There’s a new No. 1 team in the latest Stadium Talk Top 25 High School Football Rankings.
In its first loss to a Florida school since 2013, No. 1 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) fell at home to unranked Miami Central (Miami, Florida), 20-14.
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, California) leapfrogged up three spots to become the new No. 1 team after rallying for a 21-14 win on the road at No. 6 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nevada).
Three new teams joined the Top 25 with No. 24 American Heritage (Plantation, Florida.), No. 22 Katy (Katy, Texas) and No. 11 Miami Central (Miami, Florida).
Dropping out of the rankings after losses were No. 19 Cathedral (Indianapolis, Indiana), No. 21 Martin Luther King (Detroit, Michigan) and No. 25 Thompson (Alabaster, Alabama).
Texas and Florida led the way with five schools each in the Top 25. California had three schools in the rankings while Georgia and Arizona had two teams each. In all, 14 states were represented in the Top 25 for Week 2.
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.
11. Miami Central High School (Miami, Florida)
Previous ranking: Not ranked
Record: 2-0
Last game: Defeated No. 1 IMG Academy 20-14
Next game: Sept. 9 vs. Miami Booker T. Washington (1-0)
Bottom line: Miami Central pulled off the early-season upset with a 20-14 win over No. 1 IMG Academy, becoming the first Florida team to beat IMG since 2013 and did it on the road to boot, traveling to Bradenton for the victory.
IMG Academy star quarterback Jayden Bradford lasted just one offensive play before exiting the game with an injury, and backup quarterback Ryan Downes threw two interceptions, including one to LaWayne McCoy early in the fourth quarter that was returned 34 yards for a touchdown and proved to be the game winner.
No one shined brighter for Miami Central than 6-foot-2, 250-pound senior defensive lineman Rueben Bain, a University of Miami commit who racked up three sacks against IMG.
2. St. John Bosco High School (Bellflower, California)
Previous ranking: 2
Record: 2-0
Last game: Defeated Allen (Texas) 52-14
Next game: Sept. 2 at Bishop Amat (2-0)
Bottom line: St. John Bosco handed Texas powerhouse Allen its first home opener loss since 2009 and did so in dramatic fashion, routing the Eagles by 38 points in front of a packed house of 18,000 fans at $60 million Eagle Stadium.
St. John Bosco returns to California to face Bishop Amat this week before traveling to Oregon to face Portland Central Catholic at Autzen Stadium at the University of Oregon on Sept. 9.
In an interesting twist, The Los Angeles Times reported the game between St. John Bosco and Allen was the first high school football game in California history where players were paid via a name, image and likeness deal with a Texas sports performance company. Fifty-seven Bosco players were given checks for $200 each on Thursday night before the game.
1. Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, California)
Previous ranking: 4
Record: 2-0
Last game: Defeated No. 6 Bishop Gorman (Nev.), 24-21
Next game: Sept. 2 at No. 8 Centennial (2-0)
Bottom line: Prep football teams across the country will be hard-pressed to match the instant classic between Mater Dei and No. 6 Bishop Gorman last week in Las Vegas. Mater Dei ended up on top with a 24-21 win and leapfrogged to No. 1 in the Week 2 Stadium Talk Top 25 High School Football Rankings.
Mater Dei, the defending national champion, rallied from 14 points down in the third quarter for the victory and got a huge game from 6-foot-2, 210-pound sophomore linebacker Nasir Wyatt, who had two sacks in the first half and ended up with 7 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and one forced fumble.
Mater Dei’s win streak now stands at 19 games.
