MaxPreps Northern California Top 25 high school football rankings

Video: De La Salle TDs vs. Freedom
See the Spartans beat Freedom and draw a state bowl matchup vs. St. John Bosco.

The sectional rounds are over, and now it gets really serious. The Northern California Regional Championship games - at home sites - are Friday and Saturday. The one heavyweight that will not play is top-ranked De La Salle, which will advance right to the CIF Open Division championship against highly touted Bosco (Bellflower).


1. (Last week 1) De La Salle (Concord), 11-1
Section: North Coast
League: Independent
Coach: Justin Alumbaugh
Next: vs. St. John Bosco (Bellflower), Dec. 17
Update: Top-ranked by the San Francisco Chronicle and Bay Area News Group, the Spartans cruised past No. 3 Freedom 42-7 in holding standout running back Ronnie Rivers to three yards on nine carries in winning the program's 25th consecutive North Coast Section title (and first in the newly created NCS Open). Kairee Robinson and Jonathan Hackett rushed for 162 and 146 yards, respectively. It's the 32nd NCS title for De La Salle since 1982, stretching the unbeaten streak to teams north of Fresno to 281 games, dating to 1992. De La Salle is in a CIF State Bowl for a record 11th consecutive season, having won six of the last seven. The loss this season was 23-21 to the top-ranked team in Utah, East of Salt Lake City, on a late field goal. De La Salle's record since 1980 is 442-25-3.

2. (2) St. Mary's (Stockton), 13-1
Section: Sac-­Joaquin
League: Tri-­County
Coach: Tony Franks
Next: vs. No. 3 Freedom, Friday
Update: Top ranked by the Stockton Record, the Rams beat No. 4 Folsom 56-25 to win their first SJS Division I title since 2008 in a revenge game as scores of players played up the rematch theme after falling to Folsom 56-49 in the D-I finals a year ago and will host No. 3 Freedom in the NorCal Division I-AA title. St. Mary's was impressive with Jake Dunniway passing for four touchdowns and Dusty Frampton rumbling for 294 yards and three touchdowns. The loss this season was to powerhouse Bosco (Bellflower) 55-16 after leading 10-7 early (and missing Frampton to injury much of the game). Earlier ranked wins this season for St. Mary's include section champions Serra and Cardinal Newman.

3. (3) Freedom (Oakley), 11-1
Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: Kevin Hartwig
Next: at No. 2 St. Mary's, Friday
Update: The Falcons fell to top-ranked De La Salle 42-7 in the NCS Open Division finals but because this section agreed to send its two Open finalists to the NorCals, Freedom is still alive. The big news of the week was star running back Ronnie Rivers committing to Fresno State, where his father was an All-American running back. Freedom is the only team to beat Bishop O'Dowd this season.

4. (4) Folsom, 12-2
Section: Sac-­Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Kris Richardson
Next: season complete.
Update: The Bulldogs reached a SJS championship finale for the seventh successive season, having won four straight titles before falling to No. 2 St. Mary's 56-25 in D-I play. Joe Curry, Drake Stallworth, Eric Davis, Jack Sa and scores of others bowed out after strong seasons.

5. (7) Del Oro (Loomis), 12-2
Section: Sac-­Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Casey Taylor
Next: vs. No. 7 Bakersfield, Saturday
Update: The Golden Eagles will play Bakersfield in a NorCal Regional Division I-A title game at home, where they have one playoff loss in coach Casey Taylor's 15 seasons there. Del Oro beat previous No. 8 Inderkum 35-13 to win the program's 12th SJS title since 1989 and sixth under coach Taylor since 2005. Stone Smartt, Mason Hurst, Dalton Gee, Camrion Davis and others all got into the offensive act, and Hunter Halverson scored on a 69-yard fumble recovery. Del Oro seeks a fourth CIF State Bowl bid this decade.

6. (6) Valley Christian (San Jose), 12-1
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Mike Machado
Next: vs. No. 11 Cardinal Newman, Friday
Update: The Warriors will face Cardinal Newman for the NorCal Regional Division 2-AA title. Valley Christian beat Palma 14-10 to win the CCS Open Division III championship, the program's sixth since 2003. Valley Christian has allowed seven points in the playoffs. The loss was to previous-No. 8 Saint Francis 13-10 in league play, leading to a three-way tie for the title.

7. (NR) Bakersfield, 11-2
Section: Central
League: Southwest Yosemite
Coach: Paul Golla
Next: at No. 5 Del Oro
Update: The winningest program in state history jumps into these rankings for the first time, the direct result of the Drillers being placed into the NorCal Regional Division 1-A finals. Bakersfield has won 37 Central Section titles, the most in state history, and they are fast and fun again. Bakersfield beat Del Oro in the CIF D-2 Bowl in 2013.

8. (5) Monte Vista (Danville), 12-1
Section: North Coast
League: East Bay
Coach: Craig Bergman
Next: Season complete
Update: The Mustangs beat Antioch 42-18 to win its first NCS championship since 2002 and fifth overall, but the season ends because the North Coast Section elected to send its two Open Division finalists - De La Salle and Freedom - to the NorCal rounds. Jake Haener and Shane Perry had terrific seasons. The loss was to top-ranked De La Salle 45-17 in a Week 10 contest that was a two-touchdown game in the fourth quarter.

9. (10) Serra (San Mateo), 9-4
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Patrick Walsh
Next: vs. No. 10 Sanger, Saturday
Update: The Padres play Sanger of the Central Section for the NorCal Regional Division 2-A final, quite a feat after starting the season 0-4 with losses to No. 1 De La Salle, No. 2 St. Mary's, No. 6 Valley Christian and then No. 7 Pittsburg. The winning streak is nine after downing rival Mitty 37-24 to win the CCS Division II championship. Serra won section titles in 1990, 2011, 2013 and is in its second NorCal Regional. 10. (NR) Sanger, 13-0
Section: Central
League: County/Metro
Coach: Chuck Shidan
Next: vs. No. 9 Serra, Saturday
Update: Because Sanger was placed in the NorCal Regional Division 2-A final against Serra, it appears in these NorCal Rankings for the first time. And well earned. Coach Shidan has won 203 games over 27 seasons, including a 20-10 Central Section Division II title win over Ridgeview as Andrew Azua rushed for 213 yards.

11. (8) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa), 12-1
Section: North Coast
League: North Bay
Coach: Paul Cronin
Next: at No. 6 Valley Christian, Friday
Update: The Cardinals beat St. Bernard's 44-21 to win the NCS Division IV title as duel-threat star quarterback Jordon Brookshire has led the way. The loss was to No. 2 St. Mary's 49-32. Cardinal Newman won section titles in 1975, 1976, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1995, 2005, 2006, 2010 and once held the state-record for the longest winning streak of 47 in the 1970s.

12. (14) Manteca, 12-1
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Valley Oak
Coach: Eric Reis
Next: at No. 23 Menlo-Atherton, Friday
Update: The Buffaloes drew Menlo-Atherton of the Central Coast Section in the NorCal Regional Division 3-AA title game. Manteca rolled Placer 50-28 to win the Sac-Joaquin Section D-IV title with a second-half surge for the program's fifth title since 2001 and fourth since 2005.

13. (NR) Oakdale, 12-2
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Valley Oak
Coach: Trent Merzon
Next: vs. No. 14 Sutter, Friday
Update: The Mustangs play Sutter in the NorCal Regional Division 3-A title game in what should be a great match up. Coach Trent Merzon has yet another powerhouse wing-T express team on his hands, pleasing the one-time Mustangs quarterback to no end. He calls the grit and effort guys "OKG's" - Oakdale Kind of Guys. The Mustangs rolled Christian Brothers (Sacramento) 51-14 as William Semone rushed for 337 yards to push him over 2,000 for the season. He has 1,162 yards in four playoff games.

14. (21) Sutter, 13-0
Section: Northern
League: Butte View
Coach: Ryan Reynolds
Next: at No. 13 Oakdale, Saturday
Update: The top team in the Northern Section plays longtime power Oakdale in the NorCal Regional Division 3-A finals. The Huskies beat Lassen (Susanville) 42-7 to win the Northern Section Division III championship, thanks to a balanced offense and strong defense, including a run of seven successive shutouts that stretched well into the playoffs. Sutter produced 12-0 seasons in 2004 and 2007 and 13-1 seasons in 2012 and 2014.

15. (14) Elk Grove, 11-2
Section: Sac-­Joaquin
League: Delta
Coach: Chris Nixon
Next: Season complete
Update: The Thundering Herd lost to top-seeded Folsom 41-3 in an SJS Division I semifinal. This marks the end of great prep careers for quarterback Jayden Machado and receiver Gavin Reinwald, among many departing seniors.

16. (15) Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills), 10-3
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Eric Cavaliere
Next: Season complete
Update: The third-seeded SJS Divison I Trojans lost to NorCal No. 2 St. Mary's 61-21, ending a season a lot of folks outside of El Dorado Hills didn't see coming, a credit to the coaching staff. Marco Baldacchino will return next season at quarterback after producing a stellar season.

17. (16) Clayton Valley Charter (Concord), 9-2
Section: North Coast
League: Diablo Valley
Coach: Tim Murphy
Next: Season complete
Update: The Ugly Eagles lost to top-ranked De La Salle 28-0 in an NCS Open Division contest. The other loss was to state-ranked Helix (San Diego) 13-0. Clayton Valley Charter had reached a CIF Bowl the previous two seasons.

18. (17) Saint Francis (Mountain View), 10-2
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Greg Calcagno
Next: Season complete
Update: The Lancers fell to rising-fast Serra 31-17 in CCS Division III play in what felt like a WCAL contest. The quest for the program's 17th section banner ends. Saint Francis tied Valley Christian and Serra for the WCAL championship.

19. (8) Inderkum (Sacramento),11-3
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Tri-County
Coach: Terry Stark
Next: Season complete
Update: The Tigers started the season 1-2, but won 10 consecutive games to reach a SJS final for the fourth time, falling to Del Oro 35-13, ending stellar senior seasons for Trajon Cotton and Joshua Falo.

20. (9) Sacramento, 10-2
League: Metropolitan
Coach: Justin Reber
Next: Season complete
Update: Top ranked by The Sacramento Bee since mid September, the Dragons were stunned at home 35-33 to upstart Inderkum in the SJS Division II scramble. Sacramento trailed 26-0 and then tied it 33-33 before losing on a safety. The big win was downing then-No. 2 Folsom 32-27, leading 32-14 at one point. Sacramento starts just four seniors. One of them departs in running back Tariq Hollandsworth.

21. (18) Pittsburg, 9-2
Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: Vic Galli
Next: Season complete
Update: The Pirates could not solve No. 3 Freedom in the regular season - a 41-38 loss - or in the NCS Open Division playoffs. Pitt lost 55-35, ending the great career of running back Montaz Thompson. Pittsburg is the last NorCal program (north of Fresno) to beat De La Salle, in the 1991 North Coast Section D-I finals.

22. (20) Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland), 13-1
Section: North Coast
League: West Alameda County
Coach: Napolean Kaufman
Next: vs. Capital Christian (Sacramento), Friday
Update: The Dragons face Capital Christian for the NorCal Regional 5-AA title. They beat beat previously ranked Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 27-7 to win the NCS Divsion III championship, the program's first since 2004. The rising star is running back Austin Jones, a 1,500-yard rusher.

23. (22) Menlo-Atherton (Atherton), 11-2
Section: Central Coast
League: Peninsula Bay
Coach: Adhir Ravipatsi
Next: vs. No. 12 Manteca, Friday
Update: The Bears will face Manteca for the NorCal Regional Division 3-AA title after winning the CCS Division I title with a 17-0 win over previously ranked Milpitas behind Jordan Mims, who rushed for 257 yards and two scores.

24. (NR) Campolindo (Moraga), 10-3
Section: North Coast
League: Diablo Valley
Coach: Kevin Macy
Next: at Palma, Saturday
Update: The Cougars will face Palma in the NorCal Regional Division 4-AA title game after winning their third NCS Division II championship with a 40-20 victory over Windsor. Jacob Westphal has passed for 3,218 yards and 25 touchdowns. One loss was to No. 6 Valley Christian, which is in a NorCal Regional, and another to No. 13 Oakdale, which is also in a NorCal Regional.

25. (23) Antelope, 12-1
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Capital Valley
Coach: Matt Ray
Next: Season complete
Update: The Titans had their stellar 12-0 season come to a end in an SJS Division II semifnal, losing to No. 8 Del Oro 50-10. Antelope was led by star running back Elijah Dotson this season as he set scores of rushing and scoring marks.

The Sacramento Bee on how the unique dominance of De La Salle has impacted the NorCal playoff fields, and is it fair? Click here

Joe Davidson has covered high school sports for The Sacramento Bee since 1988. Follow him on Twitter: @SacBee_JoeD and on Facebook: sacbeepreps


Joe Davidson has covered high school sports for The Sacramento Bee since 1988. Follow him on Twitter: @SacBee_JoeD and on Facebook: sacbeepreps