1. De La Salle HS (Concord, Calif.) - (4-0) *1
Last week- Beat St. Francis High, 42-7
Next game- Oct. 7 vs. Bishop Amat High
Outlook- A week after barely escaping with a 31-28 win over Mater Dei High, De La Salle decided it had had enough suspense. The Spartans cruised to their 104th straight win, thanks to 515 yards of total offense. Leading the way were running back Kevin Simon, who rushed for 105 yards, and quarterback Matt Gutierrez, who ran for 82 yards and two touchdowns. De La Salle's last regular-season loss was in 1989, to St. Francis.

3. Cathedral Prep (Erie, Pa.) - (5-0) *3
Last week- Beat Central Mountain High, 45-7.
Next game- Oct. 6 vs. Altoona High
Outlook- After shellacking Central High last week, 77-0, Cathedral Prep decided to turn it down a notch this past Saturday with a 45-7 victory over Central Mountain High. Of course, Prep scored all of those points in the first half. As if the offense wasn't powerful enough, with QB Ed Hinkel tossing three TDs, Prep scored on a 30-yard interception return and a 94-yard kickoff return. Cathedral Prep is averaging 50.6 points per game this year.

4. Jenks HS (Jenks, Okla.) - (5-0) *4
Last week- Beat Bartlesville High, 49-5.
Next game- Oct. 6 vs. Tulsa Memorial High Outlook- After giving up a total of 58 points in its previous two games, Jenks' defense settled down on Friday, holding Bartlesville to just five points. The offense was as explosive as ever, scoring more than 40 points for the fifth time in five games. QB Scott McCoy led the attack with 133 passing yards and two TDs on 11-for-13 passing. Jenks is challenging Cathedral Prep's offensive numbers, scoring 46.2 points per contest thus far this year.

5. Poly HS (Long Beach, Calif.) - (4-0) *5
Last week- Beat Fontana High, 40-18.
Next game- Oct. 6 vs. Dominguez High
Outlook- Poly received a brief scare on Friday, when Fontana returned an interception for a touchdown on the third play of the game. But the nation's No. 5 team was unfazed, rallying for a 33-12 half-time lead. Running back Hershel Dennis carried the ball 19 times for 106 yards and three TDs in the win.

6. St. Louis HS (Honolulu, Hawaii) - (7-0) *6
Last week- Beat Kamehameha High, 31-6.
Next game- Oct. 7 vs. Iolani High
Outlook- St. Louis posted its lowest point total of the season on Friday, but it was still more than enough to take care of Kamehameha. Unlike most weeks, when the Crusaders use their dominating offense to blow teams away, St. Louis relied on defense this week, intercepting four passes. This Saturday, St. Louis takes on Iolani, a team the Crusaders beat, 45-14, on Sept. 8.

7. Garland HS (Garland, Texas) - (4-0) *7
Last week- Beat Naaman Forest High, 35-0.
Next game- Oct. 6 vs. North Mesquite High
Outlook- Finally, an easy win for Garland. After winning their first three games by a total of seven points, the Owls finally gave a hoot on Friday, blanking Naaman Forest High. Quarterback Blake McDonald had an efficient night, throwing for 144 yards and one TD on 13-for-15 passing.

8. St. Ignatius HS (Cleveland, Ohio) - (6-0) *8
Last week- Beat Massillon Washington High, 36-21.
Next game- Oct. 7 vs. Canton McKinley High
Outlook- In the game of the week, St. Ignatius turned back then-No. 20 Washington High, 36-21, to win the battle between Ohio's top two teams. St. Ignatius trailed, 21-17, with just more than five minutes remaining in the third quarter, but running back John Van der Oord scored the game's final three touchdowns to help the Wildcats rally. Van der Oord tallied a career-high 190 yards rushing and three TDs on 29 carries.

9. West Monroe HS (West Monroe, La.) - (5-0) *9
Last week- Beat Clarksdale High, 35-7.
Next game- Oct. 6 vs. LaGrange High
Outlook- West Monroe managed to avoid a letdown after beating former No. 4 Midland Lee High (Texas) the previous week. Quarterback Mitch Tucker proved to be a full-service offensive weapon, going for 158 yards and three TDs through the air and on the ground. Tucker rushed 12 times for 42 yards and two scores, and threw for 116 yards and another touchdown on 9-for-18 passing.

10. Westlake HS (Austin, Texas) - (3-0) *10
Last week- Beat Westwood High, 28-3.

	Christian Campbell of Westlake High (Texas).

Next game- Oct. 6 vs. Killeen Ellison High
Outlook- Finally, Westlake shows it has some defensive toughness to complement that high-powered offensive attack. The Chaparrals had been giving up 18 points per game, but limited a solid Westwood squad to just three points on Friday night. Westlake did all of its damage in the first half, with QB Duke Hasson throwing for 140 yards and three TDs.

11. Richmond County HS (Rockingham, N.C.) - (5-0) *11
Last week- Did not play.
Next game- Oct. 6 vs. Purnell Swett High
Outlook- For the fifth straight week, Richmond County didn't allow a single point. Of course, it's a lot easier to do that when you have a bye. Richmond County will be aiming for its fifth shutout in a row this Friday, when it travels to Purnell Swett High.

12. Naperville Central HS (Naperville, Ill.) - (6-0) *12
Last week- Beat Wheaton North High, 34-0.
Next game- Oct. 6 vs. Glenbard North High
Outlook- Naperville Central still hasn't been scored on this season, posting six consecutive shutouts. The offense isn't too shabby either, as Central is scoring 39 points per game. Not that it matters -- Central could be averaging one point per game and still be undefeated. Running back Matt Yellin was yelling for joy after scoring two rushing touchdowns and a receiving TD in the win over Wheaton North.

13. Ben Davis HS (Indianapolis, Ind.) - (7-0) *13
Last week- Beat Lawrence North High, 55-13.
Next game- Oct. 6 vs. Carmel High
Outlook- As bad as the score looks, Friday's 55-13 win over Lawrence North High was probably even more dominating than the scoreboard indicates. Ben Davis set school records with 616 yards of offense and 36 first downs. The one-two punch of running back Chad Frownfelter and quarterback James Banks each accounted for three touchdowns. Banks passed for 248 yards and ran for 74 more.

14. Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul, Minn.) - (5-0) *14
Last week- Beat Johnson High, 56-7.
Next game- Oct. 6 vs. Como Park High
Outlook- The question of the week in high school football is- Will Cretin-Derham Hall's starters ever get to play a complete game? At the rate the Raiders keep blowing opponents out, the answer is probably "no." In a game in which the starters only played the first half, running back Roshon Powers-Neal scored nearly every time he touched the ball. The explosive back scored four rushing touchdowns on just seven carries and added a TD on a 31-yard reception. That's five scores on eight touches. Not bad.

15. Mullen Prep (Denver, Colo.) - (5-0) *15
Last week- Beat Boulder High, 51-16.
Next game- Oct. 6 vs. Dakota Ridge High
Outlook- Mullen's defense gave up its highest point total of the season on Friday, but it hardly mattered as the offense made sure this game was never in doubt. Quarterback Tony Christensen continues to dominate the airwaves like Howard Stern in the morning, with 394 yards passing and five TDs. The beneficiary of Christensen's big night was wide receiver Aneas Washington, who recorded 197 receiving yards and four scores on nine catches.

16. Central Bucks West (Doylestown, Pa.) - (5-0) *16
Last week- Beat Neshaminy High, 54-28.
Next game- Oct. 6 vs. Council Rock High
Outlook- What in the world is wrong with Central Bucks West? The Bucks only won by a scant 26 points on Thursday night, their smallest margin of victory this season. On a serious note, Central Bucks West posted more than 50 points for the third straight game -- the team is averaging 48.6 points per contest this season. Running back Bob Warden rushed for 146 yards and two TDs on seven carries in the win over Neshaminy.

17. Mater Dei HS (Santa Ana, Calif.) - (3-1) *17
Last week- Beat Edison High, 42-10.
Next game- Oct. 6 vs. Wilmington Banning High
Outlook- A week after suffering its first loss of the season -- albeit to No. 1 De La Salle High -- Mater Dei bounced back with a resounding victory over Edison on Friday. QB Matt Leinart threw for 169 yards and one TD before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with a sprained shoulder he suffered earlier in the contest. With their star quarterback banged up, the Monarchs went to the ground with plenty of success. Cameron Carmona rushed for 183 yards and two scores, while Darius Williams ran for 109 yards and one TD.

18. Katy HS (Katy, Texas) - (4-0) *19
Last week- Beat South Houston High, 55-0.
Next game- Oct. 6 vs. Kingwood High
Outlook- After a 55-0 drubbing on Saturday, you can bet South Houston won't be playing Katy following a bye next year. Katy took advantage of its week off to post its second straight shutout and its biggest margin of victory this season.

19. Hackensack HS (Hackensack, N.J.) - (4-0) *21
Last week- Beat Clifton High, 49-14.
Next game- Oct. 13 vs. Bergen Catholic High
Outlook- Hackensack moves up two spots this week thanks to losses by former No. 18 Southridge High (Fla.) and former No. 20 Washington High (Ohio). New Jersey's finest finally gave up some points after two straight shutouts, but the outcome was never really in doubt. Senior running back Kaliym Hazel rushed for 191 yards and four TDs on 16 carries.

20. Summerville HS (Summerville, S.C.) - (6-0) *23
Last week- Beat Goose Creek High, 41-18.
Next game- Oct. 6 vs. Hilton Head High
Outlook- Summerville has proven it can win the defensive battles (13-7 over Berkeley High last week), and now it proved it can win a shootout, as well. QB Bennett Swygert lit up the scoreboard, passing for 265 yards and five touchdowns. Receiver Stanton Yarborough caught seven passes for 184 yards and four scores.

21. Lincoln HS (Tallahassee, Fla.) - (5-0) *24
Last week- Beat Godby High, 21-14.
Next game- Oct. 6 vs. Orange Park High
Outlook- Lincoln got out to a big lead on Friday and then almost got caught sleeping, as its 21-0 lead almost evaporated. But the defense, led by NaQuinton Gainous and Pat Watkins, held tough and preserved the win. Gainous made eight tackles and recovered a fumble, while Watkins made six tackles and forced a fumble. Running back Mike Gilliam rushed for 167 yards and two TDs.

22. Mountain View HS (Mesa, Ariz.) - (4-0) *25
Last week- Beat Highland High, 34-0.
Next game- Oct. 6 vs. South Mountain High
Outlook- Mountain View joins Naperville Central as the only Top 25 teams that have not given up a point this season. Running back C.J. Rogers ran for 178 yards and one TD against Highland High. Mountain View has outscored its opponents 156-0 this season.

23. Northside HS (Warner Robins, Ga.) - (4-0) *NR
Last week- Did not play.
Next game- Oct. 6 vs. Houston County High
Outlook- Northside jumps into the Top 25 despite not even playing this past weekend. That's how good this team is. Seriously, Northside has been right on the verge of cracking the rankings for the past two weeks, so with a few losses by ranked teams, the time was right for Northside to join the party. To bring you up to speed, Northside has outscored its opponents 152-25 this season and has pitched a pair of shutouts.

24. Washington HS (Massillon, Ohio) - (5-1) *20
Last week- Lost to St. Ignatius High, 36-21.
Next game- Oct. 7 vs. Massillon Perry High
Outlook- The Tigers proved they are the second-best team in Ohio Friday night. The problem? Washington ran into the state's best team, national No. 8 St. Ignatius High. For almost three quarters, it looked like Washington might pull off the upset, as the Tigers led, 21-17, with five minutes remaining in the third. But St. Ignatius stormed back to score the final three touchdowns, ruining a stellar performance by Washington QB Justin Zwick. The junior signal-caller passed for 360 yards and three TDs.

The Tigers fall only four spots because they played a Top 10 team almost down to the wire.

25. Gilman HS (Baltimore, Md.) - (4-0) *NR
Last week- Did not play.
Next game- Oct. 7 vs. Calvert Hall High
Outlook- No, you don't have to have a bye to break into the Top 25. It just so happens that both Gilman and No. 23 Northside High had the week off when their number was called. Besides, the teams in consideration that played weren't all that impressive in their wins, so we'll reserve judgment on them for another week.

We've had our eye on Gilman ever since Week 1, when the team posted a 14-0 win over perennial power DeMatha Catholic (Md.). And, in case you still aren't convinced Gilman deserves a spot in the Top 25, the Greyhounds have outscored their opponents this year 124-6.

Dropped out-
No. 18 Southridge High (Fla.) -- lost to Northwestern High, 3-0.
No. 22 Hampton High (Va.) -- lost to Heritage High, 16-7.

*- last week's ranking