Stadium Talk Top 25 High School Football Rankings: Week 16

These are the best high school football teams in the country for the week of Dec. 5, 2022.

Time is running out in the 2022 high school football season, and the race for the national championship is coming down to the wire in the Stadium Talk Top 25 High School Football Rankings.

Westlake (Austin, Texas) remained at No. 1 for the second consecutive week after winning its 54th consecutive game to set up a Top 10 showdown this week against No. 7 North Shore (Houston, Texas) in the Class 6A Division I semifinals. Westlake is trying to become the first school in Texas history to win four consecutive state titles in the state’s largest division.

In Florida, all six teams in the Top 25 advanced to play in state championship games, with No. 3 Miami Central (Miami, Florida) set to face No. 17 American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) in the Class 2M title game on Dec. 16.

Three teams in the Top 25 won state championships last week, with No. 10 Lipscomb Academy (Nashville, Tennessee), No. 14 St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) and No. 23 Frederick Douglass (Lexington, Kentucky) all bringing home hardware.

Three teams dropped out of the Top 25 after losses: No. 20 Colquitt County (Norman Park, Georgia), No. 21 Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas) and No. 23 Liberty (Peoria, Arizona). Three new teams entered the poll in their place, with No. 20 Carrollton (Carrollton, Ga.), No. 24 Basha (Chandler, Arizona) in the Top 25 for the first time this season, and No. 25 Kahuku (Kahuku, Hawaii) returning to the poll after winning its second consecutive Hawaii Open Division state championship.

Fourteen different states are represented in this week’s Top 25, with Florida leading the way with six teams, followed by Texas with five teams.

The Stadium Talk Top 25 High School Football Rankings are released every Tuesday morning throughout the regular season with a national champion crowned following the final state championship games across the country. Check out The Stadium Talk Podcast, Season One: High School Football in America on Apple Podcast, Spotify and Amazon.

25. Kahuku High School (Kahuku, Hawaii)

scoringlive / Twitter

Previous ranking: NR

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

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

Bottom line: Kahuku jumps back into the rankings after closing out the season with a second consecutive Hawaii Open Division state championship via a shutout win over Punahou on Nov. 25.

Kahuku’s only two losses of the year came to Stadium Talk Top 25 teams — No. 2 St. John Bosco (California) and No. 21 St. Frances Academy (Maryland). Kahuku senior linebacker and Texas commit Liona Lefau was named Hawaii MaxPreps Player of the Year, giving Kahuku its second consecutive winner of the year honor, following senior wide receiver and Utah commit Kainoa Carvalho, who won the award as a junior in 2021.

24. Basha High School (Chandler, Arizona)

JDiggsPhoto / Twitter

Previous ranking: NR

Record: 11-1

Last game: Defeated Chandler 13-0

Next game: Dec. 10 vs. Saguaro (9-3)

Bottom line: Basha advanced to Arizona’s Open Division championship game with a shutout win over Chandler. The Open Division bracket featured four teams who have been ranked in the Stadium Talk Top 25 this season.

Basha is led by a pair of high-level Power Five recruits on both sides of the ball. Senior cornerback Cole Martin is headed to Oregon, and senior offensive lineman James Durand is headed to Wisconsin.

Basha will face defending Open Division state champion Saguaro in the finals.

23. Frederick Douglass High School (Lexington, Kentucky)

sigh_las / Twitter

Previous ranking: 25

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

Last game: Defeated Bowling Green 28-7

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 0-2 in state championship games and saw its defense put up an all-time great effort as it surrendered just seven yards of total offense in the second half.

Douglass senior quarterback Cole Carpenter went 13-of-17 passing for 149 yards and three touchdowns.

22. Langston Hughes High School (Fairburn, Georgia)

asher_greene_ / Twitter

Previous ranking: 24

Record: 14-0

Last game: Defeated Rome 42-3

Next game: Dec. 9 vs. Gainesville (14-0)

Bottom line: Langston Hughes rolled to an easy win over Rome in the Class 6A state semifinals to set up a showdown between unbeaten teams against Gainesville in the state championship game.

Hughes junior quarterback Air Noland was 21-of-24 passing for 242 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions against Rome. Hughes’ defense was equally up to the task, intercepting three Rome passes, including an interception return for a touchdown by Xavier Leonard.

Hughes junior defensive end D’Marcus Brown had 10 tackles and 3.0 sacks.

21. St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Maryland)

St. Frances Academy quarterback Michael Van Buren

mojmamamamaren / Twitter

Previous ranking: 22

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 defeated in their previous two meetings.

20. Carrollton High School (Carrollton, Georgia)

GeorgiaMaxPreps / Twitter

Previous ranking: NR

Record: 14-0

Last game: Defeated No. 20 Colquitt County 35-27

Next game: Dec. 10 vs. Mill Creek (13-1)

Bottom line: Freshman quarterback Julian Lewis went 17-of-26 passing for 248 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions to lead Carrollton to a win over No. 20 Colquitt County in the Class 7A state semifinals. Junior wide receiver Caleb Odom had six receptions for 117 yards and one touchdown.

Lewis, 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, already has offers from Alabama, Georgia, Michigan and Oregon, among others. Lewis has thrown for 3,587 yards, 43 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Carrollton is trying to win its first state title since 1998.

Mill Creek is playing in the state championship game for the first time in school history.

19. Belleville High School (Belleville, Michigan)

J_E_Double / Twitter

Previous ranking: 19

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

Last game: Defeated Caledonia 35-17

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.

18. Lehi High School (Lehi, Utah)

LehiFootball / Twitter

Previous ranking: 18

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

Last game: Defeated Timpview 29-23, 3OT

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.

17. American Heritage High School (Plantation, Florida)

Footballville / Twitter

Previous ranking: 17

Record: 13-1

Last game: Defeated Jacksonville Bolles 21-14

Next game: Dec. 16 vs. No. 3 Miami Central (13-0)

Bottom line: American Heritage escaped with a 21-14 win over Jacksonville Bolles in the Class 2M state semifinals to set up one of the most highly anticipated games of the year in the Class 2M state finals against No. 3 Miami Central on Dec. 16.

American Heritage senior wide receiver and Ohio State commit Brandon Innis showed why he’s one of the best players in the nation with eight receptions for 137 yards and one touchdown. Senior running back Mark Fletcher added 88 rushing yards and two touchdowns while junior linebacker Bowen Drewes had 11 tackles and 2.0 sacks.

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

St. Joseph's Prep quarterback Samaj Jones

PhillyInquirer / Twitter

Previous ranking: 16

Record: 11-1

Last game: Defeated Garnet Valley 48-7

Next game: Dec. 10 vs. Harrisburg (12-2)

Bottom line: St. Joseph’s Prep earned a repeat trip to the Class 6A state championship game with a blowout win over Garnet Valley in the semifinals, winning its 11th straight game following a season-opening loss at No. 6 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.).

St. Joseph’s, last year’s Class 6A state runner-up, got another big game from junior quarterback Samaj Jones, who went 6-of-10 passing for 155 yards and three touchdowns. Jones also had a 21-yard touchdown run for the game’s opening score.

15. Lakeland High School (Lakeland, Florida)

SBLiveFL / Twitter

Previous ranking: 15

Record: 13-0

Last game: Defeated Osceola 14-7

Next game: Dec. 17 vs. Venice (9-3)

Bottom line: Lakeland scored both of its touchdowns in the second half and its defense intercepted three passes to advance to the Class 4S state championship game against Venice, last year’s Class 7A state champion.

Lakeland got a big lift on offense from senior Tyler Williams, who had 88 rushing yards and one touchdown on six carries. Williams entered the game with just 27 rushing yards on the season.

Lakeland is trying to win its first state championship since 2018.

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

ShutterHulk / Twitter

Previous ranking: 14

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

Last game: Defeated Springfield 28-7

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 9.0 sacks in the championship game and allowed just 73 yards of total offense. St. Edward running back Marvin Bell led the way on offense with 170 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

It was the fourth state championship at St. Edward for head coach Tom Lombardo, who has won five state championships total.

13. Katy High School (Katy, Texas)

SBLiveTX / Twitter

Previous ranking: 13

Record: 14-0

Last game: Defeated Houston King 56-34

Next game: Dec. 10 vs. Austin Vandegrift (13-1)

Bottom line: Katy scored almost 60 points and posted an easy win in the Class 6A Division II quarterfinals thanks to a monster game from senior running back and Mississippi State commit Seth Davis, who rushed for 301 yards and six touchdowns on 23 carries.

Katy was able to overcome a monster game from Houston King senior quarterback Denim Johnson, who went 33-of-53 passing for 472 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

12. Guyer High School (Denton, Texas)

SportsDayHS / Twitter

Previous ranking: 12

Record: 14-0

Last game: Defeated No. 21 Southlake Carroll 45-21

Next game: TBA vs. DeSoto (12-2)

Bottom line: Guyer senior quarterback and Oklahoma commit Jackson Arnold continued making his case for National Player of the Year in a win over previously unbeaten, No. 21 Southlake Carroll in the Class 6A Division II quarterfinals.

Arnold, 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, went 24-of-31 passing for 303 yards and two touchdowns along with 149 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 27 carries.

For the season, Arnold already has over 4,00 yards of total offense — 3,254 passing and 882 rushing — and 55 total touchdowns.

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

FernandezAndreC / Twitter

Previous ranking: 11

Record: 12-0

Last game: Defeated True North Classical Academy 56-0

Next game: Dec. 8 vs. Clearwater Central Catholic (12-1)

Bottom line: Chaminade-Madonna made short work of True North Classical Academy in the Class 1M state semifinals, rolling to a 56-0 win and the Lions’ sixth shutout of the season.

Sophomore defensive tackle Donta Simpson had a big game for Chaminade-Madonna with 3.0 sacks — part of 6.5 sacks total for the defense.

The Lions will now face Clearwater Central Catholic in the state championship game.

10. Lipscomb Academy (Nashville, Tennessee)

LAMustangFB / Twitter

Previous ranking: 10

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

Last game: Defeated Christ Presbyterian Academy 42-0

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.

Lipscomb senior wide receiver Junior Sherrill brought home MVP honors from the title game with 141 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 11 receptions to go with 60 rushing yards and one touchdown on seven carries.

The win came just one day after Lipscomb head coach and former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer was announced as the next head coach at UAB. In four seasons at Lipscomb, Dilfer went 44-10 and closed out his career with back-to-back state titles and a 21-game winning streak.

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

MaxPreps / YouTube

Previous ranking: 9

Final Record: 13-1 (Class 5A State Champion)

Last game: Defeated Bishop Manogue 70-6 (Nov. 18)

Bottom line: Bishop Gorman’s season came to an end with a 70-6 win over Bishop Manogue on Nov. 18 in the Class 5A state championship game. It was the Gaels’ 13th state title in the last 15 years.

8. Duncanville High School (Duncanville, Texas)

HoustonChron / Twitter

Previous ranking: 8

Record: 13-0

Last game: Defeated Westfield 28-21

Next game: Dec. 10 vs. Prosper (13-1)

Bottom line: Duncanville got another huge game from junior running back Caden Durham, who rushed for 232 yards and all four of the Panthers’ touchdowns in a 28-21 win over Westfield in the Class 6A Division I quarterfinals.

Durham, 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, has 11 Power Five offers, including Alabama, LSU, Arizona, TCU, Indiana and Georgia Tech.

7. North Shore High School (Houston, Texas)

NSSH_Mustangs / Twitter

Previous ranking: 7

Record: 14-0

Last game: Defeated Atascocita 38-7

Next game: Dec. 10 vs. No. 1 Westlake (14-0)

Bottom line: North Shore cruised to an easy win over Atascocita to set up a Top 10 showdown against No. 1 Westlake in the Class 6A Division I semifinals at Rice Stadium in Houston.

North Shore is on a 27-game winning streak, and Westlake is on a nation’s best 54-game winning streak. Both North Shore and Westlake are defending state champions, with North Shore winning last season in Class 6A Division I and Westlake in Class 6A Division II.

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

SSHighSchools / Twitter

Previous ranking: 6

Record: 13-0

Last game: Defeated Tampa Jesuit 45-3

Next game: Dec. 15 vs. Homestead (12-2)

Bottom line: St. Thomas Aquinas had little trouble with Tampa Jesuit in the Class 3M state semifinals, earning a shot at winning a fourth consecutive state title, where they will face Homestead on Dec. 15 in the Class 3M state championship game.

Aquinas held Jesuit to just 161 yards of total offense and the Raiders have now won 26 consecutive games dating back to a loss to Jesuit in the second game of the 2021 season.

5. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)

Corey_Bender / 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.

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

AABonNBC / Twitter

Previous ranking: 4

Final Record: 12-1 (CIF Southern Section Division I Runner-Up)

Last game: Lost to No. 3 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 the mythical high school football national championships in 2021.

3. Miami Central High School (Miami, Florida)

FernandezAndreC / Twitter

Previous ranking: 3

Record: 13-0

Last game: Defeated Lakewood 39-21

Next game: Dec. 16 vs. No. 17 American Heritage (13-1)

Bottom line: Miami Central picked up an easy win over Lakewood in the Class 2M state semifinals and will face No. 17 American Heritage in two weeks.

The Rockets are trying to win a fourth consecutive state title and will play in one of the most anticipated state title games in Florida history.

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

St. John Bosco quarterback Pierce Clarkson

AABonNBC / Twitter

Previous ranking: 2

Record: 12-1

Last game: Defeated No. 1 Mater Dei 24-22 (Nov. 25)

Next game: Dec. 10 vs. Serra (13-0)

Bottom line: St. John Bosco will be coming off two weeks of rest headed into the CIF Open Division state championship game against undefeated Serra on Dec. 10.

The Braves last took the field against No. 1 Mater Dei in the CIF Southern Section Division I championship game on Nov. 25, winning 24-22 and ending the Monarchs’ 29-game winning streak.

St. John Bosco is trying to win its first Open Division state title since 2019.

1. Westlake High School (Austin, Texas)

Austin Westlake quarterback Brett Skinner

Westlake_Nation / Twitter

Previous ranking: 1

Record: 14-0

Last game: Defeated San Antonio Brennan 49-7

Next game: Dec. 10 vs. No. 7 North Shore (14-0)

Bottom line: Westlake extended its win streak to 54 games with an easy win over San Antonio Brennan to set up a showdown against North Shore in the Class 6A Division I state semifinals.

Westlake senior defensive end Colton Vasek, a Texas commit, led the Chaparrals with 2.0 sacks.

Westlake is trying to win its fourth consecutive state championship — a feat no other school has ever accomplished in Texas’ largest division.

Stadium Talk Top 25 High School Football Rankings: Week 15

Stadium Talk Top 10 High School Football Rankings for Week 16

Alexa Vincent / Stadium Talk

Westlake (Austin, Texas), Previous Ranking: 1
St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), Previous Ranking: 2
Miami Central (Miami, Fla.), Previous Ranking: 3
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), Previous Ranking: 4
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), Previous Ranking: 5
St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Previous Ranking: 6
North Shore (Houston, Texas), Previous Ranking: 7
Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas), Previous Ranking: 8
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), Previous Ranking: 9
Lipscomb Academy (Nashville, Tenn.), Previous Ranking: 10
Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.), Previous Ranking: 11
Guyer (Denton, Texas), Previous Ranking: 12
Katy (Katy, Texas), Previous Ranking: 13
St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio), Previous Ranking: 14
Lakeland (Lakeland, Florida), Previous Ranking: 15
St. Joseph’s Prep (Philadelphia, Pa.), Previous Ranking: 16
American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), Previous Ranking: 17
Lehi (Lehi, Utah), Previous Ranking: 18
Belleville (Belleville, Mich.), Previous Ranking: 19
Carrollton (Carrollton, Ga.), Previous Ranking: NR
St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.), Previous Ranking: 21
Langston Hughes (Fairburn, Georgia), Previous Ranking: 24
Frederick Douglass(Lexington, Kentucky), Previous Ranking: 25
Basha (Chandler, Arizona), Previous Ranking: NR
Kahuku (Kahuku, Hawaii), Previous Ranking: NR

Week 15 Rankings (Nov. 29) I Week 14 (Nov. 22) I Week 13 (Nov. 14) I Week 12 (Nov. 7) I Week 11 (Oct. 31) I Week 10 (Oct. 25) I Week 9 (Oct. 18) I Week 8 (Oct. 11) I Week 7 (Oct. 4) I Week 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)

Check out The Stadium Talk Podcast, Season One: High School Football in America on Apple Podcast, Spotify and Amazon.