New State Top 25 Rankings (Part 2)

Jeffrey Prothro and Warren Miles-Long have Logan of Union City on a roll.
Photo: Harold Abend.

Check here for writeups and in-depth analysis of teams ranked from No. 13 to No. 25 in the CalHiSportsFootball Top 25. St. John Bosco joins the top 15 while leading newcomer is Edison of Huntington Beach. Follow us on Twitter @CalHiSports or see our Facebook page for more details.

13. (15) UPLAND 4-0
Why This Ranking: We have moved the Highlanders below Centennial of Corona in the CIFSS Inland Division but it’s not because they didn’t impress in their win over Silverado of Victorville. Despite that evaluation, Upland also still moves up two positions this week as others have lost.
Weekend Result: For the second time this season, the Highlanders scored 34 points in a win as Nate Romine passed for 216 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 91 yards and a score in their 34-3 victory. Ronnie Esther also rushed for 40 yards and two touchdowns.
Up Next: In their final game before Baseline League play gets underway, the Highlanders will host Santiago of Corona.

14. (18) MATER DEI (SANTA ANA) 3-0
Why This Ranking: The Monarchs get jumped up four spots due to three teams in front of them losing. Their upcoming matchup in two weeks against No. 5 Narbonne also is a good reason to hop them in front of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, which did not lose.
Weekend Result: For the first time since 2007, Mater Dei has begun a season at 3-0. The third win came last Thursday 51-0 over Santa Monica. The team’s yardage edge of 429 to 28 was perhaps more dominant than the score, which ballooned partly due to a pair of blocked punts. Quarterbacks Ryan McMahon (8 of 12, 102 yards, one TD) and Chase Forrest ( 9 of 10, 104 yards, one TD) split time and both had strong outings.
Up Next: The schedule gets a lot more difficult beginning Friday with a matchup against 3-0 Edison of Huntington Beach. Edison also is one of three newcomers in this week’s State Top 25 and is coming off a win over Servite of Anaheim. Mater Dei then plays Narbonne the following week.

15. (25) ST. JOHN BOSCO (BELLFLOWER) 4-0
Why This Ranking: After breaking into the top 25 last week, the Braves showed they belong with a 45-0 victory over Loyola of Los Angeles. Loyola was unbeaten coming in, so the margin of victory over a quality foe allows St. John Bosco to move up 10 spots this week. Several teams that were higher than the Braves last week also didn’t play.
Weekend Result: Sophomore quarterback Josh Rosen completed 11 of 16 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns for Bosco’s offense, while its defensive counterparts also got the job done. Loyola could only muster one first down in the first half and passed for 15 yards the entire game.
Up Next: Coach Jason Negro’s club has the week off before its final non-league game in Sandy, Utah against still unbeaten Jordan High School on September 29. After that, the Braves begin Trinity League play.

16. (5) ALEMANY (MISSION HILLS) 3-1
Why This Ranking: Their dreams of an undefeated season came to an end, but the Warriors don’t drop completely out of the rankings as their loss was to a solid Centennial of Corona squad that was in this same No. 16 spot last week. Alemany still has a good shot to win another Serra League title.
Weekend Result: Devon Dunn passed for 223 yards and Steven Mitchell caught seven passes for 152 yards and one score but the Warriors couldn’t hold on to a 32-22 lead and suffered the 36-32 loss to Centennial. Dunn also rushed for two scores in the defeat.
Up Next: Coach Dean Herrington’s bunch will have a chance to get back in the win column on Friday when it faces Dorsey of Los Angeles. The Dons are coming off their first loss of the season as they suffered a 26-24 loss to Paraclete of Lancaster.

17. (17) NOTRE DAME (SHERMAN OAKS) 3-1
Why This Ranking: Despite an easy win over Birmingham of Lake Balboa, the Knights were kept in the same position this week. The main explanation for that was keeping Alemany in front of them after Alemany’s close loss to Corona Centennial. Notre Dame’s own loss to No. 10 Serra of Gardena also has lost power points in the last two weeks based on other results.
Weekend Results: Kelly Hilinski connected on 15 of 18 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns as Notre Dame thumped Birmingham 44-0. This was a matchup we once went to that was on national TV so to see it so one-sided is a bit sad. The Knights led 34-0 at halftime.
Up Next: Coach Kevin Rooney takes the team to Golden Valley of Santa Clarita for the next game. It could be the third straight easy win, but the schedule is murderous after that, beginning with Chaminade of West Hills the following week.

18. (24) JAMES LOGAN (UNION CITY) 4-0
Why This Ranking: The No. 2 team from the Bay Area is looking better and better each week, and the reality is they’re still getting better. The buzz around the Bay is that this team may be the first since San Leandro in 2005 to give De La Salle a run for its money. San Leandro lost 14-0 in the NCS D1 title game that season in a quagmire at the Oakland Coliseum. The twist here is that those San Leandro teams that played De La Salle in the early 2000s in section title games had current Colts’ head coach George Zuber as its defensive coordinator.
Weekend Result: Colts’ senior quarterback Jeffrey Prothro, a legitimate D1 prospect, swallowed up the defense of visiting Heritage (Brentwood) in a 41-14 victory on Friday night. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Prothro was a pinpoint 16-for-18 passing for 313 yards and tossed five TD passes.
Up Next: Zuber’s boys have now set the table by finishing two thirds of their toughest preseason ever for what may be the school’s best team ever. They shouldn’t have much trouble with an 0-3 visiting Berkeley team that’s coming off a whitewashing by Pittsburg. After that, however, Logan could get a stern test when it visits Del Oro of Loomis.

19. (20) CHAPPARAL (TEMECULA) 3-0
Why This Ranking: Losses by teams ahead of the Pumas causes them to move up one spot. They also have the opportunity to make even more noise than they did after beating Oceanside with a matchup this week against No. 7 Tesoro.
Weekend Result: Did not play.
Up Next: Chaparral will have had two weeks to prepare for their big road game this Friday at No. 7 Tesoro. If Chaparral wins, would it then be too early to start thinking about a 9-0 vs. 9-0 matchup against Vista Murrieta to end the regular season?

20. (21) LINCOLN (STOCKTON) 2-1
Why This Ranking: On most occasions, teams coming off a bye week don’t move in the rankings. Lincoln goes up one due to three previously higher-ranked teams losing plus there were just two previous lower-ranked teams that were given bumps (St. John Bosco, James Logan).
Weekend Result: Did not play. Note that Lincoln’s loss was to No. 11 Elk Grove.
Up Next: At this point of the season last year, the Trojans fell to arch-rival St. Mary’s of Stockton and didn’t get back into the top 25 until late in the playoffs. This year’s matchup Friday at St. Mary’s should be another barn-burner, especially after the Rams lost by just 21-13 last week to De La Salle.

21. (22) CENTRAL (FRESNO) 4-0
Why this ranking: After struggling two weekends ago in a come-from-behind 25-22 victory over visiting Palos Verdes of Palos Verdes Estates, the Grizzlies used their claws to tear up visiting and respectable Visalia El Diamante. It’s not anything that shakes things up but with teams above them losing they gain a spot.
Weekend Result: The Grizzlies have tons of D1 college-level talent, and Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops was in Fresno last week to watch defensive back and Sooners’ commit Hatari Byrd, but in a 42-7 shellacking of El Diamante it was some of the unsung heroes that took the spotlight. Senior strong safety James Dicks intercepted two passes, including a 95-yard touchdown return. Junior quarterback Eric Jimenez was a pinpoint 13 of 15 for 207 yards and three touchdowns.
Up Next: The Grizzlies travel south on Highway 99 to Tulare where they will face a 1-2 Tulare Union team that has a 34-20 loss to El Diamante.

22. (23) LOMPOC 4-0
Why This Ranking: The Braves move up one spot after winning their 24th consecutive game with a 31-14 victory over Dos Pueblos of Goleta. Lompoc was snubbed for a Div. III bowl game berth last season but is considered Div. II this year.
Weekend Result: Taylor Cornejo missed two games earlier this season and standout senior back Lavon Coleman didn’t play last week against Dos Pueblos. It didn’t matter, as Nikko Hayes filled in admirably. He gained 170 yards rushing, including a 73-yard scoring jaunt in the third quarter that gave Lompoc a 21-7 lead after Cornejo’s two-point conversion.
Up Next: Lompoc will look to extend its winning streak against 2-2 Morro Bay at home. After that, the Braves jump into Los Padres League play with a good chance to extend their winning streak to 30 games entering the CIF Southern Section Western Division playoffs.

23. (NR) EDISON (HUNTINGTON BEACH) 3-0
Why This Ranking: Although the Chargers haven’t been ahead of Tustin in the CIF Southern Section Southwest Division rankings, they were expected to be the No. 5 team in the Orange County media poll conducted by the Orange County Register. The four in front of them are all higher in the State Top 25. Edison also just beat perennial power Servite of Anaheim and is facing No. 14 Mater Dei in this week’s game.
Weekend Result: Elijah Herrera’s 4-yard run accounted for the only points in Edison’s 6-0 triumph over Servite. It marked the first time the Friars were blanked since 2004. Dylan Luther preserved the win and the shutout by getting an interception on the final play of the game. Herrera ended with 17 carries for 112 yards while teammate Donald Rice had 11 carries for 111.
Up Next: Coach Dave White’s team hosts 3-0 Mater Dei at Orange Coast College. Since the Chargers are no longer in the Pac-Five Division of the CIFSS, getting a second win over a Pac-Five school will be huge.

24. (NR) FRANKLIN (ELK GROVE) 4-0
Why This Ranking: Since seeing them defeat Thousand Oaks 38-28 in their season opener, the Wildcats have remained undefeated and have climbed to No. 2 in the Sacramento Bee’s rankings behind unbeaten Elk Grove.
Weekend Result: Facing undefeated Cosumnes Oaks of Elk Grove, Franklin’s offense struggled but the defense shined in a 23-3 win in a reported sold-out game. Christian Fonbuena led the offense with 75 yards and two touchdowns rushing while Steven Rogers ran for 57 yards and the other touchdown.
Up Next: Once again this week Franklin will face an undefeated team as it hosts Jesuit of Carmichael. The Marauders improved to 3-0 after a 28-23 win over Christian Brothers of Sacramento in the annual Holy Bowl game. After the game this week against the Marauders, the Wildcats open Delta Valley League play with a game at Grant of Sacramento and then two weeks after that they will go on the road to take on Elk Grove.

25. (NR) BELLARMINE (SAN JOSE) 2-1
Why This Ranking: The Bells started out the season state-ranked, and it’s taken a couple of weeks for coach Mike Janda’s boys to get back in the mix after the way they lost at San Jose City College to De La Salle (41-7) to open the season. However, with San Jose Mercury News No. 1 team Palo Alto losing to bubble team Archbishop Mitty of San Jose, Bellarmine moves into the top spot in the CIF Central Coast Section and in the wild and wacky West Catholic Athletic League until someone from those parts actually beats them.
Weekend Result: Bellarmine had little trouble on the road at cross-town Piedmont Hills, scoring 42 points in the first half of a 56-7 victory. Joey Sanfilippo scored four of those first half touchdowns, including two scoring passes from quarterback K.J. Carta-Samuels.
Up Next: Upstart Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco) comes to town to open WCAL play, and although the Crusaders are 3-0 to start the season the competition hasn’t been against anything like what the Bells have faced.

Dropped Out:
Previous No. 11 Helix (La Mesa); No. 13 Westlake (Westlake Village); No. 19 Vacaville.

Teams on the Bubble
Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 3-0
Bishop Amat (La Puente) 3-0-1
Chaminade (West Hills) 3-1
Clovis North (Clovis) 4-0
Crenshaw (Los Angeles) 3-1
El Toro (Lake Forest) 4-0
Folsom 4-0
Granite Bay 1-2
Hart (Newhall) 2-1
Inderkum (Sacramento) 3-0
La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad) 2-1
La Serna (Whittier) 4-0
Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 3-1
Monte Vista (Danville) 3-0
Oceanside 2-1
Placer (Auburn) 3-0
Poway 2-1
Rancho Cucamonga 3-1
San Clemente 4-0
Serra (San Mateo) 2-0
Serrano (Phelan) 4-0
Servite (Anaheim) 1-2
Vacaville 2-1
Westlake (Westlake Village) 3-1

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