MaxPreps Northern California Top 25 Football Rankings

Video: Daniyel Ngata's highlights vs. Nevada Union High School
See the Folsom standout rush for 128 yards and a score.

Football was an afterthought as fires ravaged parts of Napa and Sonoma counties, leveling neighborhoods and leaving immeasurable destruction of life and land.

All but five games were cancelled in the Bay Area due to lingering smoke that also seeped into Solano County. The sportsmanship remained, fortunately, including coaches from Rancho Cotate offering its weight room and classrooms to student-athletes of rival Cardinal Newman. Those teams were supposed to play for first place in the North Bay League last Friday but the game was moved to this coming Monday.

MaxPreps Norcal Top 25 high school football teams
1. (Last week 1) De La Salle (Concord), 7-1
Section: North Coast
League: Independent
Coach: Justin Alumbaugh
Next: vs. Monte Vista (Danville), Friday
Update: Top ranked by the Bay Area News Group and the San Francisco Chronicle, the Spartans rolled California (San Ramon) 42-0 as Kairee Robinson rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns and Jack Powers caught a 55-yard pass from Shamar Garrett. De La Salle's unbeaten streak is now 286 against Northern California schools since 1992 (north of Fresno). The Spartans lost this season to national power Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas. De La Salle seeks its 26th consecutive section championship and 30th since 1981 — and its 12th consecutive CIF State final. The Spartans have gone 447-26-3 since 1980.

2. (2) Folsom, 8-0
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Kris Richardson
Next: vs. No. 24 Rocklin, Friday
Update: Top ranked by The Sacramento Bee and in The Bee's section rankings, the Bulldogs beat Nevada Union (Grass Valley) 42-0 to extend their SFL streak to 22 and overall league streak to 34 as Kaiden Bennett passed for four touchdowns, two to Joe Ngata. Daniyel Ngata rushed for 128 yards and a score, and Dylan Jorge had a pick-six. Earlier wins were over previous No. 3 Granite Bay 35-14 and over Modesto Bee No. 1 Oakdale 45-29. Folsom is 104-9 this decade, one in which the Bulldogs reached seven successive section-title games, winning five, to go with two CIF State titles and two 14-0 teams that lost to De La Salle in NorCal Open title games.

3. (3) Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills), 7-0
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Eric Cavaliere
Next: vs. Del Oro (Loomis), Friday
Update: The Trojans beat previous No. 7 Granite Bay 14-7 in overtime as Marco Baldacchino hit Parker Barry for a touchdown pass late in regulation and then won it with a touchdown run in overtine after a Trojans defensive stop. Oak Ridge remains unbeaten in an SFL that includes Folsom, Granite Bay, Del Oro and Rocklin. Folsom looms in Week 10 (a year after losing a heartbreaker in the closing seconds). Oak Ridge won section titles in Division II and III and seek their first in Division I.

4. (4) Pittsburg, 4-1
Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: Vic Galli
Next: vs. Heritage (Brentwood), Friday
Update: The Pirates' game against Deer Valley (Antioch) was postponed due to firesi n Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties. The last win was over No. 6 Freedom 47-33. An earlier Pittsburg win was over previous No. 13 Serra 35-28. Pittsburg had a game canceled due to poor air quality and extreme heat and lost its opener to national power Centennial 63-21, playing short-handed due to injury. This is the last NorCal program to beat De La Salle, in the 1991 North Coast Section title game.

5. (5) San Ramon Valley (Danville), 7-0
Section: North Coast
League: East Bay
Coach: Aaron Becker
Next: vs. Dublin, Friday
Update: The Wolves beat Livermore 49-7 as Clark Baker passed for 176 yards and two touchdowns, and Jason Javier rushed for 120 yards. The starters have allowed in the last six games 0, 0, 6, 0, 7 and 0 points. San Ramon Valley's best seasons include 2004 (11-2), 2006 (10-2), 2007 (12-1) and 2011 (10-4).

6. (6) Freedom (Oakley), 5-1
Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: Kevin Hartwig
Next: vs. Antioch, Friday
Update: The Falcons were idle. They last played against No. 4 Pittsburg and lost 47-33 in a game that had six lead changes until the Pirates pulled away to halt an 18-game regular-season winning streak. Freedom finished No. 3 in these rankings last season, falling in the playoffs to top-ranked De La Salle and No. 2 St. Mary's after an 11-0 start.

7. (8) Central Catholic (Modesto), 6-0
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Valley Oak
Coach: Roger Canepa
Next: vs. Lathrop, Friday
Update: The Raiders, ranked second by The Modesto Bee behind Oakdale, rolled Weston Ranch 70-12 as Kyle Jackson tossed two touchdowns and Dauson Booker ran for three scores. An earlier win was over previous No. 8 Manteca 31-14. There was also a 20-7 win over previous No. 2 St. Mary's. A game at Marin Catholic was canceled due to extreme heat. Central Catholic won CIF State titles in 2012, 2013 and 2015.

8. (9) Valley Christian (San Jose), 5-1
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Mike Machado
Next: vs. Bellarmine (San Jose), Friday
Update: The defending NorCal Regional Division 2-AA champions are the No. 1 team in the Central Coast Section, ranked second in the Bay Area News Group behind De La Salle. A game against Riordan (San Francisco) was resheduled for Nov. 10 due to smoke from fires from Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties. An earlier win was over previous No. 3 No. 3 Saint Francis 28-21. The loss was 22-20 to Manteca, but Valley Christian's impressive recovery warrants being ranked ahead of Manteca. Valley Christian has won seven section titles in 11 title-game appearances.

9. (10) Saint Francis (Mountain View, Calif.), 4-2
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Greg Calcagno
Next: vs. Mitty (San Jose), Friday
Update: The Lancers did not play Serra due to smoke from fires from Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties. One loss was to No. 8 Valley Christian 28-21 and the other to De La Salle 31-17. The Lancers seek their 17th section championship and 27th championship-game appearance. Coach Calcagno is the son of famed Lancers coach Ron Calcagno.

10. (11) Oakdale, 6-1
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Valley Oak
Coach: Trent Merzon
Next: vs. Kimball (Tracy), Friday
Update: Top ranked by The Modesto Bee ahead of Central Catholic, the Mustangs beat Sierra 48-7 with more wing-T run excellence and defense. An earlier win was over previous No. 15 Manteca 36-15. The defending CIF State Division III-A champions gave No. 2 Folsom a game on Sept. 8, falling 45-29.

11. (12) Milpitas, 7-0
Section: Central Coast
League: De Anza
Coach: Kelly King
Next: vs. Palo Alto, Friday
Update: The Trojans were idle. The team has been led by Tariq Bracy. One win this season was by forfeit as Brookside Christian (Stockton) declined to play due to low roster numbers. Milpitas has won 11, 12, 10 and 10 games in each of the past four seasons and have made the playoffs 11 consecutive seasons.

12. (13) St. Mary's (Stockton), 5-2
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Tri-County
Coach: Tony Franks
Next: vs. Tracy, Friday
Update: The Rams rolled West (Tracy) 50-6 as Marcus Aponte tossed two touchdown passes and ran for two, and Dusty Frampton ran for 103 yards and two scores. The losses were to national No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 52-14 and to No. 8 Central Catholic 20-7 after opening the season ranked No. 2 here. St. Mary's opened with a 41-13 rout of then-No. 4 Serra (San Mateo). The Rams are defending section Division I and NorCal Division I-AA champions, beating Folsom and Freedom.

13. (14) Serra (San Mateo), 4-2
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Patrick Walsh
Next: vs. Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco), Saturday
Update: The Padres' game against Saint Francis was moved to Nov. 10-11 due to fires from Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties. Serra lost to No. 4 Pittsburg 35-28 and lost an opener to then-No. 2 St. Mary's. Serra started 0-4 last fall and reached the CIF State Division 2-A finals.

14. (15) Inderkum (Sacramento), 8-0
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Tri-County
Coach: Terry Stark
Next: vs. River Valley (Yuba City), Friday
Update: The Tigers rolled Woodland 62-7 as Davion Ross led the way on offense and defense. Inderkum has allowed 9, 9, 20, 0, 7, 0 and 7 points since opening with a 52-3 win at previously ranked Elk Grove. The Tigers reached the section Division II finals last season and have won 10 or more games for 11 consecutive seasons.

15. (17) Sacramento, 6-1
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Metropolitan
Coach: Joe McCray
Next: vs. Johnson (Sacramento), Friday
Update: Ranked fourth by The Sacramento Bee below Folsom, Oak Ridge and Inderkum, the Dragons rolled Valley (Sacramento) 70-0 as Derek Shelton tossed four first-half touchdowns. The team had to forfeit three victories due to unknowingly using a seldom-used ineligible player, though these rankings reflect on-field wins. Sacramento lost to No. 2 Folsom 28-19 a year after snapping the Bulldogs' state-leading 48-game regular-season winning streak. Sacramento beat previous No. 19 Mitty in an opener, though Mitty now gains the win via forfeit. This is the second oldest high school west of the Mississippi, opening in 1856.

16. (7) Granite Bay, 5-2
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Jeff Evans
Next: vs. No. 3 Oak Ridge, Friday
Update: The Grizzlies lost to No. 3 Oak Ridge 14-7 in overtime. The other setback was to No. 2 Folsom 35-14. Granite Bay has wins over Vacaville in nonleague and Del Oro in the SFL, which includes Folsom, Oak Ridge and Rocklin. The Grizzlies won the 2012 CIF State Division I championship and have made the playoffs 18 consecutive times.

17. (18) Clayton Valley Charter (Concord), 5-2
Section: North Coast
League: Diablo Valley
Coach: Tim Murphy
Next: vs. Acalanes (Lafayette), Friday
Update: The Ugly Eagles beat Stellar Prep 40-0 as Thomas Alatini rushed for 82 yards to set up a game against an unbeaten Acalanes team. The losses were to Nevada power Reed (38-22) and Hawaii power Mililani (49-30). Clayton Valley Charter went 15-1 and reached a CIF State Bowl in 2014, went 13-2 in 2015 and 12-2 and 11-2 in 2012 and 2013, respectively.

18. (19) Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland), 4-2
Section: North Coast
League: West Alameda County
Coach: Napolean Kaufman
Next: vs. Tennyson (Hayward), Friday
Update: The Dragons did not play due to smoke from fires from Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties. The losses were to No. 1 De La Salle 45-24 (trailing 38-3) and No. 6 Freedom 42-21. O'Dowd is the defending CIF State Division 5-AA champion.

20. (20) Marin Catholic (Kentfield), 6-0
Section: North Coast
League: Marin County
Coach: Mazi Moayed
Next: vs. Redwood (Larkspur), Saturday
Update: The Wildcats did not play due to smoke from fires from Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties. A game against No. 8 Central Catholic last month was cancelled due to extreme heat and poor air quality. Marin Catholic this decade has had teams of 13-2, 12-1, 13-1, 14-2, 12-1 and 12-2, reaching the CIF State finals in 2012.

21. (21) Manteca, 5-2
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Valley Oak
Coach: Eric Reis
Next: vs. Weston Ranch (Stockton), Friday
Update: The Buffaloes beat Kimball (Tracy) 51-6 to maintain a good playoff position as the VOL title seems out of reach with losses to Oakdale (36-15) and Central Catholic (31-14). Manteca, winner of five section titles, beat Valley Christian 22-20 in an opener but is now ranked below Valley Christian due to VC's overall body of work.

22. (22) Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park), 6-0
Section: North Coast
League: North Bay
Coach: Gehrig Hotaling
Next: vs. No. 23 Cardinal Newman, Monday
Update: The Cougars did not play due to smoke from fires from Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties. All schools with those counties are feeling the pain of the fire destruction. Rancho Cotate went 12-2 in 2010 and 13-1 in 2012.

23. (23) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa), 5-1
Section: North Coast
League: North Bay
Coach: Paul Cronin
Next: vs. No. 22 Rancho Cotate, Monday
Update: The Cardinals did not play due to smoke from fires from Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties. Their campus was damaged by the fires. The loss was to then-No. 2 St. Mary's early. Coach Cronin's best teams include going 13-2 in 2006, 11-21 in 2007, 13-1 in 2008, 12-1-1 in 2011, 11-2 in 2012, 11-3 in 2015 and 12-2 last season. This has been a powerhouse since the 1970s.

24. (25) Rocklin, 5-2
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Greg Benzel
Next: vs. No. 2 Folsom, Friday
Update: The Thunder beat previously ranked Del Oro 22-12 behind Blayden Brown, a bullish runner and terrific linebacker. The losses were to No. 3 Oak Ridge 27-10 and to Clovis West (Fresno). The SFL includes NorCal ranked Folsom, Granite Bay and Oak Ridge. Rocklin went to a CIF State Bowl in 2009 with a 14-1 team.

25. (25) Sutter, 6-1
Section: Northern
League: Butte View
Coach: Ryan Reynolds
Next: vs. Las Plumas (Oroville), Friday
Update: Top ranked in the Northern Section, the Huskies beat Gridley 56-14 as Tyler Reynolds passed for 182 yards and two touchdowns and ran for one. Trever Facey ran for 197 yards and three scores, and David Cummings had 2.5 of his team's 7.5 sacks. The loss came in an opener, to Utah power Orem, 34-18. Sutter this decade has had teams go 10-2, 13-1 and 13-1.

The next 15
Jesuit (Carmichael) — 5-2
Sheldon (Sacramento) — 5-2
Franklin (Elk Grove) — 6-1
Vacaville — 3-3
Downey (Modesto) — 8-0
Antioch — 5-1
Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) — 5-1
Liberty (Brentwood, Calif.) — 6-1
Heritage (Brentwood) — 5-2
Campolindo (Moraga) — 5-2
McClymonds (Oakland) — 6-0
Half Moon Bay — 6-0
Aragon (San Mateo) — 6-0
St. Patrick-St. Vincent (Vallejo) — 6-0
Menlo-Atherton (Atherton) — 4-2

The Sacramento Bee on how a NorCal team has overcome four ACL injuries and rotates quarterbacks ... click here

The Sacramento Bee on how a team that has reached the playoffs 26 consecutive seasons is out of the rankings for the first time since 1991... click here

The Sacramento Bee on how a paper-work oversite led to three forfeits for a team seeking a CIF State Bowl ... 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 and on Instagram: JoeDavidsonMedia