Virginia Top 25 High School Football State Rankings - Sept. 1, 2026

No. Varina and No. 2 St. James open with lopsided shutout victories; Roanoke Catholic climbs 12 spots to No. 13; Smithfield debuts at No. 25 in the Virginia High School Football State Rankings.

St. James Academy opened its 2026 season with a convincing 66-0 win over Lehi (Utah). The Strivers are ranked No. 2 in Virginia. | The St. James Football

Roanoke Catholic School is the big winner in the first High School on SI Virginia Top 25 football rankings of the regular season.

The Celtics defeated then-No. 13 Trinity Episcopal School, 43-37, to jump from their No. 25 preseason rank to No. 15. After rallying from a two-touchdown halftime deficit to shock then-No. 17 Lafayette on the road, Smithfield debuts this week at No. 25.

Varina is No. 1 followed by The Saint James Performance Academy, Maury, Oscar Smith and Benedictine College Prep. Varina visits Maury Friday evening in a highly anticipated 757 vs. 804 showdown. 

No. 7 Highland Springs host sixth-ranked Huguenot in a Top 10 matchup of Richmond rivals. Trinity Episcopal travels to Benedictine in a rematch of last fall’s Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division I final, and No. 18 Hampton makes its season debut against defending Virginia Class 3 state champ and 19th-ranked Lake Taylor.

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

High School On SI

PREVIOUS: PRESEASON | WK1 |

1. VARINA 

Preseason rank: No. 1

Record: 1-0

Last week: Defeated William Fleming, 54-0

This week: at No. 3 Maury, Sept. 4

2. THE SAINT JAMES PERFORMANCE ACADEMY 

Preseason rank: No. 2

Record: 1-0

Last week: Defeated Lehi (Utah), 66-0

This week: at Paramus Catholic (N.J.), Sept, 4

3. MAURY 

Preseason rank: No. 3

Record: 0-1

Last week: Lost to Mallard Creek (N.C.), 31-0

This week: vs. No. 1 Varina, Sept. 4

4. OSCAR SMITH 

Preseason rank: No. 4

Record: 0-0

Last week: Did not play

This week: vs. Warwick, Sept. 4

5. BENEDICTINE COLLEGE PREP 

Preseason rank: No. 5

Record: 1-0

Last week: Defeated Blue Ridge School, 46-0

This week: vs. No. 16 Trinity Episcopal School, Sept. 4

6. HUGUENOT 

Preseason rank: No. 6

Record: 0-0

Last week: Did not play

This week: at No. 7 Highland Springs, Sept. 4

7. HIGHLAND SPRINGS 

Preseason rank: No. 7

Record: 1-0

Last week: Defeated Hopewell, 35-7

This week: vs. No. 6 Highland Springs, Sept. 4

8. STONE BRIDGE

Preseason rank: No. 8

Record: 1-0

Last week: Defeated No. 16 James Madison, 21-14

This week: vs. Centreville, Sept. 3

9. INDIAN RIVER 

Preseason rank: No. 9

Record: 0-0

Last week: Did not play

This week: Off; next game - vs. Great Bridge, Sept. 11

10. GREEN RUN 

Preseason rank: No. 10

Record: 1-0

Monday: Defeated Tallwood, 35-0

Next game: at Salem-Virginia Beach, Sept. 8

11. THOMAS DALE 

Preseason rank: No. 11

Record: 1-0

Last week: Defeated Cosby, 28-0

This week: vs. Lloyd C. Bird, Sept. 3

Preseason rank: No. 12

Record: 1-0

Last week: Defeated Colonial Heights, 36-12

This week: vs. Granby, Sept. 4

13. WOODBERRY FOREST SCHOOL 

Preseason rank: No. 14

Record: 0-0

Last week: Did not play

This week: at Norfolk Academy, Sept. 4

14. RIVERBEND 

Preseason rank: No. 15

Record: 1-0

Last week: Defeated Chancellor, 49-0

This week: at Forest Park, Sept. 3

15. ROANOKE CATHOLIC SCHOOL 

Preseason rank: No. 25

Record: 1-0

Last week: Defeated then-No. 13 Trinity Episcopal School, 43-37

This week: Off; next game - at Fredericksburg Christian School, Sept. 12

16. TRINITY EPISCOPAL SCHOOL 

Preseason rank: No. 13

Record: 0-1

Last week: Lost to then-No. 25 Roanoke Catholic School, 43-37

This week: at No. 5 Benedictine College Prep, Sept. 4

17. JAMES MADISON 

Preseason rank: No. 16

Record: 0-1

Last week: Lost to No. 8 Stone Ridge, 21-14

This week: vs. Lake Braddock, Sept. 3

18. HAMPTON 

Preseason rank: No. 18

Record: 0-0

Last week: Did not play

This week: vs. No. 19 Lake Taylor, Sept. 4

19. LAKE TAYLOR

Preseason rank: No. 19

Record: 1-0

Last week: Defeated Heritage, 28-12

This week: at No. 18 Hampton, Sept. 4

20. PETERSBURG  

Preseason rank: No. 20

Record: 1-0

Last week: Defeated Henrico, 34-6

This week: at Norcom, Sept. 4

21. HERMITAGE

Preseason rank: No. 21

Record: 1-0

Last week: Defeated Matoaca, 35-7

This week: vs. Henrico, Sept. 3

22. KING’S FORK 

Preseason rank: No. 22

Record: 0-0

Last week: Did not play

This week: at Henry A. Wise (Md.), Sept. 4

23. MANCHESTER 

Preseason rank: No. 23

Record: 1-0

Last week: Defeated Monacan, 36-0

This week: vs. Glen Allen, Sept. 3

24. LOUDON COUNTY SPORTS ACADEMY

Preseason rank: No. 24

Record: 0-1

Last week: Lost to Baylor School (Tenn.), 37-12

This week: at Hun School (N.J.), Sept. 4

25. SMITHFIELD

Preseason rank: Not ranked

Record: 1-0

Last week: Defeated then-No. 17 Lafayette, 27-20

This week: Off; next game - at Bruton, Sept. 11