This isn't breaking news, but it does come as a reminder after the top-rated team in the Sac-Joaquin Section got rolled by perhaps the third-best team in SoCal.
Mission Viejo last Friday blasted
Folsom 53-14 at home in the state's most intriguing showdown. Ohio State-bound quarterback
Luke Fahey passed for 326 yards and five touchdowns and sacked BYU-bound Folsom star
Ryder Lyons 10 times.
De La Salle strong again
The new No. 1-ranked team in Northern California is a program that has lived in that spot before, for decades, even.
The Spartans did not allow a touchdown in their opening win over
Lakeland (Fla.), either, and the coaches rave about the speed and tenacity of their stoppers.
Quarterback
Brayden Knight had two touchdown runs against Serra and
Brady Smith had a 65-yard scoring sprint for De La Salle.
The matchup was a meeting of coaches who are the best of friends in De La Salle's Justin Alumbaugh and Serra's Patrick Walsh.
De La Salle plays
Saint Francis (Mountain View) this week and at
Grant (Sacramento) on Sept. 19
Newman steps up
The Cardinals intercepted Grant six times with
Jonah Bertoli and
Kordel Strane returning two of those for touchdowns. Teammate Kavaughn Penney had three interceptions as Cardinal Newman won without star quarterback
Tino Retamoza, who was out with a broken collarbone. Back up
Carmine Guevara was solid.
Cardinal Newman lineman Devon Bertoli rumbles up the field after one of this team's six interceptions against Grant. (PHOTO: Charles Chang)
Riordan may be the favorite to win the always-tough West Catholic Athletic League.
Rocklin rolls
Rocklin has a bye week and will host Folsom in a Sierra Foothill League opener.
First win for St. Ignatius coach
Running man
The leading rusher in Northern California is
Wes Burford of
Oakdale, a longtime Sac-Joaquin Section powerhouse.
He has 688 yards and six touchdowns through three games.
Anthony Estrada of
Madera is second in NorCal in rushing, having covered 616 yards in three games with nine touchdowns.
Northern California Top 201.
De La Salle (Concord), 2-0
2.
Folsom, 2-1
3.
Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco), 2-0
4.
Pittsburg, 2-0
5.
Manteca, 2-0
6.
Rocklin, 3-0
7.
Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills), 1-1
8.
St. Mary's (Stockton), 3-0
9.
Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa), 1-1
10.
Grant (Sacramento), 1-2
11.
Central East (Fresno), 2-1
12.
Clovis East (Clovis), 3-0
13.
Junipero Serra (San Mateo), 0-2
14.
Granite Bay, 2-1
15.
Monterey Trail (Elk Grove), 2-0
16.
Soquel, 2-0
17.
Los Gatos, 1-1
18.
Clovis North (Fresno), 2-0
19.
Clovis West (Fresno), 2-1
20.
San Ramon Valley (Danville), 1-1
Joe Davidson has covered high school sports since 1984, including since 1989 with The Sacramento Bee. He is part of the weekly 3 Stooges Podcast that breaks down CIF Northern California sports. In 2024, he was named the National Sports Media Association Sports Writer of the Year for California. In that same year, he was inducted into the California High School Football Hall of Fame at the Rose Bowl. He is a 14-time award winner from the California Prep Sports Writer Association and has been honored with the CIF Distinguished Service award and was in 2025 presented the Legacy Award for years of football contribution by the National Football Foundation, Sacramento Chapter.
