High school football rankings: Five MaxPreps Top 25 teams featured in California Southern Section Division 1 bracket

The toughest playoff bracket in high school football gets underway Friday as California's Southern Section Division 1 tournament features five MaxPreps Top 25 teams in the eight-team field. The other three teams are included in our expanded top 100. 

The top seed is No. 4 St. John Bosco (Bellflower), which hosts league foe Orange Lutheran (Orange) in the opening round. The Braves have won 17 in a row against the Lancers, including a 48-0 victory during the regular season. 

No. 5 Centennial (Corona) opens against Servite (Anaheim) in a rematch of a 42-14 win for the Huskies in the season opener for both. No. 6 Mater Dei (Santa Ana) takes on Luke Fahey and Mission Viejo. Fahey threw for 569 yards and accounted for six total touchdowns in a 76-49 win over Los Alamitos to close out the regular season. This will be the sixth playoff meeting between the two since 2010 with the Monarchs owning a 4-1 edge. 

No. 7 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) faces its toughest test of the season as it opens against No. 12 Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita), which has two wins over nationally-ranked opponents this season. The unbeaten Trailblazers are 2-0 in this series since 2019.

MaxPreps and the NFHS Network will put the spotlight on the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs Friday with Playoff Pulse. All four quarterfinal games will stream simultaneously beginning at 6:45 p.m. PT with live look-ins and analysis. 

Record: 8-1 | Last week: 1

Last week: Idle

This week: Idle

Record: 10-0 | Last week: 2

Last week: Idle

This week: Friday vs. Norcross

Record: 9-0 | Last week: 3

Season complete.

Record: 9-1 | Last week: 4

Last week: Idle

This week: Friday vs. Orange Lutheran (Orange)

Record: 9-1 | Last week: 5

Last week: Idle

This week: Friday vs. Servite (Anaheim)

Record: 7-2 | Last week: 6

Last week: Idle

This week: Friday vs. Mission Viejo

Record: 10-0 | Last week: 7

Last week: Idle

This week: Friday vs. No. 12 Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita)

Record: 9-1 | Last week: 8

Last week: Idle

This week: Friday vs. Foothill (Henderson)

Record: 10-0 | Last week: 9

Last week: Idle

This week: Friday vs. Richmond Hill 

Record: 10-0 | Last week: 10

Last week: Beat Archbishop Rummel (Metairie) 35-14

This week: Idle

Record: 10-0 | Last week: 11

Last week: Idle

This week: Thursday vs. Crowley

Record: 7-3 | Last week: 12

Last week: Idle

This week: Friday at No. 7 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth)

Record: 10-0 | Last week: 13

Last week: Idle

This week: Friday vs. North Forsyth (Cumming)

Record: 9-1 | Last week: 14

Last week: Idle

This week: Friday vs. Heritage (Palm Bay)

Record: 9-0 | Last week: 15

Last week: Idle

This week: Friday vs. St. John's (Washington, D.C.)

Record: 10-0 | Last week: 16

Last week: Idle

This week: Friday vs. West Cabarrus (Concord)

Record: 10-0 | Last week: 17

Last week: Beat Clayton Valley Charter (Concord) 47-15

This week: Friday vs. San Ramon Valley (Danville)

Record: 10-0 | Last week: 18

Last week: Beat Norman 72-3

This week: Idle

Record: 10-0 | Last week: 19

Last week: Beat Chandler 55-41

This week: Idle

Record: 7-2 | Last week: 20

Last week: Idle

This week: Friday vs. St. John Paul II Academy (Boca Raton)

Record: 11-0 | Last week: 21

Last week: Beat Fordson (Dearborn) 48-8

This week: Friday vs. Saline

Record: 9-0 | Last week: 22

Last week: Idle

This week: Friday vs. Knoxville Catholic (Knoxville)

Record: 11-0 | Last week: 23

Last week: Beat Jackson-Olin (Birmingham) 49-26

This week: Friday vs. Gadsden City (Gadsden)

Record: 9-0 | Last week: 24

Last week: Idle

This week: Thursday vs. Somerset Academy (Pembroke Pines)

Record: 9-0 | Last week: 25

Last week: Idle

This week: Friday vs. Seton Hall Prep (West Orange)