LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Top-ranked Katy rolled through another playoff series to continue as the leader in the USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 for a sixth straight week.
The (36-1-1) Tigers blanked Cesar E. Chavez twice — 10-0 and 15-0 — in their best-of-three Texas Class 6A matchup, and will face Cinco Ranch next in a regional quarterfinal later today.
Meanwhile, No. 2 Northwest Rankin (31-0) cruised through both games of its Class 7A playoff series against D’Iberville, then routed Ocean Springs, 11-2, on Wednesday in the opener of their Mississippi state semifinal. The second game of that best-of-three series is set for Friday.
The next six teams in the Super 25 also remained the same this week, with seventh-ranked Orange Beach (42-1) performing particularly impressively. The Makos beat their three opponents by a 36-1 combined margin.
The first change came at No. 9, with Walsh Jesuit (19-0) moving up a spot after winning more four games. Fellow Ohio school Austintown-Fitch (17-1) won its three games by a 46-0 margin to join them in the top 10.
New York schools were the top movers. Unbeaten St. Anthony’s (19-0) gained five places to 11th, while Shenendehowa slipped six spots to No. 15.
One-loss Thunder Ridge (21-1) is the lone newcomer to the rankings at No. 23, replacing Roncalli, which dropped out this week after a pair of defeats.
State rankings submitted by the 2024 NFCA High School Steering Committee are used to compile the USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25. Teams are chosen based on performance, roster quality and strength of schedule.
USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 Poll
May 9, 2024
Rank |
Team |
2024 Record |
Previous |
1 |
Katy (Texas) |
36-1-1 |
1 |
2 |
Northwest Rankin (Miss.) |
31-0 |
2 |
3 |
Jackson (Wash.) |
18-1 |
3 |
4 |
Calvary Baptist (La.) |
35-2 |
4 |
5 |
Sterlington (La.) |
33-1 |
5 |
6 |
Saint Francis (Calif.) |
23-0 |
6 |
7 |
Orange Beach (Ala.) |
42-1 |
7 |
8 |
Lake Central (Ind.) |
27-0 |
8 |
9 |
Walsh Jesuit (Ohio) |
19-0 |
10 |
10 |
Austintown-Fitch (Ohio) |
17-1 |
11 |
11 |
St. Anthony’s (N.Y.) |
19-0 |
15 |
12 |
Watkins Memorial (Ohio) |
25-1 |
12 |
13 |
Anthony Wayne (Ohio) |
20-1 |
13 |
14 |
Diamond (Mo.) |
35-1 |
16 |
15 |
Shenendehowa (N.Y.) |
15-2 |
9 |
16 |
Lancaster (Ohio) |
21-2 |
17 |
17 |
Bartow (Fla.) |
26-1 |
18 |
18 |
Oak Grove (N.C.) |
22-2 |
14 |
19 |
Owyhee (Idaho) |
19-2 |
19 |
20 |
Sheridan (Ark.) |
25-2 |
20 |
21 |
Mount St. Dominic (N.J.) |
19-1 |
21 |
22 |
Notre Dame (N.J.) |
18-1 |
22 |
23 |
Thunder Ridge (Idaho) |
21-1 |
NR |
24 |
Pacifica (Calif.) |
24-2 |
24 |
T25 |
St. Thomas More (La.) |
31-4-1 |
T25 |
T25 |
North DeSoto (La.) |
31-5 |
T25 |
Dropped out: Roncalli (Ind.).
2024 NFCA High School Steering Committee
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