MaxPreps Southern California Top 25 high school football rankings

Last week signaled the start of gridiron action for schools everywhere, and the prep football season is now in full swing for Southern California's premier programs. The focus now turns toward fine-tuning the little things during nonleague play.

There is little movement atop the MaxPreps Southern California Top 25 rankings this week. The teams that were supposed to win Friday night took care of business, while upsets were few and far between.

What follows is a breakdown of the best of the best of Southern California.

MaxPreps SoCal Top 25 Football Rankings

1. Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita)
Overall record: 2-0
Previous rank: 1
Upon further review: Defeated Jordan (Long Beach), 35-6.
Countdown to kickoff: Trabuco Hills (Mission Viejo) on Friday.
Extra point: Johnny Stanton receives plenty of attention. Fellow senior Ryan Wolpin, however, should not be overlooked. When the running back approaches 100 yards on the ground, it's difficult to beat the Eagles, ranked No. 4 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25.

2. Vista Murrieta (Murrieta)
Overall record: 1-0
Previous Rank: 2
Upon further review: Defeated ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch, CO), 37-26
Countdown to kickoff: South (Anchorage, Alaska) on Friday
Extra point: Redlands East Valley (Redlands) and Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) loom as rather large tests over the course of the next two weeks. Ranked No. 13 in the Xcellent 25, the Broncos can not afford to overlook any opponent.

3. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village)
Overall record: 2-0
Previous rank: 3
Upon further review: Defeated Granite Bay, 48-13.
Countdown to kickoff: Venice (Los Angeles) on Friday.
Extra point: Junior quarterback Brandon Dawkins continues to improve. That was apparent last week when he tossed three touchdowns and found the end zone on the ground. Ranked No. 23 in the Xcellent 25, the Lions will go as far as Dawkins takes them.

4. Alemany (Mission Hills)
Overall record: 2-0
Previous rank: 4
Upon further review: Defeated Muir (Pasadena), 49-12.
Countdown to kickoff: JW North (Riverside) on Friday.
Extra point: Things are about to get tough for the Warriors. And a victory this week is far from a sure thing. Beyond that, another quality opponent from the Inland Empire, Centennial (Corona), figures to provide a challenge. Time for the tough to get going.

5. St. Bonaventure (Ventura)
Overall record: 2-0
Previous rank: 6
Upon further review: Defeated Centennial (Corona), 40-35
Countdown to kickoff: Redlands East Valley (Redlands) on Friday
Extra point: Play-makers continue to emerge and Bryce Dixon is the latest in a long line of talented individuals to contribute when given the opportunity. The junior receiver had seven catches for 185 yards last week and two scores, a 95-yarder and 18-yarder.

6. Mission Viejo
Overall record: 2-0
Previous rank: 5
Upon further review: Defeated Mission Hills (San Marcos) 35-21.
Opening kickoff: Santiago (Corona) on Friday.
Extra point: The Diablos figure to cruise along during the nonleague portion of the schedule. However, once the South Coast League starts in mid-October there will be plenty of bumps in the road. It will be interesting to see how well they navigate the path.

7. Narbonne (Harbor City)
Overall record: 1-0
Previous rank: 8
Upon further review: Defeated Palos Verdes (Palos Verdes Estates), 41-0.
Countdown to kickoff: Long Beach Poly on Friday.
Extra point: Signs point to the Gauchos employing a running back-by-committe approach as four ball-carriers had eight or more touches in the season opener. Keep an eye on Tony Gates though. The senior had 157 yards on 12 carries and scored twice last week.

8. Serra (Gardena)
Overall record: 2-0
Previous rank: 12
Upon further review: Defeated Long Beach Poly (Long Beach), 20-12.
Countdown to kickoff: Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach) on Friday.
Extra point: Dwight Williams opened some eyes in the season opener against Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) when he finished with nine tackles. The junior linebacker proved the effort was not a fluke with another 12 stops the last time he stepped foot on the field.

9. Servite (Anaheim)
Overall record: 1-1
Previous rank: 20
Upon further review: Defeated Rancho Cucamonga, 24-23.
Countdown to kickoff: Edison (Huntington Beach) on Friday.
Extra point: The Friars have experienced their share of ups-and-downs already. The adversity this group has faced thus far figures to benefit them in the long run. Remember, it's not how you start. It's how you finish.

10. Centennial (Corona)
Overall record: 0-1
Previous rank: 7
Upon further review: Lost to St. Bonaventure (Ventura), 40-35.
Countdown to kickoff: Cabrillo (Long Beach) on Friday.
Extra point: A bounce-back effort from the Huskies is a certainty. Head honcho Matt Logan is far too good of a coach to let his players deliver a lackluster showing after a loss. It would not be the least bit surprising to see a victory by three touchdowns this week.

11. Upland
Overall record: 2-0
Previous rank: 11
Upon further review: Defeated Windsor, 48-21.
Countdown to kickoff: Jordan (Long Beach) on Friday.
Extra point: At 5-foot-7 and 150-pounds, Adonis Harrison might not pass the eye test—at least initially. And while the senior running back might be slight of stature by most standards, the role he plays on the offensive side of the ball for the Scots is undeniably big.

12. Tesoro (Rancho Santa Margarita)
Overall record: 2-0
Previous rank: 10
Upon further review: Defeated Hart (Newhall), 10-7.
Countdown to kickoff: Chino Hills on Friday.
Extra point: Which team is going to show up? The one that scored 55 points in the season opener or the one that barely broke double-digits last week? Just two games into the season, the Titans have some time to figure things out.

13. Rancho Cucamonga
Overall record: 1-1
Previous rank: 9
Upon further review: Lost to Servite (Anaheim), 24-23.
Countdown to kickoff: Muir (Pasadena) on Friday.
Extra point: The Cougars were not happy about last week's result. The goal since then has been to put the setback behind them, but that's easier said than done. Bottom line: this week's opponent, the Mustangs, could be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

14. Mater Dei (Santa Ana)
Overall record: 1-0
Previous rank: 14
Upon further review: Defeated St. Paul (Santa Fe Springs), 35-0.
Countdown to kickoff: Carson on Friday.
Extra point: Now that's a little more like it. After struggling for a majority of last year, the Monarchs restored some much-needed pride with an impressive season-opening victory. The challenge moving forward is to build on the momentum and not take a step back.

15. Westlake
Overall record: 2-0
Previous rank: 15
Upon further review: Defeated Del Oro (Loomis), 16-13.
Countdown to kickoff: Crenshaw (Los Angeles) on Friday.
Extra point: Neil Uskali did little, or nothing, to hurt his chances of securing the starter's role with last week's performance. The senior completed 32-54 passes for 392 yards and a touchdown. Danny Hong and Tommy Gonzales wait in the wings, nevertheless.

16. Long Beach Poly
Overall record: 1-1
Previous rank: 13
Upon further review: Lost to Serra (Gardena), 20-12.
Countdown to kickoff: Narbonne (Harbor City) on Friday.
Extra point: Back-to-back losses would not look good on the resume, and this week's match-up is not favorable. The Jackrabbits face one of the top teams from the CIF Los Angeles City Section and can expect a stern challenge from start to finish.

17. Lompoc
Overall record: 2-0
Previous rank: 16
Upon further review: Defeated Frontier (Bakersfield), 21-14.
Countdown to kickoff: Pioneer Valley (Santa Maria, Calif.) on Friday.
Extra point: The Braves do not pass often. They have thrown the ball five times in two games thus far. No, that's not a typo. Five times. Luciano Lopez and Tyler Ornelas understand their roles, however, and playing mistake-free football is the key.

18. Chaminade (West Hills)
Overall record: 2-0
Previous rank: 17
Upon further review: Defeated Pulaski Academy (Littlerock, AK), 49-39
Countdown to kickoff: Valencia on Friday.
Extra point: Senior running back Terrell Newby apparently does not have to do everything well for the Eagles to be successful. Senior receivers Elijah Dunston and Kevin Lewallyn have proven to be reliable pass-catchers, and that bodes well for the future.

19. St. John Bosco (Bellflower)
Overall record: 2-0
Previous rank: 21
Upon further review: Defeated Lakewood, 54-7.
Countdown to kickoff: Santa Fe (Santa Fe Springs) on Friday.
Extra point: The offense can light up the scoreboard. The defense is as stingy as they come. Combine both factors and you begin to understand how the Braves have scored more than 50 points in each of their games and opponents have not scored more than seven.

20. Redlands East Valley (Redlands)
Overall record: 1-0
Previous rank: 18
Upon further review: Did not play.
Countdown to kickoff: St. Bonaventure (Ventura) on Friday.
Extra point: The Wildcats have had two weeks off to rest up injured players and, more importantly, prepare for their opponent. The additional time to work on the game plan with a healthy bunch could prove beneficial. An upset of No. 5 St. Bonaventure is not out of the question.

21. Crespi (Encino)
Overall record: 3-0
Previous rank: 22
Upon further review: Defeated Liberty (Henderson, Nev.), 42-28.
Countdown to kickoff: Clovis West (Fresno) on Saturday.
Extra point: Cody Cordell appears to have good grasp of the offense. The senior quarterback passed for 317 yards and five touchdowns last week for the Celts. It's reasonable to think that he is more than capable of putting up similar numbers in the near future.

22. Helix (La Mesa)
Overall record: 1-0
Previous rank: NR
Upon further review: Defeated Eastlake (Chula Vista), 28-6.
Countdown to kickoff: Vista on Friday.
Extra point: Troy Starr is a particularly well-known name in Southern California coaching circles and you can never underestimate his teams. That said, the Highlanders are the premier program San Diego has to offer this season and are worth keeping an eye on.

23. La Mirada
Overall record: 2-0
Previous rank: 23
Upon further review: Defeated La Habra, 45-27.
Countdown to kickoff: Bishop Amat (La Puente) on Friday.
Extra point: Pick your poison. Do you attempt to stop senior running back Johnny Hills or roll the dice and try to limit the effectiveness of junior ball-carrier Adam Carrasco? With both players averaging more than 100 yards per game, the choice is not easy.

24. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks)
Overall record: 1-1
Previous rank: 24
Upon further review: Defeated Hamilton (Chandler, AZ), 27-15.
Countdown to kickoff: Taft (Woodland Hills) on Friday.
Extra point: The Knights traveled across the pond last week for their win—Dublin, Ireland to be exact. The bonding experience figures to do wonders for team chemistry. One has to wonder whether jet lag will have an adverse effect on their conditioning.

25. Oceanside
Overall record: 1-0
Previous rank: NR
Upon further review: Defeated Oakdale, 34-14.
Countdown to kickoff: Chaparral (Temecula) on Friday.
Extra point: The Pirates could be for real. One thing is certain: they took an all-important step in last week's season-opening victory against Oakdale, a team many observers consider one of the best in the Northern California region.

Sean Ceglinsky has covered preps and college sports in Southern California for the better part of the past 15-plus years. Follow him on twitter: @SeanCeglinsky