New York high school football isn't like Texas or Florida. We don't have 20,000-seat stadiums in every town, and you won't always see us on a national broadcast every Friday night. But if you think the talent here is soft, you’re just not paying attention. The 2025 season, which wrapped up this past December at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, proved that the gap between the "power programs" and everyone else is widening, but the quality of play has never been higher.
Honestly, tracking ny hs football rankings is a bit of a headache. You’ve got the NYSPHSAA (the public schools), the CHSAA (the Catholic schools), and the PSAL (the NYC public schools). They don't all play each other. It’s a mess of different schedules and playoff structures that makes a "unified" ranking feel like guess-work. But when you look at the final numbers from 2025, a few names stay glued to the top.
Who Actually Won the State in 2025?
If you want to talk about dominance, you start with Syracuse Christian Brothers Academy (CBA). They didn't just win; they steamrolled. They finished a perfect 14-0. In the Class AA final, they dismantled Saratoga Springs 41-12. When a team goes undefeated and ends the year with a point differential like theirs, they own the top spot in the public school conversation.
Then you have the Catholic league. Iona Prep finished the year ranked #1 in the state by MaxPreps, despite a 11-1 record. Why? Because their strength of schedule is absurd. They play a national-caliber lineup that most public schools wouldn't touch. They beat up on Monsignor Farrell (9-2) and stayed ahead of St. Anthony's (7-5), even though St. Anthony's played a schedule that would make most college coaches sweat.
The 2025 Final State Champions (NYSPHSAA)
- Class AA: Christian Brothers Academy (Syracuse)
- Class A: Rye
- Class B: Monroe (Rochester)
- Class C: Bronxville
- Class D: Tioga
- 8-Man: Morrisville-Eaton
The "Public vs. Private" Ranking Debate
This is where the ny hs football rankings get spicy. You’ve got the Catholic schools in Westchester and Long Island—think Iona Prep, Archbishop Stepinac, and Chaminade—who don't compete for the NYSPHSAA state titles. They have their own world.
Last season, Iona Prep was basically a machine. They finished with a "Strength Rating" of 24.6, according to MaxPreps data. Compare that to Syracuse CBA, who had a rating of 6.1 despite being undefeated. The rankings usually favor the Catholic schools because they play higher-rated opponents week after week. It’s sort of unfair to the public schools, but that’s the math.
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Monsignor Farrell out of Staten Island really surprised people this year too. Finishing 9-2 and grabbing that #2 overall spot in many lists was a statement. They weren't just winning; they were dominating teams that usually give them trouble.
The Underdogs That Messed Up the Brackets
Let's talk about Rye for a second. In Class A, Rye was a buzzsaw. They went 14-0. They capped it off with a 28-14 win over Brighton in the finals. If you’re looking at ny hs football rankings based on pure "who knows how to win," Rye is consistently in the top five, regardless of class.
And don't overlook Bronxville. They went 12-0 and took home the Class C trophy by beating Chenango Forks 42-25. Brian Formato from Bronxville ended the season as one of the state's touchdown leaders with 42 scores. That’s video game stuff.
Surprising Stat Leaders from the 2025 Season
- Brian Formato (Bronxville): 42 Total Touchdowns.
- Colin Pickering (Fonda-Fultonville): 230 Total Points.
- Benjamin Coryea (Saratoga Springs): 200 Total Points.
- Brayden Richardson (Sleepy Hollow): 42 Total Touchdowns.
Why 2026 Rankings Are Already Looking Wild
We're in January 2026 now, and the "Way-Early" rankings for next fall are already being debated in local diners from Buffalo to Montauk. The biggest reason? The talent in the Class of 2026 is actually elite.
Messiah Hampton, the wide receiver from James Monroe in Rochester, is the real deal. He’s a 4-star recruit who already committed to Oregon. When you have a kid like that on your roster, your team is automatically a top 10 contender in the ny hs football rankings.
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Then there’s Crew Davis, the running back at Iona Prep. He’s headed to North Carolina. With players like him returning or moving into leadership roles, Iona Prep is likely to start the 2026 season as the pre-season #1. It’s hard to bet against a program that produces that much D1 talent.
How the Rankings Actually Work (The "Secret" Math)
Most people just look at the W-L record. That's a mistake. The New York State Sportswriters Association (NYSSWA) and MaxPreps use different formulas.
The NYSSWA rankings are more "human." They care about history, head-to-head matchups, and the "eye test." MaxPreps is a computer. It loves "Strength of Schedule." That’s why you’ll see a 7-5 St. Anthony's ranked higher than a 10-0 small-town public school. The computer doesn't care about your heart; it cares that you played three teams from New Jersey and a powerhouse from Maryland.
If you want to understand where your team sits, you have to look at the "Section" rankings first. New York is divided into sections (Section 1 is Westchester/Putnam, Section 6 is Buffalo, etc.). A team might be #1 in Section 6 but only #15 in the state.
Long Island: The Island of Its Own
Long Island (Section 8 and Section 11) is its own beast. They don't play in the state tournament. They have the Long Island Championships (LIC).
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In 2025, Garden City continued its legendary run. They tied the record for the nation's longest winning streak at 62 games. That is just mental. If you are talking about ny hs football rankings and you don't have Garden City in your top 3, you're trippin'. They went 12-0 and took the Nassau Conference 2 title easily.
Massapequa also finished 12-0 in Nassau Conference 1. When these Long Island teams go undefeated, they usually end up in the top 10 of the overall state rankings, even though they never play the teams from Upstate or Western NY. It’s one of those "what if" scenarios that keeps fans arguing until August.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
If you're a parent, player, or just a die-hard fan trying to keep up with the ny hs football rankings, here is how you stay ahead of the curve for the upcoming 2026 cycle.
- Watch the Transfers: In the off-season (right now), top players often move between the PSAL and the CHSAA. A single QB transfer can move a team from unranked to the top 10.
- Follow Sectional News: Don't just wait for the state-wide list. Follow sites like the New York State Sportswriters Association for weekly updates that actually understand the local context.
- Check the Strength of Schedule: If your team is 5-0 but playing winless opponents, don't expect them to rise in the MaxPreps rankings. The "points" come from beating teams with winning records.
- Keep an Eye on the JMA Dome: The road to the rankings always ends in Syracuse. The teams that perform well in the early-season "Kickoff" classics at neutral sites usually hold their ranking spots the longest.
New York high school football is about grit and surviving the November cold. Whether it's the dominant private schools in the city or the powerhouse public programs in Syracuse and Rochester, the rankings tell a story of a state that's finally getting its due on the national stage.
Next Steps for 2026 Recruiting and Rankings
To get the most accurate picture of where things stand as we head toward spring ball, you should monitor the committed player lists for the Class of 2026. Schools with multiple D1 commits, like Iona Prep and Cardinal Hayes, will likely headline the preseason polls. Additionally, keep an eye on the NYSPHSAA classification changes, as schools shifting between Class AA and Class A can completely flip the projected rankings for the next season.