Top 25 Football Rankings -- Week 13

The biggest surprise of the past weekend in high school football was that not one single Top 25 team was upset. In fact, only one of the Teams to Watch was knocked off, and that was Kenosha Tremper, who lost to Marshfield 24-7 in the Wisconsin Division I State Championship.

Another school crowned state champion was 14th-ranked Northridge, who defeated Skyline of Salt Lake City 37-26 in the Utah state championships. Skyline finished the season at 10-2, with the losses coming to Northridge and 15th-ranked Kahuku.

DeMatha Catholic also saw their season come to a successful end, as they knocked off Gonzaga of Washington, D.C. in the WCAC Championship 20-14. As a private school, DeMatha does not compete in the Maryland state playoffs.

Two of the Teams to Watch also became state champions, Dowling and Olathe North. Dowling knocked off Iowa City 35-15 for the Iowa 4A Championship. Olathe North defeated Manhattan 21-7 for the Kansas 6A Championship.

In Kansas 5A, Salina Central, now ranked 14th in the Midwest, crushed Pittsburg 56-21 for the title. Nebraska's Class A champion was Millard West, 17th in the Midwest, after a 28-14 victory over North Platte.

In the South, unranked Chattanooga McCallie won the Division II-AAA title with a 17-16 win over Brentwood Academy. McCallie is a contender for a South region ranking.

Finally in the West, 10th-ranked Eagle finished off their season by defeating Pocatello Highland for the second time this season, 41-35, for the 5A title. And 16th-ranked C.M. Russell provided the first 13-0 season in Montana history with a 35-10 win over Helena.

All states are in, or will begin, state playoffs this weekend, and state championships will be decided in Michigan, Indiana, and Minnesota. This week's poll is being released one day early due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

And now here is this week's Top 25:

1. De La Salle, Concord, CA (10-0) Last Week: 1 Result: Make that 123 in a row for the Spartans as Matt Gutierrez threw for three touchdowns in a 58-15 romp over Washington in the first round of the CIF North Coast 4A playoffs. This game was actually close for a little while, as Washington's Kenny Davis scored a second quarter touchdown to cut De La Salle's lead to 14 points. The Spartans, in typical fashion, scored on an 80-yard touchdown run from Nate Kenion to end any hopes for an upset. The Spartans eventually pulled their starters again in the second half. Kenion finished with 110 yards on just five carries, while Maurice Drew ran for 120 yards on five carries, including an 86-yard touchdown. Alijah Bradley added two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving.

2. Jenks, Jenks, OK (11-0) Last Week: 2 Result: The Trojans were supposed to be vulnerable without star quarterback Jeff Hirschburg. Owasso would likely disagree, as they fell to Jenks 50-30 in Class 6A quarterfinal action. Backup quarterback Keith Jones threw for 244 yards and three touchdowns. Edmond Santa Fe, the only Class 6A team remaining that is not unbeaten, will be the semifinal opponent, with either undefeated arch-rival Tulsa Union or undefeated Putnam City North awaiting in the state final.

3. West Monroe, West Monroe, LA (12-0) Last Week: 3 Result: The Rebels received another stern test, this time from Lake Charles Barbe. Edward Dade bolted for a 63-yard touchdown to break a fourth quarter tie and give West Monroe a 14-7 win. Demario Taylor added a 49-yard punt return touchdown in a game that was a major defensive struggle. West Monroe will take on 11-1 Hahnville in a quarterfinal game at West Monroe.

4. Woodland Hills, Pittsburgh, PA (12-0) Last Week: 4 Result: The Wolverines scored on their first five possessions as they advanced to the WPIAL finals with a 40-7 win over McKeesport. Quarterback Steve Breaston ran for 198 yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries. Mike Nesby ran back the opening kickoff of the second half 90 yards for a score, with the key block on the return coming from Breaston. The WPIAL championship will be a rematch between the Wolverines and Pittsburgh Central Catholic, whose only loss was a 31-28 triple overtime thriller earlier in the season. The game will be played at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

5. Glades Central, Belle Glades, FL (12-0) Last Week: 5 Result: The Raiders extended their winning streak to 47 games with an easy 40-14 win over Immokalee. Curtis Holley threw for three scores, all in the first half, and Mario Fraser ran for 104 yards on 10 carries. The defensive stars were Tavoris Lawrence with 15 tackles and Cerge Sincere with four quarterback sacks. Rockledge will come to visit the Raiders in the 3A regional finals.

6. Independence, Charlotte, NC (12-0) Last Week: 6 Result: Mario Crowe accounted for five touchdowns and 320 all-purpose yards as Charlotte broke open a close game late for a 48-27 verdict over Charlotte Providence. Junior quarterback Chris Leak continued his stellar play, throwing for 360 yards and two scores. Leak has now thrown for 3,604 yards and 47 touchdowns in 12 games this year. Independence hosts eighth-seeded North Davidson in the 4A Western Quarterfinals.

7. Harrison, Farmington Hills, MI (13-0) Last Week: 7 Result: Agim Shabaj was all over the field in the Division 3 semifinals for Harrison. Shabaj caught seven passes for 60 yards, had 45 more yards on three rushes, and added three interceptions on defense. Drew Stanton also threw for two scores as the Hawks knocked off previously unbeaten and regionally ranked Saginaw 31-14. Harrison plays for the Division 3 state championship against Fruitport, who is also 13-0, but not as highly regarded as Saginaw.

8. Hoover, Hoover, AL (12-0) Last Week: 8 Result: For the second week in a row, a Top 10 team loses their starting quarterback to a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Last week it was Jenks, this week it was Hoover and Blake Davidson, who was injured on a third-quarter 32-yard run while he unsuccessfully tried to get out of bounds before being hit. Davidson had run for 97 yards and two touchdowns and thrown for 193, including a 96-yard completion to Chad Jackson. Hoover gets a rematch with Jess Lanier, who gave the Bucs all they could handle in a 14-12 game the first week of the season. The game will be played at Lanier's home field.

9. St. Thomas Aquinas, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (12-0) Last Week: 9 Result: It was a defensive struggle for the Raiders, but Justin Montgomery ran for all three touchdowns as STA knocked off Ft. Myers 21-7 in Class 4A regional semifinal action. Montgomery finished with 110 yards rushing on 24 carries. Drametrice Smith had two second half interceptions for the Raiders. STA will host Estero in the regional finals this weekend.

10. Ben Davis, Indianapolis, IN (14-0) Last Week: 10 Result: Can anyone stop the Giants? Ben Davis has scored no fewer than 48 points in any of their playoff games thus far, and the trend continued with a 61-20 win over Evansville Reitz in the 5A state semifinals. James Banks tied a school record by throwing for five touchdowns for the Giants.

11. Chatfield, Littleton, CO (12-0) Last Week: 11 Result: Unfortunately, the story of the game for Chatfield was not the game itself, but rather a banner that the players ran through before the game that had an extremely inappropriate message on it, asking the players to "rape the Raptors." Chatfield did beat Eaglecrest 21-9 as Lendale White ran for 147 yards on 25 carries. Chatfield takes Overland next week, but will be minus a few cheerleaders, who were suspended and not permitted to cheer for the remainder of football season because of the banner.

12. Parkview, Lilburn, GA (10-0) Last Week: 12 Result: Parkview crushed a Dacula team that was supposed to challenge the Panthers. However, Jeff Francoeur had four catches for 103 yards and two scores and Dustin Wade threw for 229 yards and four scores on 10-for-13 passing as the Panthers won 38-7 in their regular-season finale. The game was originally scheduled to be played the second week of September, but was pushed back to the end of the season because of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Parkview's first-round playoff opponent is 3-6 Douglass.

13. Hazelwood East, St. Louis, MO (13-0) Last Week: 13 Result: Hazelwood East held Jackson's stud running back Mario Whitney to 97 yards on 27 carries in a 21-0 Class 5A semifinal win. Whitney finished with 2,777 yards in 13 games for Jackson. Darnell Ray scored on two long touchdowns for the Spartans, a 55-yard pass reception and a 51-yard punt return. Brandon Williams sealed the game on a 79-yard interception return. Hazelwood East takes on 16th-ranked Blue Springs in the Missouri 5A state championship in the TWA Dome.

14. Northridge, Layton, UT (12-0) Last Week: 14 Result: Northridge won their second consecutive state championship over Skyline, winning 37-26. Jase McCormick threw for 200 yards and a touchdown and Mitch Campbell hit a clutch 43-yard field goal to give the Knights the Class 5A title. Spencer Bailey added three touchdowns on the ground.

15. Kahuku, Kahuku, HI (12-0) Last Week: 15 Result: Inoke Funaki threw for 307 yards and four touchdowns on 11-for-15 passing as the Red Raiders cruised over Lahainaluna 57-14 in the state quarterfinals. James Kammerer had three of the touchdown receptions, tying a state playoff record. Kahuku plays against 8-1 Waimea this weekend at Aloha Stadium, with a matchup with West Region ranked Honolulu St. Louis possibly looming in the finals.

16. Blue Springs, Blue Springs, MO (13-0) Last Week: 16 Result: The clock finally struck midnight for Jefferson City, Missouri's Cinderella team, as Blue Springs eliminated them by a 24-15 verdict in Class 5A state semifinal action at Jefferson City. Andrew Tuggle ran for 111 yards on 23 carries despite an injured left shoulder. Jefferson City, who finished at 7-5, had previously knocked off 9-1 Fort Zumwalt West and 9-2 Kickapoo before falling in the semifinals. Blue Springs travels to the TWA Dome this weekend for the state championship battle against 13th-ranked Hazelwood East.

17. Strath Haven, Wallingford, PA (11-0) Last Week: 17 Result: Strath Haven won the AAA District 1 Championship with a 35-19 victory over Pottsgrove, extending their winning streak to 42 games. Strath Haven's next opponent in the state playoffs is District 2 Champion Berwick, who could very easily put an end to the winning streak. Dan Connor ran for 121 yards on 23 carries for the Panthers in the win.

18. DeMatha Catholic, Hyattsville, MD (11-0) Last Week: 18 Result: Elijah Brooks scored the game-winning touchdown on a three-yard run with 27 seconds left in the game to give DeMatha the WCAC Championship 20-14 over Gonzaga. Brooks finished with 194 yards and all three DeMatha touchdowns in a game played in front of an estimated 8,000 fans.

19. Jesuit, Portland, OR (11-0) Last Week: 19 Result: D.J. Jackson ran for 248 yards on 34 carries, including five touchdowns, in a 49-26 win over Churchill 49-26 in the second round of the Oregon Class 4A state playoffs. Jackson also accounted for a sixth touchdown, throwing a 63-yard touchdown to Hans Grauert on a halfback option play. Jesuit takes on McNary, who knocked off regionally ranked Roseburg last week, in the state quarterfinals this weekend.

20. Newark, Newark, DE (10-0) Last Week: 20 Result: Austin Kisner ran for 125 yards and two scores and ran back an interception for a third touchdown and Newark defeated arch-rival William Penn 28-14 in the regular season finale for both teams. However, both teams meet again in the Division I semifinals with a possible state championship date with undefeated Dover looming. Newark's winning streak was extended to 32 games with the win.

21. Blaine, Blaine, MN (12-0) Last Week: 21 Result: The Bengals scored all of their points in the second half to knock off giant-killer Alexandria 17-10 in the Minnesota 5A semifinals held in the Metrodome. Alexandria had come into the game averaging 38 points a game. Blaine faces 11-2 Hastings for the state championship.

22. Union, Tulsa, OK (11-0) Last Week: 22 Result: Spencer McIlwain ran for 220 yards and two touchdowns as Union crushed Broken Arrow 56-27. Broken Arrow finished with a 8-3 record, falling to Union twice and Jenks once. Union takes on Putnam City North in a huge Class 6A semifinal game this weekend, and is on a crash course to meet second-ranked Jenks in the state championship game.

23. Naperville Central, Naperville, IL (12-0) Last Week: 23 Result: Jason Paquette ran for 226 yards on 27 carries and three touchdowns as Naperville Central advanced to the Class 8A Championship with a 48-20 win over Wheaton North. Andy Cvengros added 120 yards on 18 carries for the Redhawks, who will face Downers Grove South for the state title.

24. St. Xavier, Cincinnati, OH (12-0) Last Week: 24 Result: St. Xavier remains the last Division I unbeaten team in Ohio as they knocked off Cincinnati Elder for the second time, this time by the score of 24-21 in front of 35,000 people at the University of Cincinnati. Marty Mooney was 15-for-23 for 256 yards and three touchdowns for the victors. The Bombers will take on Dublin Coffman, an upset winner over Hilliard Davidson in the Ohio Division I semifinals.

25. Neshaminy, Langhorne, PA (12-0) Last Week: 25 Result: Neshaminy knocked off Downingtown 37-20 as Jamar Brittingham ran for 216 yards to go over 2,000 yards rushing for the season. Keith Ennis added three receptions for 108 yards and one touchdown. Neshaminy now hosts 11-1 Conestoga in a AAAA sub-regional game.

Dropped Out: None.

Teams to Watch: Mission Viejo, Mission Viejo, CA; Providence, New Lenox, IL; Pasco, Pasco, WA; Poly Prep, Brooklyn, NY; Riverdale, Murfreesboro, TN; Copperas Cove, Copperas Cove, TX; Mayfield, Las Cruces, NM; Northside, Warner Robins, GA; Dowling, West Des Moines, IA; Manheim Central, Manheim, PA; Olathe North, Olathe, KS; Jackson, Monmouth, NJ; Centreville, Clifton, VA; Joliet Catholic, Joliet, IL; Poly, Long Beach, CA

Regional Rankings
East
1. Woodland Hills, Pittsburgh, PA (12-0)
2. Strath Haven, Wallingford, PA (12-0)
3. DeMatha, Hyattsville, MD (11-0)
4. Newark, Newark, DE (10-0)
5. Neshaminy, Langhorne, PA (12-0)
6. Poly Prep, Brooklyn, NY (8-0)
7. Manheim Central, Manheim, PA (12-0)
8. Jackson, Monmouth, NJ (10-0)
9. Urbana, Ijamsville, MD (10-0)
10. Montclair, Montclair, NJ (10-0)
11. Georgetown Prep, Rockville, MD (11-0)
12. Xaverian, Westwood, MA (10-0)
13. Delbarton, Morristown, NJ (10-0)
14. La Salle, Providence, RI (9-0)
15. Freeport, Freeport, NY (9-0)
16. Fitch, Groton, CT (8-0)
17. Eleanor Roosevelt, Greenbelt, MD (11-0)
18. Cumberland Valley, Mechanicsburg, PA (12-0)
19. Ramapo, Franklin Lakes, NJ (10-0)
20. North Branford, North Branford, CT (9-0)

Midwest
1. Harrison, Farmington Hills, MI (13-0)
2. Ben Davis, Indianapolis, IN (14-0)
3. Hazelwood East, St. Louis, MO (13-0)
4. Blue Springs, Blue Springs, MO (13-0)
5. Blaine, Blaine, MN (12-0)
6. Naperville Central, Naperville, IL (13-0)
7. St. Xavier, Cincinnati, OH (12-0)
8. Providence, New Lenox, IL (13-0)
9. Dowling, West Des Moines, IA (12-0)
10. Olathe North, Olathe, KS (12-0)
11. Joliet Catholic, Joliet, IL (12-1)
12. Boyle County, Danville, KY (12-0)
13. Lumen Christi, Jackson, MI (12-0)
14. Salina Central, Salina, KS (11-0)
15. Prospect, Mt. Prospect, IL (13-0)
16. Webb City, Webb City, MO (13-0)
17. Millard West, Omaha, NE (11-1)
18. Bismarck, Bismarck, ND (12-0)
19. Morris, Morris, IL (13-0)
20. Washington, Washington, MO (13-0)

South
1. Jenks, Jenks, OK (11-0)
2. West Monroe, West Monroe, LA (12-0)
3. Glades Central, Belle Glades, FL (12-0)
4. Independence, Charlotte, NC (12-0)
5. Hoover, Hoover, AL (12-0)
6. St. Thomas Aquinas, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (12-0)
7. Parkview, Lilburn, GA (10-0)
8. Union, Tulsa, OK (11-0)
9. Riverdale, Murfreesboro, TN (13-0)
10. Copperas Cove, Copperas Cove, TX (11-0)
11. Northside, Warner Robins, GA (9-0)
12. Centreville, Clifton, VA (10-0)
13. Palm Bay, Melbourne, FL (11-0)
14. Brandon, Brandon, MS (12-0)
15. Ennis, Ennis, TX (11-0)
16. North Shore, Galena Park, TX (11-0)
17. Marlboro County, Bennettsville, SC (13-0)
18. Daphne, Daphne, AL (12-0)
19. Putnam City North, Oklahoma City, OK (11-0)\
20. Varina, Richmond, VA (10-0)

West
1. De La Salle, Concord, CA (10-0)
2. Chatfield, Littleton, CO (12-0)
3. Northridge, Layton, UT (11-0)
4. Kahuku, Kahuku, HI (12-0)
5. Jesuit, Portland, OR (11-0)
6. Mission Viejo, Mission Viejo, CA (11-0)
7. Pasco, Pasco, WA (12-0)
8. Mayfield, Las Cruces, NM (12-0)
9. Poly, Long Beach, CA (9-1)
10. Eagle, Eagle, ID (12-0)
11. Rock Springs, Rock Springs, WY (11-0)
12. Hart, Newhall, CA (10-0)
13. Bethel, Spanaway Lake, WA (12-0)
14. Clovis, Clovis, NM (11-0)
15. Mountain View, Mesa, AZ (11-0)
16. C.M. Russell, Great Falls, MT (12-0)
17. Centennial, Corona, CA (10-0)
18. Saguaro, Scottsdale, AZ (11-0)
19. Bakersfield, Bakersfield, CA (10-0)
20. St. Louis, Honolulu, HI (9-0-1)