MaxPreps Northern California Top 25 high school football rankings

Video: Trey Miller's highlights vs. Capital Christian
See the Bishop O'Dowd kicker in action in the NorCal Regional Final.

The final weekend of the high school football season is here, 16 weeks after late summer scrimmages got the whole thing rolling. Northern California teams are well stocked in CIF State Championship Bowl games with the five upper divisions competing at Sacramento State and those in Divisions 3 and below playing at Southern California sites.


1. (Last week 1) De La Salle (Concord), 11-1
Section: North Coast
League: Independent
Coach: Justin Alumbaugh
Next: vs. St. John Bosco (Bellflower), Dec. 17
Update: Top-ranked by the San Francisco Chronicle and Bay Area News Group, the Spartans are in cruise control as they head into the marquee game of this weekend's CIF State Football Championship weekend at Sacramento State. De La Salle, with just one starter back from last season, has come of age in a hurry. It has outscored three playoff foes 115-24 as it bears down on its seventh CIF title in eight years and eighth overall. The
Spartans beat No. 3 Freedom 42-7 in the NCS Open Division finals to win the program's 25th consecutive North Coast Section title. It's the 32nd NCS title for De La Salle since 1982, stretching the unbeaten streak to teams north of Fresno to 281 games, dating to 1992. De La Salle is in a CIF State Bowl for a record 11th consecutive season. The loss this season was 23-21 to the top-ranked team in Utah, East of Salt Lake City, on a late field goal. De La Salle's record since 1980 is 442-25-3.

2. (2) St. Mary's (Stockton), 14-1
Section: Sac-­Joaquin
League: Tri-­County
Coach: Tony Franks
Next: vs. Cathedral Catholic (San Diego), Friday
Update: Top ranked by the Stockton Record, the Rams beat No. 3 Freedom 49-40 in the NorCal Regional Division I-AA title game as Dusty Frampton continued his power surge in the postseason. He rumbled for 349 yards on 37 carries and five touchdowns a week after going for 294 and three scores to beat Folsom 56-25 to win the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I title. Next is a 14-0 Cathedral Catholic program that beat St. Mary's in a 2008 State Bowl for this season's CIF State Division I-AA title.

3. (3) Freedom (Oakley), 11-2
Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: Kevin Hartwig
Next: season complete
Update: The Falcons fell to top-ranked De La Salle 42-7 in the NCS Open Division finals and then to No. 2 St. Mary's in the NorCal Regional Division I-AA title game. This was the breakthrough season coach Hartwig had been building for. Freedom is the only team to beat Bishop O'Dowd this season.

4. (4) Folsom, 12-2
Section: Sac-­Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Kris Richardson
Next: season complete.
Update: The Bulldogs reached a SJS championship finale for the seventh successive season, having won four straight titles before falling to No. 2 St. Mary's 56-25 in D-I play. Joe Curry, Drake Stallworth, Eric Davis, Jack Sa
and scores of others bowed out after strong seasons.

5. (5) Del Oro (Loomis), 13-2
Section: Sac-­Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Casey Taylor
Next: vs. San Clemente, Saturday
Update: The Golden Eagles raced past Bakersfield 57-16 in the NorCal Regional Division I-AA finals in Loomis and now seek a CIF State championship repeat. Stone Smartt tossed four touchdowns, including two 49-yard
strikes to Mason Hurst, and Camrion Davis and Dalton Gee were strong again running the ball. Del Oro is in its fourth CIF State Bowl this decade, taking on San Clemente a year after beating 15-0 Camarillo 16-13.

6. (6) Valley Christian (San Jose), 13-1
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Mike Machado
Next: vs. Madison (San Diego), Friday
Update: The Warriors have been defensive stalwarts all season, not allowing any more than two touchdowns in a game, and they have allowed just 13 points in the postseason. They hammered Cardinal Newman 31-6 to win
the NorCal Regional Division 2-AA title game as Miles Kendrick rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Valley Christian has allowed seven points in the playoffs.

7. (9) Serra (San Mateo), 10-4
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Patrick Walsh
Next: vs. Sierra Canyon, Saturday
Update: The Padres play Sierra Canyon for the CIF State Division 2-A championship, riding a 10-game winning streak. Serra beat previously unbeaten Sanger 49-36 in a NorCal Regional title game as Leki Nunn passed for 285 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 159 and four more. All of this from a team that started the season 0-4 with losses to No. 1 De La Salle, No. 2 St. Mary's, No. 6 Valley Christian and then No. 7 Pittsburg. 8. (8) Monte Vista (Danville), 12-1
Section: North Coast
League: East Bay
Coach: Craig Bergman
Next: Season complete
Update: The Mustangs beat Antioch 42-18 to win its first NCS championship since 2002 and fifth overall, but the season ended because the North Coast Section elected to send its two Open Division finalists - De La Salle and
Freedom - to the NorCal rounds. Jake Haener and Shane Perry had terrific seasons. The loss was to top-ranked De La Salle 45-17 in a Week 10 contest that was a two-touchdown game in the fourth quarter.

9. (12) Pittsburg, 9-2
Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: Vic Galli
Next: Season complete
Update: The Pirates could not solve No. 3 Freedom in the regular season - a 41-38 loss - or in the NCS Open Division playoffs. Pitt lost 55-35, ending the great career of running back Montaz Thompson. Pittsburg is the last
NorCal program (north of Fresno) to beat De La Salle, in the 1991 North Coast Section D-I finals.

10. (13) Oakdale, 13-2
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Valley Oak
Coach: Trent Merzon
Next: at Bishop's (La Jolla), Saturday
Update: The Mustangs face a 14-0 powerhouse in Bishop's for the CIF State Division III-A championship, rolling with offensive and defensive momentum. Oakdale beat Sutter 27-10 in the NorCal Regional Division III-A title
game, scoring three unanswered touchdowns to seize control. William Semone rushed for 303 yards on 38 carries and Jace Krick opened the fourth quarter with a 78-yard interception return for a touchdown. Semone now has 2,632 yards and is within the Stanislaus District all-time single-season mark of 2,781 set by Andrew Brown of Ripon Christian.

11. (16) Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills), 10-3
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Eric Cavaliere
Next: Season complete
Update: The third-seeded SJS Divison I Trojans lost to NorCal No. 2 St. Mary's 61-21, ending a season a lot of folks outside of El Dorado Hills didn't see coming, a credit to the coaching staff. Marco Baldacchino will return
next season at quarterback after producing a stellar junior season.

12. (15) Elk Grove, 11-2
Section: Sac-­Joaquin
League: Delta
Coach: Chris Nixon
Next: Season complete
Update: The Thundering Herd lost to top-seeded Folsom 41-3 in an SJS Division I semifinal. This marks the end of great prep careers for quarterback Jayden Machado and receiver Gavin Reinwald, among many departing
seniors.

13. (17) Clayton Valley Charter (Concord), 9-2
Section: North Coast
League: Diablo Valley
Coach: Tim Murphy
Next: Season complete
Update: The Ugly Eagles lost to top-ranked De La Salle 28-0 in an NCS Open Division contest. The other loss was to state-ranked Helix (San Diego) 13-0. Clayton Valley Charter had reached a CIF Bowl the previous two
seasons.

14. (18) Saint Francis (Mountain View), 10-2
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Greg Calcagno
Next: Season complete
Update: The Lancers fell to rising-fast Serra 31-17 in CCS Division III play in what felt like a WCAL contest. The quest for the program's 17th section banner ends. Saint Francis tied Valley Christian and Serra for the WCAL
championship.

15. (23) Menlo-Atherton (Atherton), 12-2
Section: Central Coast
League: Peninsula Bay
Coach: Adhir Ravipatsi
Next: at Paraclete (Lancaster), Saturday
Update: The Bears conclude their season on the road, in the CIF State Division 3-AA title game. Menlo-Atherton beat Manteca 49-21 for the NorCal Regional Division 3-AA title after winning the CCS Division I title with a 17-0 win over previously ranked Milpitas. The winning streak is 12.

16. (24) Campolindo (Moraga), 11-3
Section: North Coast
League: Diablo Valley
Coach: Kevin Macy
Next: at No. 17 Bakersfield Christian, Saturday
Update: The Cougars are in a CIF State bowl yet again, a credit to the great program built by coach Kevin Macy. They take on a Bakersfield Christian club for CIF Division 4-AA honors. Campolindo beat Palma 30-21 as Jacob Westphal passed for 402 yards and two scores. The losses include Valley Christian and Oakdale, both in CIF State finals.

17. (NR) Bakersfield Christian (Bakersfield), (13-1)
Section: Central
League: South Sequoia
Coach: Darren Carr
Next: vs. No. 16 Campolindo, Saturday
Update: The Eagles are in these rankings after the CIF state bowl committee placed the powerhouse program into the NorCal playoff field (sending three Central Section teams to the SoCal playoffs and three to the NorCal field to balance the brackets). Bakersfield Christian competes for a CIF Division 4-AA state title against Campolindo behind quarterback Braden Wingle, who has passed for 4,055 yards and 43 touchdowns.

18. (10) Sanger), 13-1
Section: Central
League: County/Metro
Coach: Chuck Shidan
Next: Season complete
Update: Sanger, in these rankings because it was placed in the NorCal playoffs, had a stellar season end to Serra 49-36 in the NorCal Regional Division 2-A final. Coach Shidan has won 203 games over 27 seasons and has one of the most passionate home crowds in the state for any sport.

19. (19) Inderkum (Sacramento),11-3
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Tri-County
Coach: Terry Stark
Next: Season complete
Update: The Tigers started the season 1-2, but won 10 consecutive games to reach a SJS final for the fourth time, falling to Del Oro 35-13, ending stellar senior seasons for Trajon Cotton and Joshua Falo.

20. (20) Sacramento, 10-2
League: Metropolitan
Coach: Justin Reber
Next: Season complete
Update: Top ranked by The Sacramento Bee for much of the regular season for the first time since the 1960s, the Dragons lost at home 35-33 to upstart Inderkum in the SJS Division II scramble. Sacramento trailed 26-0 and
then tied it 33-33 before losing on a safety. The big win was downing then-No. 2 Folsom 32-27, leading 32-14 at one point. Sacramento starts just four seniors. One of them departs in running back Tariq Hollandsworth

21. (11) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa), 12-2
Section: North Coast
League: North Bay
Coach: Paul Cronin
Next: Season complete
Update: The Cardinals lost to Valley Christian 31-6 in the NorCal Regional Division 2-AA title game to end a banner season. The other loss was early to No. 2 St. Mary's 49-32. Jordon Brookshire had a terrific season for a
program that once held the state's longest winning streak of 47 in the 1970s.

22. (22) Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland), 14-1
Section: North Coast
League: West Alameda County
Coach: Napolean Kaufman
Next: at Valley View (Moreno Valley), Saturday
Update: The Dragons beat Capital Christian 24-21 to win the NorCal Regional 5-AA championship as Joe DeLuca passed for three touchdowns and Austin Jones rushed 36 times for 240 yards, salting the game away late with seven successive carries. Now the ultimate prize looms: A state title for a program that has been in the shadow of the nationally recognized basketball team.

23. (12) Manteca, 12-2
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Valley Oak
Coach: Eric Reis
Next: Season complete
Update: The Buffaloes lost to Menlo-Atherton of the Central Coast Section in the NorCal Regional Division 3-AA title game. Manteca rolled Placer 50-28 to win the Sac-Joaquin Section D-IV title with a second-half surge for the
program's fifth title since 2001 and fourth since 2005.

24. (23) Antelope, 12-1
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Capital Valley
Coach: Matt Ray
Next: Season complete
Update: The Titans had their stellar 12-0 season come to a end in an SJS Division II semifnal, losing to No. 8 Del Oro 50-10. Antelope was led by star running back Elijah Dotson this season as he set scores of rushing and
scoring marks.

25. (21) Sutter, 13-1
Section: Northern
League: Butte View
Coach: Ryan Reynolds
Next: Season complete
Update: The top team in the Northern Section lost to Oakdale 27-10 in the NorCal Regional Division 3-A finals. The Huskies beat Lassen (Susanville) 42-7 to win the Northern Section Division III championship. Sutter produced 12-0 seasons in 2004 and 2007 and 13-1 seasons in 2012 and 2014.

The Sacramento Bee on the staying power of a NorCal power that grows tired of being labeled anything but an honorable champion... click here

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