Top 25 Missouri high school football rankings (11/19/2024)

The playoff brackets are now set after district title games were held last week. Who rose, who fell in latest update?

Nixa's Dylan Rebura carries the ball as the Eagles took on the Republic Tigers at Nixa on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. / Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK

Missouri high school football season has moved into the quarterfinals games throughout the state.

The district finals provided a number of head-to-head showdowns of ranked teams. Due to that, the poll this week looks a lot different with some new teams showing up, but some of the teams that lost are still ranked. The top 25 teams that lost last week included CBC, Carthage, Seckman, Troy Buchanan, St. Pius X (Kansas City), Lee’s Summit, Blue Springs South and Branson.

Three teams in that group were handed the first and only loss of the season.

The quarterfinal round this week again shapes up with many of the top teams playing each other. In other cases, the ranked teams will face a team on a hot streak that pulled upsets to advance this far. 

For live updates and complete statewide results, bookmark our high school football scoreboard:

Here is the SBLive Missouri Top 25 football rankings for Tuesday, November 19, 2024:

Missouri high school football rankings

1. Lutheran North (10-1)

Previous ranking: 1

It’s hard to argue the offensive firepower the Crusaders have following a second 80-0 win this season. The Crusaders scored 66 points in the first half behind four touchdown passes and two TD runs by QB Jonathan Moore. Crusaders play Parkway North in the quarterfinals this week. 

2. Cardinal Ritter (9-1)

Previous ranking: 2

Carson Boyd was nearly flawless in a 56-14 win over Cape Girardeau Central, throwing for 307 yards and 4 scores. He completed 17 of 20 passes.

3. Nixa (11-0)

Previous ranking: 4

In a 48-21 win over Joplin, RB Dylan Rebura ran for 234 yards and 6 touchdowns in the Class 6 District 5 finals. Now the Eagles are set for a very highly anticipated match-up with …. 

4. Lee’s Summit North (11-0)

Previous ranking: 5

The Broncos will face Nixa in a clash that will be well attended by not only fans but probably college coaches. beat Lee’s Summit for the second time this year to return to the quarterfinals. Lee’s Summit North led 17-15 going into the fourth. Noah Kent booted a field goal and Isaiah Mozee caught a late touchdown. 

5. De Smet (9-2)

Previous ranking: 6

Braden Wakula and Josiah Houston had defensive touchdowns for the Spartans in a 35-0 win over SLUH. De Smet will play Rock Bridge in a Class 6 quarterfinal game.

6. Kearney (11-0)

Previous ranking: 7

The winning streak for the Bulldogs just keeps going after a 34-7 win over Savannah in the Class 4 District 8 finals. The win was the 23rd in a row and the Bulldogs did what they normally do — run the ball and play good defense. Next up is Warrensburg.

7. Blair Oaks (10-1)

Previous ranking: 8

Despite playing without key offensive weapons Brady Dapkus and Hayden Lackman, the Falcons keep on winning. In the first quarter of a win over Boonville, Carson Verslues, Nolan Laughlin and Toby Elder ran for touchdowns. Blair Oaks plays Hallsville, which upset Moberly.

8. Platte County (11-0)

Previous ranking: 9

Who brought Rocco? Well, the Pirates did and the quarterback Rocco Marriott threw for four touchdowns and ran for another in a 45-23 win over St. Pius X (Kansas City) in the Class 5 District 8 title game. Now, the Pirates face Webb City for the fourth time in the postseason since 2017.

9. Rock Bridge (10-1) 

Previous ranking: 10

For the second year in a row, the Bruins beat Troy Buchanan in a district finals. Drevyn Seamon, Donivan Taylor and Derrick Young all ran for first-half scores for Rock Bridge, racing out to a 27-6 lead in what was a 43-19 win.

10. MICDS (10-2)

Previous ranking: 11

The Rams won their sixth game in a row with a 38-14 win over Hazelwood East. Brian Gould had more than 400 combined yards between rushing and passing and 5 touchdowns. MICDS plays a Fort Zumwalt West team that won a district title despite entering with a 4-5 mark.

11. Helias Catholic (10-1)

Previous ranking: 13

The Crusaders will get a rematch with Republic, this time in a Class 5 quarterfinal game. Last year, the two teams were in the same district and the Tigers pulled the upset on the way to the Class 5 finals. A late touchdown pass from Austin Weaver to Sam Lopez helped lock up a Helias win against Lebanon last week.

12. Seneca (11-0)

Previous ranking: 14

The fourth straight district title came in a 64-7 blowout win over Forsyth. The Indians’ defense gave up 122 total yards, while the offense piled up 663 yards. That included 488 yards on the ground with four ball carriers having 88 yards or more. Seneca plays Big 8 Conference rival Mount Vernon this week.

13. Lafayette Wildwood (11-1)

Previous ranking: 17

The Lancers will have one of the biggest tests this week in a Class 5 quarterfinal game against Cardinal Ritter. Lafayette’s defense has given up 7 or less points in eight of the team’s 12 games.

14. Jackson (9-2)

Previous ranking: 20

The Indians handed Seckman its first loss of the year, 49-28 in the Class 6 District 1 finals. It’s the sixth district title in the past seven years. Jackson carries an 8-game winning streak into the showdown with Kirkwood this week.

15. Park Hill (9-2)

Previous ranking: 23

A crazy sequence late saw the Trojans throw what looked like a pick-6 that turned into a fumble and the offense recovered. Clinging to a three-point lead, Park Hill went down and scored on the double turnover and won 31-21 over Oak Park. The Trojans play Liberty this week.

16. Liberty (8-3)

Previous ranking: 24

Jaxon Hicks ran for 278 yards and scored twice in a district title win over Blue Spring South. He now has 2,270 yards on the season and broke the school record for a single-season total. The Blue Jays won a district title for the first time since 2005. 

17. Kirkwood (8-2)

Previous ranking: NR

Jeremy Maclin has guided the Pioneers to five straight wins and perhaps one of the biggest upsets in recent memory — beating CBC 28-26 last week. It marked the first time CBC lost at home since 2012. QB Owen Nesslage threw for 381 yards and three touchdowns in the win over the Cadets.

18. Republic (10-2)

Previous ranking: NR

The Tigers handed Branson, a former conference rival, its first loss of the season in a 35-10 win in the district finals last year. An improbable state finalist last year — the first-ever finals — the Central Ozark Conference school is only two wins away from returning.

19. Warrenton (11-0)

Previous ranking: NR

For the second year in a row, the Warriors are 11-0 but lost to Hannibal last year in the playoffs. Warrenton dispatched them 42-28 in a rematch last week behind Austin Haas’ 268-yard, 5-TD showing. The Warriors will play West Plains this week.

20. Parkway North (9-2)

Previous ranking: NR

The Vikings won the Class 4 District 4 title — the school’s first district crown since 2016. The reward for a big win? A showdown with No. 1 Lutheran North. QB Dakarri Hollis, a former QB at Lutheran North, is coming off a game where he ran for 140 yards and 3 touchdowns and passed for 183 and 3 more against Orchard Farm.

Still good, but out of the playoff hunt 

• 21. CBC (9-2)

• 22. Seckman (10-1)

• 23. Troy Buchanan (10-1)

• 24. Carthage (9-2)

• 25. Eureka (9-1)

-- Cody Thorn | @sbliveMIZ