Top 25 California high school football rankings (9/30/2024)

With 15 of the top 25 teams taking off last week, there's not much movement; Downey, San Ramon Valley move into the fray; Trinity League opens this week

San Ramon Valley QB Rhett Thompson in an opening 2024 season win over St. Ignatius; The Wolves move into the SBLive Top 25 rankings after their fifth straight win last week, 48-0 over Hayward. / Photo: Jim Malone

It was a rest for the weary, or those catching their collective breath heading into the stretch drive for the top high school football teams in California.

A whopping 15 of the Top 25 teams in the SBLive rankings were on byes last week, including all but one of the Southern Section's Trinity League, that makes up six squads. Among those is No. 1 Mater Dei and No. 2 St. John Bosco. Third-ranked 3 Mission Viejo was one of the few teams that played and once again the Diablos were impressive, with a 51-10 win over previous No. 13 Chaparral.

This should be one of the best weeks of the season, as there are five games featuring two ranked teams, including all three Trinity League games: No. 1 Mater Dei at No. 14 Santa Margarita, No. 2 St. John Bosco vs. No. 5 Orange Lutheran and No. 4 JSerra Catholic vs. No. 8 Servite.

The other big tusseles are No. 12 Luezinger versus No. 21 Inglewood and No. 17 Chaparral at honorable mention Vista Murrieta.

CALIFORNIA SCORES/SCHEDULES (SEPT. 26-28)

• 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

• Mission Viejo WR Vance Spafford reveals top 5 schools
• St. Ignatius shocks San Mateo Serra
• Southern California scoreboard
• Vance Spafford's 4 first-half TDs leads Mission Viejo
• San Diego Lincoln QB, Oregon commit Akili Smith with a dart
• Cole Leinart's debut at Redondo impressive
• Southern Section Sitdown: NIL breakdown/Jared McCain
• Southern Section Offensive POY watchlist
• Southern Section Defensive POY watchlist
• Southern Section Breakout POY watchlist
• Southern Section Freshman POY watchlist
• How CIF San Diego Section Top 10 Fared
  
• How CIF Central Coast Section Top 15 Fared
• How CIF North Coast Section Top 15 Fared
• How CIF Central Section Top 15 Fared
• How CIF Central Coast Section Top 15 Fared
• California computer rankings
• How Mater Dei, Folsom nearly randomly met this week

CALIFORNIA TOP 25 FOOTBALL RANKINGS (9/30/2024)

1. Mater Dei (4-0)

Previous rank: 1
Last week results: idle
Next: Friday at Santa Margarita

2. St. John Bosco (5-0)

St. John Bosco junior QB Matai Fuiava runs for a big gain in his team's 56-17 win at San Mateo Serra on 9/14/2024 / Photo: Dennis Lee

Previous rank: 2
Last week results: Idle
Next: Friday vs. Orange Lutheran

3. Mission Viejo (5-0)

Mission Viejo hosts Santa Margarita on Saturday in a California high school football Southern Section showdown. /

Previous rank: 3
Last week results: Beat Chaparral, 51-10
Next: Friday vs. Long Beach Poly at Sofi Stadium

4. JSerra Catholic (4-0)

Previous rank: 4
Last week results: Bye
Next: Oct. 4 vs. Servite

5. Orange Lutheran (4-1)

Orange Lutheran sophomore Chris Flores hauls in long pass over heavy contest by Myles Baker in the Lancers' 33-26 comeback win over Sierra Canyon in Chatsworth. Orange Lutheran scored 23 unanswered 4Q points. Photo by Rene Morales.jpg / Photo: Rene Morales

Previous rank: 5
Last week results: Bye
Next: Friday at St. John Bosco

6. De La Salle (5-0)

Previous rank: 6
Last week results: Beat El Cerrito, 35-14
Next: Oct. 8 vs. European All-Stars in London

7. Corona Centennial (3-2)

Previous rank: 7
Last week results: Bye
Next: Thursday at Roosevelt

8. Servite (4-0)

Previous rank: 8
Last week results: Beat St. Paul, 33-14
Next: Friday at JSerra Catholic

9. Sierra Canyon (2-3)

Sierra Canyon celebrates a touchdown against Oaks Christian on Friday, August 30, 2024. / Samuel Mawanda

Previous rank: 9
Last week results: Bye
Next: Friday at Chaminade

10. Pittsburg (3-1)

Pittsburg senior Marley Alcantara isn't just nimble on his feet, as shown in last year's CIF Northern California Division 1-AAA 28-25 loss at Folsom, but he has a big, accurate arm which had led to three wins and No. 10 state ranking following a tough 35-14 loss at No. 2 St. John Bosco on Friday. Alcantara threw for 222 yards and two TDs in Friday's game. / Photo: Dennis Lee

Previous rank: 10
Last week results: Bye
Next: Friday vs. Los Gatos

11. Oaks Christian (3-2)

Previous rank: 11
Last week results: Bye
Next: Friday at Oxnard Pacifica

12. Leuzinger (5-0)

Previous rank: 12
Last week results: Beat Hawthorne, 61-0
Next: Friday vs. Inglewood

13. Gardena Serra (3-2)

Previous rank: 16
Last week results: Beat Los Alamitos, 42-7
Next: Friday at Loyola

14. Santa Margarita (3-2)

Previous rank: 15
Last week results: Idle
Next: Friday vs. Mater Dei

15. Folsom (4-1)

Previous rank: 14
Last week results: Forfeit win over Davis, 2-0
Next: Friday at Oak Ridge

16. San Diego Lincoln (3-2)

Previous rank: 17
Last week results: Beat Sacramento Grant, 49-19
Next: Saturday vs. Los Alamitos

17. Chaparral (5-1)

Previous rank: 13
Last week results: Lost to Mission Viejo, 51-10
Next: Thursday at Vista Murrieta

18. Oak Hills (5-0)

Previous rank: 18
Last week results: Idle
Next: Thursday vs. Hesperia

19. Murrieta Valley (5-1)

Previous rank: 19
Last week results: Beat San Clemente, 35-25
Next: Thursday vs. Norco

20. Newbury Park (5-0)

Previous rank: 20
Last week results: Beat Ventura, 43-14
Next: Saturday at Santa Barbara

21. Inglewood (5-0)

Previous rank: 23
Last week results: Idle
Next: Friday at Leuzinger

22. Downey (4-1)

Previous rank: HM
Last week results: Idle
Next: Friday at La Mirada

23. Central (5-0)

Previous rank: 24
Last week results: Idle
Next: Friday vs. Clovis North

24. Clovis East (5-0)

Clovis East senior WR-DB Harold Duvall eyes way down field in game vs. Grant Union; The Timberwolves have a week off before opening rugged TRAC play Oct. 4 vs. Clovis West. / Photo: Bobby Medellin

Previous rank: 25
Last week results: Idle
Next: Friday vs. Clovis West

25. San Ramon Valley (5-0)

Previous rank: HM
Last week results: Beat Hayward, 48-0
Next: Friday at Granada

HONORABLE MENTION: Cardinal Newman (5-0), Cathedral (4-1), Cathedral Catholic (4-1), Los Alamitos (4-2), Millikan (4-2), Narbonne (4-2), San Clemente (3-3), San Juan Hills (4-1), St. Ignatius (3-1), Vista Murrieta (4-1), Yorba Linda (5-0).