Medium/Small Schools State FB Ranks

Any kind of rankings in any CIF section of the state broken up into any kind of divisions is going extinct like the dodo bird due to competitive equity playoff divisions. Not for us, however. We will continue to put the spotlight on schools that are medium or small based on a lot of our own metrics and experience and will leave them in these divisions no matter how high up they may be placed at the end. Top teams below include Newbury Park and Oak Hills for medium schools plus Bradshaw Christian and Carmel for small schools.

Note: We hope you enjoy this free post on CalHiSports.com. Rankings that are free are preseason or the first ones of a particular breakdown. To check out getting a Gold Club membership to see all of these rankings plus all of our updated state record lists, totally authentic historical features, recruiting player ratings and more, CLICK HERE.

(All based on section by section playoff formats, updated computer rankings, plus combination of enrollment and traditional placement into state rankings that we have done for 45 plus years)

(There also will be final five divisional state rankings done after the season so that we continue to have an archive of them going back to the early 1980s)

(Once CIF section playoffs are underway, we will switch this feature to our CIF state bowl game projections and then when the season is over there will be final medium school/small school rankings)

(After games of Saturday, Aug. 28)
(Previous rank in parentheses)

MEDIUM SCHOOLS TOP 15

1. Newbury Park 2-0
The Panthers are the highest-ranked team in our overall State TOP 50 that also would be medium schools. This is based on them not being in the Marmonte League (like Pacifica of Oxnard now is) and being in the CIF Southern Section D4 playoffs last season. Newbury Park is playing Pacifica this week in a huge game and if it wins that could set up the Panthers to go 10-0 for the regular season. That’s great, but going up too high in divisions for the CIFSS playoffs also may not be ideal if the ultimate goal is a state crown.

2. Oak Hills (Hesperia) 2-0
This is another team that has been medium schools for us in the past and that is the case once again. The Bulldogs very well could have the top running back in the state in Karson Cox (UCLA) and have an upcoming game against St. Bonaventure (large schools by this format) that will be huge for the rankings.

3. Tustin 2-0
The first two leagues in Orange County — the Alpha League with Los Al, Mission Viejo, San Clemente, Huntington Beach Edison and the Bravo League with Corona del Mar, San Juan Hills, Yorba Linda, Villa Park, Tesoro of Mission Viejo and Newport Harbor — are large schools. Tustin is in the Delta League and has impressed in its first two games. The Tillers will have a non-league game coming up with Yorba Linda.

4. Cajon (San Bernardino) 1-0
The first four teams for medium schools have to be ranked the same way as they are in the overall State TOP 50. After Cajon, there isn’t an order we’ve already established. The Cowboys have what looks like a tough test this week at 2-0 Etiwanda.

5. St. Paul (Santa Fe Springs) 2-0
The Swordsmen notched their first win over Bishop Amat of La Puente in 24 years with a 21-12 triumph over the Lancers last week. Note that Loyola (Los Angeles) is now in the Mission League and would now be large schools instead of medium.

6. El Cerrito 1-0
The Gauchos have been strengthened by the transfer of QB Jonathan Craft, previously at James Logan of Union City. He has committed to Fresno State and led El Cerrito to a 38-6 win last week over Amaador Valley of Pleaanton.

7. Mt. Miguel (Spring Valley) 2-0
The Matadors have been in the top six for the San Diego Section overall rankings and started this week in the sixth spot. The top five — Granite Hills, Lincoln, Cathedral Catholic, San Marcos and Mission Hills — would all be large schools. In the previous playoff format used by the CIF San Diego Section, they would have been in a lower division instead of probably having to be in D1 under the new way they are doing it.

8. Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 2-0
There’s a new league in the CIF North Coast Section and it will consist of teams we would call “medium.” The Cardinals won in their first game by 61-14 over Casa Grande of Petaluma. Still, the winner of the new league (also includes Marin Catholic, Windsor and San Marin) could end up in the top NCS playoff division instead of a lower one based on competitive equity. That would mean a first-round matchup with a team like De La Salle or Pittsburg (a better first round game for DLS but obviously not good for Marin Catholic or Cardinal Newman if either of those wants to win a state title).

9. Hanford 2-0
We love the talent on this team with QB Daniel Gomez (D1 offers), RB Kourdey Glass (committed to Oregon State), DB Albert Richardson (D1 offers) and others. The Bullpups or whichever team wins the West Yosemite League title (includes Lemoore & Tulare), however, probably will be in D1 for the CIF Central Section playoffs due to competitive equity seedings. For these rankings, we aren’t going to move teams up to D1 or large schools if they get seeded in a higher section playoff. We’re leaving them where they should be and will just be ranking teams that lose to higher ranked opponents.

10. McClymonds (Oakland) 0-1
In their 35-34 loss to Archbishop Riordan of San Francisco (large schools), the Warriors showed they can pass the ball this season. That was a struggle last season. New QB Berell Staples (a junior) started at Edison of Stockton as a freshman and sophomore and looked good in a playoff game we saw last season vs Central Catholic. Staples was at first reported to have transferred to Pittsburg, but the Pirates have a senior QB. Going to Mack makes more sense. Mack may be better than 10th in this group, but it’s a long season. The CIF can already start to think about where to place the Warriors in the NorCal bowls because they’ve been automatic in the Oakland Section and that looks true again with just a one-point loss to Riordan.

11. Los Gatos 1-0
Scotty Brennan is starting at QB for the Wildcats as a senior while his dad Brent is starting out his first season as the head coach at Arizona. Los Gatos won its first game, 14-7, over Soquel, which is coming off of winning the CIF D4AA state championship and is playing Liberty of Brentwood this week, which just won a huge matchup over Frontier of Bakersfield.

12. Downey 2-0
Warren of Downey has a lot of unknowns entering this week, but Downey High does not and we also would classify the Vikings as medium schools. The first win over Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks (42-19) looks really good.

13. Vanden (Fairfield) 2-0
Everyone in the Bay Area knows how good Campolindo of Moraga has been over the years with head coach Kevin Macy so the Vikings posting a 23-7 win over Campo last week certainly stood out. Vanden also has another elusive QB in senior Kalani McCloud.

14. Charter Oak (Covina) 2-0
Head coach Dominic Farrar’s squad has loads of talent at the skill positions plus Penn State-bound LB LaVar Arrington Jr. The Chargers are No. 3 this week in the San Gabriel Valley behind Damien (large schools) and St. Paul. They could end up No. 1 soon there since Damien and St. Paul are playing each other this week and they both have other challenging games coming up.

15. Tulare 2-0
The Tribe has looked good in the first two games (wins of 34-21 vs St. Joseph of Santa Maria and 49-15 vs El Diamante of Visalia) and should be in the thick of the race in the West Yosemite League with Hanford and Lemoore.

MEDIUM SCHOOLS BUBBLE

Acalanes (Lafayette) 1-0
Aquinas (San Bernardino) 0-2
Birmingham (Lake Balboa) 3-1
Bonita (La Verne) 2-0
Central (El Centro) 2-0
Central Valley Christian (Visalia) 1-1
Crean Lutheran (Irvine) 2-0
Escalon 1-1
Foothill (Palo Cedro) 1-0
Gardena 2-0
La Habra 1-1
La Jolla 2-0
Lemoore 2-0
Monterey 1-0
Palma (Salinas) 1-0
Patterson 1-1
Pleasant Valley (Chico) 0-1
Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton) 1-0
San Marin (Novato) 1-0
Soquel 0-1
Twelve Bridges (Lincoln) 2-0
West Park (Roseville) 2-0
Windsor 1-0

Note: Grant (Sacramento), Inglewood, Leuzinger (Lawndale) now large schools. Escalon, Sacred Heart Cathedral and Menlo School now medium, up from small.

SMALL SCHOOLS TOP 10

1. Bradshaw Christian (Sacramento) 2-0
The Pride began their season with a 27-6 win over 2023 CIF D5-A state champion Woodland Christian, which also snapped that team’s 15-game win streak and was a team that Bradshaw only lost to by 15-14 last season. Standout RB-LB Mateo Mojica also was just named NorCal Offensive Player of the Week for what he did in a 50-48 shootout win over Vista del Lago of Folsom, a very good medium school. This week, the schedule remains difficult with a matchup vs 2-0 Sutter.

2. Carmel 1-0
There’s a lot more to like about the Padres than just having perhaps the best, biggest offensive lineman in the state (period, regardless of school size) with Jackson Lloyd (committed to Alabama). QB Hudson Rutherford, WR/DB Ashton Rees and WR/DB Simeon Brown can all make plays and they did in a season-opening 35-31 win over Christopher of Gilroy (medium schools).

3. Sonora 2-0
With Escalon now in D4 in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section (and also now medium schools), the Wildcats are hoping to fill the void in D5. They sure got out to a great start with a season-opening 31-21 win over an Oakdale team (medium) that has a lot back from last season. Sonora won last week, 45-7, against Livingston.

4. Brentwood (Los Angeles) 2-0
A 22-0 win last week over King-Drew of Los Angeles followed up a 35-0 shutout of Lancaster Antelope Valley. Head coach Jake Ford’s team is trying not to duplicate last season when it won twice like that to open the season but then lost 22-14 to Ontario Christian. This week’s game is against Ontario Christian, which has started 0-2 but has played up and will again be a tough test for Brentwood.

5. Ontario Christian 0-2
If a 35-27 loss to Bonita of La Verne (medium schools) last week is a clue, the Knights have another outstanding small schools team. Their other loss was to Summit of Fontana (medium schools). Junior Zander Lewis rushed for 120 yards on 19 carries and caught three passes for 24 yards to lead the offense. Note: League opponent Aquinas of San Bernardino is medium schools.

6. Hughson 2-0
We’ll place the Huskies behind Sonora only because they don’t have a win yet like the one Sonora has over Oakdale. Elite 11 QB Robert McDaniel (committed to Arizona) has been throwing TD passes to junior WR Bryce McDaniel.

7. Rio Hondo Prep (Arcadia)
The Kares famously made a run to the CIFSS D9 championship last season before a loss to Mission Oak (Tulare) in the SoCal regionals. They’ve also started out 2024 with wins against Francis Parker of San Diego (55-28) and Poly of Pasadena, their longtime rivals (65-19). Up next is 2-0 Maranatha and top running back Myles O’Mally (almost 400 yards rushing in first two games). We’re ranking RHP lower than Brentwood due to a loss to the Eagles from last season.

8. St. Vincent de Paul (Petaluma)
Head coach Trent Herzog’s crew has opened up this season with a 48-6 romp vs De Anza of El Sobrante after winning last season’s CIF D6AA state title. The Mustangs are playing at 2-0 Truckee on Friday. That is a school located in California, but is a member of the Nevada Interscholastic Athletic Association (same as the other schools in the Lake Tahoe-Truckee area).

9. Bishop’s (La Jolla) 1-1
The Knights had a 38-21 loss to La Jolla to open the season, but that team almost was put in our medium schools state rankings. They won last week, 24-13, over Christian of El Cajon.

10. Kerman 2-0
This is the highest ranked team we’d call small schools out of the CIF Central Section according to the MaxPreps/CalPreps computer. The Lions won last week 42-0 over Caruthers. They actually played large schools Clovis East last season. Coalinga and Chowhilla also have started out 2-0 with easy wins.

SMALL SCHOOLS NEXT 2 TEAMS

11. Maranatha (Pasadena) 2-0

12. Sutter 2-0

SMALL SCHOOLS BUBBLE

Capistrano Valley Christian (SJ Capistrano) 2-0
Chowchilla 2-0
Coalinga 2-0
East Nicolaus (Nicolaus) 1-0
Ferndale 1-0
Fortuna 1-0
Holtville 2-0
King-Drew (Los Angeles) 1-1
La Jolla Country Day 2-0
Orland 1-0
Rancho Christian (Temecula) 2-0
Salesian (Los Angeles) 1-1
Salesian (Richmond) 1-0
St. Bernard’s (Eureka) 1-0
University Prep (Redding) 1-0
Woodland Christian 1-1

Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle.