The top of the High School On SI Power 25 National High School Football Rankings didn’t budge much this week. The top 12 all kept rolling, and the biggest movement came a little lower down the list, where Bixby (OK) slid 10 spots to No. 23 after taking its first loss of the season.
Mater Dei (CA) is back in the rankings after its 36-35 win over St. John Bosco (CA), a result that knocked the Braves out after their third loss. Edna Karr (LA) and North Shore (TX) also dropped out, opening the door for Dutch Fork (SC) and Cass Tech (MI) to enter.
At the top, the No. 1 team kept doing what it has done all year. The Ascenders beat The Hun Academy (Princeton, NJ) 42-14 last week behind a huge night from Elijah Newman Hall, who ran for 116 yards and three touchdowns.
Osani Gayles added seven catches for 124 yards and a score. Next up is a trip to St.
Frances Academy (Baltimore, MD) on Nov. 13.
The Raiders stayed perfect with a 49-8 win over West Broward (Pembroke Pines, FL), stretching their winning streak to 24 straight. They’re now waiting on the Florida Open Division bracket to find out who they’ll face in the inaugural event.
The Eagles made a statement of their own, blocking three punts in a 10-0 regular season finish, their first since 1997. Grant Mosley scored three touchdowns in the win, and the program now turns to the CIF Southern Section D-1 playoffs against San Clemente (CA) on Nov.
- That 1997 team had current coach Carson Palmer at quarterback.
Elsewhere near the top, the Wolves keep suffocating opponents. They’ve now posted three straight shutouts and have outscored their five Region 8-7A opponents 256-7.
They’ll host Central Gwinnett (Lawrenceville, GA) on Nov. 6.
The Red Raiders also finished the regular season in style, completing a third straight perfect run. David Gabriel Georges powered the offense with 247 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just 12 carries.
Their next game is listed as TBD in the Division II-AAA quarterfinals on Nov. 13.
The Gaels handled Mater Academy East (Las Vegas) 50-7, with Ace Amina throwing for 334 yards and three touchdowns. Their next game is against CIVICA Nevada Career & Collegiate Academy (North Las Vegas) on Oct. 30.
The Trailblazers wrapped up the Mission League title and earned the No. 2 seed in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs. Demarco Hernandez threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns, and the next challenge is Mission Viejo (CA) in the playoffs on Nov. 13.
One of the week’s most eye-popping stat lines came from sophomore QB CJ Cypher, who threw for 440 yards and six touchdowns. The Trojans will have a bye in the final week of Georgia’s regular season, so there’s no immediate test waiting.
Ty Snell passed for 179 yards and three touchdowns, while Lyndon Spriggs added 86 rushing yards and two scores for the Eagles.
The Bulldogs opened defense of their 6A title in the sectional semifinals and were already in control by halftime, leading 42-3. Parker Condon and Brady Lewis each scored twice on the ground.
Their next game is at Ben Davis (Indianapolis) in the IHSAA 6A second round on Nov. 6.
The Huskies clinched the West Region’s top seed in the 8A bracket behind two rushing touchdowns from Jamarion Morrison and two receiving scores from Mason Pearsall-Brown.
For the Yellowjackets, Aidan McPherson’s 3-yard touchdown run with 9 minutes left in the fourth quarter gave them breathing room after they entered the period up just 16-7.
The Strivers closed out their second season with a shutout win over Loudoun Sports Academy (Leesburg, VA), finishing on a high note.
The Vikings also ended the regular season with a blanking, their fifth straight shutout. The tiebreakers left them as the No. 4 seed, setting up a rematch with Hempfield Area (Greensburg, PA) in two weeks.
Before that, they’ll meet again in the WPIAL 6A semifinals on Nov. 13.
The Spartans put away Amador Valley (Pleasanton, CA) early, jumping to a 42-0 halftime lead after Jamal Johnson-Lucas scored on a 3-yard run just 91 seconds into the game.
The Lions had to fight off a late surge after giving up a 22-7 fourth-quarter lead, but University of Texas commit Landen Williams-Callis answered with a 75-yard touchdown run and 50 seconds left. He finished with 275 yards and three touchdowns.
The Panthers piled up 600 yards of total offense, with Jacob Torres going 14-for-15 for 268 yards and two touchdowns.
The Eagles learned their quarterfinal matchup Friday night and will face Whitehall-Yearling (OH) in the Division II Region 7 quarterfinals on Nov. 6.
The Lions celebrated another milestone after winning their first region title since 2011 a week earlier. They finished their first undefeated regular season since 2007 thanks to TJ Jackson’s walkoff 28-yard field goal.
Mater Dei’s return to the rankings came after one of the week’s biggest finishes. Russell Sekona found Tristan Brown for a 12-yard touchdown in the final minute, then hit Tyler Fritz on the go-ahead two-point conversion to beat then-No.
22 St. John Bosco 36-35.
The Monarchs now move on to face Centennial (Corona, CA) in the CIF Southern Section D-1 quarterfinals on Nov. 13.
The Shamrocks had a bye before the Kentucky state playoffs begin. They’ll open against Pleasure Ridge Park in the KHSAA 6A playoffs on Nov. 6.
The Spartans saw their 24-game win streak end after getting shut out in the second half.
The Silver Foxes finished another undefeated regular season and improved to 53-2 against region opponents since 2015.
The Technicians used three interceptions to take their playoff opener and will next face Fordson (Dearborn, MI) in the Division 1 district final on Nov. 6.
In Other News...
South Carolina Suddenly Has A Huge Backfield Problem After Oklahoma
Matt Fullers breakout season took a hard turn in the first quarter against Oklahoma, when the South Carolina running back left with an ankle injury and later was found to have a broken bone in his foot. He is expected to have surgery, which likely ends his season and leaves the Gamecocks without one of their most productive backs at a time when the offense had been leaning on him heavily.
Fuller had already piled up 513 rushing yards and five touchdowns before the injury, giving South Carolina a reliable presence in the backfield and a steady option in the run game. In his absence against Oklahoma, Jabree Coleman, Christian Clark and Isaiah Augustave all got work, and the Gamecocks now have to sort out how they replace Fullers production moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Dabo Swinney Blasts Fan Stunt He Says Crossed The Line
Clemsons win over Florida State was supposed to be the headline, but Dabo Swinney spent part of his postgame attention on something floating above the stadium instead. A banner calling for the firing of coach Mike Norvell and trustee Peter Collins drew Swinneys criticism, with the Clemson coach pointing out the misspelling of Norvells name and saying he was disappointed by the stunt. The message was reportedly crowdfunded by a fan and cost $3,550.
Swinneys reaction fit a broader point he has made before about what should and should not happen when a team is struggling. He stressed that the focus ought to stay on supporting the players, not turning losses into public campaigns aimed at getting people fired. In a rivalry-driven sport where emotion runs high, the banner became a reminder that the line between venting frustration and crossing into something uglier can be a thin one. [Read more 🡒]
LaNorris Sellers Has South Carolina Back In A Bigger Conversation
South Carolinas latest win did more than keep a streak alive. By beating Oklahoma 42-25 for a third straight victory, the Gamecocks pushed themselves back into a more meaningful conversation, and LaNorris Sellers was at the center of it. The quarterback delivered a dynamic performance with 301 passing yards, three touchdown throws, 96 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground, giving South Carolina the kind of offensive spark that can change the tone around a season.
At 5-3, the Gamecocks have created some breathing room, but the next stretch will say plenty about how far this run can go. The schedule ahead brings tougher tests that will shape their postseason chances, and the question now is whether Sellers and South Carolina can carry this momentum into games that carry far more weight than a November win in October. [Read more 🡒]