San Diego Section Top 10 high school football rankings via SBLive Sports/Sports Illustrated, 9/18/23

Carlsbad and Lincoln remain in the top two spots in this week's rankings

The top eight teams in the San Diego Section football rankings remained in order following the fifth week of games. St. Augustine held their spot at No. 6 in the rankings after blocking a potential game-winning field goal against Newport Harbor on Friday.

• St. Augustine sophomore Parker Johnson discusses win over Newport Harbor

• Five takeaways from St. Augustine's win

El Camino gained a spot, moving up to No. 9 after their 63-point victory against Mt. Carmel in non-league play.

SBLive's San Diego Section Top 10 football rankings

1. Carlsbad (5-0)

Next game: 9/29 at Mission Hills

Previous ranking: 1

The Lancers led 28-0 at halftime on their way to a 38-7 win over visiting Ramona. Running back Mason Walsh rushed for 193 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries while the Carlsbad defense totaled six sacks and an interception.

2. Lincoln (5-0)

Next game: Friday vs. Inglewood

Previous ranking: 2

Lincoln picked up their second shutout of the season, blanking Cajon 27-0 on Friday night. Trenice Woods reeled in two touchdown passes while the Hornets defense limited Cajon to 70 total yards.

3. Granite Hills (4-0)

Next game: Friday vs. Madison

Previous ranking: 3

The Eagles have outscored their past two opponents by a score of 69-13. Freshman quarterback Zachary Benitez had 184 passing yards and two touchdowns in Thursday's win over Central.

4. Helix (5-0)

Next game: 9/28 at West Hills

Previous ranking: 4

Helix, playing their fourth straight game away from home, overcame an early deficit to beat Cathedral Catholic 35-21. Running back Kevin Allen III continued his huge senior season with 212 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the victory.

5. La Costa Canyon (4-1)

Next game: 9/29 vs. Poway

Previous ranking: 5

La Costa Canyon cruised past Fallbrook 49-7 on Friday, leading 35-0 at halftime. The Mavericks will have a bye this week before diving into Avocado League play against Poway in two weeks.

6. St. Augustine (3-2)

Next game: Friday at Mater Dei Catholic

Previous ranking: 6

The Saints blocked a potential game-winning field goal on Friday, holding off Newport Harbor 32-30. They'll finish out their non-league portion of the schedule this week with a visit to Mater Dei Catholic.

7. Mission Hills (4-1)

Next game: 9/29 vs. Carlsbad

Previous ranking: 7

Mission Hills rolled in Saturday's Discovery Bowl game against rival San Marcos. The Grizzlies led 7-0 at halftime on their way to a 35-7 win against the Knights.

8. Madison (2-2)

Next game: Friday at Granite Hills

Previous ranking: 8

Madison had a bye last week following their loss against Helix. They'll take on four top 10 teams from the San Diego Section over the next five weeks.

9. El Camino (3-1)

Next game: 9/29 at Mission Hills

Previous ranking: 1

El Camino returned from their bye week with a dominant 69-6 win over Mt. Carmel. They'll host rival Oceanside this week in a non-league battle before beginning Avocado League play in two weeks.

10. Cathedral Catholic (1-4)

Next game: 9/29 at Liberty (Nev.)

Previous ranking: 1

The Dons dropped Friday's game to unbeaten Helix, 35-21. They'll take a trip to Las Vegas this week to complete their non-league schedule before returning for Western League play.

Honorable Mention

Del Norte

Poway

Torrey Pines

Oceanside

Ramona

(Feature photo by Steven Silva)