California High School Football Rankings: Top 25 Teams - September 9
Week three of the California high school football season delivered plenty of eye-catching results, leading to plenty of movement in the state rankings.
De La Salle jumped into the top 10 following its second win of the season and was one of 10 programs to move up in the rankings this week. Mater Dei, St. John Bosco and Mission Viejo remain atop the Golden State heading into the second weekend of September.
Below are the top 25 California programs in the On3 Massey Ratings, as of Sept. 9.
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 Ranking: No. 1
The Monarchs (2-0) proved to be too much for national top-10 Bishop Gorman (Nev.) last week, besting the Gaels 31-15 behind standout games from Washington QB commit Dash Beierly and Oregon RB commit Jordon Davison. Stamping itself as the top team in the nation with authority, Mater Dei now gets on the road for the first time in 2024 and will head to Hawaii to take on Kahuku (3-1), the No. 2 team in the state, on Saturday night.
2. St. John Bosco
Previous Ranking: No. 2
The Braves faced some adversity on the road once again last weekend but came out on top in a 38-28 victory at Sierra Canyon. Junior athlete Madden Williams caught three TDs and had over 250 yards in the victory. Now 3-0, Bosco stays away from home once again and will head to San Mateo to take on No. 11 Junipero Serra on Saturday night.
3. Mission Viejo
Previous Ranking: No. 3
The Diablos may not be on the level of Mater Dei or St. John Bosco when it comes to total talent throughout their roster, but they might have the top defense in the state. Mission Viejo (3-0) has allowed just 14 points so far this season following a 46-0 dismantling of Liberty (Nev.) last week. Viejo is favored heavily again this week for its road tilt at Palmdale Highland on Friday night.
4. Orange Lutheran
Previous Ranking: No. 5 (+1)
The Lancers outlasted a game St. Frances Academy (Md.) last weekend, defeating the Baltimore power 15-13. Now 3-0, Lutheran is exceeding expectations early behind Nebraska QB commit TJ Lateef, who already has nine touchdowns. The tests keep getting harder, as the Lancers, now the No. 19 team in the nation, will head to Las Vegas and look to deliver Bishop Gorman its second defeat in a row. The matchup is one of three nationally-ranked games set for this week.
5. J Serra Catholic
Previous Ranking: No. 4 (-1)
J Serra Catholic continues to impress early on in 2024, now checking in at 3-0 following a comfortable 35-6 win over then-ranked Clovis North. The Lions have allowed seven, seven and six points in their three games thus far, headlined by dominant play from elite senior linebacker Madden Faraimo and junior EDGE Simote Katoanga. Another ranked matchup is on the docket this Friday, as Serra heads to San Diego to take on No. 17 Lincoln.
6. Centennial
Previous Ranking: No. 10 (+4)
The Huskies (1-2) finally entered the win column last week, besting Timpview (Utah), 56-20. Sophomore RB Braylin Drake collected four touchdowns, while Centennial as a team ran for seven scores. Another home game against a team from the Beehive State is set for this Saturday, as Lone Peak, the No. 26 team in the nation, will head to Corona.
7. Santa Margarita Catholic
Previous Ranking: No. 8 (+1)
Since losing its season-opener, Santa Margarita Catholic has rebounded nicely with a pair or ranked wins over Centennial and now Bakersfield Liberty. The Eagles bullied the latter for a big 42-3 victory last week and will now look to make it three ranked victories in a row this Friday when No. 15 Oaks Christian comes to town. The Eagles’ offense currently ranks No. 7 in the state.
8. Servite
Previous Ranking: No. 6 (-2)
The Friars’ defense now ranks No. 5 in the state after collecting its second shutout of the young season last week. Servite improved to 3-0 after defeating Chaminade 14-0 on the road. Michigan State QB commit Leo Hannan is reportedly day-to-day after suffering a lower-leg injury in the win. The Friars are set to host Sherman Oaks Notre Dame on Friday.
9. De La Salle
Previous Ranking: No. 11 (+2)
De La Salle delivered a 29-point statement win over Serra San Mateo last week to improve to 2-0 on the season. The Spartans got loose for multiple long TDs, a sign of serious potential for the former Northern-California kingpins. They stay at home this weekend and will host fellow 2-0 St. Francis, the current No. 27 team in the state.
10. Sierra Canyon
Previous Ranking: No. 9 (-1)
Despite being at home last week, Sierra Canyon ran into another buzzsaw in No. 2 St. John Bosco. The Trailblazers (2-2) hung around with the Braves, however, and will now get an extra week to recoup before getting back on the field against Orange Lutheran on Sept. 21. Utah QB commit Wyatt Becker threw for 200 yards and a touchdown in the loss last week.
Teams 11-25 in latest California High School Football Rankings
11. Junipero Serra San Mateo (-4)
12. Los Alamitos
13. Junipero Serra Gardena (+1)
14. Folsom (-1)
15. Oaks Christian (+1)
16. Clovis East (+2)
17. Lincoln (+2)
18. Cathedral Catholic (-3)
19. Damien (+2)
20. Rocklin (-3)
21. Pittsburg (+1)
22. La Costa Canyon (previous unranked)
23. St. Bonaventure (previous unranked)
24. Murrieta Valley
25. Chaparral (previous unranked)