The MaxPreps Top 25 high school football rankings will see a shakeup after Friday’s clash in Texas, where No. 4 Duncanville faces off against No. 17 DeSoto.
Duncanville enters the game with a 4-0 record, extending their winning streak to 11 games dating back to last season. Their last defeat came at the hands of DeSoto, marking the only loss quarterback Keelon Russell has suffered as a starter. Russell boasts an impressive 33-1 career record and has guided Duncanville to consecutive Class 6A Division 1 state championships. This season, he’s already thrown for 1,437 yards and 20 touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes. In addition, the Alabama commit has rushed 19 times for 101 yards and another score. Over his career, Russell has amassed 7,962 yards of total offense (7,297 passing and 665 rushing) and 90 touchdowns.
DeSoto, meanwhile, has bounced back with three straight victories following a 57-51 loss to No. 11 North Crowley (Fort Worth). The back-to-back Class 6A Division 2 state champions have won 26 of their last 27 games.
Elsewhere, Atascocita (Humble, Texas) was the biggest riser in this week’s rankings, leaping six spots to No. 18 after a thrilling 42-39 win over Summer Creek (Houston). Despite leading 35-7 at halftime, Atascocita saw Summer Creek rally with 32 unanswered points to take a 39-35 lead with just over three minutes remaining. However, Cardae Mack led the Eagles downfield, and Oklahoma-bound running back Tory Blaylock sealed the win with his third touchdown of the night, with just 12 seconds left on the clock.
In California, freshman quarterback Koa Malau’ulu of St. John Bosco (Bellflower) led the second-ranked Braves to a 28-24 victory over No. 16 Orange Lutheran. Malau’ulu, the first freshman to start at quarterback for head coach Jason Negro, completed 24 of 32 passes for 272 yards and four touchdowns. He orchestrated a game-winning drive, capped by a 22-yard touchdown pass to Carson Clark with 50 seconds remaining. Remarkably, he completed 20 of 22 passes in the second half for 227 yards and all four of his scores.
Another big mover was Servite (Anaheim, Calif.), jumping into the rankings at No. 19 after handing JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano) its first loss of the season. Senior running back Quaid Carr had a standout performance, rushing for 184 yards on 24 carries with a touchdown, and adding a receiving score. Up next for Servite is a major challenge against top-ranked Mater Dei (Santa Ana) on Friday.
Finally, DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) joined the Top 25 this week at No. 25. The Stags have won four straight since a season-opening 26-10 loss to No. 12 Archbishop Spalding (Severn, Md.), outscoring their opponents 152-26 in that span.
MaxPreps Top 25 football rankings
| Rank |
Team |
Record |
Last Week |
Last Game |
Next Game |
| 1 |
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) |
5-0 |
1 |
Beat Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita) 40-18 |
Friday at No. 18 Servite (Anaheim) |
| 2 |
St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) |
6-0 |
2 |
Beat Orange Lutheran (Orange) 28-24 |
Friday vs. Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita) |
| 3 |
Milton (Ga.) |
7-0 |
3 |
Beat Lanier (Sugar Hill) 49-7 |
Friday at Gainesville |
| 4 |
Duncanville (Texas) |
4-0 |
4 |
Idle |
Friday at No. 17 DeSoto |
| 5 |
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) |
5-1 |
5 |
Beat Foothill (Henderson) 50-0 |
Thursday at Arbor View (Las Vegas) |
| 6 |
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) |
5-1 |
6 |
Beat Venice 21-16 |
Idle |
| 7 |
Carrollton (Ga.) |
7-0 |
7 |
Beat Westlake (Atlanta) 63-27 |
Friday vs. Chapel Hill (Douglasville) |
| 8 |
North Shore (Houston) |
5-0 |
8 |
Beat Kingwood 48-21 |
Thursday vs. Goose Creek Memorial (Baytown) |
| 9 |
St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) |
6-1 |
9 |
Beat Hollywood Hills (Hollywood) 64-0 |
Friday at Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood) |
| 10 |
Mission Viejo (Calif.) |
7-0 |
10 |
Beat Long Beach Poly (Long Beach) 49-14 |
Idle |
