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

Plenty of Movement in Latest MaxPreps Top 25

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

If you tuned into last Thursday's High School Football America radio show, you heard MaxPreps' Steve Spiewak talk about there's plenty of football ahead when it comes to deciding who will grab this year's "mythical" national championship.

Listen to internet radio with HighSchoolFootballAmerica on Blog Talk Radio

This weekend proved MaxPreps' senior writer correct with eight changes in the Top 10.

#1 Don Bosco Prep (New Jersey) and #4 Katy (Texas) were the only two teams to hang-on to their positions from last week.

Trinity (Kentucky) moves-up a notch to #2 after former #2 Armwood struggled in its opening round playoff game against Lakewood Ranch.

Gaffney (South Carolina) is up two spots to #3, while Katy and Miramar (Florida) round-out the new Top 5.

Making the biggest jump was the Euless Trinity, which climbs from #13 to #8 after a 28-21 win over former #21 and previously unbeaten Allen.  Also climbing five spots was Bellevue (Washington) to #17  after an impressive quarterfinal round win over previously undefeated Inter Lakes 35-14.

The only newcomer to this week's poll is North Allegheny (Pennsylvania), which enters at #25.  The defending 4A champs are in the WPIAL finals after beating Pittsburgh Central Catholic over the weekend.  Central, which suffered its first loss of the year, had spent a short time in the national rankings earlier this year.

MaxPreps Xcellent 25

1. Don Bosco Prep (NJ) 10-0, LW: #1
2. Trinity (KY) 12-0, LW: #3
3. Gaffney (SC) 13-0, LW: #5
4. Katy (TX) 12-0, LW: #4
5. Miramar (FL) 10-0, LW: #6
6. Good Counsel (MD) 12-0, LW: #7
7. Armwood (FL) 11-0, LW: #2
8. Euless Trinity (TX) 12-0, LW: #13
9. Bishop Gorman (NV) 13-1, LW: #8
10. Mallard Creek (NC) 13-0, LW: #9
11. Grayson (GA) 12-0, LW: #10
12. Buford (GA) 12-0, LW: #11
13. Westlake (CA) 11-0, LW: #12
14. Skyline (TX) 12-0, LW: #16
15. Carmel (IN) 13-1, LW: #14
16. Camden County (GA) 12-0, LW: #15
17. Bellevue (WA) 12-0, LW: #22
18. Central (FL) 10-0, LW: #18
19. Lake Travis (TX) 12-0, LW: #17
20. University (FL) 12-0, LW: #19
21. Bentonville (AR) 11-0, LW: #21
22. Manatee (FL) 9-2, LW: #23
23. Warren Central (IN) 11-1, LW: #24
24. Hamilton (AZ) 13-0, LW: #25
25. North Allegheny (PA) 12-0, LW: NR

Last Night's High School Football America Radio Show Now Available On-Demand

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

Listen to internet radio with HighSchoolFootballAmerica on Blog Talk Radio

In this episode of High School Football America, host Jeff Fisher talks with MaxPreps' Steve Spiewak about what should be a record-setting weekend ahead.

Also on the show is Dan Jones, head coach at Gaffney High School in South Carolina. The Indians are currently ranked #6 in the nation by MaxPreps. Gaffney has won the most South Carolina state high school football championships.

Jeff will then be joined by Carm DeFrancesco, head coach at Mt. Carmel HS in Pennsylvania. Last Friday, Mt. Carmel became just the fifth school in America to win 800 games.

The show closes with Armwood (FL) head coach Sean Callahan. Friday, Callahan's team, that is ranked #2 this week by MaxPreps, will face unbeaten Plant HS.

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

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

Debut High School Football America Radio Show from July 21st NOW Available Free On-Demand

by Jeff Fisher 
High School Football America

The response to the first two High School Football America radio show has been awesome!

Thanks to everyone that's tuned-in!!

For those of you that haven't had a chance to listen, don't worry, all shows will be available FREE and on-demand.

Our inaugural show featured a trip north to Alaska with Barrow High School head football coach Brad Igou and his assistant Brian Houston.  The pair talked about the the birth of the program north of the Arctic Circle five years ago, plus looked ahead to the start of the 2011 season.

Also on the show: Steve Spiewak of MaxPreps.com, who talked about his Preseason Top 25 Early Contenders Poll; Scott Young, head football coach at West Rowan High School in Mount Ulla, North Carolina, who's program owns the nation's longest win streak at 46 straight; and Brandon Sheppard of the National Select 7-on-7 Championship.

Click here to listen to the July 21st show.

MaxPreps.com's Releases Small Schools Top 25 Preseason Poll

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

When Steve Spiewak, MaxPreps' senior national high school football writer, joined me on last Thursday's High School Football America radio show, he talked about his Preseason Top 25 Early Contenders Poll, but he also talked about releasing a Small Schools Top 25.

I applauded him for his foresight, because I did a similar thing back in the mid-90s when working at the sports director at WFMZ-TV.

The reason I liked the idea then, and like it just as much now, is it gives all the schools a fair shake at getting attention...no matter what their size.  Plus, in Pennsylvania it took care of the argument of whether a top flight Class 4A or 3A team with one loss should be ranked behind an unbeaten Class 2A or 1A school.

But, the fact remains, there are a lot of top-notch small schools out there!

Take Buford High School in Georgia, which grabs Spiewak's #1 preseason ranking in the Small School Top 25.

The Wolves have won four straight state titles playing in Class AA, which is the state's second smallest of five classifications.  Buford also has won seven titles in the last 10-years.  One for the thumb may be possible for the Wolves with 10 starters back from last year's 13-1 squad.

Then there's #2 John Curtis and #5 Evangel Christian Academy from Louisiana.  These two will battle for the state's 2A crown this year, but prior to a change in the way Louisiana classified its private schools, these two were playing for 5A and 4A championships in 2004...and winning them!

So without further adieu, here's Steve's Small School Preseason:

1. Buford (GA)
2. John Curtis (LA)
3. University (FL)
4. Heritage Hall (OK)
5. Evangel Christian Academy (LA)
6. Escalon (CA)
7. New Boston (TX)
8. Sierra Canyon (CA)
9. Dillon (SC)
10. Ursuline (OH)
11. Trinity Catholic (FL)
12. Daingerfield (TX)
13. Tatum (TX)
14. West Catholic (PA)
15. Madison County (FL)
16. Dunbar (MD)
17. Pewitt (TX)
18. North Florida Christian (FL)
19. Aberdeen (MS)
20. Leroy (AL)
21. American Heritage (FL)
22. Calhoun (GA)
23. Gretna (VA)
24. Coldwater (OH)
25. St. Joseph (Hammonton, NJ)

Click here to read more on the entire poll.

MaxPreps.com's High School Football Preseason Top 25 Early Contenders

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

You know that the high school football season isn't far away when national rankings start coming-out!

Several weeks ago, MaxPreps.com beat everyone to the punch when Senior Football Editor Steve Spiewak released his Preseason Top 25 Early Contenders.

Spiewak will join me on Sunday's NHSCA Sports Hour to talk about the poll, and why Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, New Jersey), looks like its going to take another run at a "mythical" national championship. The Ironmen finished #1 in MaxPreps' Xcellent 25 Rankings in 2009.

Here's the MaxPreps.com 2011 Preseason Top 25 Early Contenders....

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

Click here read more from Spiewak about each team

Click here to listen to Sunday's show LIVE