NEW Bay Area 25 Football Rankings

McClymonds makes a statement by overwhelming previously unbeaten Analy but can’t move up in the rankings with St. Ignatius and Liberty having to go even higher. Mitty’s win over Pittsburg and Los Gatos suffering close loss in Stockton also impacts this week’s pecking order.

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Not only does Kevin Davidson now direct the West Oakland McClymonds Mack attack in his orange and black, the realization that he’s one of the Bay Area’s top quarterbacks is a no longer just a rumor but a fact.

On Friday night in Oakland, the doubters and naysayers were put to bed in front of a large representation of Bay Area media and quite a few college scouts to boot.

Against an Analy of Sebastopol team many had thought might give the host Warriors a good game, Davidson sliced and diced the visiting Tigers in a 55-14 shellacking. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound former player at San Ramon Valley of Danville finished 21 of 28 for 438 yards passing and six touchdowns on tosses of 58, 59, 45, 24, 2 and 27 yards. He was sacked three times but still managed 44 yards on eight carries, including a 52-yard run that silenced some other critics about his ability to run.

Not only that but on three of his six TD passes, Davidson had defenders either draped all over him or he had shrugged them off. On both of his scoring connections to Quadry Wesley (59 and 45 yards), his actions in the pocket had one media member exclaim “he looks like a high school Ben Roethlisberger.”

In a first half that saw McClymonds (4-0) build a 34-0 lead, Davidson already had thrown for 303 yards and four scores.

McClymonds running back Lavance Warren also ground his way to 153 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Wesley finished with five catches for 133 yards and the two scores, and fellow wide receiver Javin White had six catches for 143 yards and one touchdown.

Analy (3-1) never really got its offense going. Quarterback Will Smith completed his first two passes but the quickness of the Mack rush caused him to misfire on his next eight attempts.

With the decisive victory over Cal-Hi Sports NorCal CIF Division III Bowl No. 5 ranked Analy, it looks like Division IV No. 2 ranked McClymonds is even more of a threat than ever before to unseat Modesto Central Catholic as the NorCal team that would play in the CIF Division IV state bowl game.

“We’re on a mission,” said McClymonds head coach Michael Peters, whose team lost in the 2012 and 2013 NorCal D4 bowl games to the Raiders. “We got there twice and got close, and it’s hard getting that sour taste out of your mouth. This year, we want that sweet taste.”

Here are the fourth rankings of the 2014 season (after games of Saturday, Sept. 27):

1. (1) De La Salle (Concord) 5-0
The Saturday matchup with Anaheim Servite may have had statewide rankings implications, but in these parts, where no team has turned back Sparta in nearly a quarter century, the outcome made no difference in whether they remained on top of these rankings. In fact, no other team has ever been No. 1 in these rankings. Against Servite, and for the first time this season however, De La Salle had to come from behind, erasing a 14-10 late first-half deficit en-route to a 47-24 home victory. On the first play from scrimmage after the Friars took their lead, Antoine Custer bolted 60 yards to pay dirt and the defense and running game of Sparta sealed the deal from there.

2. (2) Foothill (Pleasanton) 4-0
The Falcons survived a late third quarter fake punt that resulted in an 80-yard touchdown to come from behind in a 40-28 East Bay Athletic League opening win over San Ramon Valley. Southern Methodist-bound quarterback Kyle Kearns threw for two fourth quarter TDs, including a 58-yard strike to Isaiah Floyd on the first play of the fourth quarter that gave Foothill the lead for good. Floyd also rushed for 103 yards and had an interception with 20 seconds left that finished things.

3. (3) Bellarmine (San Jose) 3-0
After a bye over the weekend, the Bells open West Catholic Athletic League play on the road at a St. Ignatius team that will be no pushover in the wild-and-wacky West Catholic Athletic League this season. This is the first time in four weeks the same team stays as top-ranked from the league, probably due to the fact the top teams had byes .

4. (4) Serra (San Mateo) 1-2
The Padres open WCAL play at Valley Christian after a bye this week in what should be an interesting contest. Serra still will be without junior transfer quarterback Hunter Bishop, who has one more week to sit out before being eligible against St. Ignatius.

5. (5) Milpitas 4-0
As expected, the Trojans posted an easy 27-3 win at Cupertino Homestead. They now open De Anza League action hosting Cupertino Monta Vista. Unlike Serra, Bellarmine and Foothill, Milpitas likely will not have a real test until it meets Los Gatos on Halloween.

6. (6) Clayton Valley (Concord) 5-0
The Ugly Eagles flew high at Napa in 54-14 win after leading 35-0 at halftime. Up next is a Diablo Valley League opener with Concord Mt. Diablo that could be uglier than the ugliest of the Ugly Eagles.

7. (7) Valley Christian (San Jose) 2-1
After the 31-17 loss to Milpitas and a bye over the weekend, the Warriors can turn it around in a hurry when they host Serra in the WCAL opener for both.

8. (8) James Logan (Union City) 3-1
The Colts pranced in their home pasture after a 43-0 whitewash of Castro Valley. Like De La Salle, Logan plays an independent schedule, which is the team they face in two weeks after a matchup with host Bishop O’Dowd of Oakland.

9. (14) St. Ignatius (San Francisco) 3-0
Although the Wildcats didn’t play this weekend, they get a major bump because of previous No. 10 Pittsburg losing to Archbishop Mitty, because Mitty has a loss to Los Gatos, because Los Gatos just lost to St. Mary’s of Stockton and finally because SI beat St. Mary’s two weekends ago. Got it? If SI were to win at home this week against Bellarmine, the Wildcats could jump higher that they have ever been in these rankings. The Caravan is hoping to be there in the City for that one.

10. (13) Los Gatos 3-1
Despite a heartbreaking 35-32 loss to Stockton St. Mary’s, the earlier 21-13 win on the road at Mitty allows the Wildcats to move up in this week’s rankings. That’s because of Mitty’s win this weekend over previous No. 10 Pittsburg. Trailing 35-25, Los Gatos scored on a 1-yard plunge by Dru Brown with 2:16 remaining and went for an onside kick. The Wildcats recovered it and drove all the way to the St. Mary’s 2-yard line before a lost fumble ended their chances of a comeback.

11. (17) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 2-1
After losing two spots last week to make room for Freedom and St. Ignatius, the Monarchs get to jump Freedom and others after first-year head coach Dave Brown directed a 13-7 victory over Pittsburg. The Monarchs won in the trenches and despite not recording a first down in the first half. Mitty now welcomes a San Francisco Sacred Heart Cathedral team that is 3-0 under second-year Irish but veteran head coach Ken Peralta.

12. (12) Campolindo (Moraga) 5-0
A 45-14 winner at Dublin, the Cougars can’t move up despite being the top Division III team in Northern California.

13. (9) San Ramon Valley (Danville) 2-2
A 40-28 loss to the No. 2 team in this bunch means a small drop. The Wolves do have a 27-20 win at Pittsburg but that win doesn’t mean as much either now that the Pirates just lost to Archbishop Mitty. SRV plays De La Salle next.

14. (10) Pittsburg 3-2
The Pirates were a 13-7 loser to Mitty but owning a win over California means they don’t fall too far. Next up is a trip to neighboring Antioch Deer Valley.

15. (11) California (San Ramon) 3-1
It was a 35-10 win over Livermore to open EBAL action but the Grizzlies had to lose spots in the rankings due to the earlier 19-7 home loss to Pittsburg that started the season.

16. (15) Freedom (Oakley) 3-2
The 3-2 Vacaville Wood team that Freedom beat 37-28 this weekend has played everyone tough, including a 52-39 defeat against Concord. Sophomore Ronnie Rivers came up huge for Freedom after rushing for 239 yards and five touchdowns. The host Falcons had to overcome the loss of quarterback Joey Sweeney to a concussion in the second quarter. Next up is a BVAL opener at Antioch with Sweeney likely out.

17. (23) Liberty (Brentwood) 5-0
Because of the strength of the BVAL this season, and looking to future league matchups, the Lions get to leap past smaller schools this week plus St. Francis. They fall in behind league foe Freedom. It wasn’t a blowout, and it wasn’t very pretty, but the Lions faithful will take the 14-10 victory over stubborn San Leandro. Next up is crosstown arch rival Heritage to open league play.

18. (16) Concord 4-0*
*Not including forfeit win. Despite a 50-21 win over visiting Deer Valley, many of the results explained above cause a small drop for the Minutemen in this week’s rankings. Up next is College Park of Pleasant Hill in two weeks after a bye this week.

19. (19) McClymonds (Oakland) 3-0
It’s hard to gauge just how good this team is since the Redwood Empire, of which Analy is one of the top teams, is very week this year. The Warriors stay put at No. 19, but we said it last week and we’ll say it again, and that’s they could care less since their eyes are pointed to Carson in December and a D4 state bowl game appearance.

20. (20) Palma (Salinas) 3-0
The latest team to put the hurt on Palo Alto in a 35-7 road victory, the Chieftains are another team that deserves to move up but didn’t. That’s just how rankings work. But Palma is another team that should move up based on their league competition. On tap is Seaside to open league play.

21. (16) San Leandro 1-4
Some will say how can a team that’s 1-4 still be in the rankings? Three of the four losses by the Pirates were close games and all four losses — Foothill, Bellarmine, Freedom and Liberty — are to teams ranked ahead of them. They also have a win over Logan of Union City. Looking ahead to the West Alameda County – Foothill League, it’s likely the Pirates will sail into the NCS D1 playoffs with a 6-4 record.

22. (21) St. Francis (Mountain View) 2-1
After a bye, the Lancers continue to fall in behind the Palma team that beat them. They now open WCAL action with Riordan (San Francisco) at home.

23. (22) Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton) 4-0
The Gators were still without Washington commit Ben Burr-Kirven but that didn’t stop them from getting career win No. 100 for head coach Pete Lavorato in a 35-21 victory over Sunnyvale Kings Academy. Next up is a final non-league match-up with Woodside. Burr-Kirven could be available, according to Palo Alto Daily News scribe John Reid.

24. (24) Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 2-2
It was ugly but it was win No. 37 in a row against Marin County Athletic League competition with the Wildcats’ 55-3 dismantling of San Marin of Novato.

25. (NR) St. Mary’s (Berkeley) 5-0
We didn’t want to drop the defending NCS Division IV champions two weeks ago, and we wanted to bring them back last week when they beat Oakland Bishop O’Dowd, but had to defer that for Freedom. Now, after an easy 42-8 victory over Hercules, the Panthers return, although 5-0 Martinez Alhambra or 4-0 Pleasanton Amador Valley could make a case for the spot and both are knocking on the door real hard. We even considered 4-0 Windsor and an Aptos team that set a school record for points in a 70-27 victory over Clovis East.

Dropped Out: Previous No. 25 Analy (Sebastopol).

Teams On The Bubble
(In alphabetical order)

Acalanes (Lafayette) 3-1
Alhambra (Martinez) 5-0
Alvarez (Salinas) 4-0
Amador Valley (Pleasanton) 4-0
Analy (Sebastopol) 3-1
Antioch 4-1
Aptos 4-0
Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland) 2-2
Burlingame 4-0
Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 2-2
Carmel 1-2
Deer Valley (Antioch) 3-1
El Cerrito 2-2
Las Lomas (Walnut Creek) 4-1
Monterey 4-0
Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco) 3-0
Salesian (Richmond) 2-2
San Benito (Hollister) 3-1
Terra Nova (Pacifica) 1-3
Wilcox (Santa Clara) 2-1
Windsor 4-0

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