MaxPreps Northern California Top 25 football rankings

Video: Justin Boyd's highlights vs. Vacaville
See the Pittsburg junior churn out 189 yards offense.

League play started across Northern California, except the No. 1 team, which doesn't compete in a league as De La Salle long ago was deemed out of this world and plays an independent schedule. There was slight juggling in the rankings as previous No. 3 Saint Francis lost, allowing Sierra Foothill League members Granite Bay and Oak Ridge to inch up a spot behind No. 2 Folsom, which plays at No. 3 Granite Bay on Friday.


1. (Last week 1) De La Salle (Concord), 4-1
Section: North Coast
League: Independent
Coach: Justin Alumbaugh
Next: vs. No. 20 Bishop O'Dowd, Friday
Update: Top ranked by the Bay Area News Group and the San Francisco Chronicle, the Spartans beat previously unbeaten Central (Fresno) 49-30 as Henry To'oto'o rushed for 171 yards and four touchdowns to bounce back from a loss to national power Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas. The Spartans beat previous No. 3 Saint Francis 31-7 before the Gorman trip to extend their unbeaten streak to 283 games against Northern California schools since 1992 (north of Fresno). The Spartans seek their 26th consecutive section championship and 12th consecutive CIF State final. De La Salle has gone 446-26-3 since 1980.

2. (2) Folsom, 5-0
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Kris Richardson
Next: vs. No. 3 Granite Bay, Friday
Update: Top ranked by The Sacramento Bee and also No. 1 in The Bee's section rankings, the Bulldogs blasted Woodcreek (Roseville) 55-14 in a league opener as Kaiden Bennett tossed five touchdowns, two to Joe Ngata, who also returned a kickoff 99 yards for a score to set up a showdown at No. 3 Granite Bay. Folsom has earlier ranked wins over Oakdale, Jesuit and Sacramento and has gone 100-9 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. (4) Granite Bay, 5-0
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Jeff Evans
Next: vs. No. 2 Folsom, Friday
Update: The Grizzlies beat previous No. 7 Del Oro 28-21 in a league opener as Evan Tattersall rumbled for three short touchdown runs in the annual meeting between rivals that started in 1997. Granite Bay is in a league that includes Folsom, Del Oro, Oak Ridge and Rocklin. The Grizzlies won the 2012 CIF State Division I championship and have made the playoffs 18 consecutive times.

4. (5) Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills), 4-0
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Eric Cavaliere
Next: vs. Woodcreek (Roseville), Friday
Update: The Trojans were idle. Their last game was a 24-21 win over Nevada power Reed 24-21. The SFL includes Folsom, Granite Bay, Del Oro and Rocklin. Oak Ridge has won section titles in Division II and III and seek their first in Division I.

5. (6) San Ramon Valley (Danville), 4-0
Section: North Coast
League: East Bay
Coach: Aaron Becker
Next: vs. Granada (Livermore), Friday
Update: The Wolves rolled previous No. 18 California 37-6 in league play as Clark Baker passed for 205 yards and two touchdowns and Daniel Medley ran for 145 and two. The defense has allowed in the last three games 0, 0 and six points. San Ramon Valley's best seasons include 2004 (11-2), 2006 (10-2), 2007 (12-1) and 2011 (10-4).

6. (11) Pittsburg, 3-1
Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: Vic Galli
Next: vs. Foothill (Pleasanton), Friday
Update: The Pirates rolled Vacaville 35-13, the same Vacaville that lost in the closing seconds to highly ranked Granite Bay and Oak Ridge. Justin Boyd had 189 yards total offense as Pittsburg rushed for 335 yards. An earlier win was over previous No. 13 Serra 35-28 on the road. 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.

7. (14) Freedom (Oakley), 5-0
Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: Kevin Hartwig
Next: vs. Pittsburg, Oct. 7
Update: The Falcons beat previous No. 18 Bishop O'Dowd 42-21 as Joey Aguilar passed for 368 yards and four touchdowns and the defense kept a fast team in check. The regular-season winning streak is 18. 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.

8. (9) Central Catholic (Modesto), 3-0
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Valley Oak
Coach: Roger Canepa
Next: vs. Sierra (Manteca), Friday
Update: The Raiders beat previous No. 8 Manteca 31-14 as fill-in quarterback Theo Azevedo passed for a score and ran for one in an early league showdown. The Manteca win is big as Manteca beat No. 7 Valley Christian by two in an opener. An earlier contest for Central Catholic with Marin Catholic was cancelled due to extreme heat. Central Catholic also has a 20-7 win over previous No. 2 St. Mary's. Central Catholic won CIF State titles in 2012, 2013 and 2015.

9. (10) Valley Christian (San Jose), 3-1
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Mike Machado
Next: vs. St. Ignatius (San Francisco), Saturday
Update: The defending NorCal Regional Division 2-AA champions are the No. 1 team in the Central Coast Section after downing previous NorCal No. 3 Saint Francis 28-21. Charlie Bostic ran for two scores and D'angelo McKenzie had a sizzling 91-yard scoring run in the WCAL contest. The loss was 22-20 to Manteca, but Valley Christian's impressive recovery and win over Saint Francis prompts this ranking move.

10. (3) Saint Francis (Mountain View), 2-2
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Greg Calcagno
Next: vs. Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco), Friday.
Update: The Lancers lost to new No. 7 Valley Christian 28-21 in a league that figures to have close games. Both losses have been quality setbacks (the other coming to De La Salle 31-7). The Lancers seek their 17th section championship.

11. (13) Oakdale, 4-1
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Valley Oak
Coach: Trent Merzon
Next: vs. Weston Ranch, Friday
Update: Top ranked by The Modesto Bee ahead of Central Catholic, the Mustangs rolled East Union (Manteca) 42-6 behind a dominating run game and defense. The defending CIF State Division III-A champions gave No. 2 Folsom a game on Sept. 8, falling 45-29.

12. (15) Milpitas, 5-0
Section: Central Coast
League: De Anza
Coach: Kelly King
Next: vs. Los Altos, Saturday
Update: The Trojans beat Saratoga 62-7 after leading 42-0 in the first quarter in a league opener. Tariq Bracy had four touchdown runs. 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. (12) St. Mary's (Stockton), 3-2
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Tri-County
Coach: Tony Franks
Next: vs. Tokay, Oct. 6
Update: The Rams lost to national No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 52-14 and earlier lost 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.

14. (7) Del Oro (Loomis), 3-2
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Jeff Walters
Next: vs. Nevada Union (Grass Valley), Friday
Update: The Golden Eagles lost to No. 3 Granite Bay 28-21 in an SFL opener despite two touchdown runs by Brice Edwards. The other loss was to Utah power Timpview 30-13 a week after beating state-ranked Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 22-12. The SFL includes Folsom, Granite Bay, Oak Ridge and Rocklin. 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.

15. (8) Manteca, 3-1
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Valley Oak
Coach: Eric Reis
Next: vs. Lathrop, Friday
Update: The Buffaloes lost to No. 8 Central Catholic 31-14 to open league play with more showdowns looming, including No. 11 Oakdale. Manteca, winner of five section titles, beat Valley Christian 22-20 in an opener but drops below them now as Valley Christian's overall body of work is stronger, though a Manteca win over Oakdale could change things in a hurry.

16. (16) Inderkum (Sacramento), 5-0
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Tri-County
Coach: Terry Stark
Next: vs. Yuba City, Friday
Update: The Tigers roll on, taking out Pioneer (Woodland) 64-0 as Isaah Crocker returned a punt 99 yards for a score — the second time this season he's taken a return back to the end zone that far. The Tigers reached the section Division II finals last season and have won 10 or more games 11 consecutive seasons.

17. (17) Sacramento, 3-1
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Metropolitan
Coach: Joe McCray
Next: vs. Florin (Sacramento), Saturday
Update: Ranked sixth by The Sacramento Bee, the Dragons are frustrated for not having a game as Kennedy (Sacramento) elected to forfeit due to concerns with fights in the stands of a recent Sac High game, though the combatants were not Sac High students. The Dragons lost to No. 2 Folsom 28-19 in their last game a year after snapping the Bulldogs' state-leading 48-game regular-season winning streak. The Dragons this season beat No. 19 Mitty 47-21 in an opener.

18. (20) Serra (San Mateo), 2-2
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Patrick Walsh
Next: vs. No. 21 Bellarmine, Friday
Update: The Padres rolled Riordan (San Francisco) 45-0, doing all the damage in the first half before clearing the bench. Serra lost to No. 6 Pittsburg 35-28 and lost an opener to then-No. 2 St. Mary's. Serra is in a league that includes Saint Francis, Valley Christian, Bellarmine and Mitty. Serra started 0-4 last fall and reached the CIF State Division 2 -A finals.

19. (NR) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose), 3-1
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Keith Burns
Next: vs. Riordan (San Francisco), Friday
Update: The Monarchs opened the season with a 47-21 loss to No. 17 Sacramento and responded with wins over Menlo-Atherton (30-23), Palo Alto (42-6) and in a WCAL opener, Bellarmine (14-7). Shamir Bey's 1-yard touchdown with 14 seconds left was the difference against Bellarmine. Mitty's best teams in recent years are the 11-2 squad of 2013 and the 9-1-1 team of 2009.

20. (18) Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland), 3-1
Section: North Coast
League: West Alameda County
Coach: Napolean Kaufman
Next: vs. De La Salle, Friday
Update: The Dragons were in it against No. 7 Freedom in the first half before buckling in the second, falling 42-21 despite another strong game by Jevon Holland on both sides of the ball. Next is the ultimate test for the defending CIF State Division 5-AA champion: De La Salle.

21. (21) Bellarmine College Prep (San Jose), 2-2
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic
Coach: Mike Janda
Next: vs. No. 18 Serra, Friday
Update: The Bells lost 14-7 in the closing seconds to No. 19 Mitty in the WCAL opener and face another immediate strong test in a league that includes Saint Francis and Valley Christian. The Bells have reached the playoffs 12 consecutive seasons, going 13-2 in 2015.

22. (22) Marin Catholic (Kentfield), 4-0
Section: North Coast
League: Marin County
Coach: Mazi Moayed
Next: vs. Analy, Friday
Update: The Wildcats beat Novato 63-0 a week after beating Tamalpais 54-0 as the defense continues to roll. 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.

23. (23) Clayton Valley Charter (Concord), 3-2
Section: North Coast
League: Diablo Valley
Coach: Tim Murphy
Next: vs. Miramonte (Orinda), Oct. 6
Update: The Ugly Eagles routed Deer Valley (Antioch) 48-20 as Thomas Alatini rushed for 205 yards and two scores, and James Teofilo went for 134 and two. 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.

24. (24) Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park), 4-0
Section: North Coast
League: North Bay
Coach: Gehrig Hotaling
Next: vs. Casa Grande (Rohnert Park)
Update: The Cougars blasted Montgomery (Santa Rosa) 63-0 as Jake Simmons passed for 364 yards and five touchdowns, two to Jaelen Ward, who had 201 yards receiving. Logan Reese also had two scoring receptions. Rancho Cotate went 12-2 in 2010 and 13-1 in 2012.

25. (tie) (18) Rocklin, 4-1
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Greg Benzel
Next: vs. No. 4 Oak Ridge, Oct. 6
Update: The Thunder bounced back from their loss at Clovis West (Fresno) with a 38-14 win over Nevada Union (Grass Valley) as Blayden Brown rushed for three scores and had two sacks and an interception on defense. 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, 3-1
Section: Northern
League: Butte View
Coach: Ryan Reynolds
Next: vs. Chico, Friday
Update: Top ranked in the Northern Section, the Huskies beat Ripon 36-6 as Trever Facey and Bryce Kunkle each ran for touchdowns. The loss came in an opener, to Utah power Orem, 34-18. Sutter has allowed 12 points since while scoring 63, 42 and 36. The 42-0 win over Marysville was telling as Marysville last week pushed Sacramento Bee No. 10 Capital Christian in a Golden Empire League game, falling 41-28. Sutter this decade has had teams go 10-2, 13-1 and 13-1.

The next 12
Franklin (Elk Grove) — 4-0
Sheldon (Sacramento) — 4-0
Vacaville — 2-3
Grant (Sacramento) — 2-2
Capital Christian (Sacramento) — 3-1
Jesuit (Carmichael) — 2-2
Antioch — 4-1
Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) — 3-1
Monte Vista (Danville) — 3-1
Campolindo (Moraga) — 3-2
California (San Ramon) — 3-1
Half Moon Bay — 5-0

The Sacramento Bee on how a forfeit can stain the image of city programs ... click here

The Sacramento Bee on regional and section rankings ... 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 and on Instagram: JoeDavidsonMedia