HSFA 2023 Top 300

[Stalker]

Preseason High School Football America 300 rankings - High School Football America

Mater Dei and St. John Bosco sit at No. 1 and No. 2 in the High School Football America 300 preseason high school football rankings.

highschoolfootballamerica.com

 

[CAMoleskinner]

Interesting list.

Looks like 4 Keystone State squads made it with St. Joe's in the Top Ten -- JUST as it was number 10 -- and then Pine-Richland and State College in the low 200s. Last but not least of The Fantastic Four is one of Stalk's favorites in Harrisburg's Bishop McDevitt which just slipped in (and closed out the compilation) at number 300.

That group from the other week had St. Joe's as somewhere in the teens (as I recall) and then Harrisburg at 50 or something (out of a top 100 group) and no other PA teams (again, just a top 100 group but what a spread with McDevitt like 50 in one and 300 in the other).

Everyone has an opinion!

 

[tulla]

Interesting list.

Looks like 4 Keystone State squads made it with St. Joe's in the Top Ten -- JUST as it was number 10 -- and then Pine-Richland and State College in the low 200s. Last but not least of The Fantastic Four is one of Stalk's favorites in Harrisburg's Bishop McDevitt which just slipped in (and closed out the compilation) at number 300.

That group from the other week had St. Joe's as somewhere in the teens (as I recall) and then Harrisburg at 50 or something (out of a top 100 group) and no other PA teams (again, just a top 100 group but what a spread with McDevitt like 50 in one and 300 in the other).

Everyone has an opinion!

These polls are sometimes good conversation starters, but that's about it. Amid all the other things that make national high school polls so dubious is the fact that high school kids and teams--much more than college teams--can be very different at the end of the season from how they were at the beginning mainly because the players are 14-17 years old and thus developing at a much higher rate than 19-22 year olds.

 

[Stalker]

Interesting list.

Looks like 4 Keystone State squads made it with St. Joe's in the Top Ten -- JUST as it was number 10 -- and then Pine-Richland and State College in the low 200s. Last but not least of The Fantastic Four is one of Stalk's favorites in Harrisburg's Bishop McDevitt which just slipped in (and closed out the compilation) at number 300.

That group from the other week had St. Joe's as somewhere in the teens (as I recall) and then Harrisburg at 50 or something (out of a top 100 group) and no other PA teams (again, just a top 100 group but what a spread with McDevitt like 50 in one and 300 in the other).

Everyone has an opinion!

Skinner Man. You forgot Harrisburg....#296; Mid Penn with 3 teams. They'll definitely be exciting graduating so much firepower from the ground forces replaced by a more pronounced air attack with the kid everyone wants, Elias Coke and one of the most underrated Qbs in the state in Shawn Lee.
McDevitt, Harrisburg and Steel High will again have three of the best teams in the state in part per unusually good quarterbacking. All three will make strong runs; Rollers and McDevitt with easiest path to States. Still working on Dist-3 ratings, done this week.

 

[CAMoleskinner]

How did I miss Harrisburg? So sorry (I know you are a mid-state guy).

So adding the Cougars made the showing a little better with McDevitt, State College and Harrisburg representing the middle of the world (and then St. Joe's and PR bookending the Commonwealth).

So five teams in the top 300 -- The Fabulous Five!!

 

[yesman3]

Interesting list.

Looks like 4 Keystone State squads made it with St. Joe's in the Top Ten -- JUST as it was number 10 -- and then Pine-Richland and State College in the low 200s. Last but not least of The Fantastic Four is one of Stalk's favorites in Harrisburg's Bishop McDevitt which just slipped in (and closed out the compilation) at number 300.

That group from the other week had St. Joe's as somewhere in the teens (as I recall) and then Harrisburg at 50 or something (out of a top 100 group) and no other PA teams (again, just a top 100 group but what a spread with McDevitt like 50 in one and 300 in the other).

Everyone has an opinion!

CAM…
We briefly discussed this end of last year.
Mater Dei was mostly underclassed last year compared to Bosco. They split last year, Bosco winning the playoff game that counted, then the title.
Baring any significant player loses during the year, this should be Mater Dei’s year. Rollie retiring will have an effect, how much? The regular season’s tilt in Bellflower, that’s to Bosco’s advantage.
“Revenge is a dish best served cold”
I guess we’ll see how the year plays out, your thoughts?
Be well my friend..

 

[CAMoleskinner]

I'll start digging in a bit more over the next week or so. In the meantime, I'd say everybody knows what I know - Mater Dei has a bunch back (yes). Both those teams are so deep, though, it's silly.

And trying to call the best schoolboy club in the country -- that's tough as when you look at these top shelf high school programs around the land - man, they're all good.

And actually, I'm a not-so-secret Corona Centennial Huskies fan mainly cuz they're a public school (they're a top 15 to 25 school nationally -- 22 on the list above).

Listen to their pre-league games:

They open Week One on the road against Santa Margarita (from that crazy ass Trinity League - Mater Dei, Bosco, et al).

Next is Week Two against Punahoa out of Hawaii (at a neutral site).

Week Three finds them on the road against Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas.

Then Week Four sees them entertaining Liberty out of Peoria, Arizona (at last, at home).

So they're playing teams from four different leagues in four different states (Cali, Hawaii, Nevada and Arizona) -- before they get down to business with the regular season (keep in mind -- this is a highly rated public school located out near Riverside on the way to Palm Springs).

You gotta love SoCal high school ball (it's nuts).

 

[Fletchster1]

Skinner - With the various all star teams in LAC and OC, do the boundary schools really struggle to field competitive teams or is there enough population for both paths to find success? Are soccer and lacrosse pulling some of the best athletes away from football out there?

 

[CAMoleskinner]

Fletch -

In a nutshell - the privates dominate (think Mater Dei, Bosco, etc. and the rest of the Trinity League and then go back to De La Salle for many, many years).

I posted something about the top teams a few weeks back and I'm thinking the publics that were "up there" this year include Centennial, Long Beach Poly and Mission Viejo (there were 11 from SoCal and most were private and then up north out of the three it was two privates and 1 public).

Kinda what you'd expect.

 

[CAMoleskinner]

PS I don't think soccer or lacrosse are doing anything at all to impact the population of boys playing football (seems there's an endless supply). I'm sure there's some kids but I don't really here about it as I'm a bit removed from having a "boots on the ground" pipeline of info.

 

[Fletchster1]

Are kids in LAC and OC "locked-in" to their public school or can they choose another one? Poly and MV have seemed to been blessed with talent in past years.

Lacrosse is definitely pulling kids from football in this area. It's also pulling kids to non-boundary schools as well.

 

[yesman3]

I'll start digging in a bit more over the next week or so. In the meantime, I'd say everybody knows what I know - Mater Dei has a bunch back (yes). Both those teams are so deep, though, it's silly.

And trying to call the best schoolboy club in the country -- that's tough as when you look at these top shelf high school programs around the land - man, they're all good.

And actually, I'm a not-so-secret Corona Centennial Huskies fan mainly cuz they're a public school (they're a top 15 to 25 school nationally -- 22 on the list above).

Listen to their pre-league games:

They open Week One on the road against Santa Margarita (from that crazy ass Trinity League - Mater Dei, Bosco, et al).

Next is Week Two against Punahoa out of Hawaii (at a neutral site).

Week Three finds them on the road against Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas.

Then Week Four sees them entertaining Liberty out of Peoria, Arizona (at last, at home).

So they're playing teams from four different leagues in four different states (Cali, Hawaii, Nevada and Arizona) -- before they get down to business with the regular season (keep in mind -- this is a highly rated public school located out near Riverside on the way to Palm Springs).

You gotta love SoCal high school ball (it's nuts).

CAM…
That is insane there, totally agree!
Seems the only thing that remotely compares to that around here is the United division in the north NJ private league.
Your thoughts regarding Elijah Brown @ MD? How would you compare him to the other elite QB’s they’ve produced in recent time? Seems to me he’ll need to have his A-performance when the big 2 meet this year, spearheading that offense… as well as the MD defense needing to make some key stops.

 

[CAMoleskinner]

He said he's going to Stanford and is a three year starter (as I recall) with 6,000 plus yards throwing and 70 or 80 in the air (I think they lost 1 with him starting - I think).

He's gonna end with some big numbers this year (assuming no injuries or anything untoward occurring).

Remember a few years ago they had the kid who went to Alabama (he's in the pros now - I believe) -- he's like him but better and I think is on the books a bit more.

What can you say other than he is pretty damn good (I guess that sums up my intelligent analysis - ha).

 

[Stalker]

He said he's going to Stanford and is a three year starter (as I recall) with 6,000 plus yards throwing and 70 or 80 in the air (I think they lost 1 with him starting - I think).

He's gonna end with some big numbers this year (assuming no injuries or anything untoward occurring).

Remember a few years ago they had the kid who went to Alabama (he's in the pros now - I believe) -- he's like him but better and I think is on the books a bit more.

What can you say other than he is pretty damn good (I guess that sums up my intelligent analysis - ha).

Sure like seeing him at SC or Ucla playing in the Big-10 instead of the dead/dying PAC.

 

[CAMoleskinner]

UCLA was after him.

As a consideration, though, I think I might take a sheepskin from the Cardinal over the Bruins (generally speaking as both are pretty fine) --- and I'm thinking Stanford trumps SC (if it's strictly academics).

You are right that the "PAC" is imploding.

 

[Stalker]

UCLA was after him.

As a consideration, though, I think I might take a sheepskin from the Cardinal over the Bruins (generally speaking as both are pretty fine) --- and I'm thinking Stanford trumps SC (if it's strictly academics).

You are right that the "PAC" is imploding.

Definitely take a Cardinal degree over many others but for him it might be about better coaching leading to more exposure in good games vs good comp, bowls, headlines....getting to the money. And those guys haven't put a good team on the field in years. Sure like seeing my kid with good protection and players around him than the low caliber of players they've put om the field lately.
Questionable comp once those two leave, and who knows how many others follow. Maybe he'll change his mind, and he can always go back if a Stanford degree is that important to him.

 

[CAMoleskinner]

I think a degree from any of those schools should serve you well (depending on the major, I suppose!!!).

😂

 

[tulla]

CAM…
That is insane there, totally agree!
Seems the only thing that remotely compares to that around here is the United division in the north NJ private league.
Your thoughts regarding Elijah Brown @ MD? How would you compare him to the other elite QB’s they’ve produced in recent time? Seems to me he’ll need to have his A-performance when the big 2 meet this year, spearheading that offense… as well as the MD defense needing to make some key stops.

You mention the Catholic Schools league in North Jersey as maybe closest in quality or strength to the Catholic schools in SoCal. It's certainly been strong, but so too has the group of Catholic schools in the DC area that includes DeMatha, Good Counsel, Gonzaga, St. John's, and Spalding. If they could add St. Frances of Baltimore, they'd be at least as strong as the North Jersey league.

 

[CAMoleskinner]

With all the tumult in the Catholic world over the years of late (and I am a product of Queen of The Universe, the local Catholic elementary school when I was growing up - at least through fourth grade) the success of their football teams isn't hurting them (from a broad PR standpoint). And with the quality of inner city and city public schools seemingly less robust these days I'd say a young athlete in less than ideal surroundings would improve his chances - and increase his options - on many levels by attending one of the mentioned institutions (and others like them). Course, nothing new being described in any of that.

PS I always thought that was funny -- Queen of The Universe!

 

[yesman3]

You mention the Catholic Schools league in North Jersey as maybe closest in quality or strength to the Catholic schools in SoCal. It's certainly been strong, but so too has the group of Catholic schools in the DC area that includes DeMatha, Good Counsel, Gonzaga, St. John's, and Spalding. If they could add St. Frances of Baltimore, they'd be at least as strong as the North Jersey league.

Tulla,
I agree with you there. Was going to include that but thought to restrict to Tri-state region as to our “locality”.
It’s been awhile, hope all you folks have been well..
Rick Wakeman

 

[yesman3]

He said he's going to Stanford and is a three year starter (as I recall) with 6,000 plus yards throwing and 70 or 80 in the air (I think they lost 1 with him starting - I think).

He's gonna end with some big numbers this year (assuming no injuries or anything untoward occurring).

Remember a few years ago they had the kid who went to Alabama (he's in the pros now - I believe) -- he's like him but better and I think is on the books a bit more.

What can you say other than he is pretty damn good (I guess that sums up my intelligent analysis - ha).

CAM…
Always have trusted your judgment with the SoCal doings. That’s extremely high praise!
Yes, Bryce Young was the last high profile QB from MD. You’re right, did very well for himself @ Bama. Heisman trophy winner & 1st pick in NFL draft this year.
Brown chose Stanford… stays local & will advance his high level education. Assuming he doesn’t flip, never know nowadays??
Jon Anderson