MaxPreps NorCal Top 25 high school football rankings

1. De La Salle (Concord), 11-1 in 2018
Section: North Coast
League: East Bay
Coach: Justin Alumbaugh
Update: Here they come again, fast, dynamic, disciplined and superbly coached. De La Salle has a 299-game unbeaten streak against NorCal teams since 1991 (north of Fresno) and is 384-5-2 against NorCal opponents since 1984. It has won 27 consecutive North Coast Section crowns and has been to 12 successive CIF State finals (those games started in 2006) and 10 in succession in the Open Division. RB Shamar Garrett and QB Dorian Hale lead the way.
2. Folsom, (14-1)
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Paul Doherty
Update: A former Folsom assistant coach, Doherty takes over as head coach after Kris Richardson joined the Sacramento State football staff, and he has a roster that includes 11 players with Division I football offers, including national recruit RB Daniyel Ngata, WR Elijhah Badger and TE/DL DeShawn Lynch to go with grinder talents such as AP CJ Hutton. Folsom hosts De La Salle on Sept. 13.
3. Liberty (Brentwood), 13-1
Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: Ryan Partridge
Update: The Lions have stormed onto the NorCal scene, winning their first North Coast Section title in 2017 and then taking CIF State 1-A honors last season. They return star QB Jay Butterfield, an Oregon commit, and he has OL Akili Calhoun and Payton Zdroik to work behind.
4. Valley Christian (San Jose), 11-3
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Mike Machado
Update: After allowing seven or fewer points in eight games last season, the Warriors are even better defensively with DB Kavir Bains, LB Moon Ashby and DL JT Reed. VC is the defending CCS Open champion.
5. Central Catholic (Modesto), 11-2
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Valley Oak
Coach: Roger Canepa
Update: The Raiders have won 19 section titles in 21 title-game appearances and two CIF crowns, so this is a legit machine, and it will host De La Salle on Aug. 30. Dalton Durossette is back at QB and has RB Minaya Olivo and WR Sithri Price to work with.
6. Serra (San Mateo), 7-5
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Patrick Walsh
Update: The talent is there to win the program's third CIF NorCal crown in four seasons as RB Nate Sanchez and QB Daylin McLemore lead the way on offense and DL Nusi Malani the defense.
7. Menlo-Atherton (Atherton), 12-2
Section: Central Coast
League: Peninsula Bay
Coach: Steve Papin
Update: The defending CIF 3-AA state champions return a ton on offense, including WR Troy Franklin and RB Justin Anderson, and transfer QB Raymond Price is a boost to go with players from a 9-1 junior varsity team. Early games include Serra and Folsom.
8. St. Mary's (Stockton), 7-5
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Tri-City
Coach: Tony Franks
Update: QB Noah May is a three-year starter, and skill players galore dot the roster in RB Tyrei Washington and WR Elijah Wood. Big early games include Pittsburg, Central Catholic, Serra and De La Salle.
9. Pittsburg, 7-4
Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: Vic Galli
Update: RB Avant Muldrow returns as do OL recruits Samiuela Fonongaloa and Ryan Lange. This is the last NorCal program to defeat De La Salle, in the 1991 playoffs. Big early games are St. Mary's and Serra.
10. Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa), 11-1
Section: North Coast
League: North Bay
Coach: Paul Cronin
Update: The Cardinals are still smarting from their playoff exit of 2018, a coin-flip loss to Eureka to determining the North Coast Section D-III team for NorCal bowl consideration. The lone loss was to Liberty. Jackson Pavitt is back at QB. This program had the state record for consecutive wins in the 1970s.
11. Saint Francis (Mountain View), 11-3
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Greg Calcagno
Update: The Lancers are a storied program with 17 section titles and a CIF State crown in 2017. OL Afa Sanft and Mose Vavao and QB Ryan Daly are back to lead a team that has a brutal early test against De La Salle.
12. Monte Vista (Danville), 7-4
Section: North Coast
League: East Bay
Coach: Matt Russi
Update: Jack Stewardson returns at QB as a third-year starter for a program that went 12-1 in 2016 and suffered close losses in 2018 to San Ramon Valley and Bishop O'Dowd.
13. Monterey Trail (Elk Grove), 12-1
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Metro
Coach: TJ Ewing
Update: The Mustangs were the second best team in this section in 2018, falling to Folsom in the section finals, and will again be a force with RB Prophet Brown and LB Marcus Jones.
14. Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills), 8-4
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Eric Cavaliere
Update: The Trojans are loaded again and are eager to clear the hurdle that is Folsom — in the same league and section (the teams open league play against each other). New QB Justin Lamson has dazzled his coaches, as has OL Nicholas Scalise and Vacaville RB transfer Dylan Warfield.
15. Vacaville, 6-5
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Monticello Empire
Coach: Mike Popodopolous
Update: With 28 playoff teams since 1976, this is one of the this section's storied programs, coached by the son-in-law of 200-game, all-time coaching Vacaville great Tom Zunino. QB Jeremy Villalobos leads 15 returning starters back into action.
16. Wilcox (Santa Clara), 14-1
Section: Central Coast
League: De Anza
Coach: Paul Rosa
Update: The Chargers have come on strong with a power running game headed by Paul Rosa, son of the coach, and both are back for more after winning CIF State 3-A honors in a season that included an opening 10-6 win over Valley Christian.
17. Clayton Valley Charter (Concord), 9-2
Section: North Coast
League: East Bay Athletic
Coach: Tim Murphy
Update: The Ugly Eagles live to run the ball and have piled up success this decade, and will some more with RBs Carson Sumter and Rahsaan Woodland. The league includes De La Salle.
18. Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland), 12-2
Section: North Coast
League: West Alameda
Coach: Napoleon Kaufman
Update: 13 starters are back for the North Coast Section Division III champions, a program that went 15-1 and won a CIF State title in 2016. There is a lot of name recognition here with QB Jesse Madden (grandson of John Madden), WR Sterling Stokes (son of JJ Stokes), RB Nehemiah Kaufman (son of the head coach) and TE/DE Colton Vardell (son of Tommy Vardell).
19. Capital Christian (Sacramento), 13-1
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Capital Athletic
Coach: Casey Taylor
Update: The Cougars had their finest team since opening in 1977 last season, a Section Division III champion that nearly reached a CIF State final. The stars this season include WR/LB Max Rodarte and RB Isaiah Bass.
20. Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park), 11-2
Section: North Coast
League: North Bay
Coach: Gehrig Hotaling
Update: The Cougars return QB Jared Stocker and RB Rasheed Rankin for a program that went 13-1 in 2012, 10-2 in 2017 and 11-2 in 2018.
21. Turlock, 8-4
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Central California
Coach: James Peterson
Update: The Bulldogs have played football for 100 years and could have one of their finest teams, led by one of their greatest linemen in Cal commit Everett Johnson.
22. Tracy, (8-4)
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Tri-City
Coach: Matt Shrout
Update: This is as good of a Tracy team as we have seen in years, headed by QB Logan Fife (Cal Poly) and Oregon State-bound WR/DB Trevor Pope II. Early big games include Turlock and Vacaville with league rival St. Mary's also looming.
23. Marin Catholic (Kentfield), 10-4
Section: North Coast
League: Marin County
Coach: Mazi Moayed
Update: New QB Michael Ingrassia and USC-bound DL Jamar Sekona lead the way for a program that has teams this decade that have gone 12-1, 14-1, 14-2, 13-1, 12-2 and 12-1.
24. Rio Linda, 13-2
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Foothill Valley
Coach: Jack Garceau
Update: The Knights delighted their passionate home crowd with a CIF State title last season, and record-setting RB Cameron Skattebo (3,550 yards, 42 scores) is back along with 15 other starters for a repeat run.
25. Del Oro (Loomis), 13-2
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Jeff Walters
Update: The storied Golden Eagles have won 11 section titles in 18 title-game appearances to go with five CIF State finals this decade, and so it goes. RB Sheldon Conde leads the charge this season along with OL/DL Tucker Black and David Veske.
The next 10
26. Pleasant Valley (Chico), 10-3
27. Oakdale, 9-4
28. Inderkum (Sacramento), 11-1
29. Granite Bay, 6-5
30. Jesuit (Carmichael), 9-4
31. Campolindo (Moraga), 10-3
32. Las Lomas (Walnut Creek), 12-1
33. East Nicolaus (Nicolaus), 13-1
34. California (San Ramon), 8-4
35. Downey (Modesto), 7-5

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