The Sac-Joaquin Section Top 25, with minor tweaks and adjustments and more expected this week with more showdowns among ranked foes. Games through Sept. 1.
MaxPreps Sac-Joaquin Section Top 25
1. Elk Grove (1) 2-0 Beat Beyer (Modesto) 48-0. At No. 23 Del Campo on Friday.
2. Nevada Union (Grass Valley) (2) 2-0Beat previous No. 3 Grant 37-7. At No. 6 Pleasant Grove on Friday.
3. Lincoln (Stockton) (4) 1-1Beat previous No. 5 Pleasant Grove 34-27. At
Berkeley on Friday.
Lincoln (Stockton) moved into the top three after beating previous No. 5 Pleasant Grove.
File photo by Mark Bahrenfuss
Beat Valley Christian (San Jose) 35-27. Host
Marin Catholic (Kentfield) on Friday.
5. Franklin (Elk Grove) (7) 2-0Beat Tracy 33-0. At
Freedom (Oakley) on Friday.
6. Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) (5) 1-1Lost to previous No. 4 Lincoln 34-27. Host No. 2 Nevada Union on Friday.
7. Del Oro (Loomis) (9) 0-2Lost to state-ranked Westlake (Westlake Village) 16-13 in overtime. Bye.
8. Granite Bay (8) 0-2Lost to state-ranked Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 48-13. Bye.
9. Grant (Sacramento) (3) 1-1Lost to No. 2 Nevada Union 37-7. At No. 16 Burbank on Friday.
10. Folsom (11) 2-0Beat NorCal-ranked San Ramon Valley (Danville) 31-20. At
Roseville on Friday.
Jake Browning and Folsom moved up one spot after defeating San Ramon Valley (Danville).
Photo by Anthony Brunsman
Beat Rocklin 16-7. Host
Washington (Fremont) on Saturday.
12. Placer (Auburn) (13) 1-0Beat previous No. 14 Central Catholic 48-30. Vs.
Foothill (Palo Cedro) at Oak Ridge on Friday.
13. Buhach Colony (Atwater) (16) 2-0Beat Enochs (Modesto) 59-36. Host
Clovis North (Fresno) on Friday.
14. St. Mary's (Stockton) (15) 2-0Beat Stockdale (Bakersfield) 31-26. At No. 22 Central Catholic on Friday.
15. Oakdale (10) 1-1Lost to state-ranked Oceanside 34-14. Host
Aptos on Friday.
16. Burbank (Sacramento) (17) 1-0Idle. Host No. 9 Grant on Friday.
17. Cosumnes Oaks (Elk Grove) (18) 2-0Beat Sacramento 29-19. Host
Livermore on Friday.
Cosumnes Oaks moved into the No. 17 spot after beating Sacramento.
Photo by Chris Trim
Idle. Host
Spanish Springs (Sparks, Nev.) on Friday.
19. Pitman (Turlock) (22) 2-0Beat Chavez (Stockton) 54-15. Host
Modesto on Friday.
20. Antelope (23) 2-0Beat Monterey Trail (Elk Grove) 17-14. Host
Rio Linda on Friday.
21. Jesuit (Carmichael) (24) 1-0Beat Rio Americano (Sacramento) 45-7. At
El Camino (Sacramento) on Friday.
22. Central Catholic (Modesto) (14) 0-1Lost to No. 12 Placer 48-30. Host No. 14 St. Mary's on Friday.
23. Del Campo (Fair Oaks) (21) 1-1Lost at Enterprise (Redding) 45-21. Host No. 1 Elk Grove on Friday.
24. American Canyon (NR) 2-0Beat Armijo (Fairfield) 48-16. At
Chavez (Stockton) on Friday.
25. Merced (NR) 2-0Beat Downey (Modesto) 45-21. Host
Edison (Fresno) on Friday.
* In a section meeting of top-four teams, Nevada Union belted Grant 37-7 in Del Paso Heights in a renewal of the section's top rivalry from the 1990s and 2000s. This was the first game between the schools since 2005, and the Miners looked like the experienced, poised group behind senior quarterback
Kyle Cota, who passed for 177 yards and hit
Ian Davis with two of his four touchdowns. NU leads the all-time series 16-15-1, and Miners coach Dave Humphers leads Grant's Mike Alberghini in head-to-head meetings 10-8-1. The teams have combined to win 10 section titles since 1992.
* Lincoln of Stockton bounced back from its 35-21 opening loss to Elk Grove to beat Pleasant Grove 34-27 in a thriller for the second year in a row.
Zack Greenlee tossed the winning touchdown late for the Trojans, who beat Pleasant Grove in double overtime last season, when it was nationally ranked No. 8 by MaxPreps.com.
* Pleasant Grove suffered a major loss when it learned last week that two-way starting standout Brandon Lewis will miss the campaign with a torn ACL. The junior tailback also plays cornerback.
* Placer beat Central Catholic 48-30 in a showdown of smaller-school heavies. Placer's wing-T was prolific and national recruit defensive lineman
Eddie Vanderdoes, headed to USC, turned in an impressive showing in his senior debut.
* Del Oro and Granite Bay are off to 0-2 starts, but check out the competition. Del Oro has fallen to state-ranked powers Oaks Christian (40-0) and Westlake (16-13 in overtime) and Granite Bay has lost to Westlake (24-6) and Oaks Christian (48-18). Both teams have a bye this week.
* Galt, playing football since 1924, forfeited a game for the first time when school administrators and coaches elected to not compete against Amador due to low numbers. The Warriors were down to 13 players after a rash of injuries and were concerned that junior varsity players were not ready for the jump up in competition. Dwindling rosters continues to be a concern across the state, though Galt coaches insist they will not fold its program.
* American Canyon, a newer school near Napa, debuts in these rankings at No. 24. Merced, a longtime section power, particularly in the 1980s and early '90s, debuts at No. 25.
Joe Davidson has covered high schools for The Sacramento Bee since 1988. Follow him on Twitter: @SacBee_JoeD; on Facebook: sacbeepreps and through podcasts: espn1320.net or with weekly regional commentary on surewestsports.com.
