Nationally-ranked Lakeland of Florida pulls out 31-30 win as Spartans show marked improvement on offense. It's still going to take a huge effort for any Bay Area team to beat them even though they are just 1-2.

Note: Make sure you follow us at twitter.com/calhisports as we'll do our best to give you live updates from the big games we attend all season long. You can also follow us on Facebook. Please join our Facebook group by CLICKING HERE )

By Mark Tennis, Executive Editor

Even though the De La Salle of Concord football team just dropped a difficult to swallow 31-30 game in overtime to Lakeland of Florida on Friday night on ESPN2, there also was the taste of satisfaction among some players and coaches.

Part of that is due to Lakeland's reputation as the Dreadnaughts (3-0) came into the night at No. 10 in the ESPN RISE FAB 50 national rankings and are just three years removed from being No. 1 in the nation.

Once the immediate disappointment of losing when a two-point conversion attempt that could have won the game had dissipated, De La Salle head coach Bob Ladouceur stood on the Diablo Valley College turf and sounded more upbeat than he did after his team won its first game, 14-7, over Serra of San Mateo.(Read full post)

Some impressive talent adorns this year's All-East Bay preseason honor squad that includes players from the East Bay portion of the North Coast Section and the Oakland Section. The leader is De La Salle with four players selected. Make sure you follow us at twitter.com/calhisports as we'll do our best to give you live updates from the big games we attend all season long. You can also follow us on Facebook. Please join our Facebook group by CLICKING HERE

By Harold Abend, Special to CalHiSports.com

Note: These teams are based on honors from last season, showings at Nike football combines and camps plus information sent in from coaches. Many of the quoted statistics are from MaxPreps.com.

Offense

WR – Joey Andrada (Piedmont) 6-0, 195, Sr.
The leader in receiving, scoring and yards gained last year in the controversial A-11 offense of Highlanders' coaches Kurt Bryan and Steve Humphries had 40 receptions for 838 yards with 12 touchdowns. Speed could be a question but he showed excellent hands at the Nike Camp at Stanford and should be a major force in the Bay Shore League again this season

WR – George Atkinson (Granada, Livermore) 5-11, 175, Jr.
Although he rushed for 513 yards and a 7.77 yards per carry average with two TDs last season, on this team he plays wide receiver, just like he did at the Stanford Nike Camp. Last year the lightning-quick son of former Raiders' DB George Atkinson Sr. pulled in 16 balls for 265 yards and one touchdown. He also plays defensive back where he had one interception and for good measure he returns punts and kickoffs where he averaged over 22 yards per return on punts and 18 plus on kickoffs. At this year's CIF State Track Meet, Atkinson turned some heads when the sophomore at the time medaled with a 21.46 in the 200, which earned fourth place.(Read full post)

It may only be temporary, but De La Salle of Concord's Bob Ladouceur is now the winningest football coach in state history. His 345th win will go down one of the most Jekyll-and-Hyde performances for his team as a beautiful defense rescued an ugly offense in a 14-7 win over upset-minded Serra of San Mateo.

To read our quarter-by-quarter tweets of this game, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/calhisports

By Mark Tennis, Executive Editor

CONCORD -- Terron Williams-Ward didn't do anything as dramatic as pick up a bad snap and run for a game-winning two-point conversion, but his two second-half touchdowns gave a struggling De La Salle High of Concord offense just enough points to pull out a 14-7 win on Friday night at Owen Owens Field over Serra of San Mateo.

The Spartans, No. 3 in the CalHiSports preseason rankings for the state and No. 20 in the ESPN RISE FAB 50 for the nation, opened their 2009 season by topping the Padres, who were No. 24 in the preseason state list. It was the second straight gut-wrenching loss for Serra against De La Salle, following last year's 29-28 defeat in San Mateo.

While De La Salle was coming from behind to beat Serra, down in Southern California, La Mirada High came from behind to defeat St. Paul of Santa Fe Springs, 15-7. Those two results mean that De La Salle head coach Bob Ladouceur, for the first time in his career, has moved to No. 1 on the all-time state list for coaching wins, just one spot higher than St. Paul's Marijon Ancich. Ladouceur now has 345 wins since 1979, while Ancich, who is returning to coaching this season after a three-year break, remains at 344.(Read full post)

Today we are continuing our preseason football coverage with a detailed review of the 1999 season. It's the fifteenth 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 CLICK HERE to print out a questionnaire to make sure your program is included in our series of team previews for the 2009 season. Please fax completed questionnaire to (209) 463-1219 or email info to mark@studentsports.com. To check out our preseason state top 50 rankings, CLICK HERE. You can now follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/calhisports or on Facebook by CLICKING HERE. 

By Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

California Schools With the Most D1 Signers (1999-2000)

Poly (Long Beach) (8) - Reggie Butler (6-1, 200, LB) to Pennsylvania; Ernie James (6-1, 175, DB) to Idaho St.; Charles Jones (6-3, 240, DL) to UNLV; Mason Mitchell (6-1, 270, TE-DE) to Sacramento St.; Lionel Penman (6-3, 200, WR) to UNLV; Seth Tago (6-1, 275, DL) to Sacramento St.; Marley Tucker (5-11, 165, DB) to Oregon; Carlos Velasquez (5-10, 180, DB) to Nevada.
Carson (5) - Michael Crowder-Jones (6-0, 225, LB) to UNLV; Wendell Hunter (6-1, 220, LB) to Cal; Fai Satele (6-1, 270, DL) to Fresno St.; Mike Smith (6-2, 184, WR) to Arizona St.; Ashley Subingsubing (6-2, 225, LB) to UNLV.
Diamond Bar (5) - Blake Lobel (6-4, 225, LB) to San Diego St.; Donte Nicholson (6-2, 200, DB) to Washington; Aric Williams (6-0, 165, CB) to Oregon St.; Dwight Wright (5-9, 195, TB) to Oregon St.; Jason Wright   (5-11, 200, RB) to Northwestern.
Grant (Sacramento) (5) - Marvin Morris (5-10, 180, DB) to Boise St.; Chris Stallworth (6-3, 190, WR) to Utah St.; Perry Thompson (6-7, 285, OL) to Arizona; Paris Warren (6-1, 190, WR) to Oregon; Antonie Williams (6-2, 223, TE) to Boise St.
Westlake (Westlake Village) (5) - Michael Brignac (6-2, 190, WR) to Utah St.; Chris Catalano (6-1, 198, DB) to Wisconsin; Keith Holt (6-5, 310, OL) to Idaho; Jordan Lampos (6-0, 230, LB) Idaho; Zac Wasserman (6-3, 200, QB) to Penn St.
Mayfair (Lakewood) (4) - Joe Hunter (6-0, 175, WR) to UNLV; Marcus Johnson (6-3, 290, OL) to UNLV; Mike Williams (6-0, 195, TB) to Arizona St.; Terrence Young (5-11, 230, LB) to UNLV.(Read full post)

Lakewood running back out for the year and it's not due to an injury. Plus, a look back at two former SoCal running backs facing legal difficulties, why De La Salle's Ladouceur may need a few weeks to become state's winningest football coach and why family in Merced needs thoughts and prayers.

By Ronnie Flores & Mark Tennis
Contributing: Paul Muyskens

Lakewood High School, a team that has played second-fiddle in the Moore League football standings to kingpin Long Beach Poly for decades, has high hopes of knocking off the Jackrabbits this season for the first time since 1982. After all, the two-time defending CIF Southern Section Pac-Five champions have to replace all 11 starters on defense while the Lancers are returning the majority of their top players, including Elite 11 quarterback Jesse Scroggins.

Over the weekend while covering the Boost Mobile Elite 24 basketball showcase in New York City, we received notice from a trusted source back in California that Lakewood running back Jerry Stone apparently was involved in a serious criminal matter. We couldn't confirm the information at the time, but Lakewood coach Thadd MacNeal confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that the difference-maker in the Lancers' offense last year was currently in juvenile hall and would not play for the Lancers during the 2009 season.

(Read full post)

Today we are continuing our preseason football coverage with a detailed review of the 1998 season. It's the fourteenth 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 CLICK HERE to print out a questionnaire 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. Please fax completed questionnaire to (209) 463-1219 or email info to mark@studentsports.com.

By Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

California Schools With the Most D1 Signers (1998-1999)

Poly (Long Beach) (10) - Larry Croom (5-10, 185, RB) to Arizona; Jeremy Johnson (6-4, 205, TE) to Fresno St.; Kareem Kelly (6-2, 180, WR) to USC; Chris Lewis (6-3, 205, QB) to Stanford; Dennis Link (6-2, 200, LB) to UCLA; Samie Parker (5-10, 160, WR) to Oregon; Darrell Rideaux (5-8, 155, DB) to USC; Aaron Smith (5-8, 170, DB) to Villanova; Joe Veach (6-2, 265, OL) to Portland St.; David Word (5-9, 185, TB) to Boise St.
A.B. Miller (Fontana) (6) - Lamar Anderson (5-11, 170, WR) to Colorado St.; Nick Barnett (6-1, 188, OLB) to Oregon St.; Justin Colbert (5-7, 160, WR) to Hawaii; Alan Flores (5-11, 175, QB) to Army; Jeff McGarity (6-0, 200, RB) to Colorado St.; Shaheed Richardson (6-3, 238, DE) to Illinois.
Elk Grove (6) - Lance Briggs (6-2, 225, LB) to Arizona; Jeremy Callaway (6-1, 185, RB-LB) to Sacramento St.; Ric Cottengim (6-2, 170, DB) to Oregon; Ryan Dinwiddie (6-0, 180, QB) to Boise St.; Russell Gardner (6-2, 230, TE) to Sacramento St.; Trent Lundin (6-4, 190, WR) to Northern Arizona.
Los Alamitos (6) - Sagan Atuatasi (6-4, 300, DL) to USC; Ryan Hanson (6-3, 210, QB) to UNLV; Keenan Howry (5-9, 160, WR) to Oregon; Adolph Keyes (5-9, 160, CB) to Oregon; Stefan Merriweather (6-1, 190, LB) to Nevada; Bernard Riley (6-3, 305, DL) to USC.
Bakersfield (5) - Aaron Graham (6-1, 210, LB) to USC; Calvin Hosey (6-4, 235, OLB) to Cal; Sean Mackey (6-1, 185, DB) to UNLV; Jermaine McDermott (6-2, 210, OLB) to Fresno St.; Bryce McGill (5-11, 195, DB) to Fresno St.
Fountain Valley (4) - Ryan Breska (6-3, 195, QB) to Purdue; Aaron Carter (6-2, 185, WR) to Nevada; Jarom Fano (6-1, 265, DL) to Colorado St.; Andre Sommersell (6-3, 200, DL) to Colorado St.
Morse (San Diego) (4) - Tyrone Brown (6-4, 240 TE) to Arizona; Regis Crawford (6-3, 310, OL) to Arizona St.; Marcus Dixon (5-11, 210, LB) to New Mexico St.; Chris Prosser (6-1, 200, LB) to USC.
Serra (Gardena) (4) - Kevin Boyer (5-8, 150, DB) to San Jose St.; Kevin Jackson (6-2, 285, DL) to UTEP; DaShaun McCullough (5-10, 180, CB) to UCLA; Sean Weston (5-10, 160, DB) to Texas A&M.
Valley View (Moreno Valley) (4) - Kevin Jackson (6-4, 215, LB) to Hawaii; Chris Massey (5-11, 185, CB) to Washington; Troy McPeak (5-10, 180, DB) to Colorado St.; Adam Wade (6-1, 195, LB) to Colorado St.
Vista (4) - Edrick Contreras (6-1, 306, OL) to San Jose St.; Michael Johnson (5-11, 185, WR) to UNLV; Mike Sullivan (6-6, 310, OT) to Stanford; Pisa Tinoisamoa (6-1, 225, RB-LB) to Hawaii.(Read full post)

Today we are continuing our preseason football coverage with a detailed review of the 1997 season. It's the thirteenth 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 CLICK HERE to print out a questionnaire 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. Please fax completed questionnaire to (209) 463-1219 or email info to mark@studentsports.com.

By Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

California Schools With the Most D1 Signers (1997-1998)

Bakersfield (5) - Sean Mackey (6-1, 185, DB) to UNLV; Keith McKnight (6-5, 290, OL) to Fresno St.; Tim Osborn (6-2, 210, QB) to Fresno St.; Jason Stewart (6-2, 260, DL) to Fresno St.; Eliott Zajac (6-5, 280, OL) to Washington.
Dominguez (Compton) (5) - Douglas Brumfield (6-3, 190, CB) to Oregon St.; Willie Hurst (5-10, 195, RB) to Washington; Eric Manning (6-2, 265, DT) to Oregon St.; David Relf (5-11, 175, WR) to Oregon St.; Jason Thomas (6-4, 220, QB) to USC.
Damien (La Verne) (4) - Brian Allen (5-10, 190, RB) to Stanford; Mark Christensen (6-4, 290, OL) to Oregon St.; Rashidi Wheeler (6-1, 202, DB-RB) to Northwestern; Darnell Parhms (5-10, 185, DB) to Washington.(Read full post)

Today we are continuing our preseason football coverage with a detailed review of the 1996 season. It's the twelfth 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 CLICK HERE to print out a questionnaire 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. Please fax completed questionnaire to (209) 463-1219 or email info to mark@studentsports.com.

By Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

California Schools With the Most D1 Signers (1996-1997)

Today we are continuing our preseason football coverage with a detailed review of the 1995 season. It's the eleventh 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 CLICK HERE to print out a questionnaire 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. Please fax completed questionnaire to (209) 463-1219 or email info to mark@studentsports.com.

By Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

California Schools With the Most D1 Signers (1995-1996)

(Read full post)

Today we are continuing our preseason football coverage with a detailed review of the 1994 season. It's the tenth 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 CLICK HERE to print out a questionnaire 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. Please fax completed questionnaire to (209) 463-1219 or email info to mark@studentsports.com.

By Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

California Schools With the Most D1 Signers (1994-1995)

Bishop Amat (La Puente) (6) - Omar Garcia (6-0, 215, LB) to St. Mary's; Ramogi Huma (6-3, 215, LB) to UCLA; Paul Lima (6-0, 170, WR) to Bucknell; Daylon McCutcheon (5-10, 175, DB-WR) to USC; Kory Minor (6-3, 230, LB) to Notre Dame; Coree Thomas (6-2, 230, DE) to St. Mary's.
Claremont (5) - Kendrick Bates (6-5, 220, TE) to Arizona St.; Chaa Conent (6-2, 250, OL) to Eastern Michigan; Floyd Johnson (5-10, 175, DB) to San Jose St.; Jeremy Lingenfelter (6-1, 240, LB) to Eastern Michigan; Tom Michel (6-1, 275, OL) to Eastern Michigan.
Westchester (Los Angeles) (5) - Courtney Brown (6-3, 200, WR) to San Jose St.; Kaaron Conwright (5-8, 165, RB-DB) to Cal Poly SLO; Tony Griffin (6-2, 193, WR) to USC; Louis Henderson (6-2, 190, DB) to Cal; Travor Turner (6-6, 205, LB) to UCLA.  
Culver City (4) - Jasiri Rodell (6-0, 175, WR) to UNLV; Damon Williams (6-2, 190, QB-WR) to UNLV; Aki Wilson (5-8, 160, RB) to Howard; Jahmal Wright (5-9, 170, DB) to Kansas.
Mater Dei (Santa Ana) (4) - Steve Bodnar (5-10, 177, RB) to Weber St.; John Flynn (6-1, 175, QB) to Air Force; Matt Motherway (6-3, 250, OL) to Stanford; Pat Shinnefield (6-2, 183, K) to Stanford.
Morse (San Diego) (4) - Lonnie Bergeron (5-9, 160, DB) to San Diego St.; Rashard Cook (6-0, 185, QB-DB) to USC; David Gates (6-2, 275, DL) to Colorado; Scott Johnson (6-2, 200, LB) to San Diego St.
Poly (Long Beach) (4) - Arild Fariamo (6-0, 180, RB) to Northern Arizona; Daniel Ho-Ching (6-0, 200, RB-DB) to San Diego St.; Don Lonon (6-0, 175, DB) to Cal; Robert Toler (6-0, 175, QB) to Colorado.
Skyline (Oakland) (4) - Billy Cockerham (6-1, 205, QB) to Minnesota; Derrick Gardner (5-11, 180, DB) to Cal; Haran Jackson (5-11, 175, DB) to New Mexico St.; Robert Love (5-11, 190, DB) to Utah.(Read full post)

Today we are continuing our preseason football coverage with a detailed review of the 1993 season. It's the ninth 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 CLICK HERE to print out a questionnaire 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. Please fax completed questionnaire to (209) 463-1219 or email info to mark@studentsports.com.

By Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

California Schools With the Most D1 Signers (1993-1994)

Eisenhower (Rialto) (7) - Ricky Austin (6-4, 300, OL) to Washington St.; Marlon Farlow (5-11, 190, RB) to Arizona St.; Chris Lee (6-4, 285, OL) to Fresno St.; Arthur Lloyd (6-4, 190, TE) to Nevada; Julius McChristian (5-9, 180, RB-DB) to San Diego St.; Monty Tevaga (6-3, 250, OL) to Air Force; Glenn Thompkins (5-9, 170, WR-DB) to UCLA.
Poly (Long Beach) (5) - Danjuan Magee (6-2, 250, LB) to UCLA; Kelly Malveaux (5-9, 170, DB) to Arizona; Lamont Morgan (6-0, 175, DB) to Arizona St.; Damien Murphy (6-1, 175, RB-DB) to San Diego St.; Brandon Whiting (6-3, 260, DL) to Cal.
Atascadero (4) - Kevin Doherty (6-5, 270, OL) to Cal; Jasch Janowicz (5-10, 175, RB) to Cal Poly SLO; Bruce Kelly (6-2, 260, OL) to Cal; Mike Mitchell (6-4, 235, OL) to Cal Poly SLO.
Loyola (Los Angeles) (4) - Kadar Hamilton (6-0, 205, RB) to Stanford; Miguel Medrano (6-3, 220, DL) to Columbia; Eric Scanlon (6-2, 230, DL) to Duke; Anthony Scotti (6-3, 190, P) to SMU.
Skyline (Oakland) (4) - Ron Holmes (5-11, 195, WR) to Arizona; Kevin Parker (5-10, 180, DB) to Oregon; Kwame Stewart (5-11, 215, FB) to Washington St.; Halafihi Vuna (6-1, 220 LB) to Arizona.(Read full post)

Today we are continuing our preseason football coverage with a detailed review of the 1992 season. It's the eighth 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 CLICK HERE to print out a questionnaire 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. Please fax completed questionnaire to (209) 463-1219 or email info to mark@studentsports.com.

By Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

California Schools With the Most D1 Signers (1992-1993)

Muir (Pasadena) (5) - Andy Colbert (5-10, 170, DB) to UCLA; Saladin McCullough (5-10, 180, RB) to USC; Charles Myles (5-11, 210 FB) to Arizona; Derek Norman (6-1, 205, DB-K) to San Diego St.; Maurice Simpson (5-9, 180, DB) to San Jose St.
Benicia (4) - Tommy Hanson (6-5, 230, TE) to Stanford; Mike Reza (6-1, 200, LB) to Pacific; Kevin Simmons (5-10, 165, DB) to Utah St.; Nimoy Triplet (6-1, 185, WR) to San Diego St.
Bishop Amat (La Puente) (4) - Dereck Dedeaux (5-9, 170, DB) to Idaho; Chris Gallardo (6-3, 235, OL) to St. Mary's; Mike Smith (6-4, 200, QB) to Washington; Trevor Woods (5-9, 170, DB) to Wyoming.
Mater Dei (Santa Ana) (4) - Brian Barajas (5-9, 170, DB) to Villanova; Parker Gregg (6-0, 225, LB) to Penn; Ray Jackson (6-2, 195, DB) to Washington St.; Nicky Suala (6-0, 240, FB) to Ohio St.
Monte Vista (Danville) (4) - Damon Bowers (5-9, 180, WR-DB) to Pacific; Evan Ford (6-2, 170, WR) to Washington St.; Brian Lynch (6-1, 170, QB) to Colorado St.; George Schramm (6-3, 225, DE-DB) to Colorado St.
Poly (Long Beach) (4) - Jason McCorvey (6-0, 185, WR) to Arizona St.; Scoey Peters (5-9, 175, RB) to Montana St.; Shatony Sargeant (6-5, 245, DL) to Fresno St.; Omar Stoutmire (5-11, 195, DB) to Fresno St.
Skyline (Oakland) (4) - Will Blackwell (5-11, 180, WR) to San Diego St.; Ayyub Rahmaan (6-1, 190, QB) to Colorado; Khalid Shabazz (5-9, 180, RB) to Cal; Mickey Stewart (6-0, 240, LB) to Pacific.(Read full post)

Today we are continuing our preseason football coverage with a detailed review of the 1991 season. It's the seventh 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 (1991-1992)

Valley View (Moreno Valley) (6) - David Dotson (5-11, 185, RB) to USC; Zak Knutson (6-2, 260, OL) to Colorado St.; Benny Lopez (6-3, 255, TE) to San Diego St.; Willie Lowery (6-5, 230, DL) to USC; Craig Remley (6-4, 255, OL) to Colorado St.; Carlton Washington (6-2, 200, LB) to Northern Arizona.
Kennedy (Granada Hills) (5) - Troy Bregel (6-2, 240, DL) to Nevada; Ronnie Gipson (6-2, 170, DB) to Oregon; Anthony Jones (6-2, 185, DB) to Nevada; Elijah Rafael (5-9, 170, RB) to Washington St.; Alex Sawatske (6-2, 235, LB) to Oregon St.
Morse (San Diego) (5) - Darius Benford (6-5, 270, DL) to Arizona St.; Glenn Steele (6-2, 225, LB) to Arizona St.; Cary Taylor (6-0, 180, DB) to Arizona; Gary Taylor (6-0, 175, RB-DB) to Arizona; Danny Williams (6-4, 250, DL) to Fresno St.
Skyline (Oakland) (5) - Sean Bullard (6-3, 220, TE) to Cal; Kwame Ellis (5-11, 175, DB) to Stanford; Adam Goldenberg (6-3, 250, OL) to Columbia; Harlan Rashada (6-2, 205, LB) to Arizona St.; Ron Smith (6-2, 180, WR) to Pacific.
Point Loma (San Diego) (4) - Michael Driver (6-3, 185, DB) to San Diego St.; Darcel Glover (6-2, 230, LB) to San Diego St.; LeRoi Glover (6-3, 275, DL) to San Diego St.; Pico Gonzales (6-3, 230, LB) to Arizona.(Read full post)

Today we are continuing our preseason football coverage with a detailed review of the 1989 season. It's the fifth 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 (1989-1990)

Muir (Pasadena) (7) - Dustyn Benedict (5-10, 175, DB) to UNLV; Stefan Crutchfield (5-11, 175, DB) to BYU; Andre Devizan (6-1, 185, RB) to Long Beach St.; Paul Joiner (6-2, 220, LB) to Cal; Elic Mahone (6-5, 220, TE) to USC; Mudie Mushonga (6-2, 240, DT) to Hawaii; Sam Williford (6-1, 190, DB) to San Diego St.
Banning (Wilmington) (5) - Sheldon Butler (5-11, 170, WR) to Cal St. Fullerton; Terrance Campbell (5-10, 175, WR) to Cal St. Fullerton; Curtis Daniel (6-2, 190, DB) to Michigan St.; John Ma'ae (6-1, 190, QB) to UNLV; Nizam Walter (5-11, 185, DB) to Vanderbilt.
Carson (5) - Nkosi Littleton (6-2, 225, LB) to UCLA; Bobby Perkins (6-1, 170, DB) to UNLV; Michael Ross (6-1, 175, WR) to Fresno St.; Tydus Winans (6-0, 170, WR) to Fresno St.; Armin Youngblood (5-11, 185 QB-DB) to Fresno St.
Mater Dei (Santa Ana) (5) - Kealii Clifford (6-2, 180, RB) to Oregon; Ryan Motherway (6-5, 265, OL) to UCLA; Dan O'Neil (6-2, 180, QB) to Oregon; Jay Shinnefield (6-3, 245, OL) to Army; Ryan Walton (6-2, 210, LB) to Northern Arizona.
Los Alamitos (4) - Hartwell Brown (6-4, 235, DL) to Stanford; Todd Gragnano (6-1, 180, QB) to Nebraska; Brian Havens (6-3, 230, LB) to Nebraska; Erik Mitchell (5-9, 160, RB) to Colorado.
McClymonds (Oakland) (4) - Gary Brown (6-0, 195, DB) to Utah St.; Darrell Hill (5-10, 185, DB) to Utah St.; DeWayne Patterson (6-2, 220, LB-TE) to Washington St.; James Ward (6-2, 198, LB) to Utah St.
Poly (Long Beach) (4) - Lawrence Calhoun (6-1, 195, LB) to San Diego St.; James Capps (6-1, 235, C) to Army; Shivondi Johnson (6-2, 210, LB) to Hawaii; Willie McGinest (6-6, 215, LB) to USC.
Pt. Loma (San Diego) (4) - Brett Callan (6-1, 195, WR) to Cal; J.J. Stokes (6-5, 215, WR) to UCLA; Dan White (6-4, 200, QB) to Penn St.; Mondela Wilkins (6-5, 230, DL) to Washington.(Read full post)

Since soccer is a sport played throughout the school year in different sections around the state, we wait until the summer to release our various statewide honors. A familiar football powerhouse ends No. 1 among the boys while for girls it's a happy bunch of Troubadours from St. Francis of Sacramento.

Note: Players have to have participated on their high school teams to be eligible for all-state recognition. The CalHiSports.com statewide honors for boys and girls soccer also would not be possible without the research and assistance of ESPN RISE National Soccer Editor Sheldon Shealer of Myersville, Md. Go to ESPNRISE.com and click on the soccer page to check out Sheldon's work. For all of our previous boys and girls soccer state honors, check out the seventh edition of the CalHiSports.com State Record Book and Almanac.

Boys State Team of the Year: De La Salle (Concord) 23-1-1

The Spartans ended their season with a North Coast Section Class 3A championship and then watched as La Costa Canyon of Carlsbad and El Toro, who were both ranked ahead of them, lose in postseason play giving the Spartans the top spot in the state to end the year. Garrett Biel headed in the section finals' lone goal during the second overtime for a 1-0 win over San Ramon Valley. On the year, the Spartans defeated five teams ranked in the ESPN RISE FAB 50 and ended the season with an 18-match unbeaten streak. Goalkeeper Chris Holm allowed just 12 goals on the year for a 0.54 goals against average and was named first-team All-EBAL. Loyola Marymount-bound senior Chris Bernardi led the offensive attack with 12 goals as one of four Spartans to earn first-team All-EBAL honors. De La Salle previously was state team of the year in boys soccer for the 1990-91 school year. That also was the last time an NCS team was accorded the top statewide honor.

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Our boys' honoree this week is one of the best baseball-football athletes to come out of the Bay Area in quite a while.


By Harold Abend, Special to CalHiSports.com

Moms know best, and that's especially true about this week's State Boys Athlete of the Week, Noah Perio, who is from De La Salle High of Concord.

 "That's great that you're honoring him for baseball because every time anyone wants to do anything about Noah it's always about football. What everyone doesn't know is baseball is his real passion,” said Tammi Perio, and she ought to know because she is Noah's mother.

As quiet as it's kept, Noah Perio is one heck of a baseball shortstop and slugger.

Most everyone knows Perio the way ESPNU College Football Recruiting describes him. "A slot type receiver that has good hands, is slippery as a route runner and finds ways to get open.”

They also know him as a fierce hitter from the defensive back position and one of the team's stars from last fall along with Arizona-bound running back Kylan Butler, fellow WR/DB Blair Wishom and quarterback Blake Wayne. It was a Spartan squad the was runner-up in the 2008 CIF Division I Bowl Game.

In fact, Perio blocked a field goal with 3:18 remaining in the 21-16 loss to Centennial of Corona that kept the game within reach.

Then, on the last play of the game on a free kick after a safety by Centennial, the Spartans tried a play out of the Cal Bears playbook, getting the ball to Perio after a series of laterals. He appeared to break free but was eventually tackled around the winners' 20-yard line.

There's no blocking and tackling, or running with and carrying the ball in baseball, but there is hitting and fielding and running the bases, and Perio excels at all three.

"Noah just has instincts you can't teach,” said first-year De La Salle Coach Rick Steen, who before coming to Sparta spent 32 years at San Ramon Valley (Danville) where he won 490 games.

"He knows the pitchers, knows their reactions, knows where the ball is being pitched and he's passionate about competing,” continued Steen, whose team has snagged the top seed in the NCS Division I playoffs with a 16-8 record, meaning coach now has 506 career wins and earns a spot in the next edition of the ESPN RISE CalHiSports.com State Record Book and Almanac.

"Noah's also an inherent leader and kids matriculate to his actions and talent and flow to him because of what he can do,” said the veteran coach who graduated from Oakland's Skyline. "Plus, he doesn't want to lose, and that's contagious.”

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Spartans score in the bottom of the seventh to stay red-hot heading into North Coast Section playoffs. Clovis West was No. 4 overall in the state coming into the week. Monte Vista also wins in rescheduled Dave Stewart/Oakland A's Showdown.

By Harold Abend, Special to CalHiSports.com

A rainout caused a two-week postponement of the third year of the Dave Stewart/Oakland A's Showdown, and even though it lost one of its marquee teams, the event got underway with clear blue skies overhead at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning May 16 at the Oakland Coliseum.

Jesuit of Carmichael, scheduled to play Skyline (Oakland), was forced to pull out due to a conflict with the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs where the Marauders are one of the favorites in the Division I North bracket.

That left host De La Salle, who was originally scheduled to play Jesuit, with the task of facing the No. 4 overall state-ranked Golden Eagles of Clovis West (Fresno) in the 1 p.m. game.

Neither team went with any of its top starters but nonetheless it was somewhat of a pitcher's duel.

In the end, however, it was a Spartans' football standout wide receiver turned baseball shortstop that stole the show.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Noah Perio singled down the left field line driving home Erik Angerer for the game winning run in a 3-2 De La Salle victory.

Perio, who was named MVP for the winners, was 3-for-4 with two RBI. His triple in the fifth that bounced off the wall between the 388-foot and 400-foot signs in left-center scored Nick Hudson to give Sparta a 2-1 lead.

"We needed a game like this,” Perio told CalHiSports.com. "We're finally starting to come together and now we're rolling going into the playoffs.”

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Wacky WCAL shifts gears again while De La Salle continues to surge heading into showdown with Clovis West. Watch for highlights of many ranked baseball and softball teams each Sunday night on Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area. Tune to YourTV 20, San Francisco, at 7 p.m. Replays are aired during the week on Comcast SportsNet throughout Northern California.

By Harold Abend, Special to CalHiSports.com

The CalHiSports.com kibosh caravan was on the road last week with the mojo not discriminating geographically, taking its toll on the Peninsula and the North Bay.

After witnessing Serra put a 9-3 whipping on Bellarmine last Monday, retiring Coach Pete Jensen's boys couldn't quite get him a West Catholic Athletic League title. In losing 8-7 to Valley Christian it created a three-way tie atop the league with the Padres and Bells sharing first place with St. Francis, meaning no regular season champion was crowned.

Instead, this week's playoff winner will be the sole league champion.

The kibosh worked in a different way in the North Bay.

We visited the home of last week's ESPN RISE CalHiSports.com Girls State Athlete of the week, Taylor Stroud of Montgomery in Santa Rosa. She came into the week among the national leaders with a 0.00 ERA, not having given up a run in her team's 21-0 record at that time.

You guessed it. The very next day Stroud gave up two earned runs, although the Vikings won 3-2 over Ukiah to remain unbeaten. She shook off the mojo by hitting a two-run homer in the fifth to win the game.

Later in the week, the caravan stopped at Marin Catholic in Kentfield where no power could prevent the Wildcats from snagging their fourth consecutive Marin County Athletic League championship and fifth in six years with a 7-0 blanking of Tamalpais of Mill Valley.

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Like the girls, we go 50 deep with writeups and comments on all for the final version of this feature for the 2009 season. Key decisions made on what to do with D5 champ Windward plus Folsom and Newark Memorial.

By Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

(Contributing: Mark Tennis, Steve Brand, Paul Muyskens, Harold Abend; Expanded out to 50 deep for the final ratings of the season; After all games played through CIF state finals; Previous rating in parentheses.)

1. Westchester (Los Angeles) 35-2 (1)
With its 49-31 victory over McClymonds of Oakland in the Div. I state title game, the Comets will finish ranked No. 1 in the state of California for the fifth time since the 1998 season. Coach Ed Azzam, the CalHiSports.com state coach of the year in 2002, might have done his best coaching job ever with an underclass-dominated lineup that relied on its defensive prowess, chemistry and the on court leadership of senior guard Dominique O'Connor to capture its first state title since 2005. O'Connor was the offensive catalyst with a game-high 16 points in the win over Mack and the Comets' defense held the Warriors to 20 percent shooting the entire game. Westchester also set a SoCal record for most victories in a season.  
2. Martin Luther King (Riverside) 30-3 (3)
The Wolves saw their season come to an end in the SoCal Div. I regional final against top-ranked Westchester, 56-39. The Wolves, led by California Mr. Basketball candidate Kawhi Leonard, had two other losses, one against Wheeler of Marietta, Georgia and Centennial of Corona. The loss to Centennial was later avenged during the second round of league play. Coach Tim Sweeney is still quite disappointed with the way the game against Westchester was officiated, but the Wolves' role players didn't give Leonard enough support to win that game. Westchester was just a little deeper than the rest of the pack, but nonetheless the Wolves had a fine season.   

3. Taft (Woodland Hills, Calif.) 27-5 (4)
This guard-oriented club lost to King of Riverside for the second consecutive season in the SoCal Div. I regional semifinals. Although the Toreadors didn't win a section or regional title, they secured their highest-ever final rating because of the closeness of that game plus a narrow five-point loss to Westchester in the L.A. City Section finals. Led by all-state guard candidates Michael Williams and Justin Hawkins and bruising forward Terran Carter, the biggest win of the season for coach Derrick Taylor's club was its 67-45 victory over No. 4 Fairfax in the L.A. City section semifinals. Despite his graduation losses, Taylor is confident next year's club could be just as formidable.  

4. Fairfax (Los Angeles) 27-5 (5)
Led by EA SPORTS All-American candidate Renardo Sidney, Fairfax's highlight win was its 79-64 victory over Mater Dei of Santa Ana in the SoCal Div. I regional quarterfinal. The Lions also beat Div. I state champ and league foe Westchester once in three tries and lost by only one point to the Comets in the regional semifinals. Yet another good win turned out to be the one over Whitney Young of Chicago at the Nike Extravangza since Whitney Young ended up winning the Class 4A state title in Illinois. The stinker loss was the 67-45 setback to No. 3 Taft in the L.A. City Section semifinals as the Toreadors executed their game plan of slowing down Sidney to perfection. Very few teams had any success slowing down the USC recruit, as he's a lock to make the overall all-state team for the third consecutive season. Other key graduation losses will be swingman Solomon Hill, also headed to USC, and three-year veteran Lance Bailey. Westchester will definitely start off the 2009-2010 season higher in the preseason ratings than its Western League rivals.

5. Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 31-2 (6)
For a majority of the season, the Monarchs were not only the top-ranked team in the state, but also in the ESPN RISE FAB 50 national ratings. A January season-ending injury to Andy Brown finally caught up to Mater Dei in losses to King of Riverside and Fairfax of Los Angeles, both of which were double-digit losses. The regular season was highlighted with a tournament title at the prestigious City of Palms Tournament in Florida in which eventual Div. I state champ Westchester was handed one of its two defeats. You can definitely look at Mater Dei like it had two seasons and two teams, one with Brown and one without, but don't forget Mater Dei recorded a couple of quality wins without Brown, had time to adjust to playing without him and never made excuses for his absence. The games against King and Fairfax just weren't close enough to justify a higher final rating.    

6. De La Salle (Concord) 26-2 (7)
The Spartans move up a spot in the final ratings after McClymonds was throttled in the Div. I title game by top-ranked Westchester. Before they were upset in the CIF North Coast Section semifinals against Newark Memorial, Frank Allocco's boys defeated No. 8 Mack and swept No. 10 Monte Vista. The loss to the Cougars was a stinger, but De La Salle's overall log was stronger than any other team in Northern California from a ratings standpoint. Also included was an impressive win over No. 7 Dominguez. Several starters graduate,  including Cal-bound guard Brandon Smith,  but Allocco has big 6-9 John McArthur returning for what the coach hopes is a breakout season. Nate Appel, a 6-7 junior forward, and sophomore 6-3 guard Joe Stein also return.

7. Dominguez (Compton) 26-7 (8)
Although they lost to De La Salle by a greater margin than McClymonds, Dominguez can be ranked higher because of its overall body of work. The Dons, under first year coach Duane Cooper, lost by just two points to No. 3 Taft in the SoCal regional, plus they had more quality wins and played a tougher overall schedule than Mack. Keys wins included regular season triumphs over Bishop Montgomery, Oregon Class 6A state champ Jesuit of Portland, Fairfax, Etiwanda and a sweep of the Lynwood team that upset Los Alamitos in the CIFSS Div. I-AA playoffs. Considering it was Cooper's first year at the helm and he didn't have All-American Jordan Hamilton or Thurman Woods available all season, it should be considered a successful season even by the Dons' recent standards.  

8. McClymonds (Oakland) 29-2 (2)
With four Oakland police officers brutally gunned down last weekend, we admit it would have been nice to see Mack take home the Div. I state title to bring just a little positive news back to the city. It wasn't to be as McClymonds only made three field goals the entire first half in an eventual 49-31 loss to top-ranked Westchester of Los Angeles. First year coach Brandon Brooks' boys cut it to 26-19 before Westchester showed its superior depth and outside shooting ability. "We just couldn't pull it out tonight, but we couldn't get a call from the refs either,” said point guard Will Cherry, pausing to think what to say while staring into space and motionless after the game. Mack would have been ranked a few spots higher with a better showing against the Comets and not beating anybody of note outside of Northern California also accounts for the Warriors' six-spot tumble.

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We like Ike as this week's lone newcomer. The top 16 from last week's rankings, meanwhile, are all the same.

By Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

(Contributing: Mark Tennis, Steve Brand, Paul Muyskens, Harold Abend; Through games of Saturday, February 14; previous rating in parentheses)

1. Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 26-0 (1)
With their impressive win over FAB 50 ranked St. Benedict's of New Jersey on ESPNU the previous week still resonating, the Monarchs closed out the regular season with two Trinity League victories and will open the CIF Southern Section Div. I-A playoffs against wildcard entry San Clemente, which checks in with a 12-15 record. In a 81-49 victory over St. John Bosco of Bellflower, junior Gary Franklin (16 pts.), Travis Wear (15 pts.) and transfer guard Tyler Lamb (11 pts.) all hit in double figures. In the 97-71 regular season-ending victory over Orange Lutheran, Wear went off, dominating underneath with 34 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

2. De La Salle (Concord) 23-1 (2)
After their sensational defensive performance on ESPNU against No. 7 Dominguez, the Spartans won two East Bay Athletic League games last week to stay sharp for the upcoming North Coast Section playoffs. Amador Valley of Pleasanton (58-27) was no match for coach Frank Allocco's well-oiled basketball machine, but previous state-ranked Monte Vista of Danville did offer some resistance before falling, 60-52. Junior big man John McArthur, a Danville native, returned home and led De La Salle with 17 points and six rebounds in a contest that was physical underneath. Jefferson Powers added 14 for the Spartans, who close out the regular season with two EBAL games this week.

3. Fairfax (Los Angeles) 23-3 (3)
After their big week that included four victories, including an avenging win over league rival and No. 4 Westchester, the Lions closed out the regular season with two Western League wins, but it still wasn't enough to garner the L.A. City Section's No. 1 seed. Eric Sondheimer of the Los Angeles Times has his concerns about relying on a computer rating system to determine seeding and we too share those concerns. The information is only as good the algorithms a human enters, but in this case the seeding outcome didn't really matter as long as Fairfax and Westchester were the top two seeds and avoided a possible semifinal matchup. In Fax's first game last week, Renardo Sidney, the front-runner for city and state player of the year honors, netted 31 points in a 76-58 victory over University of Los Angeles. USC recruit Solomon Hill added 15 points for the Lions, who closed out the regular season with a 59-56 victory over Venice in a game that Sidney sat out after he cut his finger. Hill picked up the slack by slashing his way to 23 points and 12 rebounds.

4. Westchester (Los Angeles) 26-2 (4)
The Comets had a great week on and off the court, as they wrapped up a share of the Western League title with two easy victories. That wasn't the good news, however, as the Comets always strive for city titles (10 and counting) and state Div. I titles (four and counting). Westchester was awarded the No. 1 seed despite losing in the second round of Western League play to Fairfax. What that means is they will avoid meeting the Lions and No. 10 Taft of Woodland Hills until the March 6 final, assuming they make it that far. The good news on the court came when coach Ed Azzam's club closed out the regular season at the Prime Time Shootout in Trenton, New Jersey with its second victory of the season over Lance Stephenson and his club at Lincoln of Brooklyn, New York on Saturday night. Junior guard Jordan Mayes led the way with 31 points while all-state guard Dominque O'Connor netted 24, including 10 three throws in the final period.

5. McClymonds (Oakland) 22-1 (5)
You almost had to be there and see what happened to believe what took place, and in fact CalHiSports.com was in the house, as was former Mack coach Dwight Nathaniel. "Coach (Brandon) Brooks won't let me get too far away,” Nathaniel told CalHiSports.com with a chuckle. "He calls me every day.” It was the call first-year Coach Brooks made to begin the fourth quarter of Mack's lone game last week, however, which made headlines in the 56-54 victory. On the road across town at Oakland Tech, the Warriors came out looking magnificent. Less than a minute-and-a-half into the game, the full court press Brooks employed had built an 11-0 lead and Tech was reeling. After Will Cherry (team-high 19 points, eight rebounds, six steals, five assists) hit a long trey to make it 14-2, the bus somehow got lost. Mack started playing to the crowd on offense, not moving the feet on defense. The result was Tech got back in the game, and even though a 13-6 run to end the third quarter gave the Warriors a 47-40 lead going into the final period, Brooks, who was fuming the whole time about his team's lack of execution of what he wanted, had seen enough. He pulled all five starters. When the hosts closed to 49-48 with 5:54 left and Brooks didn't motion to the starters, you knew he was serious. And because of some sparkling play down the stretch by the reserves, particularly Maceo and Barry Bell and 6-9 freshman Jamaree Strickland, who had a key block in the closing moments, Mack escaped with its 55th victory in the last 56 games. "I sat my starting five because no one is bigger then the team,” Brooks said immediately after the game. "It's a lack of discipline that's been building since the loss to De La Salle.” Cherry cheered on the subs but the others sat stunned. We'll see the impact this week in games at Fremont and home against Skyline.

6. Martin Luther King (Riverside) 22-2 (6)
Easy wins over Norco and Poly (Riverside) wrapped up the Big VIII title for Timothy Sweeney Jr.'s balanced Wolves. Now they get to look ahead to the Southern Section I-AA playoffs and a potential match with unbeaten and No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana) should they add four more wins to the 13-game winning streak they now own. That would be getting ahead of things, though, as MLK hosts Downey on Wednesday in the playoff opener. In the 73-58 win over Norco, four players scored in double figures led by 6-5 Chris Harriel's 20 points and 6-7 Kawhi Leonard's 19. Big 6-7 Tony Snell led the Wolves in the 68-42 thumping of Poly with 19 points and again four players scored in double figures. The two losses this season have been by a total of seven points.

7. Dominguez (Compton) 22-5 (7)
Signs are still there that the Dons have some work to do if they are going to make it much further than the semifinals of the CIFSS Div. I-AA playoffs. They did win twice last week to close the regular season, but they only beat Lynwood, 62-58, in one of those games. Keala King scored 22 points in that game, then scored 13 as the Dons closed the regular season with a 67-49 win vs. Warren of Downey. Dominguez starts the playoffs Wednesday in a first-round game against A.B. Miller of Fontana.

8. Los Alamitos 26-2 (8)
A terrific regular season that saw just one loss, which was to M.L. King, was capped with easy wins of 97-52 vs. Marina of Huntington Beach and 68-37 vs. Edison. James Walker continued to shine for the Griffins as the leading scorer in both contests with 18 and 19 points, respectively. Clark Evans added eight points and 11 rebounds against the Chargers. Los Al nabbed the No. 4 seed for the CIFSS Div. IAA playoffs and faces Lynwood in its first game. The Knights had just a four-point loss to Dominguez last week, so that's not exactly a game that the Griffins should overlook.

9. Etiwanda (Rancho Cucamonga) 22-4 (9)
Those who look ahead a little will see the Eagles will have plenty of incentive after earning the No. 5 seed in the Southern Section's I-AA playoffs. That's because No. 4 seed Los Alamitos is just two wins away and it was Los Al that last beat Etiwanda, 58-57, 10 games ago and the Eagles would like nothing better than another shot at the Griffins. They can't get complacent, however, as Lakewood of the Moore League is coming on Wednesday. The Eagles wrapped up their regular season with a pair of Baseline League wins, downing Upland 69-45 (which earned an at-large berth) before dismissing Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga), which is the I-A 12th seed, 61-50. Perris Blackwell's double-double 12 points and 10 rebounds led the way against Upland while his 18 points combined with Jordan Finn's 17 were keys against Los Osos.

10. Taft (Woodland Hills) 22-3 (10)
Although there was a lot of speculation that the Toreadors might get the City No. 2 seed since they won the West Valley League and powerful Fairfax (Los Angeles) and Westchester (Los Angeles) split their games to share the Western League title, Taft ended up right where most people expected. The mild surprise is that should Taft march into the City semifinals, it would probably face Fairfax, which was seeded No. 2 despite beating Westchester in the most recent game. Coach Derrick Taylor is hoping to use the two games it will take to get to the semifinals, starting with Gardena on Thursday, to sharpen the Toreadors attack after bowling over Chatsworth, 75-39, and El Camino Real, 77-47, behind 5-11 Michael Williams and 6-5, 225-pound Terran Carter. That gives Taft 17 wins in its last 18 games - with only a setback to Etiwanda (Rancho Cucamonga), which they had beaten earlier, marring the run.

11. Folsom 24-1 (11)
The Bulldogs rallied in the fourth quarter to open the week with a 52-49 Delta River League championship clinching victory over Pleasant Grove. They trailed 37-32 entering the final quarter of play and outscored the Eagles 20-12, led by Patrick Akinsm who led the Bulldogs with 18 points and scored the game-winning basket. Kori Babineaux and Tony Johnson each chipped in with 12 points. Folsom wrapped up the regular season with a fairly easy 87-51 win over Florin for its 22nd win in a row. Kori Babineax scored a game-high 25 points while Johnson just missed matching his point total for the second game in a row, finishing with 23 points. Folsom will be one of the top seeds when the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. I playoffs get underway.

12. San Leandro 21-3 (12)
The Pirates coasted to two Hayward Area Athletic League victories over San Lorenzo and Hayward. Against the Rebels, Oregon State-bound Jared Cunningham had a season-high 35 points (8 of 10 from beyond the arc, eight rebounds) and the team went for 90 or more points for the fourth time in a 97-59 blowout. The 6-4 Cunningham wasn't finished. On Friday night against the Farmers he stole their crops, finishing with 25 points including 12 of 12 from the free-throw line. He even added another highlight-reel play when he threw down an emphatic, one-handed jam in the fourth quarter, which brought the fans to their feet and sealed the Pirates' 81-65 victory. The league-leading Pirates will face Bishop O'Dowd on Tuesday at Chabot College with a chance to clinch the league title, which they last won in 2006. Friday night they complete league play in Hayward at Moreau Catholic.

13. Diamond Ranch (Pomona) 20-4 (13)
If the high-flying Panthers needed a wakeup call, they certainly got one in the season finale at Nogales where Diamond Ranch escaped with a 62-60 victory. That solidified the No. 1 seed in the Southern Section's III-A division where Diamond Ranch will open against Magnolia (Anaheim) on Wednesday. A 51-33 win over Wilson (Hacienda Heights) earlier in the week wrapped up the Miramonte League title. Considering that the last two losses by the Panthers were to No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana) and No. 9 Martin Luther King (Riverside), there is every reason to believe Coach Loren Glover's club, led by 6-10 Chris Cunningham and 6-5 Garrett Johnson, will live up to its seed. But if the Panthers ever doubted they'll have a target on their backs, Nogales certainly provided a strong reminder.

14. Murrieta Valley (Murrieta) 24-1 (14)
Although the Nighthawks enter the playoffs with nine straight wins, No. 9 was too close for comfort as it took a three-point field goal by Jake Tarabilda with just 11 seconds remaining to get past Vista Murrieta 72-69 in the Southwestern League finale. "I knew the moment it left, it was in,” said Jake, who finished with six long-range missiles en route to a game-high 23 points. "That's a shot he'll remember forever,” said his dad, Nighthawks' Coach Steve Tarabilda. Bryce Lenhart's 20-point, 12 -ebound double-double and Dylan Bohanan's 16 points were also needed. Far less dramatic was a 67-38 win over Temescal Canyon in which Chris Randolph led the way with 16 points. Now the Nighthawks can look forward to hosting Esperanza (Anaheim) in the Southern Section I-A playoffs where they are top-seeded.

15. Rocklin 24-2 (15)
Head coach Steve Taylor and his Thunder only had one game last week and remained undefeated in the Sierra Foothill League with a 66-50 home win over Granite Bay. Trailing by two points at halftime, Rocklin outscored the Grizzlies 21-5 in the third quarter to take a comfortable lead into the fourth quarter. Brendan Lane led the Thunder offense with 21 points as Cody Kale and Anthony Romero also scored in double figures for the victors. Lane told the Roseville Press-Tribune that "We're definitely focused on finishing league undefeated" as they wrap up league play with road games at Nevada Union and Del Oro. Rocklin also is going for its first ever unbeaten run in league play.

16. Bishop Montgomery (Torrance) 23-3 (16)
Not only did the Knights get revenge for an earlier three-point loss to Serra of Gardena last week, but they did so in blowout fashion as the Knights picked up a 66-47 home win. Senior guard Michael Panaggio, in his final regular season home game, and junior Richard Solomon each scored 20 points. Bishop Montgomery then finished the week, and the regular season, on the road against Cathedral and made sure to return home with the Del Rey League championship as it defeated the Phantoms, 83-64. Senior guard Brandon Bibbins led the way with 21 points while Panaggio scored 18 in the victory. In the title-clincher, the Knights made an impressive 15 three-pointers in 24 attempts as they led by 12 at halftime and continued to increase the lead.

17. Berkeley 23-3 (18)
They're averaging just under 80 points a game but last week the Yellowjackets exploded offensively in 91-32 and 109-42 wins against De Anza of Richmond and Richmond, respectively. It was the second time Berkeley went for 109 this season, both against Richmond. All 12 players in uniform scored in the win over Richmond,  led by sophomore Jalil Eppenger with 16 points. A final Alameda Contra Costa League game is on tap at home on Friday against Hercules.

18. Leuzinger (Lawndale) 21-5 (19)
The Olympians concluded the regular season with a pair of Bay League road wins. They defeated Redondo of Redondo Beach and Peninsula of RH Estates to capture their first league title since 2006. Senior Jerry Evans led the rout with 24 points and eight rebounds while Donny Minor added 16 points in the championship clinching 86-53 win at Redondo. With the game tied at 19 late in the first quarter, the Olympians went on an 11-0 run in the next five minutes and would never trail. Leuzinger then posted a 62-45 win in Rolling Hills Estates against Peninsula. Leuzinger will now have a seven-game winning streak on the line once postseason play gets underway.

19. Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco) 19-3 (20)
The Irish had little trouble with Riordan in a 57-42 Feb. 11 victory across town. That set up Coach Darrell Barbour's team to win its first West Catholic Athletic League title since 2002, which they did with a 68-57 victory over Mitty of San Jose last Saturday. USC-bound football defensive end Kevin Greene and Jerry Brown, both four-year varsity players, led the Irish on senior night in San Francisco with double-doubles. Greene finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds, and Brown had 16 points and 13 rebounds.

20. Eisenhower (Rialto) 23-3 (NR)
This week's lone newcomer is also a contender for the CIF Division II state title. The Eagles certainly look ready for the Southern Section II-A playoffs where they are seeded No. 1 and earned a first-round bye, giving them a chance to scout the Westlake-Santa Barbara winner. The last team to beat Ike, Redlands, fell to the Eagles last week, 77-70, as Nick Carter pitched in 26 and Creighton-bound Andrew Bock 25. Eisenhower has shown the ability to rise to the occasion as it was a winner of 10 straight games earlier this year before losing a 58-54 decision to Washington's Bellevue, which has two Division I signees, in the title game of the MaxPreps Holiday Prep Classic at Torrey Pines. Bellevue remains a Top 10 team in the West.

Comments or corrections? Email mark@studentsports.com and be sure to leave a comment so others can check out what you have to say. 

De La Salle's win over Mack on Monday will be reflected in next week's boys rankings. Deer Valley on the rise for the girls. Watch Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area every Sunday night at 7 p.m. on YourTV 20 in San Francisco. Replays during the week on Comcast SportsNet throughout Northern California.

By Harold Abend, Special to CalHiSports.com

Due to the Martin Luther King Holiday weekend, we have combined rankings this week.

Combined, meaning the boys rankings will not reflect results from Monday's MLK Day action but the girls rankings will.

Look for big changes next week in the boys' pecking order with both McClymonds and Monte Vista losing to De La Salle and St. Mary's respectively at Cal's Haas Arena in De La Salle's 12th Annual Martin Luther King Classic.

Not only that, but each of the other matchup results will affect the order as well, with Salesian beating Newark Memorial and Sacred Heart Cathedral topping Skyline.

Even so, we still had two newcomers and one returnee to this week's rankings.

For Mack, the defeat means an end to a 49-game winning streak since earlier in the week the Warriors had little trouble in their first two OAL games with 51-36 and 74-40 respective home wins over Oakland and Oakland Tech.

With De La Salle's 43-38 defeat of the Warriors, Spartan Coach Frank Allocco probably is scratching his head trying to figure out how his team gave up 50 points for the only time this season, in a 54-50 loss to the Oakland Tech team that Mack pummeled last week.

Something has changed out in Concord, because since then, in 10 games, Sparta has marched past all of its opponents by a combined 600-289 margin, including a 41-20 drubbing of defending Div. IV state champion Campbell Hall at the Merv Lopes Holiday Classic in Hawaii.

This week, Allocco's boys will be tested again by a smarting Monte Vista squad on Jan. 21, looking to bounce back from the 61-42 defeat at the hands of the Panthers.

On the girls' side, the Irish showed everyone who is still boss with a convincing 70-45 defeat of previous No. 2 Bishop O'Dowd in the Marin Catholic MLK event.

The victory ended a 4-0 run over a seven-day stretch for Coach Brian Harrigan's Irish girls, who last week had WCAL wins over St. Ignatius, Valley Christian and St. Francis of Mountain View.

This week, SHC has only one game, on Saturday in another big test against Mitty.

Mr. Kibosh also made a visit to Berkeley last week for the Pinole Valley game against the Yellowjackets.

The Kibosh was put on Pinole Valley as the Spartans lost to Berkeley, 44-39, but it rubbed off on the Yellowjackets as well.

Berkeley then went on to lose to new No. 2 Carondelet, 62-53, at Haas on MLK Day.

Denesha Stallworth, under the weather against Berkeley, still finished with a triple-double 13 points and 10 blocks, but the double and triple teaming of the Yellowjackets held her to 12 points and only four free throws in the second half of the loss.

Stallworth, the state's leading scorer with a 30-plus point per game average, came back strong in a 67-37 defeat of Alhambra of Martinez in the Spartan's game at Haas, finishing with 36 points and 14 rebounds.

Look for the CalHiSports.com Bay Area Top 20 to return to its normal form with team write-ups next week.

Boys Top 20 Teams
(Through games of Saturday, Jan. 17)
(Not including forfeits or MLK Day games)

1. McClymonds (Oakland) 17-0 (1)
2. De La Salle (Concord) 13-1 (2)
3. Monte Vista (Danville) 15-0 (3)
4. San Leandro 13-3 (4)
5. St. Mary's (Berkeley) 15-2 (5)
6. Castro Valley 15-1 (6)
7. Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) 12-4 (7)
8. Newark Memorial (Newark) 13-3 (8)
9. Berkeley 14-4 (9)
10. St. Francis (Mountain View) 15-0 (11)
11. Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco) 11-3 (10)
12. Castlemont (Oakland) 14-3 (12)
13. Bellarmine (San Jose) 11-4 (13)
14. Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 16-0 (14)
15. Salesian (Richmond) 12-3 (15)
16. Pittsburg 12-4 (20)
17. Piner (Santa Rosa) 12-4 (16)
18. Miramonte (Orinda) 13-4 (nr)
19. Branson (Ross) 14-2 (nr)
20. Burlingame 11-4 (nr)

On the Bubble
Aptos 18-2, Carlmont (Belmont) 13-2, Drake (San Anselmo) 13-4, Dublin 14-3, Gunn (Palo Alto) 14-4, Heritage (Brentwood) 12-4, Hillsdale (San Mateo) 16-1, Las Lomas (Walnut Creek) 11-6, Mitty (San Jose) 8-6, Oakland Tech (Oakland) 10-8, Piedmont Hills (San Jose) 16-1, San Ramon Valley (Danville) 11-5, St. Joseph Notre Dame (Alameda) 14-4, Serra (San Mateo) 8-7, Skyline (Oakland) 11-7, Terra Linda (San Rafael) 12-5

Girls Top 20 Teams
(Through games of Monday, Jan. 19)
(Not including forfeits but including MLK Day games)

1. Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco) 14-1 (1)
2. Carondelet (Concord) 14-2 (3)
3. Mitty (San Jose) 12-4 (6)
4. Monte Vista (Danville) 12-1 (9)
5. Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) 14-2 (2)
6. Deer Valley (Antioch) 9-6 (8)
7. Valley Christian (San Jose) 13-2 (6)
8. St. Ignatius (San Francisco) 14-2 (7)
9. Pinole Valley (Pinole) 11-3 (5)
10. Northgate (Walnut Creek) 13-3 (10)
11. Branson (Ross) 13-3 (12)
12. Gunn (Palo Alto) 16-0 (13)
13. St. Mary's (Berkeley) 11-4 (14)
14. Berkeley 11-5 (15)
15. Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 12-4 (11)
16. Wilcox (Santa Clara) 10-4 (16)
17. Dublin 12-4 (18)
18. Moreau Catholic 11-4 (Hayward) (19)
19. Encinal (Alameda) 10-6 (20)
20. Campolindo (Moraga) 13-3 (nr)

On the Bubble
Granada (Livermore) 11-5, Justin-Siena (Napa) 11-5, McClymonds (Oakland) 12-4, Miramonte (Orinda) 11-5, North Salinas (Salinas) 13-3, Notre Dame (Belmont) 10-7, Petaluma 12-3, Piedmont 9-5, Pinewood (Los Altos Hills) 13-4, Presentation (San Jose) 11-5, St. Joseph-Notre Dame (Alameda) 13-3, San Benito (Hollister) 13-3, Santa Cruz 16-1, Sonoma Valley (Sonoma) 11-6.

Corrections or comments? Email mark@studentsports.com and be sure to leave a comment so others can check out what you have to say.
 

The road show made its longest trip of the season, trekking down to Carson for the CIF Bowl games. Watch Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area for highlights on Sunday nights on YourTV 20, San Francisco, at 7 p.m. Replays are during the week throughout Northern California on Comcast SportsNet.

By Harold Abend, Special to CalHiSports.com

Football has come to a conclusion and while the Bay Area had two teams in action at Carson, neither was able to snag a bowl title.

It rained both before and after the CIF Bowl games at Carson Dec. 19-20 but for the two days of action at the Home Depot Center, the air was crisp and the temperature was down in the 30s at night but it stayed dry, much to the chagrin of Newman coach Paul Cronin. He had hoped some rain might favor his Cardinals from the wet Redwood Empire area.

After a week's hiatus, the Bay Area Top 20 returns for a final 2008 installment.

Final Football Top 20 Teams
(Through all games played during 2008 season)
(Previous ranking in parentheses)

1) De La Salle (Concord) 12-2 (1)
The Spartans rolled into Carson after a 34-10 victory over Pittsburg originally expecting to meet Long Beach Poly in the Open Division Bowl game. Instead, the commissioners threw Sparta a curve and sent them to the Division I game and a rematch with Centennial (Corona) whom they defeated 37-31 in last year's Division I contest. In this year's title tilt, a scrappy Spartans squad couldn't overcome a key injury or the talent of the Huskies in a 21-16 loss. Coach Bob Ladouceur's charges took a 7-0 lead after converting a Centennial miscue on a punt into an 18-yard touchdown drive to make it 7-0 Spartans. After a Huskies fumble thwarted an equalizer the Spartans looked to move downfield again when the biggest play of the game took place. Quarterback Blake Wayne dropped back to pass and had a tipped pass picked off by Vontaze Burfict at De La Salle's 17-yard line. Two plays later Centennial scored to tie the contest with 2:42 left in the first quarter. Unbeknownst to everyone other than the De La Salle players and coaches Burfict had slammed into Wayne's right shoulder on the play that led to the interception. From there it was obvious to everyone in the press box that something was wrong with Wayne's delivery, but it wasn't until the next day that Coach Lad disclosed to CalHiSports.com and the San Francisco Chronicle that the blow had caused an injury to Wayne's shoulder. The fact De La Salle was in the game at all and had a chance to win on a four-lateral kickoff return after Centennial took a safety with 7.8 seconds remaining, is a testament to Ladouceur, his staff and the grit and determination of an undermanned squad.

2) Bellarmine (San Jose) 12-1 (2)
Even though they were more than deserving, the Bells knew they were a bit of a long-shot to snag a bowl berth. In this day and age, the one loss to Serra cost them all the marbles even though they avenged the loss rather convincingly. "State would have been icing on the cake but we didn't get it. What we got was WCAL and CCS titles and that was our goal this season. We're appreciative of what we achieved. It's enough, said Bells Stanford-bound star Usua Amanam after the announcement and for an interview after he was named ESPN RISE CalHiSports.com State Athlete of the Week for his performance in the victory over Valley Christian in the CCS Open Division title game.
"I really wanted to play one more game in a Bellarmine uniform, he said, finally letting his true emotions show thru. After a Grant of Sacramento win over Long Beach Poly, the Bellarmine faithful are left wondering if they could have been the team from the north to snag a bowl victory.

3) Valley Christian (San Jose) 10-3 (5)
With Cardinal Newman and De La Salle both losing at Carson, the Warriors and the WCAL as a whole and Oak Grove benefit, with Coach Mike Machado's squad moving up two spots for these final rankings.

4) Oak Grove (San Jose) 11-1 (6)
As previously mentioned, Coach Ed Buller's boys featuring the Carr brothers, Omari and Jabari, also get a two spot bump for the final rankings.

5) Serra (San Mateo) 8-4 (7)
The state's second best four loss team (right behind Mater Dei of Santa Ana) is the third team from the WCAL/CCS to benefit from the Spartans' and Newman's losses. Had the team been able to put two halves together more often in the games against top teams, this team could have been a 1-2 loss team and in bowl consideration. They certainly had the talent.

6) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 13-1 (3)
This is where Coach Paul Cronin's team ends up after a 28-6 loss to St. Bonaventure (Ventura) in the CIF Division III bowl title game. Although Newman easily handled Clayton Valley (Concord) in the NCS D2 title game, winning 17-7 after leading 17-0 with moments remaining, the team was not firing on all cylinders and it showed against the Seraphs. In pregame discussions with Cronin he knew his skill players, RB/LB Jeff Badger, QB/DB Randy Wright, RB/LB Joe Ferguson and WR/DB Wade Amaral, would all need big games. Badger had the best game of anyone for Newman with 79 yards rushing but he only had three tackles with one for loss when he's usually near double-digits. Wright was slow of foot against the quick Seraphs completing only 19 of 31 passes for 127 yards and he was sacked five times and unable to get the ball to Badger and Ferguson out of the backfield, one of the bread-and-butter plays of Cronin's spread offense. Amaral caught 10 balls but only for 69 yards. Wright was perfect on field goals, though, converting 22 and 36-yarders for Newman's only points. Cronin had told CalHiSports.com he was bringing plenty of rain gear and an umbrella in hopes rain might be more to his team's liking since they're used to wet conditions. Reality is a blizzard probably wouldn't have helped Newman against St. Bonnies. "I'm really proud of our team. We were focused all week and we gave it our all. They were just the better team," Badger told CalHiSports.com on the field after the game. "We still have some great memories of this season and we'll get another shot. We'll be back again, Cronin said, also right after the game.

7) Pittsburg 11-2 (4)
The Pirates lose three spots after the 42-7 loss to De La Salle in the NCS D1 title game and the Spartans' subsequent loss to Centennial. Still, it was a great season for Coach Vic Galli's team whose only other loss was on a last-second knuckleball field goal to Monte Vista.

8) Foothill (Pleasanton) 10-3 (8)
The good news for co-coaches Matt Sweeney and Jim Mannion is junior quarterback Sean Mannion, the coach's son, will be back next season. If they can develop some additional skill players and a solid defense around him, look for the Falcons to be a contender in the East Bay Athletic League.

9) San Ramon Valley (Danville) 9-4 (9)
Boise State-bound quarterback Joe Southwick is gone but we're sure crafty Coach Dave Kravitz will have a more than competitive team on the field next season. He always does.

10) Monte Vista (Danville) 8-3 (10)
With quarterback Brett Nottingham returning after taking his lumps in this year's NCS playoffs, look for Craig Bergman's charges to be a favorite with De La Salle in the EBAL next season.

11) California (San Ramon) 7-5 (11)
The best 7-5 team in the state had the misfortune of playing in the EBAL and also lost a close game to Bellevue of Washington. The Grizzlies have become perennial winners under Coach Tony Sanchez and next year should be no different.

12) Encinal (Alameda) 13-0 (17)
The Jets get the biggest bump in the rankings after proving the naysayers wrong with a 35-28 victory over Novato two weeks ago in the NCS Division III championship that left young Coach Joe Tenorio's squad unbeaten on the season. Jonathan Brown came up big for Encinal, forcing a fumble that led to the winning touchdown while also accounting for all five Jets scores, running for two TDs and passing for three.

13) Novato 11-3 (12)
The Hornets had their chances against Encinal in the NCS D3 title game but when the swarming defense gives up 35 points, Coach Travis Bracket's team will have a hard time winning. The fact is Novato just couldn't contain the Jet Jonathan Brown and that was the difference. Still, it's another solid season for the dominant team in Marin County.

14) Clayton Valley (Concord) 12-1 (13)
The Eagles really were never in the game against Newman in the 17-7 NCS D2 title game loss but Coach Herc Pardi has shown he can get teams deep into the playoffs again after a hiatus of a few years.

15) Palma (Salinas) 8-3 (14)

16) North Salinas (Salinas) 9-2 (15)

17) Gilroy 9-2 (16)

18) Freedom (Oakley) 10-2 (18)

19) San Leandro 7-4 (19)

20) Deer Valley (Antioch) 8-4 (20)

On The Bubble
Berkeley 9-2, Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) 10-2, Campolindo (Moraga) 10-2, Carmel 8-2, Casa Grande (Petaluma), 8-3-1, Castlemont (Oakland) 9-2-1, Deer Valley (Antioch) 8-4, Freedom (Oakley) 10-1, Fremont (Oakland) 9-3, Hill (San Jose) 10-2, Justin-Siena (Napa) 9-4, Kings Academy (Sunnyvale) 10-1-1, Las Lomas (Walnut Creek) 9-4, Lincoln (San Francisco) 10-2, Los Gatos 10-3, Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 9-4, Menlo-Atherton Atherton) 11-2, Milpitas 9-2, Miramonte (Orinda) 10-3, *Monterey 10-2, Palo Alto 9-4, Pioneer (San Jose) 10-2, Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park) 9-2, Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco) 8-5, Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton) 11-1-1, St. Ignatius (San Francisco) 5-5, St. Vincent (Petaluma) 11-1, Salesian (Richmond) 9-3, Santa Teresa (San Jose) 10-1, Scotts Valley 10-2, Ukiah 8-3, Wilcox (Santa Clara) 8-5, Woodside 8-4
(*includes Stallworth of Stockton loss)

Corrections or comments? Email mark@studentsports.com and be sure to leave a comment so others can check out what you have to say.

(Compiled by Mark Tennis, Ronnie Flores, Steve Brand, Harold Abend & Paul Muyskens; After games of Saturday, Dec. 6; Previous ranking in parentheses; These rankings are done regardless of CIF enrollment divisions; These ratings conclude our football rankings for the 2008 football season. Check back soon for our Mr. Football State Player of the Year finalists and our preliminary list of candidates for the 30th annual CalHiSports.com All-State Football Team.)        

1.    (2)  Centennial (Corona) 15-0
A compliment was paid to Matt Logan and his coaching staff by the De La Salle coaching staff when the teams for the CIF bowl games match ups were announced. They felt they were not only playing the SoCal team that belonged in the open division game, but a team that would be very difficult to prepare for. The results of having talented players on both sides of the ball combined with an innovative offense has produced fantastic results that culminated with a 21-16 victory over De La Salle in the Div. I state bowl game. The Huskies were rated behind Long Beach Poly because of the Jackrabbits' strength of schedule, but when that club lost to previous No. 5 Grant in the open division game the Huskies moved into the top spot.

2.    (5)  Grant (Sacramento) 14-0
As we write up this blurb, Pacer fans, coaches and players are getting ready for a well-deserved parade from their school in Del Paso Heights down to Sacramento City Hall where new mayor Kevin Johnson will be among those saluting them. Grant's win is that big for Sacramento prep football. Rankings aside, the Pacers just beat the two-time defending CIF Southern Section Pac-Five Division champions and that accomplishment just by itself is worth celebrating well into the winter. Next season, head coach Mike Alberghini welcomes back standout runner Devontae Butler, but must replace a strong core of seniors, including QB Kipeli Koniseti, WR Darvin McCauley and others.

3.    (1)  Poly (Long Beach) 14-1
The Jackrabbits were attempting to win state team of the year honors for the first time since 1959 but couldn't hold on to a 20-19 lead with their defense on the field in an eventual 25-20 loss to Grant in the open division title game. The conventional thinking was that Grant would need to adjust to the team speed of the Jackrabbits, but in actuality it was Poly that had trouble adjusting to Grant's burners and its affective passing game. Besides a 55-yard touchdown run by Melvin Richardson, Poly wasn't able to establish a running game and that wore players out on the defensive side of the ball. The loss drops Poly two spots, one spot behind the Pacers and naturally one spot ahead of Div. III state champ St. Bonaventure, whom they beat 12-7 back in October.     

4.    (4)  St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 14-1
A 12-7 loss to No. 3 Poly in which the Seraphs were in scoring position on their last drive was the only blemish for the back-to-back CIF Southern Section Northern Division and CIF Div. III state champions. Everything else was positive for coach Todd Therrien's club, which won its eighth section title in the past 10 years with a resounding 42-7 victory over No. 38 Moorpark. Entering the 2009 season, the program built by former coach Jon Mack and kept in cherry condition by Mack's former player has won 56 consecutive league games, 13 consecutive league titles and have scored in 203 consecutive games. Next season those streaks will likely continue as Therrien was a nice core of players returning.

5.    (3)  De La Salle (Concord) 12-2
The Spartans rolled into Carson after a 42-7 victory over Pittsburg originally expecting to meet Long Beach Poly in the Open Division Bowl game. Instead, they got a rematch with Centennial of Corona whom they defeated, 37-31, in last year's Division I contest. This year, a scrappy Spartans squad couldn't overcome a key injury, Centennial's motivation to win the rematch, or the overall talent level of the Huskies in a 21-16 loss. "He really wasn't able to deliver the ball after No. 7 hit him in the shoulder," said Coach Bob Ladouceur about a hit delivered by Centennial's Vontaze Burfict on quarterback Blake Wayne that led to an interception on the Spartans second series. The Spartans lose Wayne, Arizona-bound RB Kylan Butler, WR/DB Noah Perio and WR/DB Blair Wishom plus a load of other seniors, but the defense was young and will improve and RB Terron Williams-Ward will return for his senior season.

6.    (6)  Tesoro (Las Flores) 13-1
Even though Long Beach Poly lost to Grant of Sacramento), that game, like Tesoro's 20-17 setback to Poly in the CIFSS Pac-Five Division final, was close enough that either team could have won. Tesoro established itself as Orange County's best team this year with wins over No. 12 Lutheran, No. 17 Mater Dei, No. 25 Mission Viejo, No. 40 Los Alamitos and San Clemente, which barely missed the top 50. Brian Barnes, the son of Los Al head coach John Barnes, has taken the Titans from 1-9 two years ago to a program that can play with the state's best. The challenge now will be to sustain that excellence. One of the best stories of the year was Brian Barnes facing his father's team in the in the postseason and beating them, 23-7.

7.    (7)  Bellarmine (San Jose) 12-1
Even though they were more than deserving, the Bells knew they were a bit of a long-shot to snag a bowl berth. In this day and age, the one loss to Serra cost them all the marbles even though they avenged the loss rather convincingly later in the season. Bellarmine can still hold its head up high after wining a share of the WCAL title and the CCS Open Division title. Tesoro remains in front of them because they lost to No. 3 Poly, a team, with only one loss, whereas the Bells lost to a team with three other defeats on its resume.

8.    (8)  Chaparral (Temecula) 12-2
Coach Tom Leach scheduled Centennial of Corona to open the season and, as it turned out, ended up playing the Huskies to conclude the season in the CIFSS Inland Division finals. Those were the only two blemishes on the Pumas' record. With wins over Norco, Redlands East Valley, Murrieta Valley and Vista Murrieta, Chap was definitely the second best team in the Inland Empire. The Southwestern League title and a nice playoff run will provide enough momentum to carry the Pumas into 2009.

9.    (9)  Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 14-0
This Lions 2005 season mirrors this year's club in many ways as the core of the skill-position players were juniors, including quarterback Nick Montana and running back Malcolm Jones. Three years ago, Jimmy Clausen and Marc Tyler led Oaks Christian to a 13-0 record and a No. 10 final rating. The Lions might have been better than their final ratings but they didn't have a chance to play 2005 state of the year St. Bonaventure. This season, the same holds true as the Lions just didn't play anybody on their schedule with a realistic chance to beat them outside of perhaps Serra of Gardena. It looks like the Lions will play in a non-league made-for-T.V. Game against a highly-regarded opponent, but if there is no game between the Lions and Seraphs, a ratings debate will likely last the entire season. Let's hope the two Ventura County powerhouses can work it out.

10.  (10)  Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 14-0
With Tyler Gaffney leading the way, a San Diego Section team won the CIF Div. II title for the second straight year. No team played as many good passing quarterbacks as Cathedral, but in the end the balanced Dons managed to overcome the air circuses to win every game on its schedule. Top victories for Cathedral came over Division I Mira Mesa of San Diego and, of course, St. Mary's in the state bowl game. It would be easier for Cathedral to be assured of a state playoff berth if the Dons played a team such as Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks or Oceanside in the preseason, as they definitely needed some help to have the opportunity to showcase Gaffney on a statewide level.      

11.  (11)  Oceanside 12-0-1
Most schools have one game where everything goes wrong and they still find a way to win. The Pirates probably would have edged out Cathedral for the CIF Div. II bowl berth if both were unbeaten and untied. But Oceanside simply could not put away an inspired Ramona team to produce a 33-33 deadlock. Although the Pirates had players like University of Utah commit QB Jordan Wynn, that tie became their Scarlet Letter and doomed them even though they captured their fifth consecutive section title. The Pirates will get a good gauge of how much they'll miss the graduating seniors when they play Long Beach Poly next season.

12.  (13)  Lutheran (Orange) 10-3
Take in the wildest ride at your favorite amusement park and that's the kind of season the Lancers gave their faithful this season. Wins over No. 13 Notre Dame, St. John Bosco of Bellflower, Mater Dei of Santa Ana and J.W. North of Riverside were quality, but losses to Top 50 Bishop Amat of La Puente, Servite of Anaheim and finally Tesoro in the CIFSS Pac-Five semifinals left the Lancers' faithful dizzy, wondering what could have been. There are more than a few media scribes who believe the Lancers were the best Div. II team in the state, but with so many quality teams competing in the CIFSS Pac-Five playoffs, it is impossible to tell.

13.  (14)  Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 11-1
Coach Kevin Rooney has enjoyed sustained success at the helm of the Golden Knights' program, winning 249 games since the 1979 season, but the CIF Southern Section Big Five/Div. I/Pac-Five title still eludes him. He has the building blocks for another successful season in 2009 with the return of QB Ryan Kasdorf and running back Kenny Boggs, but he'll need to develop more defensive depth to compliment a high-powered offense. Kasdorf and company put 52 points on No. 47 Saugus and 56 points on No. 45 Bishop Amat before running into Orange Lutheran's physical defense in the CIFSS Pac-Five Division quarterfinals.

14.  (15)  Valley Christian (San Jose) 10-3
Coach Mike Machado's squad moves up a spot in the final ratings after Cardinal Newman was beaten convincingly in the Div. III bowl game and must drop below the team from the ranked from the WCAL. There is one stinker loss to Sacred Heart Cathedral of San Francisco but there is no shame in losing twice to Bellarmine, the best NorCal team to not appear in a bowl game. Key wins came over Novato, San Leandro, No. 18 Serra and Oak Grove in the CCS Open Division playoffs before losing to the Bells in a championship game rematch.      

15.  (16)  Oak Grove (San Jose) 11-1
Coach Ed Buller's boys featuring the Carr brothers, Omari and Jabari, also move up one spot in the final ratings. The Eagles didn't play a particularly difficult regular season schedule, the best win a 21-7 victory over Pioneer of San Jose, but they showed their ability by clawing Palma of Salinas, 42-19, in the CCS open division playoffs before losing to No. 14 Valley Christian, 23-20.  

16.  (17)  Rancho Cucamonga 13-0-1
Ties are looked at by many as losses when there is one team that is clearly superior (see No. 11 Oceanside), but in the case of the Cougars their tie came against another club that finished 13-0-1, No. 37 Charter Oak. Still, even a 14-0 season probably wouldn't have been enough for the Cougars to secure a bowl bid. Not when six of the teams you beat end up with losing records and you're playing in the shadow of teams like Centennial of Corona and Long Beach Poly. Still, a Baseline League title and a CIFSS Central Division title aren't too bad.  

17.  (18)  Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 8-4
It was evident early on that if the Monarchs were to seriously challenge for the CIF Southern Section Pac-Five title, they would need to improve on the defensive side of the ball and develop offensive weapons around four-year starting quarterback Matt Barkley. The Monarchs did improve as the season wore on, but just not enough to get them over the hump in the post-season. With Barkley under center, however, Mater Dei could be competitive with any team in the state and the results show that. With the season completed three of its four losses don't look bad at all. One was to state team of the year Centennial (47-35), another to Pac-Five semifinalist Orange Lutheran (24-21)  and runner-up Tesoro (38-33). The loss to No. 41 Edison was offset by wins over No. 23 Servite and St. John Bosco.       

18.  (19)  Junipero Serra (San Mateo) 8-4
The state's second best four loss team (right behind Mater Dei of Santa Ana) is the third team from the WCAL/CCS to benefit from the Spartans' and Newman's appearances in bowl games. Had coach Patrick Walsh's club been able to put two halves together more often in the game's against top teams this season, they could have been a one or two loss team and in bowl consideration. They certainly had the talent.

19.  (12)  Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 13-1
This is where coach Paul Cronin's team ends up after a 28-6 loss to No. 4 St. Bonaventure in the CIF Div. III bowl title game. Although Newman easily handled Clayton Valley of Concord in the NCS Div. II title game, the team was not firing on all cylinders and it showed against the Seraphs. "I'm really proud of our team. We were focused all week and we gave it our all. They were just the better team," Badger told CalHiSports.com on the field after the game. "We still have some great memories of this season and we'll get another shot. We'll be back again, added Cronin. Newman loses all its offensive weapons but that isn't any different from years past. The good news is Newman has almost 100 players on the freshman and JV squads.

20.  (20)  St. Mary's (Stockton) 12-3
The Rams don't drop at all in the final rankings after their sizzling 37-34 loss to Cathedral Catholic in the CIF Division II state bowl game. St. Mary's won its second Sac-Joaquin Section Division I title in five years the week before with a 36-14 win over Pleasant Grove and prior to that won road playoff games over Lincoln of Stockton and Merced. The Rams will need to replace Cody Vaz at quarterback, but in the rest of the skill positions at running back and receiver they will be among the best in the state next year.

21.  (21)  Pittsburg 11-2
The Pirate' season ended with a 42-7 loss to De La Salle in the NCS Div. I title game, but they don't drop any further despite the Spartans' subsequent loss to top-ranked Centennial in the Div. I bowl game. It was a great season for Coach Vic Galli's team whose only other loss was on a last-second knuckleball field goal to Monte Vista.

22.  (22)  Lakewood 10-3
The Lancers had to forfeit four victories to start the season, but once they got the ineligible player back, they jelled and advanced all the way to the CIFSS Pac-Five semifinals before losing to Moore League nemesis Long Beach Poly, 20-10. The Lancers defeated No. 23 Servite and No. 25 Mission Viejo en route to their second semifinal appearance in four years and also recorded on-the-field wins over cross-town Mayfair and Crenshaw of Los Angeles. Hen will Poly 79-game Moore League winning streak end? Lakewood would like to think next season with QB Jessie Scroggins and RB Jerry Stone as building-blocks.     

23.  (23)  Servite (Anaheim) 7-4
The Friars fell in the first round of the CIFSS Pac-Five Division playoffs to No. 22 Lakewood in overtime so it only makes sense they finish in this ratings position. Servite still hasn't beaten rival Mater Dei since 1988, but RB Greg Portis and a strong defense led the Friars with key wins over No. 12 Orange Lutheran, No. 24 Clovis West and No. 41 Edison with narrow losses to Crespi of Encino (21-20) and Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks (31-24).     

24.  (24)  Clovis West (Fresno) 10-3
Finished the season with a six-game winning streak that concluded with a 24-7 victory over rival Clovis East in the CIF Central Section Division I championship game. Led by their third coach in as many seasons, Gary Kinne from Texas, the Golden Eagles lost two early season games to No. 23 Servite and state team of the year Centennial of Corona. They went on to win nine of their final ten games and seven of their wins came against teams with winning records.

25.  (25)  Mission Viejo 10-2
Just when it seemed the Diablos were putting it all together, a season-ending loss to Lakewood in the first round of the CIFSS Pac-Five playoffs forced many to think that Mission Viejo under-achieved this season. That's what happens when so much is expected every year from your program and you have at your disposal players such as CAL commit Alan Bridgford and UCLA commit Alex Mascarenas. Key wins over San Clemente, Loyola of Los Angeles and San Diego Section Division I champ La Costa Canyon keeps Mission Viejo ranked among the top teams in the state, but coach Bob Johnson wasn't too thrilled to lose to Tesoro for the second consecutive season in South Coast League play.

NEXT 25:

26. Narbonne (Harbor City) 12-1-1
With the Gauchos and San Pedro settling for a 21-21 tie in the L.A. City Section championship game, it only makes sense that Narbonne finish one spot ahead of the Pirates after defeating them 27-24 in three overtimes to win the Marine League title. All-stater Byron Moore and junior standout Sean Parker have a lot to be proud about in leading this team to a co-title, but the Gauchos gave up a late lead or else they would have won the title outright.     

27. San Pedro 12-1-1
After scoring on a pass from Barry Heads Benny Weischedel, San Pedro head coach Mike Walsh decided to go for the tie rather than deny his club an opportunity for a co-L.A. City Section title after staging a furious comeback if the two-point conversion had failed. Led by a veteran defense that allowed 7.9 points per game, San Pedro likely felt more like the "winners" than rival Narbonne did at the end of the section championship game. San Pedro, however, must be ranked behind the Gauchos because of the regular season triple overtime loss to Narbonne.     

28. Casa Roble (Orangevale) 13-0
Although St. Mary's of Stockton made a strong showing in the CIF Division II bowl game, this doesn't mean that these Rams might not have done the same. Casa completed an unbeaten season with a 27-21 overtime win over Inderkum to win the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. III title. The team featured a spread offense that was more ground-oriented than passing with Matt Satchwell rushing for 2,178 yards and 30 touchdowns. The Rams were ranked No. 2 in the Sacramento area overall behind Grant and ahead of Granite Bay and Pleasant Grove.

29. Foothill (Pleasanton) 9-3
The good news for co-coaches Matt Sweeney and Jim Mannion is junior quarterback Sean Mannion, the coach's son, will be back next season. If they can develop some additional skill players and a solid defense around him, look for the Falcons to be a contender in the East Bay Athletic League. Wins over Novato, Miramonte of Orinda, Monte Vista and San Ramon Valley highlighted the 2008 campaign.

30. Tulare Union 13-0
For the second consecutive season, the Redskins were able to reach the CIF Central Section Div. II title game but unlike last year the Redskins were victorious with a 42-33 victory over El Diamante of Visalia. The nine-point victory in the championship game was the closest margin of victory for a club that averaged over 49 points per game. What prevents a higher final rating is a relatively weak schedule as El Diamante was easily the best team Tulare faced.  

31. La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad) 12-2
Back-to-back losses to Mission Viejo and Santa Margarita early in the year were just a memory by the time LCC reeled off ten consecutive wins to finish the season. A 45-28 rout of Escondido in the CIFSD Div. I title game was an impressive win, but the lack of an intersectional victory prevents a higher final rating.

32. Lincoln (Stockton) 10-2
Lost just twice all year, by six on the road and by a single point in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Div. I playoffs, with both losses coming against CIF Div. II runner-up St. Mary's of Stockton. Lincoln went a perfect 5-0 in San Joaquin League play and lost in the last minute by one point against the Rams.

33. Granite Bay 9-2
With Grant beating Long Beach Poly and the Grizzlies having only lost to Grant by 22-19 in the opening round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. II playoffs, they have to come up in a major way for the final rankings. For the first two months of the season, remember, Granite Bay was even ahead of Grant in the Sacramento Bee's rankings, but a 35-34 upset loss to Roseville changed all that. Against the Pacers, head coach Ernie Cooper's team was unbelievable at converting third downs. The Grizzlies, in fact, converted 14 straight third downs into first downs. Considering it was against that same defense that just shut down Poly, it ranks as one of the most impressive feats we saw all year.

34. Citrus Hill (Perris) 14-0
It's hard to say just how good the Hawks really were because the Division II-enrollment team didn't play any team that finished in the Top 50. But there is no doubt the CIF Southern Section Eastern Division champs could score, averaging better than 50 points a game through the their first 12 games. Citrus Hill also handled everyone put in front of them and in the last two games showed they could pull out close victories.  

35. San Ramon Valley (Danville) 8-4
Boise State-bound quarterback Joe Southwick is gone but we're sure crafty Coach Dave Kravitz will have a more than competitive team on the field next season. SRV's loss to De La Salle was a lot worse than Monte Vista's, but they beat Monte Vista head-to-head twice so obviously deserve to be ranked ahead of the Mustangs.  

36. Monte Vista (Danville) 8-3
With quarterback Brett Nottingham returning after taking his lumps in this year's NCS playoffs, look for Craig Bergman's charges to be a favorite in the EBAL along with state power De La Salle next season. They lost by only 10 points to the Spartans and also recorded solid wins over Foothill of Pleasanton and Pittsburg.  

37. Charter Oak (Covina) 13-0-1
The Chargers captured their seventh Miramonte League title in the past eight seasons and capped the season with a 30-14 victory over Diamond Ranch of Pomona in the CIFSS Southeast Division title game. Led by QB Chris Allen, one of the most underrated players in the Southern Section, Charter Oak won ten consecutive games after a 14-14 tie with No. 16 Rancho Cucamonga. They are ranked lower than the Cougars despite an identical record because of the difference in overall strength of schedule.   

38. Moorpark 12-2
Have to take a slide in the final ratings since the loss to No. 4 St. Bonaventure in the finals of the CIFSS Northern Division playoffs was so convincing. The Musketeers recorded quality wins over Mayfair of Lakewood, Thousand Oaks and Valencia, with the other loss to No. 13 Notre Dame by three points.   

39. Esperanza (Anaheim) 8-4
Although the Aztecs lost by one point to Los Alamitos, they are able to finish one spot ahead of the Griffins in the ratings because they won a playoff game, 24-16 over San Clemente in the first round of the CIFSS Pac-Five Division playoffs. Espy also defeated Edison and there was no shame in losing to Long beach Poly by seven points (17-10) in the quarterfinals.   

40. Los Alamitos 8-3
After missing the playoffs for the first time in 23 season last year, the Griffins were back in the post-season but their season ended earlier than they expected. An explosive offense led by three-year starting QB Clark Evans helped Los Al win its first seven games, including victories over Mayfair of Lakewood, CIFSS Southwest Division champ La Habra and co-L.A. City Section champ Narbonne, Los Al lost three of its final four games, however, including a 23-7 loss to Tesoro where head coach John Barnes bowed to his son Brian's team in the first round of the CIFSS Pac-Five playoffs.   

41. Edison (Huntington Beach) 7-3
There was an extraordinary five-way tie for first place in the Sunset League and it came down to picking teams out of a hat at of all places, the Edison High weight room. The Chargers weren't so lucky and did not receive an at-large bid to the CIFSS Pac-Five playoffs. Edison also wasn't so lucky when it came to injuries as wide receiver Jeff Crissman and two-way standout Preston Spence missed a key league game against No. 40 Los Alamitos. Still, Edison could have made the playoffs but lost in its regular season finale to No. 39 Esperanza.  

42. California (San Ramon) 7-5
The best 7-5 team in the state had the misfortune of playing in the EBAL and also lost a close game to Bellevue of Washington. The Grizzlies have become perennial winners under Coach Tony Sanchez and next year should be no different.

43. Quartz Hill 13-1
The Rebels enjoyed their finest season since 1990 when they were the runner-ups in the CIF Southern Section's major division to Loyola of Los Angeles. Quartz Hill didn't win the Golden League title, as they suffered their only loss to perennial league power Palmdale, but they rebounded to win the CIFSS Western Division title with a 14-0 triumph over Mira Costa of Manhattan Beach. The key win in the post-season was a semifinal victory over over Alemany of Mission Hills, which prior to that game had only lost to No. 13 Notre Dame.

44. Helix (La Mesa) 10-2-1
It took coach Troy Starr a few games to whip the Highlanders into the type of team he wanted but once he did they came within one yard of upsetting Oceanside in the CIF San Diego Section Div. II title game, 23-19. Starr took a gamble at the end of that game, but we're willing to bet he'll have another strong team next season.

45. Murrieta Valley (Murrieta) 9-4
Four losses and in the Top 50? You bet when those losses were to state team of the year Centennial, No. 8 Chaparral, No. 25 Mission Viejo and talented Rancho Verde of Moreno Valley. The Nighthawks feared no one and key win came over 9-3 Vista Murrieta and  11-1 A.B. Miller before bowing out against Centennial in the CIFSS Inland Division semifinals.

46. Bishop Amat (La Puente) 8-3
After a season-opening loss to Los Osos of Rancho Cucamonga, the Lancers went on a roll, including an eye-opening 47-39 victory over No. 12 Orange Lutheran, before stumbling in their regular season-finale against No. 13 Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks. The other two losses for coach Steve Hagerty's club came against Loyola of Los Angeles and eventual CIFSS Pac-Five champ Long Beach Poly in the first round of the playoffs. Despite the first round exit, Hagerty made huge strides in a program that had some lean years after owning one of the state's best winning percentages in the 1970s, 1980's and 1990s.  

47. Whitney (Rocklin) 12-0
Ended Auburn Placer's postseason run by beating that team for the second time this season in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Div. IV title game. Behind the running of Zach Graves, who rushed for over 2,700 yards with 39 touchdowns, the Wildcats topped last season's 11-2 title winning club by finishing undefeated. Besides the two big wins over Placer, the best victories came over Bear River of Grass Valley and Sierra of Manteca.   

48. Saugus 9-4
Led by dual-threat QB Desi Rodriguez and three-year standout back Ryan Zirbel, the Centurions made history by winning their first-ever Foothill League title. They went undefeated in league play with a key win over Valencia and only lost three non-league contests to teams with a combined 28-7 record (Alemany of Mission Hills, Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks and Crespi of Encino). With a veteran group, however, Saugus made school history and the playoff loss to No. 4 St. Bonaventure is nothing to hang its head about as the Seraphs rolled through everyone in the division.     

49. A.B. Miller (Fontana) 11-1
Some would argue this is too low for the Rebels, whose only loss was to No. 45 Murrieta Valley in the CIFSS Inland Division quarterfinals and whose best win came against L.A. City Section semifinalist Crenshaw. The Citrus Belt League, however, was not particularly strong this year as only Miller and Redlands East Valley finished with winning overall records.
 
50. Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) 11-3
In their second season with a senior class, the Eagles captured their second straight Delta River League championship and advanced to the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Div. I title game before losing to St. Mary's of Stockton. Joe Cattolico, son of Butch Cattolico from Los Gatos, already is making his mark in the Central Valley and his program should be tough to beat for quite some time.

Corrections or comments? Email mark@studentsports.com and be sure to leave a comment so others can check out what you have to say.

Burfict-led defense and Martinez-led offense lifts Huskies past De La Salle, 21-16, and earns the Corona school its first CIF state title.

By Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

There was a familiar theme in Friday night's CIF Div. I State Championship Bowl Game between De La Salle of Concord, the defending Div. I champs and California state team of the year, and Centennial of Corona, last year's Div. I runner-up.

After losing to Canyon of Canyon Country in the inaugural CIF Division I bowl game in 2006, Spartans' head coach Bob Ladouceur and his club used the stinging 27-13 defeat as motivation to defeat the Huskies in last year's contest, 37-31, and complete an undefeated 13-0 season.

This season, the tables were reversed, as Centennial head coach Matt Logan and his program used that same feeling as motivation throughout this season. That motivation, combined with a group of talented players on both sides of the ball, resulted in a 21-16 Centennial victory before 7,581 rabid fans at the Home Depot Center in Carson.

With the win, Centennial becomes the fourth team in state history to complete a 15-0 season, following Oaks Christian of Westlake Village in 2006, Bishop Amat of La Puente in 1992 and St. Margaret's earlier in the day. Tomorrow night on the same field, Poly of Long Beach will try to join the Huskies as a 15-0 championship team against unbeaten Grant of Sacramento. If the Jackrabbits were to lose, Centennial would be the logical choice to be crowned 2008 CalHiSports.com State Team of the Year.

"Maybe for a brief moment we're up there with them, but they've been like this for 20 years," said Logan if this win puts his program on an elite national level like De La Salle. "We've still got a long ways to go. This is a tremendous benchmark for our program."

	Scott Kurtz
	The all-american linebacker in this picture was a frightening sight to De La Salle players all night.

Corrections or comments? Email mark@studentsports.com and be sure to leave a comment so others can check out what you have to say.

CalHiSports.com editors plus other media experts statewide weigh in on what they think might happen in each of the five contests played Friday and Saturday at The Home Depot Center.

By Mark Tennis, CalHiSports.com Executive Editor

Open: Poly 21, Grant 7
Grant is unbeaten and perhaps playing the biggest game any team from Sacramento has ever played. As a native Sacramentan, I hope the Pacers do well. But they were a better team two years ago and don't think they will quite be able to hang with the Jackrabbits for a full four quarters. Poly gets it done and wins first state title since 1919.

Div. I: De La Salle 31, Centennial 28
This is the hardest game to choose and the picks that follow show that as well. Based on the playoffs so far, De La Salle has been more impressive and has shown it's been a different team than the one most in SoCal saw early in the season. On the other hand, we just don't know how good Chaparral of Temecula was this year, which is the team that gave Centennial its two closest game, including last week when it was 14-14 going into the fourth quarter. If Chap was actually very good, then Centennial wins. If Chap wasn't that good, then DLS likely prevails.

Div. II: Cathedral Catholic 34, St. Mary's (Stockton) 29
Is it a good thing or a bad thing that the Rams have already faced a number of top running backs this season, such as Stephon Mathis (Merced), Michael Spanos (Lincoln) and Usua Amanam (Bellarmine)? They may be facing the best of them all, although Cathedral's Tyler Gaffney isn't as darting and quick as Amanam. St. Mary's has experience trying to stop a top back, but that experience, especially against Amanam, wasn't positive. The Rams will score against Cathedral's defense, but just not sure about their defense getting enough stops. This should be the best D2 game so far, but the North still will likely lose.

Div. III: St. Bonaventure 27, Cardinal Newman 15
The Seraphs are going for their second straight title and overall, across the board, they look better than last year. The way they romped through the normally competitive CIF Northern Division playoffs was impressive indeed. The Cardinals will have the confidence from playing Oaks Christian into overtime from two years ago and they just took down an undefeated Clayton Valley squad in the North Coast Section finals. St. Bonnie wins and afterward the media needs to start the ball rolling so the Seraphs and Oaks Christian can resume their series next year. They will both be among the top teams in the nation next year and they better be playing each other. If they don't and Oaks gets a win over a top-ranked team from another state, the Lions may get the nod to be in this game a year from now.

Small Schools: St. Margaret's 27, Hamilton 10
The Hamilton defense will prevent this one from getting too out-of-hand, but the Tartan defense looks like it's even better. It's also an edge that the Harry Welch-coached team just played last weekend against Twentynine Palms while Mark Cooley's squad is coming off a three-week layoff. Think of how Ohio State has done in bowl games when it plays teams that have had shorter periods of time from the end of the regular season.

By Ronnie Flores, CalHiSports.com Senior Editor

Open: Poly 24, Grant 14
Grant is always the more athletic team and the team with the most burners. What will happen when the Pacers are not for the first time in God knows when? They can't get behind too much because they'll be forced to pass and the Poly D will start to tee off. If they get ahead, no problem, Poly obviously has experience coming from behind, too. In other words, Grant has a tall task ahead of it.

Div. I: Centennial 37, De La Salle 31
Boy, it's hard to pick against De La Salle no matter what team the Spartans play. Still, I can't get the picture out of my mind of how Loyola's Anthony Barr was able to run on a smallish D-line. I think the Spartans have improved, but they are clearly not as good as last year. Mater Dei didn't turn out to be great, but I can't say as certain that Centennial is not as good so the tables will be turned. Throw in the motivation factor and the Huskies get it done.

Div. II: Cathedral Catholic 28, St. Mary's 14
Too bad St. Mary's couldn't have a healthy Josh Harper, but it probably wouldn't make a difference because he doesn't play up front. The Rams couldn't stop Bellarmine and they won't be a able to stop Cathedral's running game, either. Is Cathedral as good as Bellarmine? No, but Cathedral's strength seems to be St. Mary's weakness.

Div. III: St. Bonaventure 31, Cardinal Newman 21
If it wasn't for the Oaks Christian game two years ago when Ryan Lingle almost led his team to an upset win, I would pick the SoCal team in a romp. Newman will find a way to stay in the game, but St. Bonaventure will be prepared. Oaks needed overtime to beat this program and Patrick Hall was on the field when the Lions embarrassed St. Bonnies. He won't let that feeling happen again.

Small Schools: St. Margaret's 36, Hamilton 17
I just think the calming influence of Harry Welch will make the difference. He can't tackle or throw passes but he can give his team confidence. Hamilton might be a deer in the headlights a bit, and will adjust after it's too late.

By Harold Abend, ESPN RISE CalHiSports.com Correspondent

Open: Poly 42, Grant 14
Grant's power running attack featuring RB Devontae Butler and QB Kopeli Koniseti has rolled over Sacramento area teams but it hasn't faced anyone like Long Beach Poly. This would seem to be a bad matchup for the Pacers, who most certainly will be forced from their game plan and have to pass the ball to have a chance. That is if they can slow Poly down, which we doubt.

Div. I: De La Salle 35, Centennial 28
Still, we see De La Salle executing in the crucial situations to score as many points as Mater Dei did against Centennial while holding them just enough on defense. The result will give Coach Lad his 345th victory, thus becoming California's all-time winningest prep football coach.

Div. II: Cathedral 34, St. Mary's 20
St. Mary's couldn't stop Usua Amanam and the running game of Bellarmine in a 35-7 loss and that was when Cody Vaz had Josh Harper, one of the top junior receivers in the state, healthy and in the lineup, which he apparently won't be for the game against Cathedral Catholic. Can the Rams stop Tyler Gaffney with 4.5 speed in the 40 on a 6-foot-1, 215-pound frame? We doubt it.

Div. III: Cardinal Newman 38, St. Bonaventure 35
If Newman can move the ball and keep the Seraphs off balance with its hurry-up spread offense, the Cardinals can stay close enough to win on a Randy Wright field goal.

Small Schools: Hamilton 21, St. Margaret's 20, Ostrich 0
I don't know diddly about these two teams other then I just missed a seven-foot tall California Ostrich/Road Runner that ran out from the tule weeds in front of my car 25 years ago just south of Hamilton City on Hwy 45...for that we go with the Braves of Hamilton City.

By Steve Brand, CalHiSports.com & California Prep Sportswriters Association Founder

Open: Poly 28, Grant 14
Unless Sacramento Grant is leading by three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, Long Beach Poly just has too much finishing power. Grant won't be intimidated but Poly seems to be on a mission and you can't discount the "home" field advantage as I suspect Poly will bring a large contingent.

Div. I: De La Salle 34, Centennial 20
Both teams will arrive in a nasty mood. Concord De La Salle must feel snubbed for not playing in the Open game having played what everyone other than some select CIF section commissioners feel is a more difficult schedule than Grant. Corona Centennial has been itching for another shot at the Spartans after losing last year's Div. I game.

Div. II: Cathedral Catholic 24, St. Mary's 7
Stockton St. Mary's has lost only to San Jose Bellarmine Prep and Modesto Central Catholic. The Rams beat CalHiSports state-ranked Merced and Stockton Lincoln -- twice -- playing what many consider a tougher schedule. Cathedral Catholic of San Diego has star power with running back Tyler Gaffney (51 TDs) and an unsung but dominating offensive line.

Div. III: St. Bonaventure 31, Cardinal Newman 14
The hitting in this game should be spectacular. Cardinal Newman dominated its opponents and some of the players undoubtedly remember losing to Oaks Christian two years ago. St. Bonaventure has toughened up itself against teams like Encino Crespi and its only loss was a five-pointer to Long Beach Poly, or the Seraphs would be in the Open game.

Small Schools: St. Margaret's 39, Hamilton 0
St. Margaret's of San Juan Capistrano has won all 14 of its games this year and an Orange County record 42 in a row behind QB David Mothander. A mobile, swarming defense will harass Hamilton all evening. Not playing since Thanksgiving has to hurt Hamilton, the Northern Section's first Bowl finalist.

By Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times

Open: Poly 28, Grant 7
Poly is waiting to play its best game of the playoffs, and this will be it.

Div. I: Centennial 42, De La Salle 35
There will be lots of scoring in this one.

Div. II: Cathedral 21, St. Mary's 14
Cathedral lets everyone know there's a rising Catholic school power in San Diego County.

Div. III: St. Bonaventure 21, Cardinal Newman 7
St. Bonaventure's defense is second to LB Poly. There's no way they are giving up more than a touchdown.

Small Schools: St. Margaret's 28, Hamilton 7
Harry Welch never loses the big one.

By Brian Stumpf, ESPN RISE Senior Director of Event Development

Open: Poly 17, Grant 7
Grant will play well on the big stage but Poly's defense is a little faster and its offense just too physical in the end.

Div. I: Corona Centennial 27, De La Salle 24
Centennial will not be intimidated after a narrow loss to the Spartans last year and finishes the job in '08.

Div. II: Cathedral Catholic 31, St. Mary's 20
The rest of the state gets introduced to the best player nobody talks about, Tyler Gaffney.

Div. III: St. Bonaventure 27, Cardinal Newman 10
The Seraphs make it two in a row in the DIII game.

Small Schools: St. Margaret's 33, Hamilton 18
Harry Welch moves to 2-0 in state bowl games

By Greg Biggins, ESPN RISE Director of Player Personnel

Open: Long Beach Poly 24, Grant 14
Grant has a high-octane offense for sure but this Jackrabbit defense might be the state's best in a few years. Poly running back Melvin Richardson could be the top running back in the state as well and is the type of back that gets stronger as the game goes on. Grants' best player is junior running back Devontae Butler who rushed for 1,850 yards and 36 touchdowns this season. Poly doesn't blow anyone out and this one will be close throughout but the Jackrabbits should pull away in the end.

Div. I: Centennial 31, De La Salle 24
This is easily the hardest game to pick of the weekend. Neither of these team's look as strong as the two teams that competed in last year's Div I final. Saying that, both are still stocked with talent and extremely well coached. On paper, the Huskies look more talented but I made a pact long ago to never pick against De la Salle. Still, this Husky team is just so balanced on offense with plenty of playmakers on defense. The Spartans have a strong stable of running backs but Centennial's strength is their run defense and Husky quarterback Taylor Martinez has gotten better each game this year.

Div. II: Cathedral Catholic 34, St. Mary's 21
This should be a very competitive contest but it's tough to imagine St. Mary's getting enough stops against a loaded Cathedral offense. Everyone knows about Dons running back Tyler Gaffney, who has rushed for 51 touchdowns this season. What is scary about Cathedral is their balance. Quarterback Parker Hipp has thrown for over 2,200 yards and 23 touchdowns. St. Mary's is led by Oregon State bound quarterback Cody Vaz but we would like the Rams chances a lot more if they had the services of junior wide out Josh Harper. Harper was the WR MVP at the NIKE Camp at Stanford and he looks doubtful at this time.

Div. III: St. Bonaventure 35, Cardinal Newman 17
If there is one game that could get out of hand, it could be this one. That's not a knock on Cardinal Newman, St. Bonny is just that good. They had the ball on the 15-yard line going in for a game winning score against Long Beach Poly but couldn't get it done. That was the Seraphs only loss all year. Their defense is tremendous and they have two big time running backs in Patrick Hall and Devon Blackledge. Newman is very well coached and nearly pulled off a huge upset in the Div III state title game two years ago against an Oaks Christian team that sent 11 players to Div I colleges. Jacob Gowan leads a strong offensive line and running back Jeff Badger has averaged over 10 yards a carry in rushing for over 1,400 yards.

Small Schools: St. Margaret's 42, Hamilton 10
This is the toughest game for me to pick for one simple reason- I haven't seen either of these teams play this year. Saying that, anytime Harry Welch is involved, it's always a safe bet to go with whatever team he's coaching. De La Salle head man Bob Ladouceur might be the only coach in the state with a better track record than Welch. He's already won one state title and it's tough to envision a scenario where he won't win his second this Friday.

By Mitch Stephens, Maxpreps.com & California Prep Sportswriters Association President

Open: Poly 13, Grant 6
Fifth game. Sloppy field. Poly wants a state title and the defense knows how to get it.
 
Div. I: Centennial 28, De La Salle 27
Both teams score four TDs, but De La Salle goes for the win late and in a monumental convergence of wills, Vontaze Burfict stops Blake Wayne inches shy on two-point try.
 
Div. II: Cathedral Catholic 38, St. Mary's 28
Choo-choo. The Tyler Train steamrolls through the Home Depot.  
 
Div. III: St. Bonaventure 27, Cardinal Newman 21
Fittingly, a special teams TD decides this matchup of two special teams.

Small schools: St. Margaret's 28, Hamilton 14
Harry Welch, AKA George Bailey, is once again the richest coach in Carson.

By Kevin Askeland, Maxpreps.com

Open: Long Beach Poly 28, Grant 21
Grant overwhelms opponents with its tremendous athletic ability. Long Beach Poly will be first Pacer opponent who can match Grant's athleticism. Jackrabbits have more experience in close games and that could prove to be the difference.

Division I: Centennial 35, De La Salle 28
Centennial avenges loss from last year. Vontaze Burfict limits De La Salle running game and puts pressure on Spartans to throw the ball.

Division II: Cathedral 30, St. Mary's 14
Tyler Gaffney will score four touchdowns and rush for over 150 yards. St. Mary's offense will struggle if Josh Harper is unavailable.

Division III: St. Bonaventure 28, Cardinal Newman 27
Seraphs will be too big across the offensive and defensive lines and will control the line of scrimmage. Cardinal Newman will get big plays from QB Randy Wright and RB Jeff Badger to keep it close.

Small Schools: St. Margaret's 40, Hamilton 28
Hamilton will put up a good fight, but will not be able to match the depth of the Tartans. Braves will intercept three passes, but David Mothander will still throw for 300 yards with running backs still on the mend.

CalPreps.com computer projections (Courtesy of co-founder Eric Maddy)

Open: Poly 31, Grant 17
Div. I: De La Salle 28, Centennial 27
Div. II: Cathedral 41, St. Mary's 28
Div. III: St. Bonaventure 35, Cardinal Newman 21
Small Schools: St. Margaret's 31, Hamilton 17

(Compiled by Mark Tennis, Ronnie Flores, Steve Brand, Harold Abend & Paul Muyskens; After games of Saturday, Dec. 13; 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) 14-0
History is a theme surrounding the Jackrabbits often and they'll try to add even more to their school's legacy this Saturday when they play Grant of Sacramento in the CIF Open Division State Championship. One week after becoming the state's all-time winningest football program, Poly will try to go 15-0 for the first time against the Pacers. To get there, head coach Raul Lara's team scored twice in the last seven minutes of the game to rally past previously unbeaten Tesoro of Las Flores, 20-17. Melvin Richardson again led the way with two touchdowns, including the 60-yard game-winner with 2:56 left, and finished with 13 carries for 134 yards. He's the type of back that gets better as the game goes on and is capable of breaking a big one even if he gets stuffed four or five times in a row. QB Morgan Fennell was also outstanding, scrambling to pick up a couple of key first downs and going 14 of 21 for 141 yards. If Poly beats Grant and Lakeland of Florida downs St. Thomas Aquinas of Fort Lauderdale in the Class 5A state final in that state, the Jackrabbits also could finish No. 1 in the nation.

2.    (2)  Centennial (Corona) 14-0
The Huskies were all tied up with Chaparral at 14-14 entering the final quarter of play and posted a 23-17 win thanks to a three-yard touchdown run by Taylor Martinez on a fourth down play that secured the CIFSS Inland Division title. With the victory, the Huskies captured back-to-back section titles for the first time in school history and have now won five divisional titles in the last nine years. Martinez also passed for two touchdowns and Anthony Goodman's recovering of an onside kick allowed the Huskies to run off the remaining clock. Centennial will represent the south in the CIF Div. I bowl game this weekend and will face No. 3 De La Salle. It's a match up of two higher-ranked teams than the two teams playing in the Open Division, leaving it up for debate as to which game actually is between the best vs. the best.

3.    (3)  De La Salle (Concord) 12-1
Execution in the clutch carried the Spartans to their 34-10 win over Pittsburg last Friday in the North Coast Section Div. I final. The epitome of that was a 99-yard drive right at the end of the second quarter that concluded with two seconds left before halftime on a 10-yard slant pass from Blake Wayne to Noah Perio. Earlier in the half, Wayne found tight end Bo Walter for a 23-yard TD pass. But Wayne wasn't De La Salle's only standout. Senior RB Kylan Butler, who rushed for 186 yards on nine carries with one TD also stepped up as the Spartans captured their 17th consecutive section title. De La Salle players and fans were no doubt assuming they would play Long Beach Poly in the CIF Open Division state final, but were likely stunned when Grant of Sacramento was slotted in that game instead. Once the shock wears off, though, the players and fans should realize that their team's game against Centennial of Corona is arguably even more significant than Grant vs. Poly.

4.    (4)  St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 13-1
The Seraphs had very few problems winning their eighth section title in the last 10 years as they defeated Moorpark, 42-7, in the CIFSS Northern Division championship game. St. Bonnie surrendered just 72 total yards in the first half while intercepting five passes to quickly squelch any hopes of a Moorpark upset. Logan Meyer completed 14 of his 18 pass attempts for 204 yards and four touchdowns. Isaiah Burton was Meyer's favorite target as he caught three of his four touchdown passes. Head coach Todd Therrian's club will be gunning for its second consecutive CIF Div. III state title versus No. 12 Cardinal Newman of Santa Rosa. If Newman hadn't played Oaks Christian so tough in the inaugural Div. III bowl game, the Seraphs would be prohibitive favorites. Instead, it's arguably the most intriguing match up for next week's bowl games.      

5.    (6)  Grant (Sacramento) 13-0
Well, Pacer fans, you wanted to be in the spotlight and now your team not only is playing in the CIF Open Division final against No. 1 Long Beach Poly, but it's perhaps the biggest game any team from Sacramento has ever played in. The same statement would be true, by the way, if Grant was playing Corona Centennial. A Grant win would amount to the type of legitimacy for Sacramento prep football that De La Salle needed and got when it traveled down to Southern California in 1998 and beat Mater Dei of Santa Ana. A Long Beach Poly somewhat lopsided loss would be equally bad not just for Grant but for other teams in the area.

6.    (5)  Tesoro (Las Flores) 13-1
Season complete. We'll drop the Titans just one spot in this week's rankings following their heart-breaking 20-17 loss to Long Beach Poly in the CIFSS Pac-Five Division finals. Tesoro's final ranking will depend on both the CIF Open Division state final and the CIF Division I state final. Wins for the Southern Section team in both games could move up the Titans as high as No. 4 with an upset Long Beach Poly loss keeping them behind the Jackrabbits no matter how many spots they would fall in that scenario. Although he didn't find the end zone, Preston King had a stellar all-around night for Tesoro with five catches for 33 yards, a completed pass for eight yards, 21 yards rushing on three carries plus 153 yards in punt and kickoff return yardage. The Tesoro running game wasn't as sound as it has been and QB Robbie Picazo was just 11 of 29 for 118 yards and one TD. Considering how strong Poly's defense is, however, those numbers actually aren't that bad although the offense did squander two prime scoring opportunities in the first half.

7.    (7)  Bellarmine (San Jose) 12-1
Season complete. It turned out the Bells wrapped up their season two weekends ago with a 21-0 victory over Valley Christian in the CCS Open Division championship game. With the win over the Warriors for the second time this season, it capped off a challenging playoff schedule that saw them defeat Milpitas and avenge their only loss of the season to Serra of San Mateo. The Bells weren't selected for a CIF bowl game and will probably wonder what could have been if they had defeated Serra the first time around. The Bells had a nice win early in the season at St. Mary's of Stockton, winning 35-6 against a Rams team that will play in Carson in the Div. II game.

8.    (8)  Chaparral (Temecula) 12-2
Season complete. The Pumas came up just a little short against Centennial in the CIFSS Inland Division title game 23-17 after leading 7-0 at halftime. With both of their losses coming against the state's No. 2 ranked team, Chaparral holds on to its ratings position this week. Chaparral held the Huskies without a point in the first half before allowing two third-quarter touchdowns that tied the game at 14-14 entering the final period. The Pumas led 7-0 at halftime on a Mitch Glasmann 17-yard touchdown pass to Antoine Arnold. Jonathan Diaz then knotted the game at 14 with a 48-yard touchdown run just two plays after the Pumas trailed for the first time all game. Another good reason not to drop Chap is that Centennial's two games with the Pumas were the closest wins in its undefeated season so far.   

9.    (9)  Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 14-0
Season complete. The Lions will not be headed to Carson for the CIF Div. III bowl game but after talking to coach Bill Redell and watching their body language after their section championship game it doesn't come as much surprise. Besides, Oaks Christian can't be too disappointed with an undefeated season and its sixth straight Southern Section title courtesy of its 63-28 victory over previously unbeaten Serra of Gardena in the CIFSS Northwest Division final. Malcolm Jones stated his case for state junior of the year honors by gaining 302 yards rushing and receiving and finding the end zone four times. Quarterback Nick Montana, also a junior, threw four touchdowns and threw some well-timed balls. With the win over the Cavaliers, the Lions now own the Southern Section record for most consecutive section titles and have won 25 consecutive postseason games with many players returning next season.

10.  (10)  Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 13-0
Cathedral Catholic didn't wrap up the school's first unbeaten season after all, but the Dons aren't complaining. Two days after Cathedral wrapped up its second consecutive CIF San Diego Section Div. III title with a 49-13 win over Valhalla of El Cajon, 49-13, the Dons received a bid to represent SoCal in the CIF Div. II state bowl game against No. 20 St. Mary's of Stockton.  Cathedral's unbeaten record to date allowed the Dons to hang onto their No. 1 ranking in the San Diego Section and the Div. II South bowl game rankings over No. 2 Oceanside to gain the bowl bid. In the title game, Cathedral was once again paced by senior RB Tyler Gaffney, who finished with 253 total yards and four touchdowns. He carried 19 times for 155 yards with touchdown runs of 19 and 31 yards and both his catches of 56 and 42 yards went for touchdowns. Gaffney pushed his San Diego Section records to 51 touchdowns and 306 points in the section title win.  

11.  (11)  Oceanside 12-0-1
Season complete. Oceanside won its fifth straight CIF San Diego Section Div. II title and completed an unbeaten season with a 23-19 win over Helix of San Diego. Ultimately, Oceanside's 33-33 tie against Ramona in its regular-season finale ultimately cost the Pirates a chance to defend their CIF Div. II state title. Oceanside almost let the section title slip away, as Helix threatened to win the game in the final minute before an ill-advised pop pass was picked off by Oceanside's Rene Siluano to secure the victory. Utah-bound quarterback Jordan Wynn finished 18 of 34 for 300 yards and a touchdown but threw an uncharacteristic three interceptions Oceanside needed a convincing win over Helix to give the Pirates at least a shot of being selected over Cathedral for the Div. II bowl game spot, but Helix didn't allow that to happen.

12.  (12)  Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 13-0
According to Dr. Ken Gunn, CIF state football event director, Newman was one of the easiest choices for selection by the CIF Section Commissioners for he teams picked for the CIF Bowl Games. The NorCal Div. III representative joins its opponent, St. Bonaventure of Ventura, and Centennial of Corona as the only three schools to play in a CIF Bowl Game twice with De La Salle the only program to appear all three years. To qualify for the Div. III bowl game, coach Paul Cronin's squad opted up from the NCS Div. III to the Div. II playoffs and won the championship game with a 17-7 win over Clayton Valley of Concord. While Jeff Badger carried the load on offense and defense the first two playoff games, WR Wade Amaral was the one to come up big in the championship game. When QB Randy Wright (12 for 17 for 169 yards, one TD, two interceptions) found Amaral (eight receptions, 153 yards, one TD) on a 62-yard touchdown with 3:08 left in the third quarter to stretch the lead to 17-0, Newman all but punched its ticket for Carson. The win gives Cronin his fourth NCS title and is the 10th for the school since 1975.

13.  (14)  Lutheran (Orange) 10-3
Season complete. The way Tesoro played Long Beach Poly in the CIFSS Pac-Five Division final before losing in the fourth quarter gives the Lancers' faithful a glimpse of what could been. The manner in which Tesoro played and the results of some of the other championship contests around the state allows the Lancers to jump a notch in the state rankings without playing. Lutheran is the No. 2-ranked team overall from Orange County behind Tesoro with one team, small school division St. Margaret's, participating in this weekend's CIF Bowl Games.   

14.  (15)  Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 11-1
Season complete. Some erroneous ratings we saw had the Golden Knights rated as high as No. 2 in the country, but for the second time in three seasons an undefeated Notre Dame team fell in the CIFSS Pac-Five Division quarterfinals. They had as good a regular season as any team in the state but we were a little hesitant to move them up quickly in our national FAB 50 ratings because the program has never won a Southern Section title in the top division. Still, coach Kevin Rooney has done a great job with this program and takes a 249-88-5 record into the 2009 season.     

15.  (16)  Valley Christian (San Jose) 10-3
Season complete. The Warriors' season ended two weeks ago in a loss to No. 7 Bellarmine in the CCS Open Division title game. They bump up a spot in the ratings, however, after Pittsburg's loss to De La Salle in the NCS Division I title game drops the Pirates below Oak Grove and St. Mary's in the Northern California pecking order.

16.  (17)  Oak Grove (San Jose) 11-1
Season complete. The Eagles, whose only loss was to Valley Christian in the CCS Open Division semis, re-jumps back in front of Pittsburg in the ratings after losing to the NCS D1 finals to De La Salle. Oaks Grove's two best wins came against Pioneer of San Jose and Palma of Salinas and they lost to Valley Christian by just three points.

17.  (19)  Rancho Cucamonga 13-0-1
Season complete. That tie with Charter Oak of Covina has come back to haunt both teams, since neither could parlay their Southern Section divisional titles into any serious consideration for a CIF State Bowl Championship berth. Beating Upland 21-7 in the CIFSS Central Division championship was impressive, especially since it's always difficult to beat the same team twice. Upland lost to the Cougars 13-2 during the regular season as the Baseline League proved to be one of the Southern Section's best with Los Osos of Rancho Cucamonga also fielding a fine team.

18.  (20)  Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 8-4
Season complete. It looks like the Monarchs' best win of the season will turn out to be a 42-21 Trinity League victory over No. 23 Servite. Mater Dei definitely improved as the season wore on, but outside of sophomore wideout Victor Blackwell they lacked the team speed and probably lost too many experienced offensive players around Matt Barkley to graduation in order to win the Pac-Five title. They lost by the same margin in their quarterfinal game against Tesoro as the Titans did in the title game and move up two spots this week.   

19.  (21)  Junipero Serra (San Mateo) 8-4
Season complete. Coach Patrick Walsh's team's season was also over two weeks ago when they lost to Bellarmine in the CCS Open Division semifinals. They become the third CCS Open Division team to jump back in front of Pittsburg in this week's ratings and a De La Salle win in the Div. I state bowl game would also look good for Serra since they lost to the Spartans but only one point.   

20.  (23)  St. Mary's (Stockton) 12-2
Two weeks ago, the Rams hadn't yet cracked the top 25 but now Cody Vaz and company are in the CIF Div. II state bowl game after a 36-14 victory over Pleasant Grove of Elk Grove in the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. I title game. After losing last year's title game to Napa, the Rams looked like they might be the bridesmaid two years in a row after they fell behind 14-8 late in the first quarter. Just as he's done many times before, however, the Oregon State-bound Vaz led the Rams' comeback. He passed for 52 yards as part of a 12-play drive that started on their own 34 and was capped off by a two-yard Jordan Davis touchdown that gave St. Mary's a 15-14 lead it never relinquished. After a 252-yard, one touchdown performance against Pleasant Grove, the Sac-Joaquin Section leading passer now has 3,512 yards and 28 touchdowns heading into the game against Cathedral Catholic of San Diego. Heading into the Div. II bowl game, the Rams do have some hurt players as Shannon Clark was injured after returning a Pleasant Grove fumble back 60 yards for a score. Josh Harper, one of the top juniors in the state, also went down in screaming pain late in the first quarter with an apparent right ankle injury. Harper didn't return and was carted out to watch the second half with crutches. If Harper is out, the task against Cathedral Catholic could be very difficult.

21.  (13)  Pittsburg 11-2
Season complete. The good news for Pirate faithful is the team didn't drop out of the state rankings. The bad news was the same old story in their attempt to duplicate what took place against De La Salle in 1991, namely beat Sparta in the NCS Division I title game. It just didn't happen, as the Pirates' bread and butter running game could only muster 34 yards against De La Salle. Running backs Bryce Flowers and Erick Dargan, who combined for 392 rushing yards in Pitt's semifinal win over San Ramon Valley of Danville, finished with just 15 yards on 13 carries. Dargan spent much of the second half on the sideline because coach Vic Galli was forced to go to the pass. Although they couldn't quite match the Spartans it was still a great season for Galli and his charges.

22.  (22)  Lakewood 10-3*
Season complete. Wins over Crenshaw and Compton during the regular season and advancing to the CIFSS Pac-Five semifinals with wins over Servite and Mission Viejo showed what the Lancers could do at full strength. Lakewood has to forfeit four wins for using an ineligible player, but once they got that player back in the line-up (RB Jerry Stone), the Lancers showed that the Moore League is a little more than Long Beach Poly and the six dwarfs as they advanced the semifinals for the second time in four years. They lost twice to Poly this season, but will have as good a chance as any team in recent memory to ends the Jackrabbits' state record league winning streak next season with Stone and QB Jessie Scroggins returning.     

23.   (nr)  Servite (Anaheim) 7-4
Season complete. If the Friars faithful are disappointed with the first round CIFSS Pac-Five Division loss to No. 22 Lakewood, at least they can take solace in beating CIF Central Section champion Clovis West handily, 35-21.

24.   (nr)  Clovis West (Fresno) 10-3
Season complete. The puzzling decision to not allow previously ranked Narbonne and San Pedro to play an overtime in the L.A. City Section title game allows Servite, Clovis West and Mission Viejo to into the top 25 this week. The Golden Eagles suffered only one bad loss this season and that game was against state No. 2 Centennial. Another loss came against No. 23 Servite and the 19-13 league loss to Buchanan of Clovis was offset by rebounding to win the CIF Central Section Div. I title with a 24-7 victory over rival Clovis East.   

25.   (nr)  Mission Viejo 10-2
Season complete. The Diablos were beaten convincinly in the first round of the CIFSS Pac-Five playoffs by No. 22 Lakewood, but a 31-14 loss to Tesoro looms even larger after the Titans gave Long Beach Poly all it could handle before finally falling, 20-17, in the Pac-Five title game. The conventional thinking was that Tesoro's victory last season over the Diablos in SCL play was some sort of fluke, but that obviously wasn't the case.  

*On-the-field record; forfeit losses not included.