Don Bosco Prep (New Jersey) Wins 46th Straight...and Probably "Mythical" National Championship

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

There was a lot of hopes in Kentucky and South Carolina that #1 Don Bosco Prep would trip-up against its arch-rival Bergen Catholic in the New Jersey Non-Public Group IV championship.

A loss by the Ironmen would open the door for #2 Trinity (Kentucky) and #3 Gaffney (South Carolina) to have a shot at claiming MaxPreps' "mythical" national championship.  Of course, both would have to grab gold this weekend themselves.

Well, DBP wasted no time showing why it deserves its second national title in three years.  Head coach Greg Toal's team never struggled like it did in its September 30th regular season match-up against BC, rolling to a 42-14 win, which gave the school its sixth straight state title and pushed its win streak to 46 straight.

In the September 30th game, Bergen Catholic took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter before losing 33-22.



BTW...Trinity did its part by beating Scott County 62-21 Friday night to capture Kentucky's 6A title.  This afternoon, Gaffney will take-on Byrnes for South Carolina's Class AAAA Division I title.

Click here to read the game story from last night's DBP victory.

Two New Teams Enter MaxPreps' Xcellent 25

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

After  a couple of tough close battles had some thinking that Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, NJ) may not have been worthy of its #1 ranking.  That all changed Saturday when the top-ranked Ironmen dismantled St. Edward 38-7 in a battle of unbeatens at Fordham University in the Bronx in New York City.

As a result of the solid win over the defending Ohio Division I champs, DBP sits solidly atop the latest MaxPreps' Xcellent 25 this week.  St. Ed fell-out of the Top 25 as a result of the loss that snapped its 21-game win streak.  Bosco's win streak is now at 40.

For the first time in a long time, there are changes in the Top 5.  Miramar's 27-20 overtime win over former #5 St. Thomas Aquinas shuffles the Florida powers.  Miramar moves into the #5 slot, while the Raiders fall to #11 this week.

Former #4 Allen (Texas) falls five spots to #9 after a hard fought 42-38 win over Plano East.

Entering the poll this week at #24 and #25 respectively: #24 Daphne (Alabama) and #25 Hamilton (Chandler, AZ).

Hamilton owns the nation's second longest active win streak at 47 straight.  Not bad for a team that many felt was rebuilding in 2011.

Earlier this year on the NHSCA Sports Hour, I spoke to Husky head coach Steve Belles.  You can listen to that interview by clicking here.

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

Top-Ranked Don Bosco Prep (NJ) Blows By #9 St. Edward (OH)

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, NJ), the nation's #1 ranked team according to several national poll, including MaxPreps, took-down another power football team from another powerful state Saturday night.

The Ironmen beat #9 St. Edward (Lakewood, OH) 38-7 at Fordham University in the Bronx in New York City. The victory, which was DBP's 40th straight, gives the school wins over teams from California (Mission Viejo HS), Florida (Manatee HS) and Ohio this season.

Don Bosco (5-0) played well on both sides of the ball with quarterback Mike Yankovich completing 15 of 20 passes for 165 yards. Sophomore running back Jabrill Peppers also ran for three scores.

The win snapped St. Ed's 21-game win streak. Last year, the Eagles won Ohio's Division 1 state championship.



On Thursday, I spoke with St. Edward head coach Rick Finotti, who talked about the match-up and the program that he's turned-around since taking over in May of 2009.

To listen to that interview, click here or check it out on High School Football America's YouTube Channel below.



Check-out the rest of Saturday's scores from around America at the links below:

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Michigan Scores
New Jersey Scores
Pennsylvania Scores

#9 St. Edward vs. #1 Don Bosco Prep Discussed on High School Football America Tonight

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) head coach Rick Finotti will join me tonight on the High School Football America radio show to discuss his team's big game on Saturday against #1 Don Bosco Prep from New Jersey.

The game will actually played in New York City at Vince Lombardi's alma mater, Fordham University in the Bronx.  The game originally was going to be played at Army's Michie Stadium at West Point, but was moved to the Bronx shortly after the announcement was made.

Finotti has done an incredible job since taking over the program in March, 2009.  Last year, St. Ed went undefeated, winning Ohio's Division 1 title.  The Eagles are currently riding a 21-game win streak, while DBP brings a 39-game win streak into the game.

St. Ed's is playing one of the toughest schedules in the country, having beaten two out-of-state opponents already...Penn Hills (Pittsburgh, PA) 47-6 and Jefferson (Tampa, FL) 34-17, plus last year's Ohio Division 5 champ Ursuline 20-7.  It also doesn't get any easier at Saturday's game, because the Eagles still have to face in-state and national powers Archbishop Moeller and St. Xavier.  Also, not to be overlooked is the team's regular season finale against St. Ignatius.

St. Edward is strong upfront, led by offensive tackle Kyle Kalis, who's given his verbal to Michigan.

Don Bosco Prep won the country's "mythical" national championship back in 2009.  The Ironmen are led by Greg Toal, who owns a 136-10 record since taking over 12 years ago.  The Ramsey, New Jersey school has won five straight New Jersey Non-Public Group 4 state titles.

DBP also owns two victories over out-of-state opponents this year, beating Mission Viejo (CA) 35-7 and Manatee (FL) 22-16.

Back in July, Coach Toal also joined me as a guest on High School Football America.  You can listen to that show by clicking here or you can check it out on YouTube below.



Also on tonight's show that begins at 7 PM Eastern Time: Dylan Sheffield, quarterback at Wichita Falls High School in Texas and Trey Hall at Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas.

Sheffield broke the Texas single-game passing record last week when he threw for 683 yards.  Hall will talk about his record-setting QB Zach Howell, who broke Kansas' single-game yards mark in early September and almost set a new one last week.

Click here to listen to the show LIVE tonight.

USA Today Releases Preseason Super 25

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

USA Today was the first media outlet to put out national high school football rankings way back in 1982.

Since then, many other media outlets have jumped into the who's #1 game.  However, many coaches, fans, players and teams consider USA Today the authority when it comes to crowning the "mythical" national champ.

Today, USA Today writer Jim Halley released his 2011 Preseason Super 25.

At the top of USA Today's list is Don Bosco Prep from Ramsey, New Jersey.  The Ironmen were also tapped as the #1 team in MaxPreps.com's preseason poll.

Right behind DBP is St. Thomas Aquinas from Florida.  The Raiders are no strangers to national championships, having won the USA Today national title in 2008.  This year, STA begins the Rocco Casullo-era.  Casullo, the Raiders' former defensive coordinator, takes over the reigns of the program from the legendary George Smith, who resigned earlier this year.

2010 USA Today national champ South Panola could be back in the hunt this year.  The Tigers begin the season ranked #12 in the Super 25.

BTW...the only time a team has repeated as USA Today national champs was in 2001, 2002 and 2003 when De La Salle (Concord, CA) was on its national record 151-game win streak.  The Spartans begin 2011 ranked #6 by U

Below is the rest of the poll:

USA Super 25 Preseason High School Football Rankings

1. Don Bosco Prep (NJ)
2. St. Thomas Aquinas (FL)
3. Prattville (AL)
4. St. Edward (OH)
5. Allen (TX)
6. De La Salle (CA)
7. Mullen (CO)
8. Servite (CA)
9. Byrnes (SC)
10. Armwood (FL)
11. Mission Viejo (CA)
12. South Panola (MS)
13. Bishop Gorman (NV)
14. Grayson (GA)
15. Oaks Christian (CA)
16. Camden County (GA)
17. Good Counsel (MD)
18. Katy (TX)
19. Miami Central (FL)
20. Warren Central (IN)
21. Miramar (FL)
22. Maine South (IL)
23. Bellevue (WA)
24. Desert Ridge (AZ)
25. Daphne (AL)

July 28th High School Football America Radio Show Now Available On-Demand

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

If you missed last week's High School Football America radio show on the Artist First Radio Network, you can now listen to it on-demand.

The July 28th show features interviews with Maty Mauk, senior quarterback at Kenton High School in Ohio, who is poised to break several national career passing records this season; Gary Rankin, head football coach at Alcoa High in Tennessee, which has won seven straight state titles; and Don Bosco Prep head coach Greg Toal, whose team is ranked #1 in MaxPreps' Preseason Top 25 Poll.

Click here to listen to the show.

New Jersey High School Football Scoreboard - Week 9

By Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle

For the second straight week, nationally-ranked Don Bosco Prep proved why it's the top-ranked team in New Jersey. Friday night DBP beat St. Joseph (Montvale) 35-6 in a battle of teams ranked #1 and #2 by the Newark Star Ledger. DBP only led 7-6 at the half. Last week, the Ironmen beat then #4 Bergen Catholic. Don Bosco will enter next week's NJSIAA Non-Public, Group 4 playoffs as the top seed.
Click here to read a game recap.

New Jersey High School Football Scores
Friday, November 7, 2008

USA Today Super 25
#20 Don Bosco Prep 35 St. Joseph

Becton 20, Wood-Ridge 0
Bergen Catholic 21, Clifton 7
Brearley 28, Highland Park 0
Bridgeton 34, Middle Township 13
Cresskill 42, Weehawken 6
Delaware Valley 29, Belvidere 7
Delsea 48, Woodstown 14
DePaul 42, Wayne Valley 35
Don Bosco 35, St. Joseph 6
Egg Harbor Twp. 24, Hammonton 6
Glassboro 51, Pitman 0
Gloucester Catholic 35, Highland 0
Gov. Livingston 19, North Plainfield 13
Haddonfield 34, Collingswood 6
Hasbrouck Heights 45, Ridgefield 6
Hillsborough 6, Montgomery 3
Immaculata 24, Hunterdon Central 14
Lakeland 21, West Milford 0
Mainland Regional 35, Absegami 0
Manalapan 27, Freehold Township 6
Manchester 10, Jackson Liberty 6
Middletown South 27, Lacey 0
Morris Hills 51, Dover 25
Mountain Lakes 32, Cedar Grove 21
New Brunswick 27, J.P. Stevens 19
N. Burlington 14, Cherry Hill West 13
Ocean City 28, Atlantic City 7
Old Tappan 16, Mahwah 6
Paramus 28, Bloomfield 21
Park Ridge 21, New Milford 10
Pascack Hills 18, Emerson Boro 14
Passaic Tech 21, Orange 19
Passaic Valley 34, Pequannock 7
Piscataway 52, Carteret 0
Plainfield 35, Bridgewater-Raritan 13
Point Pleasant Boro 47, Red Bank 0
Randolph 17, Columbia 0
Ridge 34, Watchung Hills 14
Ridgefield Park 25, Cliffside Park 7
River Dell 39, Queen of Peace 6
Rumson-Fair Haven 28, Pt. Pleasant Beach 7
Rutherford 33, Fort Lee 0
Secaucus 38, Harrison 8
Seneca 20, Lenape 0
South Brunswick 19, Monroe 7
Spotswood 27, Middlesex 20
St. Augustine 26, Holy Spirit 24
St. Peter's Prep 21, Hoboken 7
Timber Creek 24, Burlington Twp. 7
Toms River North 20, Toms River South 6
Union 35, Elizabeth 10
Vineland 27, Oakcrest 24
Wallington 21, North Arlington 0
Wayne Hills 49, Indian Hills 14
Williamstown 26, Cumberland Regional 10
Willingboro 26, New Egypt 7

New Jersey High School Football Rankings Prepared for #1 vs. #2 Showdown

By Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle

Who's the best team in New Jersey? That question will be answered Friday night when nationally ranked Don Bosco Prep (#20 USA Today Super 25) hosts St. Joseph of Montvale. Those two currently sit at the top of The Star-Ledger Top 20 high school football rankings. DBP is coming-off a solid win over previously unbeaten Bergen Catholic, which entered the game ranked #4 by The Star-Ledger. The Don Bosco Prep-St. Joe's game will be televised live by CBS College Sports Television at 9 PM EST.

Here's the latest rankings from The Star-Ledger...

#1 Don Bosco Prep (6-1)
#2 St. Joseph (Mont.) (7-0)
#3 Shawnee (7-0)
#4 Mainland (7-0)
#5 Wayne Hills (8-0)
#6 Irvington (7-0)
#7 Bergen Catholic (6-1)
#8 Elizabeth (6-1)
#9 St. Peter's Prep (6-2)
#10 Cherokee (6-1)
#11 Piscataway (6-1)
#12 Freehold Borough (7-0)
#13 Immaculata (7-1)
#14 Washington Twp. (6-1)
#15 South Brunswick (6-1)
#16 Sayreville (7-1)
#17 West Essex (8-0)
#18 Hunterdon Central (7-1)
#19 Lakeland (8-0)
#20 Westfield (5-2)

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.

#25 St. Xavier (OH) Holds Off #4 Don Bosco Prep (NJ) Comeback

By Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle

St. Xavier (Cincinnati, OH) proved Saturday why despite one loss this season, it belongs in the USA Today Super 25. The Bombers, who lost their season opener to #10 Colerain, won its third straight since its season opening loss, beating #4 Don Bosco Prep 17-10.

St. X ran out to a 17-0 first half lead, and then held-off a second-half comeback by the Ironmen, who were stopped on a fourth-and-goal from the Bomber 20.

To read a game recap from The Cinncinnati Enquirer, click here.

Click here to go to the Ohio High School Football for more news and scores from around the Buckeye State.

Click here to go to the New Jersey High School Football Huddle for news and scores from around the Garden State.

#4 Don Bosco Prep (NJ) Opens Against #25 St. Xavier (OH)

By Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle

The Don Bosco Prep Ironmen (Ramsey, NJ) will find out in a hurry if the team deserves it's lofty pre-season ranking. USA Today's #4 team will open its season Saturday afternoon against defending Ohio big school champ St. Xavier, that is ranked #25 in the lastest USA Today Super 25.

DBP, which has won the last two New Jersey Non-Public Group 4 state championships, brings a 24-game win streak into the game.

Click here for a preview of the game from USA Today.

Click here to listen to the game.

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.

#1 Vs. #2 In Jersey Championship Showdown

For the third straight year Don Bosco Prep and St. Peter's Prep are in charge of determining who's the #1 team in New Jersey.

DBP and SPP wil square-off Saturday at 1 o'clock at Giants Stadium for the NJSIAA Non-Public Group 4 championship. All season long these two have been ranked #1 (Don Bosco) and #2 (St. Peter's) respectively by the Newark Star-Ledger, which serves as the state's official pollster. Don Bosco is also ranked #17 by the USA Today.

Saturday's game will serve as the rubber match of the last three year with Don Bosco (11-0) winning last year's title 41-0, while St. Peter's (11-0) beat the Ironmen 22-15 in 2005. It will be DBP's seventh appearance in the final in the last eight year with titles coming in 2002, 2003 and 2006.

To read a complete game preview story, click here.

For previews of the other Non-Public Championship games, click on the links below.

Click here for the Non-Public Group III championship game between Immaculata (11-0) and Holy Spirit (11-0)

Click here for the Non-Public Group I championship game between Morristown-Beard and Paterson Catholic.

The Non-Public Group II championship game will be played Saturday at Rutgers between Holy Cross and Gloucester Catholic.

New Jersey High School Football Rankings

Don Bosco Prep continues to dominate latest Newark Star-Ledger High School Football Top 20. The Ironmen look to be on cruise control until the NJSIAA Non-Public Group 4 title game at the end of November when the newspaper's #1 team will probably again collide with St. Peter's, currently ranked #2, for another state title.

Nationally ranked Ironmen have claimed nine state championships and have appeared in every Non-Public Group 4 Title Game since 2004.

To see the entire rankings, please click here to be taken to the New Jersey High School Football Huddle or click on our link New Jersey Huddle.