Preseason 2026 Massachusetts High School Football Top 25 Rankings

We continue our race around the country through all 50 states when it comes to our favorite read before anything ever happens on the gridiron: Preseason rankings. Next up in the marathon of states when it comes to high school football preseason rankings is Massachusetts, the Bay State. Taking the No. 1 spot above Tabor Academy, which finished as the state’s top team from a year ago is the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association’s (MIAA) Division 2 champion Catholic Memorial Crusaders. Here’s how Massey ranked the best Massachusetts high school football teams in the Bay State before the season begins. The Massey Ratings, officially used during the BCS era, is a model that ranks sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule, and margin of victory. 1. Catholic Memorial Knights Easily one of the top Massachusetts high school football teams is the West Roxbury (Mass.) Catholic Memorial, which is coming off winning another MIAA Division II state championship last season. The Knights return a number of key players from last season’s title-winning group, including 2028 three-star running back Christian Simmons, 2028 wide receiver Ramar Thomas (Boston College commit) and 2027 three-star safety Jackson Tucker (Boston College commit), respectively. Catholic Memorial faces multiple out-of-state opponents, including Syracuse (N.Y.) Christian Brothers Academy and Viera (Fla.) in back-to-back weeks. 2. Tabor Academy Seawolves The Marion (MA) Tabor Academy Seawolves ended last season as the state’s top team and they will be challenging themselves later in the season in a somewhat historic matchup. On Oct. 9, the Seawolves will leave the New England region and head west for a historic trip to face off against the El Dorado Hills (CA) Oak Ridge Trojans, which went 9-4 last season. Virginia Tech four-star quarterback commit Peter Bourque returns after last season accounting for 2,929 all-purpose yards with 33 total touchdowns. Bourque ended up throwing for 2,241 yards and 18 touchdowns and then on the ground totaled 688 and 15 scores. 3. St. John’s Preparatory School Eagles St. John’s Preparatory last season reached the Division 1 state championship game and fell just short against rival Westwood (Mass.) Xaverian Brothers. Everything starts with 2028 signal caller Christopher Vargas, who last fall completed 138 of 207 passes for 2,038 yards and 24 touchdowns against only three interceptions. Though the Eagles fell to the Hawks to end last season, they’ll begin the preseason just a spot ahead of their rivals from over in Westwood, Massachusetts. 4. Xaverian Brothers Hawks Checking in at the No. 4 spot is last year’s MIAA Division 1 Super Bowl state champion Xaverian Hawks. The Hawks edged out the aforementioned St. John’s Preparatory in both meetings last season, making it almost a sure fire certainty that the two foes are destined to meet again for the championship this fall. Featuring one of the best quarterbacks out of the New England region in Penn State commit Will Wood, who completed over 70 percent of his passes for 3,815 yards and 33 touchdowns against five interceptions, Xaverian Brothers will be in line to repeat again come December at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. 5. The Williston Northampton School Wildcats Starting off the 2026 Massachusetts high school football season in the No. 5 spot are The Williston Northampton School Wildcats. Coming off a 7-3 season a year ago that ended with a bowl game loss to Connecticut’s top-ranked Avon Old Farms, the Wildcats are right back in the thick of it as a NEPSEC school with aspirations to be the best in the conference. The Williston Northampton School returns 6-foot-4, 300-pound offensive tackle Ben Taglianetti and 2028 EDGE rusher KhyRen Jones (6’5, 260). 6. King Philip Warriors7. Buckingham Browne & Nichols School 8. Milton Academy Mustangs9. Springfield Central Golden Eagles10. Dexter School Shields 11. St. Sebastian’s School Arrows12. Central Catholic Raiders13. North Attleboro Rocketeers14. Marshfield Rams15. Natick Redhawks 16. Tewksbury Memorial Redmen17. Lawrence Academy Spartans18. Foxboro Warriors 19. Scituate Sailors20. Bishop Feehan Shamrocks 21. Milton Wildcats22. Duxbury Dragons23. Mansfield Hornets24. Boston College Eagles 25. Noble And Greenough School Bulldogs For Massachusetts high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the state, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Bay State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the gridiron excitement for Massachusetts high school football.