Virginia High School Football Top 25 State Rankings (Sept. 21, 2026)

After a rare victory over Oscar Smith, Indian River leaps into the Top 5 in the latest High School On SI Virginia Football Top 25 state rankings.

The No. 3 Braves got the winning score in the final seconds to defeat Oscar Smith, the two-time defending Virginia Class 6 state champ, 24-21. Indian River had lost 26 of the previous 27 decisions to the Tigers.

Varina maintains the No. 1 ranking, followed by The Saint James Performance Academy, Indian River, Oscar Smith and Maury. The second 5 features Huguenot, Stone Bridge, Highland Springs, Thomas Dale and Green Run.

Salem (No. 21) and Warhill (No. 25) debut this week.

Here’s this week’s High School on SI Virginia football Top 25:

1. VARINA

Previous rank: No. 1

Record: 3-0-1

Last week: Defeated then-No. 20 Hermitage, 37-6

This week: at Henrico, Sept. 25

2. THE SAINT JAMES PERFORMANCE ACADEMY

Previous rank: No. 2

Record: 3-0

Last week: Defeated Mount Zion Prep (Md.), 65-0

This week: vs. Cardinal Ritter College Prep (Missouri), Sept. 25

3. INDIAN RIVER

Previous rank: No. 8

Record: 3-0

Last week: Defeated then-No. 3 Oscar Smith, 24-21

This week: at Grassfield, Sept. 25

4. OSCAR SMITH

Previous rank: No. 3

Record: 1-1-1

Last week: Lost to then-No. 3 Indian River, 24-21

This week: vs. No. 18 King’s Fork, Sept. 25

5. MAURY

Previous rank: No. 4

Record: 1-2

Last week: Did not play

This week: at Churchland, Sept. 25

6. HUGUENOT

Previous rank: No. 5

Record: 3-0

Last week: Defeated Cosby, 34-0

This week: vs. Midlothian, Sept. 25

7. STONE BRIDGE

Previous rank: No. 6

Record: 3-1

Last week: Lost to Quince Orchard (Md.), 20-6

This week: at Woodgrove, Sept. 25

8. HIGHLAND SPRINGS

Previous rank: No. 7

Record: 3-1

Last week: Defeated South County, 28-7

This week: vs. Lloyd C. Bird, Sept. 25

9. THOMAS DALE

Previous rank: No. 10

Record: 3-0

Last week: Defeated Glen Allen, 41-7

This week: at Prince George’s, Sept. 24

10. GREEN RUN

Previous rank: No. 9

Record: 3-1

Last week: Lost to Hough (N.C.), 45-0

This week: vs. Bayside, Sept. 25

11. ROANOKE CATHOLIC SCHOOL

Previous rank: No. 11

Record: 2-0

Last week: Did not play

This week: vs. Friendship Collegiate Academy (D.C.), Sept. 25

12. TRINITY EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Previous rank: No. 12

Record: 3-1

Last week: Defeated then-No. 14 Woodberry Forest School, 45-7

This week: Off; next game - at Blue Ridge School, Oct. 3

13. BENEDICTINE COLLEGE PREP

Previous rank: No. 13

Record: 2-2

Last week: Lost to McDonogh School (Md.), 28-7

This week: vs. Gonzaga College (D.C.), Sept. 25

14. RIVERBEND

Previous rank: No. 16

Record: 4-0

Last week: Defeated Albemarle, 58-7

This week: vs. Brooke Point, Sept. 25

15. HAMPTON

Previous rank: No. 17

Record: 3-0

Last week: Defeated Woodside, 48-0

This week: at Glen Allen, Sept. 25

16. JAMES MADISON

Previous rank: No. 18

Record: 3-1

Last week: Defeated Hayfield, 35-14

This week: at George C. Marshall, Sept. 25

17. PETERSBURG

Previous rank: No. 19

Record: 3-0

Last week: Defeated John Marshall by forfeit

This week: at Colonial Heights, Sept. 25

18. KING’S FORK

Previous rank: No. 21

Record: 2-0

Last week: Defeated Great Bridge, 35-20

This week: at No. 4 Oscar Smith, Sept. 25

19. MANCHESTER

Previous rank: No. 22

Record: 4-0

Last week: Defeated Clover Hill, 42-6

This week: vs. Cosby, Sept. 25

20. BETHEL

Previous rank: No. 24

Record: 4-0

Last week: Defeated Denbigh. 20-11

This week: vs. Kecoughtan, Sept. 24

21. SALEM

Previous rank: Not ranked

Record: 4-0

Last week: Defeated then-No. 15 Dinwiddie, 38-14

This week: at Blacksburg, Sept. 25

22. SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

Previous rank: No. 23

Record: 3-1

Last week: Lost to Loyola Blakefield (Md.), 42-28

This week: Off; next game - at Bishop McNamara (Md.), Oct. 3

23. WOODBERRY FOREST SCHOOL

Previous rank: No. 14

Record: 2-1

Last week: Lost to then-No. 12 Trinity Episcopal, 45-7

This week: Off; next game - at Georgetown Prep (Md.), Oct. 10

24. HERMITAGE

Previous rank: No. 20

Record: 2-2

Last week: Lost to No. 1 Varina, 37-6

This week: at Deep Run, Sept. 25

25. WARHILL

Previous rank: Not ranked

Record: 3-0

Last week: Defeated then-No. 25 Smithfield, 13-7

This week: vs. York, Sept. 24

Add us as a preferred source on Google