The Sporting News National Week 5 schedule features the TSN No. 18 American Heritage [Plantation, FL] Patriots in a Top 25 matchup at the TSN No. 19 Edna Karr [New Orleans, LA] Cougars.
The Patriots were booted from the national title picture last weekend in a 28-24 loss to the TSN No. 15 Chaminade-Madonna [Hollywood, FL] Lions. They still have hopes of making a run at the Top 10, but they'll have to go through Louisiana's top-ranked Edna Karr to get there.
Other top matchups include the TSN No. 1 Mater Dei [Santa Ana, CA] Monarchs' visit to Corona, California, to take on the TSN No. 20 Centennial Huskies. And the No. 2 Bishop Gorman [Las Vegas, NV] Gaels will host the East St. Louis [IL] Flyers who are ranked No. 26 in the TSN Composite Rankings.
THE SPORTING NEWS PRESEASON HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ALL-AMERICA TEAMS
The Sporting News High School Preseason All-American Offense
The Sporting News High School Preseason All-American Defense
The Sporting News Roadmap to the National Championship
Our weekly roadmap is a list of all the upcoming head-to-head games between The Sporting News High School Football Top 25 teams throughout the 2025 season. That will, of course, change as new teams enter and other teams exit after falling out. It will be updated every week with the hope of providing a clearer idea of where things stand heading into each weekend while highlighting the upcoming games that could affect the national championship picture.
Of course, some of those games involve Top 25 teams against highly-regarded but unranked teams that could affect the national championship picture. And we'll also try to identify those teams playing spoiler in our weekly list of "trap" games that provide the best potential for upsets.
National Week 4 saw multiple teams eliminated from the national title hunt
The TSN No. 3 St. John Bosco [Bellflower, CA] Braves now own the biggest win of the 2025 season with their 21-14 win over the TSN No. 4 St. Frances Academy [Baltimore, MD] Panthers.
The Braves had to rally from a 14-7 deficit entering the fourth quarter, but they ultimately got it done at home to put a hurt on the Panthers' own national title hopes. St. Frances only fell to No. 7 in the latest TSN Top 25 rankings, but they would need a lot of help to re-enter the national title picture.
Two other teams were booted from that picture. American Heritage's loss to Chaminade-Madonna ended the Patriots' title dreams, and the TSN No. 12 Orange Lutheran [CA] Lancers' loss to the unranked Basha [Chandler, AZ] Bears effectively ended the Californians' hopes as well.
That leaves just six teams firmly in the title picture at the moment. That could change if there are further upsets, but for now those top three teams – Mater Dei, Bishop Gorman, and St. John Bosco – lead the way with the No. 4 IMG Academy [Bradenton, FL] Ascenders, No. 5 Duncanville [TX] Panthers, and No. 6 Grayson [Loganville, GA] Rams still in the hunt.
Roadmap to the National Championship: National Week 5
That brings us to the roadmap for National Week 5, and these are the games this weekend that will have an impact on the 2025 road to the high school football national championship.
NATIONAL WEEK 4
The Sporting News High School Football Game of the Week
- Fri, 9/12 —TSN No. 18 American Heritage [Plantation, FL] Patriots (1-1) at TSN No. 19 Edna Karr [New Orleans, LA] Cougars — 9:30 p.m. EST (8:30 p.m. CST local)
Other National Championship Roadmap Games
- TSN No. 1 Mater Dei [Santa Ana, CA] Monarchs (2-0) at No. 24/TSN No. 20 Centennial [Corona, CA] Huskies (2-1) — 10 p.m. EST (7 p.m. PST local)
"Trap" Games
These games present a higher potential for upsets with Top 25 teams facing off against highly-regarded unranked teams. As such, these are games where those unranked teams may also have an opportunity to play their way into the Top 25.
Friday, September 5
- TSN No. 12 Bergen Catholic [Oradell, NJ] Crusaders (2-0) at NR Winslow Township [Atco, NJ] Eagles (1-1) — 6 p.m. EST local
- TSN No. 23 DeMatha [Hyattsville, MD] Stags (2-0) at NR Roman Catholic [Philadelphia, PA] Cahillite (2-1) — 7 p.m. EST local
- NR Douglas County [Douglasville, GA] Tigers (3-1) at TSN No. 9 Buford [GA] Wolves (3-0) — 7:30 p.m. EST local
- NR Blessed Trinity [Roswell, GA] Titans (3-0) at TSN No. 21 Milton [GA] Eagles (2-1) — 7:30 p.m. EST local
- TSN No. 10 North Crowley [Fort Worth, TX] Panthers (2-0) at NR Guyer [Denton, TX] Wildcats (1-1) — 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST local)
- No. 26 East St. Louis [IL] Flyers (0-1) at TSN No. 2 Bishop Gorman [Las Vegas, NV] Gaels (3-0) — 10 p.m. EST (7 p.m. PST local)
- TSN No. 11 Mission Viejo [CA] Diablos (3-0) at No. 40 (tie) Lincoln [San Diego, CA] Hornets (3-0) — 10 p.m. EST (7 p.m. PST local)
- TSN No. 24 Basha [Chandler, AZ] Bears at NR Williams Field [Gilbert, AZ] Black Hawks (2-0)
Saturday, September 13
- TSN No. 7 St. Frances Academy [Baltimore, MD] Panthers (1-1) at NR St. Joseph's Prep [Philadelphia, PA] Hawks (0-2) — 7 p.m. EST local
The Easy Road
These games involve Top 25 teams in matchups that would be major upsets if the unranked team prevailed.
Thursday, September 11, 2025
- TSN No. 13 Chaminade-Madonna [Hollywood, FL] Lions 28 (3-1) at NR Edison [Miami, FL] Red Raiders 6 (1-3)
Friday, September 5
- NR Western [Davie, FL] Wildcats (0-2) at TSN No. 8 St. Thomas Aquinas [Fort Lauderdale, FL] Raiders (2-1) — 7 p.m. EST local
- TSN No. 14 Southlake [TX] Carroll Dragons (2-0) at NR Byron Nelson [Trophy Club, TX] Bobcats (1-1) — 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST local)
- TSN No. 25 Randle [Richmond, TX] Lions (2-0) at NR Fort Bend Travis [Richmond, TX] Tigers (2-0) — 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST local)
- NR Brighton [Salt Lake City, UT] Bengals (1-3) at TSN No. 14 Corner Canyon [Draper, UT] Chargers (4-0) — 9 p.m. EST (7 p.m. MST local)
- NR Juniper Serra [San Mateo, CA] Padres (0-2) at TSN No. 3 St. John Bosco [Bellflower, CA] Braves (3-0) — 10 p.m. EST (7 p.m. PST local)
- TSN No. 16 Sierra Canyon [Chatsworth, CA] Trailblazers (3-0) at NR Downey [CA] Vikings (3-0) — 10 p.m. EST (7 p.m. PST local)
- TSN No. 17 Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles (2-1) at NR Oaks Christian [Westlake Village, CA] Lions (1-2) — 10 p.m. EST (7 p.m. PST local)
Saturday, September 13
- TSN No. 4 IMG Academy [Bradenton, FL] Ascenders (2-0) at NR Coronado [Henderson, NV] Cougars (1-2) — 6 p.m. EST (3 p.m. PST local)
Idle
The following TSN Top 25 teams are idle this week.
TSN No. 5 Duncanville [TX] Panthers (TBD); TSN No. 22 Grimsley [Greensboro, NC] Whirlies
The Future Roadmap to the National Championship
This future roadmap is updated weekly, depending on results in previous games. As teams fall out of the Top 25, their games here will be deleted (although they may resurface in our weekly trap games). As new teams enter the Top 25, any matchups against other Top 25 teams will be added.
NATIONAL WEEK 6
Fri, 9/19/25 — TSN No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA) Monarchs at TSN No. 2 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV) Gaels
NATIONAL WEEK 7
Sat, 9/27/25 — TSN No. 17 Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles at No. 2 Bishop Gorman [Las Vegas, NV] Gaels
NATIONAL WEEK 8
There are currently no games scheduled between two teams ranked in our Top 25.
NATIONAL WEEK 9
Fri, 10/10/25 — TSN No. 17 Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles at TSN No. 1 Mater Dei [Santa Ana, CA] Monarchs
NATIONAL WEEK 10
Fri, 10/17/25 — TSN No. 3 St. John Bosco [Bellflower, CA] Braves at TSN No. 17 Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles
NATIONAL WEEK 11
Fri, 10/24/25 — TSN No. 8 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, FL) Raiders at TSN No. 18 American Heritage (Plantation, FL) Patriots
NATIONAL WEEK 12
Fri, 10/31/25 — TSN No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA) Monarchs at TSN No. 3 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, CA) Braves
Fri, 10/31/25 — TSN No. 13 Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, FL) Lions at TSN No. 8 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) Raiders
NATIONAL WEEK 13
Fri, 11/7/25 — TSN No. 7 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, MD) Panthers at TSN No. 4 IMG Academy (FL) Ascenders
Previous Roadmap to the National Championship Results
NATIONAL WEEK ZERO: Kahuku, Hawaii
Both of these teams were unranked, but as our national game of the week, it was still a stop on our 2025 Roadmap to the National Championship.
Kahuku also had an opportunity to get into the national title conversation with games later in the season against the No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA) Monarchs and the No. 2 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV) Gaels. The loss to Saint Louis in shutout fashion ended those faint dreams of a national title.
The Sporting News High School Football Game of the Week
Sat, 8/9/25 — UNR Saint Louis (Honolulu, HI) Crusaders 20, Kahuku (HI) Red Raiders 0
NATIONAL WEEK 1: Buford, Georgia
This week marked the beginning of the 2025 prep season in the Peach State, and all eyes were on Buford, Georgia, where the Wolves were hosting the first game in their new home.
On opening night at Phillip Beard Stadium at Dexter Wood Field, No. 12 Buford delivered the opening knockout of the season, ending the No. 14 Milton [GA] Eagles' dreams of entering the national title picture for a second straight season in a 20-13 decision.
The Sporting News National High School Football Game of the Week
Thu, 8/14/25 — No. 12 Buford [GA] Wolves 20, No. 14 Milton [GA] Eagles 13
Top 25 Teams Eliminated from TSN National Championship Consideration — No. 14 Milton Eagles
NATIONAL WEEK 2: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
It was the week that California and Florida jumped into the 2025 fray, and the Broward County National Football Showcase gave us some moments to remember.
No. 6 St. Thomas Aquinas rallied from a 26-3 deficit to take No. 1 Mater Dei to the wire in a 26-23 loss. That was one night after No. 9 American Heritage climbed out of 28-0 hole to come back and beat No. 20 St. Joseph's Prep, 31-28.
In the end, two Top 25 teams were eliminated from national title consideration with No. 14 Northwestern [Miami, FL] and No. 20 St. Joseph's Prep falling out of the picture. Two Florida teams, meanwhile, saw their national title hopes put on life support with both No. 6 St. Thomas Aquinas and No. 10 Chaminade-Madonna moving to the far fringe of the conversation.
The Sporting News High School Football Game of the Week
Sat, 8/23/25 — No. 1 Mater Dei [Santa Ana, CA] Monarchs 26, No. 6 St. Thomas Aquinas 3
Other National Roadmap Games featuring Top 25 teams in head-to-head matchups
Fri, 8/15/25 — No. 9 American Heritage [Plantation, FL] Patriots 31, No. 20 St. Joseph's Prep [Philadelphia, PA] Hawks 28
Sat, 8/16/25 — No. 4 St. Frances Academy [Baltimore, MD] Panthers 42, No. 10 Chaminade-Madonna [Hollywood, FL] 13
Sat, 8/16/25 — No. 15 Orange [CA] Lutheran Lancers 17, No. 14 Northwestern [Miami, FL] Bulls 15
Top 25 Teams Eliminated from TSN National Championship Consideration — No. 10 Chaminade-Madonna [Hollywood, FL] Lions, No. 14 Northwestern [Miami, FL] Bulls, No. 20 St. Joseph's Prep [Philadelphia, PA] Hawks
NATIONAL WEEK 3: Loganville, Georgia
The TSN No. 7 Grayson Rams only led once against the TSN No. 14 Thompson [Alabaster, AL] Warriors. But that's all it took to get the win in a 24-23 overtime victory The Sporting News High School Football Game of the Week.
- Fri, 8/29/25 — TSN No. 7 Grayson [Loganville, GA] Rams 24, TSN No. 14 Thompson [Alabaster, AL] Warriors 23 (OT)
The loss knocked Thompson out of the national championship picture, and indeed, out of the TSN Top 25. The Warriors weren't the only team to see their dreams of national glory end.
The TSN No. 9 Centennial [Corona, CA] Huskies were upset by the unranked Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles who already had a loss to Mission Viejo. And while the win propelled the Eagles into our latest Top 25 rankings, it essentially ended any hopes for the Huskies of fighting their way into the national title picture.
Ditto for the TSN No. 15 DeSoto [TX] Eagles' hopes in a 70-28 unraveling at the unranked Creekside [Fairburn, GA] Seminoles on the road in Georgia.
Finally, the TSN No. 17 East St. Louis [IL] Flyers saw their own faint national title hopes end in a 22-21 loss to the TSN No. 18 Bergen Catholic [Oradell, NJ] Crusaders – but at least it came against another team ranked in the TSN Top 25.
National Roadmap Games featuring TSN Top 25 teams in head-to-head matchups
- Thu, 8/16/25 — TSN No. 18 Bergen Catholic [Oradell, NJ] Crusaders 22, TSN No. 17 East St. Louis [IL] Flyers 21
Upsets involving TSN Top 25 teams against unranked teams
- Thu, 8/28/25 — NR Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] 33, TSN No. 9 Centennial [Corona, CA] Huskies 27 (OT)
- Sat, 8/30/25 — NR Creekside [Fairburn, GA] Seminoles 70, TSN No. 15 DeSoto [TX] Eagles 28
Top 25 Teams Eliminated from TSN National Championship Consideration — No. 9 Centennial [Corona, CA] Huskies, No. 14 Thompson [Alabaster, AL] Warriors, No. 15 DeSoto [TX] Eagles, No. 17 East St. Louis [IL] Flyers
NATIONAL WEEK 4: Bellflower, California
The SN No. 3 St. John Bosco Braves held off the SN No. 4 St. Frances Academy Panthers, 21-14, in the The Sporting News High School Football Game of the Week.
- Fri, 9/5/25 — SN No. 3 St. John Bosco [Bellflower, CA] Braves 21, SN No. 4 St. Frances Academy [Baltimore, MD] Panthers 14
While the result didn't completely end St. Frances's hopes of a national title, it did make the path very narrow, and the Panthers would need a lot of help moving forward to navigate back into the championship picture.
National Roadmap Games featuring TSN Top 25 teams in head-to-head matchups
- Thu, 9/5/25 — SN No. 15 Chaminade-Madonna [Hollywood, FL] Lions 28, SN No. 8 American Heritage [Plantation, FL] Patriots 24
- Fri, 9/6/25 — SN No. 16 Corner Canyon [Draper, UT] Chargers 45, SN No. 23 Liberty [Peoria, AZ] Lions 14
Upsets involving TSN Top 25 teams against unranked teams
Top 25 Teams Eliminated from SN National Championship Consideration — SN No. 8 American Heritage [Plantation, FL] Patriots; SN No. 12 Orange [CA] Lutheran Lancers; SN No. 23 Liberty [Peoria, AZ] Lions
MORE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL HEADLINES
- SN's preseason California All-State teams
Top 25 Offensive Player of the Year candidates in California high school football
Top 25 Defensive Player of the Year candidates in California high school football
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