MaxPreps NorCal Top 25 high school football rankings

1. (Last week 1) De La Salle (Concord), 10-0
Section: North Coast
League: East Bay Athletic
Coach: Justin Alumbaugh
Next: vs. Pittsburg
Update: The top-ranked team by the Bay Area News Group and the San Francisco Chronicle, the Spartans are the top seed in the NCS Open Division playoffs and started with a bye. De La Salle's unbeaten NorCal streak against teams north of Fresno is 298, dating back to 1991. The Spartans are a remarkable 381-5-2 against NorCal teams since 1984 and 451-25-3 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, 9-1
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Kris Richardson
Next: vs. Edison
Update: The top-ranked team by The Sacramento Bee for all but one week since the start of the 2012 season, the Bulldogs are the top seed in the SJS Division I playoffs and had a bye. The loss was 14-0 to De La Salle in a season opener. Folsom is 122-10 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), 10-0
Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley Athletic
Coach: Ryan Partridge
Next: vs. Clayton Valley Charter
Update: The Lions are the No. 2 seed in the NCS Open Division playoffs and had a bye. Liberty won its first NCS championship last season, a great feat for a school that opened in 1902.

4. (4) Saint Francis (Mountain View), 9-1
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Greg Calcagno
Next: vs. Aragon
Update: The Lancers beat Serra 42-7 to lock up the WCAL with a 7-0 showing to earn the top seed in the CCS Open Division. 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.

5. (5) Clayton Valley Charter (Concord), 9-1
Section: North Coast
League: Diablo Foothill
Coach: Tim Murphy
Next: vs. Liberty
Update: The Ugly Eagles are the No. 3 seed in the NCS Open Division playoffs and had a bye. 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.

6. (6) Pittsburg, 7-3
Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: Vic Galli
Next: vs. De La Salle
Update: The Pirates are the No. 4 seed in the NCS Open Division playoffs and had a bye. One loss was to Liberty 24-21, another to Clayton Valley Charter, 38-31 and also to state power Centennial, 35-7. 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.

7. (7) Monterey Trail (Elk Grove), 10-0
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Metropolitan
Coach: TJ Ewing
Next: vs. Pitman
Update: The Mustangs are the No. 2 seed in the SJS Division I playoffs and had a bye. 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.

8. (8) Del Oro (Loomis), 9-1
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Jeff Walters
Next: vs. Tracy
Update: The Golden Eagles are the top seed in the SJS Division II playoffs and had a bye. Del Oro reached a section final for the 17th time since 1989 last season, having won five banners since 2005. Eighteen starters returned for another run.

9. (9) Placer (Auburn), 10-0
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Foothill Valley
Coach: Joey Montoya
Next: vs. Yuba City
Update: The Hillmen are the No. 2 seed in the SJS Division III playoffs and had a bye. Seventeen starters are back from a CIF state finalist. This was a state-wide power in the 1970s.

10. (10) Central Catholic (Modesto), 9-1
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Valley Oak
Coach: Roger Canepa
Next: vs. Elk Grove
Update: The top-ranked team by The Modesto Bee, Black Hat Football and Front Row Sports, the Raiders are the No. 2 seed in the SJS Division II playoffs and had a bye. 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), 10-0
Section: Central Coast
League: De Anza
Coach: Paul Rosa
Next: vs. Piedmont
Update: The Chargers beat Cupertino 34-0 to cap the program's first unbeaten regular season since 1991 and earned the top seed in the CCS Open Division I field. 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), 8-2
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Mike Machado
Next: vs. Christopher
Update: The Warriors beat Riordan 53-7 and earned the No. 2 seed in the CCS Open Division playoffs. 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), 10-0
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Capital Valley
Coach: Terry Stark
Next: vs. Downy
Update: The Tigers are the No. 3 seed in the SJS Division II playoffs and had a bye. 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. (15) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa), 9-1
Section: North Coast
League: North Bay
Coach: Paul Cronin
Next: vs. Encinal
Update: The Cardinals are the top seed in the NCS Division III playoffs and had a bye. 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.

15. (16) Palo Alto, 9-1
Section: Central Coast
League: De Anza
Coach: Nelson Gifford
Next: vs. Los Gatos
Update: The Vikings beat Homestead 49-0 and secured the No. 3 seed in the CCS Open Division I field. 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.

16. (17) Capital Christian (Sacramento), 10-0
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Capital Athletic
Coach: Casey Taylor
Next: vs. Buhach Colony
Update: The Cougars are the top seed in the SJS Division III playoffs and had a bye. This has been a small-school power this decade and now fields its greatest team in program history. A statement win early was 43-12 over storied Grant.

17. (14) Serra (San Mateo), 6-4
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Patrick Walsh
Next: vs. Leland
Update: The Padres are the No. 5 seed in the CCS Open Division II playoffs. Last season, Serra won the WCAL, CCS, NorCal and CIF State titles, and it takes a 13-game WCAL winning streak into league play.

18. (19) Freedom (Oakley), 7-3
Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: Andrew Coakley
Next: vs. Amador Valley
Update: The Falcons are the No. 3 seed in the NCS Division I playoffs and had a bye. 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. (19) Antioch, 7-3
Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: John Lucido
Next: vs. Vintage
Update: The Panthers are the No. 1 seed in the NCS Division I playoffs and had a bye. 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. (20) Eureka, 10-0
Section: North Coast
League: Humboldt Del Norte
Coach: Jason White
Next: vs. De Anza
Update: The Loggers are the No. 2 seed in the NCS Division III playoffs and had a bye. This has been a power from the northern part of the state, having gone 12-2 in 2009 and 11-1 last season.

21. (21) Sheldon (Sacramento), 9-1
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Delta
Coach: Joe Cattolico
Next: vs. St. Mary's
Update: The Huskies beat Modesto 27-14 in an SJS Division I opener behind Tyrell Smith and Francisco Salinas to earn a rematch against St. Mary's, which eliminated Sheldon last season. The loss was to Monterey Trail.

22. (22) St. Mary's (Stockton), 6-4
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Tri-City Athletic
Coach: Tony Franks
Next: vs. Sheldon
Update: The Rams are the No. 4 seed in the SJS Division I playoffs and had a bye. 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), 9-2
Section: North Coast
League: West Alameda
Coach: Napolean Kaufman
Next: vs. Benicia
Update: The Dragons beat Hayward 35-7 in a playoff opener as the No. 2 seed in the NCS Division II field. Austin Jones rushed for 122 yards and a score. 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) Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park), 10-1
Section: North Coast
League: North Bay
Coach: Gehrig Hotaling
Next: vs. American Canyon
Update: The Cougars beat Casa Grande 55-7 as the No. 1 seed in the NCS Division III playoffs. Jared Stocker tossed three touchdown passes and passed for 240 yards, and Rasheed Rankin ran for two scores. The loss was to Cardinal Newman, 42-21. Rancho Cotate went 10-3 in 2007, 12-2 in 2010, 13-1 in 2012 and 10-2 last season.

25. (25) Campolindo (Moraga), 9-2
Section: North Coast
League: Diablo Foothill
Coach: Kevin Macy
Next: vs. Ukiah
Update: The Cougars beat Redwood 35-6 as the No. 3 seed in the NCS Division II playoffs. Grant Harper passed for 245 yards and three touchdowns. The program has won five section titles and two CIF State banners this decade under coach Macy.

The Next 10
26. Monte Vista (Danville) — 7-3
27. Palma (Salinas) ??? 9-1
28. Granite Bay — 5-5
29. Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) — 7-3
30. Jesuit (Carmichael) — 7-3
31. Menlo-Atherton (Atherton) — 8-2
32. Las Lomas (Walnut Creek) — 11-0
33. California (San Ramon) — 7-3
34. McClymonds (Oakland) — 8-2
35. Moreau Catholic (Hayward) — 10-0


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