The Best Prep Schools for Football

High school football, also called prep football, has been around since the late 19th century. As the college and professional game has increased in popularity, the high school football field has become a place where NFL dreams begin. And although the constant rotation of players balances out the competition to a degree, there are a few schools that always seem to be at the top of the prep football world.

  1. Valdosta High School

    • Georgia's Valdosta High School has the most prolific program in American high school football history, with more than 850 total wins as of early in the 2010 season. The Valdosta Wildcats have 23 state championships, and the team's success was one of the main reasons why, in 2008, the city of Valdosta was named "Titletown USA" by ESPN.

    De La Salle High School

    • The Concord (California) De La Salle Spartans football team is best known for one thing: the streak. The Spartans opened the 1992 season on a high note, winning their first game 34-14. By the time the Spartans lost their next game---the 2004 season opener---they had outscored opponents 7,069 to 1,339 and piled up 151 consecutive victories. The streak shattered the previous record of 72 straight wins, set by Michigan's Hudson High School in the early 1970s, and it solidified a spot in prep football history.

    Washington High School

    • In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the Washington High School Warriors have won a national-record 36 state championships, as of 2010. Fourteen of the Warriors' titles were won consecutively, from 1951 to 1964, a national record the school shares with Hawaii's Saint Louis High School, which matched the feat from 1986 to 1999. In the history of the program, the Warriors have won nearly 300 games.

    Little Rock Central High School

    • The Little Rock Central High School Tigers have won 32 Arkansas state titles, 44 conference championships and more than 750 total games as of September 2010. The team holds state records for most victories, most state championships and most consecutive state championships (6). Twenty-one former players have been inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.

    Lawrence High School (Lawrence, KS)

    • Lawrence High School in Kansas ranks third nationally with 27 state titles, and the Lions have accrued almost 700 all-time victories, as of September 2010. Lawrence also holds the record for the most undefeated seasons in history, with 31 spotless campaigns.