The run is finally over for the IMG Academy [Bradenton, FL] Ascenders as the No. 1 team in AllSportsPeople High School Football Top 25 as they give way to the new SN No. 1 Buford [GA] Wolves.
Even worse for the Ascenders, with two undefeated top 5 teams squaring off for Georgia's GHSA Class 6A state championship next week, there's no viable path left for them to climb back into the No. 1 spot. Therefore, they've been officially eliminated from contention for the title of AllSportsPeople High School Football National Champions.
For now, the Ascenders settle into the No. 2 spot in The SN Top 25, but they still have to hold off several other teams in order to maintain that position. That includes the SN No. 3 Southlake [TX] Carroll Dragons, SN No. 4 St. Frances Academy [Baltimore, MD] Panthers, SN No. 5 Carrollton [GA] Trojans, and SN No. 6 Allen [TX] Eagles. Any of those teams that win all of their remaining games will also pass IMG Academy in the rankings.
IMG Academy has one remaining hope at clinching a share of the national title. If they can maintain a high enough position in each of the selector lists that are used to compile AllSportsPeople Composite Rankings, they could theoretically collect enough points there to hold onto the No. 1 position. Currently, they are ranked behind Buford on that list, too, but it's unclear what effect a Wolves' loss to the Carrollton [GA] Trojans would have in that Georgia Class 6A title tilt.
For now, the Ascenders can only wait and hope that they've done enough.
Understanding the SN Top 25 through transparency
Like any set of rankings, things may not always make sense at first glance, and there are as many approaches to ranking teams as there are selectors. Some rankings are simply a reflection of what has happened to date, and many of these are algorithm-based, subject to wild weekly swings like the Massey Ratings that are part of AllSportsPeople Composite Rankings released on Wednesdays.
Other rankings are more predictive – an attempt to account for what has happened, while attempting to line up teams in a way that will reflect potential future results. SN's approach falls somewhere in line with this way of thinking, and each week we first attempt to rank the teams by resume before considering wins and losses and head-to-head results. No system is perfect, but at least understanding our approach can help understand why we have the teams where we do.
As noted above, Buford has overtaken the previous No. 1 IMG Academy, and the Wolves are a win away from the school's first national championship.
MORE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL HEADLINES
AllSportsPeople High School Football Top 25
SN No. 1 Buford [GA] Wolves
2025 Record: 14-0
Last Week: SN No. 2
Next Game: 12/16/2025 — vs. No. 3/SN No. 5 Carrollton [GA] Trojans
Last Game: 12/5/2025 — Buford 39, NR Valdosta [GA] Wildcats 7 (12-2)
W/L Streak: 14 wins
Buford has finally climbed the Top 25 mountain. Now, the question is... Can they stay there? The Wolves are the nation's new No. 1 team, moving ahead of the IMG Academy Ascenders by virtue of a 39-7 win over the Valdosta [GA] Wildcats – a team with a national championship pedigree of its own. Historically, the Wildcats are the Peach State's most successful program at the national level with at least six mythical national titles dating back to 1962. That's good enough to rank fourth in the nation all-time, so it's fitting that the Wolves' potential path to the title went through Valdosta. Now, the Wolves will face the SN No. 5 Carrollton Trojans for a chance to add their name to Georgia's small list of high school football national champions. It's the biggest game in Buford's school history next Tuesday night, and the stakes couldn't be any bigger.
SN No. 2 IMG Academy [Bradenton, FL] Ascenders
2025 Record: 9-0
Last Week: SN No. 1
Next Game: Season has concluded
Last Game: 11/1/2025 — IMG Academy 31, NR Hun [Princeton, NJ] Raiders 13 (7-4)
W/L Streak: 10 wins
IMG Academy has finally fallen out of the No. 1 position here, and as noted above, there's no viable path remaining for them to regain this position. If anything, they are likely to slip even further, pending results of the four teams lined up directly below them in the rankings. And their only hope of a national title at this point is via the SN Composite Rankings or via one of the other national title selectors.
SN No. 3 Southlake [TX] Carroll Dragons
2025 Record: 14-0
Last Week: SN No. 4
Next Game: 12/13/2025 — vs. No. 31 DeSoto [TX] Eagles (11-3)
Last Game: 12/6/2025 — Southlake Carroll 51, NR Guyer [Denton, TX] Wildcats 19 (11-3)
W/L Streak: 14 wins
After fending off a feisty Prosper [TX] Eagles' squad two weeks ago, it was back to the blowouts last week as the Dragons dismantled the Guyer Wildcats. Next up is a DeSoto team that has had its up and downs, but as been riding the highs for several weeks now. This one could be a doozy, and it has the potential to knock Carroll out of the national title picture.
SN No. 4 St. Frances Academy [Baltimore, MD] Panthers
2025 Record: 8-1
Last Week: SN No. 3
Next Game: 12/10/2025 — vs. NR Corner Canyon [Draper, UT] Chargers (12-1)
Last Game: 11/1/2025 — St. Frances Academy 35, The St. James Performance Academy [Springfield, VA] Strivers 0 (8-1)
W/L Streak: 7 wins
St. Frances Academy has been idle for almost six weeks, but it's finally game week again as the Panthers will take on the Corner Canyon [Draper, UT] Chargers Wednesday night at home in Baltimore in the Overtime Nationals Championship. The game is being billed as a national championship game, but neither the Panthers nor the Chargers remains in contention for the title here in SN's rankings.
SN No. 5 Carrollton [GA] Trojans
2025 Record: 14-0
Last Week: SN No. 5
Next Game: 12/16/2025 — vs. No. 1/SN No. 1 Buford [GA] Wolves (14-0)
Last Game: 12/5/2025 — Carrollton 48, NR North Gwinnett [Suwanee, GA] Bulldogs 21 (12-2)
W/L Streak: 14 wins
Carrollton gets a weekend off, but they'll be busy preparing for their game against No. 1 Buford. The Wolves are guaranteed a national title if they win it; for Carrollton, it's a little shakier with No. 3 Southlake Carroll still ahead of them and in contention for a Texas UIL Class 6A Division II title. It may come down to how the game looks on the field, but either way, it's a game that will help paint the national championship picture here at AllSportsPeople.
SN No. 6 Allen [TX] Eagles
2025 Record: 14-0
Last Week: SN No. 6
Next Game: 12/13/2025 — vs. No. 18/SN No. 12 Duncanville [TX] Panthers (11-1)
Last Game: 12/5/2025 — Allen 33, SN No. 25 North Crowley [Fort Worth, TX] Panthers 21 (12-2)
W/L Streak: 14 wins
For Allen, the dream of a AllSportsPeople national title is officially over with four teams still ahead of them in the rankings, including Buford and Carrollton, who will face off as noted in Georgia's Class 6A title game. The winner of that is guaranteed to stay ahead of Allen in The SN Top 25 so there is no viable path to the national title here. But, the Eagles are very much alive and in the running for the Texas UIL Class 6A Division I title. They knocked off the defending state champion North Crowley Panthers last week, and next up, is another group of Panthers eager to claim the trophy for their own case. This one could be epic.
SN No. 7 Grayson [Loganville, GA] Rams
2025 Record: 13-1
Last Week: SN No. 7
Next Game: Season has concluded
Last Game: 11/28/2025 — SN No. 10 Carrollton [GA] Trojans 34 (13-0), Grayson 14
W/L Streak: 1 loss
It was an admirable run for Grayson. After losing their 5-star QB Travis Burgess for the season back in August, they turned the reins over to Deuce Smith who guided the Rams all the way to Georgia's Class 6A quarterfinals. It ended there, and with it, Grayson lost its best chance yet to capture an elusive national title. The good news for the Rams is they'll probably be right back in the thick of it again next year. But that's little consolation right now for a team that had a title within reach.
SN No. 8 St. Thomas Aquinas [Fort Lauderdale, FL] Raiders
2025 Record: 13-1
Last Week: SN No. 8
Next Game: 12/11/2025 — vs. NR Lakeland [FL] Dreadnaughts (12-2)
Last Game: 12/5/2025 — St. Thomas Aquinas 45, NR Riverdale [Fort Myers, FL] Raiders 13 (12-2)
W/L Streak: 13 wins
St. Thomas Aquinas will play for Florida's FHSAA Class 5A state championship Thursday night against Lakeland in a rematch of last year's finale. That didn't go so well for the Dreadnaughts who lost their only game of the 2024 season in a 34-0 rout at the hands of the Raiders. And they'll be hard-pressed to overcome this edition of Florida's Class 5A juggernauts, too.
SN No. 9 Bishop Gorman [Las Vegas, NV] Gaels
2025 Record: 11-1
Last Week: SN No. 9
Next Game: Season has concluded
Last Game: 11/25/2025 — Bishop Gorman 44, NR Arbor View [Las Vegas, NV] Aggies 7 (9-3)
W/L Streak: 7 wins
Bishop Gorman throttled the Arbor View Aggies in Nevada's Open Division state championship game. It wasn't enough to lift them into the national title conversation, but the Gaels will be back next year for another run at national glory.
SN No. 10 DeMatha [Hyattsville, MD] Stags
2025 Record: 11-0
Last Week: SN No. 11
Next Game: Season has concluded
Last Game: 11/23/2025 — DeMatha 20, NR Gonzaga [Washington, DC] Eagles 13 (7-5)
W/L Streak: 21 wins
DeMatha captured the WCAC championship in a hard-fought win over the Gonzaga Eagles. It should be enough to keep them here in the national Top 10 when the dust settles on the playoffs around the rest of the country.
SN No. 11 Edna Karr [New Orleans, LA] Cougars
2025 Record: 13-0
Last Week: SN No. 11
Next Game: 12/13/2025 — vs. NR St. Augustine [New Orleans, LA] Purple Knights (12-1)
Last Game: 12/5/2025 — Edna Karr 17, NR Catholic [Baton Rouge, LA] Bears 10 (10-3)
W/L Streak: 27 wins
It's likely that the best game of Louisiana's Division I Select bracket has already been played; Edna Karr's close call against the Catholic Bears last week resulted in only the Cougars' second one-score game of the season. The first came against the American Heritage [Plantation, FL] Patriots back on September 12 in AllSportsPeople High School Football Game of the Week. The Patriots ultimately stumbled to a 5-5 finish in the regular season, but have since rebounded to make it to Florida's FHSAA Class 4A state championship game this week. Those results could indicate that this Edna Karr team is a little over-ranked at this point, and they'll have to hold off some undefeated Texas squads lined up behind them here in the Top 25. In the meantime, they can only take care of their own business, and this week, that means a rematch with St. Augustine in the state championship game – a team they beat 42-21 back on October 3. That's the Purple Knights' only loss to date, but we expect their loss column to double by the end of Saturday's matchup with the Cougars.
SN No. 12 Duncanville [TX] Panthers
2025 Record: 11-1
Last Week: SN No. 12
Next Game: 12/13/2025 — vs. SN No. 6 Allen [TX] Eagles
Last Game: 12/6/2025 — Duncanville 35, NR Waxahachie [TX] Indians 27 (11-3)
W/L Streak: 10 wins
Duncanville's only loss this season is a 28-27 setback against Waxahachie way back on September 19. They avenged that loss last Saturday in the playoffs, holding off a furious Indians' rally to snag a 35-27 victory and move on to the state semifinals. Now, their redemption tour continues against No. 6 Allen – a team that just beat the defending state champions form North Crowley. We can't wait to see how this one plays out.
SN No. 13 Aledo [TX] Bearcats
2025 Record: 14-0
Last Week: SN No. 13
Next Game: 12/12/2025 — vs. NR Lone Star [Frisco, TX] Rangers (14-0)
Last Game: 12/5/2025 — Aledo 43, NR Ryan [Denton, TX] Raiders 17 (12-2)
W/L Streak: 14 wins
Two 14-0 squads will face off when Aledo meets Lone Star Friday night on neutral ground in Mansfield, Texas, and Aledo's championship pedigree – 11 state titles since 2009 – suggests that the Bearcats will be tough to beat. But Lone Star beat another championship program last week in their 58-38 takedown of the Highland Park [Dallas, TX] Scots, and the only way to settle a matchup like this is on the field. We lean toward Aledo, but this Lone Star squad has brought it every week in 2025.
SN No. 14 Randle [Richmond, TX] Lions
2025 Record: 14-0
Last Week: SN No. 14
Next Game: 12/12/2025 — vs. NR Boerne [TX] Greyhounds (13-1)
Last Game: 12/5/2025 — Randle 45, NR Iowa Colony [TX] Pioneers 35 (12-2)
W/L Streak: 30 wins
Randle has survived two shootouts with Iowa Colony this year, and the gut feel here is that the Lions will have an easier go of it this week against a one-loss Boerne Greyhounds' squad that had its hands full with in a 56-49 shootout win over the Alamo Heights [San Antonio, TX] Mules last week.
SN No. 15 Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles
2025 Record: 10-3
Last Week: No. 15
Next Game: 12/13/2025 — vs. NR De La Salle [Concord, CA] Spartans (12-0)
Last Game: 11/28/2025 — vs. SN No. 3 Centennial [Corona, CA] Huskies (11-1)
W/L Streak: 5 wins
It's state championship bowl week in California, and the Santa Margarita Eagles will look to put a bow on their 2025 season against the undefeated former kings of California from De La Salle. Don't let the records fool you – this 10-3 Santa Margarita team is actually the favorite headed into this game, and we expect they'll emerge victorious with a California state title in their first season under Eagles' alum and Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer.
SN No. 16 Centennial [Corona, CA] Huskies
2025 Record: 11-2
Last Week: SN No. 16
Next Game: Season has concluded
Last Game: 11/28/2025 — SN No. 25 Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles (10-3) 42, Centennial 7
W/L Streak: 1 loss
There was only one team Centennial couldn't beat in 2025, and unfortunately, they had to face them twice. In a season when the Huskies finally beat their nemesis Mater Dei twice, they also suffered two losses of their own to one team as Santa Margarita beat them, 33-27, in overtime on August 28 before blowing them out, 42-7, last in the Southern Section championship at the Rose Bowl. That second loss ended the Huskies' season, unfortunately, and they'll spend the offseason ruing their inability to avenge that earlier loss to Santa Margarita.
SN No. 17 Grimsley [Greensboro, NC] Whirlies
2025 Record: 14-0
Last Week: SN No. 17
Next Game: 12/12/2025 — vs. NR Clayton [NC] Comets (12-2)
Last Game: 12/4/2025 — Grimsley 13, NR Weddington [Matthews, NC] Warriors 7 (13-1)
W/L Streak: 30 wins
We suspected Weddington would put up a good fight against Grimsley, and they did, losing just 13-7 last Thursday night. But for Grimsley, a win's a win, and now they'll take on the Clayton Comets in North Carolina's NCHSAA Class 7A state championship game Friday night.
SN No. 18 Mater Dei [Santa Ana, CA] Monarchs
2025 Record: 8-3
Last Week: SN No. 18
Next Game: Season has concluded
Last Game: 11/21/2025 — SN No. 3 Centennial [Corona, CA] Huskies (11-1) 28, Mater Dei 27
W/L Streak: 1 loss
The Monarchs have finally, officially, abdicated their throne, and it came much earlier than anybody could have expected for a program that entered the season as the unanimous No. 1 team in the country. Mater Dei's loss to Centennial ended their back-to-back run of national titles, but ultimately, the Monarchs will be fine in the long run. They have the best talent in the country in any given year, and they've got a lot of young prospects who should be able to right the ship pretty quickly.
SN No. 19 St. John Bosco [Bellflower, CA] Braves
2025 Record: 9-2
Last Week: SN No. 19
Next Game: Season has concluded
Last Game: 11/14/2025 — NR Orange [CA] Lutheran Lancers 20 (3-8), St. John Bosco 19
W/L Streak: 2 losses
After a flashy 9-0 start that carried them into the No. 1 position in the SN Top 25, the Braves' season only lasted two more games. First, there was the loss to archrival Mater Dei in the regular-season finale. Then on a rainy Friday night in Southern California, the Braves were ousted from California's Southern Section playoffs in one of the most shocking postseason results in Golden State history. A season that once appeared destined to end in another national championship for St. John Bosco terminated instead in the opening round of California's postseason, and the Braves will spend the offseason assessing how it all unraveled so quickly.
SN No. 20 South Oak Cliff [Dallas, TX] Bears
2025 Record: 13-1
Last Week: SN No. 20
Next Game: 12/12/2025 — vs. NR Melissa [TX] Cardinals (13-1)
Last Game: 12/5/2025 — South Oak Cliff 28, NR Port Neches [TX]-Groves Indians 0 (13-1)
W/L Streak: 12 wins
The Bears had no problem against the previously undefeated Port Neches-Groves Indians last week, and they won't have any issues this coming Friday night against the Melissa Cardinals. We're expecting them to roll and set up a meeting with Randle – a rematch of 2024's Texas UIL Class 5A Division II title game.
SN No. 21 Bixby [OK] Spartans
2025 Record: 13-0
Last Week: SN No. 21
Next Game: Season has concluded
Last Game: 12/6/2025 — Bixby 31, NR Owasso [OK] Rams 17 (10-3)
W/L Streak: 16 wins
Bixby got a little bit of a fight from Owasso last Saturday, but it takes more than that to take down this group of Spartans who are now Oklahoma's OSSAA Class 6A Division I champions.
SN No. 22 Baylor [Chattanooga, TN] Red Raiders
2025 Record: 12-0
Last Week: SN No. 22
Next Game: Season has concluded
Last Game: 12/4/2025 — Baylor 28, NR Brentwood [TN] Academy Eagles 24 (11-1)
W/L Streak: 12 wins
Baylor and Brentwood Academy put on quite a show in the rain, but in the end, it was the Red Raiders' night in what was the Red Raiders' season. They are your Tennessee TSSAA Division II-AAA state champions.
SN No. 23 Creekside [Fairburn, GA] Seminoles
2025 Record: 14-0
Last Week: No. 23
Next Game: 12/15/2025 — vs. NR Benedictine [Savannah, GA] Cadets (11-2)
Last Game: 12/5/2025 — Creekside 35, NR Kell [Marietta, GA] Longhorns 6 (11-3)
W/L Streak: 14 wins
Creekside is one win away from being crowned Georgia's GHSA Class 4A state champions, and they've yet to play a game closer than 20 points this year. Benedictine didn't get here by laying down and surrendering to anybody, but we also expect they'll find this Seminoles' team to be a little beyond their reach.
SN No. 24 Clay-Chalkville [Pinson, AL] Cougars
2025 Record: 15-0
Last Week: SN No. 24
Next Game: Season has concluded
Last Game: 12/5/2025 — Clay-Chalkville 38, NR Saraland [AL] Spartans 21 (13-1)
W/L Streak: 15 wins
Clay-Chalkville finished off a perfect season last Friday night in a 38-21 win over Saraland, and they conclude the 2025 season as the top-ranked team in Alabama as the AHSAA Class 6A champions.
SN No. 25 De La Salle [Concord, CA] Spartans
2025 Record: 12-0
Last Week: Unranked
Next Game: 12/13/2025 — vs. Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles (10-3)
Last Game: 12/21/2025 — De La Salle 24, Pittsburg [CA] Pirates (11-3)
W/L Streak: 10 wins
De La Salle hasn't seen the field in three weeks, waiting on California's Southern Section to be decided. They are 12-0, but it will take all they've got and then some to beat this 10-3 Santa Margarita. They'll likely have to do it by playing a defensive battle because it's unlikely they could score enough in a shootout against this Eagles' defense that might be the best in the country.
Weekly Top 25 Schedule
NR – Not ranked
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Wednesday, December 10, 2025
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Playoffs
- SN No. 4 St. Frances Academy [Baltimore, MD] Panthers vs. NR Corner Canyon [Draper, UT] Chargers (12-1) — 7 p.m. EST local
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Thursday, December 11, 2025
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Playoffs
- SN No. 8 St. Thomas Aquinas [Fort Lauderdale, FL] Raiders (13-1) vs. NR Lakeland [FL] Dreadnaughts (12-2) — 7:30 p.m. EST local
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Friday, December 12, 2025
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Playoffs
- SN No. 13 Aledo [TX] Bearcats (13-0) vs. NR Lone Star [Frisco, TX] Rangers — 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST local)
- SN No. 14 Randle [Richmond, TX] Lions (13-0) vs. NR Boerne [TX] Greyhounds (13-1) — 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST local)
- SN No. 17 Grimsley [Greensboro, NC] Whirlies (14-0) vs. NR Clayton [NC] Comets (12-2) — 8 p.m. EST local
- SN No. 20 South Oak Cliff [Dallas, TX] Bears (12-1) vs. NR Melissa [TX] Cardinals (13-1) — 8:30 p.m. EST (7:30 p.m. CST local)
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Saturday, December 13, 2025
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Playoffs
- SN No. 3 Southlake [TX] Carroll Dragons (13-0) vs. NR DeSoto [TX] Eagles (11-3) — 3 p.m. EST (2 p.m. CST local)
- SN No. 6 Allen [TX] Eagles vs. SN No. 12 Duncanville [TX] Panthers (11-1) — 4 p.m. EST (3 p.m. CST local)
- SN No. 11 Edna Karr [New Orleans, LA] Cougars (13-0) vs. NR St. Augustine [New Orleans, LA] Purple Knights (12-1) — 4:30 p.m. EST (3:30 p.m. CST local)
- SN No. 15 Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles (10-3) vs. SN No 25 De La Salle [Concord, CA] Spartans (12-0) — 11 p.m. EST (8 p.m. PST local)
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Monday, December 15, 2025
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- SN No. 23 Creekside [Fairburn, GA] Seminoles (14-0) vs. NR Benedictine [Savannah, GA] Cadets (11-2) — 7 p.m. EST local
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IDLE
SN No. 1 Buford [GA] Wolves (14-0); SN No. 2 IMG Academy [Bradenton, FL] Ascenders (9-0); SN No. 5 Carrollton [TX] Trojans (14-0); SN No. 7 Grayson [Loganville, GA] Rams (12-1); SN No. 9 Bishop Gorman [Las Vegas, NV] Gaels (11-1); SN No. 10 DeMatha [Hyattsville, MD] Stags (11-0); SN No. 16 Centennial [Corona, CA] Huskies (11-2); SN No. 18 Mater Dei [Santa Ana, CA] Monarchs (8-3); SN No. 19 St. John Bosco [Bellflower, CA] Braves (9-2); SN No. 21 Bixby [OK] Spartans (13-0); SN No. 22 Baylor [Chattanooga, TN] Red Raiders (12-0); SN No. 24 Clay-Chalkville [Pinson, AL] Cougars (15-0)
MORE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYOFF HEADLINES
- Florida 2025 playoff brackets (7A/6A/5A/4A)
- Georgia 2025 playoff brackets (6A/5A/4A)
- Louisiana 2025 playoff brackets (Division I/II)
- Texas 2025 playoff brackets (6A/5A/4A)