Stadium Talk Top 25 High School Football Rankings: Final 2022 Poll

St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) is your 2022 Stadium Talk High School Football National Champion.

The St. John Bosco Braves (Bellflower, Calif.) captured the first Stadium Talk high school football national championship, finishing the season No. 1 in the final Stadium Talk Top 25 High School Football Rankings.

The Braves and head coach Jason Negro achieved their first CIF Open Division state championship since 2019 with a 45-0 win over Serra (San Mateo, Calif.) on Dec. 10. St. John Bosco avenged its only loss of the season by defeating No. 1 Mater Dei, 24-22, in the CIF Southern Section Division I championship game on Nov. 25. The Braves opened the season by traveling to play three-time national champion Allen (Texas) High and coming out with a 52-14 win. St. John Bosco also owns a quality win over Hawaii Open Division state champion No. 21 Kahuku — the Braves won that game, 34-7, on Sept. 17.

Miami Central (Miami, Florida) moved up to No. 2 in the final poll and finished the season 14-0 and closed the season with a 28-21 win over No. 16 American Heritage (Plantation, Florida) in the Florida Class 3M state championship game. Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas) moved up to No. 3 in the final poll after winning the Texas Class 6A Division I state championship game with a 28-21 win over North Shore — it was the first state title for Duncanville since 1998.

There were 19 teams out of the 25 teams in the final poll who won state championships this season. Fifteen different states were represented in the final Top 25. Texas led the way with six teams in the poll, followed by Florida with five teams.

25. Chaminade-Madonna College Prep (Hollywood, Florida)

ASNN365 / Twitter

Previous ranking: 11

Final record: 14-1 (Class 1M State Champion)

Last game: Lost to No. 8 Bishop Gorman 49-14

Bottom line: Chaminade-Madonna traveled to Las Vegas to face powerhouse Bishop Gorman and put its undefeated season on the line in the GEICO State Champions Bowl Series, coming out on the wrong end of a blowout loss to the Gaels. Chaminade-Madonna was the Florida Class 1M state champion, and Bishop Gorman was the Nevada Class 5A state champion.

24. Katy High School (Katy, Texas)

_SethDavis21 / Twitter

Previous ranking: 23

Final record: 14-1

Last game: Lost to Austin Vandegrift 38-35 (Dec. 10)

Bottom line: Katy’s season came to an end with an upset loss to Austin Vandegrift High in the Class 6A Division II state semifinals thanks to a 37-yard field goal with just two seconds left in the fourth quarter. Katy finished the season with two senior running backs going over 1,000 rushing yards — Seth Davis finished with 1,858 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns, while Dallas Glass finished with 1,256 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns.

23. Bergen Catholic High School (Oradell, New Jersey)

saeed8stfleur / Twitter

Previous ranking: NR

Record: 11-1 (NJSIAA Non-Public A State Champion)

Last game: Defeated Don Bosco Prep 45-0

Bottom line: Bergen Catholic was part of the Stadium Talk Preseason Top 25 rankings and returned to the poll in the final week following an 11-1 season and a 45-0 win over Don Bosco Prep in the New Jersey Non-Public A state championship game on Nov. 25.

Senior running back Saeed St. Fleur led Bergen Catholic’s offense with 1,436 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on 231 carries to go with 24 receptions for 296 yards and two receiving touchdowns.

22. DeSoto High School (DeSoto, Texas)

FootballDesoto / Twitter

Previous ranking: NR

Final record: 13-2 (Class 6A Division II State Champion)

Last game: Defeated Austin Vandegrift 45-17

Bottom line: DeSoto jumped into the Top 25 for the first time this season thanks to a blowout win over Austin Vandegrift in the Class 6A Division II state championship game. DeSoto’s only two losses this season came to a pair of Top 25 teams — No. 20 St. Frances Academy (Md.) and No. 3 Duncanville, the Class 6A Division I state champion.

DeSoto racked up 605 yards of total offense in the championship game as junior quarterback DJ Bailey finished 13-of-17 passing for 293 yards and three touchdowns, while sophomore running back Deondrae Riden had 183 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries.

21. Kahuku High School (Kahuku, Hawaii)

HImediasource / Twitter

Previous ranking: 24

Final record: 12-2 (Open Division State Champion)

Last game: Defeated Punahou 20-0 (Nov. 25)

Bottom line: Kahuku closed out the season with a second consecutive Hawaii Open Division state championship via a 20-0 shutout win over Punahou on Nov. 25. Kahuku’s only two losses of the year came to No. 1 St. John Bosco (Calif.) and No. 20 St. Frances Academy (Md.). Kahuku senior linebacker and Texas commit Liona Lefau was named Hawaii MaxPreps Player of the Year .

20. St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Maryland)

CDearing82 / Twitter

Previous ranking: 20

Final record: 8-1

Last game: Lost to No. 14 IMG Academy 27-16 (Nov. 18)

Bottom line: St. Frances Academy’s season came to an end with a 27-16 loss to then-No. 14 IMG Academy on Nov. 18 in Baltimore, Maryland. St. Frances Academy was ranked No. 4 in the nation and unbeaten entering the game against IMG, which it had defeated in their previous two meetings. Senior defensive end Dashawn Womack, an LSU commit, was named Maryland MaxPreps Player of the Year and a Stadium Talk High School Football All-American after he finished the season with 26 tackles for loss, including 15 sacks. He was also named The Baltimore Sun’s All-Metro Player of the Year.

19. Frederick Douglass High School (Lexington, Kentucky)

FCPSKY / Twitter

Previous ranking: 22

Final record: 15-0 (Class 5A State Champion)

Last game: Defeated Bowling Green 28-7 (Dec. 3)

Bottom line: Frederick Douglass won its first state championship in school history, capping an unbeaten season with a win over Bowling Green in the Class 5A state championship game at the University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field. Frederick Douglass, which opened in 2017, was previously 0-2 in state championship games.

18. Langston Hughes High School (Fairburn, Georgia)

Langston Hughes High

Previous ranking: 21

Final record: 15-0 (Class 6A State Champion)

Last game: Defeated Gainesville 35-28 (Dec. 9)

Bottom line: Langston Hughes topped Gainesville in the Class 6A state championship game in a battle of unbeaten teams for the school’s first state football title. Langston Hughes quarterback Air Noland was almost perfect in the championship game, going 18-of-21 passing for 263 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Langston Hughes also set the state record for points in a single season with 792.

Langston Hughes senior tight end and Ohio State commit Jelani Thurman was named a Stadium Talk High School Football All-American after finishing the season with 28 receptions for 624 yards and 13 touchdowns.

17. Basha High School (Chandler, Arizona)

gridirionarizona / Twitter

Previous ranking: 19

Final record: 12-1 (Open Division State Champion)

Last game: Defeated Saguaro 28-21 (Dec. 10)

Bottom line: Basha topped Saguaro to win the first state championship in program history, winning the Arizona Open Division title in one of the toughest postseason brackets in the nation. The Open Division playoff bracket featured four teams ranked in the Top 25 at some point this season. Basha senior linebacker and Boise State commit Wyatt Milkovic was named a Stadium Talk High School Football All-American after finishing the season with 144 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks.

16. Belleville High School (Belleville, Michigan)

ScottDeCamp / Twitter

Previous ranking: 18

Final record: 14-0 (Division I State Champion)

Last game: Defeated Caledonia 35-17 (Nov. 26)

Bottom line: Belleville capped off a perfect season and its second state title with a 35-17 win over Caledonia in the Division I state championship game. It was also the second consecutive state title for sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 quarterback in the Class of 2025 and the MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year in 2021. Underwood was also named Michigan MaxPreps Player of the Year — the first sophomore to earn the honor.

15. Lehi High School (Lehi, Utah)

Jensen_Some / Twitter

Previous ranking: 17

Final record: 14-0 (Class 5A State Champion)

Last game: Defeated Timpview 29-23, 3OT (Nov. 18)

Bottom line: Lehi High’s season came to a close with a triple-overtime win over Timpview in the Class 5A state championship game on Nov. 18. It capped a 14-0 season for Lehi and was the school’s second consecutive state title.

14. St. Joseph’s Prep (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

St. Joseph’s Prep

Previous ranking: 15

Final record: 12-1 (Class 6A State Champion)

Last game: Defeated Harrisburg 42-7 (Dec. 10)

Bottom line: St. Joseph’s Prep left no doubt who the best team in Pennsylvania is with a rout of Harrisburg in the Class 6A state championship game for the program’s fourth state title in the last five years. St. Joseph’s Prep scored on each of its first five possessions as it ran just 17 plays and racked up 311 yards of offense on the way to a 35-0 halftime lead. St. Joseph’s Prep quarterback Samaj Jones led his team by going 9-of-10 passing for 262 yards and four touchdowns along with 85 rushing yards and a touchdown on four carries in the win, while linebacker Jeremiah Trotter led the defense with 13 tackles.

13. Mill Creek High School (Hoschton, Georgia)

SCNext / Twitter

Previous ranking: 13

Final record: 14-1 (Class 7A State Champion)

Last game: Defeated No. 20 Carrollton 70-35

Bottom line: Mill Creek returned to the Top 25 in its final game of the season, setting the Georgia state championship scoring record in a 70-35 win over No. 20 Carrollton in the Class 7A title game. Mill Creek safety Caleb Downs, an Alabama commit, was named a Stadium Talk High School Football All-American after he finished with 66 tackles and a team-high five interceptions.

12. Lakeland High School (Lakeland, Florida)

LHSDreadnaughts / Twitter

Previous ranking: 14

Record: 14-0 (Class 4S State Champion)

Last game: Defeated Venice 21-14

Bottom line: Lakeland capped its seventh perfect season under head coach Bill Castle, taking down defending Class 8A state champion Venice, 21-14, in the Class 4S state championship game. The two teams were tied 14-14 at halftime before a 6-yard touchdown run by Lakeland quarterback Zach Pleuss with 2:32 left in the third quarter proved to be the difference for the Dreadnaughts. It was the eighth state championship for Lakeland under Castle and his 474th career victory.

11. Westlake High School (Austin, Texas)

uiltexas / Twitter

Previous ranking: 10

Final record: 14-1

Last game: Lost to No. 7 North Shore 49-34 (Dec. 10)

Bottom line: Westlake saw its 54-game winning streak and quest for a fourth consecutive state title come to an end with a 49-34 loss to North Shore in the Class 6A Division I state semifinals. Westlake senior wide receiver/return specialist Jaden Greathouse, a Notre Dame commit, was named a Stadium Talk High School Football All-American.

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

cleveland.com / YouTube

Previous ranking: 14

Final record: 15-1 (Division I State Champion)

Last game: Defeated Springfield 28-7 (Dec. 2)

Bottom line: St. Edward won its second consecutive Ohio Division I state championship, defeating Springfield in the title game for the second straight year. St. Edward’s defense racked up nine sacks in the championship game and allowed just 73 yards of total offense.

It was the fourth state championship at St. Edward for head coach Tom Lombardo, who was named Stadium Talk National Coach of the Year. St. Edward senior linebacker and Coastal Carolina commit Wyatt Gedeon was also named a Stadium Talk High School Football All-American after leading his team with 125 tackles, 32.5 tackles for loss and 20 sacks.

9. North Shore High School (Houston, Texas)

Duncanville High School

Previous ranking: 2

Final record: 15-1

Last game: Lost to No. 7 Duncanville 28-21

Bottom line: North Shore saw its quest for a second consecutive Class 6A Division I state championship come to an end against Duncanville in a 28-21 loss — it was the fourth time the two teams faced off in the state championship game in five years and the first time Duncanville has come out on top. North Shore’s offense was held scoreless in the second half.

8. Lipscomb Academy (Nashville, Tennessee)

LAmustangFB / Twitter

Previous ranking: 9

Final record: 13-0 (Division II Class AA State Champion)

Last game: Defeated Christ Presbyterian Academy 42-0 (Dec. 1)

Bottom line: Lipscomb Academy held Christ Presbyterian Academy to just 81 yards of total offense as it capped off an unbeaten season with a shutout win in the Division II Class AA state championship game on Dec. 1. Lipscomb head coach Trent Dilfer was named the new head coach at UAB shortly before the championship game.

Lipscomb senior wide receiver Junior Sherrill, the MVP of the state championship game, was named Tennessee MaxPreps Player of the Year and a Stadium Talk High School Football All-American. Sherrill, a Vanderbilt commit, finished the season with 1,626 yards of total offense and 26 touchdowns.

7. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)

TalkinVAWLS_pod / Twitter

Previous ranking: 5

Final record: 8-1

Last game: Defeated No. 4 St. Frances Academy 27-16 (Nov. 18)

Bottom line: IMG Academy closed out its season with a signature win on Nov. 18, going on the road to defeat then-No. 4 St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, Maryland. St. Frances Academy had defeated IMG in their previous two meetings. IMG Academy senior wide receiver and Ohio State commit Carnell Tate was named to the Stadium Talk High School Football All-American Team after finishing with 30 receptions for 777 yards and eight touchdowns.

6. Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, California)

mtorressports / Twitter

Previous ranking: 4

Final record: 12-1

Last game: Lost to No. 2 St. John Bosco 24-22 (Nov. 25)

Bottom line: Mater Dei’s 29-game winning streak came to an end with a heartbreaking loss to No. 2 St. John Bosco in the CIF Southern Section Division I championship game on Nov. 25. Mater Dei was the defending CIF Open Division state champion and swept all of the mythical high school football national championships in 2021. Junior offensive lineman Brandon Baker was named a Stadium Talk High School Football All-American and is one of several players from the Class of 2024, including running back Jordon Davison and quarterback Elijah Brown, who will return in 2023.

5. Bishop Gorman High School (Las Vegas, Nevada)

SBLiveFL / Twitter

Previous ranking: 8

Record: 14-1 (Class 5A State Champion)

Last game: Defeated No. 11 Chaminade-Madonna 49-14

Bottom line: Stadium Talk High School Football All-American tight end Elija Lofton went off for five touchdowns in a 49-14 win over No. 11 Chaminade-Madonna (Fla.) in the GEICO State Champions Bowl Series in Las Vegas. Chaminade-Madonna won the Florida Class 1M state championship last week, while Bishop Gorman won the Nevada Class 5A state championship on Nov. 19. Lofton, who played both tight end and H-Back, had six receptions for 78 yards and four touchdowns while adding 17 rushing yards and one touchdown on two carries.

4. St. Thomas Aquinas High School (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)

BCAA_Sports / Twitter

Previous ranking: 6

Final record: 14-0 (Class 3M State Champion)

Last game: Defeated Homestead 38-21

Bottom line: St. Thomas Aquinas closed out an undefeated season and won its fourth consecutive state championship with a convincing win over Homestead in the Class 3M title game. St. Thomas Aquinas quarterback Hezekiah Harris led the way with 186 yards of total offense — 124 passing and 62 rushing — along with one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown. Senior linebacker Keyshawn Johnson had a monster game on defense for St. Thomas Aquinas, finishing with four sacks, five tackles for loss and seven tackles. Senior safety King Mack added a 58-yard punt return for a touchdown.

3. Duncanville High School (Duncanville, Texas)

Duncanville_HS / Twitter

Previous ranking: 7

Final record: 15-0 (Class 6A Division I State Champion)

Last game: Defeated No. 2 North Shore 28-21

Bottom line: Duncanville High got its long-awaited state championship, topping No. 2 North Shore 28-21 in the Class 6A Division I state championship game. It was Duncanville’s first state title since 1998 and fourth time in five years facing North Shore in the state title game. Duncanville finished the season a perfect 15-0 and was led by three rushing touchdowns from Caden Durham.

2. Miami Central High School (Miami, Florida)

FernandezAndreC / Twitter

Previous ranking: 3

Final record: 14-0 (Class 2M State Champion)

Last game: Defeated No. 16 American Heritage 38-31

Bottom line: Miami Central opened and closed its season with wins over Top 25 opponents. The Rockets opened the season with a win over then-No. 1 IMG Academy on Aug. 26 and then defeated No. 16 American Heritage in the Class 2M state championship game — it was the fourth consecutive state championship for the Rockets. Miami Central quarterback Keyone Jenkins threw for three touchdowns and rushed for a touchdown in the first half against American Heritage.

1. St. John Bosco High School (Bellflower, California)

Ashley Landis / AP Photo

Previous ranking: 1

Final record: 13-1 (CIF Open Division State Champion)

Last game: Defeated Serra 45-0 (Dec. 10)

Bottom line: St. John Bosco was ranked No. 2 in the Stadium Talk Top 25 Preseason Rankings, but they left no doubt about who the best team in the country was with a blowout win over Serra in the CIF Open Division state championship game for their first title since 2019 — which is why they ended 2022 as the first Stadium Talk High School Football National Champion.

St. John Bosco avenged its only loss of the season by defeating No. 1 Mater Dei, 24-22, in the CIF Southern Section Division I championship game on Nov. 25. The Braves opened the season by traveling to play three-time national champion Allen (Texas) High and coming out with a 52-14 win. St. John Bosco also owns a quality win over Hawaii Open Division state champion No. 21 Kahuku — the Braves won that game, 34-7, on Sept. 17.

It was the fourth state title in St. Bosco’s history, with all coming under head coach Jason Negro. St. John Bosco senior defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei, the nation’s No. 2 overall prospect at his position, was named to the Stadium Talk High School Football All-American Team.

Stadium Talk Top 25 High School Football Rankings: Final Poll

Duncanville_HS / Twitter

St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), Previous Ranking: 1
Miami Central (Miami, Fla.), Previous Ranking: 3
St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), Previous Ranking: 1
Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas), Previous Ranking: 8
St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Previous Ranking: 6
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), Previous Ranking: 9
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), Previous Ranking: 4
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), Previous Ranking: 5
Lipscomb Academy (Nashville, Tenn.), Previous Ranking: 9
North Shore (Houston, Texas), Previous Ranking: 2
St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio), Previous Ranking: 12
Westlake (Austin, Texas), Previous Ranking: 10
Lakeland (Lakeland, Florida), Previous Ranking: 14
Mill Creek (Hoschton, Georgia), Previous Ranking: 13
St. Joseph’s Prep (Philadelphia, Pa.), Previous Ranking: 15
Lehi (Lehi, Utah), Previous Ranking: 17
Belleville (Belleville, Mich.), Previous Ranking: 18
Basha (Chandler, Arizona), Previous Ranking: 19
Langston Hughes (Fairburn, Georgia), Previous Ranking: 21
Frederick Douglass (Lexington, Kentucky), Previous Ranking: 22
St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.), Previous Ranking: 20
Kahuku (Kahuku, Hawaii), Previous Ranking: 24
DeSoto (DeSoto, Texas), Previous Ranking: NR
Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.), Previous Ranking: NR
Katy (Katy, Texas), Previous Ranking: 23
Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.), Previous Ranking: 11

Week 17 Rankings (Dec. 12) I Week 16 Rankings (Dec. 5) I Week 15 Rankings (Nov. 29) I Week 14 Rankings (Nov. 22) I Week 13 Rankings (Nov. 14) I Week 12 Rankings (Nov. 7) IWeek 11 (Oct. 31) I Week 10 (Oct. 25) I Week 9 (Oct. 18) IWeek 8 (Oct. 11) IWeek 7 (Oct. 4) IWeek 6 (Sept. 27) I Week 5 (Sept. 20) I Week 4 (Sept. 13) I Week 3 (Sept. 6) I Week 2 (Aug. 30) l Week 1 (Aug. 23) l Preseason (Aug. 8)

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