No Change at Top of MaxPreps' Xcellent 25; Two New Teams Enter Rankings

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

Last week, MaxPreps.com's senior national high school writer Steve Spiewak joined me on High School Football America's radio show to discuss which teams have the best shot at winning the 2011 national championships.

Steve mentioned that all of the Top 10 team's in his Xcellent 25 have a great shot, but he felt that St. Thomas Aquinas (Florida) would be in great position, if it beat #10 De La Salle (California) last Friday.  The Raiders, who have won two national titles, rolled past the Spartans 30-6 before a national television audience on ESPN2, but stay at #5 in the latest rankings released today.

The top eight remain the same from last week's ratings, with Archbishop Moeller (Ohio) and Servite (California) entering the Xcellent 25.  Falling out after losses were De La Salle and #14 Prattville.

Click here listen to Steve's national rankings chat with me on High School Football America from September 22nd.

MaxPreps Xcellent 25

1. Don Bosco Prep (NJ) 3-0, LW: #1
2. Armwood (FL) 4-0, LW: #2
3. Trinity (KY) 5-0, LW: #3
4. Allen (TX) 4-0, LW: #4
5. St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) 3-0, LW: #5
6. DeSoto (TX) 5-0, LW: #6
7. Katy (TX) 4-0, LW: #7
8. Gaffney (SC) 6-0, LW: #8
9. St. Edward (OH) 5-0, LW: #12
10. Good Counsel (MD) 4-0, LW: #9
11. Bishop Gorman (NV) 5-1, LW: #13
12. Farmington Hills Harrison (MI) 5-0, LW: #15
13. Mallard Creek (NC) 5-0, LW: #16
14. Buford (GA) 6-0, LW: #17
15. Trinity (TX) 5-0, LW: #11
16. Bellevue (WA) 4-0, LW: #20
17. Warren Central (IN) 6-0, LW: #18
18. Grayson (GA) 4-0, LW: #19
19. Lake Travis (TX) 5-0, LW: #21
20. Archbishop Moeller (OH) 5-0, LW: NR
21. McEachern (GA) 4-0, LW: #22
22. Camden County (GA) 4-0, LW: #24
23. Servite (CA) 4-0, LW: NR
24. Columbus (FL) 3-0, LW: #25
25. Union (OK) 4-0, LW: #23

Former St. Thomas Aquinas Head Coach George Smith to Talk About Showdown with De La Salle on NHSCA Sports Hour

by Jeff Fisher

High School Football America

There's a big football game in Florida Friday night between two of the best high school football programs in America.

De La Salle (Concord, CA) High School will square-off with St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) on ESPN.

Joining me on tomorrow night's NHSCA Sports Hour to talk about the showdown is STA athletic director George Smith, who is the 2011 National High School Coaches Association's National High School Football Coach of the Year.

Had Smith not retired from coaching earlier this year, the showdown would have featured two of America's legendy coaches. De La Salle is led by Bob Ladouceur, who led the Spartans on that incredible 151-game win streak that began in the early-90's and ended in 2004. Ladouceur owns an incredible record of 375-24-3.

Smith stepped away from the sidelines after 34 years of building the Raiders into a Florida and national power. Smith's career record before handing the program's reigns over to Rocco Casullo was 361-66 with six state titles and two "mythical" national championships.  Ladouceur has led the Spartans to seven "mythical" national titles.

On May 1st on the NHSCA Sports Hour, I spoke with Casullo, the team's former defensive coordinator, about taking over for a legend. Click here to listen to that interview.

St. Thomas Aquinas enters the game ranked #4 by MaxPreps.com, while De La Salle is at #10.

Tune-in tomorrow night starting at 6PM EDT to listen to my interview with Coach Smith.  Click here to listen LIVE.

National High School Football Powers De La Salle and St. Thomas Aquinas to Square-off in September

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

They've been two of the best high school football programs in their respective states for a long time...now De La Salle (Concord, CA) and St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) will square-off on the field for bragging rights.  And, ESPN will be there to capture the action and give a national audience a look at the California/Florida bragging rights battle.

ESPN officials have announced they will televise the September 23rd match-up live on one of their networks.  Last year STA won Florida's 5A championship; De La Salle, which is riding a 25-game win streak, won California's Open Division title.

Of course that 25-game win streak doesn't hold a candle to the Spartans' national record 151-game win streak that was set between 1992-2003.

Maybe the only disappointment about the game is that long-time Raider head coach George Smith won't be guiding his team.  Smith announced earlier this year that he had decided to retire.  If the legendary Smith, who led Aquinas to six state titles, hadn't stepped-down, the game would have matched two of high school football's best.  De La Salle's Bob Ladouceur owns a 372-23-3 record since he took over in Concord in 1979.

"Playing a great program like St. Thomas Aquinas is a positive opportunity. Win or lose, they'll make us a better team. It should be an exciting game," said Ladouceur in a news release.

Former defensive coordinator Rocco Casullo will take over for Smith, but it was the former coach who spoke about the match-up in the ESPN news release saying "To have the chance to play a program like De La Salle is a great challenge for our program and to us a great thing for high school football in both states. It should be an outstanding game for both schools, both states and fans of high school football nationwide."

St. Thomas Aquinas Could Set NFL Draft Record

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

Five former St. Thomas Aquinas High School (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) football players could be taken later this week in the NFL Draft that begins in New York City on Thursday.  If that happens, it would break the record of three set by Long Beach Poly (CA) and De La Salle (Concord, CA) in 2006.

The Sun Sentinel reports that the five on the draft board are...defensive tackle Geno Atkins (Georgia),  wide receiver Richard Goodman (Florida St.), Brett Swenson (Michigan St.), safety Major Wright (Florida) and offensive tackle Sam Young (Notre Dame).

Smith Center (KS) Goes After 71st Straight Win and You Can Watch It LIVE

by Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle
The beauty of high school football has definitely changed at the top because of ESPN's constant desire to push the envelope with made-for-TV match-ups that are usually based national rankings that are based on just a couple people's opinions. In my opinion, the games usually disappoint.

So instead of watching tonight's ESPN2 match-up between Lakeland (FL) vs. De La Salle (CA), why not tune-in on the web to the tiny Kansas team that is trying to break De La Salle's record 151-game win streak. You can check-out the Smith Center Redmen go after their 71st straight win against Phillipsburg tonight at 7 at www.weareredman.com.

For those of you that don't know about Smith Center, you may want to pick-up a copy of Our Boys written by NY Times author Joe Drape, which will take you right inside this tiny town of less than 2,000.

If you can't get to the book before the game, check-out this story from NCKSsports.com on Smith Center fullback and defensive end Matt Atwood.

Oh, and if you want to watch, Lakeland and De La Salle you can tune-in at 10 PM EST tonight on ESPN2.

That's a full night of high school football!!

USA Today Super 25

By Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle

Don Bosco Prep's (Ramsey, NJ) come-from-behind 23-21 win over former #9 De La Salle (Concord, CA) helped to shuffle this week's USA Today Super 25. DBP pops-up three spots to #22, while the Spartans fall to #25.

Otherwise, a couple of close calls by former #4 Long Beach Poly (CA) and #13 Lakeland shuffled the deck a little with #10 Centennial (Corona, CA) and #21 Trinity (Louisville, KY) joining DBP as the biggest movers going up three spots each.

1. Byrnes (Duncan, SC) 5-0, LW: #1
2. Trinity (Euless, TX) 4-0, LW: #2
3. Gateway (Monroeville, PA), LW: #3
4. St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) 3-0, LW: #5
5. Armwood (Seffner, FL) 5-0, LW: #6
6. Long Beach Poly (CA) 3-0, LW: #4
7. Carmel (IN) 6-0, LW: #7
8. Colerain (Cincinnati, OH) 6-0, LW: #8
9. River Hill (Clarksville, MD) 4-0, LW: #10
10. Centennial (Corona, CA) 3-0, LW: #13
11. Lowndes (Valdosta, GA) 5-0, LW: #11
12. Madison County (Madison, FL) 2-0, LW: #14
13. Lakeland (FL) 4-0, LW: #12
14. South Panola (Batesville, MS) 5-0, LW: #15
15. Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, VA) 5-0, LW: #16
16. Skyline (Issaquah, WA) 4-0, LW: #17
17. Lake Travis (Austin, TX) 5-0, LW: #18
18. Stone Bridge (Ashburn, VA) 5-0, LW: #19
19. Northside (Warner Robins, GA) 5-0, LW: #20
20. Plano (TX) 5-0, LW: #21
21. Trinity (Louisville, KY) 4-0, LW: #24
22. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, NJ) 2-1, LW: #25
23. Tuscaloosa County (Northport, AL) 5-0, LW: #22
24. Glenville (Cleveland, OH) 5-0, LW: #23
25. De La Salle (Concord, CA) 2-1, LW: #9

#25 Don Bosco Prep (NJ) Nips #9 De La Salle (CA) On Last Second Field Goal

By Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle

The game between two of the top high school football programs in the country lived up to the hype Saturday night as Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, NJ) edged De La Salle (Concord, CA) 23-21 before a national television audience on ESPNU.

DBP (2-1) came back from a 21-7 halftime deficit and beat the Spartans on a 19-yards field goal from Patrick Murray with just 10 seconds to go in the game. Don Bosco Prep entered the game ranked #25 in the country by USA Today, while De La Salle (2-1) was #9. The win snapped De La Salle's 15-game win streak.

To read a game recap, click here.

De La Salle/Don Bosco Prep Preview

Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle


Two of the best high school football teams from each side of the country will square-off in northern California Saturday night.
De La Salle (Concord, CA) will host Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, NJ) in a nationally televised game on ESPNU at 7:30.

This one should live-up to the hype that has been building since the game was announced back in February. De La Salle (2-0) enters the game ranked #9 by USA Today, while DBP (1-1) is ranked #25. The Ironmen began the year ranked #4 in the USA Today Super 25, but lost their opener to St. Xavier (Cincinnati, OH), which at the time of the win two weeks ago was also ranked by USA Today.

For a preview of the game, click here.

To go to the New Jersey High School Football Huddle, click here.

To go to the California High School Football Huddle, click here.

De La Salle (CA) Changes Leagues, But Probably Not Results

By Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle

The name is synonymous with all that is good with high school football. De La Salle in Concord, California is pretty much unmatched in the sport.

Most know the Spartans because of their incredible 151-game win streak that stretched between 1992 and 2003, but it's really the incredible dominance the school has shown under head coach Bob Ladouceur (332-20-3), who has put together winners, usually without a ton of blue chippers.

Last year, De La Salle captured its first-ever California Division 1 State Championship (statewide championships only began in 2006) defeating also nationally-ranked Centennial 37-31.

This year, the Spartans have the usual list of goals and challenges.

First, will be the showdown with New Jersey power Don Bosco Prep on September 27 in Concord. DBP is ranked #4 by USA Today, while De La Salle is #7.

Then there's the move by the Spartans a new league...East Bay Athletic League.

To read more about the Spartans, who open the season next Saturday against Serra, click here.

#3 De La Salle Outlasts #14 Centennial For California Title

#14 Centennial almost came-up with one of the best comebacks in high school footballl championship game history Saturday against one of the nation's top programs...the De La Salle Spartans.

Centennial foughts back from a 31-7 second quarter deficit to tie the game at 31-31. However, De La Salle, which entered the game ranked #3 by USA Today and still stingy from last year's California Division I championship game loss to Canyon Country Canyon,
was able to regain its composure and win the Division I title with a 37-31 win.

To read a complete game wrap, click here.