MaxPreps Northern California Top 25 high school football rankings

For most, the season is over — time to turn in gear.

For others, it's championship time.

The most intriguing matchup is No. 2 Folsom playing No. 3 Grant — longtime Sac-Joaquin Section powers — for the CIF Northern California Regional championship on Friday at Sacramento State.

See Northern California football playoff brackets


1. De La Salle (Concord) (Last week 1) 13-0
Section: North Coast
League: Freelance
Result: The Spartans beat previous No. 14 Pittsburg 35-0 to win their 23rd consecutive North Coast Section Division I championship against the program that last stuck the national powerhouse with a defeat. DLS has won 29 North Coast titles since 1982. Running backs Antoine Custer and Andrew Hernandez again led the way. The unbeaten streak against NorCal teams is 261 games since 1992. De La Salle earned the CIF State Open Division nod and is the only school to play in every CIF State Bowl weekend since it started in 2006, including six successive Open games (with four titles).
Next: vs. Centennial (Corona), Dec. 20.

2. Folsom (2) 14-0
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Result: Beat previous No. 8 Tracy 55-8 to repeat as Sac-Joaquin Section Division I champions with an overall section title three-peat. Jake Browning passed for 389 yards and six touchdowns, shattering the national high school record for career touchdown passes with 220 over three seasons, in which Folsom has gone 42-2. Browning has 82 touchdown passes this season, 10 shy of setting the national single-season mark.
Next: vs. No. 3 Grant for the NorCal D-I title, Friday.

3. Grant (Sacramento) (3) 14-0
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Delta
Result: The Pacers beat previous No. 7 St. Mary's (Stockton) 21-14 in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II championship as Donovan Brown scored the game winner on a 1-yard quarterback sneak, and the Pacers held on downs late to win the program's seventh title. Chris Atteberry led the team in tackles and Deondre' Whittington-Grays was strong at fullback and linebacker.
Next: vs. No. 2 Folsom for the NorCal D-I title, Friday.

4. Clayton Valley Charter (Concord) (5) 14-0
Section: North Coast
League: Diablo Valley
Result: The top-ranked NorCal Division II team all season, the Ugly Eagles beat previous No. 24 Concord 33-6 to win the North Coast Section D-II title. CVC eclipsed 7,000 yards for the season, though it was defense that led the way here as Jake Peralta had two interceptions.
Next: vs. No. 5 Oakdale for NorCal D-II title, Friday.

5. Oakdale (19) 13-1
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Valley Oak
Result: The Mustangs rallied from 20-0 down at the half to beat previous No. 12 Inderkum 27-23 in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-II title game to reach another NorCal D-II Regional as Frank Trent scored the game winner with 3:59 left.
Next: at No. 4 Clayton Valley Charter for NorCal D-II title, Friday.

6. Campolindo (Moraga) (16) 14-0
Section: North Coast
League: Diablo Foothill
Result: The top-ranked Division III team in NorCal all season, the Cougars beat Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 27-21 as Jack Stephens hit Tyler Petite for a touchdown and Conner McNally scored on a 25-yard run.
Next: vs. No. 7 Sutter for NorCal D-III title, Saturday.

7. Sutter (NR) 13-0)
Section: Northern
League: Butte View
Result: Rolled to another Northern Section title and earned a NorCal D-III regional berth for a shot to advance to a CIF State bowl for a shot at a Northern Section state-title breakthrough. Randy Post has passed for 42 touchdowns and the Huskies have rushed for 3,428 yards and 43 scores while outscoring teams 642-62.
Next: vs. No. 6 Campolindo, for the NorCal D-III title, Saturday.

8. Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton) (5) 13-0
Section: Central Coast
League: Peninsula Bay
Result: Beat previous No. 6 Bellarmine 14-0 to win the Central Coast Section Open Division title, though the season ends as the Gators lost out to Grant for a NorCal D-I bid against Folsom. Standout running back Ben Burr-Kirven bows out as an all-time program great.
Next: Season complete.

9. Bellarmine (San Jose) (6) 10-3
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic
Result: Lost to No. 8 Sacred Heart Prep 14-0 in the Central Coast Section Open Division championship.
Next: Season complete.

10. St. Mary's (Stockton) (7) 12-2
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Tri-City
Result: The Rams lost to No. 3 Grant 21-14 in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-II title game despite another gritty effort by leaders Khalil Hodge and Noah Righetti.
Next: Season complete.

11. Los Gatos (10) 10-3
Section: Central Coast
League: Santa Clara Valley Athletic
Result: After losing to Sacred Heart Prep 28-21 in Central Coast Section Open Division semifinal play, the Wildcats beat Valley Christian 27-0 in a consolation final.
Next: Season complete.

12. Milpitas (13) 12-1
Section: Central Coast
League: De Anza
Result: The Trojans lost to Bellarmine 9-6 in overtime in Central Coast Section Open Division play, beat Oak Grove (San Jose) 35-15 in a consolation game and then accepted a forfeit from Serra for the final consolation game as Serra declined to play.
Next: Season complete.

13. Elk Grove (11) 10-3
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Delta
Result: The Thundering Herd lost to St. Mary's 23-15 in a Sac-Joaquin Section D-II semifinal, closing out strong careers for team leaders in Sai Ta'amu and Spencer Sheff. Another loss was to No. 3 Grant 26-19.
Next: Season complete.

14. Inderkum (Sacramento) (13) 12-2
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Tri-County
Result: The Tigers lost to Oakdale 27-23 in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-II title game after leading 20-0 at the half, ending the prep careers of Nu'umotu Falo and Larry Hardy.
Next: Season complete.

15. Valley Christian (San Jose) (13) 10-3
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic
Result: The Warriors lost to Bellarmine 21-18 in a Central Coast Section Open Division semifinal and then lost to No. 11 Los Gatos 27-0 in a consolation game.
Next: Season complete.

16. Saint Francis (Mountain View) (17) 9-4
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Result: The No. 1 seed in the Central Coast Section D-II playoffs beat league rival Mitty 17-7 to win the program's 16th Central Coast Section title. Riley Quinn, born with one hand, made two interceptions and Dennis Green rushed for 156 yards.
Next: Season complete.

17. Tracy (8) 10-4
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Tri-City Athletic
Result: After beating third-seeded Jesuit and second-seeded Granite Bay, the Bulldogs lost to top-seeded Folsom 55-7 in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-I finals. Tracy last reached a final in 1987.
Next: Season complete.

18. Pittsburg (14) 10-3
Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Result: Lost to No. 1 De La Salle 35-0 in the North Coast Section D-I finals. This was the last team to beat DLS, in the 1992 section finals.
Next: Season complete.

19. Foothill (Pleasanton) (15) 9-3
Section: North Coast
League: East Bay Athletic
Result: The 2-seed in the North Coast Section Division I playoffs behind No. 1 De La Salle lost to No. 18 Pittsburg 10-7 in a semifinal capping the best season in years for the program.
Next: Season complete.

20. Vacaville (13) 10-3
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Monticello Empire
Result: The Bulldogs lost to No. 3 Grant 49-26 in a Sac-Joaquin Section D-II semifinal, closing out the career of quarterback Chad Hekking. An earlier playoff win was over defending champion Del Oro 35-28. Another win was 13-7 over No. 21 Granite Bay.
Next: Season complete.

21. Granite Bay (21) 9-3
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Result: The Grizzlies lost to No. 5 Tracy 27-21 in overtime in a Sac-Joaquin Section D-I semifinal, ending the remarkable career of linebacker Cameron Smith.
Next: Season complete.

22. Enterprise (Redding) (21) 11-1
Section: Northern
League: Eastern
Result: The top seed in the Northern Section D-I playoffs repeated as champion in rolling Pleasant Valley (Chico) 31-0. An early 44-20 loss to Vacaville didn't help the defending NorCal D-III champions on CIF selection Sunday, so the season ends.
Next: Season complete.

23. Aptos (25) 12-1
Section: Central Coast
League: Santa Cruz Coast
Result: The Mariners beat St. Ignatius (San Francisco) 11-8 to win the Central Coast Section D-III championship. The loss was to Sac-Joaquin Section large-school power Granite bay 28-12 in nonleague play.
Next: Season complete.

24. Central Catholic (Modesto) (NR) 10-3
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Valley Oak
Result: The Raiders won their 18th Sac-Joaquin Section championship, and the two-time defending CIF State D-IV champions are back in a NorCal game. Justin Rice has rushed for 1,789 yards.
Next: vs. No. 25 Capital Christian for NorCal D-IV title, Friday.

25. Capital Christian (Sacramento) (NR) 13-0
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Golden Empire
Result: The Cougars are 13-0 for the first time and won the D-VI Sac-Joaquin Section championship behind Justice Shelton-Mosley, Jacob Norville, Luis Gomez and Edward Ware.
Next: vs. No. 24 Central Catholic for NorCal D-IV title, Friday.

The Sacramento Bee on why Folsom punted just once last season and not at all this season

The Sacramento Bee on Folsom quarterback Jake Browning setting the national record for career touchdown passes

The Sacramento Bee on how a bond of beards brings Grant football together

The Sacramento Bee Preps TV Show breaks down football games and top players

Joe Davidson has covered high school sports for The Sacramento Bee since 1988. He co-hosts with Mike Finnerty the weekly Bee Preps Show that airs on ComcastSportsNet California and can be found on sacbee.com. Follow him on Twitter: @SacBee_JoeD and through facebook.com/sacbeepreps.