MaxPreps California Top 25 high school football rankings: Four ranked teams pull out tight playoff wins

By Mitch Stephens Nov 11, 2019, 6:00pm

Rankings largely stay as put, however No. 20 Norco goes out after thrilling 46-44 season-ending loss to Chaminade.

Video: California Top 25 football rankings
Highlights of No. 10 Grace Brethren's 42-38 first-round playoff win over Westlake.

The first round of the playoffs tend to feature a lot blowouts and not much drama.

That couldn't be further from the truth last week — especially around the CIF's Southern Section, where five different ranked teams had games decided by a combined 23 points.

On a night when the top six teams in California were idle, four ranked teams survived first-round scares while previous No. 20 Norco lost a a 46-44 Southern Section Division 2 game to un-ranked Chaminade.

Jaylen Henderson tossed a 20-yard touchdown pass to William Camacho with 13 seconds left lifting Chaminade (6-5) to the win. It was Camacho's sixth touchdown of the game. He rushed for the other five scores and accounted for nearly 200 yards from scrimmage, helping to offset a big performance from Oklahoma State-bound quarterback Shane Shane Illingworth, who threw for 255 yards and three touchdowns.



"I just knew I had to catch," Camacho told the Los Angeles Times of the game-winning catch. "I always have hope for my team, even if we're down."

The rest of the ranked teams survived, but barely, including No. 19 Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley) needing overtime to beat Serra (Gardena) 26-20, also in D2 play.

In D3, 10th-ranked Grace Brethren pulled out a 42-38 win over Westlake and in D4, No. 25 Camarillo edged Damien, 34-28.

In Northern California's biggest game, previous No. 17 Serra dropped a 14-13 game to St. Ignatius (8-2) that caused a three-way tie for the West Catholic Athletic League championship.

In that game, Serra's Dominique Lampkin completed a 7-yard touchdown to Terence Loville in the final minute to close to 14-13. Serra made the extra point to tie it at 14-14, but the kicker was roughed, so the Padres opted to take the point off the board, went for the win, but Nate Sanchez was tackled inches short.

No. 22 Serra, No. 23 Valley Christian and St Ignatius are the top three seeds in the Central Coast Section's Division 1 playoffs.

The nation's top two teams Mater Dei and St. John Bosco had a week off and begin the Southern Section's vaunted Division I playoff bracket gets underway this week.
Chayden Peery, Sierra Canyon
Chayden Peery, Sierra Canyon
File photo by Samuel Mawanda
Top 25 California high school football rankings



1. (Last week 1) Mater Dei (Santa Ana)
Record: 10-0
Last week: Idle
Next game: Nov. 15 vs. Bishop Amat

Record: 9-1
Last week: Idle
Next game: Nov. 15 vs. Calabasas

3. (3) De La Salle (Concord)
Record: 9-1
Last week: Idle
Next game: Nov. 15 vs. Amador Valley (Pleasanton)

4. (4). Centennial (Corona)
Record: 8-2
Last week: Beat Roosevelt (Eastvale) 77-20
Next game: Nov. 15 vs. JSerra Catholic

5. (5) Mission Viejo
Record: 10-0
Last week: Idle
Next game: Nov. 15 vs. Servite (Anaheim)

6. (6) Folsom
Record: 9-1
Last week: Idle
Next game: Nov. 15 vs. Edison (Stockton)

7. (7) Corona del Mar (Newport Beach)
Record: 11-0
Last week: Beat Santiago (Corona) 49-0
Next game: Nov. 15 vs. Cajon

8. (8) Servite (Anaheim)
Record: 7-3
Last week: Idle
Next game: Nov. 15 at Mission Viejo

9. (9) Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth)
Record: 10-1
Last week: Beat Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita) 35-21
Next game: Nov. 15 vs. Vista Murrieta (Murrieta)

10. (10) Grace Brethren (Simi Valley)
Record: 10-1
Last week: Beat Westlake (Westlake Village) 42-38
Next game: Nov. 15 vs. Lawndale

11. (11) Calabasas
Record: 7-2
Last week: Idle
Next game: Nov. 15 vs. St. John Bosco (Bellflower)

12. (12) La Habra
Record: 9-2
Last week: Beat Capistrano Valley (Mission Viejo) 42-3
Next game: Nov. 15 vs. Edison (Huntington Beach)

13. (13) JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano)
Record: 6-4
Last week: Idle
Next game: Nov. 15 at Centennial (Corona)

Record: 10-0
Last week: Idle
Next game: Nov. 15 vs. Ridgeview (Bakersfield)

15. (15) Helix (La Mesa)
Record: 9-1
Last week: Idle
Next game: Nov. 15 vs. St. Augustine (San Diego)

16. (16) Bishop Amat (La Puente)
Record: 9-1
Last week: Idle
Next game: Nov. 15 vs. Mater Dei (Santa Ana)

17. (18) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego)
Record: 8-2
Last week: Idle
Next game: Nov. 15 vs. Carlsbad

Record: 10-1
Last week: Beat Serra (Gardena) 26-20
Next game: Nov. 15 vs. San Clemente

19. (21) Alemany (Mission Hills)

Record: 8-2
Last week: Beat Paraclete (Lancaster) 39-34
Next game: Nov. 15 vs. Tesoro



20. (24) Rancho Cucamonga
Record: 8-3
Last week: Beat Murrieta Valley (Murrieta) 49-14
Next game: Nov. 15 vs. Long Beach Poly

21. (25) Camarillo
Record: 10-1
Last week: Beat Damien (La Verne) 34-28
Next week: Nov. 15 vs. Downey

22. (17) Serra (San Mateo)
Record: 9-1
Last week: Lost to St. Ignatius 14-13
Next game: Nov. 16 vs. Half Moon Bay

23. (22) Pittsburg
Record: 9-1
Last week: Idle
Next game: Nov. 15 vs. James Logan (Union City)

24. (23) Valley Christian (San Jose)
Record: 9-1
Last week: Beat Archbishop MItty (San Jose) 28-0
Next game: Nov. 15 vs. Saint Francis (Mountain View)

25. (NR) San Clemente
Record: 9-2
Last week: Beat Valencia 17-7
Next game: Nov. 15 vs. Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley)