Monday, December 24, 2012

High School Football America Radio Show

Because of the Christmas holiday, the High School Football America radio show be taking Thursday off, but you can always listen to past shows in our archives.

Above is last Thursday's show that featured MaxPreps' Steve Spiewak

We'll return on January 3rd. Happy Holidays!

 Jeff

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Final 2012 High School Football America Top 25

By Jeff Fisher
Editor-in-Chief
High School Football America
Follow @HSFBamerica


So the 2012 high school football season is officially over - other than for some national and local all-star games for seniors.

What a season it was!

If you've been following our rankings throughout the year, you know that we didn't release our first Top 25 until a month into the season, in order to get an accurate picture of who was good on the field, not just on paper.  We also didn't post rankings from mid-November on, so that the playoffs could unfold.

Now it’s time for High School Football America to name its first national champ.

Let’s also start using the word “mythical” in-front of national champs, because ultimately, there’s really no way to do this scientifically.


There are some years when a team rises head-and-shoulders above the pack, but for the most part, each year there could be anywhere from 5-8 teams that could lay claim to the “mythical” title. That’s the case this year with several teams having outstanding seasons.

We salute all of them! However, we need to name a national champ.

The choice could have gone many ways, but in the end, it came down to the Allen Eagles (Texas) and John Curtis (Louisiana) with Bellevue (Washington), De La Salle (California) and Katy (Texas) getting first-place votes.

My personal vote came-down to strength of schedule for the Eagles, who captured Texas’ Class 5A Division I championship Saturday night defeating previously unbeaten Lamar. The Eagles (15-1) finish the season with one loss, a 27-24 loss to Coppell (11-1) in overtime. Seven of Allen’s 16 opponents won 11 or more games this season.

There is no doubt that a case could be made for John Curtis. However, when you consider that Curtis (14-0) played seven opponents with sub-.500 records, compared with only three for Allen.  On the other side of the equation, Curtis faced and passed everyone of its tests. 

You can't do more than play your schedule and play it well.  The Patriots' outscored opponents 667-60 with seven shutouts. 

When the votes were tallied, we have co-national champs.

How would an Allen vs. John Curtis match-up turn-out next week?  We'll never know...but we do know they are both great teams.

For those of you that would like to check out our first national rankings back in mid-September, click here.

Again, congats the everyone and I can't wait until 2013.

Happy Holidays!


High School Football America Final 2012 Top 25

1 (tie). Allen (Texas) 15-1
Original Ranking: #11

1 (tie). John Curtis (River Ridge, LA) 14-0
Original Ranking: #5
3. Bellevue (Washington) 14-0

Original Ranking: #7

4. De La Salle (Concord, CA) 15-0
Original Ranking: #8

5. Katy (Texas) 16-0
Original Ranking: #21

6. Hoover (Alabama) 16-0
Original Ranking: #13

7. North Allegheny (Wexford, PA) 16-0
Original Ranking: NR

8. Norcross (Georgia) 15-0
Original Ranking: NR

9. DeSoto (Texas) 14-1
Original Ranking: #4

10. Butler (Matthews, NC) 15-0
Original Ranking: #20

11. University (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) 12-0
Original Ranking: #25

12. Ensworth (Nashville, TN) 13-0
Original Ranking: #18

13. Trinity (Louisville, KY) 13-1
Original Ranking: #9

14. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nevada) 13-1
Original Ranking: #23

15. Good Counsel (Maryland) 11-1
Original Ranking: #24

16. St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) 13-2
Original Ranking: NR

17. Centennial (Corona, CA) 14-2
Original Ranking: NR

18. Manatee (Bradenton, FL) 13-1
Original Ranking: #2

19. Steele (Cibolo, TX) 14-1
Original Ranking: NR

20. Whitehaven (Memphis, TN) 15-0
Original Ranking: NR

21. Miami Central (Florida) 12-2
Original Ranking: NR


22. Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati, OH) 12-3
Original Ranking: #17

23. Narbonne (Harbor City, CA) 14-1
Original Ranking: #19

24. St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, NJ) 10-2
Original Ranking: NR

25. Booker T. Washington (Miami) 13-1
Original Ranking: NR

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Listen to High School Football America - December 13th Show

by Jeff Fisher
Editor-in-Chief
High School Football America
Follow @HSFBamerica




If you missed last Thursday's High School Football America show, you missed a good one.  However, if you did, all you have to do to hear it is click-on the "play button or arrow" above to listen whenever you want.

On this show, Jeff Fisher talks with Corona Centennial (California) head coach Matt Logan about his team's preparation for its showdown with De La Salle in the California Open Division championship game.

Fisher also previews the Pennsylvania state championships with Dave Mika of EasternPAFootball.com and WesternPAFootball.net.

Fisher's third guest is Rim of the World (California) High School running back Jake Taylor, who became the sixth player in high school football history to rush for 4,000 yards in a season.

The show wraps-up with a flashback interview that Fisher and Trish Hoffman did back in June 2011 with Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel after he was named the 2011 National Football Player of the Year by the National High School Coaches Association.

Iowa High School to Get New Stadium Thanks to Powerball

by Jeff Fisher
Editor-in-Chief
High School Football America
Follow @HSFBamerica

What would you do if you won $202 million in the Powerball?

In the case of Brian and Mary Lohse of Iowa - build a high school football stadium.

The Des Moines Register reports that the family will donate $3 million dollars of their winnings to the Bondurant-Farrar school district to build a new high school football stadium in time for their oldest son's senior season in 2014 

One interesting twist is the family has asked that the visitor's locker froom be painted pink.

Last year Bondurant-Farrar finished 10-3, losing in the quarterfinal round of the Class 2A playoffs.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

California RB Tops 4,000 Yards Rushing this Year

by Jeff Fisher
Editor-in-Chief
High School Football America
Follow @HSFBamerica

Friday night, Rim of the World High School (Lake Arrowhead, CA) senior running back Jacob Taylor became just the fifth running back in America to EVER top the 4,000 yard rushing mark in a season.  Not only did Taylor reach his goal, his team held-on to defeat previously unbeaten Ontario Christian 34-31 to win the CIF-SS East Valley Division championship, which was the school's first since 1976.

Taylor entered the game needing 228 yards to surpass the 4,000 mark - he ended-up with 260 yards on 41 carries.

Here are the other running backs that have topped the 4,000 yard in a season milestone:

4,756 - John Giannantonio, Netcong HS (New Jersey), 1950
4,495 - Tyler Ebell, Ventura HS (California), 2000
4,087 - Travis Henry, Frostproof HS (Florida), 1996
4,045 - Ken Hall, Sugar Land HS (Texas), 1953
4,032 - Jacob Taylor HS (California), 2012

Bellevue Wins 5th Straight Washington State High School Football Title

by Jeff Fisher
Editor-in-Chief
High School Football America
Follow @HSFBamerica

The word straight can be used a lot after Bellevue's 35-3 win over Eastlake Catholic Friday night in Washington's 3A state championship game.

The Wolverines won their fifth straight title, a record in the state, plus it was the program's 40th straight victory.  It was also the school's 10th championship in the last 12 years.

The Seattle Times reports that the final margin of victory doesn't show how tough a game it was for the five-time champs.

Bellevue is currently ranked 4th in the latest High School Football America Top 25.

For those of you wondering, St. Louis High School (Honolulu, Hawaii) and Washington High School (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) hold the record with 14 straight state titles.

All-Time Record for Consecutive High School Football State Titles:14 - St. Louis HS (Hawaii)
14 - Washington HS (South Dakota)
9 - Union HS (Arizona)
8 - Independence HS (North Carolina)