Video: Xcellent 25 football rankings presented by the Army National Guard
De La Salle remains in the national Top 25 as it prepares for Pittsburg on Saturday.
The Northern Section crowned its section champions, as did the Sac-Joaquin Section for Divisions 4-7.
That section will have its Division I, II and III finals this week, each of the teams ranked here. Title games loom in the North Coast Section, headed by the Open Division clash between No. 1 De La Salle and No. 3 Pittsburg. The Central Coast section will crown champions at various levels, too.
Every section champion will earn a CIF Northern California Regional playoff game, unless a team wants to decline and bow out. Chester of the Northern Section elected to end its season on a high note at 11-1 after defeating Fall River 50-26 to win the Division V title.
Chester and Fall River administrators told CIF executives that their teams were satisfied with section championships and did not want to add 10-hour bus trips for a NorCal game.
MaxPreps Norcal Top 25 high school football teams
Kaiden Bennett, Folsom
Photo by Patrick Pallari
North Coast
League: Independent
Coach: Justin Alumbaugh
Next: vs. No. 3 Pittsburg, Saturday
Update: Top ranked by the Bay Area News Group and the San Francisco Chronicle, the Spartans had a bye as the No. 1 seed in the North Coast Section Open Division. They now face in Pittsbugh the last program to hand them a Northern California defeat, in the 1991 NCS Division I finals. De La Salle's unbeaten streak is 288 against NorCal schools since 1992 (north of Fresno) in one of the amazing feats in state history. The Spartans lost this season to national power Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas. De La Salle seeks its 27th consecutive section championship and 30th since 1981 — and its 12th consecutive CIF State final. The Spartans have gone 440-23-3 since 1982 with 21 unbeaten seasons.
2. (2) Folsom, 13-0Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Kris Richardson
Next: vs. No. 5 St. Mary's, Saturday
Update: Top ranked by The Sacramento Bee and in The Bee's section rankings, the Bulldogs beat previous No. 10 Jesuit 27-14 in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I semifinals as
Kaiden Bennett accounted for nearly 500 yards and four total scores, and the defense buckled down after allowing a long touchdown pass on the second play from scrimmage. Folsom is in a section final for the eighth consecutive time. Earlier wins this season were over Granite Bay, Oakdale, Oak Ridge, Del Oro, Rocklin, Sacramento and Jesuit twice. Folsom is 109-9 this decade, one in which the Bulldogs won five section titles 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) Pittsburg, 9-1Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: Vic Galli
Next: vs. No. 1 De La Salle, Saturday
Update: The Pirates had a bye as the No. 2 seed in the North Coast Section Open Division playoffs and aim to make history again by beating De La Salle, last doing so in 1991 — the last NorCal team north of Fresno to pull the feat. An earlier win was over ranked Freedom 47-33 and a 35-28 win over ranked Serra. 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.
4. (5) Oakdale, 12-1Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Valley Oak
Coach: Trent Merzon
Next: vs. No. 17 Manteca, Friday
Update: Top ranked by The Modesto Bee, the Mustangs beat 11-1 Patterson 63-27 in a Sac-Joaquin Section Division II semifinal as
Josh Jacobson rushed for a school-record 347 yards, leaving coach Merzon to say later that he's never coached a tougher kid and that if he needed someone on his side for a fist fight, he'd dial up JJ. The Week 10 victory that earned Oakdale the No. 1 seed was a 27-21 effort over ranked Central Catholic. The defending section and CIF State Division III-A champion Mustangs gave No. 2 Folsom a game on Sept. 8, falling 45-29.
5. (7) St. Mary's (Stockton), 11-2Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Tri-County
Coach: Tony Franks
Next: vs. No. 2 Folsom, Saturday
Update: The Rams beat previous No. 4 Oak Ridge 38-31 in a Sac-Joaquin Section Division I semifinal, soldiering on with a third-string quarterback in
Hunter Low who has played big, and another big game by running back
Dusty Frampton (147 yards two touchdowns). Not bad for a program that graduated 31 seniors from its NorCal title team. The losses were to national No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 52-14 and to 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 champions.
6. (8) Serra (San Mateo), 10-2Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Patrick Walsh
Next: vs. No. 14 Saint Francis, Friday
Update: The top-ranked team in the Central Coast Section, the Padres beat Valley Christian 31-14 in a CCS Open Division II game that felt a lot like a league game, thus setting up another WCAL-like rematch. Serra won the WCAL outright for the first time since 1969 and has a 35-7 win over Valley Christian. Serra lost to No. 3 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.
7. (4) Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills), 11-2Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Eric Cavaliere
Next: Season complete
Update: The second-seeded Trojans lost to No. 5 St. Mary's 38-31 in a Sac-Joaquin Section Division I semifinal, ending great prep careers by
Marco Baldacchino,
Nate Otto,
Bryan Catchings,
Austin Jarrard and scores of others. Oak Ridge in league play beat SJS Division II top seed Granite Bay 14-7 in overtime and lost 42-28 to Folsom. Oak Ridge won section banners in Division II and III and seek their first in Division I.
8. (9) Granite Bay, 11-2Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Jeff Evans
Next: vs. No. 10 Del Oro, Saturday
Update: The top-seeded Grizzlies beat previous No. 15 Del Campo 9-7 in a defensive war as bruiser back
Evan Tattersall sealed it with late first-down runs to set up an all-SFL title game with rival Del Oro, whom GB beat 28-21 in September. The losses were to No. 2 Folsom 35-14 and to then-No. 3 Oak Ridge 14-7 in overtime. The Grizzlies won the 2012 CIF State Division I championship, have made the playoffs 19 consecutive times and seek their sixth section banner.
9. (14) Milpitas, 13-0Section: Central Coast
League: De Anza
Coach: Kelly King
Next: vs. Salinas, Friday
Update: The Trojans beat Menlo-Atherton 33-20 in a Central Coast Section Open Division I semifinal behind
TyRee Bracy and
Tariq Bracy — again. One win this season was by forfeit to Brookside Christian (Stockton). Milpitas has won 11, 12, 10 and 10 games in each of the past four seasons and have made the playoffs 11 consecutive seasons.
10. (NR) Del Oro (Loomis), 8-5Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Jeff Walters
Next: vs. No. 8 Granite Bay, Saturday
Update: The Golden Eagles are regulars here, and started the season here before falling out after a 5-5 regular season. Now it's a 3-0 run in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs, including wins at 11-0 Inderkum and at 10-1 Central Catholic.
Johnny Guzman,
Brice Edwards and
Carson Jarratt have played big in the postseason. Del Oro seeks its 12th section title since 1989 and sixth this decade. The Golden Eagles won a CIF State title in 2015 and nearly repeated last season
11. (6) Central Catholic (Modesto), 10-2Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Valley Oak
Coach: Roger Canepa
Next: Season complete
Update: The Raiders, ranked second by The Modesto Bee behind Oakdale, beat lost to Del Oro 23-12 in a Sac-Joaquin Section Division II semifinal, closing out a nice career for
Dauson Booker. The other loss was in Week 10 to Oakdale, 27-21. An early win was over previous No. 8 Manteca 31-14 and 20-7 over previous No. 2 St. Mary's. A September game at Marin Catholic was canceled due to extreme heat. Central Catholic won CIF State titles in 2012, 2013 and 2015.
12. (10) Jesuit (Carmichael), 10-3Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Delta
Coach: Marlon Blanton
Next: Season complete
Update: The Marauders lost to Folsom 27-14 in a Sac-Joaquin Section Division I semifinal, ending the prep careers of
Jason Gallagher,
Josh Farr and scores of others who overcame an 0-2 start to piece together a 10-game winning streak. The other losses were to Folsom 55-9 and to Granite Bay, 31-21.
13. (11) San Ramon Valley (Danville), 9-2Section: North Coast
League: East Bay
Coach: Aaron Becker
Next: Season complete
Update: The Wolves lost to Pittsburg 16-7 in the North Coast Section Open Division playoffs and also lost in Week 10 to De La Salle. San Ramon's best seasons include 2004 (11-2), 2006 (10-2), 2007 (12-1) and 2011 (10-4).
14. (13) Saint Francis (Mountain View), 9-3Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Greg Calcagno
Next: vs. No. 6 Serra, Friday
Update: The Lancers beat Aragon 42-7 in a Central Coast Section Division II semifinal to set up a WCAL rematch with rival Serra. One loss was to 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.
15. (15) Del Campo (Fair Oaks), 12-1Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Capital Valley
Coach: Mike Dimino
Next: Season complete
Update: The Cougars lost to No. 8 Granite Bay 9-7 in a Sac-Joaquin Section Division II semifinal, ending the prep careers of
Greg Cabral,
Tyler Dimino and
Marshaun Hunter, among others. An earlier playoff win was 49-48 over Sacramento in four overtimes. Del Campo produced its first 10-0 regular season since opening in 1963. Coach Dimino has led 15 Del Campo teams to the playoffs and is the father of Tyler.
16. (16) Sacramento, 10-2Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Metropolitan
Coach: Joe McCray
Next: Season complete
Update: The Dragons lost to Del Campo 49-48 in four overtimes in a Sac-Joaquin Section Division II game. Sacramento lost to No. 2 Folsom 28-19 early this season a year after snapping the Bulldogs' state-leading 48-game regular-season winning streak.
17. (21) Manteca, 11-2Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Valley Oak
Coach: Eric Reis
Next: vs. No. 4 Oakdale, Friday
Update: The Buffaloes beat Christian Brothers for the second time in a thriller, this time 43-38 in a Sac-Joaquin Section Division III semifinal to set up a rematch showdown with Oakdale. The losses were in league play to Central Catholic 31-14 and Oakdale. Manteca, winner of five section titles, beat Valley Christian 22-20 in an opener.
18. (14) Valley Christian (San Jose), 9-3Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Mike Machado
Next: Season complete
Update: The defending NorCal Regional Division 2-AA champions lost to Serra 31-14 in a Central Coast Section Open Division II contest. It's the second time this season the Warriors lost to Serra. The other loss was a season opener to Manteca. Valley Christian has won seven section titles in 11 title-game appearances.
19. (17) Liberty (Brentwood), 10-2Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: Ryan Partridge
Next: vs. No. 20 Freedom, Saturday
Update: The Lions beat San Leandro 34-12 by scoring the final four touchdowns in a North Coast Section Division I semifinal to reach the first title game in program history in a rematch of a thrilling league game won by Liberty, 37-35. One loss was to No. 3 Pittsburg and to once-ranked Vacaville in a season opener.
20. (18) Freedom (Oakley), 9-2Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: Kevin Hartwig
Next: vs. No. 19 Liberty, Saturday
Update: The Falcons beat Antioch 45-39 as
Giles Jackson rushed for 260 yards and four touchdowns, including the winner in overtime in a North Coast Section Division I semifinal to set up a rematch with league rival Liberty, whom Freedom beat 37-35. One loss was to No. 3 Pittsburg 47-33 in a game that featured six lead changes 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.
21. (23) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa), 10-2Section: North Coast
League: North Bay
Coach: Paul Cronin
Next: vs. No. 22 Marin Catholic, Saturday
Update: The Cardinals beat rival Rancho Cotate 29-28 for the second time in a month, this time in a North Coast Section Division III contest, thanks to a late
Beau Barrington-to-
Kyle Carinalli touchdown play. The losses are to St. Mary's and Rancho Cotate. Coach Cronin's best teams include going 13-2 in 2006, 11-2 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.
22. (19) Marin Catholic (Kentfield), 11-0Section: North Coast
League: Marin County
Coach: Mazi Moayed
Next: vs. No. 21 Cardinal Newman, Saturday
Update: The Wildcats beat beat Bishop O'Dowd 25-20 as
Spencer Petras hit
Gaven Cooke with the winner with 52 seconds left in a North Coast Section Division III semifinal. 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.
23. (24) Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park), 10-2Section: North Coast
League: North Bay
Coach: Gehrig Hotaling
Next: Season complete
Update: The Cougars lost to rival Cardinal Newman for the second time in three meetings in the last month despite 331 yards passing and two touchdowns from
Jake Simmons. Rancho Cotate went 12-2 in 2010 and 13-1 in 2012.
24. (24) Sutter, 12-1Section: Northern
League: Butte View
Coach: Ryan Reynolds
Next: vs. TBA
Update: Top ranked in the Northern Section in media polls, the Huskies rolled past Anderson 55-0 as
Tyler Reynolds passed for 209 yards and three touchdowns, and
Trever Facey and
Drew Simard combined for four rushing touchdowns to win the Division III title. It's the 10th section title for the program in 13 title-game appearances since 2001. The Huskies have won 13 section championships since 1974 in 17 title-game appearances. Sutter finds out its opponent on Sunday and will play in a CIF Northern California Regional. The loss came in an opener, to Utah power Orem, 34-18.
25. (25) Shasta (Redding), 11-1Section: Northern
League: Eastern
Coach: JC Hunsaker
Next: vs. TBA
Update: Top ranked in the Northern Section by a MaxPreps computer ranking, the Wolves beat Chico 63-26 in the Division II finals, the program's first since 1988 and third all time (the first was in 1983 with title-game losses in 1973, 1987, 2008). Shasta rushed for 532 yards on 61 carries against Chico, including 302 yards and three scores by
Vincent Smith and 145 and three by
Seth Park. Shasta will find out on Sunday whom it will play in a CIF Northern California Regional. The loss was to Damonte Ranch of Reno, 55-41, and that team went 11-1.
The next 15McClymonds (Oakland) — 12-0
Half Moon Bay — 12-0
Vacaville — 7-4
Christian Brothers (Sacramento) — 10-3
Placer (Auburn) — 12-1
Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) — 9-3
Acalanes (Lafayette) — 9-2
East Nicolaus (Nicolaus) — 13-0
Salinas — 10-2
Inderkum (Sacramento) — 11-1
Clayton Valley Charter (Concord) — 8-3
Sheldon (Sacramento) — 9-3
Gregori (Modesto) — 11-1
Gilroy — 12-0
St. Patrick-St. Vincent (Vallejo) — 10-1
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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
