The rooting section at Bellarmine Prep of San Jose has always been one of the most fun to listen to in Northern California. Will they be whooping it up this week against Mitty?
Mitty moves up to No. 2 but still has to play Serra and Bellarmine in the WCAL. Analy is the week’s lone newcomer.
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Welcome to the Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area Top 25 compiled in conjunction with the award-winning Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area TV show that is aired every Sunday night on KOFY, Channel 20, San Francisco and during the week on CSN Bay Area throughout Northern California. These rankings are after games played through Saturday, November 2. We have more than 35 years of compiling high school football rankings in Northern California.
Unlike last week, the Caravan never left the roost. Instead, we opted to do an interview and subsequent story that broke yesterday on PRIMETIME Joe Mixon of Oakley Freedom. If you haven’t read it, get busy now. CLICK HERE.
We did our travel during the week when we visited practices out in the Sacramento area early in the week scouting underclass talent, and on Halloween afternoon at De La Salle where you can find a blog on how scary-good the Spartans are.
A feel good story is coming out of Brentwood where Liberty, under first-year head coach Jeff Walters, has qualified for the CIF North Coast Section playoffs for the first time since 2005.
Two weeks ago, when we visited a Lions’ practice, we could see this team had some talent, and they finally have a solid young coach with previous local coaching experience who can and wants to build a program.
The even more beautiful thing is that the two forfeit losses Liberty took when Walters self-reported missing a back-up ineligible player’s transcripts to the NCS will not knock the Lions out of the playoffs.
Watch highlights of the Bay Area’s best teams every Sunday at 7 p.m. on KOFY, Channel 20, San Francisco.
Here are this week’s rankings for Week 10:
(Through games of November 1; previous ranking in parentheses)
1. (1) De La Salle (Concord) 9-0
The streak is now at 35 straight after a 35-7 victory over Monte Vista in which the Spartans scored on their first four possessions. Next up is a California team that has already locked up the East Bay Athletic League title.
2. (3) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 8-0
After a solid 34-16 win over San Francisco St. Ignatius at Foothill College, the Monarchs take over sole possession of first place in the West Catholic Athletic League and, since they have a win over a St. Francis team that just beat Serra, are an easy choice to move up in this week’s rankings. Mitty still has Serra and Bellarmine left on its WCAL schedule.
3. (2) Serra (San Mateo) 6-2
After the upset bug darn near reared its ugly head two weeks ago against St. Ignatius, it bit this week in the wild-and-wacky West Catholic Athletic League, in a 41-34 setback to St. Francis.
4. (4) Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 9-0
The Wildcats did not play as it was their bye week.
5. (5) Pittsburg 6-2
When the Pirates gave De La Salle all it could handle at Los Medanos College at a summer camp, the fact they won 28-24 over Deer Valley without Harris Ross in the backfield is not a surprise. Ross, who has rushed for 1,831 yards and 23 touchdowns, injured his lower right leg in practice Wednesday and was on crutches on the sideline. His status for the remainder of the season is questionable.
6. (6) California (San Ramon) 8-1
It wasn’t fancy but a stifling defense and 182 yards rushing and two TDs by Blake Bierwith did the trick in a 21-3 win over Livermore that wraps up the East Bay Athletic League title.
7. (12) St. Francis (Mountain View) 6-2
This is a team under first-year head coach Greg Calcagno that is beginning to gel as the playoffs approach. The bizarre one-point loss to Mitty last week, coupled with a 41-34 win over Serra this week, allows the Lancers to jump the Bellarmine team they lost to, and move up five positions.
8. (7) Deer Valley (Antioch) 8-1
The Wolverines led 24-14 with the ball early in the fourth quarter but got conservative and it backfired in a game many had conceded to them when it was announced Harris Ross was out. The close loss is not going to drop them below D2 Clayton Valley, particularly when that team barely got by Concord.
9. (8) Clayton Valley (Concord) 7-1*
It was a razor thin win in a shootout type game with their arch rivals, but the 49-48 home win over Concord feels just as good to the Eagles and their faithful as if it had been a blowout.
10. (9) James Logan (Union City) 7-2
The Colts had their biggest offensive output of the season in a 56-18 thrashing of visiting Fremont Irvington. With losses only to state-ranked teams, they get to stay in the top 10.
11. (10) Valley Christian (San Jose) 5-3
The Warriors had little trouble with Archbishop Riordan, sending the visitors home with a 47-13 licking. Kirk Johnson, who is quickly moving up the recruiting charts, only carried eight times, but the junior running back racked up 209 yards and three touchdowns.
12. (11) Bellarmine (San Jose) 6-2
The Bells rebounded from the big loss to Valley Christian by coming into Kezar Stadium and beating Sacred Heart Cathedral 42-14. Next up is Mitty and if the bell can toll for a Monarchs defeat in that one, another shakeup in the wild-and-wacky WCAL will be in order.
13. (18) San Ramon Valley (Danville) 5-4
It’s a 4-1 record in league and the only thing keeping the Wolves from a second place finish in the East Bay Athletic League is a date with cross-town archrival Monte Vista at home this week.
14. (14) Campolindo (Moraga) 8-0
The beat goes on for head coach Kevin Macy and his talented Cougars as they gear up for the NCS D3 playoffs. This past week’s victim was visiting San Ramon Dougherty Valley in a 49-14 Campo cruise.
15. (15) El Cerrito 5-2
The Gauchos were in the 40s for the fourth straight week since the loss to Campolindo. Visiting Pinole Valley fell 41-7 in a Tri-County Rock League victory.
16. (16) Terra Nova (Pacifica) 8-0
In another offensive explosion, the Tigers dispatched visiting Menlo-Atherton 57-27. Next up is a showdown with host Sacred Heart Prep for first place in the Peninsula Athletic League – Bay division.
17. (17) Casa Grande (Petaluma) 9-0
It wasn’t a blowout, but a solid 42-28 North Bay League victory over a Windsor team that has been inconsistent. The best start in school history will be tested this week when the Gauchos face Cardinal Newman on the road. A win wraps up the league title while a loss creates a possible three-way tie.
18. (13) Foothill (Pleasanton) 7-2
The Falcons lost for the second time in three weeks and the result is they flip places with the San Ramon Valley team that beat them 54-42. Like all the EBAL teams except California, the Falcons have one more league game and it’s with visiting crosstown arch-rival Amador Valley.
19. (19) Milpitas 7-1
The Trojans followed up their big win over Palo Alto by crushing Sunnyvale Fremont, 56-0.
20. (20) Wilcox (Santa Clara) 7-1
The Chargers put a 42-7 hurting on Los Gatos and continue to fall in behind the Milpitas team that bested them by seven points.
21. (20) Carmel 8-0
It was another rout as Carmel ran past Greenfield, 56-12. It was the seventh 40-plus point effort for a Padres’ team that has outscored its opponents 328-125 combined.
22. (23) Miramonte (Orinda) 7-2
The Mats get a one spot bump after a 42-21 win over Las Lomas. The win over an Analy team that beat Pittsburg is looking good right now for its playoff seeding.
23. (24) Montgomery (Santa Rosa) 7-1
For the third straight week, the Vikings got a close game, this past week dispatching crosstown Maria Carrillo, 39-30.
24. (25) Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton) 8-0
The Gators hold tight after a 33-3 win over Redwood City Sequoia. It was the 15th straight win over two seasons. The last loss came against the Terra Nova team they face this week at home.
25. (NR) Analy (Sebastopol) 9-1
We’re not going to jump the Tigers over Montgomery in the Redwood Empire pecking order yet and they still may need to wait one week for Sacred Heart Prep. Analy’s lone loss is to Miramonte.
Dropped Out: Previous No. 21 Amador Valley (Pleasanton)
Teams On The Bubble
Amador Valley (Pleasanton) 5-4, Aptos 6-2, Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 7-2, Concord 5-3*, Encinal (Alameda) 7-2, Freedom (Oakley) 4-5, Granada (Livermore) 5-4, Liberty (Brentwood) 5-2**, Los Gatos 5-3, McClymonds (Oakland) 6-2, Menlo (Atherton) 6-2, Menlo-Atherton (Atherton) 5-3, Northgate (Walnut Creek) 8-1, Palma (Salinas) 5-3, Palo Alto 4-4, Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park) 5-4, St. Ignatius (San Francisco) 1-7, San Leandro 5-4, San Marin (Novato) 8-1
(*Not including forfeits) (**Forfeited two games but won both on the field)
Harold Abend is the associate editor of CalHiSports.com and the vice president of the California Prep Sportswriters Association. He can be reached at marketingharoldabend@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @HaroldAbend
7 Comments
Hi, I have a question. What is with the high ranking of Clayton Valley? What exactly have they done? If they somehow get the #1 or #2 seed for the playoffs I will personally file a complaint against NCS. Let me start by listing the reasons they are over-hyped and shouldn’t be ahead of Miramonte or Casa Grande.
1. Strength of Schedule
Let’s all face it, they haven’t played anyone besides De La Salle. That game should of been 48-14 EASY without the penalty for roughness and the fact the Spartans kneed it on the 2 yard line with 2 minutes left. Defending NCS champs shouldn’t schedule teams that can barely field a team and aren’t ranked in the top 800 teams in CALIFORNIA!
2. No Defense
Concord exposed them badly, and I mean badly. If Concord had a kicker, they win that game 52-49. I’m not even a believer in Concord either. They aren’t very good but they almost beat the supposed champs of D2 and #1 seed in the Nor-Cal ranking? I don’t think so.
3. Predictability
They are predictable. Their offense runs a total of about 5 types of running plays and 3 passing plays. I predict Miramonte or maybe Casa Grande figures the double wing out and slows them down. I’m a believer of if you keep them under 28 points, they can be beat.
Please Cal-Hi, rethink these rankings.
Miramonte will be in a different division.
We do rethink the rankings every week but in most instances do not switch things up for one close game, which is what we have with Clayton Valley vs. Concord.
If Clayton Valley and Casa Grande are 1-2 in whichever order for the seedings it’s not a big deal because the final is on a neutral field.
Your points about that ranking are all legit. It’s just we don’t drop teams that far for one bad game. We did drop them one spot in the Bay Area, but didn’t think it was justified to drop them all the way behind Casa Grande. They’ve done enough over the past two years to get some benefit of the doubt.
I agree with Mark, you can’t drop a team for beating a 7-1 team and scoring 49 points with nearly 600 yards of offense. Dls comments are incorrect. Dls still scored after the penalty and took a knee on the 30 not the 2; they had no other scoring opportunity. And besides Serra no one has played them that tough, 21 14 at half at Dls and 350 yards of offense vs that incredible defense. Cv couldn’t get anyone to come to them had to settle with 2 Oakland schools and oblige contact to Hayward. The East Bay is just different, last years Rancho team was by far best in the North Bay (14-0) and Cv killed them in the ncs, game was over at half time. This year casa has played one team in the Easy Bay, they are 1-8 and they only scored 12 points on them.
Check out Enterprise from Redding in the Northern Section . A DII School with a higher ranking than either Clayton Valley or Casa Grande and they are 9-0 this year. It’s more than just a two horse race in the North this year and to qualify you still have to be a section title winner.
Agree that it’s more than SJS and NCS this year in D2 North. But we don’t have Enterprise higher than the other two in our D2 system and that’s the one we go on. Enterprise does have a problem in that it only beat Oakdale by one point. It was early, it was at Oakdale (which is a hard place to play) but trust us in the selection meeting the SJS commissioner is going to mention that score, especially if Manteca wins the SJS D3 title, because Manteca won by a lot bigger margin. If I’m an Enterprise fan, I may not want to be on the board with Manteca.
Checked out Manteca they have a weak schedule and not a very good ranking , besides they will never win a section title. Clayton Valley is over rated with one good showing against DLS . First games of the season are shakey at best. If Enterprise played Oakdale this week they would probably win by 3-4 TDS. DII North may come down to Enterprise and Casa Grande (if they get by Cardinal Newman).
Manteca has won that section title before and has a massive O-line that would be hard to stop, especially in a sloppy, muddy game which we sometimes get late in the season. The section commissioners voting will not look at what “probably” might happen. They’d see the scores and vote accordingly. Inderkum and Rio Linda look like the SJS D3 favorites, but Manteca is not far behind at all.
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