After the last series, and talking to many readers, and followers, I am not sure if I agree with the preseason ranking put out by the league. I know that I did a ‘way too early’ 2025 rankings back in December, but things have changed, and schedules have been released. I have been getting some nice info over the offseason, especially in the last month or so, including this past week.  

I know it is preseason rankings, but because the preseason rankings determine your schedule, and ultimately, affect how easy or difficult it is to accumulate power points, these rankings are very important to playoff positioning late in the season. I do have loose rules that I follow, but at the end of the day, this is all opinion based. As for my personal rules, see below:

• If you won your Division Championship Title, you are entitled to the top spot in the preseason rankings
• Retained Talent- I take a look at who should be coming back. If main contributors have moved on, it will be more difficult to justify a higher ranking
• Program Size- If the program is large, and has multiple levels, then this is an indication that the team could be good. 
• Last Season’s performance- Usually, about half of the players will be back, so I do use last season’s performance as an indicator.
• JV Performance- While I look at how the JV performed, I don’t place a lot of weight on this. 

As with everything, and since the CHSFL has a hard dividing line between divisions, I will go by division, starting with the ‘AAA’.

CHSFL’s Preseason ‘AAA’ Rankings 

1. Iona Preparatory School
2. St. Anthony’s High School
3. Cardinal Hayes High School
4. Archbishop Stepinac High School
5. Chaminade High School
6. Monsignor Farrell High School

My Comments: 

• First things first– I agree Iona should be #1. As reigning champion, they earned it. 
• St. Anthony’s at #2 and Cardinal Hayes at #3 are not too objectionable. 
• I do not agree that Stepinac should be #4, with Stepinac being 1-10 last season, they should, at the very least be in the #5 spot, I am switching them with Farrell.
• I do not believe Monsignor Farrell should be #6. Put them at #4.
• Chaminade at #5 is fine, they lost a lot of talent, and their lower levels did not perform too well. 

Pete’s ‘AAA’ Rankings:

1. Iona Preparatory School
2. St. Anthony’s High School
3. Cardinal Hayes High School
4. Monsignor Farrell High School
5. Chaminade High School
6. Archbishop Stepinac High School

While the ‘AAA’ has the best teams, I do think that the ‘AA-1’ has the most intrigue associated with it, and is the most unpredictable division. It is full of teams that either have been in the ‘AAA’ before, or aspire to be there. The only team here that has never played in the CHSFL’s highest division, is Xavier High School, and they have been very successful on the ‘AA-1’ level.

CHSFL’s Preseason ‘AA-1’ Rankings

7. Kellenberg Memorial High School
8. St. Joseph by the Sea High School
9. St. Peter’s High School for Boys
10. Moore Catholic High School
11. Fordham Preparatory School
12. Xavier High School
13. St. Francis Preparatory School
14. St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School

My Comments:

• I get why they put Kellenberg at #7, but St. Joseph by the Sea won the ‘AA-1’ last season. The Vikings should assume that top spot. 
• That being said, the Firebirds did not move down because they weren’t a ‘AAA’ level team, they’re still a dangerous team, and should be ranked #8.
• After that, it is really a crapshoot, but I think most people can agree St. Peter’s does not belong at #9. I would put Moore Catholic at #9, they have a lot of returning players, and had a decent JV campaign. While I am aware of the coaching change, I am not ready to discount Moore Catholic next season, until I start seeing a lot of confirmed transfers and a clear regression in the program. Moore Catholic— with an unchanged roster, should be a title contender.
• Next I would put Fordham Prep at #10, while they graduate a lot of talent, the JV Rams went 7-3 last year and went to the championship. Theoretically, they should replenish their varsity team this year. 
• #11 for St. Francis Prep sounds right, like Fordham Prep, their JV went 7-3, and they won the JV AA Championship. The reason they’re at #11, and not #10 is that the Rams beat the Terriers in the playoffs 41-14.
• #12 for Xavier, year 2 for Dom Defalco after a 5-5 campaign in 2024, with their JVs being 2-6. I’d watch out though, the Knights seem to get better as they go through their program. I think this is definitely underrating. 
• St. Peter’s JV was 5-4, and their varsity was an impressive 10-3, with an appearance in the Championship. I see why they have a good argument for #9, but I just don’t see it. They have lost too much on offense, and I worry about the arrangement at St. Peter’s. I think the Eagles take a major step back, and I would put them at #13. 
• St. John the Baptist graduates all their talent, and until I see they’ve replenished this, they should be at #14. I don’t think, after a 2-9 season in 2024, and a 1-5 JV season in 2024, that this should change. 

Pete’s ‘AA-1’ Rankings

7. St. Joseph by the Sea High School
8. Kellenberg Memorial High School
9. Moore Catholic High School
10. Fordham Preparatory School
11. Saint Francis Preparatory School
12. Xavier High School
13. St. Peter’s High School for Boys
14. St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School

Obviously, my ‘AA-1’ rankings are far different than the actual league rankings, but I think most of these teams are so close in skill level that this doesn’t really strike me as too crazy. I place a lot of weight on returning talent, and some the JV’s performance last season. I don’t think performance last season, besides if you actually won the championship (which, I believe, should entitle you to the top spot), should be taken into account. This is also not an exact science, and is based on vibes I get from each team.

Like the ‘AA-1’, the ‘AA-2’ is full of intrigue and programs that are seeking to rebuild their programs. I feel this division is a bit more stratified though. Programs with JV teams, (the top four programs in this division) have an inherent advantage in the ‘AA-2’. Program size is the basis for how the divisions were made in the first place. I based the rankings nearly entirely on how each program performed last year, since more underclassmen play on the varsity level in this division.

CHSFL’s Preseason ‘AA-2’ Rankings

15. Xaverian High School
16. Holy Trinity Diocesan High School
17. Holy Cross High School
18. Mount Saint Michael Academy
19. Christ the King Regional High School
20. Cardinal Spellman High School
21. Kennedy Catholic College Preparatory School
22. St. Dominic’s High School
23. Nazareth Regional High School

My Comments:

• Xaverian won the ‘AA-2’ last season. They are solid in their position at #15.
• I would swap Holy Cross and Holy Trinity, putting Holy Cross, who was the runner up in the ‘AA-2’ and regular season champion, at #16, and Holy Trinity, at #17– Trinity was 1-10 last season, their sole win coming against Mount. 
• Mount is fine at #18. There is no reason to put them any lower, as they beat Christ the King, Cardinal Spellman, Kennedy, and St. Dominic last season. 
• As for the rest, it is hard to tell how good they will be, considering they don’t have JV programs, and are smaller schools in general. I am pretty sure I would shift these around. 
• St. Dominic’s, though they only played a partial CHSFL schedule, notched wins against Cardinal Spellman, Christ the King, Nazareth (twice), and Kennedy Catholic. Why are they #22? If we go by last season, they should easily be #19. 
• Kennedy Catholic beat Cardinal Spellman in the playoffs last season. I would put the Gaels from Somers at #20. 
• Cardinal Spellman at #21 feels right. 
• #22 for Christ the King– I have gotten a lot of chatter about the Royals this year, with a new coaching staff, and a wave of transfers, but I will believe it when I see it. 
• #23– Nazareth is back in the NYCHSFL, the Kingmen here makes the most sense to me, considering this is a program revival. 

Pete’s ‘AA-2’ Rankings

15. Xaverian High School
16. Holy Cross High School
17. Holy Trinity Diocesan High School
18. Mount Saint Michael Academy
19. St. Dominic’s High School
20. Kennedy Catholic College Preparatory School
21. Cardinal Spellman High School
22. Christ the King Regional High School
23. Nazareth Regional High School

For the ‘AA-2’, I would base my rankings entirely on two criteria– size of the program (the top four are automatically the top four because they have a JV team), and last year’s results. It makes little sense to rank them any other way. I think there are big and exciting things happening on the ‘AA-2’ level. These programs are ambitious. Some want to get back to their winning ways, others are doing a complete rebuild, and at least two have revived their football program, and are continuing this.

To summarize, this is what my pre-season rankings would be.

1. Iona Preparatory School
2. St. Anthony’s High School
3. Cardinal Hayes High School
4. Monsignor Farrell High School
5. Chaminade High School
6. Archbishop Stepinac High School

7. St. Joseph by the Sea High School
8. Kellenberg Memorial High School
9. Moore Catholic High School
10. Fordham Preparatory School
11. Saint Francis Preparatory School
12. Xavier High School
13. St. Peter’s High School for Boys
14. St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School

15. Xaverian High School
16. Holy Cross High School
17. Holy Trinity Diocesan High School
18. Mount Saint Michael Academy
19. St. Dominic’s High School
20. Kennedy Catholic College Preparatory School
21. Cardinal Spellman High School
22. Christ the King Regional High School
23. Nazareth Regional High School

What do you think of the 2025 pre-season rankings? Do you think your team is ranked too low? Do you think I am way off base? For now, we are moving into the true dead period of the offseason. I do have one more post planned, before I get into my true pre-season posts in August. Stay tuned!