Catholic high schools ranked among top U.S. football powers

Published: 2007-08-29

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- A list of football powerhouses among Catholic colleges in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association would probably start with Notre Dame and end with Boston College. But a similar list for Catholic high schools would require a lot more paper. Nine Catholic high schools are in USA Today's "Super 25" rankings -- including four in the top 10. The rankings were published in the newspaper's Aug. 22 issue. St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati tops all Catholic schools with the fourth spot in the preseason rankings. It's the highest-ranked school -- Catholic, public or private -- that didn't go undefeated last year; it finished 10-2 in 2006. DeMatha High School in the Washington suburb of Hyattsville, Md., was ranked fifth. It went 12-0 last season. Its first game was set for Sept. 2 in Cincinnati against St. Xavier. De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif., placed sixth. A perennial power in prep football, De La Salle is going for its 15th consecutive sectional championship this season.

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