Stadium Talk Top 25 High School Football Rankings: Week 9

Thirteen different states are represented in this week's poll and Long Beach Poly (Calif.) joins the rankings for the first time this season.

Stadium Talk Top 25 High School Football Rankings: Week 9

Two games (featuring four teams ranked in the Stadium Talk Top 25 High School Football Rankings) highlighted last week's slate of games and led to big moves in the Week 9 poll.

Buford (Buford, Georgia) moved up to No. 8 in the poll after a 39-27 win over No. 19 Mill Creek (Hoschton, Georgia) in front of over 10,000 fans at Buford's Tom Riden Stadium. In a defensive battle, St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) was the big mover in the poll, jumping up four spots to No. 17 with a 6-0 win over previously unbeaten No. 18 Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio).

Mater Dei (Santa Ana, California) remained at No. 1 for the eighth week in a row with a 48-16 win over Orange Lutheran. Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, California) entered the rankings for the first time this season at No. 24 following a 49-0 homecoming win over Cabrillo (Lompoc, California).

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

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. Archbishop Moeller High School (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Previous ranking: 18

Record: 8-1

Last game: Lost to No. 21 St. Edward 6-0

Next game: Oct. 21 vs. Detroit King (5-2)

Bottom line: Archbishop Moeller dropped its first game of the season in a defensive battle against No. 21 St. Edward, losing 6-0 in a game that seemed pulled directly from Ohio high school football seasons in a bygone era.

Moeller's first loss of the season can fall squarely on the shoulders of three turnovers and poor play on special teams. St. Edward blocked a field goal and successfully pulled off a fake punt that set up one of its two field goals.

Moeller returns to action against Division 3 state champion and preseason Stadium Talk Top 25 team Detroit Martin Luther King in its regular-season finale on Friday.

24. Long Beach Poly High School (Long Beach, California)

Previous ranking: NR

Record: 8-0

Last game: Defeated Cabrillo 49-0

Next game: Oct. 21 at Compton (4-4)

Bottom line: Long Beach Poly jumped into the Stadium Talk Top 25 High School Football Rankings for the first time this season after improving to 8-0 with a blowout win over winless Cabrillo.

It was the third consecutive shutout for Poly's defense, which has given up seven points or fewer in six games this season and gave up just 70 yards of total offense against Cabrillo. Defensive lineman Luke Sefe led the Jackrabbits with three sacks.

In just one half of play, Poly quarterback Darius Curry was 17-of-21 passing for 316 yards and six touchdowns, one shy of the Poly single-game record.

23. Belleville High School (Belleville, Michigan)

Belleville High quarterback Bryce Underwood

Previous ranking: 25

Record: 8-0

Last game: Defeated Franklin 42-14

Next game: Oct. 22 at Brighton (8-0)

Bottom line: Belleville's secondary was especially sharp in a 42-14 win over Franklin in a battle of unbeaten teams, giving up just 17 passing yards, and Belleville junior running back Jeremiah Beasley rushed for three touchdowns.

Belleville sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 quarterback in the Class of 2025 in the nation, added two touchdown passes.

The win sets Belleville up for another unbeaten showdown when they travel to play Brighton on Saturday.

22. Grayson High School (Loganville, Georgia)

Previous ranking: 24

Record: 6-1

Last game: Defeated South Gwinnett 34-13

Next game: Oct. 21 vs. Brookwood (4-3)

Bottom line: Grayson senior linebacker and Tennessee commit Jalen Smith led his team with 15 tackles and two tackles for loss in a hard-fought win over South Gwinnett. Grayson running back Joe Taylor added 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries.

Smith is one of two seniors on Grayson's defense headed to the SEC. Safety Michael Daugherty is committed to play for LSU.

21. Bixby High School (Bixby, Oklahoma)

Previous ranking: 23

Record: 8-0

Last game: Defeated Broken Arrow 77-17

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

Bottom line: Bixby continued its scoring onslaught in a 77-17 win over Broken Arrow — the second consecutive game Bixby has scored 77 points and third time this year they've scored 77 points. It was the sixth time this season Bixby has passed 60 points in a game, and their scoring offense is clocking in at 68.6 points per game through eight games.

Against Broken Arrow, a whopping 10 different players scored touchdowns for Bixby. Senior quarterback Connor Kirby led the way with 105 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. Kirby also threw two touchdown passes in limited action.

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

Previous ranking: 22

Record: 7-1

Last game: Defeated Eaglecrest 42-7

Next game: Oct. 21 at Arapahoe (5-3)

Bottom line: Cherry Creek rolled to a blowout win over Eaglecrest, scoring touchdowns on its first three drives. Quarterback Brady Vodicka was especially sharp, running for a 27-yard touchdown to end the first half and throwing for a touchdown to start the second half.

Cherry Creek now travels to play red-hot Arapaho, which is on a three-game winning streak after losing three consecutive games early in the season.

19. Centennial High School (Corona, California)

Previous ranking: 20

Record: 7-1

Last game: Defeated Vista Murrieta 42-7

Next game: Oct. 21 vs. Murrieta Valley (5-3)

Bottom line: Centennial running back Cornell Hatcher Jr. kept making his case as one of the nation's best running backs in a 42-7 win over Murrieta, rushing for 139 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries. Hatcher has 1,145 rushing yards through eight games on just 102 carries and is averaging an incredible 11.2 yards per carry on the season.

Quarterback Izzy Carter was 13-of-19 pasing for 214 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions to go with 81 rushing yards and one touchdown on seven carries.

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

Previous ranking: 17

Record: 6-1

Last game: Defeated Father Judge 48-14

Next game: Oct. 28 at Roman Catholic (6-1)

Bottom line: St. Joseph's won its sixth consecutive game since a season-opening loss to No. 7 St. Thomas Aquinas, rolling to an easy win over Father Judge.

St. Joseph's Prep remains the No. 1 team in Pennsylvania's largest division, Class 6A.

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

Previous ranking: 21

Record: 8-1

Last game: Defeated No. 18 Archbishop Moeller 6-0

Next game: Oct. 21 vs. Archbishop Hoban (9-0)

Bottom line: Defending state champion St. Edward came out with the win in a Top 25 showdown against No. 18 Archbishop Moeller thanks to defense and special teams.

St. Edward forced three turnovers, including a forced fumble on second-and-goal for Moeller from the 3-yard line late in the fourth quarter. On special teams, St. Edward blocked a field goal and successfully executed a fake punt that set up one of two field goals from Ben Lavelle, who converted kicks from 46 and 47 yards for the game's only scores.

Another showdown awaits St. Edward when they host unbeaten Archbishop Hoban on Friday.

16. Katy High School (Katy, Texas)

Previous ranking: 15

Record: 7-0

Last game: Defeated Katy Paetow 54-0 (Oct. 6)

Next game: Oct. 21 at Cinco Ranch (6-2)

Bottom line: Katy had a bye week after a blowout win over Katy Paetow and returns to action this week with what should be a good road test against Cinco Ranch.

In order for any team to stop Katy this season, it will have to start with slowing down their run game as the Tigers have two running backs who are on track to pass 1,000 rushing yards with senior Dallas Glass (602 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns) and senior Seth Davis (871 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns).

15. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)

Previous ranking: 14

Record: 5-1

Last game: Defeated American Collegiate Academy 55-0

Next game: Oct. 28 at Middleton (3-3)

Bottom line: IMG Academy's defense posted its second consecutive shutout with a 55-0 win over American Collegiate Academy as three different quarterbacks threw touchdown passes for IMG.

One of the players for IMG that caught a touchdown pass was senior wide receiver Devin Hyatt, who had a 48-yard touchdown. Hyatt is the younger brother of University of Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, who had 207 receiving yards and five touchdowns in Saturday's 52-49 win over Alabama.

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

Previous ranking: 13

Record: 8-1

Last game: Defeated Palo Verde 70-0

Next game: Oct. 21 at Foothill (3-6)

Bottom line: Bishop Gorman's defense posted its fourth consecutive shutout in a 70-0 win over Palo Verde. The Gaels haven't been scored on since a 56-14 win over Honolulu St. Louis (Hawaii) on Sept. 2.

Junior quarterback Micah Alejado completed seven passes against Palo Verde. Six of them went for touchdowns. Sophomore wide receiver Brandon Gaea had three receptions for 89 yards and three touchdowns.

Five different players for Bishop Gorman scored touchdowns.

13. Lipscomb Academy (Nashville, Tennessee)

Previous ranking: 12

Record: 8-0

Last game: Defeated PURE Academy 42-13

Next game: Oct. 21 at Christ Presbyterian Academy (4-4)

Bottom line: Lipscomb Academy quarterback and Liberty commit Hank Brown threw two touchdown passes in a win over Memphis-based PURE Academy, going 17-of-25 passing for 183 yards.

Vanderbilt commit Junior Sherrill continued his big year with 10 receptions for 94 yards, and junior cornerback Kaleb Beasley, a four-star recruit, returned an interception for a touchdown for his fourth defensive touchdown this season.

12. Guyer High School (Denton, Texas)

Previous ranking: 11

Record: 7-0

Last game: Defeated Braswell 56-7

Next game: Oct. 20 vs. Allen (6-1)

Bottom line: Denton Guyer returned from its bye week with a blowout win and remained unbeaten, taking down Denton Braswell 56-7 behind 334 yards of total offense and three touchdowns from senior quarterback and Oklahoma commit Jackson Arnold. Junior running back Trey Joyner added 118 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries.

Guyer has FBS recruits all over the place — 6-foot-3, 240-pound senior tight end and Louisiana-Monroe commit Si Stovall had two receptions for 13 yards and one touchdown. On the season, Stovall has eight receptions for 104 yards and three touchdowns.

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

Previous ranking: 16

Record: 6-0

Last game: Defeated Somerset Academy Key 90-0

Next game: Oct. 21 vs. Avant Garde Academy (5-1)

Bottom line: Chaminade-Madonna flirted with triple digits in a 90-0 win over Somerset Academy Key — the first time the Lions have passed 70 points in five years.

One could make an argument Chaminade-Madonna had some pent-up energy waiting to unleash on an opponent. They hadn't played since a 28-0 win over Gulliver Prep on Sept. 22.

Chaminade-Madonna, the reigning Class 3A state champion, is trying to win its fifth state title in the last six seasons and seventh state title in school history.

10. Duncanville High School (Duncanville, Texas)

Duncanville High Football cornerback Lamodrick Spencer

Previous ranking: 10

Record: 6-0

Last game: Defeated Mansfield 38-3

Next game: Oct. 20 vs. Skyline (0-7)

Bottom line: Duncanville junior running back Caden Durham went off for 142 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just eight carries, and sophomore wide receiver Dakorien Moore grabbed five receptions for 114 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Duncanville, which faces winless Skyline this week, also got a 24-yard interception return for a touchdown from cornerback Lamodrick Spencer.

9. Chandler High School (Chandler, Arizona)

Previous ranking: 8

Record: 6-0

Last game: Defeated Casteel 40-21 (Oct. 8)

Next game: Oct. 21 at Mountain View (2-4)

Bottom line: Chandler returns to action after its bye week against Mountain View before embarking on a rugged final stretch of the regular season with games against Basha (5-1), Perry (4-2) and Hamilton (5-1).

Chandler's MVP so far this season has been junior running back Ca'lil Valentine, who is having an All-American season with 1,019 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns to go with 16 receptions for 335 yards and four touchdowns.

8. Buford High School (Buford, Georgia)

Previous ranking: 9

Record: 7-0

Last game: Defeated No. 19 Mill Creek 39-27

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

Bottom line: Buford came out on top in one of the most highly anticipated regular-season games of the season, defeating No. 19 Mill Creek, 39-27, in front of over 10,000 fans at Buford's Tom Riden Stadium.

Buford five-star running back and Alabama commit Justice Haynes was the star of the show with 218 rushing yards on 21 carries and two touchdowns. Haynes ended up with 270 all-purpose yards after tacking on a 25-yard halfback pass and 37-yard kickoff return.

Haynes also became just the sixth player in Georgia history to pass 7,000 career rushing yards.

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

Previous ranking: 7

Record: 7-0

Last game: Defeated Fort Lauderdale 49-13

Next game: Oct. 21 at Monarch (6-1)

Bottom line: St. Thomas Aquinas finally found some breathing room after close wins over Treasure Coast and Dillard, cruising to a 49-13 victory over Fort Lauderdale.

St. Thomas Aquinas is now 7-0 in the all-time series against Fort Lauderdale.

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

Previous ranking: 6

Record: 7-1

Last game: Defeated JSerra Catholic 31-0

Next game: Oct. 21 vs. Orange Lutheran (6-2)

Bottom line: St. John Bosco bounced back from its loss to No. 1 Mater Dei with a convincing 31-0 win over JSerra Catholic. It was the third shutout of the season from St. John Bosco, which was led by two interceptions from Jshawn Frausto-Ramos, including one returned for a touchdown.

The Braves held JSerra Catholic to just 103 yards of total offense and return to action on Friday against Orange Lutheran, which is facing its second consecutive Top 10 opponent after a 48-16 loss to No. 1 Mater Dei.

5. North Shore High School (Houston, Texas)

North Shore High wide receiver Christopher Barnes

Previous ranking: 5

Record: 7-0

Last game: Defeated West Brook 56-7

Next game: Oct. 21 at Humble (3-4)

Bottom line: North Shore star wide receiver David Amador was sharp in his second start at quarterback on the way to a blowout win over West Brook. Amador, a Texas-San Antonio commit, went 12-of-14 passing for 280 yards and three touchdowns filling in for injured sophomore quarterback Kaleb Bailey.

Amador's favorite target was junior Christopher Barnes, who had seven receptions for 239 yards and three touchdowns.

4. Miami Central High School (Miami, Florida)

Miami Central quarterback Keyone Jenkins

Previous ranking: 4

Record: 7-0

Last game: Defeated Norland 53-7

Next game: Oct. 21 at Miami Columbus (8–0)

Bottom line: Miami Central rolled to a 53-7 blowout win over Norland — its fifth straight game giving up seven points or less — to set up a showdown between unbeaten teams when they face Miami Columbus on Friday night.

The win also clinched a district championship for Miami Central, which is trying to win its fourth consecutive state title. The Rockets have won all eight state titles in school history since 2010.

3. St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Maryland)

Previous ranking: 3

Record: 5-0

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

Next game: Oct. 28 at Arundel (6-1)

Bottom line: St. Frances Academy should be at full strength when it returns to action on Oct. 28 at Arundel (6-1). According to the Panthers' schedule on MaxPreps, it will be their first game since traveling to Hawaii and defeating reigning Open Division state champion and then-No. 23 Kahuku.

How is St. Frances so good, you might ask? Start with their defensive line. They have three Top 10 recruits in Maryland on the defensive front, and all are headed to Power Five programs with LSU commit Dashawn Womack (No. 1), USC commit Sam Greene (No. 9) and Pitt commit Isaiah Neal (No. 10).

2. Westlake High School (Austin, Texas)

Previous ranking: 2

Record: 7-0

Last game: Defeated Dripping Springs 29-10

Next game: Oct. 21 at Austin (1-6)

Bottom line: Westlake won an impressive road game against previously unbeaten Dripping Springs as its defense forced five turnovers, and the Chaps won their 47th consecutive game.

Westlake junior quarterback Paxton Land was 18-of-26 passing for 266 yards and one touchdown along with rushing for 24 yards and one touchdown. Junior running back Jack Kayser added 157 yards of total offense — 108 rushing and 59 receiving — and one touchdown.

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

Previous ranking: 1

Record: 8-0

Last game: Defeated Orange Lutheran 48-16

Next game: Oct. 21 at Santa Margarita (6-2)

Bottom line: Mater Dei put its win over then-No. 2 St. John Bosco the previous week in the rearview — no surprise there — and cruised to a win over Orange Lutheran behind a whopping 12 sacks from its defense.

Three players had multiple sacks for Mater Dei, led by sophomore Nasir Wyatt (4.0), Christian Petero (2.5) and Aydin Breland (2.0). Wyatt also added a forced fumble.

Quarterback Elijah Brown was 12-of-19 passing for 220 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Freshman backup quarterback Cole Leinart, the son of 2004 Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart, was 2-of-4 passing for 58 yards and one touchdown.

Stadium Talk Top 25 High School Football Rankings: Week 9

Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), Previous Ranking: 1
Westlake (Austin, Texas), Previous Ranking: 2
St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.), Previous Ranking: 3
Miami Central (Miami, Fla.), Previous Ranking: 4
North Shore (Houston, Texas), Previous Ranking: 5
St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), Previous Ranking: 6
St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Previous Ranking: 7
Buford (Buford, Ga.), Previous Ranking: 9
Chandler (Chandler, Ariz.), Previous Ranking: 8
Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas), Previous Ranking: 10
Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.), Previous Ranking: 16
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
St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio), Previous Ranking: 21
St. Joseph’s Prep (Philadelphia, Pa.), Previous Ranking: 17
Centennial (Corona, Calif.), Previous Ranking: 20
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
Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, California), Previous Ranking: NR
Archbishop Moeller High School (Cincinnati, Ohio), Previous Ranking: 18

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.