CIF-Southern Section High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21

The CIF-Southern Section is again California’s most dominant high school football region, and the state’s top-25 rankings reflect that each week.

Of the top 10 teams in the Golden State, nine hail from the CIF-SS, with only De La Salle to represent the rest of the state.

There wasn’t much movement in this week’s Southern Section rankings, though, despite some minor upsets. Below is the full top 25:

The On3 Massey Ratings — which were officially used during the BCS era and have generated college high school sports team rankings since 1995 — rank sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule and margin of victory.

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1. Mater Dei 

Previous Ranking: No. 1
The Monarchs opened the season as the country’s No. 1 team and still remain there after a 7-0 start. With a trio of California top-10 wins at their back, they’ll face rival and No. 2 St. John Bosco in one of the country’s biggest games this season on Friday night.

2. St. John Bosco 

Previous Ranking: No. 2
The Braves are 8-0, despite having only played one unranked team this year. After top-10 wins over Orange Lutheran, Santa Margarita Catholic and Servite, they’ll get their biggest test of the year Friday at No. 1 Mater Dei.

3. Mission Viejo 

Previous Ranking: No. 3
Only two games stand between Mission Viejo and an undefeated regular season: this week’s tilt against rival Edison and a top-20 showdown to close the year vs. No. 14 Los Alamitos.

4. Centennial

Previous Ranking: No. 4
The Huskies had arguably their biggest remaining test of the year against No. 10 Murrieta Valley on Friday, but easily handled the visitors 28-9. They’re heavy favorites, per the On3 Massey Ratings, in each of their final two games.

5. Orange Lutheran 

Previous Ranking: No. 5
The Lancers survived a 13-10 slugfest against No. 10 Santa Margarita Catholic to move to 6-2, but close the year with games against No. 6 Servite and at No. 1 Mater Dei.

6. Servite 

Previous Ranking: No. 6
After starting the year 6-0, Servite has suffered consecutive losses to the state’s top two teams — falling 28-6 to Mater Dei before losing 27-17 to Bosco on Friday. They’ll need to right the ship quickly this week against Orange Lutheran.

7. J Serra Catholic 

Previous Ranking: No. 7
Much like Servite, J Serra Catholic opened the season hot with a 5-0 record before dropping three straight. They’ll look to get the train going back in the right direction against No. 9 Santa Margarita on Friday night.

8. Sierra Canyon

Previous Ranking: No. 8
The Trailblazers are now 5-3 after a 38-0 shutout win over Bishop Amat on Friday. They’re heavily favored against this week’s opponent, Loyola, before a big top-15 showdown at Junipero Serra.

9. Santa Margarita Catholic 

Previous Ranking: No. 9
The Eagles continue to struggle in Trinity League play, dropping a 13-10 decision to Orange Lutheran over the weekend. They’ve now lost four in a row — by a combined 32 points — but will have a chance to get things going against J Serra Catholic.

10. Murrieta Valley

Previous Ranking: No. 10
The Nighthawks dropped to 6-2 after a 28-9 loss on the road at Centennial, one of two top-10 opponents they’ve faced this year. With two games to go, they’re heavily favored in each over rival Vista Murrieta and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Teams 11-25 in CIF-Southern Section High School Football Rankings

11. Junipero Serra 
12. Oaks Christian
13. Rancho Cucamonga (+1)
14. Los Alamitos (-1)
15. Inglewood 

16. Oak Hills 
17. Chaparral (+1)
18. San Juan Hills (-1)
19. Damien 
20. Newbury Park 

21. Yorba Linda 
22. Villa Park 
23. Leuzinger (previously unranked)
24. Downey (-1)
25. Granite Hills (-1)

Dropped out: San Marcos