Unofficial title game goes to team put together by Cincinnati Reds, who defeated a squad that had several Californians on the roster. Brewers Blue pitching is dominant in its final game, a 3-1 win over the Texas Rangers.

By Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

The workmanlike Cincinnati Reds took the unofficial Area Code team title with a 8-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Monday afternoon at Blair Field in Long Beach. The Reds, made of up players mainly from the Four Corners region plus Nevada, used seven different pitchers in a seven-inning game to dethrone a team primarily made up of players from the Southeast Region of the United States, plus seven additional players from right here in the Golden State.

Those A's players were brothers Brett and Bobby Geren (San Ramon Valley, Danville), catcher Andrew Knapp (Granite Bay), pitcher Jake Stassi (Yuba City), utility player Andrew Thurman (Orange Lutheran), outfielder Colton Keough (Tesoro, Las Flores) and pitcher Robbie Rowland (Cloverdale).

It's ironic that that the A's has seven players from California because it's the same number of players that were unavailable for Monday's title tilt, according to Area Code Baseball Director Andrew Drennen of ESPN RISE. It was readily apparent the Reds had more arms to work with as none of their pitchers faced more than four batters in any inning, whereas the A's first two hurlers threw to 27 batters, allowing seven runs, but only one earned.(Read full post)

Today we are continuing our preseason football coverage with a detailed review of the 1988 season. It's the fourth part in a series taking a look back at the past quarter century of prep football in the Golden State, beginning with the 1985 season. Football coaches can email ronnie@studentsports.com or call (800) 660-1334 Ext. 4414 for details on how to make sure your program is included in our upcoming series of team previews for the 2009 season and considered for our preseason state rankings package.

By Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

California Schools With the Most D1 Signers (1988-1989)

Carson (10) - Todd Auvaa (6-3, 190, LB) to New Mexico; Fred Gatlin (6-2, 180, QB) to Nevada; Ray Harris (6-2, 240, DL) to Army; Perry Klein (6-3, 180, QB) to Cal; Jeff Leiato (6-3, 220, LB) to New Mexico; Greg Lindsey (6-2, 185, DB) to Colorado; Samila Manu (6-2, 215, FB-LB) to Pacific; Howard McCowan (6-0, 180, DB) to USC; Errol Sapp (5-9, 165, RB) to Arizona; Morris Unutoa (6-3, 240, OL) to BYU.
Banning (Wilmington) (9) - Andy Gonzalez (6-4, 245, OL) to Cal; Johnny Lawrence (6-1, 190, WR) to Cal St. Fullerton; Carlson Leomiti (6-4, 340, DL) to San Diego St.; Paul Montgomery (6-2, 190, DB) to Oregon St.; Lamont Shedrick (6-0, 165, WR) to Northern Arizona; Tommy Siufanua (6-4, 225, OL) to San Diego St.; Bob Whitfield (6-7, 285, OT) to Stanford; Eric Williams (5-9, 185, DB) to San Diego St; Randy Woolridge (6-1, 205, DE) to Northern Arizona.
Lincoln (Stockton) (6) - Shante Carver (6-6, 210, DL) to Arizona St.; Mark Edwards (6-2, 200, TE) to Pacific; John Garamendi (6-1, 200, LB) to Army; Dan Garcia (6-2, 220, LB) to Pacific; Mike McCarn (6-4, 220, OT) to Pacific; Matt Nichols (6-2, 240, OT) to Pacific.
Mater Dei (Santa Ana) (6) - Rob Arne (6-5, 285, OT) to Northwestern; Steve Harkins (6-1, 195, LB) to Idaho St.; Rob Nicholl (6-1, 220, LB) to New Mexico; Rick Pallow (6-4, 245, C) to Stanford; Brian Turk (6-4, 265, OL) to USC; Jason Uhl (6-3, 240, DL) to USC.
Poly (Long Beach) (5) - James Burton (5-9, 165, DB) to Hawaii; Ed Cabs (6-3, 200, LB) to Oregon; Michael Carter (5-10, 200, QB) to Hawaii; Marcellous Elder (6-6, 275, DT) to Colorado; Earl Oliver (6-1, 250, DL) to Fresno St.
Skyline (Oakland) (5) - Todd Brooks (5-11, 175, DB) to Army; Eric Harris (6-4, 225, TE) to Weber St.; Jim Jones (6-3, 245, DT) to Northern Arizona; Sammy Lynch (6-0, 175, WR) to Northern Arizona; Maurice Smith (5-11, 215, LB) to Utah St.(Read full post)

Today we are continuing our preseason football coverage with a detailed review of the 1987 season. It's the third part in a series taking a look back at the past quarter century of prep football in the Golden State, beginning with the 1985 season. Football coaches can email ronnie@studentsports.com or call (800) 660-1334 Ext. 4414 for details on how to make sure your program is included in our series of team previews for the 2009 season and considered for our preseason state rankings package.

By Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

California Schools With the Most D1 Signers (1987-1988)

Carson (9) - Arnold Ale (6-4, 210, LB) to Notre Dame; Charles Gardner (6-3, 200, DB) to Alabama; John Lark (6-3, 175, WR) to Washington St.; Dion Lee (5-10, 150, DB) to Long Beach St.; George Malauulu (6-0, 190, QB) to Arizona; Byran Reeves (5-11, 170, WR) to Arizona St.; Rick Tiedemann (6-1, 205, LB) to New Mexico; Brian Treggs (5-11, 170, WR) to Cal; Arthur Warren (5-10, 190, LB) to Washington St.
Fontana (6) - Kurt Bruich (6-0, 170, DB) to Cal Poly SLO; Derrick Malone (5-11, 195, RB) to New Mexico; Edrian Oliver (6-0, 175, RB) to Army; Kevin Snyder (5-11, 160, WR-DB) to Arizona St.; Challen Tessatorre (6-1, 190, LB) to Cal Poly SLO; Chris Ybarra (6-4, 240, OT) to Nebraska.
Banning Wilmington (5) - Mike Alexander (6-4, 235, OL) to Arizona St.; Andrew Buggs (6-1, 175, DB) to Iowa St.; Zachariah Davis (6-0, 170, WR) to Oregon St.; Mike Ghio (6-3, 245, OL) to Pacific; Titus Tuiasosopo (6-2, 237, DL) to USC.
Edison (Fresno) (5) - Leif Barrells (6-0, 185, DB) to UNLV; Rodney Crozier (5-11, 185, DB) to UNLV; Keshon Johnson (5-10, 175, DB) to UNLV; Kejon Murphy (5-10, 175, RB) to UNLV; Marquis Thomas (6-4, 210, TE) to UNLV.
Granada Hills (5) - Joe Beauvais (6-1, 230, OL) to Arizona St.; Sean Brown (6-3, 225, TE) to Arizona St.; Jamal Farmer (6-0, 190, RB) to Hawaii; Kyle Jan (6-4, 195, WR) to Arizona; Jeremy Leach (6-2, 215, QB) to New Mexico.
El Toro (4) - Adam Brass (5-11, 175, DB) to Arizona St.; Bret Johnson (6-1, 175, QB) to UCLA; Adam de' Malignon (6-2, 230, DL) to Utah; Cory Wayland (6-4, 250, DL) to UCLA.
Monte Vista (Danville) (4) - Steve Abrams (6-0, 195, RB) to Utah; Stewart Hansen (6-4, 185, QB) to Utah St; Chris Swartz (5-10, 165, WR) to Indiana; Dave Zeising (6-5, 240, OL) to San Jose St.
Vintage (Napa) (4) - Anthony Anderson (6-0, 175, DB) to Sacramento St.; Warren Bowers (6-3, 230, OL) to Utah St.; David Ilsley (6-6, 240, DL-TE) to Washington; Sean La Chapelle (6-3, 190, WR) to UCLA.(Read full post)

(Compiled by Mark Tennis, Ronnie Flores, Steve Brand, Harold Abend & Paul Muyskens; After games of Saturday, Oct. 18; Previous ranking in parentheses; These rankings are done regardless of CIF enrollment divisions; Check back Tuesday for our exclusive CIF Bowl Game ratings and our NorCal-SoCal regional rankings.)

1.    (1)  Poly (Long Beach) 6-0
Melvin Richardson got the first two touchdowns on runs of 1 and 24 yards to give the Jackrabbits an early lead and they never let up in a 50-7 triumph over Millikan of Long Beach. After beating Miami Northwestern, Newport Harbor, Carson, Lakewood and No. 6 St. Bonaventure in recent weeks, Millikan was expected to be an easier game. Poly's players still came out focused and led 37-7 at halftime. Junior Cory Westbrook broke off a 51-yard scoring run and Morgan Fennell completed an 80-yard touchdown pass to Kaelin Clay in contributing to the lopsided advantage. This week, the Jackrabbits travel to play longtime Moore League rival Wilson, which checks in with a 4-3 record.

2.    (2)  Centennial (Corona) 6-0
The Huskies kept pace with top-ranked Poly with a similarly easy league win, in their case a 38-8 victory over M.L. King of Riverside. The debate between these two probably won't get decided in the regular season and there's a chance it might not ever get decided if both win CIF state bowl games. Arthur Burns rushed for 120 yards on 21 carries and scored twice for the Centennial offense and wideout Ricky Marvray caught a pair of TD passes from quarterback Taylor Martinez  Defensively, the Huskies gave up nothing until the fourth quarter when the second unit allowed a long scoring run. Next up is a matchup vs. Poly of Riverside, which should be another easy win. After that, though, the schedule gets tougher with games against J.W. North of Riverside, Santiago of Corona and Norco.

3.    (3)  Bellarmine Prep (San Jose) 6-0
The good news for the Bells in them turning back host Valley Christian in a much-anticipated San Jose showdown last Friday, 27-16, is that they did it despite giving up an interception return touchdown and another score that was set up by a fumble at their own 26-yard line. As the season goes on and the tough games start to add up, however, the team's lack of depth still could end up being a problem. Valley Christian coaches, for example, noticed Bells' fullback-linebacker Michael Clay possibly "locking up with a cramp and had some success running the ball. Earlier in the game, Clay was making plays all over the field. Standout Usua Amanam and junior runningback-corner Kyle Ologbode also play on both sides of the ball. Still, at the end of the game when the outcome was far from decided, Bellarmine's offensive line (they don't have two-way players) was certainly strong enough to take control. This week, head coach Mike Janda won't have much time to relax with a game against Serra of San Mateo. Serra ended Bellarmine's undefeated run at the start of last season and is a team that lost to state No. 4 De La Salle of Concord by just one point. The Padres also are coming into that meeting after a 35-3 win last Friday over St. Francis of Mountain View.

4.    (4)  De La Salle (Concord) 5-1
Coming into last Friday, Foothill of Pleasanton had just beaten highly-regarded California of San Ramon and had lost its only game to state-ranked Monte Vista of Danville. Foothill ended the night suffering a 63-7 beatdown at the hands of De La Salle. This could mean that the Spartans are beginning to reach that level of dominance they've shown at the end of so many seasons under head coach Bob Ladouceur. It also could mean that Foothill self-destructed with mistakes, especially three interceptions, and a team that runs the ball could still give the DLS defense much trouble. Blake Wayne led the onslaught against the Falcons by completing 10 of 12 passes for 160 yards and two TDs. He also scored twice on one-yard plunges. This week, DLS plays the other school from Pleasanton, Amador Valley, in a game that will be played on the road.

5.    (5)  Oceanside 6-0
Oceanside's 49-7 win over previously unbeaten Westview was billed as a Valley League showdown between Top 10 schools in the San Diego Section. But there may not be a team in the San Diego Section, let alone the Valley League, that can stay with the high-powered, No. 1-ranked Pirates this year. Oceanside jumped out to a 35-0 halftime lead and head coach John Carroll emptied his bench in the second half. The Pirates led 49-0 after three quarters before Westview got on the board. Colorado-bound quarterback Jordan Wynn sliced up the defense, completing 16 of 24 passes for 222 yards with two touchdowns passing and a 5-yard TD run. Running back Rene Siluano carried 12 times for 100 yards and scored on a 12-yarfd run. Sophomore receiver Damario Coleman caught six balls for 95 yards, including a 12-yard scoring reception. One of Oceanside's two second-half touchdowns was a 15-yard interception return by Jerry Whitaker. Oceanside has won 17 straight games dating back to a loss in the 2007 season opener. The Pirates go for No. 18 Friday against visiting Mt. Carmel.

6.    (6)  St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 5-1
Leading just 13-6 over Buena of Ventura, the Seraphs got an interception in the end zone right before half and turned it into points to lead 20-7 at halftime on the way to a 44-7 victory over the Bulldogs. Logan Meyer led the end of the first-half drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Drew Gibson as part of his 268-yard, two-touchdown night throwing the ball against a Buena defense that had posted two straight shutouts. Patrick Hall rushed for the first score of the game and Gibson caught both touchdown passes from Meyer with his first coming on a 58-yard play. Responding well after their first loss of the season two weeks ago against top-ranked Long Beach Poly, the Seraphs had their highest scoring output of the season while also holding their opponent to the lowest point total on the year. St. Bonnie will take on Ventura next Friday night.

7.  (13)  Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 6-0
There were all sorts of tricks and gadget plays tried against the Knights last Friday night by Alemany of Mission Hills, but they had no problems in easily defeating the previously undefeated Warriors by a 44-17 margin. Coming off a school-record performance last week, Ryan Kasdorf didn't need any tricks as he found his wideouts early and often, connecting on 20 of his 27 passes for 325 yards and two touchdowns while adding a third score on a 12-yard scamper. Kenny Boggs excelled at the goal line for the Knights as he scored three touchdowns on runs of 2, 2, and 1 yard. James Flynn was the main target through the air for Kasdorf as the pair connected six times for 160 yards with one touchdown. Since scoring just 17 points in the season-opening win over Moorpark, the Knights' offense has averaged almost 45 points per game in their last five wins and will look to continue the offensive display this week when they host St. Paul of Santa Fe Springs. Combined with its recent wins plus the toughness of upcoming games against the likes of Crespi, Loyola and Bishop Amat, Notre Dame received a significant bump in this week's rankings.

8.     (9)  Los Alamitos 6-0
Clark Evans to Paul Richardson was a lethal air combo last week as Los Al picked up a 42-7 win over Marina of Huntington Beach to remain undefeated. Evans completed 13 of his 15 passes for 266 yards and four touchdowns with three of those scoring strikes going to Richardson on plays of 30, 40 and 64 yards. Evans also rushed for a touchdown in the Sunset League opener for both teams while Cody Perez added 112 yards on the ground for the victors. Head coach John Barnes' team will need another standout performance from Evans and the rest of the squad if it is to remain unbeaten since up next is No. 22 Edison of Huntington Beach. If Los Al can win that one, especially since Edison has a win over Mater Dei, the Griffins could then perhaps make a more solid claim on being the No. 1 ranked team in Orange County.

9.   (10)  Oak Grove (San Jose) 6-0
For the fifth time this season, the Eagles scored in the 40s while holding the opposition to no more than seven points as they defeated Leland of San Jose by a 45-0 final score for their second straight shutout. The "Carr Show" continues to be put on each week as Omari Carr and Jabari Carr combined for five of the game's six touchdowns. Jabari Carr got the scoring underway with a 22-yard reception for a score and then scored on defense on an 85-yard interception return. Omari rushed for 151 yards and three scores including the final score of the game on a 83-yard carry. Coach Ed Buller's team next heads to take on Lincoln of San Jose on Friday against a Lions squad that has won four straight since losing their season opener. Oak Grove has not lost since the first game of last year, a win streak of 18 games and this also is a team that defeated Bellarmine in the 2007 Central Coast Section playoffs.

10.  (11)  Granite Bay 6-0
The Grizzlies turned what was expected to be their toughest game of the season, to date, into an easy 50-8 win over Del Oro of Loomis. Opening up Sierra Foothill League play at home, the Grizzlies allowed the first eight points of the game before attacking for the final 50. Teddy Bryant scored the first touchdown of the game on a 16-yard run and then threw two touchdowns as part of a 28-point second quarter. Clark Partridge rushed for two touchdowns and 96 yards on just 10 carries while Brad Crisanty ran for 90 yards and a score. This week, Granite Bay heads to Rocklin where the team will be trying to completely erase the memory of a stunning 30-0 loss to the Thunder from last year. Since that loss, you could say head coach Ernie Cooper and his staff have turned things around.

11.  (12)  Grant (Sacramento) 7-0
The Pacers continue to roll over teams and move up another spot this week after blasting Metropolitan League opponent Sacramento High in a 55-0 whitewashing. It was the Kip Koniseti show again as the big, strong and quick 6-foot-3, 215-pound senior quarterback passed for two touchdowns and ran for another in a little over a half's work. He threw a perfect high, spiraling 50-yard touchdown pass to Darvin McCauley on the first play from scrimmage. On the season, Grant is averaging over 46 points a game and has outscored opponents, 323-85. Next up is 0-6 Kennedy of Sacramento and this will be as ugly as or uglier than last week. It's a little early but it appears almost certain that a showdown looms with Granite Bay.  

12.  (14)  Crespi (Encino) 5-1
The Celts move up two spots this week following their 42-17 non-league victory over Chaminade of West Hills. RBs Jeremiah McKibbins and Brad Lattanzio broke off big chunks of yardage against Chaminade's porous defense, as McKibbins rushed for 121 yards on 13 carries and Lattanzio gained 127 yards on only four carries. McKibbins scored three touchdowns and Lattanzio added a 83-yard scamper, but the real story was the Celts' run defense, which limited Chaminade to seven yards rushing. Crespi, which has only lost to state No. 6 St. Bonaventure, next faces a 5-1 St. Francis of La Canada team that dropped its first game to state-ranked Bishop Amat last week.

13.  (15)  Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 6-0
Most of the Lions' big guns weren't needed in the second half in the team's Tri-Valley League opener against Bishop Diego of Santa Barbara. The Lions built up a 48-0 halftime lead and cruised to a 61-0 victory. Junior Malcolm Jones rushed for 214 yards and hit pay dirt twice on only 13 carries QB Nick Montana, also a junior, tossed four touchdown passes on only 11 attempts before intermission. Senior Brian Owusu also got into the act with two receiving touchdowns and a 41-yard punt return. Coach Bill Redell is somewhat concerned that his regulars don't get enough repetitions but this week if could more of the same against 2-4 Carpinteria.                

14.  (16)  Redlands East Valley (Redlands) 6-0
It's gotten to the point where REV shuts out its second straight opponent, defeating Rialto 29-0, and there is concern because of an abundance of penalties. True, the Wildcats would prefer to look sharper, but a win is a win and QB Tyler Shreve was his usual self. Shreve completed 16-of-27 passes for 247 yards with two TDs passing and ran in from a yard out for another score. There really wasn't much doubt in this one, not as long as the defense allows just 61 yards in offense. The Wildcats get a chance to make it right this week against 1-5 Carter of Rialto before the big showdown at A.B. Miller on Halloween.

15.  (20)  Bishop Amat (La Puente) 5-1
St. Francis of La Canada felt confident playing the Lancers at home in front of an overflow crowd and for one half they matched them blow-for-blow. Amat QB Jerry McClanahan hit Joshua Tierney on a 19-yard touchdown pass as the Lancers took control of the dog-fight with five minutes remaining before halftime. That score gave the visitors a 14-10 lead and the Lancers delivered the knockout blow when McClanahan hit Jay Anderson on a 56-yard touchdown pass with 8:21 left in the third quarter en route to a 28-13 win. McClanahan finished 11 of 16 passing for 158 yards and the Amat defense stepped and did its job, limiting St. Francis' Dietrich Riley to 28 yards on nine carries. Coach Steve Hagerty also was happy to see UCLA-bound linebacker Isiah Bowens back in action as his two sacks helped slow St. Francis down in the second half. Amat has to keep its focus this week against 1-5 Chaminade of West Hills before jumping into Serra League play where they'll face Loyola, Crespi and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in successive weeks.

16.  (21)  Lutheran (Orange) 5-1
The difference between playing a strenuous early schedule and not was apparent when the Lancers beat previously unbeaten and untested JSerra of San Juan Capistrano, 35-3. Not only could Lutheran have taken JSerra too lightly, it could have been caught looking ahead to this Friday's showdown with No. 20 St. John Bosco at Orange Coast College. QB Bobby Wheatley completed 18-of-25 for 231 yards, including a 33-yard TD to Davonte Anderson, and Damani Wilson added 148 yards rushing as three of his nine carries went for TDs. They'll need that kind of balance and more against the powerful Braves.

17.  (18)  San Ramon Valley (Danville) 6-0
The Wolves overcame a 10-7 first quarter deficit before getting untracked to register a 35-17 win at home against Granada of Livermore. The victory keeps the team in a three-way tie at 3-0 with De La Salle and Monte Vista for first place in the East Bay Athletic League. Joe Trimble rushed for 115 yards on 11 carries as this victory was the first time the Wolves rushed for more yardage (211) in a game this season than they passed for. Even so, Boise state-bound quarterback Joe Southwick was 15-for-24 for 205 yards had four touchdown passes. The Wolves host a reeling/seething California coming off two straight close losses, a team many thought would challenge for what has become one of the state's toughest leagues.

18.  (19)  Monte Vista (Danville) 6-0
It's a one spot jump this week for the Mustangs, who for the second time this season, needed a late field goal to seal a win. Kicker Brendan Garcia came through again to provide the margin of victory in a 24-21 road triumph at California of San Ramon. The first time he did it was in week two, when he knuckled home a 22-yarder with a second remaining to beat Pittsburg. This time it was a 35-yard boot with 46.8 seconds left to break the hearts of the Grizzlies and their fans. Brett Nottingham had 290 yards passing, three TDs but three interceptions. For the second time in three weeks the ground game grinded an opponent down the stretch. Of 159 yards rushing, 137 came in the second half. The Cowboys of Livermore come to town this Friday night looking to lasso a few Mustangs but they might end of running away from a stampede of undefeated thoroughbreds.

19.  (22)  Gilroy 6-0
With teams above them losing, the Mustangs of Gilroy move up three spots right behind their namesake from Danville. This past week they threw another rider, bucking Pacific Grove while scoring all their points in the first half of a 55-7 shellacking on their home pasture. It's the latest in a series of record-setting performances this season by a team many are calling the greatest Gilroy team ever. The team achieved the most lopsided win in school history by beating Alvarez 57-0 two weeks ago. This week the defense allowed only 93 yards rushing, no completions and tripled the offensive output of Pacific Grove. Brandon Elam and Nick Gibson both recovered fumbles for touchdowns, and Jeff Smith returned an interception 99 yards to pay dirt. On offense, quarterback Jamie Jensen completed 10-of-12 passes for 189 yards and three scores, all of which went to Dante Fullard who finished with 140 yards receiving on five catches. Up next is Alisal of Salinas at home before a Halloween match up with Palma of Salinas on the road.

20.  (23)  St. John Bosco (Bellflower) 6-0
The Keith Price show continued on against visiting Santa Margarita in a Trinity League opener as the Washington-bound dual threat accounted for six of Bosco's seven touchdowns in a 47-21 victory. Price scored three times on the ground, passed for three more scores and accounted for 354 of his team's 460 total yards from scrimmage. He finished the game completing 17 of 20 passes for for 257 yards and added 97 yards on the ground, including touchdown runs of two and five yards to give the Braves a 28-14 cushion at halftime. He added a spectacular 41-yard TD in the fourth quarter to seal the deal. This week Price and Bosco travel to Orange Coast College to take on 16. Orange Lutheran in a game that could eventually go along way in deciding the Trinity League title.

21.   (nr)  Tesoro (Las Flores) 6-0
The Titans jump in the top 25 this week in resounding fashion with a 31-14 victory over previous No. 7 Mission Viejo. Tesoro is able to hop a few club since the win over the Diablos was so decisive. After a scoreless first quarter, Tesoro dominated, especially at the line of scrimmage. The offensive line of Evan Finkenberg, Sil Ajawara, Brad Handfield, Ty Vanderford, and Josh Cabral is definitely one of the state's best across the board and the defense, led by defensive back Preston King, did a good job of putting pressure on Mission Viejo QB Allen Bridgford, as the Elite 11 signal-caller threw four interceptions. Two of those interceptions were made by King, including a 59-yard interception return right before halftime that turned the game's momentum around. Tesoro won't have much time to favor its big win as its new ratings will be put to the test right away in another South Coast League showdown, this one against 6-0 San Clemente.

22.  (24)  Edison (Huntington Beach) 5-1
The Chargers could make a major move up in next week's ratings if they can prevail in their Sunset League showdown with unbeaten Los Alamitos on Thursday night at Veteran's Stadium in Long Beach. Edison will not look back on last week's 14-7 victory over Newport Harbor as one of the highlights of the season, especially if wide receiver Jeff Criswell's injured ankle is serious. Quarterback Matt Viles had another productive night, passing for 222 yards on 18-of-32 attempts. Edison held Matt Barkley and Mater Dei's offense to 14 points so win or lose it will be interesting to see how many point Los Al's offense can muster against the Edison defense.   

23.    (8)  Valley Christian (San Jose) 5-1
Although they played well against one of the state's top teams, the Warriors have to fall, and this is the spot in which they land after dropping a 27-16 decision at home against Bellarmine. Highly regarded running back/linebacker Cameron Marshall played well, and showed he can impress against anyone, finishing with 147 yards rushing while scoring both his team's touchdowns. His first score came on an 18-yard run in the second quarter and his second on a 45-yard pass interception that closed the score to 21-16. Valley Christian hopes to rebound this week against 3-3 St. Francis of Mountain View.

24.   (25)  Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 6-0
The Cardinals barely broke a sweat in posting their third consecutive shutout with a 40-0 blanking of Santa Rosa High. Newman, as they're known in the Redwood Empire, has now outscored North Bay League opponents 152-0. One common combination in those three games has been quarterback Randy Wright throwing to wide receiver Wade Amaral. It worked three times in the first half against Santa Rosa, all for touchdowns. Amaral's TD receptions went for 46, 31 and 34 yards. It also makes three consecutive games Wright has thrown three TD passes to Amaral. Newman had accumulated 402 total yards by halftime and emptied the bench. Next up is the annual grudge match on the road with cross-town arch-rival Montgomery.

25.    (nr)  Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) 6-0
As long as you have a Bradley Randle in your backfield, you are a threat against any team in the state and this week it's the Broncos that crack the top 25. Down 14-0 to Temescal Canyon early in last week's game, Vista Murrieta rode Randle to a 31-20 halftime advantage en route to a 41-26 victory. Randle rushed 24 times for 327 yards and three touchdowns. He followed his 12-yard run with a 42-yard reception from Hayden Clegg before adding 52 and 3-yard romps. Temescal Canyon managed to penetrate the Broncos' defense for 273 yards rushing but held Matt Mireles to just 85 yards passing. Now it really gets fun. Up next is Chaparral of Temecula, which has won five straight after a season-opening 10-point loss to highly-regarded Centennial of Corona.

(Compiled by Mark Tennis, Ronnie Flores, Steve Brand, Harold Abend & Paul Muyskens; After games of Saturday, Oct. 4; Previous ranking in parentheses; These rankings are done regardless of CIF enrollment divisions; Check back Tuesday for our exclusive CIF Bowl Game ratings and our NorCal-SoCal regional rankings.)

1. (1) Poly (Long Beach) 4-0
Daveon Barner ran like a burner in the Jackrabbits' 32-15 victory last Friday over Lakewood, which was undefeated on the field coming into the game but was slapped with four forfeit losses earlier in the week. Barner's 80-yard scoring dash early in the fourth quarter put a damper on Lakewood's faint upset hopes after it had cut Poly's lead to 25-15. Barner scored earlier in the game on a two-yard run and on a 36-yard reception from quarterback Morgan Fennell. The victory set up a showdown of nationally-ranked teams next Friday when it will be Poly against St. Bonaventure of Ventura in a non-league game. The Jackrabbits also extended their state record for longest league win streak to 74 games. Since Lakewood was perhaps the best Moore League foe that Poly will play this year, look for that streak to reach 79 games heading into next season.

2. (2) Centennial (Corona) 4-0
The Huskies faced one of the top underclass talents in the state in junior running back Jordon James of Corona last week. While James did rush for 214 yards and score twice, the overall firepower of Centennial was too much in a 34-19 triumph. Quarterback Taylor Martinez ripped off a 66-yard scoring run in the early going and ended with 10 completions in 16 attempts for 232 yards and three touchdowns. He rifled two of his TD tosses to Nick Beasley with the other going to Ricky Marvray. Arthur Burns added 115 yards rushing on 20 carries and scored on a one-yard run. Head coach Matt Logan's team plays new school Roosevelt of Corona in this week's game.

3. (3) Bellarmine (San Jose) 4-0
It wasn't the nicest of welcoming parties for the first-ever home night game at St. Ignatius of San Francisco as the Bells rung in history with a 50-14 win over the host Wildcats. Usua Amanam continues to dominate on a weekly basis as he carried the ball for 237 yards and four touchdowns after missing last week's game with mononucleosis. He was medically cleared earlier in the day. Bellarmine led just 14-7 at halftime before blowing the game open in the second half as the Bells wore down the Wildcats' defense with the running game. Bellarmine did allow a season-high 14 points after allowing just 12 points total in the prior three victories. The Bells will continue to be on the road this week as they face a Riordan of San Francisco team that's coming off its first win of the season.

4. (4) De La Salle (Concord) 3-1
Other than one carry against Don Bosco Prep, junior running back Tyler Anderson has been brought along slowly by the Spartans' coaching staff. Anderson, the 5-11, 185-pounder who made a name for himself with one of the top SPARQ Ratings nationally last spring, saw extensive action in the second-half of last Friday's game against Granada of Livermore. In a game in which De La Salle was leading by 21-10 at halftime, Anderson helped blow it open in the third quarter with TD runs of 45 and 47 yards in a 56-10 win. Fellow junior Terron Williams-Ward scored on a 68-yard run in the same quarter while senior Kylan Butler racked up a 48-yard TD jaunt. De La Salle figures to have a similar night in the next game against Livermore, but the schedule in the East Bay Athletic League gets tougher after that. The win against Granada also was De La Salle's first official league win since 1997 and increased the school's league winning streak to 63 games.

5. (5) St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 4-0
After their impressive 31-14 victory last week over Crespi of Encino, the Seraphs jumped into the ESPN RISE FAB 50 national rankings. They will stay there this week not because of another win but because of a bye. Head coach Todd Therrien and his staff no doubt spent extra time prepping for the big match up this week against state No. 1 Long Beach Poly. A St. Bonnie win might jump them up at least to No. 2 in the state and into the top 25 of the FAB 50 and make them a major player in the race to represent SoCal in the open division bowl game.

6. (6) Oceanside 4-0
Oceanside's 42-7 win over San Marcos was a rude homecoming for first-year Knights coach Pulu Poumele, an Oceanside alum as a player and long-time assistant coach. The 16th consecutive win by the San Diego Section's No. 1-ranked team also was a league opener for Oceanside, which dropped from the competitive Avocado League down to the weaker Valley League in a move based on enrollment figures. Oceanside was coming off a bye week, but Colorado-bound quarterback Jordan Wynn's timing wasn't disrupted. He hit 11-of-19 passes for 264 yards with three touchdown tosses and one interception. Jerry Whitaker caught scoring tosses of 66 and 11 yards and Demario Coleman of 51 yards. This week Oceanside plays San Pasqual (2-2) in its final non-league game.

7. (7) Edison (Fresno) 5-0
No lead was safe on Friday when Edison faced off against Buchanan of Clovis, but the Tigers made sure they had the lead when it mattered the most as they stayed unbeaten on the year with a 37-23 win. Marquise Cooper scored on a 90-yard interception return and Rolando Jefferson caught a 31-yard touchdown as Edison opened up a 22-3 lead before allowing the next 20 points of the game. Trailing by one with just over 10 minutes remaining, the Tigers forced a fumble and took the lead for good on a 24-yard field goal by Kenny Travis. Jefferson extended the lead with a 22-yard touchdown reception which was followed shortly afterwards by his 56-yard touchdown run with just over a minute remaining. Max Schuh passed for 221 yards and three touchdowns in the win. Edison returns to the Buchanan High field for its next game on Friday when it faces Clovis West.

8. (8) Mission Viejo 5-0
In the final game before opening the South Coast League season in two weeks against Tesoro of Las Flores, the Diablos remained unbeaten with a 42-21 victory over Murrieta Valley. Allan Bridgford struggled early on, but still managed to throw for 230 yards and four touchdowns in the win. Jake Marshall rushed for 104 yards just in the opening quarter for the Diablos and finished with 146 yards on the ground. They have a bye next week as does Tesoro. Both will be undefeated at 5-0 when they face off in two weeks and the Diablos will be looking to avenge last year's 24-21 loss.

9. (11) Valley Christian (San Jose) 4-0
It's time to start positioning the Warriors for a potential monster match up in two weeks with Bellarmine. It wasn't as easy as the Bells had it against St. Ignatius, but Valley Christian had to play Serra of San Mateo (the team that lost by just one point to De La Salle three weeks ago) and came up with a 23-21 win. Cameron Marshall continues to shine as he rushed for 162 yards and scored the first of his two touchdowns from 49 yards out to open the scoring. Valley Christian led at halftime 16-7 after forcing a Padres' turnover and putting together a scoring drive capped off by a one-yard touchdown run by Marshall. Looking to remain undefeated before hosting the Bells in two weeks, the Warriors will travel to take on Archbishop Mitty on Friday.

10. (10) Los Alamitos 4-0
With its 28-21 victory over La Habra, the Griffins snapped the Highlanders' 16-game winning streak but did display areas that need improvement. They built up a 28-7 lead but even head coach John Barnes admitted his team relaxed a bit too soon and let La Habra back in the game. In order to become serious CIFSS Pac-Five title contenders, the Griffins will have to keep the intensity high at all times and improve their tackling on defense, as they allowed big chunks of yardage on the ground to La Habra's Josh Quezada and QB Randall Nygren. As long as they keep QB Clark Evans healthy, they should remain confident they have what it takes to win the Sunset League title. No. 25 Edison is more well-rounded, but Los Al a more dangerous offensive team. Next up for the Griffins is 4-0 Narbonne of Harbor City, a team with major playmakers on offense that will allow Barnes to challenge his team to improve upon last week's overall performance.

11. (12) Oak Grove (San Jose) 4-0
The Eagles got a tougher than expected test in their league opener, overcoming an early 7-0 deficit to score three straight touchdowns in a 21-7 victory over rival Pioneer of San Jose. Omari Carr rushed for 233 yards and two touchdowns in 23 carries, including an 83-yard jaunt in which he zigzagged his way to pay dirt. Brother Jabari Carr had a couple of clutch catches during two of Oak Grove's scoring drives, and added a second half interception on defense. Live Oak of Morgan Hill comes to San Jose this weekend to meet the Eagles.

12. (13) Granite Bay 4-0
The Grizzlies traveled down to San Diego to take on Pt. Loma where new CalHiSports.com correspondent Steve Brand was on hand to see the visitors from the Sac-Joaquin Section dominate in a 34-7 victory. Granite Bay led 14-0 at the half and it got worse from there, as Grizzly quarterback Teddy Bryant finished 8 of 13 for 206 yards and four touchdowns, with three of the scores and 152 of the yards coming after halftime. Bryant's favorite receiver, Austin Nash, had four catches for 105 yards, including an 81-yard touchdown on the second play of the third quarter. 2-2 West of Tracy is next on the docket.

13. (14) Grant (Sacramento) 5-0
Coach Mike Alberghini's Pacers finished non-league action with a 62-6 shellacking of cross-town Hiram Johnson. Everyone got into the act in the rout with six different players scoring. Big, strong, 6-3, 215-pound quarterback Kip Koniseti only threw five passes but completed four of them for 133 yards and two touchdowns. Up next is the Metropolitan League opener with Rosemont of Sacramento, winners of two straight after losing its first two games.

14. (15) Crespi (Encino) 3-1
The Celts' bye week couldn't have come at a more opportune time as coach Jeremiah Ross and many of his players were able to catch the Notre Dame-Saugus shootout. It worked out perfect for Ross' club as they will face Saugus this week and Notre Dame on Halloween night. The players are confident they can score points against the Saugus defense and are itching to erase their offensive performance in a 31-14 loss to St. Bonaventure. Ross also had to defend his program after a story in the Ventura Country Star quoted Agoura's Lucky Radley as saying, "My scholarship was pulled" after failing to complete a summer school course at Crespi. Ross told the L.A. Daily News that report was "irresponsible" and stated the school does offer financial aid packages for academic scholarships, but not for the purposes of athletics. It was quite a week for the Celts and they should be fired up to play Saugus.

15. (17) Servite (Anaheim) 4-1
The Friars are coming off a bye week, giving them an extra seven days to celebrate a 29-17 win over newly-ranked Huntington Beach Edison (which toppled Mater Dei last week) and to prepare for No. 17 Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks. Servite will need to show the same kind of balance it displayed two weeks ago when Greg Portis led the ground attack with 117 yards (plus a 94-yard kickoff return) and QB Cody Fajardo passed for 192. The bye also gave Troy Thomas' squad a chance to heal up, which is a key to surviving a brutal schedule.

16. (16) Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 5-0
The Lions continue to roll as they downed Venice relatively easy, 42-14. Last season, the Gondos beat Oaks Christian but nearly all the best players off that team moved on to college. The Lions' defense was stout as two fumble recoveries by Chris Coyle and Jordan Morrison were returned for touchdowns of 62 and 25 yards, respectively. Junior Malcolm Jones added 101 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 10 carries and freshman WR Jordan Payton even got in the act, catching two touchdown passes from junior QB Nick Montana, who completed 4 of 8 passes. The Lions have a week off before opening up Tri-Valley League play against winless Bishop Diego of Santa Barbara in two weeks.

17. (18) Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 4-0
Junior QB Ryan Kasdorf has played well in his first four games in replace of Elite 11 QB Dayne Cryst, but last week's 52-28 victory over Saugus was his official coming out party. In front of a regional television audience, Kasdorf completed 13 of 20 passes for 371 yards with four touchdowns but he was also a weapon with his legs. He added 148 yards on the ground, including a 38-yard scoring run, and nearly scored on another 87-yard dash. In all, Kasdorf accounted for 519 yards of Notre Dame's 693 yards of total offense, which broke a school record of 574 yards set against Bishop Montgomery in 1997 when Notre Dame's offense was led by future NFL back Justin Fargas. Kasdorf's numbers might have been a surprise, but Notre Dame's victory over Saugus wasn't as the Knights lead the all-time series 10-0. The Notre Dame faithful hopes Kasdorf stays hot this week when their team squares off against No. 15 Servite.

18. (19) Redlands East Valley (Redlands) 4-0
It was the Tyler Schreve Show as the Wildcats raced past Yucaipa, 48-3. Schreve was 9-of-13 for 165 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Gary Walker (3-73). Just for fun, he added a 26-yard TD run, part of a rushing attack that accounted for more than 200 yards. Toss in the strong kicking leg of Manny Szwaboski (field goals of 43 and 40 yards), and the stellar defensive effort of Mason Coffin (7 tackles, 1 sack), and the 'Cats dominated. Next up for REV is 1-3 Fontana.

19. (20) San Ramon Valley (Danville) 4-0
For the second week in a row, Boise State-bound quarterback Joe Southwick accounted for five touchdowns, this time in a 50-22 league-opening victory over Livermore. He completed 16 of 19 passes for 330 yards and four touchdowns and rushed three times for 39 yards and one score, all in only two quarters of work. Coach Dave Kravitz's boys turned on the offensive firepower early, rolling up 416 total yards and scoring touchdowns on six of their seven first-half possessions. Next up is a road game at Amador Valley of Pleasanton, which is coming off an overtime loss to California of San Ramon.

20. (23) Monte Vista (Danville) 4-0
After moving up two spots last week the Mustangs jump three this week after a solid 41-31 win on the road at always tough Foothill of Pleasanton. Junior quarterback Brett Nottingham won the personal duel with fellow junior Sean Mannion of Foothill, completing 25 of 37 passes for 383 yards and four touchdowns. He now has 1,179 yards passing, 13 touchdowns and a 153 quarterback rating this season. Stanford-bound 6-foot-5 tight end Zach Ertz had two touchdown catches in which he went high up over the defender to pull in the football. The real difference was the line play and running game of the Mustangs. Greg Johnson gained 123 yards on 24 carries and helped execute Coach Craig Bergman's late game plan to grind out the game to conclusion. "We came out prepared and did a nice job of mixing it up. Any time you get a win at Foothill it's a bonus, Bergman told ESPN RISE CalHiSports.com. Granada comes to town this Friday night smarting from a 56-10 trouncing at the hands of De La Salle.

21. (21) Bishop Amat (La Puente) 3-1
The Lancers enjoyed a week off as they prepare for an upcoming matchup with 1-3 Diamond Ranch. The game will be televised regionally on FOX and don't think because Diamond Ranch comes in with a 1-3 mark that nobody will be watching this game on the tube. The three teams the Panthers have lost to own a combined 12-1 record so Amat will have its hands full. The following week's opponent, St. Francis of La Canada, is currently 4-0 so coach Steve Hagerty's club will definitely be battle tested for Serra League play.

22. (22) Lutheran (Orange) 3-1
When is a bye week good? When you approach it right, according to Lancers coach Jim Kunau. "This gave us a chance to heal up a little bit, he said after welcoming back RB Kyle Dravis. "We're fresher, we're excited. Dravis helps as the 5-9, 175-pound two-way player has been bothered by a hamstring injury that finally forced him to miss the last game. It also gave the club an extra week to scout not just this week's opponent, Wilmington Banning (2-2) of the Los Angeles City Section, but future opponents as well.

23. (24) Gilroy 4-0
Quarterback Jamie Jensen spread the ball around, hitting five different receivers in a 57-0 whitewashing of Alvarez of Salinas. He finished 14 of 21 for 200 yards and five touchdowns while the Mustang defense only allowed 155 yards of total offense. Wideout Sean Hale reeled in four passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns, while fellow senior Dante Fullard caught five balls for 77 yards and two touchdowns. Next, Salinas comes to Gilroy this Friday night.

24. (25) St. John Bosco (Bellflower) 5-0
Long-time prep observer Frank Burlison of the Long Beach Press-Telegram noted that St. Paul of Santa Fe Springs 6-foot-3 QB Paul Lopez is quite a talent as he completed 21 of 28 passes against the Braves defense. The clear star of the contest, however, was Bosco QB Keith Price, as he completed 12 of 15 passes for 201 yards and three scores. The dual-threat also gained 81 yards rushing and scored twice on the ground. It was homecoming for the Braves, and they wasted no time getting the party started as they scored twice in the game's opening two minutes en route to a 37-10 victory. Coach Kiki Mendoza's crew has a week off before jumping into Trinity League play.

25. (nr) Edison (Huntington Beach) 4-1
The Chargers are the epitome of Orange County football. A week after losing to Servite and falling from the top 25, Edison roared back to hand previous No. 9 Santa Ana Mater Dei its second loss, 24-14. Linebacker-running back Preston Spence rushed for 119 yards and TDs of 30, 4 and 57 yards, the longest one clinching the victory in the fourth quarter. QB Matt Viles also tossed for 168 yards as the Chargers allowed 251 yards passing by Matt Barkley but did not yield any points in the air. Edison has a bye this week.

By CalHiSports.com Staff

(After games of Saturday, Sept. 27; Previous ranking in parentheses; These rankings are done regardless of CIF enrollment divisions; Check back Tuesday for our exclusive CIF Bowl Game ratings and our NorCal-SoCal regional rankings.)

1. (2) Poly (Long Beach) 3-0
It wasn't necessarily the type of performance to reward with a new No. 1 state ranking, but the Jackrabbits did enough in their 14-0 win over Carson. They blanked a team that scored often against Mater Dei of Santa Ana and if it weren't for two turnovers and a missed field goal the margin of victory would have been higher. Melvin Richardson rushed for 163 yards on 23 carries and scored both touchdowns. Daveon Barner was slightly more effective with 21 carries for 167 yards. Coach Raul Lara's team still has the most impressive win of any state-ranked team so far this season with its 29-7 triumph on the road against nationally-ranked Miami Northwestern. The Jackrabbits also have two big games in the next two weeks, beginning with a match up on Friday against 4-0 Lakewood. After that, they get No. 5 St. Bonaventure. If Poly does well in those two games, combined with the Miami Northwestern win (which hasn't lost to any other school), that would make the Jackrabbits a solid No. 1 no matter what Corona Centennial does.

2. (3) Centennial (Corona) 3-0
The Huskies also move up a spot in the rankings this week after a dominating 42-7 win over Clovis West of Fresno. Just in the first half, Taylor Martinez tore apart the Golden Eagles' secondary for 280 yards and five touchdowns through the air, all of which were 20 yards or longer. Martinez finished the game with 299 passing yards before being pulled early. Geshon Harris led the Huskies with three touchdown receptions while Eddie Lopez and Ricky Marvray each had touchdown catches covering over 50 yards. Clovis West has given Centennial some trouble in year's past so the ease of the win was impressive. It may be tough for the Huskies to move past Poly in our rankings if Poly wins the CIF Southern Section Pac-Five Division and the Jackrabbits end up with wins over St. Bonaventure in addition to Miami Northwestern. Still, as USC fans know well, you've got to play the games and let everything play out before thinking too much about rankings. Centennial opens up Big VIII League play this Thursday against Corona and red-hot running back Jordon James.

3. (4) Bellarmine (San Jose) 3-0
Putting the Bells ahead of De La Salle as a Bay Area school when the Spartans haven't lost to another Bay Area school in 17 years is going to raise some eyebrows, but there are solid reasons for doing just that. First, it's not like De La Salle has rolled to easy wins in its first two games before falling to Don Bosco Prep of New Jersey. Second, the Bells impressed in a 35-8 win on the road against St. Mary's of Stockton. And third, several who've seen both DLS and Bellarmine play, simply think the Bells are better this year.

4. (1) De La Salle (Concord) 2-1
What's next for the Spartans after their loss to Don Bosco Prep? First, they are now done with nonleague games this year as their new membership in the rugged East Bay Athletic League calls for them to start playing league games, beginning this Friday against Granada of Livermore. Livermore High will come after that, so it will be hard to really tell how the Spartans are doing to improve their weaknesses until they start playing the upper-tier teams in the EBAL. The first of those matchups will take place on Halloween night against Monte Vista of Danville, which is currently 3-0. If you're a half-glass filled kind of person, you have to feel a little relieved that the Spartans aren't now 0-3 instead of 2-1. It's only a handful of plays that make the difference. And losing by one point to a two-time defending champion from a big state like New Jersey isn't that bad.

5. (7) St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 4-0
It wasn't a surprise the Seraphs beat previous No. 5 Crespi last Friday night, but the manner in which they did it in winning by 31-14 was similar to the way Alabama rolled over Georgia in college football. St. Bonnie led by 31-0 in the fourth quarter before Crespi got on the board twice in the final five minutes. Patrick Hall led the charge for the Seraphs as the USC-bound recruit had scoring runs of 53 and 82 yards. Hall also added an interception of defense. In all, Crespi committed four turnovers, including one that was picked off by linebacker Kody Kurtz and returned 38 yards for a touchdown. The Seraphs have a bye this week and no doubt the team will use the extra time to get ready for a major matchup on Oct. 3 against new No. 1 Long Beach Poly.

6. (6) Oceanside 3-0
The Pirates are coming off a bye week and enter Valley League play riding a 15-game winning streak with a game against San Marcos of Mission Hills at home. In Oceanside's first three non-league contests, the Pirates outscored two solid teams (Eastlake of Chula Vista and Mira Mesa of San Diego) and cross-town rival El Camino, 102-59. But now the games could get ugly. The North County Conference principals, following a manual of leaguing schools strictly by enrollment rather than using common sense and leaguing by strength of programs, placed four-time CIF champion Oceanside from the powerful Avocado League into the weaker Valley League this year. The Pirates likely will embarrass some overmatched programs in the league, but the defending CIF Div. II state champions still need to establish a consistent running game for the playoffs.

7. (9) Edison (Fresno) 4-0
After giving Mission Viejo a bump last week over the Tigers due to a big win, it's only fair to do the same this week for coach Tim McDonald's club. Edison faced a Merced squad that had just beaten Napa, the defending Sac-Joaquin Section Div. I champion, by a 31-17 score, but Friday's game was no contest. Showcasing its All-America trio of WR Rolando Jefferson, DB Cliff Harris and DB Tim McDonald Jr., the Tigers jumped out to a 36-0 lead in the third quarter before eventually winning, 43-14. If junior QB Max Schuh keeps improving and continues to make the correct reads, Edison looks as solid to go unbeaten through its section playoffs as any team in the state. This week, Edison will aim to keep his players focused for its road match up vs. Buchanan of Clovis.

8. (8) Mission Viejo 4-0
Finally playing at home after starting the season with three straight road games, the Diablos easily defeated Vista, 42-20, in a night filled with standout performances. Setting a new school record for receiving yards in a game with 235 yards was Kevin Chandler, who caught seven passes from Allan Bridgford and scored a touchdown. With the help of Chandler and the rest of his wideouts, Bridgford passed for a career-high 443 yards and four touchdowns on 18 completions. Alex Mascarenas caught six passes for 134 yards and two scores while Jake Marshall scored twice rushing the ball. Head coach Bob Johnson's team will remain at home this week as it will kick off the October part of the schedule against 2-1 Murrieta Valley.

9. (11) Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 3-1
After falling behind 20-0 on Thursday night against Jordan of Los Angeles, a huge comeback enabled the Monarchs to avoid their second loss of the season in a 47-32 win. Mater Dei was led by Jaron Hytche's 152 yards and four touchdowns rushing while Jordan Allen added 87 yards rushing and scored twice. Coach Bruce Rollinson's team will need to play much better defense and protect quarterback Matt Barkley better if they are going to rise much further in the rankings. Mater Dei knows it needs to come out firing on all cylinders this week as the Monarchs cannot afford to fall behind against Edison of Huntington Beach. The Chargers should be fired after they fell from the top 25 following last week's loss to Servite of Anaheim.

10. (10) Los Alamitos 3-0
It was the Clark Evans show last Friday night in the Griffins' 28-14 win over Wilson of Long Beach. Completing 19 passes for 275 yards, Evans twice found wide receiver Darryl Jenkins for touchdowns, covering 18 and 28 yards, as the all-county wideout finished with 11 receptions for 186 yards. Evans added another two touchdowns rushing and finished with 106 yards on the ground. Looking to stay unbeaten, the Griffins will face a high scoring La Habra team that has put 114 points on the board in three games and comes in riding a 16-game winning streak.

11. (12) Valley Christian (San Jose) 3-0
Despite a bye, the Warriors move up a spot in the aftermath of Crespi's loss. They open West Catholic Athletic League play Saturday night at home against a hungry Serra of San Mateo club that is coming into San Jose off two straight losses and a bye themselves. That game should give us an indication of just how good VC and star running back/linebacker Cameron Marshall really are. If Marshall continues his torrid pace (563 yards rushing and nine touchdowns, an interception for a TD, and 33 tackles), and the team continues to play mistake-free football, the Warriors may be a solid threat to Bellarmine this year in the WCAL.

12. (13) Oak Grove (San Jose) 3-0
The Eagles have now outscored their three opponents by a 132-14 margin after a 43-0 whitewashing of host San Benito of Hollister. Omari Carr had two touchdowns and rushed for 180 yards on 16 carries in the victory. The Eagles' defense only gave up 97 total yards and three first downs. With St. Francis of Mountain View its only solid opponent, and they beat them 40-7 in week one, the weakness of schedule this season will make it hard to judge just how good Ed Buller's boys really are. Next up is Live Oak of Morgan Hill at home.

13. (14) Granite Bay 3-0
The Sac-Joaquin Section's top ranked team got the scoreboard wires smoking early after taking the opening kickoff and marching 80 yards in 11 plays to jump-start a 68-10 blasting of Vacaville. The hosts led 41-10 at the half and emptied the bench in the third quarter while holding a 48-10 lead. Grizzly quarterback Teddy Bryant threw for 204 yards and had four of his five touchdown passes in the first half. Devaunte Bolton scored two touchdowns, including a 68-yard kickoff return. Granite Bays travels south to take on Pt. Loma of San Diego on Saturday.

14. (15) Grant (Sacramento) 4-0
Despite the suspensions of seven players from the team due to violating school rules, the Pacers remained undefeated with a 34-7 victory over Oak Ridge of El Dorado Hills. QB Kipelli Koniseti threw for 128 yards and three touchdown passes and added 103 yards rushing on six carries. Devante Booker led Grant's ground attack with 160 yards on 15 carries as the Pacers combined to rush for 373 yards. Willie Johnson was one of three Pacers to record double-digit tackles against Oak Ridge with a team-high 15. Grant has now scored at least 34 points in all four games this season and will host 1-2 Johnson of Sacramento this Friday.

15. (5) Crespi (Encino) 3-1
The Celts drop 10 spots this week following their 31-14 loss to new No. 5 St. Bonaventure. At first, it might seem harsh to drop them this far compared to how far De La Salle fell after a loss to Don Bosco Prep, but the Spartans lost to a two-time defending state champ by a field goal whereas the Seraphs were leading 31-0 before Crespi gained nearly half of its total yardage (298) in the final five minutes of the game. An out of state victory over Northridge of Layton, Utah (4-2) and another over defending L.A. City Section champ Birmingham (0-4) don't look as impressive as they once did, either. Crespi simply didn't play a good game offensively, as QB Bryan Bennett completed only nine of 26 passes for 76 yards and was picked off three times. Crespi will try to regroup during its bye week and will take on a solid Saugus club in two weeks.

16. (16) Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 4-0
Once again junior running back Malcolm Jones spearheaded the Lions' offensive attack as he rushed for 178 yards on 20 carries during a 45-0 victory over Chaminade of West Hills. Jones did his damage early, gaining 164 of his yards in the first half when he scored on runs of 11,19 and two yards. QB Nick Montana continues to show improvement, as he completed 11 of 19 passes in the first half for 242 yards while adding two touchdowns. Montana told the L.A. Daily News that the Chaminade game was the best he's played so far this season. Jones and Montana will look to keep the Lions' offense rolling this week when they take on Venice at home. Last season, Venice beat Oaks Christian behind a stellar performance by Curtis McNeal, but he's now at USC and the Gondos are currently 0-4.

17. (18) Servite (Anaheim) 3-1
The Friars bounced back from a heart-breaking one-point loss to state-ranked Crespi with a win over then state-ranked Edison of Huntington Beach, 29-17. The difference-maker in the game was senior back Greg Portis, who wowed the Cerritos College fans and television audience with three touchdowns, including a 94-yard kickoff return. That return gave Servite a 13-10 lead after the Chargers had taken the lead early. Portis finished with 114 yards on 17 carries, but Edison still had its opportunities to win before dropped passes slowed a potential game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter. The Friars move up only one spot after the win over Edison, but that's partly due to Crespi's bad loss to St. Bonaventure. The Friars have the week off and then will look to make more rankings noise with a matchup against state-ranked Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks in two weeks.

18. (19) Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 3-0
Last season, Birmingham of Lake Balboa used a big win over Notre Dame on ESPN2 to propel itself to a memorable season and the L.A. City Section's first national rating since the 1988 season. This year was a different story, however, as the Fightin' Irish rolled to a 45-27 victory, their sixth victory over the Patriots in the past seven seasons. QB Ryan Kasdorf threw three touchdown passes, including 33 and 77-yarders to James Flynn while RB Kenny Boggs hit paydirt three times. He finished with 97 yards on 14 carries for Notre Dame, which will face Saugus in another televised showdown this week. Saugus this week, Servite in two weeks and Alemany in three weeks will give head coach Kevin Rooney a good idea of where his club stands as it prepares for Serra League play.

19. (23) Redlands East Valley (Redlands) 3-0
REV moves up four spots this week as the Wildcats went through their non-league portion of the schedule unscathed. Its 24-16 victory over J.W. North and last week's 25-6 road win over Dominguez of Compton are quality wins, although both programs seem to down a bit this season because of off-the-field coaching issues. Sandwiched in between those two victories was a 30-12 triumph over San Gorgonio and to the Wildcats' credit they have convincingly beat the teams they were supposed to unlike some of the state's other ranked clubs. REV hopes to continues its domination over lesser foes when it takes on 1-2 Yucaipa this week in its Citrus Belt League opener.

20. (20) San Ramon Valley (Danville) 3-0
Coach Dave Kravitz's boys started a little slow against a Washington of Fremont team that has been putting up big yards and points even in losses. As has been the case the past two seasons, quarterback Joe Southwick made some big plays when needed in SRV's 40-28 victory. Southwick finished 20-for-27 for 290 yards with four passing touchdowns. He added a fifth score on a 67-yard touchdown scamper that put the Wolves up 20-9. Now comes East Bay Athletic League play and a road opener at Livermore.

21. (24) Bishop Amat (La Puente) 3-1
After a season-opening loss to Los Osos of Rancho Cucamonga, the Lancers have now won three straight, with their latest win a 47-24 romp over Damien of La Verne. The game was close for a while until Amat's speed, in particular DeShawn Gaisie's, took over the game. The game was tied 7-7 when a 80-yard kickoff return and a 51-yard run by Gaisie set up Amat touchdowns. Gaisie also scored on a 60-yard punt return and finished with 282 all-purpose yards. A 23-yard interception return by Darien Johnson gave the Lancers a 41-10 lead and basically sealed the deal. Amat was ranked No. 2 by the San Gabriel Valley Union-Tribune behind Charter Oak of Covina, but the Lancers are undoubtedly the best team in the region after that club played to a tie last week. After its bye week, coach Steve Haggerty's crew will take on battle-tested Diamond Ranch of Pomona.

22. (nr) Lutheran (Orange) 3-1
In a slugfest against a talented J.W. North of Riverside club, the Lancers led 5-0 at halftime, but two turnovers later coach Jim Kunau's club trailed 13-5. Lutheran's defense tightened up and the offense took care of the ball, taking the lead for good on a 11-yard touchdown run by Exavier Edwards that was followed by a clutch two-point conversion catch from Bobby Wheatley to Scotty Williams. Jeremiah Pemasa sealed the win with an interception late in the game. Edwards finished with 139 yards rushing while Wheatley completed 16 of 22 passes for 122 yards. The Lancers have a bye this week then take on a gritty Banning of Wilmington club in two weeks.

23. (25) Monte Vista (Danville) 3-0
The Mustangs creep up two spots this week after finishing non-league play with a 55-0 shutout of Castro Valley. A new rising star who had a breakout game of 373 yards passing against Pittsburg two weeks ago, and was a perfect 13-of-13 for 228 yards and four touchdowns against Castro Valley, is quarterback Brett Nottingham. He now has 796 yards passing in three games with nine TDs and a 149 quarterback rating. This Friday night the Mustangs open EBAL action on the road at upstart Foothill of Pleasanton, 3-0 under un-retired head coach Matt Sweeney.

24. (nr) Gilroy 3-0
You could almost hear Bing Crosby singing "Yippie yi yo kayah" from the 1957 "Old Cowhand on the Rio Grande" song, after the Mustangs of Gilroy make their first entrance into the state top 25 with a 31-10 victory over Palo Alto. Quarterback Jamie Jensen somewhat struggled, finishing 14 of 27 for 213 yards with two touchdowns against threw three interceptions. Before Jensen warmed up late in the game, Gilroy had a 14-10 lead midway through the third quarter before putting Paly away. Next up is the Tri-County League opener on the road in Salinas at Alvarez.

25. (nr) St. John Bosco (Bellflower) 4-0
We thought long and hard about placing Vista Murrieta in this week's top 25, but we then remembered how tough Loyola played nationally-ranked De La Salle two weeks ago and realized it makes sense to go with Bosco in the final spot. De La Salle needed a special teams break to beat Loyola, but the Braves took a 41-7 halftime lead in their eventual 44-28 victory. Talented Bosco QB Keith Price completed 11 of 14 passes in the first half for 264 yards and five scores. One of his favorite targets was Will Shamburger, who caught five passes for 104 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown. The Braves offense could even get stronger in the coming weeks with the addition of RB Alex Fletcher, an all-Moore League selection a year ago for Lakewood who has yet to play. Up next for the Braves is 2-1 St. Paul of Santa Fe Springs.

By Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor


Servite (Anaheim) 29,  Edison (Huntington Beach) 17

Both teams came into this game ranked in the CalHiSports.com state top 25, but only one team had been tested so far and that team pulled out the win Friday night at Cerritos College.

Servite (3-1) was coming off a tough 21-20 loss to Crespi of Encino and had only dropped one spot in our overall state ratings. The Friars bounced back in a big way as senior back Greg Portis rushed for 114 yards on 17 carries. He scored on a serpentine 94-yard kickoff return that sparked Servite to a win over the state's No. 21 rated club.

Servite trialed until Portis' kickoff return and 44-yard TD run gave them a 13-10 lead at halftime. The Chargers still had their chances to win down the stretch, but couldn't convert on their final drive. After cutting Servite's lead down to two points (19-17) in the third quarter, Edison (3-1) had a drive killed by Servite's Michael Marcoux, who finished the game with two interceptions.              

Edison had averaged 51 points in its first three victories, but Servite was by far its toughest opponent to date. Edison will look to regroup against Mater Dei of Santa Ana next week in another tough non-league tussle.    

Servite, meanwhile, will continue to cross landmines in the coming weeks. Up next for the Friars is state ranked clubs Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks then a Trinity League opener versus a Mater Dei team they have not beaten since the 1988 season.

St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 31, Crespi (Encino) 14

In a match up of serious CIF Bowl Game contenders, a defending state champion defeated the state's No. 5 rated team with a dominant performance at Ventura High School. Crespi handed last season's CIF Div. III state champs its only loss, 25-9, but this time around it was St. Bonaventure that was firing on all cylinders.      

USC commit Patrick Hall was the difference maker for the Seraphs, who dominated from the onset. A field goal and a 53-yard run by Hall gave St. Bonaventure (4-0) a 10-0 lead at halftime. Hall then exploded for a 82-yard run in the fourth quarter to give his team a 17-0 lead and the Seraphs put the game away with a nine-yard scoring run by Devon Blackledge.    

St. Bonaventure, rated No. 7 in the state coming in, eventually led, 31-0, before Crespi (3-1) scored two late touchdowns. Blackledge came into the game as St. Bonaventure's leading rusher, but Hall made the big plays to lead his team on Friday night.  

With the win, the Seraphs not only solidified their standing as the top team in the CIF Div. III South Bowl Game ratings, but put itself in good position to be included in talks to represent SoCal in the Open Division game which will pit the top-rated team from Northern California versus the top-rated team from SoCal. The Seraphs have a bye next week and then will travel to Veterans Stadium in Long Beach where they will battle state No. 2 Long Beach Poly.

The Jackrabbits are currently the top-rated team in the SoCal Open Division ratings and downed Carson, 14-0, in an intersectional match up Friday night. If Poly beats undefeated Lakewood in its Moore League opener, the St. Bonaventure-Poly game on October 10 will have huge CIF Bowl Game implications.         

By Mark Tennis & Paul Muyskens

(Contributing: Ronnie Flores) 

This is the 30th year in which CalHiSports.com has been providing weekly state rankings. At the end of the season, we will be releasing final rankings according to our traditional five divisions based on league and playoff strength. Check this site on Wednesdays during the current season for updates.

Division I North
1.   (1)  De La Salle (Concord) 2-0
2.   (2)  Bellarmine (San Jose) 2-0
3.   (3)  Oak Grove (San Jose) 2-0
4.   (4)  Granite Bay 2-0
5.   (7)  Grant (Sacramento) 3-0
6.   (5)  Merced 2-0
7.   (6)  San Ramon Valley (Danville) 2-0
8.  (nr)  Monte Vista (Danville) 2-0
9.   (8)  Gilroy 2-0
10.  (10) Lincoln (Stockton) 2-0
Others: California (San Ramon) 1-1, Elk Grove 2-0, Foothill (Pleasanton) 2-0, Napa 1-1, Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) 2-0.
Rundown: Playing at home and on ESPNU this Saturday should push De La Salle to a strong performance against nationally-ranked Don Bosco Prep of New Jersey. If not, these rankings could change next week with Bellarmine perhaps  poised to move up to the top. Grant went up by two spots after beating defending Class 5A Utah champ Alta of Sandy, but the Pacers could slide back one next week if Merced does well in its showdown with D2 South-ranked Edison of Fresno. Granite Bay and Grant figure to both be in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Div. II playoffs. Teams that are projected to be in the SJS Div. I playoffs that have CIF Div. I enrollments include Merced, Lincoln of Stockton, Napa and Pleasant Grove.

Division I South
1.   (1) Poly (Long Beach) 2-0
2.   (2) Centennial (Corona) 2-0
3.   (4) Mission Viejo 3-0
4.   (3) Los Alamitos 2-0
5.   (7) Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga) 3-0
6.   (8) Redlands East Valley (Redlands) 2-0
7.   (10) Upland 3-0
8.   (12) Tesoro (Las Flores) 3-0
9.   (13) J.W. North (Riverside) 2-1
10. (11) Loyola (Los Angeles) 2-1
11. (15) Lakewood 3-0
12. (14) Clovis East (Clovis) 2-1
13.  (nr) Palmdale 2-0
14.  (nr) Mission Hills (San Marcos) 3-0
15.  (nr) Clovis West (Fresno) 2-1
Others: Bakersfield 1-1, Buchanan (Clovis) 2-0, Hart (Newhall) 1-1, La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad) 2-1, Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach) 2-1, Mira Mesa (San Diego) 2-1, Newbury Park 2-0, Newport Harbor (Newport Beach) 1-1, Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley) 3-0, Santiago (Corona) 1-1, Stockdale (Bakersfield) 2-0.
Rundown: The top teams in this division remain the same and three of them play in the tough CIF Southern Section Pac-Five playoffs so the real contenders will eventually emerge among a large group of quality teams. The one team that hurt not only its chances but the entire CIF Central Section's chances in this division was previous No. 5 Bakersfield. The Drillers were upset, 34-29, by Stockdale of Bakersfield and with the loss could also hurt its chances to schedule a big-time intersectional opponent. Central Section club Clovis East did record a 31-14 victory over Sanger, but still has a long climb towards the top of these ratings. The best scenario for the section would be a Clovis West victory over No. 2 Centennial this week and for Clovis East to defeat a one-loss Golden Eagles club down the line. It would also look good for Clovis West if Heritage of Colleyville, Texas, which beat the Golden Eagles in their first game, has a strong showing in the Texas 5A playoffs. It also wasn't a good week for the CIF San Diego Section in this division as previous No. 6 La Costa Canyon and previous No. 9 Mira Mesa went down in flames.

Division II North
1.   (1) Valley Christian (San Jose) 3-0
2.   (2) St. Mary's (Stockton) 1-1
3.   (3) Casa Roble (Orangevale) 2-0
4.   (4) Whitney (Rocklin) 2-0
5.   (6) Las Lomas (Walnut Creek) 2-1
6.   (5) Rocklin 1-1
7.   (9) Novato 1-2
8.  (nr) Sonora 2-0
9.  (7)  Del Oro (Loomis) 1-1
10. (10) Inderkum (Sacramento) 2-0
Others: Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) 2-0, Campolindo (Moraga) 3-0, Del Norte (Crescent City) 2-0, Encinal (Alameda) 2-0, Miramonte (Orinda) 3-0, Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco) 1-2, St. Ignatius (San Francisco) 2-1.
Rundown: After it was defeated by NorCal D1 power Bellarmine last week, dropping St. Mary's at all especially behind Casa Roble -- just wasn't an option. The Rams should still have an outstanding season. It's just that the Bells were that good. The other big news in this division is the turnaround for 2007 CIF Div. II bowl participant Novato. Coach Travis Brackett's squad blanked previous No. 8 St. Ignatius of San Francisco, 36-0. This is after the Hornets lost their first two games to Valley Christian of San Jose and Foothill of Pleasanton. Sonora, which has been No. 2 overall among large schools behind Merced in the Modesto Bee's rankings, was picked to go in this week as a newcomer in place of St. Ignatius.

Division II South
1.   (2) Crespi (Encino) 3-0
2.   (3) Oceanside 3-0
3.   (4) Edison (Fresno) 3-0
4.   (2) Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 2-1
5.   (5) Servite (Anaheim) 2-1
6.   (6) Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 2-0
7.   (7) Edison (Huntington Beach) 3-0
8.   (8) Bishop Amat (La Puente) 2-1
9.   (9) Lutheran (Orange) 1-1
10. (10) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 2-0
11. (11) El Diamante (Visalia) 2-0
12. (13) Helix (La Mesa) 2-1
13.  (nr) Hart (Newhall) 2-1
14. (15) Alemany (Mission Hills) 2-0
15. (nr) Tulare 3-0
Others: Atascadero 1-2, Citrus Hill (Perris) 2-0, La Habra 2-0, Laguna Hills 2-0, Moorpark 2-1, Norco 1-1, San Dimas 3-0, Valley Center 3-0, Westlake (Westlake Village) 1-1.
Rundown: For the second consecutive week, there is a new No. 1 team in this division in the aftermath of Corona Centennial's 47-35 victory over Mater Dei, which spent one week at the top after Orange Lutheran's loss to No. 8 Bishop Amat. Crespi is the new No. 1 following its 21-20 victory over Servite of Anaheim, which doesn't fall in these ratings after dropping one spot in the overall top 25. The scenario for San Diego Section power Oceanside has been well-versed -- if a Div. I South club wins the CIFSS Pac-Five title, seven of the current top teams 10 teams would be ineligible for the bowl games. Pac-Five powers knocking each other off also bodes well for No. 3 Edison of Fresno, which has averaged 49 points through its first three games and has a tough test this week against Div. I North contender Merced. The Central Section, San Diego Section and Southern Section all have great contenders in this division, with only the L.A. City Section on the outside looking in.

Division III North
1.   (1) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 2-0
2.   (2) Palma (Salinas) 2-0
3.   (4) Central Catholic (Modesto) 1-1
4.   (3) Sutter 3-1
5.   (7) McClymonds (Oakland) 2-0
6.   (6) Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 1-1
7.   (8) Colfax 1-1
8.   (9) Menlo School (Atherton) 3-0
9.   (5) Carmel 2-1
10. (nr) King's Academy (Sunnyvale) 3-0
Others: Justin-Siena (Napa) 2-1, St. Patrick-St. Vincent (Vallejo) 1-1, Wheatland 3-0.
Rundown: Cardinal Newman's 52-25 win over a Del Oro of Loomis team it has had quite the battles with in recent years shows that head coach Paul Cronin may have put together his most complete team. That still remains to be seen, but if Cardinal Newman beats No. 2 Palma this week, then it will be firmly in control of this bowl bid. Another result that helps Newman was Central Catholic topping Sutter, 30-28, on a last-second field goal. You really have to credit Sutter coach Scott Turner for going after this game and while the odds are long that both Cardinal Newman and Central Catholic will lose in their section playoffs, it's not impossible.

Division III South
1.   (1) St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 3-0
2.   (2) Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 3-0
3.   (3) Serra (Gardena) 3-0
4.   (4) St. John Bosco (Bellflower) 3-0
5.   (5) St. Paul (Santa Fe Springs) 1-1
6.  (nr) Exeter 2-0
7.  (nr) Morro Bay 2-0
8.   (9) Harvard-Westlake (N. Hollywood) 1-0-1
9.   (6) Yosemite (Oakhurst) 1-1
10. (10) Corcoran 2-0
Others: Bakersfield Christian 1-1, Fowler 3-0, Maranatha (Sierra Madre) 3-0, St. Joseph (Santa Maria) 1-1, Taft 2-1, Valley Christian (Cerritos) 2-1.
Rundown: The top rated teams in this division all recorded easy victories last week and the overall scenario remains the same. Top-rated St. Bonaventure beat a tough Jordan of Los Angeles team and No. 2 Oaks Christian routed Diamond Ranch, 48-6. The St. Bonaventure-Oaks Christian series has basically decided this division the past two years, but the two Ventura County powers won't play this season. Ironically, there are talks between the two programs to resume the series next season. One wildcard team that could drastically alter this division is St. John Bosco of Bellflower. The Braves potentially could be as good as Oaks Christian, but they'll have to win the brutal CIFSS Pac-Five Division playoffs just to be eligible. It remains to be seen if they are that good. No. 3 Serra of Gardena, led by junior multi-purpose standout Robert Woods, routed San Gabriel 53-0 last week, but the Cavaliers probably have to get through Oaks Christian at some point to become bowl eligible.

Small Schools North
1.   (1) Modesto Christian 2-0
2.   (2) Ferndale 3-0
3.   (3) St. Vincent (Petaluma) 2-0
4.   (5) Hamilton (Hamilton City) 2-1
5.  (nr) St. Elizabeth (Oakland) 1-1
Others: Capital Christian (Sacramento) 0-2, Modoc (Alturas) 3-0, Vacaville Christian 1-1.
Rundown: Modesto Christian outscored Capital Christian, 54-41, in a wild shootout last week and remains No. 1 in this division. Capital Christian, however, still may have a better shot at getting bowl eligible since it would be in the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. VII playoffs while the Crusaders would be in Division V, same as Central Catholic. MC also will have to deal with Escalon in its league. Ferndale would have to win the North Coast Section Division V title (formerly Class 1A) for the second straight year to become eligible. As of now, that certainly looks more doable than what MC has to do.

Small Schools South
1.   (1) Santa Clara (Oxnard) 3-0
2.   (2) St. Margaret's (SJ Capistrano) 2-0
3.   (3) Christian (El Cajon) 3-0
4.   (4) Aquinas (San Bernardino) 3-0
5.   (5) La Jolla Country Day (La Jolla) 2-0
Others: Boron 3-0, Brentwood (Los Angeles) 2-0, Parker (San Diego) 1-1, Saddleback Valley Christian (SJ Capistrano) 2-0.
Rundown: All-American back Cierre Wood didn't play in the first quarter, but he still rushed for 259 yards and three touchdowns in Santa Clara's 35-7 victory over Channel Islands. Not only did the top-ranked Saints win last week, but so did the five top-rated teams in this division. No. 2 St. Margaret's won its 30th consecutive game with a 41-0 victory over Army-Navy of Carlsbad although head coach Harry Welch wasn't exactly pleased with the victory. If the Tartans win the rest of their games this season, not only would they be in great position for the smalls schools bowl berth, they would break the Orange County record for most consecutive victories. Mission Viejo had a 41-game winning steak between 2001 and 2003.

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