Ohio High School Football Rankings: Top 25 Teams - September 9
The Ohio high school football rankings have shuffled near the top after week three of games in the Buckeye State.
Lakota West was upset on the road by a ranked Princeton squad while St. Edward and Massillon Washington fell to out-of-state opponents. Toledo Central Catholic dropped out of the top 10 after losing a conference matchup with Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.)
Below is the updated Ohio On3 Massey Ratings top 25, as of Sept. 9.
The On3 Massey Ratings — which were officially used during the BCS era and have generated college high school sports team rankings since 1995 — rank sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule and margin of victory.
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1. St. Edward
Previous Ranking: No. 1
St. Edward has won three consecutive Division I state championships, and the Eagles are well on the way to defending their titles again this season. But an out-of-state matchup proved to be too much for St. Edward last weekend, as it fell 38-21 to Boyle County (Ky.). Coming this Saturday is a huge home showdown against No. 7 Elder.
2. Archbishop Moeller
Previous Ranking: No. 3 (+1)
Moeller stayed perfect on the season with a 42-13 win over East Central (Ind.). Two Crusaders are already committed to Power 4 schools: Louisville defensive back commit Micah Rice and Northwestern EDGE pledge Jonah Hayes. They lead a defense that ranks No. 6 in the state of Ohio. Moeller played Benedictine Military School (Ga.) on Saturday.
3. Archbishop Hoban
Previous Ranking: No. 6 (+3)
After dropping its season-opener to Archbishop Spalding (Md.), Archbishop Hoban has bounced back with wins over Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) and Buchtel (56-0). The Knights are looking to get back to the state championship game this year after losing to Massillon Washington to end the 2023 campaign. Ohio State linebacker commit Eli Lee and elite junior cornerback Elbert Hill lead the defense that ranks No. 2 in the Buckeye State. Hoban will play onetime powerhouse St. Ignatius on Sept. 20 after a bye week this weekend.
4. Massillon Washington
Previous Ranking: No. 2 (-2)
Massillon Washington started the year hot with wins over NFL Academy London (U.K.) and GlenOak but dropped its out-of-state matchup against New Jersey’s top program, Bergen Catholic, 35-21. The Tigers are defending state champs and have a top-5 offense and defense in Ohio. Another out-of-state opponent is on deck: Canisius (N.Y.).
5. St. Xavier
Previous Ranking: No. 12 (+7)
St. Xavier pulled off a big out-of-state win over the weekend with a 35-31 win over Cathedral (Ind.) — Indiana’s top team. Bombers quarterback Chase Herbstreit led the game-winning drive in the final minute. St. X’s top-5 defense is led by Notre Dame defensive line pledge Gordy Sulfsted. Next up for the Bombers is Withrow at home on Friday.
6. Avon
Previous Ranking: No. 7 (+1)
Avon held off Ted Ginn Sr.’s Glenville in a 13-12 nailbiter to stay perfect in 2024. The Eagles will play Elyria this week. Senior defensive lineman Jeremiah Kelly is committed to Cincinnati, and junior athlete Jakob Weatherspoon is a top-200 prospect in 2026.
7. Elder
Previous Ranking: No. 8 (+1)
Elder forced six turnovers in its 30-6 win over Springboro to improve to 3-0 on the year. Senior linebacker Maddox Arnold (Toledo commit) has been dominant this season for the Panthers. A tough Saturday road game at top-ranked St. Edward is up next.
8. Walsh Jesuit
Previous Ranking: No. 10 (+2)
Walsh Jesuit remained perfect with a 52-0 shutout win over St. Vincent-St. Mary. The Warriors have a win over No. 25 Urusuline on the year and have continued to rise in the rankings after starting the preseason ranked No. 25.
9. Winton Woods
Previous Ranking: No. 9
Winton Woods is still undefeated after a 22-3 win over Milford. The Warriors struggle on offense, but their top-10 defense is headlined by elite Alabama EDGE commit Justin Hill. Winton Woods will play at Turpin this Friday.
10. Lakota West
Previous Ranking: No. 5 (-5)
Lakota West dropped its first game of the season on the road at a ranked Princeton. The Firebirds rank 23rd on offense but have the No. 3 defense in the state. This year’s senior class is led by four-star Miami (Fla.) commit Luka Gilbert and Purdue linebacker commit Grant Beerman. Junior athlete Cam Thomas also ranks as a four-star prospect in the 2026 On3 Industry Ranking. Next up is Fairfield.
Teams 11-25 in latest Ohio High School Football Rankings
11. Marion Local
12. Chardon (+1)
13. Princeton (+4)
14. Toledo Central Catholic (-10)
15. Olentangy Liberty (=1)
16. Anderson (-1)
17. Mentor (-1)
18. LaSalle (+1)
19. Wadsworth (+1)
20. Highland (-2)
21. Coldwater (+1)
22. Pickerington North (NR)
23. Bishop Watterson (NR)
24. Wapakoneta
25. Ursuline (NR)
Dropped from rankings: Groveport Madison, Perry, Glenville