MaxPreps Northern California preseason Top 25 high school football rankings

De La Salle (Concord) sometimes goes by De La Stomp, and no wonder.

The national super power hasn't just owned the Bay Area over the decades. It has steamed the state as owners of the longest winning streak in football history — any level — at 151 games, ending last decade. The Spartans long ran out of room for all their trophies, and they're fine with that as this is as humble an operation as it is dominant.

New coach Justin Alumbaugh stressed when he took over for mentor Bob Ladouceur months ago that NorCal football isn't just De La Salle.

He's right. These rankings will reflect as such.



MaxPreps Northern California Top 25 Preseason Football Rankings

1. De La Salle (Concord) (15-0 last season)
Opener: vs. Clayton Valley (Concord), Friday

The national MaxPreps No. 1 Spartans usher in a new coach to continue a new era as longtime assistant Justin Alumbaugh takes over for the winningest coach in state history, with Bob Ladouceur assuming an assistant position within the program. The four-time defending CIF State Open champions are again strong in the trenches with Larry Allen and Sumner Houston to work with QB Chris Williams and running back Das Tautalatasi, all targeting a 23rd consecutive North Coast Section title.

2. Folsom (14-1)
Opener: vs. Woodcreek (Roseville), Friday

A fast-rising state power in Sacramento County and the top team in the Sac-Joaquin Section, the Bulldogs are spread-option wonders, having won the 2010 CIF State D-II bowl with a win over Serra (Gardena) with MaxPreps National Player of the Year QB Dano Graves. The quarterback guru next in line is junior Jake Browning, who passed for an amazing 5,248 yards and 63 touchdowns in 2012. He has 13 other starters back. The loss was to De La Salle in the NorCal Open title game, which humbled and inspired the Bulldogs.

3. Granite Bay (13-3)
Opener: vs. Folsom, Sept. 6

A Week 1 opener against regional rival Folsom will be telling for a program coming off a CIF State D-I championship win over Long Beach Poly. The defense is headed by LBs Cameron Smith and Dylan Keeney and DB Luke Bussey. The Fly offense is paced by back Tony Ellison, an Arizona commit. State Coach of the Year Ernie Cooper stepped down on the eve of summer, stunning his team. In comes former assistant Skip Albano.

4. Palo Alto (8-3)
Opener: vs. San Benito (Hollister), Sept. 13



The Vikings had a banner State Bowl year in 2010 under caoch Earl Hansen and they expect another this fall with returning QB and Stanford-bound Keller Chryst (2,165 yards, 28 TDs as a sophomore, 2,389 and 28 last season). WRs Malcolm Davis (675, 9 TDs) is the top target.

5. Bellarmine (San Jose) (11-2)
Opener: at Monterey, Saturday

K.J. Carta-Samuels is back at QB, and the Vanderbilt commit dazzled in summer workouts for the longtime powers of the Central Coast Section. He'll also hand off plenty to RB Austin Changras. An early showdown is at No. 6 El Cerrito, and then soon enough the meat grinder that is the West Catholic Athletic League looms, including No. 10 Serra (San Mateo).

6. El Cerrito (13-1)
Opener: At Sutter, Friday

With three major recruits, one could argue that this is the second most talented team in the greater Bay Area as the clear top D-III team in Northern California. WR Jalen Harvey is a Cal commit, LB Derik Calhoun is a USC commit and DB Adarius Pickett has more than 22 offers. The early schedule will be telling.

7. Elk Grove (12-2)
Opener: vs. Lincoln (Stockton), Friday

The Thundering Herd of the Sac-Joaquin Section have gone 24-3 the last two seasons behind superb line play and the wing-T. RB Wadus Parker (1,374 yards, 21 TDs) is back, as is DE B'won Canada and three-year QB Tommy Arnold. Elk Grove lost to Folsom the last two postseasons.



8. Del Oro (Loomis) (7-6)
Opener: vs. Logan (Union City), Friday

The Golden Eagles of the Sac-Joaquin Section have won two section titles and reached a CIF Bowl game since 2010 by using power football. It'll be more of the same with returning Sacramento Bee All-Metro leaders in DE Tanner Woods (10 sacks) and TE/LB Tyler Meteer. Early grinder games include St. Mary's (Stockton), Grant (Sacramento) and De La Salle (Concord).

9. St. Mary's (Stockton) (9-3)
Opener: at Stockdale (Bakersfield), Friday

The Rams have been a section force for years, and will be again this season under coach Tony Franks, who returns QB Kaleb Parrish and WRs Brian Pasqual and Jalen Ratliff. The schedule is again daunting, including No. 8 Del Oro, which bounced the Rams in the playoffs in 2009 and last season, and MaxPreps national No. 1 De La Salle.

10. Serra (San Mateo) (9-3)
Opener: vs. De La Salle (Concord), Sept. 7

The Padres of the West Catholic Athletic League and Central Coast Section could have as good a roster as they've ever had, and the De La Salle opener will be telling. DE Matt Dickerson is a national recruit commit to Notre Dame and RB Hamilton Anoa'i is the top offensive threat. Two losses were by a hair to Bellarmine.

11. Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) (7-5)
Opener: at Rocklin, Friday

The Eagles have quickly come of age as a "newer" program under coach Joe Cattolico in the Sac-Joaquin Section, and they are again a swift, quick, athletic lot with QB Deaundre Terrell, WR Wyatt Demps and DB Brandon Lewis. Adding to the coaching intrigue is the addition of offensive coordinator Butch Cattolico, father of Joe, and one of the winningest coaches in Bay Area history from his Los Gatos tenure.



12. California (San Ramon) (9-3)
Opener: vs. Washington (Fremont), Friday

Fresh off a North Coast Section D-I semifinal showing, the Grizzlies seek more under coach Eric Billeci, a De La Salle product who has four returning starters on the offensive line for QB Cameron Owen.

13. Rocklin (5-6)
Opener: vs. Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove), Friday

The Thunder reached the CIF State Bowl in 2009 and hail from the same Sierra Foothill League that includes Granite Bay and Del Oro. QB Logan Webb and a physical defense lead the way.

14. Pittsburg (8-4)
Opener: at Analy (Sebastopol), Friday

The Pirates have decades of tradition, and they are the last program from Northern California to stick De La Salle with a defeat, in 1991. RB Harris Ross (911 yards, 6 TDs) will run behind an experienced line.

15. Marin Catholic (Kentfield) (14-2)
Opener: vs. Miramonte (Orinda), Saturday

The Wildcats stormed to a CIF State Bowl game but lost a ton to graduation, including QB Jared Goff, now starting at Cal. Coach Mazi Moayed is an inspiration as a cancer survivor, and he welcomes back WR Andrew Celis and new QB in Oregon commit Morgan Mahalak.

16. Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) (12-2)
Opener: vs. Vista del Lago (Folsom), Friday



The Trojans of the Sac-Joaquin Section have been a factor since they fielded their first varsity team 30 years ago, and the Delta River League is formidable with Folsom and Pleasant Grove, too. Jacob Sipes can play QB, WR, DB, K and P. LB Thomas Mahlman heads an experienced defense.

17. Burbank (Sacramento) (12-1)
Opener: vs Napa, Friday

The Titans are a rising force in the Sac-Joaquin Section and aim to race past teams with their triple-option offense behind QB Ernest Jenkins and RB Calvin Green, a Washington State commit, and to stop foes with DT Ngalu Tapa (23.5 sacks in 2012). This is perhaps the fastest team in Sacramento.

18. Freedom (Oakley) (9-3)
Opener: vs. Amador Valley (Pleasanton), Friday

The Falcons have perhaps the top tailback recruit on the West Coast in Joe Mixon, with seemingly every major school after him. He may have to be a one-man machine as Freedom has a small roster and a brutal early schedule that includes No. 3 Granite Bay.

19. Napa (7-4)
Opener: at Burbank (Sacramento), Friday

The Indians are the Monticello Empire League favorite, thanks to the offensive line that returns intact, headed by Washington State commit Braden Eggert. Burbank opener is telling. Vacaville is the defending MEL champion and again a factor.

20. Logan (Union City, Calif.) (12-2)
Opener: at Del Oro (Loomis), Friday

Graduation gutted the Colts, who had a banner season end against De La Salle in the North Coast Section playoffs (the other loss was to Del Oro early). But this is a campus with 4,000 students, and talent oozes, including RB/DB Ahki Muhammad, a Nevada commit.

21. Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) (11-2)
Opener: at Modesto Christian, Friday



The Cardinals of the North Coast Section D-III ranks are a decades-long power, once owning the longest winning streak in state history before De La Salle lapped it, and reaching two CIF State Bowl games in recent years. QB Keaton Dunsford and OL Will Andrews lead the way.

22. Merced (7-4)
Opener: vs. Clovis West (Fresno), Friday

The Bears were a Sac-Joaquin Section power in the late 1980s and into the early '90s and covet another playoff run after a good summer showing with QB Tyrone Williams and three talented runners, including Bryce Bernat.

23. Lincoln (Stockton) (8-4)
Opener: at Elk Grove, Friday

The Trojans lost all-time program greats in QB Zac Greenlee to Fresno State and RB Justin Davis to USC, but this remains one of the power programs in the southern part of the section. The early schedule is a grinder.

24. Buhach Colony (Atwater) (10-3)
Opener: vs. San Ramon Valley (Danville), Friday

The Thunder live to run foes into the ground with a bevy of backs, and the Central California Conference could come down to BC and Merced. BC has gone 34-5 the past three seasons under coach Kevin Swartwood, a coach for those famed Merced teams of the late '80s.

25. (TIE) Grant (Sacramento) 5-6
Opener: At Paradise, Friday



The Pacers sputtered last season amid injuries but still reached the postseason a Sac-Joaquin Section-record 22nd consecutive season. This will be the youngest team veteran coach Mike Alberghini has fielded, with as many as 17 underclassmen starters, but there is speed and power.

25. (TIE) Paradise (8-4)
Opener: vs. Grant (Sacramento), Friday

A powerhouse program in the Northern Section for years, including six D-I section titles in nine title-game appearances over 10 years, the Bobcats find out in a hurry what they have in facing Grant (Sacramento) in an opener. Enterprise (Redding) beat Paradise for the title last season. RB Jonathon Dixon (1,227) works behind a big line.

See The Sacramento Bee's regional Top 20

See The Bee's Preps Plus Insiders, a weekly peek at area football with highlights

Joe Davidson has covered high school sports for The Sacramento Bee since 1988. Follow him on Twitter: @SacBee_JoeD and on www.sacbee.com.