Top 25 California high school football rankings (10/21/2024)

A monster schedule featuring 16 ranked teams squared off last week, a week before Friday's mammoth showdown between No. 2 St. John Bosco at No. 1 Mater Dei

Mater Dei linebacker Abduall Sanders Jr., then a junior, intercepts a pass against St. John Bosco in the 2023 CIF Southern Section Division 1 final at the LA Memorial Coliseum. / Heston Quan

What a week it was and what a week ahead for California high school football fans.

The annual Super Bowl of the regulation takes place Friday at Santa Ana Stadium where Mater Dei, the top-ranked team in the nation and state, according to SBLive, hosts St. John Bosco, ranked No. 2 in both regions.

The two Trinity League, section, state and national powers have combined to win every CIF Open Division title game since 2015. Every season but 2021 — there was no 2020 season due to the pandemic — the teams have met for the Southern Section crown.

The winner of the regular-season game doesn't always have the upper hand in the playoffs. In fact, the teams have split their two meetings in 2016, 2019, 2022 and 2023. Last season was a prime example of how the regular-season showdown evidently triggers a revenge factor as Bosco won in October (28-0) but lost by the same margin in the section finals (35-7).

Both teams were victorious Friday heading into this week's game as Mater Dei handled state No. 9 JSerra Catholic, 41-17, and St. John Bosco edged then No. 7 Servite, 27-17.

Those were two of eight games last week, pitting two SBLive Top 25 California teams, including three sections that featured their top two teams.

* In the North Coast Section, No. 5 De La Salle streaked to a 35-0 lead in the opening minutes of the second quarter en route to a 42-14 home win over previously unbeaten and No. 23 San Ramon Valley.

De La Salle QB Toa Faavae jukes a couple defenders on his way to a 12-yard scamper in Friday's 42-14 win over San Ramon Valley. / Photo: Dennis Lee

* In the Central Coast Section, No. 25 Saint Francis trailed 13-0 at halftime but scored 27 unanswered points in the second half, led by the section's leading rusher Kingston Keanianna who finished with 211 yards and three touchdowns, to beat host St. Ignatius, 27-13.

BYU-bound RB Kingston Keanaaina breaks free momentarily while leading Saint Francis to a 27-13 win at St. Ignatius in San Francisco on Oct. 18, 2024 / Photo: Eric Taylor

* In the San Diego Section, Oregon-bound QB Akili Smith completed 13 of 20 for 189 yards and a touchdown and Aden Jackson and Junior Curtis combined to rush for 182 yards and three scores as No. 16 Lincoln handled then No. 23 Cathedral Catholic, 27-7.

Lincoln senior WR Ty Olsen had three catches for 78 yards in Friday's 27-7 win over Cathedral Catholic and now has 35 catches for 629 yards and nine touchdowns on the season. / Photo: Rudy Schmoke

San Ramon Valley and Cathedral Catholic dropped out of the Top 25 rankings.

The other two games featuring two ranked teams last week were No. 6 Corona Centennial over then No. 11 Murrieta Valley, 28-9, and and No. 22 Clovis East over honorable mention Clovis, 52-33.

CALIFORNIA SCORES (OCT. 17-19)

• CENTRAL SECTION
• CENTRAL COAST SECTION
• LA CITY SECTION
• NORTH COAST SECTION
• NORTHERN SECTION
• OAKLAND SECTION
• SAN DIEGO SECTION
• SAN FRANCISCO SECTION
• SAC-JOAQUIN SECTION
• SOUTHERN SECTION

FOOTBALL HEADLINES OF THE WEEK

• Marine League boycott from all angles
• Texas commit John Mills connection with Arch Manning
• BYU commit Kingston Keanaaina flips script on St. Ignatius
• NCS how they fared; Roundup
• 5 takeaways from De La Salle over San Ramon Valley
• Southern Section Week 8 scoreboard
• Jaden Jefferson channels Reggie Bush on opening KO return
• St. John Bosco freshman Koa Malau'ulu shows out at Sofi Stadium
• Video: Texas A&M-bound Marco Jones' spectacular hit, interception
• De La Salle scores 35 in first 13 minutes, rolls SRV
• Mission Viejo too much for San Clemente
• Mater Dei handles JSerra Catholic
• Southern Section sitdown: Servite coach Chris Reinert
• Small-school power McClymonds to forfeit after fight
• Bosco QB Matai Fuiava transfers midseason to Hawaii Kahuku

CALIFORNIA TOP 25 FOOTBALL RANKINGS (10/21/2024)

1. Mater Dei (7-0)

Previous rank: 1
Last week results: Beat JSerra Catholic, 41-17
Next: Friday vs. St. John Bosco

2. St. John Bosco (8-0)

Previous rank: 2
Last week results: Beat Servite, 27-17
Next: Friday vs. Mater Dei at Santa Ana Bowl

3. Mission Viejo (7-0)

Previous rank: 3
Last week results: Beat San Clemente, 23-7
Next: Friday vs. Edison

4. Orange Lutheran (6-2)

Previous rank: 4
Last week results: Beat Santa Margarita, 13-10
Next: Friday vs. Servite

5. De La Salle (7-0)

Previous rank: 5
Last week results: Beat San Ramon Valley, 42-14
Next: Friday vs. Monte Vista

6. Corona Centennial (6-2)

Previous rank: 6
Last week results: Beat Murrieta Valley, 28-9
Next: Friday vs. Norco

7. Sierra Canyon (5-3)

Previous rank: 8
Last week results: Beat Bishop Amat, 38-0
Next: Friday vs. Loyola

8. Servite (6-2)

Previous rank: 7
Last week results: Lost to St. John Bosco, 27-17
Next: Friday at Orange Lutheran

9. JSerra Catholic (5-3)

Previous rank: 9
Last week Lost to Mater Dei, 41-17
Next: Thursday at Santa Margarita

10. Pittsburg (6-1)

Previous rank: 10
Last week results: Beat Heritage, 45-0
Next: Friday vs Liberty

11. Oaks Christian (6-2)

Previous rank: 13
Last week results: Beat St. Bonaventure, 35-0
Next: Friday at Camarillo

12. Inglewood (8-0)

Previous rank: 12
Last week results: Beat Mira Costa, 27-7
Next: Friday vs. Palos Verdes

13. Gardena Serra (6-2)

Previous rank: 15
Last week results: Beat Notre Dame, 34-18
Next: Friday vs. Bishop Amat

14. Folsom (7-1)

Previous rank: 15
Last week results: Beat Whitney, 69-7
Next: Friday at Jesuit

15. San Diego Lincoln (6-2)

Previous rank: 16
Last week results: Beat Cathedral Catholic, 27-7
Next: Friday at St. Augustine

16. Murrieta Valley (6-2)

Previous rank: 11
Last week results: Lost to Corona Centennial, 28-9
Next: Friday vs. Vista Murrieta Valley

17. Santa Margarita (3-5)

Previous rank: 17
Last week results: Lost to Orange Lutheran, 13-10
Next: Friday vs. JSerra Catholic

18. Oak Hills (8-0)

Previous rank: 18
Last week results: Beat Apple Valley, 30-14
Next: Thursday at Sultana

19. Newbury Park (8-0)

Previous rank: 19
Last week results: Beat Westlake, 45-3
Next: Friday vs. Thousand Oaks

20. Downey (7-1)

Previous rank: 21
Last week results: Beat Dominguez, 35-7
Next: Friday at Warren

21. Clovis East (8-0)

Previous rank: 22
Last week results: Beat Clovis, 52-33
Next: Friday at Buchanan

22. Chaparral (6-2)

Previous rank: 20
Last week results: Beat Norco, 48-37
Next: Thursday at Roosevelt

23. Saint Francis (6-1)

Previous rank: 25
Last week results: Beat St. Ignatius, 27-13
Next: Friday vs. Sacred Heart Cathedral

24. San Juan Hills (7-1)

Previous rank: HM
Last week results: Beat Yorba Linda, 26-16
Next: Friday vs. Newport Harbor

25. Clovis North (6-2)

Previous rank: HM
Last week results: Beat Buchanan, 51-14
Next: Friday vs. Clovis West

HONORABLE MENTION: Bakersfield (7-1), Bakersfield Christian (6-2), Cardinal Newman (6-0), Cathedral Catholic (6-2), Cathedral (7-1), Damien (6-2), Leuzinger (6-2), Millikan (7-2), Rocklin (7-1), San Clemente (4-4), San Juan Hills (6-1), San Ramon Valley (7-1), Simi Valley (8-0), St. Mary's-Stockton (6-2), Yorba Linda (7-1).