Top 25 football rankings -- Week 14

As is generally the case when high school football is in the midst of playoffs, this past weekend was a crazy weekend in the Top 25.

Seven teams dropped out of this week's Top 25, including formerly fifth-ranked Glades Central, who saw their 47-game winning streak, which was the fourth longest active streak in the USA, end with a 21-14 upset loss to Rockledge. Rockledge wideout Zsan Robinson caught two TD passes for the upset victors.

Also falling out of the Top 25 was Hazelwood East, who had climbed all the way to 13th in the country before being totally dominated by Blue Springs in the Missouri Class 5A state final. Even more impressive about the upset was the fact that the game was played in the TWA Dome, a factor that was supposed to favor the speed of Hazelwood East. Read more about the state championship in the summary for 10th-ranked Blue Springs.

The last five teams to fall out were all consecutively ranked. Portland Jesuit fell out from the 19th spot after being upset by McNary 47-20. The week before, McNary had knocked off Roseburg, which had been ranked as high as 15th in the West Region, and was ranked second in Oregon at the end of the regular season. Jesuit was first. However, the top team in Oregon is still not considered to be McNary, it is at this point either Sheldon or Lake Oswego, with McNary a close third.

Newark fell out of the 20th spot after a 6-0 win over a William Penn team they had beaten 28-14 the week before. In order to re-enter the Top 25, Newark will need to win their last two playoff games convincingly.

There are no more large school (Class 5A or 4A) unbeatens in Minnesota this season after Blaine, who was 21st, was knocked off by Hastings in the 5A state championship 28-9. Hastings' defense completely shut the Bengals down in the Metrodome.

The formerly 22nd ranked team in the country, Tulsa Union, was shocked by a Putnam City North team that was highly regarded as underrated once the game was over. Putnam North vaults into the rankings this week after spending a couple of weeks in the lower portion of the South Region rankings.

Finally, the Illinois giant-killer, Downers Grove South, upset 23rd-ranked Naperville Central in a classic Class 8A state championship game, 34-31. Mustangs' quarterback Mike Cuzzone hit Kent Hughes from seven yards out with 38 seconds remaining in the game for the unlikely win. Downers Grove South will likely start next season in the Top 25, returning 10 key starters.

Since seven teams dropped out, seven teams debut in this week's Top 25. The highest debut belongs to 17th-ranked Providence, who crushed previously unbeaten Oak Lawn Richards 41-0 in the Illinois Class 6A championship. Putnam City North jumps in at 19 and the 20th-ranked team is Mission Viejo, who handed perennial powerhouse Mater Dei their first loss of the season earlier this year.

Pasco, currently the top team in the state of Washington, enters at 22. The Bulldogs are the overwhelming favorite to win the Class 4A championship. Georgia's number two team, Warner Robins Northside, makes their initial appearance in the 23rd spot. Iowa 4A state champion, Dowling, jumps in at 24 and Palm Bay, the second-best team in Florida's loaded 4A classification rounds out this week's Top 25.

State titles will be contested this weekend in Ohio, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Colorado, Tennessee, New Mexico, Arkansas, South Carolina, Nevada, Hawaii, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Washington.

Since Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island have playoff games on Tuesday, the Top 25 is again a day early.

And now here is this week's Top 25:

1. De La Salle, Concord, CA (11-0) Last Week: 1 Result: Matt Gutierrez threw for 168 yards and ran for 66 yards as the Spartans crushed James Logan 45-0 for their 124th consecutive win. James Logan had not lost since September 21, but still proved to be no match as De La Salle jumped out to a 38-0 halftime lead. Maurice Drew ran for 91 yards and three touchdowns and Alijah Bradley also ran for three touchdowns. De La Salle now takes on undefeated San Leandro in the North Coast Section 4A Championship this Saturday.

2. Jenks, Jenks, OK (12-0) Last Week: 2 Result: Jenks overcame seven turnovers in knocking off Edmond Santa Fe 35-21 in the Oklahoma 6A semifinals. Eb Trevino ran for 101 yards on 16 carries with two touchdowns while new starting quarterback Keith Jones ran for 104 yards on 18 carries with one score. The Trojans ran for 310 yards for the game.

3. West Monroe, West Monroe, LA (13-0) Last Week: 3 Result: Just over one minute into their ballgame with Hahnville, the Rebels found themselves down 14-0, due to two quick-strike touchdown passes and a fumbled kickoff by West Monroe. West Monroe scored the next five touchdowns and cruised to a 42-20 win, in the Louisiana Class 5A quarterfinals. Hahnville concentrated so much on shutting down star tailback Demario Taylor that fullback Edward Dade had a night to remember, running for 234 yards on 15 carries with two touchdowns, and 72 yards receiving. West Monroe must travel to Acadiana this weekend for their state semifinal matchup. Should they win that game, they will either face an undefeated New Orleans Rummel or have a rematch with Evangel Christian for the state title.

4. Woodland Hills, Pittsburgh, PA (13-0) Last Week: 4 Result: When Woodland Hills and Pittsburgh Central Catholic played during the regular season, the game was a triple-overtime thriller eventually won by Woodland Hills. There was no drama, nor any suspense this time around as the Wolverines crushed Central Catholic 41-6 in the WPIAL (Pittsburgh-area) Championship. A record crowd of 39,031 watched the game at brand new Heinz Field. Quarterback Steve Breaston ran for 219 yards on just 15 carries, pushing his season's total to 1,552 yards on the ground. Kareem Dutrieuille added 162 yards on 20 carries and three touchdowns, with both players having topped the century mark before halftime. The Wolverines now advance to play Altoona, who knocked off defending AAAA state champion Cathedral Prep of Erie, PA with a gutsy two-point conversion with just over a minute remaining for a 29-28 win.

5. Harrison, Farmington Hills, MI (14-0) Last Week: 7 Result: Drew Stanton threw for two touchdowns on 14-for-18 passing as the Hawks won their fifth consecutive Division 3 Championship, 28-6 over Fruitport. Stanton threw for 210 yards and rushed for 49 yards and a touchdown as well. They also set state records with their 12th overall state championship in 15 tries. Bill Richeson led the Hawk defense with 17 total tackles.

6. Independence, Charlotte, NC (13-0) Last Week: 6 Result: Independence won their Class 4A second round playoff game against North Davidson by the score of 41-14. Mario Raley set a North Carolina state record with his 23rd touchdown reception of the season, and Chris Leak threw for 202 yards and two scores. Mario Crowe ran for three scores and 183 yards on only eight carries. Independence will take on West fourth seed Northern Durham this weekend with a possible showdown in the semifinals with A.C. Reynolds of Asheville, who has nine shutouts on the season.

7. Hoover, Hoover, AL (13-0) Last Week: 8 Result: Hoover didn't miss a beat despite losing starting quarterback Blake Davidson the week before. Jazmond Burks ran for 127 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown and Charlie Morgan ran for three short touchdowns in a come-from-behind 28-17 win over Jess Lanier. Morgan scored the go-ahead touchdown on a one-yard blast with 5:55 left in the game, then added the insurance touchdown with 2:27 left, also from one yard out. Hoover takes to the road for their Class 6A state semifinal game, taking on undefeated Birmingham Huffman this week.

8. St. Thomas Aquinas, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (13-0) Last Week: 9 Result: Tavares Gooden, lined up opposite 300-pound, highly recruited tackle Randy Hand, had three sacks as the Raiders' defense played a solid game in a 21-17 victory over Estero in the Class 4A quarterfinals. Dan Shula completed 8-for-15 passes for 115 yards. Floyd Reddick caught four balls for 94 yards. STA travels to Tampa this week to take on Tampa Jefferson in the state semifinals. Should they win, the Raiders could face either Tallahassee Lincoln or 25th-ranked Palm Bay (both ranked regionally) in the 4A state final.

9. Ben Davis, Indianapolis, IN (15-0) Last Week: 10 Result: Star quarterback James Banks ran for two scores and threw for a third as Ben Davis won the Indiana Class 5A state championship 35-16 over Valparaiso in the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. Banks also had two interceptions on defense. The title is the sixth for Ben Davis, tying an Indiana state record.

10. Blue Springs, Blue Springs, MO (14-0) Last Week: 16 Result: Blue Springs vaults into the top ten this week after dismantling Hazelwood East 28-12 in the Missouri Class 5A state championship. The Wildcats sacked Hazelwood East quarterback Dwayne Buchanan a state record 16 times, including a state title-game record four sacks from Darius Witherspoon. Both of Hazelwood East's scores came after most of the Blue Springs starters had been pulled with a 28-0 fourth quarter lead. Blue Springs' defense was so dominant that the first 11 possessions for Hazelwood East ended in nine punts, a fumble, and the end of the first half.

11. Chatfield, Littleton, CO (13-0) Last Week: 11 Result: Chatfield trailed Overland by 23 points with 10:15 left in the game. The Chargers proceeded to rattle off 29 points in a span of just under six minutes to advance to the Colorado 5A championship game by the score of 43-37. The game-winning score came on a 21-yard fumble return by Ian Darnell. Ryan Bucher threw three fourth-quarter touchdowns to Troy Grosfield, from 10, 41, and 24 yards out. Bucher finished 14-for-27 for 270 yards for the game. Chatfield will take on Fairview for the Class 5A state championship this weekend.

12. Parkview, Lilburn, GA (11-0) Last Week: 12 Result: Brad Lester scored two touchdowns and Parkview's defense held Douglass to four first downs, all coming late in the game as the Panthers won 36-0 in the first round of the 5A playoffs. Lester's scores came from 26 and 32 yards out and helped Parkview extend their winning streak to 26 straight. The defending state champions take on Roswell this weekend with a possible quarterfinal matchup with unbeaten East Coweta looming.

13. St. Xavier, Cincinnati, OH (13-0) Last Week: 24 Result: St. Xavier continued its quest for a first-ever Ohio Division I state title with a 35-14 victory over Dublin Coffman in the state semifinals. The win, along with a win the week before against Cincinnati Elder, allowed the Bombers to make a big jump in this week's rankings. Enye Willingham ran for 118 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries and Marty Mooney was 13-for-26 for 217 yards and three touchdowns. St. X. will take on Cleveland St. Ignatius, the team that was favored in the preseason to win it all in Ohio, and comes into the state title game despite a 10-4 record. The two teams met earlier this year, with the Bombers coming from 20 points down to beat St. Ignatius in Cleveland 42-41 on October 20. The rematch for the state title should be as good.

14. Northridge, Layton, UT (12-0) Last Week: 14 Result: Season completed. Utah Class 5A State Champions. Northridge knocked off Skyline for the second consecutive year, this time by the score of 37-26. Northridge set a Utah playoff record by scoring 212 points in four playoff games.

15. Kahuku, Kahuku, HI (13-0) Last Week: 15 Result: Inoke Funaki threw for two touchdowns, both to Ferren Fonoimoana, and added 123 yards on the ground as Kahuku knocked off Waimea 21-7 to advance to the Hawaii state championship against Honolulu St. Louis. St. Louis knocked off Kailua 49-7 to set up the matchup between the two top teams in Hawaii for most of the season.

16. Strath Haven, Wallingford, PA (12-0) Last Week: 17 Result: Fullback Dan Connor ran for 125 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, picking up the slack as Berwick's defense concentrated on star wideout Josh Hannum as Strath Haven won their 43rd consecutive game, 30-21 in a Class AAA quarterfinal game. The Panthers' defense intercepted Berwick quarterback Frank Jankowski four times and sacked him five times. Strath Haven will take on Manheim Central, ranked seventh in the East Region and listed as one of the Teams to Watch. Manheim Central has coasted through the 3A playoffs thus far.

17. Providence, New Lenox, IL (14-0) Last Week: Team to Watch Result: The Illinois Class 6A Championship was supposed to be the best game of the four games played last Saturday. It was the only one of the four games that was played with both teams undefeated. Providence crushed previously unbeaten Oak Lawn Richards 41-0 to win the Class 6A title. Mike Mentz ran for 135 yards and two touchdowns, Jim Berthoud ran for 109 yards and two scores, and the Providence defense held Richards to a title-game record 76 yards of total offense.

18. DeMatha Catholic, Hyattsville, MD (11-0) Last Week: 18 Result: Season complete. WCAC Champions. DeMatha defeated Gonzaga 20-14 to win the WCAC title.

19. Putnam City North, Oklahoma City, OK (13-0) Last Week: Unranked and Not Listed As Team To Watch (Was 19th in South) Result: Everyone in Oklahoma was waiting for the big state championship final between Tulsa Union and Jenks. However, just like Oklahoma in NCAA football, Tulsa Union was knocked off by Putnam City North 42-28 as senior quarterback Matt Warren threw for 295 yards and four touchdowns. Warren finished the game with 3,340 yards through the air for the season, breaking a state record that had just been set one week ago. Putnam and Jenks will play for the Oklahoma 6A state title this weekend at Oklahoma State.

20. Mission Viejo, Mission Viejo, CA (12-0) Last Week: Team to Watch Result: Ronnie Dubois ran for 247 yards on 28 carries as Mission Viejo scored the last 21 points of the game to break a 10-10 tie and defeat Upland 31-10. The Diablos will play Alta Loma in the CIF Southern Section Division II semifinals. Alta Loma outlasted Ayala 41-40 in four overtimes to advance.

21. Neshaminy, Langhorne, PA (13-0) Last Week: 25 Result: Jamar Brittingham had 12 carries for 66 yards for Neshaminy. However, that was only in the first quarter and the highly-recruited back finished with 178 yards on 29 carries and a touchdown as Neshaminy eliminated Conestoga 28-12. Brittingham also threw a 39-yard option pass. The Redskins' defense held Conestoga to just 36 rushing yards for the entire game. Neshaminy takes on Cumberland Valley in the AAAA Eastern Final. CV is ranked 12th in the East Region and knocked off perennial power Bethlehem Catholic to advance.

22. Pasco, Pasco, WA (13-0) Last Week: Team to Watch Result: Pasco scored all three of its touchdowns in the second quarter and held off a pesky Mountain View team 21-0 to advance to the Class 4A state final. The Bulldogs were expected to have a date with Bethel of Spanaway Lake in the final, however, Bethel was upset by Kentwood in the state's other semifinal game. Pasco and Class 3A favorite Bellevue are the top two teams left in Washington state.

23. Northside, Warner Robins, GA (10-0) Last Week: Team to Watch Result: Chansi Stuckey threw for two touchdowns and added 97 yards rushing on nine carries as Northside won their AAAAA playoff opener against Coffee 52-14. George Washington added 123 yards and two scores on 15 carries. Northside will take on Starr's Mill, with a possible quarterfinal matchup with undefeated Chattahoochee looming should Northside win.

24. Dowling, West Des Moines, IA (12-0) Last Week: Team to Watch Result: Season complete. Iowa Class 4-A State Champions. The Maroons were led by quarterback Ben Carpenter, who threw for 1,922 yards passing. Dowling defeated Iowa City 35-15 in the state championship and have won 26 consecutive games.

25. Palm Bay, Melbourne, FL (12-0) Last Week: Unranked and Not Listed as Team to Watch (Was 13th in South) Result: Palm Bay now has Florida's longest winning streak (24 straight) after Glades Central was upset by Rockledge this weekend. The Pirates crushed New Smyrna Beach 36-7 to advance to the state semifinals in Class 4A. Dan Hornung ran for 138 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown to lead the Pirates. Next up for Palm Bay is a trip to Tallahassee to take on Tallahassee Lincoln, who has not lost since losing early in the season to Valdosta.

Dropped Out: No. 5 Glades Central, Belle Glades, FL lost to Rockledge 21-14. No. 13 Hazelwood East, St. Louis, MO lost to former No. 16 Blue Springs 28-12. No. 19 Jesuit, Portland, OR lost to McNary 47-20. No. 20 Newark, Newark, DE beat William Penn 6-0. No. 21 Blaine, Blaine, MN lost to Hastings 28-9. No. 22 Union, Tulsa, OK lost to Putnam City North 42-28. No. 23 Naperville Central, Naperville, IL lost to Downers Grove South 34-31.

Teams to Watch: Riverdale, Murfreesboro, TN; Mayfield, Las Cruces, NM; Joliet Catholic, Joliet, IL; Poly Prep, Brooklyn, NY; Newark, Newark, DE; Lumen Christi, Jackson, MI; Olathe North, Olathe, KS; Manheim Central, Manheim, PA; Brandon, Brandon, MS; Jackson, Monmouth, NJ; Centreville, Clifton, VA; Poly, Long Beach, CA; North Shore, Galena Park, TX; Marlboro County, Bennettsville, SC; Urbana, Ijamsville, MD; Boyle County, Danville, KY

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

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

South
1. Jenks, Jenks, OK (12-0)
2. West Monroe, West Monroe, LA (13-0)
3. Independence, Charlotte, NC (13-0)
4. Hoover, Hoover, AL (13-0)
5. St. Thomas Aquinas, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (13-0)
6. Parkview, Lilburn, GA (11-0)
7. Putnam City North, Oklahoma City, OK (13-0)
8. Northside, Warner Robins, GA (10-0)
9. Palm Bay, Melbourne, FL (12-0)
10. Riverdale, Murfreesboro, TN (14-0)
11. Brandon, Brandon, MS (13-0)
12. North Shore, Galena Park, TX (12-0)
13. Marlboro County, Bennettsville, SC (14-0)
14. Ennis, Ennis, TX (12-0)
15. C.D. Hylton, Woodbridge, VA (12-0)
16. Mesquite, Mesquite, TX (12-0)
17. McCallie School, Chattanooga, TN (13-0)
18. Daphne, Daphne, AL (13-0)
19. Lincoln, Tallahassee, FL (12-1)
20. A.C. Reynolds, Asheville, NC (11-0)

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