Video: Xcellent 25 high school football rankings
See where De La Salle ranks nationally after topping the NorCal rankings.
Before we get to football, Cardinal Newman returns to the rankings, but football is an afterthought
this week as parts of Santa Rosa have been engulfed in the Tubbs Fire,
including half of the school. Games for Cardinal Newman as well as Rancho Cotate have been canceled. Marin Catholic is still scheduled to play Saturday. No games in the Bay Area have been postponed, but smoky conditions could force school officials to make those decisions as game time approaches.
The top three teams remain firm, one from the North Coast Section and two from the Sac-Joaquin Section. A head-to-head showdown of Top 10 teams prompted a rankings shuffle, albeit slightly. More showdowns loom.
MaxPreps Norcal Top 25 high school football teams
Sutter has held steady this season at No. 25.
Photo by Michael Turner
North Coast
League: Independent
Coach: Justin Alumbaugh
Next: vs. Foothill (Pleasanton), Friday
Update: Top ranked by the Bay Area News Group and the San Francisco Chronicle, the Spartans rolled California (San Ramon) 42-0 after storming to a 28-0 lead after the first quarter. This came a week after beating Bishop O'Dowd 45-24 in a game they lead 38-3 at the half. De La Salle's unbeaten streak is now 285 against Northern California schools since 1992 (north of Fresno). The Spartans lost this season to national power Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas. De La Salle seeks its 26th consecutive section championship and 30th since 1981 — and its 12th consecutive CIF State final. The Spartans have gone 447-26-3 since 1980.
2. (2) Folsom, 7-0Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Kris Richardson
Next: vs. Nevada Union (Grass Valley), Friday
Update: Top ranked by The Sacramento Bee and in The Bee's section rankings, the Bulldogs beat previous No. 14 Del Oro 54-10 as
Kaiden Bennett passed for 365 yards and two scores and ran for 101 and two more.
Daniyel Ngata ran for two scores and returned a fumble for a score, and older brother
Joe Ngata had 199 yards receiving and a score. An earlier win was over previous No. 3 Granite Bay 35-14, and over Modesto Bee No. 1 Oakdale 45-29. Folsom has won 21 consecutive SFL games and 32 in league play overall, dating back to its Delta League days. Folsom is 103-9 this decade, one in which the Bulldogs reached seven successive section-title games, winning five, to go with two CIF State titles and two 14-0 teams that lost to De La Salle in NorCal Open title games.
3. (3) Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills), 6-0Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Eric Cavaliere
Next: vs. No. 7 Granite Bay, Friday
Update: The Trojans beat previous No. 24 Rocklin 27-10 as
Marco Baldacchino,
Davin Simmons,
Austin Jarrard and
Justin Poerio all had big games to remain unbeaten in an SFL that includes Folsom, Granite Bay, Del Oro and Rocklin. Folsom looms in Week 10 (a year after losing a heartbreaker in the closing seconds). Oak Ridge has won section titles in Division II and III and seek their first in Division I. A pass-run threat, Baldacchino is in the running for Sacramento Bee Player of the Year honors.
4. (5) Pittsburg, 5-1Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: Vic Galli
Next: vs. Deer Valley (Antioch), Friday
Update: The Pirates beat No. 6 Freedom 47-33 by pulling away in a back-and-forth thriller to exact revenge on a program that beat Pitt twice in 2016, prompting coach Vic Galli to say it was similar to a "festering sore."
Darrion Bartley ran for two touchdowns, and the defense allowed 49 yards rushing. An earlier Pittsburg win was over previous No. 13 Serra 35-28. Pittsburg had a game canceled due to poor air quality and extreme heat and lost its opener to national power Centennial 63-21, playing short-handed due to injury. This is the last NorCal program to beat De La Salle, in the 1991 North Coast Section title game.
5. (4) San Ramon Valley (Danville), 6-0Section: North Coast
League: East Bay
Coach: Aaron Becker
Next: vs. Livermore, Friday
Update: The Wolves raced past Amador Valley 45-14 as
Daniel Medley rushed for 240 yards and
Clark Baker passed for 284. The starters have allowed in the last five games 0, 0, 6, 0 and 7 points. Clark Baker completed 14-of-16 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns. San Ramon Valley's best seasons include 2004 (11-2), 2006 (10-2), 2007 (12-1) and 2011 (10-4).
6. (6) Freedom (Oakley), 5-1Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: Kevin Hartwig
Next: vs. Antioch, Friday
Update: The Falcons lost to No. 4 Pittsburg 47-33 in a game that had six lead changes until the Pirates pulled away to halt an 18-game regular-season winning streak.
Joey Aguilar passed for 257 yards and three touchdowns. Freedom finished No. 3 in these rankings last season, falling in the playoffs to top-ranked De La Salle and No. 2 St. Mary's after an 11-0 start.
7. (7) Granite Bay, 5-1Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Jeff Evans
Next: vs. No. 3 Oak Ridge, Friday
Update: The Grizzlies were idle. They lost to No. 2 Folsom 35-14 after leading 7-0 after the first quarter in using long, sustained drives. Granite Bay has wins over Vacaville in nonleague and Del Oro in the SFL, which includes Folsom, Oak Ridge and Rocklin. The Grizzlies won the 2012 CIF State Division I championship and have made the playoffs 18 consecutive times.
8. (8) Central Catholic (Modesto), 5-0Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Valley Oak
Coach: Roger Canepa
Next: vs. Weston Ranch (Stockton), Friday
Update: The Raiders beat East Union 55-7 as
Dauson Booker rushed for 151 yards and four touchdowns, and the team ran for 448 and seven. An earlier win was over previous No. 8 Manteca 31-14. There was also a 20-7 win over previous No. 2 St. Mary's. A game at Marin Catholic was canceled due to extreme heat. Central Catholic won CIF State titles in 2012, 2013 and 2015.
9. (9) Valley Christian (San Jose), 5-1Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Mike Machado
Next: vs. Riordan (San Francisco), Saturday
Update: The defending NorCal Regional Division 2-AA champions are the No. 1 team in the Central Coast Section, ranked second in the Bay Area News Group behind De La Salle. They beat Sacred Heart Cathedral 35-0 as
Charlie Bostic ran for 167 yards and two touchdowns. An earlier win was over previous No. 3 No. 3 Saint Francis 28-21. The loss was 22-20 to Manteca, but Valley Christian's impressive recovery warrants being ranked ahead of Manteca. Valley Christian has won seven section titles in 11 title-game appearances.
10. (10) Saint Francis (Mountain View), 4-2Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Greg Calcagno
Next: vs. No. 14 Serra, Friday
Update: The Lancers beat St. Ignatius 28-7 to set up a showdown with Serra, needing a win to remain in the title race after losing to Valley Christian 28-21. The other loss was to De La Salle 31-17. The Lancers seek their 17th section championship and 27th championship-game appearance. Coach Calcagno is the son of famed Lancers coach Ron Calcagno.
11. (11) Oakdale, 5-1Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Valley Oak
Coach: Trent Merzon
Next: vs. Sierra (Manteca), Friday
Update: Top ranked by The Modesto Bee ahead of Central Catholic, the Mustangs beat previous No. 15 Manteca 36-15 as
Marc Dickson tossed two touchdowns to
Hunter Falconi as he moved to 19-2 as a starter. The defending CIF State Division III-A champions gave No. 2 Folsom a game on Sept. 8, falling 45-29.
12. (12) Milpitas, 7-0Section: Central Coast
League: De Anza
Coach: Kelly King
Next: vs. Palo Alto, Oct. 20
Update: The Trojans beat Wilcox 42-17 as
Tariq Bracy ran for 213 yards and four touchdowns. One win this season was by forfeit as Brookside Christian (Stockton) declined to play due to low roster numbers. Milpitas has won 11, 12, 10 and 10 games in each of the past four seasons and have made the playoffs 11 consecutive seasons.
13. (13) St. Mary's (Stockton), 4-2Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Tri-County
Coach: Tony Franks
Next: vs. West, Friday
Update: The Rams are back in business afer rolling Tokay 62-0. The losses were to national No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 52-14) and to No. 8 Central Catholic 20-7 after opening the season ranked No. 2 here. St. Mary's opened with a 41-13 rout of then-No. 4 Serra (San Mateo). The Rams are defending section Division I and NorCal Division I-AA champions, beating Folsom and Freedom.
14. (18) Serra (San Mateo), 4-2Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Patrick Walsh
Next: vs. No. 10 Saint Francis, Friday
Update: The Padres raced past previous No. 19 Mitty 64-21 behind quarterback
Luke Bottari and running back
Isiah Kendrick, who rushed for five touchdowns. It's the second most points in program history. Serra lost to No. 4 Pittsburg 35-28 and lost an opener to then-No. 2 St. Mary's. Serra started 0-4 last fall and reached the CIF State Division 2-A finals.
15. (16) Inderkum (Sacramento), 7-0Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Tri-County
Coach: Terry Stark
Next: vs. Woodland, Friday
Update: The Tigers blasted River City 57-0 as
D'Angelo Morgan ran for three scores and the defense dominanted again. Inderkum has allowed 9, 9, 20, 0, 7 and 0 points since opening with a 52-3 win at previously ranked Elk Grove. The Tigers reached the section Division II finals last season and have won 10 or more games for 11 consecutive seasons.
17. (17) Sacramento, 5-1Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Metropolitan
Coach: Joe McCray
Next: vs. Valley (Sacramento), Friday
Update: Ranked fourth by The Sacramento Bee below Folsom, Oak Ridge and Inderkum, the Dragons rolled Laguna Creek 62-0 with a running clock from the second quarter on.
Jaime Cousey and
Derek Shelton led the way. Sacramento lost to No. 2 Folsom 28-19 a year after snapping the Bulldogs' state-leading 48-game regular-season winning streak. Sacramento beat previous No. 19 Mitty in an opener. This is the second oldest high school west of the Mississippi, opening in 1856.
18. (22) Clayton Valley Charter (Concord), 4-2Section: North Coast
League: Diablo Valley
Coach: Tim Murphy
Next: vs. Concord, Friday
Update: The Ugly Eagles beat Miramonte 41-21 as
Kenny Gardner passed for 209 yards, and the team rushed for 405. The losses were to Nevada power Reed (38-22) and Hawaii power Mililani (49-30). Clayton Valley Charter went 15-1 and reached a CIF State Bowl in 2014, went 13-2 in 2015 and 12-2 and 11-2 in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
19. (20) Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland), 4-2Section: North Coast
League: West Alameda County
Coach: Napolean Kaufman
Next: vs. Castro Valley, Friday
Update: The Dragons beat Piedmont 54-0, leading 40-0 at the half, as
Austin Jones ran for 130 yards and three touchdowns.
Quinn Brinnon hit
Jevon Holland for two scoring passes. The losses are to No. 1 De La Salle 45-24 (but trailed 38-3) and No. 6 Freedom 42-21. O'Dowd is the defending CIF State Division 5-AA champion.
20. (21) Marin Catholic (Kentfield), 6-0Section: North Coast
League: Marin County
Coach: Mazi Moayed
Next: vs. San Marin (Novato), Saturday
Update: The Wildcats beat Terra Linda 48-0 as
Spencer Petras passed for 286 yards and five touchdowns, all in the first half. He hit
Peter Brown for 194 yards and four scores. The game against No. 8 Central Catholic last month was cancelled due to extreme heat and poor air quality. Marin Catholic this decade has had teams of 13-2, 12-1, 13-1, 14-2, 12-1 and 12-2, reaching the CIF State finals in 2012.
21. (15) Manteca, 4-2Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Valley Oak
Coach: Eric Reis
Next: vs. Kimball (Tracy), Friday
Update: The Buffaloes were undone by three turnovers to No. 11 Oakdale, which scored on each miscue in a 36-15 setback. The other loss was to No. 8 Central Catholic. Manteca, winner of five section titles, beat Valley Christian 22-20 in an opener but is now ranked below Valley Christian due to VC's overall body of work.
22. (23) Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park), 6-0Section: North Coast
League: North Bay
Coach: Gehrig Hotaling
Next: vs. Ukiah, Friday (Canceled)
Update: The Cougars rolled Windsor 55-17 as
Jake Simmons passed for four touchdowns and ran for another. A showdown looms with rival Cardinal Newman in Week 10. Rancho Cotate went 12-2 in 2010 and 13-1 in 2012.
23. (NR) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa), 5-1Section: North Coast
League: North Bay
Coach: Paul Cronin
Next: vs. Montgomery (Santa Rosa), (Canceled)
Update: The Cardinals are back in these rankings, having lost only to then No. 2 St. Mary's early. Their game Friday against Montgomery remains up in the air as the school and community begin to recovery from the fires that ravaged the Santa Rosa area.
Tanner Mendoza has rushed for 600 yards and 13 scores. Coach Cronin's best teams include going 13-2 in 2006, 11-21 in 2007, 13-1 in 2008, 12-1-1 in 2011, 11-2 in 2012, 11-3 in 2015 and 12-2 last season. This has been a powerhouse since the 1970s.
24. (14) Del Oro (Loomis), 4-3Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Jeff Walters
Next: vs. No. 25 Rocklin, Friday
Update: The Golden Eagles lost to No. 2 Folsom 54-10, unable to take advantage of three first-half turnovers. The other losses were to previous No. 3 Granite Bay 28-21 and to Utah power Timpview 30-13 a week after beating state-ranked Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 22-12. The Golden Eagles won the 2015 CIF State Division 2-AA title and reached the CIF State finals in 2016 the fourth time this decade.
25. (tie) (25) Rocklin, 4-2Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Greg Benzel
Next: vs. No. 24 Del Oro, Friday
Update: The Thunder lost to No. 3 Oak Ridge 27-10 despite a solid game from
Cole Wyant and
Blayden Brown. The other loss was to Clovis West (Fresno). The SFL includes NorCal ranked Folsom, Granite Bay, Oak Ridge and Del Oro. Rocklin went to a CIF State Bowl in 2009 with a 14-1 team.
25. (tie) (25) Sutter, 4-1Section: Northern
League: Butte View
Coach: Ryan Reynolds
Next: vs. Oroville, Friday
Update: Top ranked in the Northern Section, the Huskies beat Oroville 59-0 as
Tyler Reynolds passed for 246 yards and two touchdowns.
Trever Facey ran for 145 yards and three scores. The loss came in an opener, to Utah power Orem, 34-18. Sutter this decade has had teams go 10-2, 13-1 and 13-1.
The next 15Sheldon (Sacramento) — 5-1
Franklin (Elk Grove) — 5-1
Vacaville — 3-3
Jesuit (Carmichael) — 4-2
Antioch — 5-1
Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) — 4-2
Liberty (Brentwood) — 6-1
Heritage (Brentwood) — 5-2
Campolindo (Moraga) — 4-2
McClymonds (Oakland) — 6-0
Half Moon Bay — 6-0
Aragon (San Mateo) — 6-0
St. Patrick-St. Vincent (Vallejo) — 6-0
Downey (Modesto) — 6-0
Menlo-Atherton (Atherton) — 4-2
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click hereJoe 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
