Stadium Talk’s Preseason Top 25 High School Football Rankings

Are you ready for some high school football? We have something new this year.  Every week, we will rank the top teams in the country as part of Stadium Talk’s very own Top 25 High School Football Rankings.

Representing 16 different states, this is the Preseason Stadium Talk Top 25 High School Football Rankings headed into the 2022 season. 

2021 record: 12-2 (Class 5A state champion) 

Head coach: Dave Logan

Key players: OLB/DE Blake Purchase, OL/DL Hank Zilinskas, OL Max Parrott

First three games: Aug. 26 at Ralston Valley,  Sept. 3 at No. 21 St. Edward (Ohio), Sept. 9 vs. Chatfield

Bottom line: Cherry Creek has won three consecutive state championships and has the talent returning to make it a four-peat. 

Cherry Creek has a pair of returning all-state players on both sides of the ball with offensive lineman and Colorado commit Hank Ziliskas and elite pass rusher Blake Purchase, who led the team with 12 sacks in 2021. 

Cherry Creek leaves the state for a nationally ranked matchup against No. 21 St. Edward (Ohio) on Sept. 3 in Lakewood, Ohio. 

2021 record: 11-2

Head coach: Jon Lehman

Key players: DE/OLB Tausili Akana, CB Smith Snowden, OL Stan Raass, QB McCae Hillstead

First three games: Aug. 12 at Fremont, Aug. 19 vs. Salt Lake City East, Aug. 26 vs. Herriman

Bottom line: Skyridge has a lineup overflowing with talent, led by one of the nation’s top defensive prospects, senior defensive end/outside linebacker Tausili Akana, who racked up 78 tackles, 15 sacks, 35 tackles for loss and 26 quarterback hurries in 2021. 

Skyridge also has an elite cornerback in four-star prospect Smith Snowden, who was an all-state selection alongside Akana in 2021. Quarterback McCae Hillstead is a Utah State commit who threw for 2,494 yards, 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2021, while also rushing for 814 yards and 13 touchdowns on just 122 carries. 

2021 record: 10-0 (Open Division state champion) 

Head coach: Sterling Carvalho 

Key players: WR/RS Kainoa Carvalho, LB Liona Lefau, LB Leonard Ah You, S Brock Fonoimoana

First three games: Aug. 6 vs. Kamehameha Kapalama, Aug. 20 vs. Wai’anae, Aug. 26 vs. Leilehua

Bottom line: Kahuku rolled to an Open Division state championship in 2021. The Red Raiders went 10-0, and only one opponent played them within closer than 21 points. 

Kahuku brings back dynamic wide receiver Kaino Carvalho, the reigning Hawaii Gatorade Player of the Year and Hawaii MaxPreps Player of the Year alongside four-star linebacker and Texas commit Liona Lefau, who is also the reigning Honolulu Star-Advertiser Defensive Player of the Year. 

Kahuku should take a 5-0 record into its game at No. 2 St. Bosco Prep on Sept. 26 in Bellflower, California. 

2021 record: 13-1 (Division 3 state champion) 

Head coach: Ty Spencer

Key players: QB Dante Moore, OL Johnathan Slack, DE Kenneth Merrieweather, DE Messiah Blair, S Jameel Croft, OL Zontez Calhoun

First three games: Aug. 26 at Warren Central, Sept. 9 vs. Mumford, Sept. 16 at Cass Tech

Bottom line: Detroit King quarterback Dante Moore threw for over 3,000 yards and 40 touchdowns in 2021, leading his team to a 13-1 record and the Division 3 state championship. 

Moore has thrown for 7,488 yards and 103 touchdowns through his first three high school seasons and is committed to play college football for Oregon. And Moore isn’t the only player on King’s team with a future in college football.

Offensive lineman Johnathan Slack is committed to Michigan State, and defensive end Kenneth Merrieweather is committed to Iowa.