Top 15 CIF North Coast Section high school football rankings; Games of the Week (9/17/2024)

Top-ranked De La Salle and No. 2 Pittsburg take care of CCS powers Serra, Riordan; 3rd-ranked San Ramon Valley handles Clayton Valley Charter; Marin Catholic back in after stirring win over Manteca

Pittsburg senior RB and SS Jamar Searcy, a Washington State commit, rushed 17 times for 164 yards and four touchdowns in Friday's 56-42 win over Riordan. / Photo: Ben Enos

The elite of the North Coast Section flexed its respective muscle last week, with just a single hiccup.

While top-ranked De La Salle and No. 2 Pittsburg rolled over Central Coast Section's second- and third-ranked teams, the rest SBLive's Top 15 showed well, with the exception being previous No. 7 Bishop O'Dowd dropping a 28-14 game to Oakland mighty power McClymonds, a four-time state champion.

O'Dowd actually made up quite a bit of ground having lost to the Warriors, 45-0 in 2023. The Dragons got two interceptions, including a 97-yard pick six, from linebacker John Teti and a TD run by Saliou Sow in defeat Friday.

* The only other team in the Top 15 to lose was Clayton Valley Charter, which lost at No. 3 San Ramon Valley. No shame there as reflected with the Eagles dropping from 12 to 13.

* Back into the rankings was defending state D3-A champion Marin Catholic, which stunned Manteca, the SJS's No. 4 team, 29-28.

Though the Wildcats had trouble shutting down super Manteca sophomore Nikko Juarez (29 carries, 219 yards, 4 touchdowns), they got 287 yards passing and two touchdowns from junior QB Caedon Afsharipou, who hit Chase Merrick with a 21-yard TD pass in the final two minutes to tie the game. Charlie Carroll's extra point give Marin Catholic a one-point lead before Josh Riley supplied the game-clinching interception. According to the Marin Independent-Journal, Braiden Bachich-Dixon had four catches for 88 yards and a TD.

* De La Salle and Pittsburg have a couple more big challenges, especially the Pirates, who travel to the nation's No. 2 team St. John Bosco, which is coming off a 56-16 win over CCS No. 1 Serra.

* Pittsburg, who hasn't had 4-star safety and UCLA commit Jadyn Hudson all season due to a knee injury, won the Game of the Week Friday with a while 56-42 win over visiting Riordan.

Washington State commit Jamar Searcy rushed 17 times for 164 yards and four touchdowns, Elijah Bow added two rushing TDs and speedy freshman Kenny Ward caught a 31-yard score from Marley Alcantara and had a 72-yard pick six for the Pirates.

Riordan (1-2), missing 4-star receiver Chris Lawson due to a number of nagging injuries, fought back from a 28-7 deficit behind the remarkable efforts of Jeremiah Jones (42 carries, 296 yards, three total TDs), QB Mikey Mitchell (four TD passes) and wide receiver Cynai Thomas (two TD catches), the second a 38-yard cutting the lead to 49-42 with five minutes left.

When Riordan recovered an onside kick, the Crusaders had a chance to tie or go ahead, but Searcy intercepted a Mitchell pass and Bow bullied in for his second TD to clinch the victory. 

"In spite of a lot of adversity, I was most pleased with the team not quitting and playing four quarters," Pittsburg coach Charlie Ramirez said. "I told the team that Riordan was going to keep coming and they did just that. We just need to execute for four quarters."

* De La Salle, ranked fifth in the state, continued to show this may be its best team since 2015 with a five touchdown win over CCS No. 3 squad Saint Francis, 42-7, as the Spartans outgained the Lancers, 431-159. Derrick Blanche led a 392-yard rushing game with 11 carries for 109 yards and Dominic Kelley added 9, 81 and two touchdowns and Duece Jones-Drew added 10, 78, 1.

Games of the week: No. De La Salle at Stockton St. Mary's; No. 2 Pittburg at St. John Bosco; No. 3 San Ramon Valley at McClymonds; No. 4 San Marin at Casa Grande

TOP 15 NORTH COAST SECTION FOOTBALL RANKINGS (9/17/2024)

1. De La Salle (3-0)

Dominic Kelley (21) celebrates after scoring one of his two touchdowns, leading host De La Salle to a 39-10 win over Serra Friday night at Owen Owens field on Sept. 6, 2024. On Friday, he had two more touchdowns in the Spartans' impressive 42-7 win over Saint Francis. / Photo: Dennis Lee

Previous rank: 1
Last week results: Beat Mountain View Saint Francis, 42-7
Next: Friday at Stockton St. Mary's

2. Pittsburg (3-0)

Pittsburg defensive end JuJu Walls (1) is a fourth-year starter for the Pirates and a 4-star prospect. He's committed to UCLA. He'll need to have a big game Friday in Pittsburg game at St. John Bosco. / Photo: Ben Enos

Previous rank: 2
Last week results: Beat Riordan, 56-42
Next: Friday at St. John Bosco

3. San Ramon Valley (3-0)

Previous rank: 3
Last week's results: Beat Clayton Valley Charter, 31-15
Next: Friday at McClymonds

4. San Marin (3-0)

Previous rank: 4
Last week's results: Beat Moreau Catholic, 34-12
Next: Friday at Casa Grande

5. Cardinal Newman (3-0)

Previous rank: 5
Last week's results: Beat Armijo, 56-21
Next: Friday vs. Bishop O'Dowd

6. El Cerrito (3-0)

Previous rank: 6
Last week's results: Beat Oakland Tech, 6-0
Next: Friday vs. Campolindo

7. California (3-0)

Previous rank: 10
Last week's results: Beat Monterey Trail, 35-21
Next: Friday at Antioch

8. Bishop O'Dowd (2-1)

Previous rank: 7
Last week's results: Lost to McClymonds, 28-14
Next: Friday at Cardinal Newman

9. Monte Vista (2-1)

Previous rank: 8
Last week's results: Beat Bellarmine, 24-13
Next: Friday vs. James Logan

10. Windsor (3-0)

Previous rank: 13
Last week's results: Beat Campolindo, 33-14
Next: Friday at Dublin

11. Liberty (2-1)

Liberty Lions Brentwood QB Sage Robertson (12) hands to star RB Jaxon Bell, who gained 187 yards and scored two TDs in 24-7 win over Frontier-Bakersfield on 8-30-2024 / Photo: Lisbeth Lafferty

Previous rank: 11
Last week's results: Beat Tracy, 34-21
Next: Friday at Amador Valley

12. Acalanes (2-1)

Previous rank: 9
Last week's results: Lost to Del Oro, 34-21
Next: Friday vs. College Park

13. Clayton Valley (1-2)

Previous rank: 12
Last week's results: Lost to San Ramon Valley, 31-15
Next: Friday vs. Northgate

14. Las Lomas (3-0)

Previous rank: 14
Last week's results: Beat Tamalpais, 42-13
Next: Saturday vs. Alhambra

15. Marin Catholic (1-2)

Marin Catholic enters the field during a 2023 CIF Regional D3-A title game with McClymonds. The Wildcats went on to win this game 35-28, then the state championship a week later over Mayfair, 38-18. / Photo: Greg Jungferman

Previous rank: HM
Last week's results: Beat Manteca, 29-28
Next: Saturday at Tamalpais

HONORABLE MENTION: Amador Valley (1-2), American Canyon (3-0), Berkeley (2-0), Campolindo (1-2), Casa Grande (2-1), Miramonte (2-1), Rancho Cotate (2-1), Salesian (3-0), St. Bernard's (3-0), St. Vincent de Paul (2-1).