District of Columbia High School Football Rankings: Top 25 Teams – Sept. 18
With the third week of the 2024 District of Columbia high school football season over, the best teams in the area have retained their top ranking. Hence, the District of Columbia On3 Massey Ratings top 25 list as of Sept. 18 had minimal movement from the last update.
However, six of the top ten teams still have zero losses. Meanwhile, only three undefeated teams from those ranked from 11 to 25 remain. Here’s where D.C.’s best teams are positioned before another round of games starting on Friday, Sept. 20.
The On3 Massey Ratings, officially used during the BCS era, is a model that ranks sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule, and margin of victory.
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1. Gonzaga
Previous: No. 1
The Eagles maintain its streak of not allowing double-digit points to opponents this season. Gonzaga gave up only seven points in their win against Loyola Blakefield. Conversely, their offense was humming, led by Jason Lindsay’s 204 passing yards and two touchdowns. Running back David Fred had 149 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Lincoln Fisher added 118 receiving yards and six points. The top team of the District of Columbia high school football system will face fifth-ranked Archbishop Carroll on Sept. 20.
2. St. John’s College
Previous: No. 2
The Cadets have surrendered only seven points while scoring 94 in their last two games. That number includes the 52 markers they tallied against Archbishop Carroll on Sept. 14, led by Breyon Williams’ 78 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, quarterback Nyeem Woods connected with Reece Williams on a touchdown pass. Likewise, the Cadets’ defense generated four sacks and four tackles for negative yardage. St. John’s will try to extend their winning streak to three games against Friendship Collegiate in two days.
3. Friendship Collegiate Academy
Previous: No. 3
The Knights aren’t friendly to opponents, as proven by giving up only six points in their first three games. They’ve completed back-to-back shutouts against Charles Herbert Flowers and Coolidge to maintain their unbeaten record. While Friendship Collegiate scored only 12 points against the Colts, it was enough for a 3-0 mark. However, the Knights’ defense will be tested in a monumental showdown against fourth-ranked Dunbar.
4. Dunbar
Previous: No. 4
The Crimson Tide have the third-best offense in the District of Columbia high school football after scoring 43, 60, and 52 points in their first three games. In their latest victory over Landon, Dunbar had 446 yards on offense, split into 222 passing and 224 rushing yards. A tough challenge awaits the Crimson Tide on Sept. 20 as they take on third-ranked Friendship Collegiate.
5. Archbishop Carroll
Previous: No. 5
After carving out a three-point victory over Coolidge, the Lions were overwhelmed by St. John’s College 52-7. TK Davis secured Archbishop Carroll’s lone touchdown in that game, but they went scoreless in the last three quarters. That same effort won’t be enough to pull off an upset against top-ranked Gonzaga on the 20th.
6. Roosevelt
Previous: No. 6
The Roughriders have the fifth-best defense in District of Columbia high school football after giving up only 16 points in the first two games this season. In their 46-6 victory over Bell Multicultural, David Anderson threw for three touchdowns, while Deyon Smith had 88 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Gabriel Hudgens led Roosevelt’s receivers with 110 yards and a touchdown. After the Griffins, the Roughriders have winnable games against Washington (Sept. 20) and Anacostia (Sept. 27).
7. St. Albans School
Previous: No. 7
The Bulldogs keep finding ways to secure victories early in the season. Their latest result was a 42-21 win over Jackson-Reed, wherein Brett Paukstis threw for 179 passing yards and two touchdowns, and Christian Cherilus had two rushing scores. St. Albans will close its September schedule against Pope John Paul the Great Catholic on Sept. 21.
8. Woodson H.D.
Previous: No. 8
The Warriors were no match against Martinsburg, West Virginia’s top-ranked high school football team. Woodson scored zero points and generated only 205 yards on offense, an unfortunate outcome after their 20-6 win over Anacostia. Woodson can bounce back by defeating 18th-ranked Brown and 13th-ranked Ballou in their next two games.
9. Maret School
Previous: No. 9
After winning by forfeiture against Joppatowne in their season opener, the Frogs unleashed their offense to secure a 42-6 victory against Ballou. Maret had 241 yards on offense against the Knights, whom they limited to 35 rushing yards. Defeating Landon School on the 20th will maintain their undefeated record.
10. Coolidge
Previous: No. 10
Not counting the forfeiture in their season opener against Freedom, the Colts are still seeking their first win this season due to their challenging strength of schedule. After losing by three points to Archbishop Carroll, they suffered a shutout loss to Friendship Collegiate. Luckily for Coolidge, they have winnable games versus Chester (Sept. 21) and Dunbar (Sept. 27).
Teams 11-25 in the latest District of Columbia High School Football Rankings
11. Eastern
12. Bell Multicultural
13. Ballou
14. Jackson-Reed
15. KIPP DC Legacy College Prep
16. Anacostia
17. McKinley Technology
18. Brown
19. Sidwell Friends School
20. Digital Pioneers Academy
21. KIPP College Prep
22. Phelps ACE
23. Model Deaf
24. Wright PCS
25. Paul International