Paradise enters the MaxPreps NorCal Top 25 high school football rankings

1. (Last week 1) De La Salle (Concord), 7-1
Section: North Coast
League: East Bay
Coach: Justin Alumbaugh
Update: The Spartans beat previous state-ranked California 70-7 as Shamar Garrett led the early tone with two rushing scores and a defensive touchdown. It was 56-7 at the half as De La Salle extended its unbeaten streak against NorCal teams north of Fresno to 305 (with two ties). De La Salle also this season has a 42-27 win over No. 2 Folsom. The Spartans are 390-5-2 against NorCal opponents since 1984. They have won 27 consecutive North Coast Section crowns and have been to a record 12 successive CIF State finals (those games started in 2006) and 10 in succession in the elite Open Division.
Next: vs. San Ramon Valley, Friday

2. (2) Folsom, (6-1)
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Paul Doherty
Update: The two-time defending CIF State Division I-AA champion Bulldogs, the top-ranked team in this section by The Sacramento Bee, scored 37 second-half points to beat Whitney 51-24 to extend their overall league winning streak to 44 and to 40 in the SFL. DeShawn Lynch scored a defensive touchdown and Jake Reithmeier hit Elijhah Badger for two fourth-quarter strikes. The loss this season was 42-27 to De La Salle. Folsom is 132-11 this decade with four CIF State banners, seven section titles and two 14-0 teams that lost to De La Salle in the since-dropped NorCal Open Division finals in 2012 and 2013.
Next: vs. Granite Bay, Friday

3. (3) Serra (San Mateo), 6-0
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Patrick Walsh
Update: Two time CIF Northern California winners in recent years, Serra beat Mitty 35-29 after posting back-to-back shutouts. Daylin McLemore passed for 198 yards and a touchdown and Jackson Lataimua ran for two scores. The Padres have big wins this season over St. Mary's, (56-28), Pittsburg (58-21) and Menlo-Atherton (38-13). Serra and Valley Christian are this section's top teams.
Next: vs. Saint Francis, Friday

4. (4) Valley Christian (San Jose), 6-0
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Mike Machado
Update: The defending CCS Open Division II champions beat Sacred Heart Cathedral 61-0, leading 34-0 at the half as seven players combined to rush for 345 yards and Cory Taylor tossed three touchdowns. A big early win was 23-13 over Wilcox. Rival Serra is the team to look for in the WCAL scramble.
Next: vs. Bellarmine, Friday

5. (5) Liberty (Brentwood), 7-0
Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: Ryan Partridge
Update: The defending CIF State 1-A champion Lions were idle. Liberty was coming off of a 26-0 win over Antioch. Earlier wins were over Clayton Valley Charter, Vacaville and Oakdale.
Next: vs. Pittsburg, Friday

6. (6) Inderkum (Sacramento), 7-0
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Capital Valley
Coach: Terry Stark
Update: The Tigers beat River Valley 42-20, leading 28-7 after the first quarter as JJ Ray and Aaron Espero led the way. An earlier win was over Elk Grove. Coach Terry Stark recently won his 225th career game.
Next: vs. Antelope, Friday

7. (7) Pittsburg, 6-1
Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: Vic Galli
Update: The Pirates were idle. An early big win was over Wilcox 35-31. The loss was to Serra. Pittsburg is the last NorCal program to defeat De La Salle, doing so in the 1991 North Coast Section finals.
Next: vs. Liberty, Friday

8. (8) Wilcox (Santa Clara), 5-2
Section: Central Coast
League: De Anza
Coach: Paul Rosa
Update: The defending CIF State 3-A champion Chargers beat Mountain View 42-3 as backs Isaiah Flores and Paul Rosa combined for 239 yards and three scores, and the defense allowed two yards rushing. One loss was 35-31 to Pittsburg and the other was to Valley Christian 23-13.
Next: vs. Milpitas, Friday

9. (9) Rocklin, 6-2
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Jason Adams
Update: The Thunder bounced back from a physical loss to Folsom to batter Grant 43-7 behind unsung players such as Mason Becker and Toran O'Harran. One win was by six over Oak Ridge.
Next: vs. Del Oro, Oct. 25

10. (10) Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills), 5-2
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Eric Cavaliere
Update: The Trojans are back on track after suffering crushing losses of three points to Folsom and six points to Rocklin. Oak Ridge beat Del Oro 38-15 as Avant Jacobs had a stellar night with two interceptions, two rushing touchdowns and a defensive score.
Next: vs. Whitney, Friday

11. (12) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa), 6-1
Section: North Coast
League: North Bay
Coach: Paul Cronin
Update: The Cardinals beat Ukiah 49-7 as Jackson Pavitt tossed three touchdowns, two to Giancarlo Woods. The loss was 17-13 to Liberty. The lone loss a year ago was to Liberty. This program in the 1970s had the state record for consecutive wins at 47.
Next: vs. Windsor, Friday

12. (13) Monterey Trail (Elk Grove), 6-1
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Metro
Coach: TJ Ewing
Update: The Mustangs rolled Kennedy 63-0 as the team rushed 26 times for 309 yards and six touchdowns, two each by Prophet Brown and Otha Williams. The loss was a 36-35 setback to upstart Cosumnes Oaks. The Mustangs lost to Folsom in the section Division I finals in 2018.
Next: vs. Burbank, Friday

13. (15) McClymonds (Oakland), 6-0
Section: Oakland
League: OAL
Coach: Michael Peters
Update: The Warriors of the East Bay beat Skyline 43-0, leading 31-0 at the half. An earlier win was 19-7 over Marin Catholic. McClymonds has won two CIF State titles since 2016 with a 12-0 team in 2010, a 12-1 team in 2015 and going 12-2 a year ago.
Next: vs. Castlemont, Friday

14. (15) Marin Catholic (Kentfield), 7-1
Section: North Coast
League: Marin County
Coach: Mazi Moayed
Update: The Wildcats beat San Marin 48-2 as Matteo Perez rushed for 210 yards and four touchdowns. The loss was 19-7 to McClymonds. Marin Catholic teams have had teams go 12-1, 14-1, 14-2, 13-1, 12-2 and 12-1 this decade.
Next: vs. Redwood, Saturday

15. (11) California (San Ramon), 6-1
Section: North Coast
League: East Bay
Coach: Eric Billeci
Update: The Grizzlies lost big to top-ranked De La Salle, 70-7 a week after beating then NorCal-ranked Clayton Valley Charter 17-14.
Next: vs. Monte Vista, Friday

16. (17) Monte Vista (Danville), 4-2
Section: North Coast
League: East Bay
Coach: Matt Russi
Update: The Mustangs beat Foothill 35-29 to set up a nice league showdown with No. 16 California as Jack Stewardson passed for 210 yards and three touchdowns. The losses were to De La Salle 49-14 and to Liberty 24-21, undone by a tying field-goal attempt that hit the upright.
Next: vs.California, Friday

17. (18) Buhach Colony (Atwater), 7-0
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Central California
Coach: Kevin Navarra
Update: The top-ranked team by The Modesto Bee, the Thunder beat Merced 26-22 as Oscar Smallwood passed for two touchdowns and ran for one. Buhach Colony's best teams were the 12-1 outfits in 2010 and 2011, though this one is getting into that best-yet argument.
Next: vs. Central Valley, Friday

18. (19) Las Lomas (Walnut Creek), 7-0
Section: North Coast
League: Diablo
Coach: Doug Longero
Update: The Knights beat Acalanes 42-21 with only Campolindo sporting an unbeaten record in league play. Las Lomas went 1-19 during the 2015 and 2016 seasons and went 12-1 last season.
Next: vs. Alhambra, Friday

19. (22) Capital Christian (Sacramento), 6-2
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Capital Athletic
Coach: Casey Taylor
Update: The Cougars beat Sacramento 31-8 after trailing 8-0 at the half. Zeke Burnett ran for 123 yards and two scores and the defense came up with three interceptions. The big win was 32-7 over Cosumnes Oaks, which later upset ranked Monterey Trail, 36-35. The losses are to state and national powers Vista Murrieta and Chandler (Ariz).
Next: vs. Rio Americano, Oct. 26

20. (20) Elk Grove, 5-2
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Delta
Coach: John Heffernan
Update: The Thundering Herd lost to Jesuit 38-35. The other loss was by two in an opener to undefeated Inderkum. A big win was 42-35 over Davis. Elk Grove has been a power since the late 1980s.
Next: vs. Franklin, Friday

21. (21) Davis, 6-1
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Delta
Coach: Steve Smyte
Update: The Blue Devils beat Pleasant Grove 35-28 as Luke Carrell passed for a touchdown and ran for one, and Taylor Vaughn rushed for 128 yards. This is the best Davis team since the 1990s. The loss was to Elk Grove 42-35 in a Delta opener.
Next: vs. Jesuit, Friday

22. (24) Menlo-Atherton (Atherton), 3-3
Section: Central Coast
League: Peninsula Bay
Coach: Steve Papin
Update: The defending CIF 3-AA state champions beat Terra Mova 47-23 as Raymond Price tossed three touchdowns and the ground game produced 184 yards rushing. The losses were to No. 2 Folsom 47-0, to Utah power East 49-20 after being up 20-7 and to No. 3 Serra 38-13 at Levi's Stadium.
Next: vs. Sacred Heart Prep, Friday

23. (25) Los Gatos, 6-1
Section: Central Coast
League: De Anza
Coach: Mark Krail
Update: The Wildcats rolled Santa Clara 54-0 as Yost Girvan tossed three touchdowns and Adam Garwood and for two scores. The loss was to Wilcox.
Next: vs. Fremont, Friday

24. (35) St. Mary's (Stockton), 3-4
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Tri-City
Coach: Tony Franks
Update: The Rams steamed Lodi 45-3 as Noah May tossed three touchdowns and Tyrei Washington ran for two scores. St. Mary's has endured one of the toughest schedules of any program on the West Coast with losses to Pitssburg, Serra, Mission Viejo and De La Salle. The program has had teams win 12, 12, 11, 11, 12, 10, 14 and 11 games since 2007.
Next: vs. Tracy, Friday

25. (28) Paradise, 7-0
Section: Northern
League: Freelance
Coach: Rick Prinz
Update: The Bobcats are the feel-good story in all of Northern California as wildfires devastated their town a year ago but not their spirit. Paradise is playing great defense, posting four shutouts and allowing 6 points in two other games. Coach Prinz has another powerhouse brewing and has produced since 2004 six 11-1 teams and two 10-2 teams.
Next: vs. Willows, Friday

The next 10
26. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) — 4-2
27. Vacaville — 5-2
28. Campolindo (Moraga) — 6-1
29. Half Moon Bay — 6-0
30. Del Oro (Loomis) — 4-3
31. Sutter — 5-1
32. Salinas — 5-1
33. Turlock — 5-2
34. Cosumnes Oaks (Elk Grove) — 5-2
35. Foothill (Pleasanton) — 5-2


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