High School on SI Power 25 Football National Rankings – Aug. 24, 2025

No. 1 Mater Dei wins highly anticipated matchup with St. Thomas Aquinas in the marquee contest of the week; Sierra Canyon (Cal.) and East St. Louis (Ill.) debut in the Top 25

Quarterback Ryan Hopkins and Mater Dei traveled across the country and edged St. Thomas Aquinas at the 2025 Broward County National Football Showcase. / Robson Lopes

There was no easing into the 2025 high school football season for many of the teams in the High School on SI Power 25 national rankings.

The marquee matchup featured two-time national champion Mater Dei traveling cross-country from Southern California to meet St. Thomas Aquinas in the Broward County National Football Showcase, and the Monarchs had to survive late to pull out a 26-23 victory.

It was one of four games that matched teams in the preseason Power 25 against one another, while others like IMG Academy, Grayson, and Grimsley tested themselves against top opposition in Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina.

Two teams dropped out of the rankings following this week’s action — Chaminade-Madonna and Santa Margarita — although both will remain under consideration, with each having high-profile matchups coming up in the next couple of weeks.

Taking their place are Sierra Canyon at No. 21 and East St. Louis at No. 25. The 11-time Illinois state champion Flyers will open their season at No. 11 Bergen Catholic next week in one of the showcases of the second full week of the high school season.

Another will see No. 12 Thompson travel across the Alabama-Georgia state line to face No. 8 Grayson.

Here’s the complete breakdown of this week’s High School on SI Power 25 national high school football rankings.

High School on SI Power 25 Football Rankings – Aug. 25, 2025

1. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) (1-0)

Previous ranking: 1

Last week: Def. No. 15 St. Thomas Aquinas 26-23

Lowdown: An early-season matchup of national powers that lived up to the billing. Ohio State commit Chris Henry Jr. caught two second-quarter touchdowns as the Monarchs built a 26-3 halftime lead, then had to hold off a furious comeback from the Raiders.

Next up: vs. Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.), Aug. 29

2. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) (1-0)

Previous ranking: 2

Last week: Def. Manatee (Fla.) 31-0

Lowdown: QB Koa Malau’ulu tossed three touchdown passes in one half’s worth of work as the game was called at halftime due to lightning in the Bradenton area.

Next up: vs. Eastwood (El Paso, TX), Aug. 29

3. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) (1-0)

Previous ranking: 3

Last week: Def. Centennial (Las Vegas) 55-0

Lowdown: It was the first time in 20 years that the Gaels opened their season against an in-state opponent, and they made easy work of their opener, with QB Maika Eugenio tossing four first-half touchdown passes and Pesi Silva and Tausa’afia Tuafa-Langi returning interceptions for scores.

Next up: at Kahuku (Hawaii), Aug. 30

4. St. Frances Academy (Baltimore) (1-0)

Previous ranking: 5

Season opener: Def. then-No. 14 Chaminade-Madonna 42-13

Lowdown: The Panthers showed this season would not start with a hiccup with an emphatic win at Brian Piccolo Stadium. Maryland commit Khmari Bing returned an interception 49 yards for a second-quarter touchdown, and QB Jae'Oyn Williams threw for two scores and ran for another.

Next up: at No. 2 St. John Bosco, Sept. 5

5. Duncanville (Texas)

Previous ranking: 4

Season opener: vs. South Oak Cliff (Dallas), Sept. 5

6. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) (1-0)

Previous ranking: 6

Last week: Def. Hoover (Ala.) 34-13

Lowdown: Louisville commit Le’Khy Thompkins ran for three touchdowns to lead the Ascenders to the victory over one of Alabama’s top teams.

Next up: at Winslow Township (Atco, N.J.), Aug. 28

7. Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) (2-0)

Previous ranking: 8

Last week: Def. Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (Rabun Gap, Ga.) 24-19

Lowdown: The Rams trailed 12-0 early but rallied for the victory, with Brandon Gray scoring a third-quarter touchdown, then icing the win with a 43-yard run that allowed them to go into victory formation.

Next up: vs. No. 12 Thompson, Aug. 29

8. North Crowley (Fort Worth, Texas)

Previous ranking: 7

Season opener: vs. Lancaster (Texas), Aug. 28

9. Buford (Ga.) (2-0)

Previous ranking: 9

Last week: Def. Benedictine (Suwanee, Ga.) 42-14

Lowdown: North Carolina State commit Dylan McCoy and Georgia commit Tyriq Green each ran for two touchdowns, and the Wolves held Benedictine to 104 total yards.

Next up: vs. Roswell (Ga.), Sept. 5

10. Centennial (Corona, Calif.) (1-0)

Previous ranking: 10

Last week: Def. Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) 42-14

Lowdown: Senior QB Dominick Catalano tossed four touchdown passes and sophomore RB Malaki Davis accounted for three scores as the Huskies romped to the season-opening win.

Next up: at Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.), Aug. 28

11. Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.)

Previous ranking: 11

Season opener: vs. No. 25 East St. Louis (Ill.), Aug. 28

12. Thompson (Alabaster, Ala.) (1-0)

Previous ranking: 12

Last week: Def. Carver Montgomery (Ala.) 37-6

Lowdown: The Warriors scored twice in the first four minutes of the second half to blow the game open after the teams went into the halftime locker room tied 6-6. Thompson forced four turnovers, and 4-star QB Trent Seaborn threw for two touchdowns and ran for another.

Next up: at No. 8 Grayson, Aug. 29

13. Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah) (2-0)

Previous ranking: 15

Last week: Def. West Broward (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) 38-13

Next up: The Chargers had to wait out a 2 ½-hour weather delay to extend their win streak to 13, building a 17-0 halftime lead as Weston Briggs and Helaman Casuga each ran for two touchdowns and Josh Harris picked off two passes.

Lowdown: at Fremont (Plain City, Utah), Aug. 29

14. American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) (1-0)

Previous ranking: 17

Last week: Def. No. 23 St. Joseph’s Prep 31-28

Lowdown: QB Dia Bell showed why he’s one of the top recruits in the nation, leading the Patriots’ rally from a 28-point deficit capped by Kade Bailey’s career-long 42-yard field goal with four seconds remaining.

Next up: vs. Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.), Sept. 5

15. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) (0-1)

Previous ranking: 13

Season opener: Lost to No. 1 Mater Dei 26-23

Lowdown: The Raiders nearly came back to stun the two-time High School on SI national champions, erasing a 26-3 halftime deficit as QB Mason Mallory, a transfer from West Boca Raton, showed he might be ready to step into the enormous shoes left by Andrew Indorf.

Next up: vs. Boyd Anderson (Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.), Aug. 29

16. Mission Viejo (Calif.) (1-0)

Previous ranking: 19

Last week: Def. then-No. 16 Santa Margarita 7-3

Next up: The Diablos spoiled the head coaching debut of former Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer at his alma mater, with Ohio State commit QB Luke Fahey throwing for the game’s only touchdown in the third quarter.

Lowdown: at St. Paul (Santa Fe Springs, Calif.), Aug. 29

17. Liberty (Peoria, Ariz.)

Previous ranking: 22

Season opener: vs. Mountain View (Mesa, Ariz.), Aug. 28

18. Milton (Ga.) (1-1)

Previous ranking: 18

Last week: Def. The First Academy (Orlando, Fla.) 24-17

Lowdown: The Eagles bounced back from a season-opening defeat to Buford as their special teams scored their first two touchdowns, and they reclaimed the lead shortly after conceding an 80-yard touchdown pass to Colson Gill in the third quarter.

Next up: vs. Alpharetta (Ga.), Aug. 29

19. Edna Karr (New Orleans)

Previous ranking: 23

Season opener: vs. Archbishop Shaw (Marrero, La.), Sept. 5

20. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)

Previous ranking: 24

Season opener: vs. No. 23 St. Joseph’s Prep, Aug. 30

21. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) (1-0)

Previous ranking: NR

Last week: Def. JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) 35-0

Lowdown: The Trailblazers avenged last year’s loss to JSerra with a dominant defensive performance that forced punts on eight of the Lions’ 10 possessions and turnovers on downs on the other two.

Next up: at Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.), Aug. 29

22. Grimsley (Greensboro, N.C.) (1-0)

Previous ranking: 25

Season opener: Def. West Charlotte (N.C.) 28-27 (OT)

Lowdown: The Whirlies escaped the Keep Pounding Classic victorious as Faizon Brandon scored on a fourth-down run from the 1-yard line in overtime and held off the Lions’ two-point try following their touchdown.

Next up: at West Forsyth (Clemmons, N.C.), Aug. 29

23. St. Joseph’s Prep (Philadelphia) (0-1)

Previous ranking: 20

Last week: Lost to No. 18 American Heritage 31-28

Lowdown: A gut-punching defeat for the Hawks, who led 28-0 in the third quarter as QB Charlie Foulke and the special teams combined to give them the big road lead before faltering late.

Next up: at No. 20 DeMatha, Aug. 30

24. DeSoto (Texas)

Previous ranking: 21

Season opener: at Creekside (Fairburn, Ga.), Aug. 30

25. East St. Louis (Ill.)

Previous ranking: NR

Season opener: at No. 11 Bergen County, Aug. 28

Dropped Out

14. Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.)

16. Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)

Under Consideration

Allen (Texas)

Cass Tech (Detroit)

Carrollton (Ga.)

Douglas County (Douglasville, Ga.)

Dutch Fork (Irmo, S.C.)

Folsom (Calif.)

North Shore (Galena Park, Texas)

Orange (Calif.) Lutheran

Southlake Carroll (Texas)

Vandegrift (Austin, Texas)

Westlake (Austin, Texas)