MaxPreps NorCal Top 25 high school football rankings

There were no changes in the top 15 spots of these rankings but there was movement lower, and take a peek at our bonus extra 10 teams.

Section: North Coast
League: East Bay Athletic
Coach: Justin Alumbaugh
Next: vs. California
Update: The top-ranked team by the Bay Area News Group and the San Francisco Chronicle, the Spartans rolled San Ramon Valley, 48-14. De La Salle last lost a league game in 1989 — and spent several years as a fully Independent team. The league winning streak is 93. De La Salle's unbeaten NorCal streak against teams north of Fresno is 297, dating back to 1991. The Spartans are a remarkable 380-5-2 against NorCal teams since 1984 and 450-25-3 overall since 1982 with 26 consecutive NCS titles and 30 since 1981 with a record 12 consecutive CIF State title-game appearances. Earlier wins this season include 27-21 over Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas, 14-0 over Sac-Joaquin Section No. 1 Folsom and 33-15 over Central Coast Section No. 1 Saint Francis.

2. (2) Folsom, 8-1
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Kris Richardson
Next: vs. Del Oro
Update: The top-ranked team by The Sacramento Bee for all but one week since the start of the 2012 season, the Bulldogs beat Grant 53-7 as Kaiden Bennett accounted for five touchdown and Daniyel Ngata two. None of the starters played the second half, the norm much of this season. The loss was 14-0 to De La Salle in a season opener. Folsom is 121-10 this decade with six section and three CIF State title teams (and two 14-1 teams that lost to De La Salle in the 2012 and 2013 NorCal Open finals, since dropped).

3. (3) Liberty (Brentwood), 9-0
Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: Ryan Partridge
Next: vs. Heritage
Update: The Lions beat Pittsburg 24-21 to clinch the league championship and to inch closer to a sure NCS Open Division No. 2 berth behind star quarterback Jay Butterfield and Sione Vaki, who had two interceptions. Liberty is coming off of its first NCS championship in program history in 2017.

4. (4) Del Oro (Loomis), 9-0
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Jeff Walters
Next: vs. Folsom
Update: The Golden Eagles beat Rocklin 20-13 as Carson Jarratt had a touchdown pass to Matthew Smart, and Sheldon Conde and Aiden Foster each ran for a score to set up a SFL showdown with Folsom in Loomis. A win pushes Del Oro into the Division I section field as the top seed. A loss drops the Golden Eagles to Division II, likley as the top seed. Del Oro reached a section final for the 18th time since 1989 last season, having won five since 2005. Eighteen starters returned for another run.

5. (5) Saint Francis (Mountain View), 8-1
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Greg Calcagno
Next: vs. Mitty
Update: The Lancers beat Bellarmine 28-0 with another defensive gem a week after downing Riordan 38-0. An earlier win was 7-3 over Valley Christian. The loss was to De La Salle 33-15. This is the top team in the Central Coast Section, winners of 17 section titles. Saint Francis is the defending CIF State Division I-A champion.

6. (6) Clayton Valley Charter (Concord), 8-1
Section: North Coast
League: Diablo Foothill
Coach: Tim Murphy
Next: vs. Northgate
Update: The Ugly Eagles beat Alhambra 56-0 as Logan Sumter passed for 182 yards and three touchdowns in storming to a 49-0 halftime lead.The loss was early to Antioch, 35-34. An early win was 38-31 over Pittsburg. The Ugly Eagles have emerged as a power of late, going 12-1 in 2008, 12-2 in 2012, 11-2 in 2013, 15-1 in 2015 and 13-2 in 2016.

7. (7) Pittsburg, 6-3
Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: Vic Galli
Next: vs. Antioch
Update: The Pirates lost to Liberty 24-21 in the league title match and yet may still wind up in the NCS Open Division bracket. An earlier win was over Serra 44-35. One loss was to state power Centennial 35-7 and the other was in overtime to Clayton Valley Charter, 38-31. Pittsburg played for the CIF State Division I title last season and is the last NorCal program to beat De La Salle, in the 1991 NCS finals.

8. (8) Monterey Trail (Elk Grove), 9-0
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Metropolitan
Coach: TJ Ewing
Next: vs. Laguna Creek
Update: The Mustangs rolled Laguna Creek 62-0 as Zach Larrier hit Andre Crump for two touchdowns and ran for one, and Prophet Brown ran for two scores. This is looking like the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Section Division I playoffs opposite of Folsom. Big wins include Sheldon, 41-6, and Bay Area-ranked San Ramon Valley, 27-7. Monterey Trail has twice reached Section Division I title games.

9. (9) Placer (Auburn), 9-0
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Foothill Valley
Coach: Joey Montoya
Next: vs. Lincoln
Update: The Hillmen rolled Ponderosa 56-13 as Jesse Whigam ran for three scores and Brad Bishop and Hans Grassmann one each to inch closer to the program's seventh successive league championship. Seventeen starters are back from a CIF state finalist. This was a state-wide power in the 1970s.

10. (10) Central Catholic (Modesto), 8-1
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Valley Oak
Coach: Roger Canepa
Next: vs. Oakdale
Update: The top-ranked team by The Modesto Bee, the Raiders raced past Kimball 70-19 as Kyle Jacklich rushed for 169 yards and three touchdowns, and D'Angelo Bellamy and Minaya Olivo each ran for two scores. An earlier win was 33-20 over St. Mary's. The loss was to De La Salle 35-7 after trailing by just 14 in the third quarter. Coach Canepa won CIF state titles here in 2012, 2013 and 2015.

11. (11) Wilcox (Santa Clara), 9-0
Section: Central Coast
League: De Anza
Coach: Paul Rosa
Next: vs. Cupertino, Nov. 2
Update: The Chargers beat Milpitas 28-7 to clinch at least a share of the league championship as Gabe Herrera rushed for 173 yards and three touchdowns. With Saint Francis and Serra likely slotted for the Central Coast Section Open Division II playoffs, Wilcox could emerge as the No. 1 CCS Division I Open seed. An earlier win was 10-6 over Valley Christian. Wilcox has made the playoffs nine of the last 10 seasons.

12. (12) Valley Christian (San Jose), 6-2
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Mike Machado
Next: vs. Bellarmine
Update: The Warriors beat Mitty 27-0 as D'Von Lang rushed for 156 yards and a score and the team rushed 59 times for 357 yards. The losses were to Saint Francis 7-3 and 10-6 to Wilcox. Valley Christian went 12-1 in 2004, 12-1 in 2005, 11-2 in 2010 and 13-2 in 2016.

13. (13) Inderkum (Sacramento), 9-0
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Capital Valley
Coach: Terry Stark
Next: vs. Roseville
Update: The Tigers beat Yuba City 49-0 as JJ Ray passed for two touchdowns, and Aaron Espero ran for 174 yards and two scores and Raymond Brown went for 105 and two for the program's 11th league title in 12 seasons. This has been a section power under coach Stark since 2006, winning 10 or more games 12 successive seasons with seasons of 12-2, 12-1, 11-3 and 11-1 in recent years.

14. (14) Serra (San Mateo), 5-3
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Patrick Walsh
Next: vs. Sacred Heart Cathedral
Update: The Padres beat St. Ignatius 50-14 behind Luke Bottari and Edmond Lahlouh to bounce back from a big loss to Valley Christian. Another loss was to Pittsburg, 44-35. Last season, Serra won the WCAL, CCS, NorCal and CIF State titles, and it takes a 13-game WCAL winning streak into league play.

15. (15) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa), 8-1
Section: North Coast
League: North Bay
Coach: Paul Cronin
Next: vs. Analy
Update: The Cardinals beat Maria Carrillo 55-10 as Jackson Pavitt passed for 236 yards and four touchdowns, and Shane Moran ran for two scores. The loss was to No. 3 Liberty, 31-14. This has been a power since the 1970s. Cardinal Newman has won 11 or more games nine times since 2006.

16. (17) Palo Alto, 7-1
Section: Central Coast
League: De Anza
Coach: Nelson Gifford
Next: vs. Los Gatos
Update: The Vikings had a bye. The loss was to Wilcox, 35-21. The Vikings have won five section titles since 2004 and a state title in 2010 with a 14-0 team.

17. (18) Capital Christian (Sacramento), 9-0
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Capital Athletic
Coach: Casey Taylor
Next: vs. Vista del Lago
Update: The Cougars beat Rio Americano 49-14 as Cooper Crick passed for 255 yards and three touchdowns and ran for a score. Will Buck had five sacks to lead the defense for what could be the top seed in this section's Division III race, if it's not Placer. Capital Christian has been a small-school power this decade and is now in Division III. A statement win early was 43-12 over storied Grant.

18. (19) Freedom (Oakley), 6-3
Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: Andrew Coakley
Next: vs. Deer Valley
Update: The Falcons beat Heritage 49-7. Two of the losses were to Pittsburg and Liberty. Earlier wins include 14-7 over Antioch and 37-24 over San Ramon Valley. The Falcons went 10-2 in 2011, 11-2 in 2016 and 9-3 in 2017.

19. (20) Antioch, 7-2
Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: John Lucido
Next: vs. Pittsburg
Update: The Panthers beat Deer Valley 28-20 behind Willem Karnthong's two second-half touchdowns to set up the rivalry showdown against Pittsburg. One loss was to Liberty and the other to Freedom. An earlier win was 35-34 over Clayton Valley Charter. The Panthers have had roller coaster runs, going 1-19 from 2004 and 2005, 1-9 in 2010 and 2013 and 11-1 in 2015.

20. (21) Eureka, 9-0
Section: North Coast
League: Humboldt Del Norte
Coach: Jason White
Next: vs. Fortuna
Update: The Loggers beat Del Norte 44-6 as Trevor Bell and Cruz Montana each tossed two touchdown passes. This has been a power from the northern part of the state, having gone 12-2 in 2009 and 11-1 last season.

21. (32) Sheldon (Sacramento), 8-1
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Delta
Coach: Joe Cattolico
Next: vs. Franklin
Update: The Huskies have won eight in a row after toppling Jesuit 27-21 in overtime to lock up the league championship. The loss was to Monterey Trail. Tyrell Smith and Francisco Salinas have led the charge.

22. (22) St. Mary's (Stockton), 5-4
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Tri-City Athletic
Coach: Tony Franks
Next: vs. Lincoln-Stockton
Update: The Rams beat Tokay 49-0 as William Brown and Tyrei Washington each ran for two scores and combined to rush for 225 yards. The losses include Central Catholic, Pittsburg and Mater Dei, and a big win was 44-20 over Bishop O'Dowd. St. Mary's went 13-1 in 2004, 12-2 in 2007, 12-3 in 2008, 11-1 in 2009, 11-2 in 2010, 12-2 in 2014 and 14-2 in 2016.

23. (23) Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland), 7-2
Section: North Coast
League: West Alameda
Coach: Napolean Kaufman
Next: vs. Encinal
Update: The Dragons beat Castro Valley 49-13 behind Austin Jones to all but lock up the league crown. The losses were to De La Salle and St. Mary's of Stockton. The Dragons have been a power of late with a record of success.

24. (24) Monte Vista (Danville), 6-2
Section: North Coast
League: East Bay
Coach: Matt Russi
Next: vs. San Ramon Valley
Update: The Mustangs beat Foothill 42-7 to make a statement for being the top seed in the NCS Division I bracket as Jack Stewardson had four touchdown passes. The losses were to De La Salle and Bishop O'Dowd. Monte Vista went 11-1 in 2005 and 12-1 in 2016.

25. (25) California (San Ramon), 7-2
Section: North Coast
League: East Bay
Coach: Paul Cronin
Next: vs. De La Salle
Update: The Grizzlies beat Dublin 45-0 to remain a game behind De La Salle in the league race. The losses were 23-13 to Monte Vista and 37-27 to Antioch. This program has been strong for years, going 11-2 in 2007, 12-2 in 2010 and 11-3 in 2013.

The Next 10
26. Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park) — 8-1
27. Campolindo (Moraga) — 7-2
28. Palma (Salinas) — 7-1
29. Granite Bay — 4-5
30. Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) — 6-3
31. Jesuit (Carmichael) — 6-3
32. Menlo-Atherton (Atherton) — 6-2
33. Las Lomas (Walnut Creek) — 10-0
34. McClymonds (Oakland) — 6-2
35. Moreau Catholic (Hayward) — 9-0



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