Quarterback Kyler Murray from Allen High of Texas wore the same number at an Elite 11 event that his team finished in the 2014 final national rankings according to the FAB 50/National Sports News Service. Photo: Tom Hauck/Student Sports.
Allen High of Texas tops special final national ranking compiled by two of the editors behind the FAB 50 rankings that were done every week from 2004 to 2012 on Rivals & ESPN. De La Salle of Concord checks in at No. 2 (ahead of Bishop Gorman) with Folsom at No. 5.
For final 2014 FAB 50 Region By Region Top 20 Rankings, CLICK HERE.
For honor roll of all-time U.S. national champions, CLICK HERE.
For honor roll of every FAB 50/National Sports News Service national champion back to 1910, CLICK HERE.
ALLEN, TEXAS MYTHICAL NATIONAL CHAMPS
(National Sports News Service final rankings)
There were a lot of contenders from the West and a possible repeater from Florida, but the No. 1 team in the 2014 season FAB 50 national high school football rankings hails from Allen, Texas.
In last year’s final FAB 50 rankings, which also were released on the StudentSports.com web site, Allen finished No. 2 behind Booker T. Washington of Miami, Fla. Both of those teams were unbeaten again, but this time it’s Allen No. 1 and Washington No. 4.
Allen already has been ranked No. 1 in the nation for the season by MaxPreps.com’s Xcellent 25. Both the National Prep Poll and USA Today already have named Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas as its No. 1 team while the MaxPreps.com final computer rankings listed De La Salle of Concord, Calif., on top.
It is the second time in three seasons that a Texas team has been the final No. 1 in the nation in the FAB 50 following Katy for 2012. The Lone Star State’s only other FAB 50 national champion since 1990, however, has been Southlake Carroll, which went back-to-back for 2004-05.
There were no weekly rankings during the season with the FAB 50 label attached, but Mark Tennis and Sheldon Shealer, two of the longtime compilers of the national rankings system devised by National High School Hall of Fame member Doug Huff of West Virginia, are striving to keep alive all of the various all-time national lists that Huff (now retired) primarily created during his many years running the National Prep Poll and the FAB 50 for various entities, including Student Sports, FOX Sports and ESPN.
Here are the final FAB 50 national rankings for the 2014 season (written & compiled by Mark Tennis & Sheldon Shealer; through games of Saturday, Dec. 27)
1. Allen (Allen, Texas) 16-0
It all came together for the Eagles with a second straight 16-0 season and championship in Texas’ top playoff division. In the Class 6A Division I final, Allen blitzed Cypress Ranch of Cypress 47-16. There were close games earlier in the playoffs — such as 25-22 over No. 18 DeSoto – but in the end it was too much Kyler Murray. The Texas A&M-bound QB had 4,713 yards passing with 54 touchdowns and rushed for 1,495 yards with 25 TDs scored. Notre Dame-bound receiver Jalen Guyton and junior offensive lineman Greg Little (already committed to Texas A&M) were among head coach Tom Westerberg’s other top players. Next season, Allen will start with a 43-game winning streak.
2. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) 14-0
Although the Spartans had to use their No. 2 quarterback for most of the year, although top linebacker Simba Short missed virtually the entire season with injuries and All-American defensive tackle Kahlil McKenzie never played due to a transfer, it was still one of the famed program’s best seasons. Second-year head coach Justin Alumbaugh guided the highest-scoring team in school history and its most prolific running the ball to a 63-42 win over Centennial of Corona in the CIF Open Division state bowl game. De La Salle has now won five CIF Open Division state titles in six seasons. Beating Centennial by 21 compared to Bishop Gorman with a one-point win over the same team is the reason the Spartans finished one spot higher than the Gaels in the FAB 50. Most of the team’s top performers – such as running backs Antoine Custer and Andrew Hernandez – will be back next season. Custer had 1,949 yards and 24 TDs while Hernandez had 1,804 yards and 30 scores.
3. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) 15-0
Despite QB Tate Martell being just a sophomore, the Gaels were loaded with major college talent throughout their lineup and they played as tough of a schedule that they could find prior to their expected breeze to a sixth straight state title. It would have been perfect if Gorman could have claimed at the end of the season that it had a win over the California Open Division state champ, but that scenario fell apart in the final quarter of the final game in California. Still, head coach Tony Sanchez (recently named the new head coach at UNLV) had probably his best team. The Gaels beat the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in Southern California and defeated a Bingham of Utah squad that also went to overtime with Florida’s No. 1 team. Martell ended with 40 TD passes and just two interceptions.
4. Booker T. Washington (Miami, Fla.) 15-0
The streak lives on — barely. Florida International commit Maurice Alexander, a quarterback, scored on a 5-yard run in overtime as Miami Washington edged FAB 50-ranked Bingham (Utah) 34-28 in overtime in the Burger King State Champions Bowl Series. The win marked No. 41 in a row for the Florida power, which had previously claimed the Class 4A title with a 54-35 victory over Bolles School three weeks earlier. Washington delivered two key rankings-worthy wins early in the season, first knocking off Oscar Smith (Va.) 57-21 and following that up with a 21-20 victory over rival Miami power Miami Central, which finished No. 9 in the FAB 50. Oscar Smith later lost in the playoffs to eventual champ and FAB 50 No. 10 Ocean Lakes 49-28. Alexander, RB Mark Walton (Miami), WR Antonio Callaway, OL Ben Tirolia, DL Devonaire Clarington (Texas) and DBs DaVanta Davis (Texas) and Ocie Rose (FIU) were all Class 4A all-state first-team selections.
5. Folsom (Folsom, Calif.) 16-0
If the California Interscholastic Federation had not ended the Northern California and Southern California regional open division bowl games, the Bulldogs quite easily could have won this year’s Open Division state title. They didn’t get to play De La Salle this year, however, so they stayed in Division I and had no trouble in any game. Folsom won the CIF Division I state title with a 68-7 mashing of Oceanside. Senior QB Jake Browning led the highest-scoring team in state history (915 points) with 5,724 passing yards and 91 TDs. He tied the single-season national record for TD passes and broke the career national record with 229. Browning will play next at Washington.
6. Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.) 15-0
Sihiem King rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns as Colquitt County rallied to a 28-24 victory over Archer in the Georgia Class AAAAAA state final. Colquitt County defeated eventual Alabama state champion Hoover 35-14 early in the season. The Packers averaged more than 45 points per game en route to their first undefeated season and state title since 1994. King was named the Class AAAAAA Offensive Player of the Year while LB Bull Barge took the Defensive Player of the Year honors.
7. Skyline (Dallas, Texas) 14-1
Coach Reginald Samples’ team suffered its only loss to No. 1 Allen 52-34 in the Class 6A Division I state semifinals. The Raiders also had several big wins that pushes them into our final top 10: 53-48 over Arlington Martin, 40-30 over No. 14 Cedar Hill and 38-20 over Klein Oak in the state quarterfinals. Samples has resigned since the end of the season and will be the new head coach at Duncanville.
8. Buford (Buford, Ga.) 15-0
A 17-0 blanking of FAB 50-ranked Trinity Christian (Fla.) to start the season propelled the team to a second straight undefeated season and extend the dynasty’s win streak to 40 games. Buford fell behind 10-0 to St. Pius in the state final, then rolled off 55 unanswered points for a 55-10 victory. Buford has won three straight state titles, seven of the past eight and 10 of the last 14. OLs Hunter Holland (Western Kentucky) and Nick Polino (North Carolina), DL Isaac Nauta, LBs Austin Smith (Tennessee) and Joshua Thomas and DB David Curry (Virginia) were all named to the Georgia Class AAAA all-state first team.
9. Miami Central (Miami, Fla.) 14-1
In a season in which Miami Central averaged nearly 35 points per game, a final FAB 50 Top 5 finish might have been only one point away. The Florida Class 6A power claimed its third straight state title with a 24-10 win over Armwood, which also marked the program’s fourth championship in five seasons. Florida International commit Anthony Jones scored a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter to help Central beak a 10-10 tie en route to the victory. Following the win over Armwood, Central defeated Bothell (Wash.) 37-27 in a Burger King State Champions Bowl Series contest. Central also defeated eventual Alabama state champion Hoover to kick off the season. Central’s lone blemish, however, was a 21-20 setback to FAB 50 No. 4 Miami Washington. Jones, DB Olin Cushion (FIU), OL Jason Jean (Marshall) and junior DL Keir Thomas were first-team Class 6A all-state selections. RB Cedric Miller, DE Keivonnis Davis (Syracuse), junior LB Donovan Thompson and junior DB Jamel Cook were second-team picks.
10. Ocean Lakes (Virginia Beach, Va.) 15-0
Perhaps it is fitting that Ocean Lakes’ final play of 2014 was a touchdown. After all, the Virginia Class 6A state champs averaged more than 50 points per game en route to the program’s first state title, a 30-24 overtime win over defending champ Centreville. Arizona State commit Jaason Lewis scored on a 10-yard run in overtime for the game-winner after Centreville had a field goal attempt bounce off the upright in its opening OT possession. The 30 points were a season low for Ocean Lakes, which once strung together six 55-plus-point regular season outings in a traditionally strong Virginia Beach district. Ocean Lakes’ lineup also featured LB Jahvoni Simmons (Virginia), DB Jahque Alleyne (Virginia Tech), RB/DB T.J. Griffin (Wisconsin) and junior DB Levonta Taylor, all of whom received postseason honors.
11. Bingham (South Jordan, Utah) 13-2
Head coach Dave Peck retires with back-to-back state titles and with a team that came within a few plays of contending for the mythical national title. One loss by the Miners was by just 24-20 to No. 3 Bishop Gorman. The other came in overtime 34-28 to No. 4 Booker T. Washington in the first State Champions Bowl Series.
12. Mallard Creek (Charlotte, N.C.) 15-1
The Charlotte-area school fell to Butler 28-27 in Week 2, but rebounded for a 56-14 win in the Class 4AA state playoffs. In the final, Mallard Creek posted a 25-14 win over previously undefeated Wake Forest. Junior DE Josh Brown, who has committed to Florida State, and senior DB Amari Henderson, committed to Wake Forest, were named to the 24-player all-state team.
13. St. Thomas Aquinas
(Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 14-1
With seven seniors committed to NCAA Division I programs before the season ended, St. Thomas Aquinas was clearly among the nation’s most talented squads. The Raiders rolled to the Class 4A state crown with their closest playoff win a 31-0 victory over Osceola in the state final. St. Thomas Aquinas scored more than 700 points during the season, and its only blemish was to Bergen Catholic (N.J.).
14. Cedar Hill (Cedar Hill, Texas) 14-2
The Longhorns won the Texas Class 6A Division II state title with a victory over 2012 FAB 50 national champ Katy. One of their losses was to higher-ranked Skyline of Dallas and we think they overcame the other loss to Mansfield with wins over No. 18 DeSoto and previously unbeaten Southlake Carroll.
15. Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 12-3
Having three losses on the resume doesn’t tell the whole story for the Huskies. One loss to Mater Dei of Santa Ana was later avenged. Another was by one point to No. 3 Bishop Gorman. The only other was to No. 2 De La Salle.
16. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 12-2
A 48-41 loss to Centennial (Corona, Calif.) in the CIFSS Pac-5 Division championship ended the Braves’ hopes of repeating as CIF Open Division state champion. UCLA-bound QB Josh Rosen and friends suffered their only other loss 34-31 to No. 3 Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas.
17. Jenks (Jenks, Okla.) 11-2
Back to back losses to Tulsa Union and Owasso had the Trojans with a record of 1-2 but they didn’t lose again. They defeated Owasso 42-14 in the Class 6A-1 semifinals and then captured the state championship with a 21-14 win over Tulsa Union. Cooper Nunley’s touchdown pass to Dillon Stoner with under three minutes to play was the game-winner.
18. DeSoto (DeSoto, Texas) 10-2
Giving No. 1 Allen one of its toughest games – a 25-22 loss – helps DeSoto gain a high final ranking. The team’s only other loss was to No. 14 Cedar Hill.
19. Hoover (Hoover, Ala.) 12-2
RB Marcus Webb earned state title game MVP after rushing for 152 yards and a touchdown as Hoover handled Prattville 35-21 in the state final. The title marked a third straight championship for the Buccaneers, which only lost this season to FAB 50 No. 9 Miami Central (Fla.) and No. 6 Colquitt County (Ga.).
20. St. Peter’s Prep (Jersey City, N.J.) 11-1
In one of New Jersey’s strongest state showings ever, St. Peter’s Prep stood above the rest. Notre Dame commit Brandon Wimbush, a senior quarterback, was named the Newark Star-Ledger Offensive Player of the Year after passing for 3,187 yards and 37 touchdowns. St. Peter’s Prep went undefeated in New Jersey, losing only to IMG Academy (Fla.). St. Peter’s Prep defeated the teams that posted wins over state champions from Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
21. Chandler (Chandler, Ariz.) 13-1
After a lengthy wait, the Wolves earned their first state championship since 1949 when they defeated Chandler Hamilton 28-7 in the Division I state championship. Their lone loss during the season was a three-point road loss against Phoenix Mountain Pointe, which was avenged with a 43-22 win in the semifinals.
22. Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas) 13-1
The Dragons were getting No. 1 votes for all Texas Class 6A teams – even including Allen – heading into the playoffs. They lost in the 6A Division II bracket, however, to eventual champ Cedar Hill.
23. Armwood (Seffner, Fla.) 15-1
Head coach Sean Callahan’s club held FAB 50 No. 9 Miami Central in check until the third quarter in a 24-10 Class 6A state final loss. Wisconsin commit Jordan Griffin, a linebacker, had 19 tackles. The state final pitted undefeated teams, and Miami Central managed only a 7-0 halftime lead. Defensive end Byron Cowart, a major college prospect, was selected as the Florida Dairy Farmers Class 6A Player of the Year.
24. Trinity (Euless, Texas) 12-2
This was another of the traditional Texas powerhouse programs that had a strong team. Trinity only lost by 30-27 to No. 1 Allen and its only other loss was in the regular season to No. 22 Southlake Carroll..
25. St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) 13-2
The Eagles captured their second state championship in program history when they defeated Wayne of Huber Heights 31-21 in the Division I state championship game. Cole Gest rushed for 171 yards on 26 carries while quarterback Brett Kean had two touchdown passes in the second half. After back-to-back losses, 21-14 to Cincinnati Elder and 14-10 against Bergen Catholic of New Jersey, the Eagles ended the season with a 10-game winning streak.
26. Mainland (Daytona Beach, Fla.) 13-1
The Buccaneers had five players named to the Florida Class 6A all-state first or second team, including DB and Florida State commit A.J. Westbrook. Mainland’s perfect season ended with a 31-21 state semifinal loss to FAB 50 No. 9 Miami Central. Mainland posted a 42-30 regular-season win over eventual Class 5A state champ American Heritage-Plantation.
27. Ben Davis (Indianapolis, Ind.) 12-2
An impressive 42-24 win over previously unbeaten Carmel allowed the Giants to claim the Class 6A state title. They also easily avenged one of their two losses with a playoff win against Warren Central.
28. Union (Tulsa, Okla.) 11-2
The Redskins once again couldn’t duplicate a regular season win over Jenks and lost to the Trojans in the Class 6A Division I final. Their only other loss was by one point, 42-41, to No. 22 Southlake Carroll of Texas.
29. Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) 11-2
Led by first-ever State Defensive Player of the Year Iman Marshall, an All-American in the secondary, the Jackrabbits reached the CIFSS Pac-5 semifinals before losing to No. 16 St. John Bosco. Their only other loss was to No. 15 Corona Centennial.
30. Bothell (Bothell, Wash.) 14-1
The Cougars don’t have any bad losses on their resume like Washington 3A state champ Eastside Catholic. Their only loss was 37-27 to No. 9 Miami Central (Fla.). Bothell won the Class 4A state title by beating Chiawana (Pasco, Wash.) 24-14.
31. Wake Forest (Wake Forest, N.C.) 15-1
Led by major college prospects RB Bryce Love and DT Dexter Lawrence, Wake Forest posted a perfect season until losing to FAB 50 No. 12 Mallard Creek 24-15 in the state final.
32. South Panola (Batesville, Miss.) 15-0
Darrell Henderson’s 10-yard touchdown run on South Panola’s first play in overtime clinched a 27-21 win over Oak Grove of Hattiesburg and the program’s 11th state title. South Panola’s title run included a 9-7 win over Clinton and a 36-26 victory over Starkville to reach the final.
33. Stevenson (Lincolnshire, Ill.) 14-0
The No. 1 overall team in Illinois won the Class 8A state final 31-25 over Homewood-Flossmoor and during the season also had a win over Loyola Academy, which was the only team to pin a loss on the ledger of Class 7A champ Providence.
34. Katy (Katy, Texas) 14-2
Head coach Gary Joseph’s squad overcame a 24-7 loss to The Woodlands in the preseason and went on another run to a state title. After a 27-20 win over Steele of Cibolo in the Class 6A Division II semifinals, however, the Tigers lost to No. 14 Cedar Hill in the final 23-20.
35. Owasso (Owasso, Okla.) 10-2
The Rams make the final cut for the season due to owning a 7-6 win in the regular season over eventual Class 6A Division I state champ Jenks. Their losses were to Jenks in a playoff rematch and to FAB 50 No. 28 Tulsa Union. They also had quality regular season wins against Broken Arrow and Mustang.
36. Maryville (Maryville, Tenn.) 15-0
T.D. Blackmon delivered a game-saving interception on a two-point conversion attempt in overtime to secure Maryville’s second straight state title, a 35-34 win over Ravenwood of Brentwood. Maryville has won 30 straight games and 73 out of its last 74.
37. Carmel (Carmel, Ind.) 14-1
Although the Greyhounds did not win the Class 6A state title, they were No. 1 in Indiana for almost the entire season and they had a win against Kentucky state champ Trinity of Louisville.
38. Steele (Cibolo, Texas) 13-2
Senior QB L.G. Williams passed for 2,011 yards and 25 TDs and rushed for 820 yards with 11 more scores as the Knights went to the Class 6A Division II state semifinals where they lost by just 27-20 to No. 34 Katy. Their only other loss was by just 29-24 to No. 18 DeSoto.
39. Webb City (Webb City, Mo.) 15-0
Cardinals’ head coach John Roderique has now gone 220-19 over his 18 years at the school with nine state championships. Webb City also now has five straight Class 5 state titles and would be No. 1 overall in Missouri over Class 6 state champ Christian Brothers due to comparative scores involving Rockhurst of Kansas City.
40. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.) 12-2
This team followed up a Florida Class 3A state title with a Burger King State Champions Bowl Series win over Washington state champion Eastside Catholic. Running backs Chris Barr and Michael Clark combined for 247 rushing yards and five touchdowns in the 35-21 win over Eastside Catholic. Trinity Christian’s losses were to FAB 50 No. 8 Buford (Ga.) and IMG Academy.
41. Eden Prairie (Eden Prairie, Minn.) 13-0
Will Rains’ 75-yard TD run with 2:46 left gave the Eagles a 28-27 win over Totino-Grace in the Class 6A state final and pushed their current win streak to 30 games. Eden Prairie also won its fourth straight state title and 10th since 1996.
42. New Bern (New Bern, N.C.) 16-0
Mike Hughes passed for 133 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 85 yards as New Bern held off Charlotte Catholic 23-15 for the program’s second title in three years.
43. Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Wash.) 13-2
The Crusaders bounced back from a 31-14 loss in their opener to California’s Bishop Alemany of Mission Hills to win the Class 3A state title. Their state final win of 35-13 came against a Bellevue team that was on a 67-game win streak and probably would have been in the top 10 of the final FAB 50 had it won. Eastside then lost to No. 40 Trinity Christian of Jacksonville in the Burger King State Champions Bowl Series.
44. Christian Brothers (St. Louis, Mo.) 15-0
Not only did the Cadets win their first state championship in program history but they did it with a perfect record following a 31-24 victory over Kansas City Rockhurst in the Class 6 championship game. Blake Charlton passed for 220 yards and three touchdowns with Michael Million on the receiving end of two of the touchdown tosses.
45. Clarkston (Clarkston, Mich.) 14-0
Head coach Kurt Richardson’s Wolves captured their second straight Division I state championship and finished a perfect 14-0 with a come from behind 33-25 win over Saline. Clarkston also has a 27-game winning streak.
46. Mililani (Mililani, Hawaii) 13-0
An unbeaten Hawaii No. 1 team is too hard to leave off for the final rankings. The Trojans won their first state championship with a 53-45 win over Honolulu Punahou in the Division I state finals. McKenzie Milton had seven touchdown passes in the win with four of them going to Kalakaua Timoteo, which were both state records for postseason play.
47. Providence (New Lenox, Ill.) 13-1
A 10-7 loss in the regular season to Loyola Academy was easily overcome by wins of 42-21 and 31-28 in the semifinal and final games of the Class 7A state playoffs over Mt. Carmel of Chicago and Cary-Grove, respectively. Cary-Grove also was 13-0 heading into that game.
48. Clay-Chalkville (Pinson, Ala.) 15-0
Junior QB Ty Pigrome passed for 2,692 yards and 36 touchdowns, rushed for 1,254 yards and 24 scores and caught a touchdown pass for 61 total touchdowns en route to being named Birmingham News Player of the Year after leading Clay-Chalkville to a state title. Only two teams played Clay-Chalkville closer than 21 points, and one was Saraland 36-31 in the state final. Clay-Chalkville opened the season with a 21-point win over Niceville (Fla.), which reached the Florida Class 4A state semifinals in a group won by St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.).
49. Cypress Ranch (Cypress, Texas) 13-3
Getting into the Class 6A Division I state final opposite No. 1 Allen was just enough for the Mustangs to hang onto a spot toward the end of this year’s rankings. They actually lost two of their first three games, but avenged one of those losses to Cinco Ranch of Katy in a big way with a 42-20 win. Cy Ranch downed perennial power Converse Judson 38-31 in the semis and knocked out unbeaten Dickinson 31-28 a week before that.
50. Kimberly (Kimberly, Wis.) 14-0
The Papermakers stepped up from Division II to Division I this season and smashed two-time defending champ Arrowhead of Hartland 31-6 in the final. The program also has now won state titles four times in seven years.
Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports
