With a combination of size and speed, Foothill of Palo Cedro lands four players to this honors squad. Enterprise of Redding is close behind with three. Hamilton of Hamilton City, Sutter and Paradise among those with two honorees each.

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. To check out our preseason state top 50 rankings, CLICK HERE. To check out our preseason CIF State Bowl Game Ratings, CLICK HERE. You can now follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/calhisports or on Facebook by CLICKING HERE

Offense

WR James Williams (Enterprise, Redding) 6-1, 170, Sr.
There aren't many wideouts with significant stat totals from last year that are back. Williams caught six TD passes for the Hornets last year and was an attendee of the Stanford Nike Camp.

OL Curtis Fugitt (Foothill, Palo Cedro) 6-6, 270, Sr.
A first team all-section honoree from last year, Fugitt can play both tackle and guard positions. He also has attained an impressive 3.5 GPA.

OL John Lugo (Esparto) 6-3, 265, Sr.
With the powerful Lugo back up front, the Spartans could certainly turn around from last season's 5-6 record.(Read full post)

A small school power from Southern California – Paraclete of Lancaster – and a similar school from Northern California – Sutter – are leading the way in this installment of this series. Also included are El Toro of Lake Forest, Hamilton of Hamilton City and Banning. Check back on Sunday for the final post in this series.

Note: This is the next-to-last installment of this series. Thanks to all who have sent in capsules about their teams. The series will end with Part 21. To check out our preseason state top 50 rankings, CLICK HERE. To check out our preseason CIF State Bowl Game Ratings, CLICK HERE. You can now follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/calhisports or on Facebook by CLICKING HERE

Team Name: Paraclete (Lancaster)
Head Coach: Norm Dahlia (28-9 overall)
Last Year's Records: 11-3, 8-2 for J.V.
Returning Starters: 17 (8 offense, 9 defense)
Players Most Deserving of Preseason Honors: LB/OL Todd Davis, OL/DE Brandon Owen, WR Kyland Warren, RB/DB Andrew DeLaRosa, DE Lavonte Barnett
Newcomers Who Could Make An Impact: Jonathan Tovar, Roosevelt Davis, Braydon Maish
Coach's General Outlook: One big question mark for us is who will start at QB and RB. We have many starters back at most of the other key positions and should have a very strong and stingy defense with three returning All-CIFSS players (Davis, Owen, Barnett).
Other Teams To Watch From The Area (listed by coach): Quartz Hill
All-league level players with GPAs above 3.50: Brandon Owen, Justin Vargas, Todd Davis
CalHiSports.com Comments: The Spirits started out 0-3 last season, mostly because they played up against big schools, but came back to win the CIFSS Mid-Valley Division title. We will see how good they are right away with a matchup on Friday against Serrano of Phelan, which should be one of the top teams in the CIFSS Eastern Division. If they are that good and beat Serrano, they would cement their status as one of the top Division III South teams for the CIF bowl games. Of course, with Oaks Christian, St. Bonaventure and Serra of Gardena in the 1-2-3 slots, getting up into that realm will be very difficult.

(Read full post)

At least four CIF sections vote to oppose regional football bowl game plan. Plus, H1N1 virus causes school to halt athletics, Orange Lutheran basketball coach dies, NFL Draft rewind, reaction to Jeremy Tyler's decision and more from the best prep notes column in the state.

By Mark Tennis & Paul Muyskens

At the CIF state basketball championships in March, CIF executive director Marie Ishida seemed confident that a proposal would pass in May that would add a regional round of games to the CIF state football bowl lineup.

The proposal, which comes before the CIF Federated Council next week, calls for there to be a Northern and Southern Regional bowl game to determine the finalists for the actual CIF state bowl games, which expanded to five divisions last December. Under the plan, the new regional games would take place for 2010 after the second year of the five divisional format is completed this December.

At least four of the 10 CIF sections, however, have indicated through votes of their governing boards in the last two weeks that they will vote no on the plan and one of the those four is the massive CIF Southern Section. The CIFSS Council, in fact, unanimously instructed its representatives on the CIF Federated Council to vote against the plan. On Tuesday earlier this week, the CIF San Diego Section followed, although that vote was not unanimous.

It has also been learned that the CIF North Coast Section and the CIF Central Coast Section's governing boards have voted to oppose the regional play-in games. 

 With the CIFSS in the no column and being so large with more votes on the CIF Federated Council than any other section, it doesn't take much of a coalition of sections to agree in order for a proposal to pass or fail. And with the CIFSS apparently joined by the CCS, NCS and San Diego, the plan seems to be not likely to pass. Those sections that are reportedly in favor of the proposal are the Sac-Joaquin Section, Central Section and L.A. City Section.

(Read full post)

St. Margaret's makes quick work of Hamilton in CIF small schools state bowl game in 59-7 win.

By Mark Tennis, Executive Editor

Carson, Calif. -- For head coach Harry Welch of the St. Margaret's High football team of San Juan Capistrano, it was a bit tougher to win the first CIF state bowl game title of his career than the second.

Welch's team dominated in all phases of the CIF Small Schools Division State Football Championship Bowl Game in posting a 59-7 triumph over out-classed Hamilton of the Northern Section at The Home Depot Center.

	Scott Kurtz
	Harry Welch compared his two state title-winning teams at St. Margaret's and Canyon to loving two sons equally the same.

As a head coach, Welch became the first to earn two state crowns since the CIF began its bowl games two years ago. His earlier title came when the team he previously coached, Canyon of Canyon Country, upset nationally-ranked De La Salle of Concord in the Division I game, 27-13.

"We prepared for what we saw on film and we executed well," Welch said. "We hustle and play hard and we got some breaks early.

The Tartans (15-0) also improved their winning streak to 43 games, giving them a chance next year to pass Oaks Christian of Westlake Village, which had a 48-game win streak that ended last year, for No. 1 all-time in the CIF Southern Section and No. 2 on the all-time state list.

St. Margaret's first game next year will be against fellow small school power Francis Parker of San Diego, a team that was 12-1 this year and returns a major talent in quarterback Deon Randall.

St. Margaret's was a big favorite entering the state bowl game and it only took a few minutes for the Tartans to assume control. They scored on their second possession on a three-yard run by junior John Murayama. Then less than two minutes later following a fumble recovery by David Edwards, it was Murayama taking an inside reverse down the sidelines for a 30-yard touchdown.

Murayama added two more rushing touchdowns and ended with 22 carries for 99 yards. Senior quarterback David Mothander also led the way with 11 completions in 19 attempts for 228 yards and one score.
"We prepare every week the same," Murayama said. "We thought we were ready to play and we came on strong."

Hamilton (10-3-1) committed six turnovers in the first half, which contributed to St. Margaret's assuming a 52-0 lead. The biggest of those was an interception by Alex Brolick that he returned to the one-yard line just before the end of the first quarter. On the next play, Mohinder snuck into the end zone and any resemblance of a game was effectively over with St. Margaret's ahead by 24-0.

Another factor in Hamilton's poor showing likely was the team's nearly-month-long hiatus after it won the Northern Section Div. III title. The Braves' lone touchdown came with 5:06 left on a 10-yard pass from Brad Lohse to junior Cody Watson.

"The layoff was a little bit of a factor but we did what we could to stay game ready," said Hamilton head coach Mark Cooley. "If we had a little playoff action going like St. Margaret's we might have been a little sharper, but it just wasn't there tonight and we didn't play anywhere near our best football against a real good team."

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

Hamilton hopes first bid to Northern Section school is a strong one, while St. Margaret's is looking for 43rd straight victory.

By Mark Tennis & Steve Brand

From the North: Hamilton (Hamilton City) 10-2

Head Coach: Mark Cooley
Last Game: Defeated Willows, 21-14, in the CIF Northern Section Div. III title game.
Surprise Factor: For those who thought the CIF would never take a Northern Section team since the season ends so early way up north, this was a surprise. For those who know how good the Braves usually are under head coach Mark Cooley, it's not.
School Tradition: Hamilton is often solid within the Northern Section, but not dominant. It seems like every team in every sport (boys or girls) has a star player with Lohse as the last name.
Key Players: Yes, there's a Lohse on this team, too, as junior QB Brad Lohse has passed for 1,419 yards and 12 scores. Brad is a cousin of major league pitcher Kyle Lohse, who was a multi-sport standout for the Braves.
LB Ryan Schimke averaged more than 11 tackles per game and has been racking up ringing hits for a long time. "We brought him up as a freshman for the playoffs and he's been doing a great job ever since," Cooley said.
K Oscar Pineda is one of the state's best regardless of school size. He has 13 field goals this year, 22 for his career and has the Northern Section record with a 57-yarder from last season. Pineda also averages 45 yards per punt.
RB-DB Omar Diaz has rushed for nearly 1,200 yards while on defense he's been quick to the ball on passing and rushing plays. He has eight interceptions for the season.
Early Matchup Analysis vs. St. Margaret's: While Cooley has been practicing hard since the Monday after Thanksgiving, it's a different beast compared to actually going up against a Harry Welch coached-team that is in rythym. That is going to be almost impossible.
"When I get back, I'm going to tell them the field is only 100 yards long, no more, no less," Cooley said on Monday. "We're just a bunch of fun-loving, good kids who get along well. We'll stay positive no matter what happens."

From the South: St. Margaret's (San Juan Capistrano) 14-0

Head Coach: Harry Welch (2nd CIF Bowl Game appearance)
Last Game: Defeated Twentynine Palms, 17-3, in the CIF Southern Section East Valley Division title game.
Surprise Factor: Very little, although the pick in this division just as easily could have gone to Francis Parker of San Diego, a team the Tartans will play next season. "They aren't going to be happy when they play us," Welch said. "They'll have back that great player (junior QB Deon Randall), too."
School Tradition: St. Margaret's set the Orange County record for most consecutive wins this year at 42 and counting. The Tartans have also won three consecutive CIFSS divisional titles, the last two under Welch.
Key Players: QB David Mothander, RB John Murayama, DL Jeremy Baileys. The Tartans are an opportunistic bunch, scoring equally quickly with a swarming defense led Baileys or their quick-strike offense led by Mothander and Murayama. The 5-foot-3 running back is a crowd favorite and is a darting, dashing runner who is as easy to catch as a hummingbird.
Early Matchup Analysis vs. Hamilton: This may be the first trip to the State Bowl Championship for the Tartans, but not for their coach. Welch guided Canyon of Canyon Country to the Div. I title in 2006, beating favored Concord De La Salle, 27-13. That might just be a memory for some, but Welch's calming influence and his first experience at the Home Depot Center might give the Tartans a slight edge over a team that is traveling a long ways for the game. "Did its previous Super Bowls help the Patriots against the Giants? Familiarity with the locker rooms, the field, and the process might help, but that's up to me," Welch said. "This is pure high school football, nobody went to Hamilton just to play football and vice versa. This it's what it's all about."
In its section title game win, the Tartans scored twice in the first six minutes and never looked back en route to a 17-3 victory. If they get up early on Hamilton, they might be tough to beat because they are accustomed to winning and will be confident playing in the first game of the weekend. Welch, however, knows there is a tough task ahead especially since the two schools know so little about each other.
"I know they have a great defense that hasn't given up 100 points all season while scoring nearly 400 points on offense," Welch said "They have a monster of a linebacker and one of the best kickers in California."

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

Next edition will be done after midnight on Saturday, updated in time for CIF bowl game selection meeting the next morning.

By Mark Tennis, Ronnie Flores & Steve Brand

This is the 30th year in which CalHiSports.com has been providing weekly state rankings. At the end of the season, we will be releasing final rankings according to our traditional five divisions based on league and playoff strength. Check this site on Wednesdays during the current season for updates.
*Indicates team's season is over and will not be eligible for bowl game consideration.
**Indicates team has won section title and is now eligible for bowl game consideration.

Division I North
1. (1) De La Salle (Concord) 11-1
2. (2) Grant (Sacramento) 13-0**
3. (3) Bellarmine Prep (San Jose) 12-1**
4. (5) Pittsburg 11-1
5. (4) Oak Grove (San Jose) 11-1*
6. (6) Junipero Serra (San Mateo) 8-4*
7. (7) Foothill (Pleasanton) 9-3*
8. (nr) Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) 11-2
9. (nr) Lincoln (Stockton) 10-2*
10. (9) San Ramon Valley (Danville) 8-4*
Others: California (San Ramon) 7-5*, Clayton Valley (Concord) 12-0, Freedom (Oakley) 10-2*, Granite Bay 9-2*, Laguna Creek (Elk Grove) 9-4*, Merced 11-2*, Monte Vista (Danville) 8-3*, North Salinas (Salinas) 9-2.*
Rundown: You couldn't blame Grant followers for having a sense of déjà vu as they pull for De La Salle of Concord to stumble Friday night when the Spartans play Pittsburg for the North Coast Section Division I title. Two years ago Grant thought it had a good case for going to the inaugural State Bowl Championship Division I game but most everyone else agreed De La Salle was the better team. Now there are three Division I teams in the mix for two spots but only one Grant is unbeaten. Then you get into difficulty of schedule, always a fun argument. Just how good was that Alta team from Sandy, Utah that finished 13-1? Better than 11-1 Don Bosco Prep of New Jersey, which beat De La Salle by two points? Probably not. Better than Serra of San Mateo, which beat Bellarmine? Probably. A De La Salle loss to Pittsburg would get Pirates fans excited but the loss to Danville's Monte Vista dooms that thought. Having an Open division was supposed to make these decisions easier, wasn't it?

Division I South
1. (1) Poly (Long Beach) 13-0
2. (2) Centennial (Corona) 13-0
3. (3) Tesoro (Las Flores) 13-0
4. (4) Chaparral (Temecula) 12-1
5. (6) Rancho Cucamonga 12-0-1
6. (7) Narbonne (Harbor City) 12-1
7. (11) San Pedro 12-1
8. (5) Lakewood 10-3*
9. (8) Mission Viejo 10-2*
10. (9) Clovis West (Fresno) 10-3**
11. (nr) La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad) 10-2
12. (nr) Upland 11-2
13. (15) Esperanza (Anaheim) 8-4*
14. (nr) Edison (Huntington Beach) 7-3*
15. (10) Saugus 9-4*
Others: A.B. Miller (Fontana) 11-1*, Buchanan (Clovis) 9-3*, Clovis East (Clovis) 9-4*, Escondido 10-2, Los Alamitos 8-3*, Loyola (Los Angeles) 6-4*, Murrieta Valley (Murrieta) 9-4*, Redlands East Valley (Redlands) 10-2*, San Clemente 8-3*, Taft (Woodland Hills) 11-2*, Thousand Oaks 10-2*.
Rundown: Take a peek at the bowl game scenario in Div. I North and just replace De La Salle, Grant and Bellarmine with Poly, Centennial and hard-charging Tesoro. Tesoro's impressive 42-14 dismantling of then Div. II South front-runner Orange Lutheran makes the Titans a strong candidate in this division should they knock off Long Beach Poly. The joy in this division, unlike the North, is that two of the teams in the debate will actually play each other so only one would be bowl eligible, which means one of the aforementioned teams will likely be the open division selection with the other sliding to this game. Poly has been No. 1 in this division from the beginning, and although the Jackrabbits haven't buried quality opponents, they haven't lost a game, either. With a win in Saturday's Pac-Five Division final, Poly would have the strongest credentials for the open division and Centennial would likely make a return trip to the Div. I game. Should Tesoro upset the Jackrabbits, Centennial is not as clear a choice for the open division game because Tesoro would have clearly beaten a tougher slate of playoff opponents. If No. 4 Chaparral upsets Centennial in the CIFSS Inland Division title game, the Pumas would then likely grab the Division I slot with the Poly-Tesoro winner in the open.

Division II North
1. (1) Valley Christian (San Jose) 10-3*
2. (3) St. Mary's (Stockton) 11-2
3. (2) Casa Roble (Orangevale) 13-0**
4. (4) Whitney (Rocklin) 12-0
5. (5) Novato 11-2
6. (10) Encinal (Alameda) 12-0
7. (7) Inderkum (Sacramento) 11-2*
8. (8) Paradise 11-1**
9. (nr) Sacred Heart Cathedral (SF) 8-5**
10. (6) Campolindo (Moraga) 10-2*
Others: Escalon 11-1*, Las Lomas (Walnut Creek) 9-4*, Miramonte (Orinda) 10-3*, Pioneer (San Jose) 10-2*; Placer (Auburn) 9-3.
Rundown: Even though Valley Christian lost to Bellarmine and is not eligible for the CIF bowls, the Warriors are still the No. 1-ranked team in this division because two of the losses were to Bellarmine and they put up huge wins over Serra and Oak Grove. This brings it down to either St. Mary's or Casa Roble. St. Mary's still has one more game to play with a matchup on Saturday afternoon at the University of Pacific against Division I Pleasant Grove for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I title. If the Rams win, that would complete an impressive three-week run of wins against Lincoln of Stockton, Merced and then Pleasant Grove. Casa Roble stamped its ticket to the selection meeting with a 27-21 win over Inderkum in the Sac-Joaquin Division III final. That game went into overtime, though, which doesn't help in a possible comparison at the end with the Division I champ. Casa Roble, which has been the Sacramento Bee's No. 2-ranked team overall behind Grant since Granite Bay was upset by Roseville, does have a strong enough resume to be clearly in front of Whitney should it win the section Div. IV title this weekend, or Paradise out of the Northern Section or whoever wins between Novato and Encinal in the North Coast Section Div. III final.

Division II South
1. (3) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 12-0
2. (4) Oceanside 11-0-1
3. (1) Lutheran (Orange) 10-3*
4. (2) Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 11-1*
5. (5) Moorpark 12-1
6. (7) Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 8-4*
7. (8) Servite (Anaheim) 7-4*
8. (9) Tulare Union 12-0
9. (10) Citrus Hill (Perris) 13-0
10. (11) Helix (La Mesa) 10-1-1
11. (15) Charter Oak (Covina) 12-0-1
12. (12) Bishop Amat (La Puente) 8-3*
13. (14) Atascadero 9-3*
14. (nr) Paso Robles 9-3*
15. (nr) El Diamante (Visalia) 11-1
Others: Alemany (Mission Hills) 11-2*, Barstow 10-3, Crespi (Encino) 6-4*, Edison (Fresno) 9-3*, Hanford 11-1, Laguna Hills 12-0, St. John Bosco (Bellflower) 7-3*.
Rundown: For the second consecutive season, San Diego Section teams have watched as talented Southern Section teams have beat each other up in the CIFSS Pac-Five Division to the point where the boys down South now hold the top two spots in this division heading into their title games Friday at Qualcomm Stadium. When previous No. 1 Lutheran of Orange got hammered by Div. I South contender Tesoro of Las Flores, 42-14, in the CIFSS Pac-5 semifinals, it allowed both Cathedral Catholic and defending CIF Div. II state champion Oceanside to catapult their way to the top of these ratings above Lutheran and the Notre Dame team Lutheran had previously defeated in the quarterfinals. Unless top-ranked Cathedral stumbles to Valhalla of El Cajon in the CIFSDS Div. III title game, the Dons continue to hold a slight edge on Oceanside because of the Pirates' still unbelievable tie with Ramona in the last game of the regular season. Oceanside may well be the better team, but since the two do not play in the same division within the San Diego Section playoffs, the only thing other than a loss to separate the two is that tie. Both teams playing back-to-back at Qualcomm, though, could be a boost to Oceanside. The Pirates are playing a stronger Helix team in their game and they have the talent to impress the many media onlookers, other coaches and section commissioner Dennis Ackerman. If both teams win Friday and Oceanside is the pick by a majority of those watching, the Pirates also may be the pick on Sunday. The one thing that might make the pick in this division even more sticky is if No. 5 Moorpark were to upset St. Bonaventure of Ventura, the top-rated Div. III South program, in the CIFSS Northern Division finals. Is a Southern Section divisional champ with only a three-point loss to No. 4 Notre Dame more impressive than an undefeated Central Catholic or a once-tied defending state Div. II champion?

Division III North
1. (1) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 12-0
2. (7) Hilmar 12-1**
3. (2) Central Catholic (Modesto) 11-2*
4. (3) Sutter 10-1**
5. (4) Palma (Salinas) 8-3*
6. (5) Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 9-3*
7. (6) Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton) 11-1-1*
8. (8) West Valley (Cottonwood) 9-3*
9. (9) King's Academy (Sunnyvale) 10-1-1*
10. (nr) Justin-Siena (Napa) 9-4**
Others: Carmel 8-2*, Colfax 6-4, Menlo School (Atherton) 6-5*, Piedmont 7-3*, Willows 10-2*.
Rundown: Hilmar's 17-6 victory over Central Catholic of Modesto not only avenged an earlier loss, it gave the Yellowjackets the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V title and perfect positioning if Cardinal Newman were to stumble in the North Coast Section title game against Clayton Valley Saturday night at Santa Rosa. While that seems unlikely and the odds favor the Cardinals to secure the Northern California bid in this division, Clayton Valley is a solid squad in its own right with a 12-0 record and a coach in Herc Pardi who is still the last from Northern California with a win against De La Salle. Central Catholic's dominance in the Sac-Joaquin Section has been almost as dominant as the Raiders had won 34 straight section playoff games until Hilmar's huge effort. Since Central Catholic has a win over Sutter, Hilmar also logically has to be ahead of Sutter in the rankings. From the CIF's standpoint and no disrespect to Hilmar for what it just did, a Division III state bowl game between the Yellowjackets and St. Bonaventure wouldn't be pretty.

Division III South
1. (1) St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 12-1
2. (2) Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 13-0
3. (3) Serra (Gardena) 13-0
4. (4) Bakersfield Christian 11-1
5. (5) Corcoran 12-0
6. (6) Chowchilla 11-1
7. (7) Paraclete (Lancaster) 10-3
8. (8) Twentynine Palms 10-3
9. (9) St. Joseph (Santa Maria) 10-2*
10. (10) Exeter 9-2*
Others: Bishop's (La Jolla) 7-6, Coronado 9-3*, Fowler 10-2*, Harvard-Westlake (N. Hollywood) 8-3-1*, Maranatha (Sierra Madre) 11-2*, Morro Bay 8-5*, St. Paul (Santa Fe Springs) 4-6*.
Rundown: The section title games involving top-ranked St. Bonaventure, No. 2 Oaks Christian and No. 5 Corcoran are really good matchups and should help make this division crystal clear heading into the CIF commissioners selection meeting Sunday morning. St. Bonaventure's lone loss was to overall state No. 1 Long Beach Poly and the Seraphs have a tough final against Moorpark. Remember, Moorpark's only loss was to Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, so a win over the Musketeers should be enough to send the Seraphs to the Div. III bowl game for the second consecutive season. Oaks Christian gets No. 3 Serra of Gardena, a team that is looking for some respect after rolling through its schedule, although the Cavaliers did need to pull out all the stops in a semifinal win over El Segundo. A win over the Lions and Serra will move up at least one spot in the final ratings and would then have to be seriously considered for the bowl game in this division. With St. Bonaventure and Serra not having any common opponents, it's one of those scenarios where you have to check both teams out in person. The CIFSS Northwest Division final might also decide who is the state junior of the year between Serra's Robert Woods and Oaks Christian's Malcolm Jones, although Notre Dame's Ryan Kasdorf was the leader in the clubhouse before the playoffs.

Small Schools North
1. (1) Hamilton (Hamilton City) 10-2**
2. (2) Modoc (Alturas) 12-0**
3. (3) St. Vincent (Petaluma) 11-1**
4. (4) Ferndale 10-1*
5. (nr) Rio Vista 10-2*
Others: Bradshaw Christian (Sacramento) 10-2**, Capital Christian (Sacramento) 5-6*, Fall River (McArthur) 10-2**, Modesto Christian 9-2*, Portola 10-2*, St. Elizabeth (Oakland) 8-5*, Vacaville Christian 9-2*.
Rundown: The CIF commissioners can start deliberating over this one already as no games will be played this week involving these teams. The eligible teams are Hamilton, Modoc, Fall River, Bradshaw Christian and St. Vincent. Fall River has a head-to-head loss to Modoc and Bradshaw Christian won its title under controversial circumstances so those two would be cut first. Modoc is the only unbeaten among the group, but Hamilton is from a higher and tougher playoff division in the Northern Section and one of Hamilton's losses is to a Div. III school. St. Vincent improved its chances with a 30-6 win last Saturday over St. Elizabeth in the North Coast Section Div. V final. If St. Vincent was unbeaten, it would be going to Carson. It's unclear if a strength of schedule argument for the Mustangs will work, but it might. Any one of the three teams at the top could go and the pick could be defended. The problem for the CIF is that any one of the three is going to be a huge underdog against potentially St. Margaret's or Parker of San Diego in the actual bowl game. St. Vincent at least played last weekend while the two Northern Section teams haven't played since Thanksgiving. Another factor is that the Northern Section has yet to have a team in any bowl game and by the time the commissioners vote the NCS already probably will have had De La Salle and Cardinal Newman selected. St. Vincent would be its third.

Small Schools South
1. (1) St. Margaret's (SJ Capistrano) 13-0
2. (2) Parker (San Diego) 11-1
3. (4) Central Valley Christian (Visalia) 9-3*
4. (nr) Riverside Christian 12-1
5. (4) Christian (El Cajon) 10-2*
Others: Aquinas (San Bernardino) 10-2*, Brentwood (Los Angeles) 10-2*, Linfield Christian (Temecula) 10-3*, Rio Hondo Prep (Arcadia) 9-3, Santa Clara (Oxnard) 9-2*, Santa Fe Christian (Solana Beach) 6-5*.
Rundown: As if St. Margaret's doesn't have enough incentive against dangerous Twentynine Palms in the CIFSS East Valley Division championship Saturday night at home, the Tartans will be gunning for the Orange County win streak record after equaling the 41 straight by Mission Viejo last week. This division would be a lock if St. Margaret's played a stronger schecule (hint for next year). Parker's lone loss was in the season-opener to a Division II school. Parker plays in a quality league and if you need a score comparison, St. Margaret's beat Army-Navy 41-0 and Parker is coming off a 63-7 victory over Army-Navy. Not much there, either. Both teams play tough opponents Saturday, St. Margaret's a Division III school in Twentynine Palms and Parker a surging Bishop's (La Jolla) club that it beat only 31-23 midway through the season when Bishop's was struggling. Parker's opponents have posted a 74-60 record this year while St. Margaret's are 66-78. We've had St. Margaret's higher in these rankings all year, but if Parker puts on a show in its next game, this one could easily flip.

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

By Mark Tennis, Ronnie Flores & Steve Brand

This is the 30th year in which CalHiSports.com has been providing weekly state rankings. At the end of the season, we will be releasing final rankings according to our traditional five divisions based on league and playoff strength. Check this site on Wednesdays during the current season for updates.
*Indicates team's season is over and will not be eligible for bowl game consideration.
**Indicates team has won section title and is now eligible for bowl game consideration.
    
Division I North
1. (1) De La Salle (Concord) 10-1
2. (3) Grant (Sacramento) 11-0
3. (4) Bellarmine Prep (San Jose) 11-1
4. (2) Oak Grove (San Jose) 11-1*
5. (7) Pittsburg 10-1
6. (5) Junipero Serra (San Mateo) 8-4*
7. (8) Foothill (Pleasanton) 9-2
8. (9) Merced 11-1
9. (nr) San Ramon Valley (Danville) 8-3
10. (6) Monte Vista (Danville) 8-3*
Others: California (San Ramon) 7-5*, Freedom (Oakley) 10-2*, Granite Bay 9-2*, Laguna Creek (Elk Grove) 9-3, Lincoln (Stockton) 10-2*, North Salinas (Salinas) 9-2*, Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) 10-2.
Rundown: De La Salle, Grant, Bellarmine Prep. The three front-runners for the Northern California Open and Division I State Championship Bowl berths will be squaring off against teams they have already beaten this weekend and for two of them it will be for a section title. If Grant can repeat or even better its 35-13 win over Burbank of Sacramento Friday in the Sac-Joaquin Division II championships at Folsom High and Bellarmine Prep can stop a Valley Christian team it edged earlier, 27-16, in Friday's Central Coast Open Division championship at San Jose City College, the two will conclude their seasons and turn their attention to De La Salle. The Spartans host Foothill of Pleasanton, a team they crushed 63-7 in East Bay Athletic League play, but still have a North Coast Section Division I title match Dec. 12 at Dublin High. If all three win out, one will end up on the outside looking in when bowl berths are determined Dec. 14. Bellarmine Prep's 25-7 victory in the grudge game against Junipero Serra of San Mateo last week puts the Bells right back into the big picture. Keep an eye on Pitt as well. The Pirates could be the ones to play DLS in that NCS final and if they were to pull off the upset they'd be bowl eligible with just one loss and that loss came on a last-second field goal to Monte Vista of Danville.

Division I South
1. (1) Poly (Long Beach) 12-0
2. (2) Centennial (Corona) 12-0
3. (3) Tesoro (Las Flores) 12-0
4. (4) Chaparral (Temecula) 11-1
5. (nr) Lakewood 10-2
6. (8) Rancho Cucamonga 11-0-1
7. (9) Narbonne (Harbor City) 11-1
8. (6) Mission Viejo 10-2*
9. (13) Clovis West (Fresno) 9-3
10. (nr) Saugus 9-3
11. (14) San Pedro 11-1
12. (nr) Murrieta Valley (Murrieta) 9-3
13. (nr) Clovis East (Clovis) 9-3
14. (5)  A.B. Miller (Fontana) 11-1*
15. (12) Esperanza (Anaheim) 8-4*
Others: Buchanan (Clovis) 9-3*, Edison (Huntington Beach) 7-3*, La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad) 9-2, Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga) 10-2, Los Alamitos 8-3*, Loyola (Los Angeles) 6-4*, Norco 8-4, Redlands East Valley (Redlands) 10-2*, San Clemente 8-3*, Taft (Woodland Hills) 11-1, Thousand Oaks 10-2*.
Rundown: Fast-rising Lakewood is making a nice late-season run and gets another shot at top-ranked Long Beach Poly after losing to the Jackrabbits, 32-15, during Moore League play. The Lancers are clearly a spoiler with not much hope for a bowl bid because while their above record indicates what they have accomplished on the field, the Lancers have four forfeit losses which the CIF section commissioners would not overlook. Still, it should be fun Friday because Lakewood has the home field advantage and Poly certainly isn't rolling over its opponents in the post-season. The other Pac-5 game is for the unofficial Orange County championship. Unbeaten Tesoro of Las Flores, which is new to this level of playoff pressure, must travel to the Santa Ana Bowl to play a Lutheran crew that won the first state Division II Bowl Championship two years ago and is coming off a huge 24-14 win over Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks at the same venue. That win was so impressive, the Lancers leapfrogged Cathedral Catholic of San Diego into the driver's seat in Div. II South and should Tesoro win out No. 2 Centennial will have to look awfully impressive in the CIFSS Inland Division playoffs to hold off the Titans.

Division II North
1. (2) Valley Christian (San Jose) 10-2
2. (1) Casa Roble (Orangevale) 12-0
3. (3) St. Mary's (Stockton) 10-2
4. (4) Whitney (Rocklin) 11-0
5. (5) Novato 10-2
6. (6) Campolindo (Moraga) 10-1
7. (7) Inderkum (Sacramento) 11-1
8. (8) Paradise 11-1**
9. (9) Miramonte (Orinda) 10-2
10. (10) Encinal (Alameda) 11-0
Others: Dixon 9-2, Escalon 11-1*, Las Lomas (Walnut Creek) 9-3, Pioneer (San Jose) 10-2*; Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco) 7-5.
Rundown: In both Division II races, teams jumped others that won. Here's how that works while the state is adamant that they will not count margin of victory, that applies if one team rolls up a score on another. However, if one team scores an impressive win, like Valley Christian of San Jose edging previous Division I No. 2 Oak Grove, 23-20, and the No. 1 team does not play as strong an opponent, movement can, and does, happen. The stay, however, could be short as Valley Christian seeks to reverse a 27-16 loss to Bellarmine Prep Friday night at San Jose CC in the Central Coast Section Open championships. Casa Roble won't have it easy against No. 7 Inderkum in the Sac-Joaquin Division III championships Saturday afternoon at Oakmont High. Still, if Valley Christian beats Bellarmine, it's hard to see how any other team can get this berth. Even if St. Mary's of Stockton were to win the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. I title, the Rams would clearly be behind Valley Christian due to the common opponent factor involving Bellarmine. With a Valley Christian loss and a St. Mary's title, though, the pick between St. Mary's and Casa Roble could then potentially get real interesting. It's not as clear-cut as Casa Roble vs. Valley Christian, but from strength of schedule standpoint St. Mary's might have slight edge. Now it has been a month since any team in this division's Top 10 has lost. That ends this week because teams will be playing each other but it must be some kind of record. We also have to mention Sacred Heart Cathedral, which won a coin flip at 5-5 in the regular season to get into the CCS small school division. Why a team from the West Catholic Athletic League got put into any small school division is a mystery, but the Irish so far have rolled through that division and play Sacred Heart Prep of Atherton in the final. If the Irish win, as expected, they would become bowl eligible in this division and they are the other team besides Bellarmine to pin a loss against Valley Christian. It's possible the section commissioners could go strictly by their head-to-head criteria and would then pick Sacred Heart Cathedral possibly ahead of Valley Christian. That, of course, would be hard to believe, similar to Oregon State still being able to go to the Rose Bowl because of its head-to-head win over USC. That's because Rose Bowl berths and CIF bowl berths have and should have league standings as even more of a criteria than head-to-head. While SHC did beat Valley Christian, the Irish also got rocked three times in league play and finished behind the Warriors in final league standings.

Division II South
1. (3) Lutheran (Orange) 10-2
2. (1) Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 11-1*
3. (2) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 11-0
4. (4) Oceanside 10-0-1
5. (5) Moorpark 11-1
6. (7) Alemany (Mission Hills) 11-1
7. (6) Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 8-4*
8. (8) Servite (Anaheim) 7-4*
9. (9) Tulare Union 12-0
10. (10) Citrus Hill (Perris) 12-0
11. (13) Helix (La Mesa) 9-1-1
12. (12) Bishop Amat (La Puente) 8-3*
13. (14) Edison (Fresno) 9-2
14. (11) Atascadero 9-3*
15.  (nr) Charter Oak (Covina) 11-0-1
Others: Barstow 9-3, Crespi (Encino) 6-4*, El Diamante (Visalia) 10-1, Hanford 10-1, Laguna Hills 11-0, Paso Robles 9-3*, St. John Bosco (Bellflower) 7-3*.
Rundown: The noise you hear are the Cathedral Catholic of San Diego faithful wondering how the Dons could beat Point Loma of San Diego, a team they pounded for the section title a year ago, 20-14, and not only not take over the No. 1 spot, but drop one position. The answer is relatively easy as Lutheran of Orange scored an impressive 24-14 win over front-running and previously unbeaten Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, a team rated as high as No. 2 in the nation in some polls. Notre Dame, in turn, didn't lose big enough to drop very far, so for this week the Knights are ranked in front of Cathedral but of course are no longer bowl eligible as noted. This week, Div. I South contender Tesoro has a couple thousand new fans as Cathedral would love to see Lutheran fall to the Las Flores school in an all-Orange County Pac-5 showdown. Although Lutheran is ahead of Cathedral Catholic this week, winning its last two games to become bowl eligible will be a very difficult task and should they accomplish that, the Lancers overall resume would be very strong despite losses to Bishop Amat of La Puente and Servite of Anaheim during the regular season. In its own backyard, Cathedral has Oceanside looking very strong again after blanking a talented Lincoln of San Diego team, 41-0. When the Pirates suffered their tie against Ramona, the reason it looked like Cathedral Catholic might have the edge is because the Dons might have been able to post a win over Ramona in the playoffs. That now won't happen since Ramona lost last week. Throw in the 41-0 and 20-14 scores from last week and the Oceanside vs. Cathedral Catholic debate may have flipped among many in San Diego toward the Pirates.

Division III North
1. (1) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 11-0
2. (2) Central Catholic (Modesto) 11-1
3. (3) Sutter 10-1**
4. (4) Palma (Salinas) 8-3*
5. (5) Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 9-2
6. (7) Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton) 11-0-1
7. (9) Hilmar 11-1
8. (6) West Valley (Cottonwood) 9-3*
9. (8) King's Academy (Sunnyvale) 10-1-1*
10. (10) Carmel 8-2*
Others: Colfax 6-4*, Justin-Siena (Napa) 8-4, Menlo School (Atherton) 6-5*, Piedmont 7-3*, Willows 10-2*.
Rundown: It was a strong win of 38-6 by Central Catholic of Modesto over highly-regarded Division II Escalon, but barring a Cardinal Newman loss to either Campolindo of Moraga Friday in the North Coast Section Division II semifinals or in the championship game, the Cardinals would appear to be a lock to be going back to Carson for the second time in three years. The commissioners should thank their lucky stars that Central Catholic and Cardinal Newman play each other every season. Also, congratulations to retiring Sutter head coach Scott Turner, who goes out after a 12-7 win over West Valley in the Northern Section Div. II final. It's not completely official that Turner has coached his last game, but the odds of both Cardinal Newman and Central Catholic losing in the next two weeks are about the same as the Earth being hit by an asteroid.

Division III South
1. (1) St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 11-1
2. (2) Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 12-0
3. (3) Serra (Gardena) 12-0
4. (4) Bakersfield Christian 10-1
5. (7) Corcoran 11-0
6. (9) Chowchilla 10-1
7. (10) Paraclete (Lancaster) 9-3
8.  (nr) Twentynine Palms 9-3
9.  (6)  St. Joseph (Santa Maria) 10-2*
10. (nr) Fowler 10-1
Others: Coronado 9-2, Exeter 9-2*, Harvard-Westlake (N. Hollywood) 8-3-1*, Maranatha (Sierra Madre) 11-1, Morro Bay 8-4, St. Paul (Santa Fe Springs) 4-6*.
Rundown: The CIF commissioners are going to have real fun with this division. Remember, St. Bonaventure¹s only loss was to overall state No. 1 Long Beach Poly, 12-7, and the Jackrabbits have positioned themselves for a berth in the Open or Div. I bowl game. Season-long No. 2 Oaks Christian had hoped Poly would drop another game or lose early in the CIFSS Pac-5 playoffs, taking some glimmer off the Seraphs' close loss. And what about Serra of Gardena? If it can defeat Oaks Christian in the CIFSS Northwest Division title game they too would have a strong resume, especially if Taft of Woodland Hills advances to the L.A. City Section title game. There still is potentially two big games to be played by the above-mentioned teams so these bowl game scenarios still need to be played out.
    
Small Schools North
1. (2) Hamilton (Hamilton City) 10-2**
2. (3) Modoc (Alturas) 12-0**
3. (4) St. Vincent (Petaluma) 10-1
4. (1) Ferndale 10-1
5. (nr) St. Elizabeth (Oakland) 8-4
Others: Bradshaw Christian (Sacramento) 10-2**, Capital Christian (Sacramento) 5-6*, Fall River (McArthur) 10-2*, Modesto Christian 9-2*, Portola 10-2*, Rio Vista 10-2*, Vacaville Christian 9-2*.
Rundown: Eight weeks ago, Hamilton of Hamilton City lost its second game of the season and dropped out of the elite Top 5. But the Braves won their last seven, including the 21-14 overtime victory over Willows for the Northern Section Div. III title on Thanksgiving Day, and now will have to wait to see if they get that Northern California Small School bid. Modoc, of the same section, has a pretty good argument, too, as these Braves beat Fall River of McArthur during the regular season and Fall River went on to win the Northern Division V title. Hamilton would seem to have a strength of schedule edge and a slight edge looking at common opponents Mt. Shasta and Portola. We also like the fact that Hamilton played Menlo School of Atherton to a 21-17 loss compared to a 29-17 loss that Justin-Siena of Napa had against the same team. Justin-Siena, which plays in the same league as Novato and Marin Catholic, was the team that just knocked off front-running small school Ferndale in the North Coast Section Division IV playoffs. Even fast-finishing St. Vincent of Petaluma could make an argument if it beats St. Elizabeth in the North Coast Section title game this week.

Small Schools South
1.    (1.) St. Margaret's (San Juan Capistrano) 12-0
2.    (2.) Francis Parker (San Diego) 10-1
3.    (4.) Central Valley Christian (Visalia) 9-2
4.    (5) Christian (El Cajon) 10-1
5.    (nr) Mission Prep (San Luis Obispo) 9-1
Others: Aquinas (San Bernardino) 10-2*, Brentwood (Los Angeles) 10-2*, Linfield Christian (Temecula) 10-2, Rio Hondo Prep (Arcadia) 8-3, Santa Clara (Oxnard) 9-2*, Santa Fe Christian (Solana Beach) 6-5*.
Rundown: Top-ranked St. Margaret's has been running roughshod over every opponent, so the rest of this division can take heart after Yucca Valley played the Tartans fairly close before falling, 17-6, in the CIFSS East Valley Division playoffs. When the playoffs started, many thought Aquinas of San Bernardino would be the team to challenge Harry Welch's club, but Div. III South club Twentynine Palms' 40-0 rout of the Falcons suddenly thrusts the Wildcats into the spoiler role in the East Valley Division. First up for St. Margaret's will be a strong Maranatha of Sierra Madre team this Friday. Looking ahead, a highly anticipated rematch between Parker and Christian of El Cajon would take place in the CIFSDS Div. V finals should both win semifinal games this week. Parker would have a strong resume with two more wins, but St. Margaret's would break the Orange County record of 41 consecutive victories should it win its division title so it will be a close call in this division.

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

By Mark Tennis, Ronnie Flores & Steve Brand

This is the 30th year in which CalHiSports.com has been providing weekly state rankings. At the end of the season, we will be releasing final rankings according to our traditional five divisions based on league and playoff strength. Check this site on Wednesdays during the current season for updates.
*Indicates team's season is over and will not be eligible for bowl game consideration.
    
Division I North
1. (1) De La Salle (Concord) 9-1
2. (2) Oak Grove (San Jose) 11-0
3. (3) Grant (Sacramento) 10-0
4. (4) Bellarmine (San Jose) 10-1
5. (5) Junipero Serra (San Mateo) 8-3
6. (6) Monte Vista (Danville) 8-2
7. (7) Pittsburg 9-1
8. (8) Foothill (Pleasanton) 8-2
9. (9) Merced 10-1
10. (nr) Lincoln (Stockton) 10-1
Others: California (San Ramon) 7-4, Freedom (Oakley) 10-1, Granite Bay 9-2*, Napa 10-1, Nevada Union (Grass Valley) 10-1, North Salinas (Salinas) 9-2*, San Ramon Valley (Danville) 8-3.
Rundown: You can't have much movement when four of the Top 10 don't play and only No. 10 loses. Lincoln of Stockton goes back into the top 10 after scoring 56 in iis Sac-Joaquin Section Div. I playoff opener. This week, the Trojans also will get a chance to avenge their only loss, which was to St. Mary's of Stockton in week four. All eyes, meanwhile, will be on the Central Coast Section Open Division rematch between Bellarmine Prep and Junipero Serra Saturday night at San Jose City College. In Week 7, the Padres stunned the then-No. 1 Bells, 31-28, at the exact same venue. Bellarmine has worked its way back to No. 4 with Serra right behind at No. 5 and both still have hopes for the Northern California Division I bid. No. 2 Oak Grove (San Jose) meets Division II No. 3 Valley Christian (San Jose) Friday night at San Jose City College heading into next weekend's championship.

Division I South
1. (1) Poly (Long Beach) 11-0
2. (2) Centennial (Corona) 11-0
3. (3) Tesoro (Las Flores) 11-0
4. (4) Chaparral (Temecula) 10-1
5. (5) A.B. Miller (Fontana) 11-0
6. (6) Mission Viejo 10-1
7. (8) Redlands East Valley (Redlands) 10-1
8. (9) Rancho Cucamonga 10-0-1
9. (10) Narbonne (Harbor City) 10-1
10. (11) Thousand Oaks 10-1
11. (13) Buchanan (Clovis) 9-2
12. (14) Esperanza (Anaheim) 8-3
13.  (nr) Clovis West (Fresno) 8-3
14. (15) San Pedro 10-1
15.  (nr) Bullard (Fresno) 9-2
Others: Clovis East (Clovis) 8-3, Edison (Huntington Beach) 7-3*, La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad) 8-2, Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga) 9-2, Los Alamitos 8-3*, Loyola (Los Angeles) 6-4*, San Clemente 8-3*, Taft (Woodland Hills) 10-1, Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) 9-2.
Rundown: In the CIF Southern Section and L.A. City Section, the top-seeded teams do not receive byes as playoff brackets consist of 16 teams. With two exceptions, things played out as expected in this division last weekend. Norco¹s 19-9 win over previously unbeaten and No. 7 Rancho Verde of Moreno Valley in the CIFSS Inland Division playoffs was more of a stunner than Westlake of Westlake Village edging Oxnard, 36-35, in the Northern Division. The Yellowjackets finished the regular season 10-0 but only one non-league team they played finished with a record above .500 and their league wasn't too strong, either. Now the real fun begins in this division as the competition heats up in the quarterfinal round for many ranked teams. Some pundits would like to see Centennial of Corona and perhaps even Tesoro of Las Flores get consideration to move up past season-long front-runner Poly of Long Beach, which struggled to get past Bishop Amat of La Puente in its CIFSS Pac-5 Division playoff opener. Amat, however, was an extremely tough opening round opponent; one which had been in the Div. II South ratings all season. More so, Poly's victories over defending mythical national champion Miami Northwestern on the road and Div. III South front-runner St. Bonaventure are more impressive than any win Centennial and Tesoro have on their resume so hopping the Jackrabbits is not yet justified in these ratings. Besides, Poly could play Tesoro in the CIFSS Pac-Five finals.

Division II North
1. (1) Casa Roble (Orangevale) 11-0
2. (3) Valley Christian (San Jose) 9-2
3. (2) St. Mary's (Stockton) 9-2
4. (4) Whitney (Rocklin) 11-0
5. (5) Novato 9-2
6. (6) Campolindo (Moraga) 9-1
7. (7) Inderkum (Sacramento) 10-1
8. (8) Paradise 10-1
9. (9) Miramonte (Orinda) 9-2
10. (10) Encinal (Alameda) 10-0
Others: Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) 10-1, Dixon 9-2, Escalon 11-0, Pioneer (San Jose) 10-1.
Rundown: Make that three straight weeks all of the top 10 teams in this division have won or didn't play. And even if they all win next week again, there could be movement at the top because that would mean that Valley Christian (San Jose) upset Division I Oak Grove in the Central Coast Secton Open Division semifinals. This week, we already made the switch to Valley Christian ahead of St. Mary's after VC beat 9-1 North Salinas last Friday. The Warriors also have a win against San Mateo Serra. If they win the CCS open division crown, as we've said many times before, it will be very tough for them not to get the Div. II bowl bid no matter what Casa Roble and St. Mary's do. The strength of schedule in that open division is that important. The Oak Grove-Valley Christian game will be played Friday night at San Jose City College as fans in that area get to see both semis since they're played on different nights. The state's first titlist will be determined Thanksgiving night when No. 8 Paradise hosts Shasta (9-2) in one of six traditional Northern Section title games. When the two collided earlier during Eastern League play, Paradise won 27-19. Obviously, weather is why that section finishes so early. A new team on the bubble to watch is Pioneer of San Jose, which is 10-1 and has lost only to Oak Grove. The Mustangs don't have much in terms of quality wins, but they could win the CCS Large Schools Division title (a step below the open) and would then become bowl eligible.

Division II South
1. (1) Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 11-0
2. (2) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 10-0
3. (3) Lutheran (Orange) 9-2
4. (4) Oceanside 9-0-1
5. (6) Moorpark 10-1
6. (7) Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 8-3
7. (8) Alemany (Mission Hills) 10-1
8. (5) Servite (Anaheim) 7-4*
9. (9) Tulare Union 11-0
10. (10) Citrus Hill (Perris) 11-0
11. (12) Atascadero 9-2
12. (11) Bishop Amat (La Puente) 8-3*
13. (13) Helix (La Mesa) 8-1-1
14. (14) Edison (Fresno) 8-2
15. (15) Paso Robles 9-2
Others: Charter Oak (Covina) 10-0-1, Crespi (Encino) 6-4*, El Diamante (Visalia) 9-1, Hanford 9-1, Laguna Hills 10-0, Palm Springs 8-3, St. John Bosco (Bellflower) 7-3*.
Rundown: Top-ranked Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks could compare scores and have a strong argument that it should be the open division front-runner because there is no doubt they are the front-runner in this division. The Golden Knights beat Compton 44-0 in the first round of the CIFSS Pac-Five Division playoffs, but the Jackrabbits beat them 40-13. That's pretty much a wash. Poly beat Amat, 21-17, while Notre Dame blasted the Lancers 56-21 so give the edge to Notre Dame although the Jackrabbits only scored more than 40 points twice this season against weak league foes Cabrillo and Millikan. Poly is at its best when it grinds out yardage on the ground and relies on its defense so a come-from-behind win over Amat might actually give them confidence heading into its quarterfinal contest against Esperanza of Anaheim. With Notre Dame now employing a wide-open spread only makes the contrasting styles of those two clubs more intriguing to fans should they meet in the Pac-5 championship game. Will Notre Dame be the front-runner for the South's open berth should it defeat Poly? The overall state rankings would naturally indicate Div. I No. 2 Centennial would move up in that coveted spot but a win over Poly plus a tougher schedule would make that an interesting discussion, one in which No. 2 Cathedral Catholic of San Diego would love to be a fly on the wall for. Before that conversation can take place, Notre Dame has to take care of business against No. 3 Lutheran Friday night at Santa Ana Stadium.

Division III North
1. (1) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 10-0
2. (3) Central Catholic (Modesto) 10-1
3. (4) Sutter 9-1
4. (2) Palma (Salinas) 8-3*
5. (6) Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 8-2
6. (7) West Valley (Cottonwood) 9-2
7. (8) Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton) 10-0-1
8. (9) King's Academy (Sunnyvale) 10-0-1
9. (10) Hilmar 10-1
10. (5) Carmel 8-2*
Others: Colfax 6-4*, Mariposa 9-1, Menlo School (Atherton) 6-5*, Middletown 10-1, Piedmont 7-3*, Willows 10-1.
Rundown: The big news here has been off the field. Colfax was all set to open the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. IV playoffs, benefiting from Placer having to forfeit four games due to the paperwork of a foster child not having been sufficiently supplied. Making a long story short, the section decision was overturned by an Alameda County Superior Court Judge on Monday, so Placer advances and will play Oakdale this weekend, making Dixon, which won its opener, wait another week to see which team it plays and pushing the Sac-Joaquin Div. IV playoffs back a week. The school itself did not pursue the case, very similar to a San Diego basketball situation a few years back. Paperwork for sensitive situations make full disclosure sometimes dicey. On the field, meanwhile, Palma was ousted by Div. I Oak Grove, as expected, and Carmel fell to Div. II Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco). Now it's Central Catholic's turn to play up as it meets Div. II Escalon, which is 11-0. The Raiders have owned the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. V playoffs in recent years, but will get a battle from the Cougars.

Division III South
1. (1) St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 10-1
2. (2) Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 11-0
3. (3) Serra (Gardena) 11-0
4. (5) Bakersfield Christian 9-1
5. (6) Harvard-Westlake (N. Hollywood) 8-2-1
6. (7) St. Joseph (Santa Maria) 10-1
7. (9) Corcoran 10-0
8. (4) Exeter 9-1
9. (10) Chowchilla 9-1
10. (nr) Paraclete (Lancaster) 8-3
Others: Fowler 9-1, Maranatha (Sierra Madre) 10-1, St. Paul (Santa Fe Springs) 4-6*, Taft 7-3, Twentynine Palms 8-3.
Rundown: There are 10 ranked teams in this division and five additional clubs were mentioned for ratings consideration last week and all 15 won or did not play. Thus, the status remains quo as it relates to these ratings and the  bowl scenario in this division. Since the Central Section is relegated to SoCal for the CIF Bowl Games (although we maintain they should be considered for NorCal berths), it will be interesting to see how the six teams that drew byes handle the extra week off. As for the top-three ranked teams that did play, none had much trouble in its opening-round win. No. 3 Serra downed Templeton in the CIFSS Northwest Division playoffs and would like nothing more than to see Div. I Taft of Woodland Hills win the L.A. City Section title. Robert Woods and company handed the Toreadors their only regular season loss and every positive Serra can put on its resume will help in a comparison with top-ranked St. Bonaventure provided those two club win their respective divisional titles within the Southern Section.
    
Small Schools North
1. (1) Ferndale 10-0
2. (3) Hamilton (Hamilton City) 9-2
3. (4) Modoc (Alturas) 11-0
4. (5) St. Vincent (Petaluma) 9-1
5. (nr) Portola 10-1
Others: Bradshaw Christian (Sacramento) 9-2, Capital Christian (Sacramento) 5-6*, Fall River (McArthur) 10-2, Modesto Christian 9-2*, Rio Vista 10-2*, Vacaville Christian 9-1.
Rundown: The Small Schools Division was added to give the really small schools a chance, but once again in both the north and south it was shown they're just not able to compete against schools twice their size. Last week it was Modesto Christian being spanked by Div. III Hilmar, 55-14, in the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. V playoffs. Don't be surprised if Div. III Justin-Siena (7-4) gives Ferndale all it can handle this week in the North Coast Section playoffs. With Modesto Christian dropping out, moving up to No. 2 this week is Hamilton, which beat Rio Vista, 18-15, in a Northern Section playoff game.

Small Schools South
1. (1) St. Margaret's (SJ Capistrano) 11-0
2. (2) Parker (San Diego) 9-1
3. (4) Aquinas (San Bernardino) 10-1
4. (5) Central Valley Christian (Visalia) 8-2
5. (nr) Christian (El Cajon) 9-1
Others: Boron 10-1, Brentwood (Los Angeles) 10-1, Linfield Christian (Temecula) 9-2, Mission Prep (San Luis Obispo) 8-1, Santa Clara (Oxnard) 9-2*, Santa Fe Christian (Solana Beach) 6-4.
Rundown: Santa Clara was stuck in a playoff system that wasn't as kind to it as last season when the Saints captured the CIFSS Mid-Valley Division title. They were going to have a difficult path to navigate in order to win the tougher Northwest Division title and without star RB Cierre Wood healthy, that task became impossible as the Saints were bombed by El Segundo, 42-0. It is almost impossible for the small schools playing in some of the larger-school divisions within the Southern Section to become bowl eligible, even with a talent such as Woods. Even top-ranked St. Margaret's will have to beat larger enrollment programs like Div. II Yucca Valley this week, possibly Div. III Big Bear next week and two of the other four quarterfinalists are either Div. II or Div. III enrollment schools. The most interesting game on the docket this week sees 8-3 Twentynine Palms playing at No. 3 Aquinas in the CIFSS East Valley Division playoffs. The Falcons are expected to be the team that gives St. Margaret's a challenge down the line.

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