-2) - Last Game: 10/13/2025 - Chaminade-Madonna 60, NR Blanche Ely [Pompano Beach, FL] Tigers 0 (3-4) - W/L Streak: 5 wins

SN No. 11 Sierra Canyon [Chatsworth, CA] Trailblazers - 2025 Record: 7-0 - Last Week: SN No. 12 - Next Game: 10/17/2025 - vs. NR Notre Dame [Sherman Oaks, CA] Knights (4-3) - Last Game: 10/10/2025 - Sierra Canyon 45, NR Chaminade [West Hills, CA] Eagles 14 (3-4) - W/L Streak: 7 wins

SN No. 12 Allen [TX] Eagles - 2025 Record: 6-0 - Last Week: SN No. 17 - Next Game: 10/17/2025 - vs. NR Plano [TX] West Wolves (5-2) - Last Game: 10/10/2025 - Allen 62, NR Princeton [TX] Panthers 14 (4-2) - W/L Streak: 6 wins

SN No. 13 Edna Karr [New Orleans, LA] Cougars - 2025 Record: 6-0 - Last Week: SN No. 13 - Next Game: 10/17/2025 - at NR Jesuit [New Orleans, LA] Blue Jays (5-2) - Last Game: 10/9/2025 - Edna Karr 48, NR Brother Martin [New Orleans, LA] Crusaders 13 (5-2) - W/L Streak: 20 wins

SN No. 14 DeMatha [Hyattsville, MD] Stags - 2025 Record: 6-0 - Last Week: SN No. 15 - Next Game: 10/18/2025 - at NR Bishop McNamara [Forestville, MD] Mustangs (4-3) - Last Game: 10/10/2025 - DeMatha 7, NR Our Lady of Good Counsel [Olney, MD] Falcons 0 (4-3) - W/L Streak: 16 wins

SN No. 15 Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles - 2025 Record: 5-2 - Last Week: Unranked - Next Game: 10/17/2025 - vs. SN No. 1 St. John Bosco [Bellflower, CA] Braves (7-0) - Last Game: 10/3/2025 - Santa Margarita 7, SN No. 4 Mater Dei [Santa Ana, CA] Monarchs 6 (4-2) - W/L Streak: 2 wins

SN No. 16 Randle [Richmond, TX] Lions - 2025 Record: 6-0 - Last Week: SN No. 16 - Next Game: 10/17/2025 - vs. NR Lee [Baytown, TX] Ganders (1-5) - Last Game: 10/10/2025 - Randle 25, NR Texas City [TX] Stingarees 7 (3-2) - W/L Streak: 22 wins

SN No. 17 Mater Dei [Santa Ana, CA] Monarchs - 2025 Record: 4-2 - Last Week: SN No. 4 - Next Game: 10/18/2025 - vs. NR Servite [Anaheim, CA] Friars (5-2) - Last Game: 10/10/2025 - NR Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles 7 (5-2), Mater Dei 6 - W/L Streak: 1 loss

SN No. 18 Basha [Chandler, AZ] Bears - 2025 Record: 6-0 - Last Week: SN No. 18 - Next Game: 10/17/2025 - vs. NR Salpointe Catholic [Tucson, AZ] Lancers (4-2) - Last Game: 10/3/2025 - Basha 56, NR Westwood [Mesa, AZ] Warriors 0 (3-3) - W/L Streak: 6 wins

SN No. 19 Grimsley [Greensboro, NC] Whirlies - 2025 Record: 7-0 - Last Week: SN No. 19 - Next Game: 10/17/2025 - at NR Page [Greensboro, NC] Pirates (5-2) - Last Game: 10/10/2025 - Grimsley 43, NR Ragsdale [Jamestown, NC] Tigers 8 (0-7) - W/L Streak: 23 wins

SN No. 20 Duncanville [TX] Panthers - 2025 Record: 3-1 - Last Week: SN No. 20 - Next Game: 10/17/2025 - at NR Lancaster [TX] Tigers (3-3) - Last Game: 10/10/2025 - Duncanville 48, NR DeSoto [TX] Eagles 28 (3-3) - W/L Streak: 2 wins

SN No. 21 Aledo [TX] Bearcats - 2025 Record: 7-0 - Last Week: SN No. 22 - Next Game: 10/24/2025 - at NR Richland [North Richland Hills, TX] Royals (5-2) - Last Game: 10/10/2025 - Aledo 61, NR Granbury [TX] Pirates 0 (2-4) - W/L Streak: 7 wins

SN No. 22 South Oak Cliff [Dallas, TX] Bears - 2025 Record: 5-1 - Last Week: SN No. 21 - Next Game: 10/17/2025 - at NR Wilson [Dallas, TX] Wildcats (3-3) - Last Game: 10/3/2025 - South Oak Cliff 55, NR Hillcrest [Dallas, TX] Panthers 0 (3-3) - W/L Streak: 4 wins

SN No. 23 Carrollton [GA] Trojans - 2025 Record: 8-0 - Last Week: SN No. 23 - Next Game: 10/17/2025 - vs. NR East Coweta [Sharpsburg, GA] Indians (1-6) - Last Game: 10/10/2025 - Carrollton 56, Chapel Hill [Douglasville, GA] Panthers 7 (1-6) - W/L Streak: 8 wins

SN No. 24 Don Bosco Prep [Ramsey, NJ] Ironmen - 2025 Record: 6-0 - Last Week: SN No. 24 - Next Game: 10/18/2025 - at NR Seton Hall Prep [West Orange, NJ] Pirates (2-4) - Last Game: 10/11/2025 - Don Bosco Prep 17, NR St. Joseph Regional [Montvale, NJ] Green Knights 14 (4-2) [OT] - W/L Streak: 6 wins

SN No. 25 Bixby [OK] Spartans - 2025 Record: 6-0 - Last Week: SN No. 25 - Next Game: 10/16/2025 - vs. NR Enid [OK] Plainsmen (0-6) - Last Game: 10/9/2025 - Bixby 64, NR Edmond [OK] North Huskies 7 (1-5) - W/L Streak: 9 wins

Weekly Top 25 Schedule

Thursday, October 16, 2025 - NR Enid [OK] Plainsmen (0-6) at SN No. 25 Bixby [OK] Spartans (6-0) - 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST local)

Friday, October 17, 2025 - NR NFL Academy [UK] at SN No. 2 IMG Academy [Bradenton, FL] Ascenders (6-0) - 7 p.m. EST local - NR Hun [Princeton, NJ] Raiders (6-2) at SN No. 4 St. Frances Academy [Baltimore, MD] Panthers (6-1) - 7 p.m. EST local - SN No. 8 St. Thomas Aquinas [Fort Lauderdale, FL] Raiders (6-1) at NR Monarch [Coconut Creek, FL] Knights (4-3) - 7 p.m. EST local - SN No. 19 Grimsley [Greensboro, NC] Whirlies (7-0) at NR Page [Greensboro, NC] Pirates (5-2) - 7 p.m. EST local - SN No. 6 Buford [GA] Wolves (7-0) at NR Central Gwinnett [Lawrenceville, GA] Black Knights (3-3-1) - 7:30 p.m. EST local - vs. NR East Coweta [Sharpsburg, GA] Indians (1-6) at SN No. 23 Carrollton [GA] Trojans (8-0) - 7:30 p.m. EST local - NR Northwest [Justin, TX] Texans (2-4) at SN No. 7 Southlake [TX] Carroll Dragons (7-0) - 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST local) - NR Plano [TX] West Wolves (5-2) at SN No. 12 Allen [TX] Eagles (6-0) - 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST local) - SN No. 13 Edna Karr [New Orleans, LA] Cougars (6-0) at NR Jesuit [New Orleans, LA] Blue Jays (5-2) - 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST local) - NR Lee [Baytown, TX] Ganders (1-5) at SN No. 16 Randle [Richmond, TX] Lions (6-0) - 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST local) - SN No. 20 Duncanville [TX] Panthers (3-1) at NR Lancaster [TX] Tigers (3-3) - 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST local) - SN No. 22 South Oak Cliff [Dallas, TX] Bears (5-1) at NR Wilson [Dallas, TX] Wildcats (3-3) - 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST local) - SN No. 1 St. John Bosco [Bellflower, CA] Braves (7-0) at SN No. 15 Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles (5-2) - 10 p.m. EST (7 p.m. PST local) - SN No. 5 Centennial [Corona, CA] Huskies at NR Murrieta [CA] Valley Nighthawks (6-1) - 10 p.m. EST (7 p.m. PST local) - NR Somerset Academy Losee [North Las Vegas, NV] Lions (0-8) at SN No. 9 Bishop Gorman [Las Vegas, NV] Gaels (7-1) - 10 p.m. EST (7 p.m. PST local) - NR Notre Dame [Sherman Oaks, CA] Knights (4-3) at SN No. 11 Sierra Canyon [Chatsworth, CA] Trailblazers (7-0) - 10 p.m. EST (7 p.m. PST local) - NR Salpointe Catholic [Tucson, AZ] Lancers (4-2) at SN No. 18 Basha [Chandler, AZ] Bears (6-0) - 10 p.m. EST (7 p.m. PST local)

Saturday, October 18, 2025 - SN No. 14 DeMatha [Hyattsville, MD] Stags (6-0) at NR Bishop McNamara [Forestville, MD] Mustangs (4-3) - 1 p.m. EST local - SN No. 24 Don Bosco Prep [Ramsey, NJ] Ironmen (6-0) at NR Seton Hall Prep [West Orange, NJ] Pirates (2-4) - 1 p.m. EST local - NR Servite [Anaheim, CA] Friars (5-2) at SN No. 17 Mater Dei [Santa Ana, CA] Monarchs (4-2) - 10 p.m. EST (7 p.m. PST local)

IDLE - SN No. 3 Grayson [Loganville, GA] Rams (8-0); SN No. 10 Chaminade-Madonna [Hollywood, FL] Lions (6-1); SN No. 21 Aledo [TX] Bearcats (7-0)

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