Which team should be crowned 2023 high school football national champions? Mater Dei? DeSoto?
The final two states — Texas and Georgia — will complete their high school football state championships this week, meaning we’re just about ready to unveil the final SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 of the season and name our pick for No. 1.
Before we reveal our choice, here are the four teams in contention to be named SBLive/Sports Illustrated’s 2023 national champion.
Unlike the College Football Playoff, we won’t be able to bring these four teams together to decide the championship on the field, so we know there will be plenty of debate as to who would win a tournament involving our finalists.
Here’s your chance to vote. Who would you name as the finest team in the land? Then, check back next week to see who we selected No. 1.
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) (12-0)
Case for: The Gaels took on all comers during the first half of their season, beating three regional powers — Centennial (Corona, Calif.), Long Beach Poly and Utah 6A champion Corner Canyon — and top Florida team Miami Central. Then, they blitzed through their in-state schedule and romped past Liberty 56-11 to win the program’s 20th Nevada state title.
Case against: Of our four finalists, the Gaels play in the weakest of the four states, which makes their dominance in the Silver State (average margin of their seven on-field wins: 44.4 points) a little less impressive.
Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.) (14-0)
Case for: The Lions won a third consecutive state championship (second in Class 1M) in dominant fashion, routing Clearwater Central Catholic 56-0 in the final to wrap up a season that also saw them defeat New Jersey non-Public champion Bergen Catholic and in-state Power 25 rivals American Heritage and Miami Central.
Case against: Like Bishop Gorman, the second half of the Lions’ schedule and their path to the 1M state title weren’t daunting. After beating 3M quarterfinalist Coconut Creek 35-27 in Week 6, they breezed past their final eight opponents by a combined score of 456-27 with six shutouts.
DeSoto (Texas) (14-0)
Case for: The Eagles still must defeat Summer Creek this weekend to win the UIL 6A Division 2 state title, but after surviving a 45-38 semifinal against Southlake Carroll last week, they enter the championship game an overwhelming favorite. Their signature win prior to Saturday’s semifinals was a 49-35 victory over district rival Duncanville.
Case against: Yes, Texas is one of the toughest high school football states in the nation, but the Eagles didn’t face anyone outside the Lone Star State to gauge how they’d fare against the nation’s elite teams.
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) (13-1)
Case for: The Monarchs had a hiccup in Week 8 when they lost to Trinity League rival St. John Bosco, but they avenged that defeat with a dominant 35-7 performance in the CIF Southern Division Division 1 final, then downed Serra 35-0 in the CIF Open Division championship game. They also boast victories over Centennial (Corona, Calif.) and Kahuku, the Hawaii Open state champion.
Case against: Of the four finalists, the Monarchs are the only one with a “1” in the loss column. That’s about it.
-- René Ferrán | rferran.scorebooklive@gmail.com | @sblivesports
