More than half of the state's top teams have already begun their seasons and there's a handful already charging upward in the rankings, especially Servite of Anaheim and Crenshaw of Los Angeles. There are no newcomers to the top 25 from the preseason, but plenty of shuffling after the first three teams.

By Mark Tennis & Ronnie Flores
Contributing: Steve Brand, Harold Abend, Paul Muyskens

(First regular season rankings; Preseason ranking in parentheses; After games of Monday, Sept. 7; This is the 31st year in which CalHiSports.com and Cal-Hi Sports have been compiling weekly state football rankings; You can now follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/calhisports or on Facebook by CLICKING HERE )

1.  (1)  Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 1-0
The opening game for the Lions resulted in a solid win if you believe that Alemany of Mission Hills is a top-level team, but might raise some questions if you don't. Alemany kept the score respectable throughout before settling for a 28-17 loss to the state's No. 1-ranked squad. Malcolm Jones was sensational in his senior debut for Oaks  Christian with 37 carries for 277 yards and three TDs. Nick Montana didn't complete a high percentage of passes, but ended up 12 of 28 for 152 yards and one score. Head coach Bill Redell's team hosts Muir of Pasadena in this week's game and will be looking to build some momentum heading into the Sept. 18 nationally-televised showdown against Skyline of Samammish, Wash. In this week's ESPN RISE West Region top 20, Oaks Christian is No. 1 and Skyline is No. 2.

2.  (2)  St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 1-0
Like Malcolm Jones of Oaks Christian, Devon Blackledge of the Seraphs is a running back who began his senior season with a bang. For Blackledge, one of several key returnees from last year's team that went 14-1 and won its second straight CIF Division III state bowl game, his hot start consisted of all five St. Bonnie touchdowns plus 170 yards rushing in a 34-10 victory vs. St. John Bosco of Bellflower. This week, head coach Todd Therrien's team takes on Long Beach Poly, which was the only team to hand St. Bonaventure a loss last season. That score was 12-7 and if Poly has a chance the score will likely have to be similar. Three scores for the Seraphs could be plenty.

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Two-sport star has made the most of his opportunity as a member of the Oakland Athletics' team. He initially did not make the cut at a tryout for a different Area Code team.

By Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

With the sheer amount of scouts and college coaches in attendance, the six-day Area Code Games experience in Long Beach each summer is arguably the most important week in an elite high school baseball player's budding career.

One might think it would be a nerve-racking experience for the players on the eight assembled teams hitting the field each day at Blair Field, but for some it's the exact opposite. The anxiety-level at the Area Code Games happens to pale in comparison to the exhaustive try-out process to be selected for one of the teams in the first place.

That was definitely the case for Robby Rowland from the small Northern California town of Cloverdale, located along Highway 101 in the majestic Redwood Empire.

Rowland, a 6-foot-5, 205-pound right-handed pitcher, attended the Milwaukee Brewers' tryout at Delta College in Stockton, but did not get "the call" back to inform him he made the team. He then received another call, this one from Colorado Rockies Area Scout Gary Wilson that the Oakland Athletics team needed another arm. Rowland gladly jumped on board with a team primarily consisting of players representing the Southeast states.

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State Team of the Year Archbishop Mitty leads a group of four squads from the Central Coast Section that gain final writeups as we add 20 more teams with writeups compared to the 20 we usually do. The biggest change is Etiwanda going up to No. 6 from No. 10. Go inside for more and to see how high unbeaten small school powerhouse Sutter finished or if the Huskies made it into the final overall top 40 at all.

Compiled by Mark Tennis, Executive Editor
Writeups by Harold Abend, Paul Muyskens, Steve Brand, Ronnie Flores and Mark Tennis

(After all games played during 2009 season)
(Previous ranking in parentheses)

1.  (1)  Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 32-0
Is there anything left to be said about the Monarchs that hasn't already been said? No. 1 in the ESPN RISE FAB 50 and a perfect season just about says it all. So being No. 1 in the state, while a dream come true for most teams, almost takes a back seat for Coach Sarah Thomas and her girls. The real turning point in the season and what really propelled Mitty to the top of both heaps was the championship game of the Livermore Stampede. It was in that game that the term "Ricketted” was born after Oklahoma-bound Keilani Ricketts had a career game and one of the most dominating one-girl performances in recent California history in a 5-2 victory over the then No. 1 team in the nation and state, Sheldon of Sacramento. Ricketts came into the game not having given up an earned run at that point in the season with the team 22-0. When she gave up a first-inning home run to Cal-bound Lindsey Ziegenhirt, Ricketts and the other girls could have begun to fold. Instead, Ricketts blasted a three-run homer in the bottom of the first and went on the fan 20 from the circle while only allowing four hits. In the story that appeared on this site, we mused "the way Ricketts pitched and hit on Saturday and the way her teammates slapped the ball effectively, a loss may not get posted on Mitty's ledger for quite some time.” In fact, it did not and the Monarchs ran the table and won their fifth consecutive CCS title.

2.  (2)  Norco 32-2
Although the Cougars were able to get dominant pitching performances from four-year standout Teagan Gerhart, the championship season was greatly aided by a strong lineup of bats one through nine. According to Eric-Paul Johnson of the Riverside Press-Enterprise, coach Rick Robinson got 11 game-winning hits from his team this season. With its 5-1 victory over Big VIII League rival and previous No. 5 Santiago of Corona in the CIF Southern Section Div. I title game, Norco won its second section title in seven years and Robinson's third overall, his first coming at Corona Centennial in 1996. In beating Santiago for the third time this season, Norco not only received a dominant performance from Gerhart, but three timely hits and two runs from junior outfielder Nicole Sappingfield. Norco definitely had a State Team of the Year resume, with a 9-2 win over league foe Poly of Riverside that avenged a 1-0 loss in the sixth game of the season. The only other loss was also a 1-0 setback in a ridiculously tough opening round matchup against No. 7 Freedom of Oakley at the Nike Faster to First Tournament.

3.  (3)  Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) 26-5
With sophomore Ally Carda leading the way in the circle all season long, the Eagles not only made their first-ever Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship game but also ended the season with the win as they defeated Sheldon of Sacramento, 1-0, in the finale. After losing two close games to the Huskies earlier in the season, it was the Eagles who won the game that meant the most as Carda allowed just two hits and struck out eight in a complete game shutout. Carda on the year won 25 of their 26 games with a 0.37 ERA and 380 strikeouts while also leading the team with 39 RBI and nine homers. Other key wins this season for the Eagles were back to back victories against Vista Murrieta and Valencia and they twice defeated Elk Grove, who lost just six times all year.

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