Top 5 Remain Unchanged in Latest MaxPreps Xcellent 25; Three New Team Enter Poll

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

There's no change at the top of this week's MaxPreps.com's Xcellent 25 after a weekend of national showdowns.

Florida powers #2 Armwood and #4 St. Thomas Aquinas hung-on to last week's position after going out of state to prove they deserve their lofty national rankings.  The top six teams held their positions.

Armwood traveled 2,500 miles to beat former #9 Bishop Gorman (Nevada) 20-17.  The Hawks needed a blocked field goal at the end of the game to preserve the victory.  After the close loss, Bishop Gorman fell one spot to #10.

Like Armwood, St. Thomas Aquinas was also only a field goal better than former #6 Prattville (Alabama).  The 34-31 win keeps the Raiders at #4, while Prattville drops to #12.

The biggest mover from last week was Kentucky's Trinity that moves 12 spots to #7.

New additions to this week's poll: Mallard Creek (North Carolina) at #18, Columbus Miami (Florida) at #23 and DeSoto (Texas) at #25.

Dropping-out from last week: South Panola (Mississippi), Dwyer (Florida) and Aledo (Texas)

MaxPreps.com Xcellent 25

1. Don Bosco Prep (NJ) 0-0, LW: #1
2. Armwood (FL) 1-0, LW: #2
3. De La Salle (CA) 0-0, LW: #3
4. St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) 1-0, LW: #4
5. Allen (TX) 1-0, LW: #5
6. Trinity (TX) 1-0, LW: #7
7. Trinity (KY) 2-0, LW: #19
8. Pleasant Grove (CA) 1-0, LW: #8
9. St. Edward (OH) 1-0, LW: #10
10. Bishop Gorman (NV) 1-1, LW: #9
11. Katy (TX) 1-0, LW: #11
12. Prattville (AL) 0-1, LW: #6
13. Farmington Hills Harrison (MI) 1-0, LW: #15
14. Centennial (CA) 0-0, LW: #13
15. Good Counsel (MD) 0-0, LW: #14
16. St. Xavier (OH) 1-0, LW: #18
17. Buford (GA) 2-0, LW: #24
18. Mallard Creek (NC) 2-0, LW: #NR
19. Warren Central (IN) 1-0, LW: #19
20. Grayson (GA) 2-0, LW: #25
21. Oak Christian (CA) 0-0, LW: #21
22. Bellevue (WA) 0-0, LW: #22
23. Columbus (FL) 0-0, LW: NR
24. Glades Central (FL) 0-0, LW: #23
25. DeSoto (TX) 1-0, LW: NR

Small Changes in MaxPreps' Xcellent 25 National Rankings

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

Bishop Gorman's (Nevada) 42-22 win over previously nationally-ranked Chaparral (Arizona) on Saturday helped the Gaels move-up one spot in the latest MaxPreps' Xcellent 25.

Gorman is ranked #9 this week, while the Firebirds fall-out of the poll after being ranked #24 in the preseason rankings.

Defending national champ South Panola (Mississippi) began the season with a 37-17 win over West Point to hold at #22.

#17 Warren Central (Indiana) and #19 Trinity (Kentucky) moved-up a notch each after season opening wins last week.

Buford (Georgia), which began the season #1 in MaxPreps' Small Schools poll, moves into the national poll at #24.

MaxPreps.com Xcellent 25

1. Don Bosco Prep (NJ) 0-0
2. Armwood (FL) 0-0
3. De La Salle (CA) 0-0
4. St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) 0-0
5. Allen (TX) 0-0
6. Prattville (AL) 0-0
7. Trinity (TX) 0-0
8. Pleasant Grove (CA) 0-0
9. Bishop Gorman (NV) 1-0
10. St. Edward (OH) 0-0
11.  Katy (TX) 0-0
12. South Panola (MS) 1-0
13. Centennial (CA) 0-0
14. Good Counsel (MD)  0-0
15. Harrison (MI) 0-0
16. Dwyer (FL) 0-0
17. Warren Central (IN) 1-0
18. St. Xavier (OH) 0-0
19. Trinity (KY) 1-0
20. Aledo (TX) 0-0
21. Oaks Christian (CA) 0-0
22. Bellevue (WA) 0-0
23. Glades Central (FL) 0-0
24. Buford (GA) 1-0
25. Grayson (GA) 1-0

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