MaxPreps Southern California Top 25 high school football rankings

More than a few of the premier programs from Southern California had last week off due to scheduled byes, and with upsets few and far between, frequenters of this space will not find much change in the most recent version of the regional rankings.

St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) makes its first appearance among the Top 10 this season. Chaminade (West Hills) returns to the Top 20 after being on the outside looking in for a couple weeks. Aside from those entries, things look about the same.

Five Southern California teams currently hold spots in the Regional Computer Rankings Top 10 and three of them reside in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard.

MaxPreps Southern California Top 25 high school football rankings

1. Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita)
Overall record: 5-0
Previous rank: 1
Upon further review: Did not play.
Countdown to kickoff: Servite (Anaheim) on Friday.
Extra point: With senior quarterback Johnny Stanton out with an ACL injury, Josh Canty gets the call for the Eagles, No. 3 in the Xcellent 25. It will be baptism by fire for the junior this week against one of Southern California's more storied programs. 

Santa Margarita's game against Servite is one of the California Top 10 Games of the Week

2. Vista Murrieta (Murrieta)
Overall record: 5-0
Previous rank: 2
Upon further review: Defeated Palisades (Pacific Palisades), 42-6 / Qwixcore and Game recap
Countdown to kickoff: Temecula Valley (Temecula) on Friday.
Extra point: No. 13 in the Xcellent 25, the Broncos open up Southwestern League play this week and do not figure to be challenged for the duration of the regular season. The next challenge will be in CIF Southern Section Inland Division postseason play.

3. Narbonne (Harbor City)

Overall record: 5-0
Previous rank: 3
Upon further review: Defeated Mater Dei (Santa Ana), 18-17 / Story, Qwixcore, Photos, Video
Countdown to kickoff: Carson on Friday.
Extra point: A legitimate case could be made that the Gauchos, No. 15 in the Xcellent 25, should be ranked atop this poll based purely on results thus far. Victories against Long Beach Poly and Serra (Gardena) certainly look good on their resume.

4. Mission Viejo
Overall record: 6-0
Previous rank: 4
Upon further review: Defeated Redlands East Valley, 52-21 / Qwixcore
Countdown to kickoff: San Clemente on Oct. 12.
Extra point: Talk about a supposedly soft schedule for the Diablos will most likely subside after a rather impressive effort last week. This group, however, needs to remain focused considering its showdown against Tesoro (Rancho Santa Margarita) is on Oct. 19.

5. St. Bonaventure (Ventura)
Overall record: 5-1
Previous rank: 5
Upon further review: Defeated Westlake (Westlake Village), 31-23 / Qwixcore and Photos
Countdown to kickoff: Simi Valley on Friday.
Extra point: The Seraphs are well aware of the fact that this week's opponent relies upon Jordan Francis and stopping the talented senior will be the key to victory. He's among the team leaders in catches and reception yardage. Francis is also the primary punt and kick returner.

6. Centennial (Corona)
Overall record: 4-1
Previous rank: 6
Upon further review: Defeated Etiwanda, 68-15 / Box Score
Countdown to kickoff: Corona on Friday.
Extra point: Robert Webber is playing mistake-free football and the coaching staff could not be happier. The junior quarterback has completed 62 percent of his passes for 1,043 yards this season. And equally important, he has thrown seven touchdowns with no interceptions. 

View the latest edition of the California Bowl Game Rankings

7. Alemany (Mission Hills)
Overall record: 5-1
Previous rank: 7
Upon further review: Defeated Norco, 27-13 / Box Score
Countdown to kickoff: Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) on Friday.
Extra point: With Serra League play on the horizon, signs point to the Warriors making sure that Steven Mitchell is involved in the offense more and more. The senior receiver and USC commit is capable of taking the ball to the house every time he touches the ball.

8. Upland
Overall record: 5-0
Previous rank: 8
Upon further review: Did not play.
Countdown to kickoff: Rancho Cucamonga on Friday.
Extra point: It's difficult to imagine an individual on the defensive side of the ball being the difference between winning and losing. Joe Mathis is no ordinary player though. The senior defensive end will be a factor from start to finish in this week's Baseline League opener.

9. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village)
Overall record: 5-1
Previous rank: 9
Upon further review: Defeated Thousand Oaks, 36-6 / Qwixcore
Countdown to kickoff: Agoura on Friday.
Extra point: After a recent upset loss to the Los Angeles City Section's Crenshaw (Los Angeles), the Lions bounced back with a victory against a nearby Ventura County rival in their first game of the Marmonte League schedule. It's reasonable to expect a similar result this week.

10. St. John Bosco (Bellflower)
Overall record: 1-4 (Four forfeits)
Previous rank: 11
Upon further review: Defeated Jordan (Sandy, Utah) 34-33 / Story and Photos
Countdown to kickoff: Orange Lutheran on Friday.
Extra point: Here we go. Action in the Trinity League, arguably the premier league in the nation, starts this week. The Braves, of course, face a formidable opponent. How well they do in their opener could dictate the direction of this team for the rest of the regular season.

11. Mater Dei (Santa Ana)
Overall record: 4-1
Previous rank: 10
Upon further review: Lost to Narbonne (Harbor City), 18-17 / Story, Qwixcore, Photos, Video
Countdown to kickoff: JSerra (San Juan Capistrano) on Friday.
Extra point: No shame in last week's loss to one of the country's top programs. The Monarchs, in fact, proved to most observers that the program is officially back after struggling in recent years. Moving forward, the key is to maintain the momentum that's been gained. 

View last week's Southern California Top 25 Scoreboard

12. Serra (Gardena)
Overall record: 5-1
Previous rank: 12
Upon further review: Did not play.
Countdown to kickoff: Chaminade (West Hills) on Friday.
Extra point: There is plenty at stake for the Cavaliers this week. With a win, they will be in the driver's seat for a Western League championship. A loss would send them right back to the proverbial drawing board. Regardless, the result will tell us plenty about this group.

13. Tesoro (Rancho Santa Margarita)
Overall record: 5-0
Previous rank: 13
Upon further review: Did not play.
Countdown to kickoff: Trabuco Hills (Mission Viejo) on Friday.
Extra point: Nate Tago has been a workhorse in the backfield for the Titans thus far. The senior running back is averaging close to 150 yards on the ground per game. If this team hopes to compete for a South Coast League title, Tago must continue to see the ball early and often.

14. Rancho Cucamonga
Overall record: 4-1
Previous rank: 14
Upon further review: Did not play.
Countdown to kickoff: Upland on Friday.
Extra point: When it comes to the Cougars, the defense receives most of the recognition. The offensive unit is good in its own right, particularly the receiver corps. Senior Jermel Walker and juniors Ralston Compton and Anthony Grayson each have more than 12 receptions.

15. Crespi (Encino)
Overall record: 6-0
Previous rank: 15
Upon further review: Did not play.
Countdown to kickoff: Loyola (Los Angeles) on Friday.
Extra point: Don't look now, but the Celts are one of the hottest teams in Southern California. Most of their success can be attributed to Cody Cordell. The senior quarterback assumed the starter's role early on and has developed an understanding of what's expected from him.

16. Bishop Amat (La Puente)
Overall record: 5-0-1
Previous rank: 16
Upon further review: Defeated Culver City, 31-7 / Box Score
Countdown to kickoff: Alemany (Mission Hills) on Oct. 12
Extra point: If not for a tie with Chino Hills during the second week of the season, the Lancers could be one of those teams entertaining thoughts of cracking this poll's Top 10 at some point soon. Nevertheless, they have not let the unfavorable result slow them down this season.

17. Lompoc
Overall record: 5-0
Previous rank: 17
Upon further review: Did not play.
Countdown to kickoff: Templeton on Friday.
Extra point: You heard it here first, the Braves will not lose during regular season play. Then again, more than a few people probably agree with that statement. Bottom line: This team is in a class of its own and the Los Padres League will offer little, or no, competition.

18. El Toro (Lake Forest)
Overall record: 6-0
Previous rank: 19
Upon further review: Defeated Garden Grove, 49-6 / Qwixcore
Countdown to kickoff: San Clemente on Thursday.
Extra point: With senior quarterback and Utah commit Conner Manning slinging the ball around, the Chargers receivers are a busy bunch. Junior Dominic Collins is the primary target with 57 catches. Seniors Alec Shoffeitt, Blake Murphy and Cody White all have more than 30 receptions. 

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19. Orange Lutheran
Overall record: 5-0
Previous rank: 20
Upon further review: Did not play.
Countdown to kickoff: St. John Bosco (Bellflower) on Friday.
Extra point: By and large, special teams play is one of the more underrated facets of the game. In the Lancers' case, the unit is a strength thanks to the play of Reese Flynn. The senior averages more than 41 yards per punt and 16 of 32 kickoffs have been touchbacks.

20. Chaminade (West Hills)
Overall record: 4-1
Previous rank: 22
Upon further review: Defeated Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks), 35-27 / Qwixcore and Photos
Countdown to kickoff: Serra (Gardena) on Friday.
Extra point: It's far from a secret: For the Eagles to be successful, the ball needs to be in the hands of Terrell Newby. The senior running back has delivered when called upon to do so with 923 yards and nine touchdowns. He's picked up 200 or more yards the last two games.

21. Edison (Huntington Beach)
Overall record: 4-1
Previous rank: 21
Upon further review: Defeated San Clemente, 31-3 / Qwixcore
Countdown to kickoff: Newport Harbor (Newport Beach) on Friday.
Extra point: Trevor Borkowski has developed into the go-to-guy at receiver for the Chargers. With the ability to stretch the field vertically or make the tough catch over the middle, the senior leads the team with 16 receptions for 248 yards. He also has a pair of touchdowns.

22. Crenshaw (Los Angeles)
Overall record: 4-1
Previous rank: 23
Upon further review: Did not play.
Countdown to kickoff: Rancho Dominguez Prep (Long Beach) on Friday.
Extra point: Who can forget the 13-2 upset the Cougars had against Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) on Sept. 21? Coach Robert Garrett, for one, would like to put the victory in the rear-view mirror and focus on the task at hand: This week's Coliseum League opener.

23. Tustin
Overall record: 6-0
Previous rank: 24
Upon further review: Defeated Valencia (Placentia), 49-21.
Countdown to kickoff: Pacifica (Garden Grove) on Friday.
Extra point: An Empire League championship appears to be a foregone conclusion at this stage of the game for the Tillers. Beyond that, they figure to face more than a few tough tests once play starts in November's CIF Southern Section Southwest Division playoffs.

24. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks)
Overall record: 4-2
Previous rank: 18
Upon further review: Lost to Chaminade (West Hills), 35-27 / Qwixcore and Photos
Countdown to kickoff: Alemany (Mission Hills) on Friday.
Extra point: The Knights could be in trouble. After last week's setback, losing back-to-back games is entirely possible given the fact their opponent this time around is about as good as they come. Coach Kevin Rooney needs to rally the troops before it's too late.

25. Hart (Newhall)

Overall record: 4-1
Previous rank: 25
Upon further review: Defeated Santa Monica, 41-7.
Countdown to kickoff: West Ranch (Valencia) on Friday / Qwixcore
Extra point: The Indians were able to hold Sebastian LaRue in check for a majority of last week's win, quite an accomplishment considering the senior receiver and USC commit is one of the West Coast's top prospects. He scored on a 50-yard run, but was quiet otherwise.

Sean Ceglinsky has covered prep and college sports in Southern California for the better part of the past 15-plus years. Follow him on twitter: @SeanCeglinsky

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