Stadium Talk Top 25 High School Football Rankings: Week 17

These are the best high school football teams in the country for the week of Dec. 12, 2022.

Stadium Talk Top 25 High School Football Rankings: Week 17

St. John Bosco celebrates winning California Open Division state title

Upsets in the Texas high school football state playoffs shook up the penultimate Stadium Talk Top 25 High School Football Rankings. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, California) moved up to No. 1 following its 45-0 win over Serra (San Mateo, California) in the CIF Open Division state championship game. The win gives St. John Bosco the inside lane to being named Stadium Talk's first high school football national champion in next week's final poll.

Top-ranked Westlake (Austin, Texas) saw its streak of 54 consecutive wins and quest for a fourth consecutive state title come to an end in the Class 6A Division I state semifinals with a loss to then-No. 7 North Shore (Houston, Texas), while No. 12 Guyer (Denton, Texas) and No. 13 Katy (Katy, Texas) also lost in their semifinal games.

Five teams in the Top 25 won state championships last week. No. 11 Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Florida) won the Class 1M title for its fifth championship in six seasons. No. 13 Mill Creek (Hoschton, Georgia) re-entered the poll for the first time since early this season with a record-setting 70-35 win over then-No. 20 Carrollton (Carrollton, Georgia) in the Class 7A championship game. No. 16 St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) won its fourth state title in five years. No. 19 Basha (Chandler, Arizona) won the Arizona Open Division state title. And No. 21 Langston Hughes (Fairburn, Georgia) won the Class 6A state championship for the first football state title in school history.

Fourteen different states are represented in this week's Top 25. Florida leads 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. Guyer High School (Denton, Texas)

Previous ranking: 12

Final record: 14-1

Last game: Lost to DeSoto 47-28

Bottom line: DeSoto jumped out to a 19-0 lead and held on for the upset win over Guyer in the Class 6A Division II semifinals. DeSoto's defense kept constant pressure on Guyer quarterback Jackson Arnold, sacking the five-star recruit and University of Oklahoma commit five times.

DeSoto will face Austin Vandegrift in the Class 6A Division II championship game after Vandegrift upset No. 13 Katy in the other semifinal.

24. Kahuku High School (Kahuku, Hawaii)

Previous ranking: 25

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 (Baltimore, Maryland). Kahuku senior linebacker and Texas commit Liona Lefau was named Hawaii MaxPreps Player of the Year .

23. Katy High School (Katy, Texas)

Previous ranking: 13

Final record: 14-1

Last game: Lost to Austin Vandegrift 38-35

Bottom line: Austin Vandegrift's Hayden Arnold kicked a 37-yard field goal with two seconds left to lift his team to the upset win over Katy in the Class 6A Division II semifinals and advance to the state championship game for the first time in school history.

Vandegrift's winning drive started from its own 25-yard line with 1:25 left in the fourth quarter, and quarterback Brayden Buchanan finished with 453 passing yards and two touchdowns, while wide receiver Miles Coleman had eight receptions for 183 yards and one touchdown and also threw two touchdown passes on trick plays.

22. Frederick Douglass High School (Lexington, Kentucky)

Previous ranking: 23

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 previously 0-2 in state championship games.

21. Langston Hughes High School (Fairburn, Georgia)

Previous ranking: 22

Final record: 15-0 (Class 6A state champion)

Last game: Defeated Gainesville 35-28

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.

Jaden Barnes added seven receptions for 150 yards and one touchdown for Langston Hughes, while Jekail Middlebrook had 135 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns in three different ways — rushing, receiving and on a 71-yard kickoff return.

20. St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Maryland)

St. Frances Academy defensive end Dashawn Womack

Previous ranking: 21

Final record: 8-1

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

Bottom line: St. Frances Academy's season ended 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 after he finished the season with 26 tackles for loss, including 15 sacks.

19. Basha High School (Chandler, Arizona)

Previous ranking: 24

Final record: 12-1 (Open Division state champion)

Last game: Defeated Saguaro 28-21

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 running back Deshaun Buchanan led the way against Saguaro, the defending Open Division champion, rushing for 199 yards and three touchdowns. Saguaro had a chance to tie the score on its final drive but Basha's defense held, stopping the Sabercats on a fourth-down pass attempt into the end zone.

18. Belleville High School (Belleville, Michigan)

Belleville quarterback Bryce Underwood and linebacker Jeremiah Beasley

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 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 also became the first sophomore to be named Michigan MaxPreps Player of the Year in 2022.

17. Lehi High School (Lehi, Utah)

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.

16. American Heritage High School (Plantation, Florida)

Previous ranking: 17

Record: 13-1

Last game: Defeated Jacksonville Bolles 21-14 (Dec. 2)

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

Bottom line: High school football games in Florida don't get any bigger than Friday's Class 2M state championship game between American Heritage and unbeaten No. 3 Miami Central. American Heritage has a pair of big-time playmakers in senior wide receiver Brandon Innis and senior running back Mark Fletcher, who are both high-level recruits.

Innis, an Ohio State commit, has 66 receptions for 1,244 yards and 14 touchdowns. Fletcher has 1,824 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns on 203 carries and is averaging a whopping 8.3 yards per carry.

15. St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

St. Joseph's Prep quarterback Samaj Jones

Previous ranking: 16

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

Last game: Defeated Harrisburg 42-7

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 started the game on fire, scoring 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. He added 85 rushing yards and a touchdown on four carries, including a 65-yard touchdown run on the first offensive play from scrimmage.

On defense, Jeremiah Trotter led the Hawks with 13 tackles.

14. Lakeland High School (Lakeland, Florida)

Lakeland High defensive end Larry Jones III

Previous ranking: 15

Record: 13-0

Last game: Defeated Osceola 14-7 (Dec. 2)

Next game: Dec. 7 vs. Venice (9-3)

Bottom line: Lakeland takes its unbeaten record into the Class 4S state championship game against Venice, the defending Class 7A state champion before Florida reconfigured its classification system for 2022.

Lakeland's defense has been the star this season. The Dreadnaughts have allowed seven points or less in nine out of 13 games, which includes four shutouts. Lakeland's defense is led up front by 6-foot-2, 240-pound senior defensive end Larry Jones III, who has 16.0 sacks so far this season.

Jones is one of two players on Lakeland's defense with double-digit sacks alongside fellow senior defensive end Idris King, who has 11.0 sacks.

13. Mill Creek High School (Hoschton, Georgia)

Previous ranking: NR

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 junior running back Cameron Robinson rushed for 252 yards and three touchdowns while Alabama commit Caleb Downs also had three rushing touchdowns.

Carrollton freshman quarterback Julian Lewis also set a record in the loss, becoming the first quarterback in state championship game history to throw for over 500 yards. Lewis was 25-of-46 passing for 531 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions.

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

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.

Listen: St. Edward Head Coach Tom Lombardo Talks National Schedules, Facing Boyhood Heroes and What Football Means in Ohio

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

Chaminade-Madonna wide receiver Jeremiah Smith

Previous ranking: 11

Record: 14-0 (Class 1M State Champion)

Last game: Defeated Clearwater Central Catholic 48-14

Next game: Dec. 17 at No. 8 Bishop Gorman (13-1)

Bottom line: Chaminade-Madonna rolled to an easy win over Clearwater Central Catholic in the Class 1M state championship game.

The Lions relied on their stars in the title game. Five-star junior wide receiver Jeremiah Smith had six receptions for 104 yards and two touchdowns while junior running back Davion Gause rushed for 189 yards and two touchdowns. Junior quarterback Cedrick Bailey was 16-of-24 passing for 255 yards and three touchdowns. It was the fifth state championship for the Lions in the last six seasons.

Chaminade-Madonna are not be done playing. The Lions will play Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nevada), the NIAA 5A state champion, in the ESPN Geico Bowl Series on Dec. 17.

10. Westlake High School (Austin, Texas)

Previous ranking: 1

Final record: 14-1

Last game: Lost to No. 7 North Shore 49-34

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 was playing mostly without its best player as star wide receiver and Notre Dame commit Jaden Greathouse was hampered by a hamstring injury and only registered one reception for four yards but did have a 2-yard rushing touchdown on his only carry.

Listen: Westlake Head Coach Tony Salazar Talks About His Team Embracing Pressure, Chasing History and His Coaching Mentor Todd Dodge

9. Lipscomb Academy (Nashville, Tennessee)

Lipscomb Academy wide receiver Junior Sherrill

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, the MVP of the state championship game, was named Tennessee MaxPreps Player of the Year. Sherrill finished the season with 1,626 yards of total offense and 26 touchdowns.

Lipscomb head coach and former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer announced he was leaving after four seasons to be the new head coach at the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

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

Previous ranking: 9

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

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

Next game: Dec. 17 vs. No. 11 Chaminade-Madonna (14-0)

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.

Bishop Gorman junior quarterback Micah Alejado was named Nevada MaxPreps Player of the Year after he threw for 3,403 yards, 53 touchdowns and two interceptions to go with 335 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Alejado also completed 75.9 percent of his passes.

Bishop Gorman will play again this year against Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School, the FHSA 1M state champion from Hollywood, Florida, in the ESPN Geico Bowl Series on Dec. 17.

7. Duncanville High School (Duncanville, Texas)

Previous ranking: 7

Record: 14-0

Last game: Defeated Prosper 41-0

Next game: Dec. 17 vs. No. 2 North Shore (14-0)

Bottom line: Duncanville blanked Prosper in the Class 6A Division I semifinals to earn a spot in the state championship game for the fourth time in the last five years. Three of the losses have come against its opponent in the state championship game, No. 2 North Shore. Duncanville is trying to win its first state title since 1998.

Duncanville racked up over 500 yards of total offense against Prosper and scored all 41 points over the final three quarters. That included 408 rushing yards.

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

St. Thomas Aquinas defensive end Keyshawn Johnson

Previous ranking: 6

Record: 13-0

Last game: Defeated Tampa Jesuit 45-3 (Dec. 2)

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

Bottom line: St. Thomas Aquinas has won its last seven games by at least 30 points each and will face Homestead in the Class 3M state championship game, where the Raiders will try to win a fourth consecutive state title.

Quarterback Hezekiah Harris leads the St. Thomas Aquinas offense with 1,619 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and three interceptions to go with 281 rushing yards and six touchdowns.

On defense, 6-foot-2, 245-pound senior linebacker Keyshawn Johnson leads the team with 13 sacks.

Listen: St. Thomas Aquinas Head Coach Roger Harriott Talks Faith, Football, Winning State Title and Producting NFL Players

5. IMG Academy (Brandenton, Florida)

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.

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

Previous ranking: 4

Final record: 12-1 (CIF Southern Section Division I runner-up)

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.

It was also the last game for Mater Dei head coach Bruce Rollinson, who is retiring after 34 seasons in a move that's not exactly being applauded in some circles.

3. Miami Central High School (Miami, Florida

Previous ranking: 3

Record: 13-0

Last game: Defeated Lakewood 39-21 (Dec. 2)

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

Bottom line: Miami Central had the week off after defeating Lakewood in the Class 2M state semifinals and will face No. 16 American Heritage in the state championship game. Miami Central is trying to win its fourth consecutive state title.

Miami Central is led on offense by senior quarterback Keyone Jenkins, an Auburn commit, and on defense by senior defensive end Rueben Bain, who has 26 sacks this season. Bain, 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, had 19.5 sacks in 2021 and has 55 career sacks.

2. North Shore High School (Houston, Texas)

North Shore running back Rashaad Johnson

Previous ranking: 7

Record: 15-0

Last game: Defeated No. 1 Westlake 49-34

Next game: Dec. 17 vs. No. 7 Duncanville (14-0)

Bottom line: North Shore ended Westlake's winning streak at 54 games in a battle between defending state champions in the Class 6A Division I semifinals.

North Shore is the defending Division I state champion, and Westlake was the defending Division II state champion and was trying to win its fourth consecutive state title. North Shore will face Duncanville in the championship game for the fourth time in the last five years, having won the previous three meetings.

North Shore was led by its ground game, racking up 335 rushing yards against Westlake, with Rashaad Johnson rushing for three touchdowns. North Shore led 21-19 early in the third quarter before North Shore answered with a 46-yard touchdown run by D'Andre Hardeman and a 72-yard punt return for a touchdown by Evan Jackson for a 35-19 lead with 3:59 left in the third quarter.

1. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, California)

Previous ranking: 2

Final record: 13-1 (CIF Open Division state champion)

Last game: Defeated Serra 45-0

Bottom line: St. John Bosco left no doubt about who the best team in California was — and possibly the nation — with a blowout win over Serra in the CIF Open Division state championship game. It was their first state title since 2019 and the fourth state title in school history, with all coming under head coach Jason Negro. St. John Bosco has already won two national champions with Negro at the helm.

St. John Bosco scored 28 points in the second quarter and junior cornerback Marcelles Williams led the way with two interceptions. Cameron Jones and Khalil Warren had two rushing touchdowns each for the Braves.

Listen: St. John Bosco Head Coach Jason Negro Talks About Bosco's Evolution, How MaxPreps Changed High School Football, Loaded CIF Southern Section Division I, NIL Era

Stadium Talk Top 25 High School Football Rankings: Week 17

St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), Previous Ranking: 2
North Shore (Houston, Texas), Previous Ranking: 7
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
Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas), Previous Ranking: 8
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), Previous Ranking: 9
Lipscomb Academy (Nashville, Tenn.), Previous Ranking: 10
Westlake (Austin, Texas), Previous Ranking: 1
Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.), Previous Ranking: 11
St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio), Previous Ranking: 14
Mill Creek (Hoschton, Georgia), Previous Ranking: NR
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
Basha (Chandler, Arizona), Previous Ranking: 24
St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.), Previous Ranking: 21
Langston Hughes (Fairburn, Georgia), Previous Ranking: 22
Frederick Douglass(Lexington, Kentucky), Previous Ranking: 23
Katy (Katy, Texas), Previous Ranking: 13
Kahuku (Kahuku, Hawaii), Previous Ranking: 25
Guyer (Denton, Texas), Previous Ranking: 12

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) 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 outThe Stadium Talk Podcast, Season One: High School Football in America on Apple Podcast, Spotify and Amazon.