Is the top of 2013 the best of the last five years?

– Dallas Jackson, NationalHSFootball.com

The debate for which team deserves the 2013 high school football national title will be hotly contested.

No matter which program is give the hardware there are arguments to be made that any of Allen (Texas) High, Bellflower (Cali.) St. John Bosco, or Miami (Fla.) Booker T. Washington would make a great champion.

The strengths of each were enumerated in a breakdown of the best by NationalHSFootball.com early in December and the state final results this weekend did nothing to break the group apart.

What makes this group special is that all three — plus DeSoto (Texas) High and Miami (Fla.) Central — would have likely been named National Champions in each of the last five years.

Looking back at the past champions would make the 2008 St. Thomas Aquinas team and the 2007 Miami Northwestern teams as the lone two programs of the HSFB100 era that would have retained the titles.

Here is a breakdown of how the final rankings would have looked in the most recent seasons.

2012: John Curtis claimed the title, but…

This was a split decision nationally with multiple winners being named across other polls.

River Ridge (La.) John Curtis won the HSFB100 but Concord (Cali.) De La Salle, Katy (Texas) High, and Norcross (Ga.) High all were given strong consideration and other titles.

Had the teams from 2013 been included with this group there would have been a different winner.

The 2013 version of Allen, Booker T. Washington, and St. John Bosco all would have been ranked ahead of the 2012 Patriots.

Additionally, there would have been a debate as to whether or not one-loss Miami Central and DeSoto should be ahead of John Curtis as well.

The Patriots were an easy choice for the HSFB100 National Title and was a loaded program with talented running backs and a very strong defense but it would have been ranked below the Top 3 from this season, if not the Top 5.

Ultimately the final placement for John Curtis would have been No. 4 as it would have been given the nod over one-loss teams.

The difference would have been on offense.

Curtis was in good hands — and doesn’t rely on the pass very much — but it was vastly inferior to the top teams of 2013. The offensive line for Curtis would have been tested and at least St. John Bosco showed that it could stop a similar style offense in beating De La Salle.

Treon Harris and Kyler Murray would have presented a test that the Patriots didn’t see in 2012 and the edge would have been given to those teams as well.

2011: Louisville Trinity claimed the title, but…

There was a major debate as to whether or not Trinity or Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco was the top team this season.

Trinity was given the HSFB100 national title as it was determined that the team was more complete than Don Bosco.

Trinity had an amazing offense with multiple Division I offensive lineman as well as a FBS-level quarterback, receiver, and running back. Defensively the group was solid with a good defensive line and very good secondary.

Don Bosco was elite on defense and there was no denying that any team would have had trouble scoring on the IronMen but its offense was quite bad in comparison and could be stopped by many programs — and that was the tipping point in 2011.

This was the most difficult national title to have been handed out in the history of the HSFB100 and had the 2013 group of teams been included in the 2011 discussion it would have been impossible to choose a winner.

Trinity would have been in the discussion with Allen, Booker T. Washington, and St. John Bosco for the top spot making the debate this season even more clouded.

Fortunately this is just a mock exercise and as to not tip the hand of the 2013 final placement there is not need to determine a final placement other than to say it isn’t a certainty that Trinity would have been the top team.

Don Bosco would have been in the mix with Miami Central and DeSoto for the final spot in the top five and likely would have finished behind both as the two were more balanced than Don Bosco.

2010: South Panola claimed the title, but…

While the race got tighter at the end of the year with Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas having the more talented team and Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward having the more difficult schedule the HSFB100 national title was given to Batesville (Miss.) South Panola.

South Panola was nasty in the trenches with FBS-level players on the offensive line and a pair of junior FBS-bound players on the defensive line.

It had a running back that went to DI and both receivers were as well.

The secondary boasted a FBS-level cornerback and what may prove to be the best safety ever to come out of the school.

That said, if the 2013 group of teams were included the Tigers would not have claimed its only national title.

All five of the teams from this season would have been given strong consideration to finish ahead of South Panola.

For all of the things that South Panola had in its favor for toughness and attitude it did not have the speed to stay with Treon Harris, Kyler Murray, and Desmon White of Booker T. Washington, Allen, and DeSoto respectively.

It also would have likely struggled with the balance of St. John Bosco and the one-two punch at running back of Miami Central.

Quarterback play is so important and South Panola had a game manager that was a better baseball player than signal caller. The team won the national title on nastiness and being a bully. None of the top teams of 2013 would have been pushed around.

2009: Don Bosco claimed the title, but…

Don Bosco backed into the No. 1 position after Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas lost to Bradenton (Fla.) Manatee.

There was not much of a controversy on this pick as Austin (Texas) Lake Travis was No. 2 and West Monroe (La.) High was No. 3 but neither had momentum driving for the top.

The IronMen had wins over De La Salle and Prattville (Ala.) High as well as going through the top four teams in New Jersey and so the resume was there and the HSFB100 national title was headed to Jersey.

It had a strong running game, a good quarterback, and multiple FBS-level players on the defensive side of the ball.

There is an argument as to whether this team of the 2011 version of Don Bosco was the better team but from a national rankings perspective this group was much more balanced and would have won the majority of games if the two groups would have played an extended series.

The refrain seems the same though in that if the 2013 group of teams were moved back in time the national title picture would have changed.

All three of Allen, Booker T. Washington, and St. John Bosco would have been ranked ahead of Don Bosco come seasons end.

The IronMen would have had an advantage over the two one-loss teams and would have been the safe pick at No. 4 but it would have been hard to argue over the top three from 2013.