Northern California Top 25 high school football rankings: Saint Francis, Serra battle this week for top spot, league title

Serra and Saint Francis of the West Catholic Athletic League remain fixed at Nos. 1 and 2 in these rankings, and the teams play this week in San Mateo in a regular-season finale. De La Salle and Rocklin remain ranked Nos. 3 and 4.

1. (Last week 1) Serra (San Mateo), 9-0
Last week: Beat Sacred Heart Cathedral, 36-7
Next: Saint Francis, Saturday
Update: The Padres geared up for the showdown against Saint Francis with a rout as Petelo Gi rushed for 159 yards. Serra handled Saint Francis 49-7 in a spring game. Since 2017, Serra has won two CIF NorCal titles and a CIF State crown under coach Patrick Walsh.

2. (2) Saint Francis (Mountain View), 8-0
Last week: Beat Mitty (San Jose), 45-0
Next: Serra, Saturday
Update: The Lancers kept pace with Serra in the WCAL, and they will have revenge and respect in mind. Serra rolled the Lancers 49-7 in spring action. The biggest win so far was the 31-28 effort against De La Salle, the first NorCal loss by the Spartans north of Fresno since 1991. Saint Francis caps the regular season at Serra on Nov. 6. Saint Francis has won a record 17 Central Coast Section titles.



3. (3) De La Salle (Concord), 7-2
Last week: Beat Amador Valley, 41-0
Next: Clayton Valley Charter, Friday
Outlook: The Spartans scored four touchdowns in the second quarter and Luke Dermon had three passing scores to key the rout. The losses were to Saint Francis (Mountain View) 31-28 to halt the program's 318-game unbeaten streak to NorCal teams north of Fresno dating back to 1992, and to the top team in Maryland. DLS hasn't lost to a NCS team since 1991. DLS has won 29 consecutive section championships.

4. (4) Rocklin, 10-0
Last week: Beat Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove), 56-7
Next: Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs, TBA
Update: The Thunder capped their first 10-0 regular season since reaching the CIF State D-II finals in 2009 and secured the No. 1 seed in the D-I SJS playoffs. The big victory was the 40-7 effort over Folsom, halting that school's 11-year, 54-game league winning streak. A team leader is two-way lineman star Bobby Piland.

5. (7) Buchanan (Clovis), 9-1
Last week: Beat Clovis East, 28-10
Next: Clovis North, Friday
Update: The Bears bound into the Central section playoffs as the favorite after winning the Tri-River Athletic Conference. The loss was to state-ranked Los Alamitos 34-31.

6. (8) Central (Fresno), 7-1
Last week: Beat Clovis North, 35-14
Next: Hanford, Friday
Update: The Grizzlies head into the Central Section D-I playoffs expecting to win it, especially if Jesiah Lindsey has another game like the one he just had: 186 yards and three touchdowns. The Loss was to Buchanan 24-17. Central won the 219 CIF State Division I-AA championship.

7. (6) Pittsburg, 6-1
Last week: Beat Freedom (Oakley), 51-6
Next: Antioch, Friday
Update: The Pirates roll into the 103rd Big Little Game against rival Antioch with a chance to win the Bay Valley Athletic League with the aim of locking up a high seed in the North Coast Section D-I playoffs. The loss was at Folsom, 38-17. An opener against Serra was canceled because of smoke. Pittsburg is the last North Coast Section program to beat De La Salle, doing so in the 1991 NCS finals.

8. (11) Jesuit (Carmichael), 9-1
Last week: Beat Sheldon (Sacramento), 48-18
Next: Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs, TBA
Update: The winning streak is nine after opening with a loss at Folsom. Kai Wallin has been a dominant force on defense, including five second-quarter sacks against Sheldon. One of the big wins for the Delta League champions was a 28-14 effort over Granite Bay. This is Jesuit's best team in at least 20 years.



9. (15) Granite Bay, 8-2
Last week: Beat Folsom, 31-21
Next: Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs, TBA
Update: The Grizzlies toppled Folsom to place second in the rugged Sierra Foothill League and secured the No. 2 seed in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs behind Central Catholic. The losses were to Rocklin in the SFL and to Jesuit in a nonleague game. The program is in the playoff for the 23rd consecutive season.

10. (5) Folsom, 7-3
Last week: Lost to Granite Bay, 31-21
Next: Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs, TBA
Update: The Bulldogs had won each league championship since 2012 but placed third in the Sierra Foothill League behind Rocklin and Granite Bay and lost three of four games overall, including to De La Salle. Star QB Tyler Tremain will be back for the playoffs after missing the last three games. An earlier win was 37-17 over Pittsburg and a 56-7 season-opening effort over Jesuit. Folsom has won eight Sac-Joaquin and four CIF State titles since 2010.

11. (10) Edison (Stockto), 9-1
Last week: Beat Franklin (Stockton), 54-13
Next: Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs, TBA
Update: The Vikings led 40-0 after the first quarter and then played reserves in rolling their rivals. The Vikings are the No. 4 seed in the SJS D-I playoffs behind Rocklin, Jesuit and Folsom and could run into St. Mary's in a quarterfinal. The loss was to then Central Section No. 1 Central (Fresno) 17-10.

12. (13) Central Catholic (Modesto), 9-1
Last week: Beat Sierra (Manteca), 55-0
Next: Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs, TBA
Update: The Raiders won the stacked Valley Oak League as six runners combined for nearly 400 yards rushing to earn the No. 1 seed in the SJS D-II playoffs. Earlier big wins were over San Ramon Valley, 21-14, and St. Mary's (Stockton), 41-27. The loss was to Bellarmine, 28-21

13. (16) St. Mary's (Stockton), 8-2
Last week: Beat Lincoln (Stockton), 31-27
Next: McClatchy (Sacramento), Friday
Update: The Rams have won eight consecutive games after opening with losses to De La Salle and Central Catholic to secure the program's 14th consecutive league championship, thanks to offensive balance and a bend-don't-break defense.

14. (12) Los Gatos, 9-0
Last week: Beat Mountain View, 56-7
Next: Milpitas, Friday
Update: The best public school football team in the Central Coast Section rolled with defense after posting three successive shutouts, and Caspian Bailey led all rushers with 91 yards. The regular-season finale looms and then Los Gatos will likely be in the same Central Coast Section playoff bracket as Serra and Saint Francis.



15. (14) San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno), 8-0
Last week: Beat Sanger, 35-0
Next: Garces Memorial (Bakersfield), Friday
Update: The Panthers won the County Metro League and earned the No. 2 seed in the Central Section D-I playoffs.

16. (17) Bellarmine College Prep (San Jose), 6-3
Last week: Beat Valley Christian (San Jose), 45-34
Next: St. Ignatius (San Francisco), Friday
Update: The Bells have depth at QB as backup Nate Escalada passed for 179 yards and ran for 89 to lead the charge. Big wins include Menlo-Atherton (56-41) and Central Catholic (28-21).

17. (18) Menlo-Atherton (Atherton), 7-2
Last week: Beat Burlingame, 34-8
Next: Kings Academy (Sunnyvale), Friday
Update: The Bears received four touchdown passes from Matt MacLeod to win their seventh consecutive game to remain unbeaten in the Peninsula Bay. The losses were to Bellarmine 56-41 and to Oregon power Tualatin, 44-33.

18. (9) Valley Christian (San Jose), 5-4
Last week: Lost to Bellarmine, 45-34
Next: Riordan (San Francisco), Friday
Update: The Warriors were led by Jakson Berman, who had 428 yards of offense and four total scores. The other losses were to Serra, Saint Francis and Pittsburg.

19. (19) McClymonds (Oakland), 6-1
Last week: Beat Castlemont (Oakland), 75-18
Next: Skyline (Oakland), Friday
Update: Mack has gone for 50 or more points four times in the Oakland Athletic League. The loss was to Menlo-Atherton. A big win was over Marin Catholic, 32-22.

20. (20) Clayton Valley Charter (Concord), 7-2
Last week: Beat Monte Vista (Danville), 34-14
Next: De La Salle, Friday
Update: The Ugly Eagles had big games from Rahsaan Woodland and Nicholas Khashabi in rushing for 461 yards as a team. CVC won the 2019 CIF Division I-AA state championship.



21. (22) Salinas, 7-0
Last week: Beat Alvarez (Salinas), 42-24
Next: Palma, Friday
Update: The Cowboys are 6-0 in the Pacific Coast Gabilan Division after storming to a 35-0 halftime lead to set up a showdown with rival Palma. The signature win was a 42-14 rout of previously unbeaten Aptos.

22. (21) San Ramon Valley (Danville), 6-3
Last week: Beat California (San Ramon), 31-20
Next: Monte Vista (Danville), Friday
Update: The Wolves were led by Jack Quigley's 209 yards and two touchdown passes and the 264 yards rushing and two scores from Za'darion Nardi. The losses were to De La Salle 48-14, Clayton Valley Charter 28-21 and Central Catholic 21-14. The East Bay Mountain includes De La Salle, California, Clayton Valley, Monte Vista and Amador Valley.

23 (NR) Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park), 8-1
Last week: Beat Cardinal Newman, 19-17
Next: Windsor, Friday
Update: The Cougars jump into these rankings with a big win over rival Cardinal Newman, thanks to defense and QB Liam Keaney (262 yards passing and a touchdown), and RB Ryan Kane (touchdown). RC has had recent seasons of 11-4, 11-2, 10-2 and 9-4.

24. (23) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa), 5-3
Last week: Lost to Rancho Cotate, 19-17
Next: West County (Sebastopol), Friday
Update: The Cardinals suffered their first North Bay loss. The other losses were to San Leandro, 20-17 and St. Mary's, 34-14. A big win was a 20-13 win over Vacaville.

25. (tie) (24) Vacaville, 8-2
Last week: Beat Wood (Vacaville), 38-7
Next: Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs, TBA
Update: The Bulldogs locked up the Monticello Empire League and secured the No. 3 seed in the SJS D-II playoffs. The losses were 20-13 in overtime to Cardinal Newman and 14-9 to Granite Bay.

25. (25) (tie) Marin Catholic (Kentfield), 8-1
Last week: Beat Novato 49-0
Next: Tamalpais, Saturday
Update: The Wildcats have won five straight and aim to lock up another league crown this week. The loss was to McClymonds, 33-22.

The Next 10
26. Clovis, 7-3
27. Monte Vista (Danville), 7-1
28. Antelope, 9-0
29. Kimball (Tracy), 9-1
30. Windsor, 8-0
31. California (San Ramon), 6-3
32. Oakdale, 7-2
33. Aptos, 7-1
34. San Benito (Hollister), 6-1
35. Downey, 9-1



Joe Davidson has covered high school sports for The Sacramento Bee since 1988. He was named a CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Distinguished Award winner in April. Follow him on Twitter: SacBee_JoeD and through sacbee.com.