Stadium Talk Top 25 High School Football Rankings: Week 8

Mater Dei holds fast at No. 1 following a win over No. 2 St. John Bosco.

Stadium Talk Top 25 High School Football Rankings 2022: Week 8

Mater Dei (Santa Ana, California) stayed put at the No. 1 spot in the Stadium Talk Top 25 High School Football Rankings for the seventh week in a row with a 17-7 win over No. 2 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, California) in front of a sellout crowd of 9,000 fans at Santa Ana Stadium.

Mater Dei improved to 7-0 with the win while St. John Bosco dropped to 6-1 and fell four spots to No. 6 in the rankings. Westlake (Austin, Texas) moved into the No. 2 spot following a 66-17 win over Anderson (Austin, Texas), which was the Chaps' 46th consecutive victory.

Two Top 25 showdowns highlight this week's games with No. 9 Buford (Buford, Georgia) hosting No. 19 Mill Creek (Hoschton, Georgia) and No. 18 Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio) hosting No. 21 St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio).

Thirteen different states are represented in this week's poll. Texas leads the way with five teams, followed by Florida with four teams. California and Georgia each have three teams in the Top 25.

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, Amazon.

25. Belleville High School (Belleville, Michigan)

Belleville High School linebacker Jeremiah Beasley

Previous ranking: 25

Record: 7-0

Last game: Defeated Stevenson 49-10

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Franklin (7-0)

Bottom line: Belleville's blowout win over Stevenson sets up a showdown of unbeaten teams this week when Livonia Franklin travels to face Belleville. Belleville is currently the No. 1 team in the MLive.com Top 50 poll, and Franklin is No. 7.

The last two opponents on Belleville's regular-season schedule are currently unbeaten as they face Brighton, also 7-0, in the regular-season finale on Oct. 22.

24. Grayson High School (Loganville, Georgia)

Previous ranking: 24

Record: 5-1

Last game: Defeated Newton 26-0 (Sept. 29)

Next game: Oct. 14 at South Gwinnett (4-2)

Bottom line: Grayson returns to action on Friday at South Gwinnett after its bye week.

Grayson senior linebacker Jalen Smith is making his case as one of the top linebackers in the nation this season. He leads his team with 68 tackles, 9 tackles for loss and 4 sacks.

Smith, 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, is committed to play for Tennessee and set the Grayson single-season record with 173 tackles as a junior in 2021.

23. Bixby High School (Bixby, Oklahoma)

Previous ranking: 23

Record: 7-0

Last game: Defeated Enid 77-14

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Broken Arrow (2-4)

Bottom line: Bixby improved to 7-0 with a 77-14 blowout win over Enid, scoring over 60 points for the fourth game in a row.

Bixby racked up over 500 yards of total offense in the win over Enid but also benefited from a pair of special teams touchdowns as Jakeb Snyder returned a kickoff for a touchdown and Tyson Williams returned a punt for a touchdown.

Williams also had an interception — one of three turnovers forced by Bixby.

22. Cherry Creek High School (Greenwood Village, Colorado)

Previous ranking: 22

Record: 6-1

Last game: Defeated Smoky Hill 43-0

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Eaglecrest (6-1)

Bottom line: Cherry Creek's defense picked up its first shutout of the season with a 43-0 win over Smoky Hill, setting up a big-time showdown against Eaglecrest (6-1) on Friday.

Freshman quarterback Brady Vodicka was sharp for Cherry Creek, going 12-of-15 passing for 183 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Senior wide receiver Ismael Cisse had another big game with five receptions for 115 yards and three touchdowns.

It was Cisse's second 100-yard receiving game this season, and he now has 27 receptions for 424 yards and eight touchdowns.

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

Previous ranking: 21

Record: 7-1

Last game: Defeated Clarkson North 35-18

Next game: Oct. 15 at No. 18 Archbishop Moeller (8-0)

Bottom line: St. Edward topped Clarkson North to set up a Top 25 showdown against No. 18 Archbishop Moeller on Saturday.

Marvin Bell had a big game for St. Edward with 125 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries.

20. Centennial High School (Corona, California)

Previous ranking: 20

Record: 6-1

Last game: Defeated Roosevelt 62-14

Next game: Oct. 14 at Vista Murrieta (4-3)

Bottom line: Centennial got big games from senior quarterback Izzy Carter and senior running back Cornell Hatcher Jr. in a blowout win over Roosevelt.

Carter was 13-of-21 passing for 283 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions while Hatcher had 173 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 16 carries.

Hatcher passed 1,000 rushing yards on the season against Roosevelt. He now has 1,006 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns through seven games.

19. Mill Creek High School (Hoschton, Georgia)

Previous ranking: 19

Record: 6-0

Last game: Defeated Central Gwinnett 58-7 (Sept. 30)

Next game: Oct. 14 at No. 9 Buford (6-0)

Bottom line: Mill Creek gears up for a Top 25 showdown against No. 9 Buford on Saturday coming off a bye week for both teams. Mill Creek's offense has been the star of the show so far this season.

Senior quarterback Hayden Clark has 1,139 passing yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions through six games. Junior running back Cameron Robinson leads Mill Creek with 716 rushing yards and nine touchdowns to go with 11 receptions for 144 yards and one touchdown.

18. Archbishop Moeller High School (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Previous ranking: 18

Record: 8-0

Last game: Defeated St. Ignatius 25-10

Next game: Oct. 15 vs. No. 21 St. Edward (7-1)

Bottom line: Archbishop Moeller survived a tough game against St. Ignatius to set up a highly anticipated showdown against No. 21 St. Edward on Saturday.

Moeller led 18-10 for most of the second half and had to hold off multiple, potentially game-tying drives by St. Ignatius before running back Jordan Marshall sealed the win with a touchdown run with 2:24 left in the fourth quarter.

Moeller defensive back Matthew Seliga led the defense with two interceptions.

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

St. Joseph's Prep running back Taj Dyches

Previous ranking: 17

Record: 5-1

Last game: Defeated La Salle College 40-11

Next game: Oct. 14 at Father Judge (2-4)

Bottom line: St. Joseph's Prep led 30-6 at halftime and cruised to a blowout win over rival La Salle College to improve to 5-1.

St. Joseph's Prep quarterback Semaj Jones was one of two players with over 100 rushing yards for the Hawks and started the scoring with an 83-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

Taj Dyches also passed 100 rushing yards for St. Joseph's and also had three touchdowns.

16. Chaminade-Madonna High School (Hollywood, Florida)

Chaminade-Madonna High linebacker/safety Jeno Junius

Previous ranking: 16

Record: 5-0

Last game: Defeated Gulliver Prep 28-0 (Sept. 22)

Next game: Oct. 13 vs. Somerset Academy Key (0-6)

Bottom line: Chaminade-Madonna will have gone 21 days without playing a game when it takes on winless Somerset Academy Key on Thursday following a bye week, a postponement, and the eventual cancellation of a game against Treasure Coast following Hurricane Ian.

Senior safety/linebacker Jeno Junius leads Chaminade-Madonna's defense with 42 tackles, four sacks and 10 tackles for loss.

15. Katy High School (Katy, Texas)

Previous ranking: 15

Record: 7-0

Last game: Defeated Katy Paetow 54-0

Next game: Oct. 21 vs. Cinco Ranch (5-2)

Bottom line: Katy picked up its first shutout of the year against in-city rival Paetow with a pair of running backs rushing for over 100 yards each.

Dallas Glass went for 119 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries, and Mississippi State commit Seth Davis picked up 111 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries.

14. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)

Previous ranking: 14

Record: 4-1

Last game: Defeated St. Thomas More 49-0

Next game: Oct. 14 at American Collegiate Academy (2-2)

Bottom line: IMG Academy picked up its first shutout of the season with a 49-0 win over St. Thomas More Prep (Conn.) with a solid game from quarterback Jayden Bradford, who was 11-of-15 passing for 184 yards and one touchdown.

IMG, the Stadium Talk preseason No. 1, now faces a final regular-season stretch that includes games against American Collegiate Academy (Florida), Middletown (Delaware) and West Toronto Prep (Ontario, Canada) before its regular-season finale against No. 3 St. Frances Academy (Maryland).

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

Previous ranking: 13

Record: 7-1

Last game: Defeated Legacy 69-0

Next game: Oct. 14 at Palo Verde (4-4)

Bottom line: Bishop Gorman continued to make a statement, putting up its third consecutive shutout and fourth shutout in five games with a 69-0 win over Legacy.

Bishop Gorman quarterback Micah Alejado was perfect against Legacy, going 10-of-10 passing for 260 yards and six touchdowns.

12. Lipscomb Academy (Nashville, Tennessee)

Previous ranking: 12

Record: 7-0

Last game: Defeated Knoxville Catholic 42-0

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. PURE Academy (2-5)

Bottom line: Lipscomb Academy posted its third shutout of the season with a 42-0 win over Knoxville Catholic. It was the fifth time this season that Lipscomb's defense has held an opponent to a touchdown or less and has yet to give up more than 14 points in a game.

Lipscomb's defense allowed just 128 yards of total offense against Knoxville Catholic — 114 passing yards and 14 rushing yards.

Lipscomb quarterback and Liberty commit Hank Brown was 17-of-27 passing for 318 yards, four touchdowns and one interceptions. Brown has 1,679 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and three interceptions through seven games.

11. Guyer High School (Denton, Texas)

Previous ranking: 11

Record: 6-0

Last game: Defeated Boyd 56-7 (Sept. 30)

Next game: Oct. 14 at Braswell (2-4)

Bottom line: Guyer had a bye week before putting its unbeaten record on the line on Friday against Braswell.

The big focus on Guyer in the bye week was mainly around senior quarterback Jackson Arnold, a five-star recruit and the No. 15 overall recruit in the Class of 2023, according to 247Sports.

Arnold was the first player to commit to Oklahoma under new head coach Brent Venables and was in attendance for one of the low points in Sooner history — a historical, 49-0 loss to the University of Texas on Saturday in the Red River Showdown.

10. Duncanville High School (Duncanville, Texas)

Previous ranking: 10

Record: 5-0

Last game: Defeated Waxahachie 24-7

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Mansfield (6-0)

Bottom line: Duncanville running back Caden Durham showed he can do more than just carry the rock — which he still does very well — rushing for 143 yards on 16 carries to go with 55 receiving yards on four receptions in a hard-fought win over Waxahachie.

Duncanville's defense was also sharp, holding Waxahachie to under 200 yards of total offense.

9. Buford High School (Buford, Georgia)

Previous ranking: 9

Record: 6-0

Last game: Defeated Collins Hill 23-3 (Sept. 30)

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. No. 19 Mill Creek (6-0)

Bottom line: Buford comes off a bye week heading into its Top 25 showdown against No. 19 Mill Creek on Friday. It's also a battle between arguably the top two teams in Class 7A.

Of Buford's 14 state championships, 13 have come since 2001, and six have come in the last decade, with three consecutive championships from 2012 to 2014 and three consecutive titles from 2019 to 2021.

8. Chandler High School (Chandler, Arizona)

Chandler High running back Ca'lil Valentine

Previous ranking: 8

Record: 6-0

Last game: Defeated Casteel 40-21

Next game: Oct. 21 vs. Mountain View (2-3)

Bottom line: Chandler came out on top against Casteel in a battle of unbeaten teams that was delayed from Friday night until Saturday afternoon because of lightning.

Junior quarterback and Ohio State commit Dylan Raiola was sharp for Chandler with 214 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception on 13-of-18 passing.

Chandler junior Ca'lil Valentine continued making his case as one of the best running backs in the nation. Valentine rushed for 226 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries and now has 1,025 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns through six games.

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

Previous ranking: 7

Record: 6-0

Last game: Defeated Dillard 24-6

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Fort Lauderdale (4-2)

Bottom line: St. Thomas Aquinas churned out a second consecutive hard-fought win, this time taking down Dillard, 24-6, to improve to 6-0.

St. Thomas Aquinas senior quarterback Champ Harris was efficient, going 9-of-17 passing for 185 yards and two touchdowns to go with 53 rushing yards on five carries.

Senior defensive lineman Jason Hammond led St. Thomas Aquinas on defense with two sacks.

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

Previous ranking: 2

Record: 6-1

Last game: Lost to No. 1 Mater Dei 17-7

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. JSerra Catholic (3-4)

Bottom line: St. John Bosco dropped its 1-2 matchup against No. 1 Mater Dei on Oct. 7, losing 17-7 and giving the Braves a clear-cut goal for the rest of the season — do whatever it takes to find a way to face Mater Dei for a rematch in the CIF Open Division state championship game.

That road begins on Friday against JSerra Catholic, where they can start trying to fix the offensive woes that held them to just a single touchdown in the loss to Mater Dei.

5. North Shore High School (Houston, Texas)

North Shore High wide receiver/quarterback David Amador

Previous ranking: 5

Record: 6-0

Last game: Defeated Summer Creek 54-27

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. West Brook (0-6)

Bottom line: North Shore extended its winning streak to 32 games with wide receiver-turned-quarterback David Amador under center in a close game against Summer Creek.

Amador, who is committed to play for Texas-San Antonio, did most of his damage against Summer Creek on the ground with touchdown runs of 75, 45 and 25 yards.

4. Miami Central High School (Miami, Florida)

Previous ranking: 6

Record: 6-0

Last game: Defeated Miami Northwestern 42-7

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Norland (4-1)

Bottom line: Miami Central continued its dominance this season, improving to 6-0 with a 42-7 blowout win over rival Miami Northwestern in front of a sellout crowd at Traz Powell Stadium.

Miami Central, which has won three consecutive state titles, was led by senior quarterback Keyone Jenkins. Jenkins was named MVP of the Commissioner Cup Game — the traditional Central vs. Northwestern rivalry — with one rushing touchdown and one receiving touchdown.

3. St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Maryland)

Previous ranking: 4

Record: 5-0

Last game: Defeated No. 23 Kahuku (Hawaii) 22-15 (Sept. 30)

Next game: Oct. 28 at Arundel (5-1)

Bottom line: St. Frances Academy doesn't just play a national schedule. It's actually an international schedule with two games against teams from Canada.

While St. Frances Academy was scheduled to play West Toronto Prep on Oct. 7, there aren't any statistics available for that game — or even clarity if the game was played — although St. Frances has another trip to Canada scheduled with a game against Clarkson North (Ontario) on Nov. 4.

According to St. Frances' schedule, they don't play another game until Oct. 28 at Arundel (Maryland).

2. Westlake High School (Austin, Texas)

Previous ranking: 3

Record: 6-0

Last game: Defeated Anderson 66-17

Next game: Oct. 14 at Dripping Springs (6-0)

Bottom line: Westlake scored over 60 points for the second game in a row to set up a showdown of unbeaten teams against Dripping Springs on Friday.

Senior wide receiver and Notre Dame commit Jaden Greathouse led the offense with five receptions for 101 yards while the defense was led by Nate Weyand's three sacks and two interceptions from Judson Crockett.

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

Previous ranking: 1

Record: 7-0

Last game: Defeated No. 2 St. John Bosco 17-7

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Orange Lutheran (6-1)

Bottom line: Defending national champion Mater Dei prevailed in a 1-2 battle against St. John Bosco at Santa Ana Stadium in front of 9,000 fans. Sophomore Jordon Davison sealed the win with a 38-yard touchdown run with 3:28 left in the fourth quarter.

The victory was Mater Dei's third consecutive win over St. John Bosco, and Mater Dei starting quarterback Elijah Brown improved to 24-0 in his career. Mater Dei's defense was the star of the game, holding St. John Bosco to just a single touchdown after the Braves entered with a scoring offense of 48.5 points per game.

Mater Dei has little time to relish its big win. Another big matchup awaits against Orange Lutheran, which enters the game with a 6-1 record.

Stadium Talk Top 25 High School Football Rankings: Week 8

Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), Previous Ranking: 1
Westlake (Austin, Texas), Previous Ranking: 3
St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.), Previous Ranking: 4
Miami Central (Miami, Fla.), Previous Ranking: 6
North Shore (Houston, Texas), Previous Ranking: 5
St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), Previous Ranking: 2
St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Previous Ranking: 7
Chandler (Chandler, Ariz.), Previous Ranking: 8
Buford (Buford, Ga.), Previous Ranking: 9
Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas), Previous Ranking: 10
Guyer (Denton, Texas), Previous Ranking: 11
Lipscomb Academy (Nashville, Tenn.), Previous Ranking: 12
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), Previous Ranking: 13
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), Previous Ranking: 14
Katy (Katy, Texas), Previous Ranking: 15
Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.), Previous Ranking: 16
St. Joseph’s Prep (Philadelphia, Pa.), Previous Ranking: 17
Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio), Previous Ranking: 18
Mill Creek (Hoschton, Georgia), Previous Ranking: 19
Centennial (Corona, Calif.), Previous Ranking: 20
St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio), Previous Ranking: 21
Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Colo.), Previous Ranking: 22
Bixby (Bixby, Oklahoma), Previous Ranking: 23
Grayson (Loganville, Ga.), Previous Ranking: 24
Belleville (Belleville, Mich.), Previous Ranking: 25

Week 7 Rankings (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, Amazon.