Top 25 Football Rankings -- Week 6

This week is the week to decide the number one high school football team in the country.

The big game will take place Saturday at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach. De La Salle will take their 116-game winning streak against Long Beach Poly. As of Tuesday, the game had already sold 11,000-plus tickets, and figures to be the "Game of the Year." That also means Jenks and West Monroe will have to impress this week to take over the second spot in the poll, as the winner of the De La Salle-Poly game will remain in the top spot.

One game that didn't live up to the hype was this week's expected tough matchup between West Monroe and Evangel Christian. Evangel QB John David Booty, a sophomore who had picked apart defenses all year long, finished with a 9-for-32 passing night, including two interceptions and Evangel was held to just 182 yards of total offense in a 37-13 dismantling.

Besides Evangel, Austin Westlake and Lakeland, Florida were knocked out of the Top 25 with losses. The most unusual game saw Lakeland drop a 2-0 decision to Haines City as Lakeland fumbled four times.

Hoover and Ft. Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas are this week's big jumpers as they each jumped six spots in this week's poll after impressive wins. Hoover made it into the Top 10.

And now here is this week's Top 25:

T1. De La Salle, Concord, CA (3-0) Last Week: T1 Result: The final tuneup before this week's game was a 42-0 victory over Mountain View St. Francis. Matt Gutierrez was 8-for-15 for 225 yards and one touchdown in extending their national-record winning streak.

T1. Poly, Long Beach, CA (3-0) Last Week: T1 Result: Hershel Dennis rushed for 100 yards on just six carries, including four touchdowns as Poly walloped Fontana 70-0.

3. Jenks, Jenks, OK (4-0) Last Week: 3 Result: Jenks pounded Bartlesville into submission with 460 yards of total offense in a 49-7 victory. Eb Trevino gained 129 yards on 11 rushes, including one score. Star defensive end Bryan Pickryl was held out of the game due to a sore shoulder.

4. West Monroe, West Monroe, LA (5-0) Last Week: 4 Result: As predicted, the Rebels gave up more points than they had all season. However, Edward Dade led the offense with three touchdowns and 187 yards on 19 carries. A crowd estimated at over 32,000 watched this marquee matchup.

5. Woodland Hills, Pittsburgh, PA (5-0) Last Week: 6 Result: No letdown for Woodland Hills after their triple-overtime thriller. This week brought nothing more than a methodical 28-13 road win at Baldwin. Kareem Dutrieulle ran for 104 yards and two scores on 16 rushes, while quarterback Steve Breaston chipped in with 109 yards on just eight totes.

6. Glades Central, Belle Glades, FL (5-0) Last Week: 7 Result: The winning streak for the Raiders is now up to 40 after a 49-0 whitewash of Key West. Mario Fraser led Glades Central with 154 yards on 15 carries.

7. Independence, Charlotte, NC (5-0) Last Week: 8 Result: A balanced offensive attack led Independence to a 50-19 win over West Mecklenburg. Chris Leak continued his stellar play, throwing for 328 yards on 26-for-37 passing, including four touchdown tosses. Mario Crowe proved to be a threat running and receiving, with 115 yards rushing on 16 carries and 74 receiving yards on six grabs.

8. Harrison, Farmington Hills, MI (6-0) Last Week: 9 Result: Harrison continues to beat up on Michigan schools, taking down Northville 61-20. Marcus Woods ran for 113 yards on 11 carries, with two touchdowns.

9. Colerain, Cincinnati, OH (6-0) Last Week: 10 Result: Maurice (126 yards) and Jermaine Johnson (141 yards) each ran for over 100 yards as Sycamore (Cincinnati) became the latest victim by a 55-7 count.

10. Hoover, Hoover, AL (5-0) Last Week: 16 Result: Hoover's defense was suffocating, forcing three fumbles that were turned into touchdowns in a 56-6 win over Birmingham West End.

11. Dorman, Spartanburg, SC (6-0) Last Week: 11 Result: Aaron Pretulak kept the Cavaliers in the rankings with a 26-yard field goal as time expired in a heart-pounding 17-16 victory over Byrnes High of Duncan.

12. Mt. Carmel, Chicago, IL (6-0) Last Week: 13 Result: Tom Brown ran for 117 yards, including a key 50-yard scoring burst early in the second quarter as Mt. Carmel scored 31 unanswered points in a 31-14 win over Chicago De La Salle. A tough matchup looms this week, as Providence (New Lenox, IL) will be the opposition. Providence is a team under consideration for a regional ranking and a win over Mt. Carmel would propel them into the rankings.

13. St. Thomas Aquinas, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (4-0) Last Week: 19 Result: STA continues to play the best football of anyone in Florida with another blowout win, this time a 60-0 win over Forest Hill of West Palm Beach. Eight different players scored in the game.

14. Parkview, Lilburn, GA (4-0) Last Week: 14 Result: Sean Dawkins scored from three yards out early in the fourth quarter to give Parkview a narrow 17-14 win over South Gwinnett.

15. Ben Davis, Indianapolis, IN (7-0) Last Week: 15 Result: Garrett Phillips ran for 152 yards on 15 carries as the Giants defeated Lawrence North 42-6. Ben Davis will partake in their regular-season finale this weekend, with a matchup against highly rated Carmel.

16. Chatfield, Littleton, CO (5-0) Last Week: 18 Result: Chatfield defeated Dakota Ridge 37-7. Ryan Bucher was 12-for-15 for 161 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

17. Northridge, Layton, UT (6-0) Last Week: 20 Result: Jase McCormick played only one half, but what a half it was. McCormick was 19-for-22 for 348 yards and five touchdowns as Northridge coasted to a 56-7 win over Weber.

18. Elizabeth, Elizabeth, NJ (4-0) Last Week: 21 Result: Ibrahim Halsey didn't need to do everything this week for Elizabeth, as he has the previous two weeks. Halsey simply rushed for 101 yards on 12 carries, including one score, as they defeated East Side (Newark, NJ) 44-0.

19. Hazelwood East, St. Louis, MO (5-0) Last Week: 22 Result: Florissant McCluer became the latest blowout victim for Hazelwood East as the Spartans won 48-0 and ran for 325 yards as a team.

20. St. Joseph Regional, Montvale, NJ (3-0) Last Week: 23 Result: SJR had a bye week this week.

21. DeMatha Catholic, Hyattsville, MD (4-0) Last Week: 24 Result: DeMatha held off Washington, D.C. Gonzaga 17-6. Elijah Brooks had 29 carries for 165 yards to lead DeMatha.

22. Blue Springs, Blue Springs, MO (5-0) Last Week: Team to Watch Result: Blue Springs defeated Liberty, rated third in Missouri, 22-7. The Wildcats were led by 134 yards rushing from Andrew Tuggle, 134 yards receiving from Curtis Cooper and three field goals, including a 42-yarder from Danny Watkins.

23. Poly Prep, Brooklyn, NY (3-0) Last Week: 25 Result: Jahkeen Gilmore had 125 yards receiving on six catches, including two touchdowns as Poly Prep beat Peddie School 24-7. Poly Prep takes on Baltimore Gilman this week, who was ranked in a couple of other polls in the preseason before falling to DeMatha early on.

24. Valdosta, Valdosta, GA (4-0) Last Week: Team to Watch Result: Valdosta has kept rolling after knocking Tallahassee Lincoln out of the rankings a few weeks ago. The latest victory was a 47-20 win over Lee County. The highlight of the game was a 97-yard kickoff return by Eric Williams.

25. Kahuku, Kahuku, HI (5-0) Last Week: Team to Watch Result: The Red Raiders make their season debut in the Top 25 after a 48-7 win over previously undefeated Kailua. That win combined with a 24-24 tie between Honolulu St. Louis and Honolulu Kamehameha has left Kahuku as the island state's top team.

Dropped Out: No. 5 Evangel Christian, Shreveport, LA lost to West Monroe 37-13. No. 12 Westlake, Austin, TX lost to Round Rock Westwood 20-13. No. 19 Lakeland, Lakeland, FL lost to Haines City 2-0.

Teams to Watch: Southeast, Lincoln, NE; Strath Haven, Wallingford, PA; Neshaminy, Langhorne, PA; Blaine, Blaine, MN; Newark, Newark, DE; Harding, Warren, OH; Morgantown, Morgantown, WV; Elder, Cincinnati, OH; Jesuit, Portland, OR; Hampton, Hampton, VA; Central, Naperville, IL: McQueen, Reno, NV; St. Xavier, Cincinnati, OH; Mission Viejo, Mission Viejo, CA; The Woodlands, The Woodlands, TX.

Regional Rankings
East
1. Woodland Hills, Pittsburgh, PA (5-0)
2. Elizabeth, Elizabeth, NJ (4-0)
3. St. Joseph Regional, Montvale, NJ (3-0)
4. DeMatha, Hyattsville, MD (4-0)
5. Poly Prep, Brooklyn, NY (3-0)
6. Strath Haven, Wallingford, PA (5-0)
7. Neshaminy, Langhorne, PA (5-0)
8. Newark, Newark, DE (3-0)
9. Morgantown, Morgantown, WV (6-0)
10. Bloomfield, Bloomfield, CT (2-0)
11. Wayne Hills, Wayne, NJ (3-0)
12. Manheim Central, Manheim, PA (5-0)
13. Lancaster, Lancaster, NY (4-0)
14. LaSalle, Providence, RI (3-0)
15. George Washington, Charleston, WV (6-0)
16. Jackson, Jackson, NJ (4-0)
17. Bergen Catholic, Oradell, NJ (4-0)
18. Chelmsford, N. Chelmsford, MA (3-0)
19. Easton, Easton, PA (4-0)
20. J.P. McCaskey, Lancaster, PA (5-0)

Midwest
1. Harrison, Farmington Hills, MI (6-0)
2. Colerain, Cincinnati, OH (6-0)
3. Mt. Carmel, Chicago, IL (6-0)
4. Ben Davis, Indianapolis, IN (7-0)
5. Hazelwood East, St. Louis, MO (5-0)
6. Blue Springs, Blue Springs, MO (5-0)
7. Southeast, Lincoln, NE (5-0)
8. Blaine, Blaine, MN (5-0)
9. Harding, Warren, OH (6-0)
10. Elder, Cincinnati, OH (6-0)
11. Central, Naperville, IL (6-0)
12. St. Xavier, Cincinnati, OH (6-0)
13. Eden Prairie, Eden Prairie, MN (5-0)
14. Cretin Derham Hall, St. Paul, MN (5-0)
15. Dowling, West Des Moines, IA (5-0)
16. Oak Creek, Oak Creek, WI (6-0)
17. Olathe North, Olathe, KS (5-0)
18. Saginaw, Saginaw, MI (5-0)
19. St. Edward, Lakewood, OH (6-0)
20. Boyle County, Danville, KY (6-0)

South
1. Jenks, Jenks, OK (4-0)
2. West Monroe, West Monroe, LA (5-0)
3. Glades Central, Belle Glades, FL (5-0)
4. Independence, Charlotte, NC (5-0)
5. Hoover, Hoover, AL (5-0)
6. Dorman, Spartanburg, SC (6-0)
7. St. Thomas Aquinas, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (4-0)
8. Parkview, Lilburn, GA (4-0)
9. Valdosta, Valdosta, GA (4-0)
10. Hampton, Hampton, VA (4-0)
11. The Woodlands, The Woodlands, TX (4-0)
12. Riverdale, Murfreesboro, TN (6-0)
13. John Curtis, River Ridge, LA (5-0)
14. Robinson, Fairfax, VA (3-0)
15. Northside, Warner Robins, GA (3-0)
16. Centreville, Clifton, VA (3-0)
17. Union, Tulsa, OK (4-0)
18. Richmond County, Rockingham, NC (4-0)
19. Brandon, Brandon, MS (5-0)
20. Palm Bay, Melbourne, FL (5-0)

West
T1. De La Salle, Concord, CA (3-0)
T1. Poly, Long Beach, CA (3-0)
3. Chatfield, Littleton, CO (5-0)
4. Northridge, Layton, UT (5-0)
5. Kahuku, Kahuku, HI (6-0)
6. Jesuit, Portland, OR (5-0)
7. McQueen, Reno, NV (5-0)
8. Mission Viejo, Mission Viejo, CA (4-0)
9. Pasco, Pasco, WA (4-0)
10. Loyola, Los Angeles, CA (3-0)
11. Mayfield, Las Cruces, NM (6-0)
12. Eagle, Eagle, ID (5-0)
13. Rock Springs, Rock Springs, WY (6-0)
14. Hamilton, Chandler, AZ (4-0)
15. Hart, Newhall, CA (3-0)
16. Bethel, Spanaway Lake, WA (4-0)
17. Horizon, Scottsdale, AZ (4-0)
18. Clovis, Clovis, NM (6-0)
19. Roseburg, Roseburg, OR (4-0)
20. Helix, La Mesa, CA (4-0)