LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Lakewood Ranch, which has one loss in the last three seasons, and is undefeated through its first seven games this year, opens No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 poll.
The (7-0) Mustangs have outscored their opponents 74-5 in 2021 and are riding a 15-game win streak since falling 3-0 to Winter Park in the 2019 Florida state Class 8A title game. Lakewood Ranch was 8-0 when COVID-19 halted its 2020 season as the No. 2-ranked team nationally and is 45-1 over the last three years.
Meanwhile, Alabama’s Hewitt-Trussville (8-0) starts second in the first poll of 2021. The Huskies handled No. 15 Bob Jones, 5-1, last Thursday, and next face Hoover (8-2), which got blown out by No. 21 Spain Park, 13-3, on Wednesday.
Perennial Mississippi powerhouse Neshoba Central (season opens March 23), which was 11-0 when the pandemic halted its quest for an eighth-straight Class 5A crown in 2020, is No. 3, while unbeaten Alvin (8-0) and Park Vista (6-0) round out the top five. Alvin is scheduled to face No. 22 Barbers Hill (6-2) later today in Texas.
State rankings submitted by NFCA member coaches 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. In 2021, schools that are not competing will not be eligible for the poll.
USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 Poll – March 4, 2021
1. Lakewood Ranch (Fla.) 7-0
2. Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.) 8-0
3. Neshoba Central (Miss.) 0-0
4. Alvin (Texas) 8-0
5. Park Vista (Fla.) 6-0
6. San Antonio Warren (Texas) 8-0
7. Los Alamitos (Calif.) 0-0
8. Norco (Calif.) 0-0
9. Chino Hills (Calif.) 0-0
10. Notre Dame (La.) 10-1
11. Bob Jones (Ala.) 3-1
12. Marist (Ill.) 0-0
13. New Palestine (Ind.) 0-0
14. Eastern Alamance (N.C.) 0-0
15. O’Connor (Ariz.) 0-0
16. Crown Point (Ind.) 0-0
17. Cooper City (Fla.) 4-0
18. Brandon (Miss.) 4-0
19. Trenton (Fla.) 4-0
20. North Pike (Miss.) 3-1
21. Spain Park (Ala.) 7-2
22. Barbers Hill (Texas) 6-2
23. Westlake (Calif.) 0-0
24. Shawnee Heights (Kan.) 0-0
25. Oshkosh North (Wis.) 0-0
