California Top 25 high school football rankings by SBLive/Sports Illustrated (10/2/2023)

Top-ranked Mater Dei and No. 2 St. John Bosco flex their collective muscle in Trinity League play

Author:
Mitch Stephens, SBLive Sports
Updated:
Oct 4, 2023 8:18 PM EDT
Original:
Oct 3, 2023

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

We're about 10 days until the annual showdown between the state's top two juggernauts, No. 1 Mater Dei at No. 2 St. John Bosco, a game that will feature up to 60 future college players.

Both teams cruised over state-ranked opponents last week in Trinity League action.

There was little to no movement throughout the rankings and with few ranked squads playing each other this week, there likely won't be a lot of movement for the next three or four weeks.

Then again, that's why they play the games.

1. Mater Dei (6-0)

Previous rank: 1. Last week: def. Servite, 49-0

Elijah Brown with a vintage five-touchdown passing game in Trinity League opener.

Next game: Friday vs. JSerra Catholic

St. John. Bosco (5-1)

Previous rank: 2. Last week: def. Santa Margarita, 42-7

UCLA-bound Cameron Jones rushed for 136 of the team's 248 yards including two touchdowns.

Next game: Friday vs. Servite

3. Serra-San Mateo (5-0)

Previous rank: 3. Last week: def. Saint Francis, 45-17

Maealiuaki Smith broke loose for his best game of the season, completing 19 of 28 for 320 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for two more scores.

Next game: Friday vs. Mitty at Foothill College

4. Corona Centennial (4-2)

Previous rank: 4. Last week: def. Chaparral, 58-19

Cornell Hatcher is having monster season after rushing 10 times for 99 yards and two more touchdowns last week.

Next game: Friday vs. Roosevelt

5. Sierra Canyon (6-0)

Previous rank: 5. Last week: def. Notre Dame-Sherman Oaks, 34-10

USC commit Xavier Jordan had six catches for 135 yards and TD in Mission League opener.

Next game: Friday at Bishop Amat

6. Long Beach Poly (5-1)

Previous rank: 6. Last week: def. Millikan, 26-23 in OT

The Jackrabbits were bailed out by Joshua Carson, who rushed for 108 yards and three touchdowns in OT win.

Next game: Friday vs. Long Beach Wilson

7. Carlsbad (6-0)

Previous rank: 7. Last week: def. Mission Hills, 35-7

Late in second quarter it was 7-7 before the Lancers got things going with five different players scoring touchdowns.

Next game: Friday vs. Poway

8. Lincoln-San Diego (7-0)

Previous rank: 8. Last week: def. Madison, 30-0

Jerome Roberts highlighted Lincoln's third shutout of the season with a 63-yard pick six.

Next game: Friday vs. Cathedral Catholic at Mira Mesa

9. Rancho Cucamonga (6-0)

Previous rank: 9. Last week: idle

Good time to rest before Baseline League opener. Three quarterbacks have combined almost evenly to complete 100 of 164 passes for 1,546 yards and 11 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Next game: Friday vs. Etiwanda

10. Mission Viejo (5-1)

Previous rank: 11. Last week: def. Kamehameha Kapalama, 34-0

Chase Valousky rushed for 102 yards and sophomore WR Vance Spafford had seven catches for 102 yards and three touchdowns.

Next game: Oct. 13 vs. San Clemente

11. Clovis North (6-0)

Previous rank: 13. Last week: def. previously-unbeaten Clovis East, 31-21

Vincent Corboda and Andrew Chavez scored two touchdowns each in the comeback win.

Next game: Friday at Clovis (5-1)

12. JSerra Catholic (4-2)

Previous rank: 16. Last week: def. Orange Lutheran, 24-14

Michael Tollefson, a quarterback, rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns.

Next game: Friday at Mater Dei

13. Murrietta Valley (5-1)

Previous rank: 14. Last week: def. Roosevelt, 56-27

Junior QB Bear Bachmeier was at it again, throwing for 224 yards and a touchdowns and rushing four times for 83 yards and two more scores. Dorian Hoze added 122 yards rushing and two scores

Next game: Friday at Norco

14. Serra-Gardena (4-2)

Previous rank: 15. Last week: def. Chaminade, 34-7

Cincere Rhaney put on a show with 20 carries for 221 yards and two touchdowns. Zacharyus Williams not bad either with seven catches for 141 yards and two more scores.

Next game: Friday vs. Notre Dame-Sherman Oaks

15. Santa Margarita (4-2)

Previous rank 10. Last week: lost to St. John Bosco, 42-7

Super sophomore Trent Mosley held to one catch for five yards and five yards rushing vs. Bosco.

Next game: Friday vs. Orange Lutheran

16. Pacifica-Oxnard (7-0)

Previous rank: 17. Last week: def. Ventura, 28-14

Isaiah Dillon could not be stopped with eight catches for 102 yards and three touchdowns against Ventura. He has 38 catches for 644 yards and 11 touchdowns, 10 coming in the last three games.

Next game: Friday vs. Channel Islands

17. Orange Lutheran (3-3)

Previous rank: 12. Last week: Lost to JSerra, 24-14

The Lancers have dropped three straight and it doesn't get much easier on Friday.

Next game: Friday at Santa Margarita

18. Damien (7-0)

Previous rank: 19. Last week: def. Upland, 24-21

Preston Yado's 26-yard field goal with 5:17 left in in the fourth quarter made up for a missed FG late in the first half of a thrilling Baseline League game.

Next game: Friday at Chino Hills

19. De La Salle (4-2)

Previous rank: 21. Last week: def. McClymonds, 21-0

Spartans squander five red-zone chances but still have more than enough to knock off perennial small-school state powers. Dominic Kelley rushes for two scores, Chris Biller records three tackles for loss.

Next game: Oct. 13 at San Ramon Valley

20. San Clemente (5-1)

Previous rank: 20. Last week:Idle

Still stinging from 39-38 loss to Murrieta Valley, the Tritons will likely take out frustrations on Friday. Senior running back Aiden Rubin (5-8, 190) has rushed for 13 touchdowns.

Next game: Friday at Ayala

21. Oaks Christian (4-2)

Previous rank: NR. Last week: def. Calabasas, 56-8

Nate Bennet was super efficient, completing 13 of 17 for 273 yards and two touchdowns, both to Stevie Amar (4 catches, 102 yards).

Next game: Friday vs. Bishop Diego

22. Los Alamitos (4-2)

Previous rank: NR. Last week: def. Fountain Valley, 49-10

Two losses by a total of 10 points. Four wins by 118 points.

Next game: Friday at Newport Harbor

Granite Hills (6-0)

Previous rank: 22. Last week: def. Santana, 42-6

For the fourth straight game, holds team to single-digit scoring. The Eagles are led by a freshman quarterback in Zachary Benitez.

Next game: Friday vs. West Hills

24. Helix (6-0)

Previous rank: 23. Last week: def. West Hills, 41-7

Has outscored opponents 242-124 this season

Next game: Friday vs. Grossmont

25. San Ramon Valley (5-0)

Previous rank: 25. Last week: idle

Dangerous precursor this week before highly-anticipated home game against De La Salle.

Next game: Friday at Clayton Valley Charter

On the bubble: Folsom (4-2), Liberty-Bakersfield (5-1), Polos Verdes (6-0), Pittsburg (5-0), San Juan Hills (7-0), Servite (4-2), St. Mary's-Stockton (5-1), Valencia (6-1), Villa Park (6-0), Warren (4-2).

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