The high-octane offense of the St. James Academy (Springfield, VA) did not vanish against elite competition. The performance against IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL) two weeks ago was no fluke. By taking down No. 1 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore), the Strivers have proven they stack up against the best in the country, an incredible emergence for the second-year football program.
The St. James Academy, previously unranked, has entered the top 10 after its 17-point comeback victory.
St. Frances Academy drops, falling below teams, including the Strivers and IMG Academy, who took down the St. James Academy two weeks ago on a blocked field goal. Rising to the top are the Santa Margarita Eagles (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA), whose young core has more than
made up for the graduation of the 2026 class that led the Eagles to a California championship.
The Texas scene is taking shape. Allen (TX) looks to be the best team in the state, and is now in the top five of the Super 25. If any team can counter that distinction, it looks to be North Crowley (Fort Worth, TX), which dominated the running game against Waxahachie in a Super 25 matchup that made the Texas peer look completely overmatched.
Massillon (Washington, OH) dropped from the rankings. It lost its first game of the season following the ruling that the Feister brothers are ineligible. With a 6-1 record and the losses of the star defenders, Massillon slipped out, making space for the St. James Academy.
See the full Super 25 Week 9 football rankings below.
1. Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA)
Record: 7-0
Previous Rank: 2
Last Result: Santa Margarita 27, Servite (CA) 3
2. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Record: 7-0
Previous Rank: 3
Last Result: St. Thomas Aquinas 48, McArthur (FL) 0
3. Buford (GA)
Record: 6-0
Previous Rank: 5
Last Result: Buford 48, Dacula (GA) 7
4. Allen (TX)
Record: 6-0
Previous Rank: 6
Last Result: Allen 70, McKinney (TX) 3
5. IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)
Record: 7-0
Previous Rank: 4
Last Result: IMG Academy 49, New Palestine (IN) 7
6. The St. James Academy (Springfield, VA)
Record: 5-1
Previous Rank: NR
Last Result: St. James Performance Academy 28, St. Frances Academy (MD) 20
7. Columbus (Miami, FL)
Record: 7-1
Previous Rank: 7
Last Result: Columbus 51, Coral Gables (FL) 13
8. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV)
Record: 6-1
Previous Rank: 9
Last Result: Bishop Gorman 48, Pinecrest Academy Sloan Canyon (NV) 3
9. St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, MD)
Record: 5-1
Previous Rank: 1
Last Result: St. James Performance Academy 28, St. Frances Academy 20
10. Thompson (Alabaster, AL)
Record: 7-0
Previous Rank: 8
Last Result: Thompson 47, Hewitt-Trussville (AL) 17
11. Carrollton (GA)
Record: 7-0
Previous Rank: 10
Last Result: Carrollton 62, Douglas County (GA) 24
12. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, CA)
Record: 6-1
Previous Rank: 11
Last Result: St. John Bosco 28, Orange Lutheran (CA) 14
13. North Crowley (Fort Worth, TX)
Record: 6-0
Previous Rank: 16
Last Result: North Crowley 42, Waxahachie (TX) 17
14. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, CA)
Record: 7-0
Previous Rank: 14
Last Result: Sierra Canyon 58, Serra (CA) 0
15. Baylor (Chattanooga, TN)
Record: 7-0
Previous Rank: 12
Last Result: Idle
16. Hamilton (Chandler, AZ)
Record: 6-0
Previous Rank: 15
Last Result: Hamilton 59, Valley Vista (AZ) 0
17. Thomas County Central (Thomasville, GA)
Record: 7-0
Previous Rank: 18
Last Result: Thomas County Central 43, Houston County (GA) 3
18. Brownsburg (IN)
Record: 8-0
Previous Rank: 19
Last Result: Brownsburg 50, Noblesville (IN) 14
19. De La Salle (Concord, CA)
Record: 6-0
Previous Rank: 20
Last Result: Idle
20. North Shore (Houston, TX)
Record: 7-0
Previous Rank: 17
Last Result: North Shore 28, Summer Creek (TX) 27
21. Hough (Cornelius, NC)
Record: 7-0
Previous Rank: 21
Last Result: Hough 72, Garinger (NC) 0
22. Trinity (Louisville, KY)
Record: 7-1
Previous Rank: 23
Last Result: Trinity 73, Ballard (KY) 0
23. East St. Louis (IL)
Record: 7-1
Previous Rank: 24
Last Result: East St. Louis 54, Alton (IL) 0
24. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA)
Record: 5-2
Previous Rank: 25
Last Result: Mater Dei 41, JSerra Catholic (CA) 7
25. Waxahachie (TX)
Record: 5-1
Previous Rank: 13
Last Result: North Crowley (TX) 42, Waxahachie 17
Watch list
- Bishop Watterson (OH)
- Broken Arrow (OK)
- Cass Tech (Detroit, MI)
- Central (Miami, FL)
- Central Catholic (Pittsburgh, PA)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USA TODAY Sports Super 25 high school football rankings, Week 9
