California High School Football Rankings: Top 25 Teams - Sept. 16

Week No. 4 of the California high school football season is in the books and the Golden State rankings have once again updated.

Subtle movements throughout the top 25 are featured, headlined by J Serra Catholic jumping ahead of Orange Lutheran for the No. 4 spot. Mater Dei continues to look untouchable at the No. 1 spot.

Below are the top 25 teams in the state of California entering the third full week of September, per the On3 Massey Ratings.

The On3 Massey Ratings, officially used during the BCS era, is a model that ranks sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule and margin of victory. According to the model — four teams from Alabama rank inside the nationwide top 100.

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1. Mater Dei

Previous: No. 1
The Monarchs are now 3-0 after a dominant 38-7 win on the road over Kahuku, the No. 2 team in Hawaii. Offense has been easy to come by for the California juggernaut, as it has now scored 111 points through its first three games, all of which have been against quality opposition. Mater Dei is idle this week and will now gear up for another big test on Sept. 27 when St. Frances Academy, the No. 1 team in Maryland, makes the cross-country trek to the Golden State.

2. St. John Bosco

Previous: No. 2
The Braves (4-0) are making an argument for the top spot in the state and the nation so far, with the latest example being a 56-16 win on the road over Junipero Serra San Mateo last week. St. John Bosco has already won three games away from home in 2024, and like Mater Dei, possesses a top-three offense and defense in the nation. The Braves host Pittsburg for another in-state matchup this week.

3. Mission Viejo

Previous: No. 3
While it may look to be a tier below the top two teams in the state, Mission Viejo continues to decimate its opposition on a weekly basis, with the latest example being a 63-6 win over Highland. Now 4-0, the Diablos are still yet to allow more than 7 points in a game and now have a legitimate argument for the state’s top defense. They host Basha, a top-three program in Arizona, this weekend.

4. J Serra Catholic

Previous: No. 5 (+1)
The Lions now have three ranked wins early in the season following a 28-19 win on the road over San Diego Lincoln. Much like Mission Viejo, J Serra Catholic (4-0) has looked like a serious problem on both sides of the football thus far. Opponents have combined for just 39 points against the Lions’ defense. They head to La Verne this week to take on Damien, a top-35 program in the state.

5. Centennial

Previous: No. 6 (+1)
As Texas A&M QB commit Husan Longstreet finally gets into the swing of things, Centennial now looks much better than its 2-2 record would suggest. The Huskies put up 49 points in a win over national top-30 program Lone Peak (Utah) last week to make it two wins in a row. The tough out-of-state challenges keep coming, as Centennial now prepares to head to Arizona to take on Liberty, a national top-25 program.

6. Orange Lutheran

Previous: No. 4 (-2)
The Lancers ran into a buzzsaw in Bishop Gorman (Nev.) last weekend for their first loss of the season. The good news for Nebraska QB commit TJ Lateef and Co. however, is they were able to score 28 points against the Gaels, a top-10 team in the nation. Now 3-1, a big in-state clash at No. 10 Sierra Canyon awaits this weekend.

7. Santa Margarita Catholic

Previous: No. 7
Santa Margarita Catholic (3-1) now has a pair of ranked wins under its belt following a 20-point win at home over Oaks Christian. Since losing their season-opener to Mission Viejo, the Eagles have scored 30 points or more while allowing less than 20 in each of their three victories. Checking in with the No. 7 offense in the state, the Eagles hit the road this weekend to take on undefeated Leuzinger in Lawndale.

8. Servite

Previous: No. 8
Another one of the state’s top defenses resides in Anaheim. Servite (4-0) continues to nullify its opponents on offense and has now allowed just 34 points through four games thus far. Led by Michigan State QB commit Leo Hannan on offense, the Friars are at home this week, though a big-time clash on the road at No. 4 J Serra Catholic looms on Oct. 4.

9. De La Salle

Previous: No. 9
De La Salle (3-0) has delivered another display of early-season dominance on both sides of the football. The Spartans have now outscored their three opponents 123-31. The regular season schedule continues to look favorable, too, as the rest of the Spartans’ opponents are currently outside of the top 25, as of Sept. 16.

10. Sierra Canyon

Previous: No. 10
The Trailblazers (2-2) have seen mixed results so far against one of the state’s toughest regular season schedules. Sierra Canyon hung around with No. 2 St. John Bosco last time out and will now look to improve to 2-0 at home this season when No. 6 Orange Lutheran heads to Chatsworth. The Trailblazers’ defense currently ranks No. 5 in the state, per the Massey Ratings.

Teams 11-25 in latest California High School Football Rankings

11. Los Alamitos (+1)
12. Junipero Serra San Mateo (-1)
13. Clovis East (+3)
14. Junipero Serra Gardena (-1)
15. Folsom (-1)

16. Oaks Christian (-1)
17. Lincoln
18. Clovis North (previous unranked)
19. Murrieta Valley (+5)
20. Rocklin

21. Chaparral (+4)
22. La Costa Canyon
23. Pittsburg (-2)
24. Buchanan (previous unranked)
25. Central Fresno (previous unranked)

Dropped Out: Cathedral Catholic (previously 18th), Damien (previously 19th), St. Bonaventure (previously 23rd)