With several high school football teams continuing to roll through unbeaten seasons and others building momentum heading into the second half of October, the Southeast Region Super 15 is beginning to take shape. St. Thomas Aquinas, Buford and IMG Academy remain at the top, while key matchups this week could further separate the region's contenders.
Here are USA TODAY Sports' Week 9 Southeast Region Super 15 rankings.
1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Record: 7-0
Next game: Friday, Oct. 16, vs. Monarch (FL), 7 p.m. ET
The Raiders continued their dominant season with a 48-0 shutout of McArthur. St. Thomas Aquinas has won seven straight games and will look to keep its unbeaten record intact against Monarch on Friday, which should not be an issue.
2. Buford (GA)
Record: 6-0
Next game: Friday, Oct. 16,
vs. Collins Hill (GA), 7:30 p.m. ET
Buford remained unbeaten with a 48-7 victory over Dacula. The Wolves have continued to establish themselves among the Southeast's top teams and will face Collins Hill on Friday as they look to extend their winning streak to 22 games in a row.
3. IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)
Record: 7-0
Next game: Friday, Oct. 16, vs. NFL Academy (London), 7 p.m. ET
IMG Academy cruised to a 49-7 victory over New Palestine (IN), continuing its unbeaten start to the season. The Ascenders will face a unique international challenge Friday when they host NFL Academy from London in a game nationally televised on ESPN2.
4. Columbus (Miami, FL)
Record: 7-1
Next game: Friday, Oct. 16, GMAC Championship, 7 p.m. ET
Columbus rolled past Coral Gables 51-13 to maintain its momentum heading into the GMAC Championship against Miami Central. The Explorers will have an opportunity to add another title to their résumé Friday as they continue their push toward the postseason.
5. Thompson (Alabaster, AL)
Record: 7-0
Next game: Friday, Oct. 16, vs. Prattville (AL), 7 p.m. CT
Thompson passed another test Thursday, defeating Hewitt-Trussville 47-17 behind a strong performance from quarterback Trent Seaborn, who threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns. The Warriors now face one of their biggest challenges of the season against unbeaten Prattville on Friday.
6. Carrollton (GA)
Record: 7-0
Next game: Friday, Oct. 16, vs. Northgate (GA), 7:30 p.m. ET
Carrollton remained unbeaten with a 62-24 victory over Douglas County. The Trojans' high-powered offense continues to make them one of Georgia's most dangerous teams, and they'll look to keep rolling against Northgate on Friday.
7. Baylor (Chattanooga, TN)
Record: 7-0
Next game: Friday, Oct. 16, vs. Legacy School of Sport Sciences (TX), 7 p.m. CT
Baylor enters Week 9 unbeaten and coming off a bye week. The Red Raiders will return to action Friday against Legacy School of Sport Sciences, looking to maintain their perfect record against an opponent traveling from Texas. The Titans are 0-6, but have played IMG and St. Frances so far this year.
8. Thomas County Central (Thomasville, GA)
Record: 7-0
Next game: Friday, Oct. 16, vs. Tift County (GA), 7:30 p.m. ET
Thomas County Central delivered another convincing performance, routing Houston County 43-3 to remain unbeaten. The Yellow Jackets will look to continue their dominant run Friday when they take on Tift County.
9. Tupelo (MS)
Record: 7-0
Next game: Thursday, Oct. 15, vs. Hernando (MS), 7 p.m. CT
Tupelo enters Week 9 with a perfect record and another opportunity to strengthen its position among the region's top teams. The Golden Wave will face Hernando on Thursday as they look to keep their unbeaten season rolling.
10. Dutch Fork (Irmo, SC)
Record: 7-0
Next game: Friday, Oct. 16, vs. River Bluff (SC), 7:30 p.m. ET
Dutch Fork maintained its perfect record with a 21-8 road victory over Chapin. The Silver Foxes have continued to find ways to win in region play and will return home Friday to face River Bluff.
11. Edna Karr (New Orleans, LA)
Record: 6-0
Next game: Friday, Oct. 16, vs. Archbishop Rummel (LA), 7 p.m. CT
Edna Karr extended its winning streak with a 40-28 victory over John Curtis, earning another important win in Louisiana. The Cougars will look to remain unbeaten Friday against Archbishop Rummel.
12. Clay-Chalkville (AL)
Record: 6-1
Next game: Friday, Oct. 16, at St. Clair County (AL), 7 p.m. ET
Clay-Chalkville continued its winning streak with a 61-14 rout of Pinson Valley. The Cougars have won five straight games since their loss to Thompson and will look to keep that momentum going Friday against St. Clair County.
13. Lee County (Leesburg, GA)
Record: 6-1
Next game: Friday, Oct. 16, at Northside (GA), 7:30 p.m. ET
Lee County enters Week 9 fresh after being idle, looking to build on its strong season as the Georgia program continues its push toward the postseason. The Trojans will hit the road Friday for a matchup against Northside.
14. West Boca Raton (FL)
Record: 6-1
Next game: Friday, Oct. 16, at The First Academy (FL), 7 p.m. ET
West Boca Raton delivered one of the week's most lopsided wins, shutting out Deerfield Beach 56-0. The Bulls will look to carry that momentum into Friday's road matchup against The First Academy in arguably the top clash in the Sunshine State this week.
15. Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, FL)
Record: 5-2
Next game: Friday, Oct. 16, vs. McArthur (FL), 6:30 p.m. ET
Chaminade-Madonna bounced back with a 20-7 victory over Cardinal Newman after suffering a narrow loss to St. Thomas Aquinas the previous week. The Lions will look to string together wins Friday against McArthur.
Who dropped out
- North Gwinnett (Suwanee, GA): previously ranked No. 10
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USA TODAY Sports Super 15 Southeast region football rankings, Week 9
