MaxPreps Northern California Top 25 high school football rankings

Bring on the NorCals.

With the Bay Area and Sac-Joaquin Section teams capping sectional play, the Northern California Regional games add a new layer of intrigue. Winners will advance to the CIF State Bowl games in Carson.

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MaxPreps Northern California Top 25 Football Rankings

1. (Last week 1) De La Salle (Concord) (13-0)
The Spartans beat California (San Ramon) 49-17, leading 35-3 at one point, for the program's 22nd consecutive North Coast Section championship and 29th overall since 1982. John Velasco rushed for 234 yards and is bearing down on the 2,000-yard barrier. Chris Williams rushed for 94 yards and a score, and Antoine Custer returned a punt for a score. De La Salle has won 39 games overall, 67 straight against state foes and is unbeaten in 250 games against NorCal teams since 1991. The Spartans seek a NorCal Open repeat, a fifth successive CIF State Open title, their 23rd unbeaten season and 11th national No. 1 finish. The NorCal Open looms.
Next: No. 2 Folsom, Saturday

2. (2) Folsom (14-0)
Jake Browning passed for five touchdowns, four to Troy Knox, and ran for two scores to power the Bulldogs to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship. Browning passed for 300 yards and has a state-record 5,393 yards — he also extended his state-record touchdown pass total to 74. Folsom is 28-1 the last two seasons, losing only to De La Salle, its next opponent for the NorCal Open.
Next: No. 1 De La Salle, Saturday

3. (3) Serra (San Mateo) (11-2)
The Padres beat West Catholic Athletic League rival Mitty (San Jose), 21-7, to capture the program's first Central Coast Section Open championship. Matthew Fa'aita passed for 222 yards, a season high, and he ran for a score. Now it's on to the NorCal Division I title game at a familiar venue at San Jose City College.
Next: No. 4 Del Oro (Loomis), Friday

4. (4) Del Oro (Loomis) (12-2)
Trailing 19-0 in the fourth quarter, Michael Moore tossed three touchdowns, two to Trey Udoffia and the winner to Dylan Kainrath with 65 seconds left, for a dramatic 20-19 win over Elk Grove in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-II title game at windy, wet and freezing Sacramento State. It is the program's ninth section title since 1989 in 15 appearances. Del Oro reached the CIF State D-II bowl in 2011 and now shoots for another bowl bid.
Next: No. 3 Serra (San Mateo), Friday

5. (5) Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) (12-2), season complete
The Trojans lost to No. 2 Folsom 49-17 after it was 14-14 at one point, in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-I finals. Oak Ridge lost only to Folsom this season. Standout sophomore QB Ian Book returns, though senior leaders Thomas Mahlman, Trent Buenzli, Josh Wellman, Jacob Sipes and Justin Priest will graduate.

6. (6) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) (11-2), season complete
The Monarchs lost to No. 3 Serra, 21-7, in the Central Coast Section Open title game, stalling after taking a 7-0 lead. Mitty played with out QB Trent Scharrenberg, who had screws inserted into his broken hand. The other loss was also to Serra late in the West Catholic Athletic League season.

7. (7) Elk Grove (12-2), season complete
The Thundering Herd lost to Del Oro 20-19 in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-II finals, losing a 19-0 fourth-quarter lead. Senior RB Wadus Parker rushed for two first-half scores and bows out as one of the program's all-time great runners, as do leaders Tommy Arnold, Noah Letuligasenoa Ta'amu and B'won Canada.

8. (12) El Cerrito (12-2)
The Gauchos rolled defending North Coast Section D-III champion and previous No. 7 Marin Catholic, 54-38. It was 27-3 at the half and then 41-3 in the third, and it avenged a 31-28 loss to Marin Catholic from last postseason. UCLA-commit Adarius Pickett rushed for 255 yards and four scores, giving him 12 in the playoffs. He was switched to RB earlier this season.
Next: Sacred Heat Prep (San Francisco), Saturday

9. (8) Marin Catholic (Kentfield) (12-1), season complete
The Wildcats fell to No. 8 El Cerrito, 54-38, in the North Coast Section D-III finals after trailing 41-3. QB Morgan Mahalak is headed to Oregon. The winning streak against NorCal foes ended at 24 for the defending NorCal champions.

10. (24) Los Gatos (10-3), season complete
The Wildcats finished strong, winning nine of 10 games, including topping St. Francis (Mountain View), 31-14, for the program's 15th Central Coast Section D-II title. All this under first-year coach Mark Krail, who took over for the program's winningest coach in Butch Cattolico.

11. (11) Bellarmine (San Jose) (9-4), season complete
The Bells lost to rival No. 3 Serra (San Mateo), 28-17, in Central Coast Section Open semifinal play. K.J. Carta-Samuels passed for 231 yards and a score in his career finale. An earlier playoff win was over 9-1 Wilcox (Santa Clara) and they have a nonleague win over No. 8 El Cerrito, and a West Catholic Athletic League setback to No.3 Serra 17-7.

12. (13) Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) (10-3), season complete
The Eagles fell to No. 5 Oak Ridge, 26-20, in a Sac-Joaquin Section D-I semifinal, ending the prep careers of Deaundre Terrell, Earl Chism, Ian Broom, Brandon Lewis, Kyle Dixon, Esley Simmons and a host of others. Earlier wins include Jesuit (Carmichael) and Rocklin in regular-season play and Stagg (Stockton) in the playoffs.

13. (14) Campolindo (Moraga) (11-1), season complete
The Cougars lost to No. 8 El Cerrito 49-34 in North Coast Section D-III play. Andrew Zolintakis passed for 290 yards. Beat El Cerrito earlier this season.

14. (15) Granite Bay (8-4), season complete
The Grizzlies lost to No. 5 Oak Ridge in Sac-Joaquin Section D-I play. An early win was over No. 15 Pittsburg.

15. (16) Pittsburg (9-3), season complete
The Pirates lost to California, 31-17, in North Coast Section D-I play after beating California earlier this season. This marks the end of the prep career of Harris Ross.

16. (17) Enterprise (Redding) (12-0)
The Hornets rolled Paradise 40-14 in the Northern Section D-I finals and now play in their first NorCal Regional game, in D-II. Izzy Matthews is the leading offensive weapon.
Next: No. 17 Manteca, Saturday

17. (18) Manteca (13-1)
The Buffaloes rolled Sacramento 49-6 in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-III title game behind Alex Laurel and Joe Menzel to earn a NorCal Regional D-II berth. The lone loss was to Wilcox (Santa Clara), a setback that helped the team more than it hurt, coaches said.
Next: No. 16 Enterprise (Redding), Saturday

18. (19) Central Catholic (Modesto) (13-1)
The Raiders beat 13-0 Hilmar, 24-10, after leading 24-3 to defend its Sac-Joaquin Section D-IV title behind star RB Matt Ringer. It was the program's 16th title in 18 appearances. Now they seek to defend their NorCal D-IV title.
Next: McClymonds (Oakland), Friday

19. (21) Miramonte (Orinda) (12-2), season complete
A week after stunning defending North Coast Section D-II champion Clayton Valley Charter, 44-38, the Matadors bounced unbeaten Casa Grande (Petaluma) 41-28. Drew Anderson passed for 438 yards and five touchdowns, giving him 4,074 yards and 47 scores on the season. Still, it wasn't enough to extend the season.

20. (9) St. Francis (Mountain View) (9-4), season complete
The Lancers fell to Los Gatos, 31-14, in the Central Coast Section D-II finals after winning it last season over the same foe.

21. (10) California (San Ramon) (11-3), season complete
The Grizzlies fell to De La Salle, 49-17, in the North Coast Section D-I finals after trailing 35-3. California lost earlier to De La Salle, 55-0, then avenged another earlier loss to Pittsburg in the playoffs.

22. (22) Casa Grande (Petaluma) (13-1), season complete
A perfect season ended at the hands of Miramonte (Orinda), 44-38, in the North Coast Section D-II finals despite allowing just 48 yards rushing. JaJuan Lawson passed for 197 and ran for 117 in his final game.

23. (23) Clayton Valley Charter (Concord) (11-2), season complete
The Ugly Eagles lost to No. 21 Miramonte, 44-38, in a North Coast Section D-II semifinal. Miles Harrison rushed for 247 yards and three touchdowns. The junior finished with 2,020 yards and 37 touchdowns. The other loss was a season-opener to No. 1 De La Salle.

24. (23) Deer Valley (Antioch) (11-2), season complete
The Wolverines took a 14-7 lead at De La Salle in a North Coast Section D-I semifinal before falling 57-27. This closes out the terrific prep career of Nsimba Webster.

25. (25) Milpitas (10-2), season complete
The Trojans beat San Benito (Hollister) 37-23 in the Central Coast Section D-I finals. Squally Canada rushed for 220 yards and four touchdowns. Despite the playoff surge, the season comes to an end.

Joe Davidson's column on the unique tie between De La Salle's first football coach and Folsom

Joe Davidson's column on how powerhouse programs such as De La Salle and others draw rave reviews or frowns from followers

Joe Davidson has covered high school sports at The Sacramento Bee since 1988. Follow him on Twitter @SacBee_JoeD and on www.sacbee.com.