Preseason Northern California Top 25 high school football rankings

The MaxPreps preseason Northern California Top 25 rankings

1. De La Salle (Concord) (13-1)
The Spartans of the North Coast Section have not lost to a NorCal foe since 1991 - no lie - and the program never slows down. Neither does guru coach Bob Ladouceur, whose remarkable record is 383-24-3. With linebackers, run-stoppers, cover men, De La Salle could have the program's best defense yet. It eyes a fourth straight state bowl-game title. 2. Bellarmine (San Jose) (12-2)
The Bells of the Central Coast Section have been brutal on foes of late with two CIF State Bowl bids and three Section championships in recent years; Vanderbilt commit QB K.J. K.J. Carta-Samuels takes over for Travis McHugh, who rely on a running game that averaged 335 yards a game. opener against De La Salle is monstrous, a year after a double-overtime loss to the Spartans.

3. Lincoln (Stockton) (11-2)
The Trojans field MaxPreps All-NorCal preseason picks in QB Zack Greenlee and RB Justin Davis (2,344 yards, 26 TDs); new linemen are the key for a program that seeks their first Sac-Joaquin Section Division I title since 2000; opener vs. Elk Grove is telling with other key nonleague dates against Pleasant Grove and Granite Bay.
4. Elk Grove (12-1)
The longtime Sac-Joaquin Section power eyes a D-II bowl with behind terrific team speed and wing-T attack led by RB Robert Frazier (1,491, 22 touchdowns); the lines aren't as big as last year, but the players are experts at quick-explosion, wing-T execution; open at Lincoln for section early top honors.

5. Del Oro (Loomis) (13-2)
The Golden Eagles seek their ninth Sac-Joaquin Section title, having won the last two in D-III and moving back up to D-II after a state-bowl season in 2011; San Jose State commit RB Brandon Monroe eyes a 2,000-yard season after going for 1,600 in 2011. Early games against Oaks Christian, Westlake, Burbank, Grant and James Logan make for perhaps the toughest schedule in NorCal. 6. Nevada Union (Grass Valley) (7-4)
The Miners seek a fifth Sac-Joaquin Section D-I title since 1993; dominating LB crew headed by Tanner Vallejo, Hank Humphers and Cole Hannum; Hannum, all 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds of him, is the biggest name transfer in NorCal this fall, having rushed for 1,827 yards and 17 touchdowns at Marysville. Miners play Grant, Pleasant Grove and ElK Grove early before Sierra Foothill League fun with Del Oro and Granite Bay.

7. Grant (Sacramento) (8-4)
The Pacers of Del Paso Heights seek a Sac-Joaquin Section leading 22nd consecutive playoff berth and another state-bowl bid; six of the top seven linemen are back, and the new big recruit Pacer is WR/S Trayvon Henderson. LBs TTui Lopa, Moses Moala and Abnor Toma are younger brothers of ace Grant stoppers now in college. Early games include Nevada Union, Del Oro and Burbank.
8. San Ramon Valley (Danville) (10-4)
Thirteen starters return for the North Coast Section finalists (lost to De La Salle); new QB Cameron Birse takes over for Cal freshman Zach Kline; opener is a test against a great running team in Buhach Colony.

9. Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) (12-2)
Eagles of Elk Grove seek a third successive trip to the Sac-Joaquin Section D-I finals and second title; ultra-kick, run-heavy program has linemen (Nick Terry) and backs galore (Brandon Lewis, Isaiah Saunders and Tyree Hanson); at Lincoln-Stockton in Week 1. 10. Vacaville (13-1)
Defending Sac-Joaquin Section D-II Bulldogs live to run and are riding a 12-game winning streak; brutal early schedule includes section foes Oak Ridge and Granite Bay; RB Curtis Goins (1,456 yards and 17 TDs) and LB Timmy Scott (72 tackles, five sacks) are key veterans.

11. Granite Bay (12-2)
The defending Sac-Joaquin Section D-I champions usher in a new QB and runners, but the lines are stout and the defense experienced, headed by LB Beau Hershberger; early games against Westlake, Oaks Christian, Lincoln-Stockton and Vacaville make for the toughest schedule in program history and among the most competitive in the state.
12. Buhach Colony (Atwater) (12-1)
The D-II Thunder of the Sac-Joaquin Section return its top five runners, including Stefon Gold (931 yards) and Leon Miles (809 yards) and titanic OL national recruit Aaron Cochran (6-8, 345). Opener against San Ramon Valley is a big, and a rare out-of-section affair.

13. Marin Catholic (Kentfield) (13-1)
Cal commit QB Jared Goff is determined to get the Wildcats into a D-III bowl after just missing last season, falling to Campolindo in North Coast Section D-III finals. Marin Catholic is the last team to beat Vacaville. 14. Palma (Salinas) (11-1-1)
QB Jack Tardeiu and linemen Spencer Seeley and 6-6, 260-pound Jack Powers are back for the defending Central Coast Section champions; traditional playoff team eyes a state bowl.

15. Serra (San Mateo) (11-2)
The defending Central Coast Section D-I champions are coming off school-record effort in terms of wins and achievement; RB Eric Redwood (1,344 yards, 12 TDs) will be primary back for run-heavy offense. 16. Freedom (Oakley) 10-2
The title contenders in the North Coast Section have athletes galore, including QB Dante Mayes, RB Joe Mixon and WR Darrell Daniels - the nation's No. 74 recruit. Early game includes Franklin-Elk Grove. Same section as De La Salle, so winning it all is the mother of all monster tasks.

17. Franklin (Elk Grove) (8-4)
A Sac-Joaquin Section playoff team-best 17 starters return for a program that could storm to a 10-0 start, if they get past Freedom-Oakley in a nonleague game and Elk Grove and Grant in the Sacramento-based Delta Valley Conference. Spread team is fast and skilled. 18. Logan (Union City) (10-1)
The D-I Colts of the North Coast Section are led by QB Jeff Prothro (1,154 yards passing, 16 TDs) and Northwestern commit RB Warren Miles Long (1,094 yards, 16 TDs); James Logan has early games against San Ramon Valley and Del Oro.

19. Placer (Auburn) (9-3)
The D-III Hillmen of the Sac-Joaquin Section could start 10-0, with opener at small-school section power Central Catholic key; USC-commit lineman Eddie Vanderdoes is flanked by TE Stone Sander and wing-T QB Peter Denham and RB Michael Robinson. 20. Central Catholic (Modesto) (10-3)
The winningest playoff team in Sac-Joaquin Section history with 47 (never mind the small-school status, this is a loaded program); Oregon TE commit Johnny Mundt has a new friend in Modesto Davis High transfer RB Rey Vega, who rushed for 3,500 yards and 42 scores the last two seasons. Open against Placer and later play St. Mary's-Stockton.

21.Oakdale (Oakdale) (13-1)
The Mustangs of the Sac-Joaquin Section are two-time D-III finalists, losing to Del Oro; Oakdale returns a wealth of talent for a community that breaths football. 22. Folsom (Folsom) (11-3)
The Bulldogs won the state D-II bowl in 2010 and returned to the Sac-Joaquin Section finals last season behind state-record breaking QB Tanner Trosin, now at Cal Poly. The spread team masters have a new QB in Taylor Miller-Wing and returning WRs in Troy Knoxx and Phillip Carter. LB Derek Stiles had 97 tackles.

23.St. Mary's (Stockton) (9-3)
The D-II Rams of the Sac-Joaquin Section nearly lost coach Tony Franks (he was a finalist for the Jesuit-Sacramento post); superb spread team and well coached, the Rams have QB Kaleb Parrish and DB Na'im Mcgee. Nonleague games include De La Salle and Central Catholic. 24. Palo Alto (10-3)
The Vikings of the Central Coast Section have for years been a factor under veteran coach Earl Hanson, including winning the state Division I Bowl championship in 2010. Last year the Vikings lost in the CCS Open Division title game. QB Keller Chryst , son of 49ers' quarterback coach Geep Chryst (6-4, 225), is one of the top 20 juniors in the country according to most recruiting services.
25. Burbank (Sacramento) (9-2)
The D-I Titans of the Sac-Joaquin Section return their top two rushers in Keith Marcus (1,223 yards, eight TDs) and Isaiah Williams (1,487 and 23); Burbank is fast on defense, too; open at Napa and also play Grant and Del Oro early.

Joe Davidson has covered prep sports at The Sacramento Bee since 1988. Follow him on Twitter: @SacBee_JoeD, on www.sacbee.com and Facebook: sacbeepreps. He co-hosts with Mike Finnerty the SureWestSports Radio Show each Saturday with show links at www.espn1320.net