Narbonne and De La Salle are now up to No. 4 and No. 5 after the CIF Southern Section Division I semifinals. There’s a good chance, though, that Rancho Cucamonga will come back up and get back into the top five for the final rankings.
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(After games of Saturday, Nov. 26)
(Previous ranking in parentheses)
1. (1) Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 13-0
if teams play too many defenders to stop the pass, the Monarchs proved they’re happy to run it in their 48-21 win over previous No. 4 Rancho Cucamonga in CIFSS D1 semifinals.
2. (3) St. John Bosco (Bellflower) 11-2
In another epic classic with Corona Centennial, this time Braves prevailed 49-47 after getting fourth down stop late in the game at midfield. Up next: Mater Dei in CIFSS D1 final at Angels Stadium.
Kyle Harmon is unbeaten Freedom’s leader on defense as a hard-hitting linebacker. Photo: Mark Tennis.
3. (2) Centennial (Corona) 11-2
Junior QB Tanner McKee will be one of the state’s top players next season and had more than 300 yards of passing and rushing in the tough loss to Bosco.
4. (5) Narbonne (Harbor City) 13-0
Kameron Denmark and Qadir Dean both rushed for two TDs as Gauchos blasted El Camino Real 54-20 in L.A. City D1 semifinals. They play Dorsey next in final.
5. (6) De La Salle (Concord) 10-1
Spartans still waiting to play No. 7 Freedom in NCS Open Division final. If they win, they’d then meet CIFSS D1 champion in CIF Open Division title game on Dec. 17.
6. (7) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 12-0
Rushing attack for the Dons went for nearly 350 yards in 44-21 win vs. Mission Hills in San Diego Open Division semis. They’re playing defending champion Helix in the final.
7. (8) Freedom (Oakley) 11-0
Falcons also move up one spot prior to their game against De La Salle for the NCS Open Division title. A win would snap the Spartans’ streak of winning NCS titles at 24 years.
8. (4) Rancho Cucamonga 12-1*
An early 14-0 lead was not enough in 48-21 loss to Mater Dei in CIFSS D1 semifinals. The Cougars just have to drop behind some other teams still playing in this week’s rankings.
9. (9) Mission Viejo 11-1*
It’s hard to see any other scenario in which the Diablos are any lower than ninth for the final rankings. Most likely scenario will have them back up to fifth or sixth.
10. (10) Murrieta Valley (Murrieta) 11-2
This team sure is giving up a lot of points, but hasn’t mattered so far in CIFSS D2 playoffs. The Nighthawks are playing San Clemente in Friday’s final.
18 Comments
Seriously?!?! How in the world do you justify losing teams staying in the top 10. And even say that some will move up higher?!?! They is showing little respect to the teams still standing and playing great football.
Agree, makes no sense at all.. MV is done and should move up to 5?? HUH, How the heck is that..Why win at all, why have polls if you loose and still move up??
Perhaps if you took a moment to think….
There are several teams that are currently ranked above MV that will be playing each other, and therefore will suffer losses. When that happens, they will likely be dropped below MV, which makes MV’s ranking move up since they have already completed their season and cannot lose again.
Hey, if we’re wrong and the CIF Southern Section Division I top five teams are not as strong as we think they are, then we’ll admit it. But cramming literally almost all of the top teams from that section into one super division (even tougher than Pac-5 was in the past) is going to result in even quarterfinal losers in that division finishing way up there in the final rankings.
Rankings are so biased, should be the So Cal and Bay Area rankings. No respect for SJ Section.
From the deparment of duh. DLS has never lost to an SJS team (something like 40 in a row) so of course has to be in front of Folsom and St. Mary’s and because Freedom is playing DLS and is unbeaten it has to be higher as well. Has nothing to do with “respect.”
Mark, I have to disagree with you on your bias claim. I have been following the rankings put together by the CalHi Sports team for the past 7 years and even though there have been times I have disagreed, their rankings have pretty much been spot on when it comes down to it. Of course I wish that both Folsom and St Mary’s could be ranked higher because both do have good teams, but Folsom has not looked as strong this year as in previous years and even though St Mary’s is a strong team, they did get blown out fairly easily by St John’s Bosco.
Bulldog Jim. Unless you saw the game, rather ignorant to say SM got blown out easily. SM lead twice in that game rather easily and that was without playing with 2 starters. One of which has 1500+ yards and over 30 tds. And my saying I don’t age with the teams that have lost moving up had less to do with SM, but more to do with the teams that are playing that are ranked in the top 15 let’s say. MV & RC got handled by MD & SJB. Basically no better than SM did. But they stay in the top 10 and potentially move up to top 5. But SM fell completely out of rankings. Despite SM playing 7 playoff teams, 1- Serra is a section champion, 2- Cardinal Newman & Bosco are both playing in section finals. No other team in the top 10 can say they have played a tougher schedule with the exception of SJB & Centennial. So there is way to much respect given to teams who have beat know one and have that “season complete *” after their names. One would say, “keep winning and it will work itself out”. Based on these rationales of the teams and rankings, the only thing that matters is if you’re in the north or south.
So now you’re saying Mission Viejo and Rancho Cucamonga haven’t beaten anybody? RC beat Murrieta Valley early on and then Mission. MV had 39-game win streak (which remember counts in our system), crushed Bellarmine last year in state 1AA final with many of same players, beat San Clemente easily (which is still going) and beat Santa Margarita easily. If St. Mary’s beats Folsom, then beats either DLS or Freedom, then beats Narbonne or Cathedral Catholic to win a state title, at that point we’re not idiots and will have them higher than RC or MV. Maybe even as high as fourth, especially if Bosco ends up first.
IF?????
Mark my words, St Mary’s will R O U T E Folsom..
funny to me that nobosy talks about how the comparison in the outcomes of the same opponents that DLS and SM have had.. Serra of San Mateo, and in Folsom’s case.. Oak Ridge… Both teams were MANHANDLED by St Marys.
I just wished either of you would have been present in the 3 (*^%#^% kicking St Marys gave Freedom this year already, 2 on the field and the other in the scrap…
I have just one question…. take Bosco’s 3 best players away for the Mater Dei Game, or any top 4 teams best 3 players period… what kind of an outcome???
none of you give St Mary’s any credit…at all
and you mention IF they can beat Narbonne or Cathedral Catholic????? CHECK OUT Cathedral Catholics game vs Central Catholic, then St Mary’s game vs Central Catholic… that should answer any doubt you have
Honestly Mark, outside of the top 2 in the trinity league and centennial, none of the other teams down there are so superior than the top teams in the north. In my opinion. Their schedules are no better than SM’s schedule. I get the DLS win streak against the north and why they are ranked the way they are. Everyone else, to me, needs to earn it every season. SM has played arguably the 2nd toughest schedule in the state, has been in final 4 of the 2nd toughest bracket in the state 3 years in a row, yet, teams that have not made it out of the quarter finals are ranked above them. It just makes no sense to me.
In the end, you may be right. As explained earlier, there’s a path for a lot of teams to finish fourth. And don’t underestimate how DLS finishes its seasons, either.
Bulldog Jim, my apolgies for my brotherin Kenneth Moore… St Marys wasnt missing 2 startes in the BOSCO game it was missing 3 to begin that game, and in the first quarter lost a 4th player (Oregon commit D-lineman) to a freak injury for the rest of the game…
We have the speed and stregnth to comeotet with ANY team in California straight up..
Maybe a win by 40+ vs Folsom will change some minds… but knowing all of you, it wont matter.. some new excuse will come to light. It wont matter how many sections titles Folsom has had… St Mary’s will see the dentist on Monday to remove all the smurf stains from there mouths, teeth and tounges from feasting on Folsom all night long
BULLDOG JIM AND MR TENNIS
and now …???! The referees trying to help out the Bulldogs on some shady calls they still got their rear ends handed to them
So… now?
Great performance by Rams. Now that it’s done, they’ll be at least seventh in next rankings and will play either No. 5 or No. 6 probably in two weeks.
Mark, is the 56 points scored by St Mary’s last night the most points scored in D1 section championship history. Folsom scored 55 in ’14 and St Mary’s scored 50 in ’04.
No, Elk Grove had 78 when it beat Atwater in game Lance Briggs scored six times.
2nd isn’t bad when you are talking that guy and that team!!! What this years St Mary’s team does have over that one, a potential 2000 yard rb, 3 1000+ yard WRs & potential 4000 yard qb. I will go out on a limb and say that has never happened in Section and maybe even state history!