Franklin moved up to No. 2 this week after a big win over previous No. 2 Elk Grove.
Photo by Chris Trim
1. De La Salle (Concord) (1) 8-0Beat previous No. 15 Monte Vista (Danville) 41-9 in what looks like the beginning of the Spartans warm-up act as they charge toward the playoffs with a 31st consecutive berth, a NorCal record.
Tiapepe Vitale rushed for 200 yards and three scores, and
Das Tautalatasi went for 124 and one. The defense had six sacks and limited Monte Vista to 159 yards. The return of lineman
Austin Hooper and linebacker
D.J. Moffitt from injuries makes a great defense all the more stout. The Spartans have won 19 consecutive games. At ever-dangerous San Ramon Valley (Danville) on Friday.
2. Franklin (Elk Grove) (3) 8-0Beat previous Sac-Joaquin Section No. 1 and NorCal No. 2 Elk Grove 17-7 with superb offensive balance and an attacking, unyielding defense. The Wildcats are No. 1 for the first time by The Sacramento Bee and in the Sac-Joaquin Section - and still plenty eager and motivated to finish strong. The Wildcats can run the spread, can run power football, can pick teams apart with the pass with steady senior leader
Trent Spallas and defend with quickness. The Delta Valley Conference is all but a given now, with bigger prizes looming such as a first-time trip to the Division I section finals. How the Wildcats handle this ranking will be telling. Expect them to handle it just fine under coach Mike Johnson. Play Laguna Creek (Elk Grove) on Friday.
3. Bellarmine (San Jose) (4) 6-1Beat rival St. Francis (Mountain View) 16-7 in another rugged West Catholic Athletic League rumble behind two scoring runs by
Joey Sanfilippo, including a 75-yard burst. The 3-yard run capped a 17-play, 95-yard drive. Quarterback
K.J. Carta-Samuels rushed for 75 yards. In his last outing. Carta-Samuels led the 35-34 overtime win over Serra. Loss was season opener to De La Salle. This is still the heavy duty WCAL champion until otherwise noted.
4. Folsom (5) 8-0Beat Sheldon (Sacramento) 49-13 to remain perfect in the Delta River League along with rival Pleasant Grove, with those teams squaring off in Week 10 for the title.
Jake Browning passed for 314 yards and five touchdowns, three to
Trace Noble, with no interceptions with more superb offensive line play.
Harry Lipnosky rushed for 124 yards,
Bailey Laolagi 88 and
Josiah Deguara 57 as the Bulldogs piled up 582 yards. Browning has 36 touchdowns this season. At Ponderosa on Friday. Team owns a shootout win over Deer Valley and a rout of Oak Ridge to its resume.
5. Elk Grove (2) 7-1Lost to Franklin 17-7 in the Delta Valley Conference title game, ending a 17-game regular-season winning streak. The Thundering Herd did not have the services of two-year starting quarterback Tommy Arnold, who isn't to be confused with Tom Brady with 40 attempts a game, but is very effective in the wing-T and has a number of 50-yard strikes downfield. He sat for his role in a fight to retrieve his cell phone, and he vowed to learn from it and grow. Host Monterey Trail (Sacramento) on Friday.
Eric Redwood, Serra
Photo by Ernie Abrea
After the home 35-34 loss to Bellarmine in overtime, the Padres responded with a 34-7 triumph of Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco) to keep pace in the West Catholic Athletic League.
Angelo Arco rushed for 96 yards and two touchdowns,
Eric Redwood went for 150 and a score and
Kevin McGee went for 81 and one. Serra uncharacteristically fumbled seven times, losing four, though the Padres did out-gain SH 435-91. At Valley Christian (San Jose) on Friday in what should be another WCAL slugfest.
7. Burbank (Sacramento) (7) 8-0Blasted Rosemont 65-12 on Homecoming night to maintain absolute control of the Metropolitan Conference. Quarterback
Ernest Jenkins rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns,
Keith Marcus ran for 125 and a score and
Isiah Williams raced for 115 and three.
Taniela Finau and
Jarad Hill each returned interceptions for touchdowns as the Titans limited the Wolverines to five yards rushing. Own wins over Grant and Del Oro (which beat then No. 2 NorCal Logan).
8. Logan (Union City) (10) 7-1The Colts routed Washington (Fremont) 45-8 in a nonleague game behind two defensive touchdowns and one on special teams.
Warren Miles Long rushed for 117 yards and a score and quarterback
Jeffrey Prothro passed for 180 yards and accounted for two scores.
Ahki Muhammad returned a punt 46 yards for a score and
Damond Beasley returned a kickoff 70 yards to the house before
Karsten Wethington returned a fumble 33 yards for a score. That's two impressive showings since losing at Del Oro 20-13 in overtime - the wake-up call. At Irvington (Fremont) in a Freelance League contest. In comparing scores, Oak Ridge beat this same Washington team 49-0, so one can see how relatively close Logan and Oak Ridge and a host of others are on a competitive scale.
9. St. Mary's (Stockton) (10) 6-2Rolled West (Tracy) 49-3 in inching closer to another Tri-City Athletic League championship. Junior quarterback
Kaleb Parrish completed all 10 of his passes for 194 yards with two touchdowns - all in the first half. The defense forced three turnovers. Play Sac-Joaquin No. 20 Stagg (Stockton) for the league title and the title of the town's best. Losses are to Central Catholic (Modesto) 28-21 and De La Salle (Concord) (21-13).
10. Buhach Colony (Atwater) (12) 6-2Beat Golden Valley (Merced) 49-16 in Central California Conference play as the Thunder aim to three-peat here, having gone 12-1 in each of the previous two seasons. BC has three successive impressive wins since the crushing 36-35 home loss to NorCal power Serra (San Mateo), which won it with a two-point run. At Turlock on Friday.
11. Granite Bay (17) 5-3Following its double-overtime 41-34 win over Rocklin, the Grizzlies made it four wins in a row with a satisfying 21-7 effort over chief Sierra Foothill League rival Del Oro.
Grant Caraway passed for 121 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 100.
John Cooley and
Tony Ellison rushed for 60 and 58 yards, respectively, as the Grizzlies ran it 47 times for 249 yards. At Woodcreek (Roseville) on Friday before finishing SFL play with Nevada Union. Losses are to Oaks Christian, Westlake and Pittsburg (Antioch) with wins over Lincoln (Stockton) and Vacaville.
12. Placer (Auburn) (9) 8-0A week after squeezing past Bear River 14-7 with two first-half touchdowns, the Hillmen needed a
Dominic Granieri 17-yard field goal with 7.8 seconds remaining to beat Lincoln in Pioneer Valley League game. Placer drops a bit in these rankings as the Hillmen will be the first to admit their offense has stalled of late, though the defense headed by USC-commit
Eddie Vanderdoes remains dominant. Vanderdoes had 10.5 tackles and 3.5 sacks against Lincoln. A Week 10 showdown with surging upstart Center (Antelope) looms, but first it's a rivalry game against defending champion Colfax.
13. Marin Catholic (Kentfield) (13) 8-1The Wildcats rolled again, crushing Drake (San Anselmo) 52-8 in a Marin County Athletic League contest. Cal-bound
Jared Goff passed for 209 yards on 12 of 15 passes for a 35-0 halftime lead. Goff's line was again superb, allowing no sacks, and it helped pave the way for
Akili Terry to rush for 100 yards and three scores. Loss was to Vacaville in a shootout, and Vacaville got bombed by Granite Bay, which explains why Granite Bay is ranked higher. Host Tamalpais (Mill Valley) on Nov. 3.
14. Central Catholic (Modesto) (14) 6-2Belted Livingston 77-7 with 42 second-quarter points as
Rey Vega accounted for four touchdowns and
Ray Lomas had three touchdowns. Wins include St. Mary's (28-21) with losses to Placer and Downey. At Livingston on Friday.
15. Monte Vista (Danville) (15) 6-2Lost to top-ranked De La Salle 41-9 in yielding six sacks.
John De Maio had three field goals for MV, which aims to win the East Bay Athletic League. Big recent win was 44-26 over then NorCal No. 9 California (San Ramon). Monte Vista also pounded Pittsburg 44-14 earlier this season and suffered a 21-14 to Foothill (Pleasanton). Play Amador Valley (Pleasanton) on Friday.
Nick Bernardo, Oak Grove
Photo by Brad Kupper
Beat Piedmont Hills (San Jose) 38-14 in Mount Hamilton play with
Nick Bernardo rushing for 192 yards and two touchdowns and leading the defense with six tackles and an interception.
Chidobe Awuzie had two rushing touchdowns as his club rushed for 456 yards. At Santa Teresa (San Jose) on Friday.
17. Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) (18) 7-1Slipped past decades-long rival Ponderosa (Shingle Springs) 20-17, rallying from 17-7 down in the fourth to keep its Delta River League title hopes alive.
Jason Samuels had a touchdown pass to
Ross Dwelley and
Blake Martin had a 73-yard touchdown run. The defense was strong again as it vowed to be after getting beat by Folsom. Play Pleasant Grove in a battle of DRL-title hopefuls on Friday.
18. St. Ignatius (San Francisco) (18) 6-1The Wildcats have won six consecutive contests since a season-opening 28-21 loss to Marin Catholic, the latest a 31-0 effort over Riordon (San Francisco) to remain unbeaten in the brutal WCAL. The season boils down to the final three weeks against Bellarmine, Serra and Mitty.
19. Oakdale (20) 7-1Routed Weston Ranch (Stockton) 64-0 in rolling to a 47-0 halftime lead with more run and team defense dominance, the keys to success in this program's Valley Oak League title defense.
Spencer Thomas also tossed two touchdowns. At Manteca on Friday. Loss was to San Diego-area No. 1 Oceanside in SoCal showcase.
20. Deer Valley (Antioch) (8) 6-2Lost to Pittsburg (Antioch) 42-29 in Bay Valley League action despite another amazing show by quarterback
Nsimba Webster. He passed for 295 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 173 on 11 carries for two more scores, but he couldn't do it alone. Pitt is no pushover, having beaten Granite Bay earlier. At Freedom (Oakley) on Friday, a team that nipped Pittsburg 49-48 and fell to NorCal No. 2 Franklin 31-21.
21. California (San Ramon) (21) 6-1Two weeks removed from its 44-26 setback to Monte Vista, the Grizzlies are roaring again, beating San Ramon Valley 41-38 and then taking apart Livermore 56-28 in East Bay League play.
Cameron Owen passed for 190 yards and two touchdowns and
C.J. Cornwell rushed for 124 yards on just four carries and accounted for four total scores.
Subhan Niazi ran for three touchdowns. California has a 40-34 win at Pittsburg, among others. At Granada (Livermore) on Friday.
22. El Cerrito (22) 8-0Rolled Pinole Valley 52-14 to maintain control of the Tri-County Athletic League and are No. 2 in the
MaxPreps NorCal Division III bowl rankings. At St. Mary's (Albany) on Saturday. Never mind the small-school status here. This is a very skilled, fast, athletic and well-coached bunch.
23. Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) (23) 6-2After beating then 5-1 Ponderosa 35-7, the Eagles surged in the second half to down Jesuit 38-21 behind emerging junior quarterback
Dre Terrell, who passed for 149 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 79 and two more. He also had an interception from his defensive back spot.
Isaiah Saunders, on a tear of late, rushed for 172 yards and two scores. Host Oak Ridge on Friday in what is shaping up to be a Delta River League thriller. PG is the defending champion.
Wyatt Hansen, Archbishop Mitty
Photo by Brad Kupper
Beat Valley Christian 49-42 in a West Catholic Athletic League thriller after leading 28-7 at the half.
Wyatt Hansen had four touchdown passes, including the sealing 30-yarder to
Jason Sutton with 28 seconds remaining. Hansen passed for 183 yards and hit
Andrew Scott for two scores and he ran for a score. One loss was a 14-10 crusher to Bellarmine. Host Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco) on Friday.
(TIE) 25. Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park) (25) 8-0The Cougars of the North Bay League beat Maria Carrillo 35-21 with
Michael Courchaine passing for three touchdowns and
Jalon Luque rushing for 120 yards and three total scores.
Ty Brantley and Luque combined for 23 tackles. The game of the year in that region is Friday against 8-0 Cardinal Newman.
(TIE) 25. Sutter (NR) 8-0Welcome aboard, Huskies of the Northern Section, suddenly standing as the top team in the North state. With just 600 students, the North Section Division II program - a longtime power - beat larger-school heavy Enterprise (Redding) 34-27 in a nonleague contest in which it led by 21 in the third quarter. Coach Ryan Reynolds saw his team come up with five interceptions and receiving 115 yards rushing from
Mat Sanders and 110 from
Nathan Ahlers. With big lines, 22 starters in a platoon system, Sutter is No. 1 by MaxPreps in the
D-III North Bowl rankings. This is shaping up to be a 10-0 team with very legitimate bowl chances.
NorCal news and notes...* De La Salle remains steady at No. 1 here and should be No. 1 in the state by every living soul until it loses. This is again shaping up to be a playoff monster with visions of another Open Bowl triumph.
* Say hello to the new NorCal No. 2 in Franklin (Elk Grove), a program in its 10th varsity season and still climbing. The Wildcats beat previous No. 2 Elk Grove 17-7 in a Delta Valley Conference game. Franklin, with a 31-21 nonleague win over Freedom (Oakley) earlier, has just one playoff win lifetime to its credit, at Nevada Union last season. This team is shaping up to be a 14-0 outfit, should it win the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I title, and then would it be a showdown in a NorCal Open Regional game against De La Salle?
* What to do with
Pittsburg? The Antioch team beat Deer Valley 42-29, and also owns a win earlier this season at Granite Bay by going for two and the win late. Pitt is 5-3, including a 49-48 shootout loss to Freedom (Oakley) that is not ranked. There are simply not enough losses in this NorCal field to get them in. Coach Vic Galli and company especially target the playoffs with
Craijon Menefee, who rushed for four touchdowns in beating Deer Valley.
* Beware of Sutter. The Huskies are an amazing story, 600 students strong on their campus in rural farming country where football serves as a social meeting spot for the community. In beating larger-school Enterprise (Redding) 34-27 in a nonleague game, the rest of the D-III bowl hopefuls need to take notice. Enterprise belted Del Campo earlier this season, and Del Campo barely lost to Elk Grove, which was NorCal ranked No. 2 until last week when it fell to new No. 2 Franklin. See how close all of these teams are on the competitive scale?
Joe Davidson has covered high schools with The Sacramento Bee since 1988. Follow him on Twitter: @SacBee_JoeD; on Facebook: sacbeepreps; and online: sacbee.com/preps; and radio podcasts: ESPN1320.net.
