Week 4 Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area Top 25

Junior QB Anthony Gordon of Terra Nova has begun his season with three impressive outings, including one from last Friday against Pioneer of San Jose. Photo: Harold Abend.

Teams on the rise include Archbishop Mitty, James Logan and Terra Nova. De La Salle and Bellarmine stay Nos. 1 and 2 but after that the shakeup begins.

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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, Sept. 21. We have more than 35 years of compiling high school football rankings in Northern California.

After Week 1, when we didn’t have Archbishop Mitty of San Jose among the Bay Area’s elite, the emails from the Monarchs’ faithful started coming in.

After examination, they entered the next week, then last week the team moved up, and now after a convincing 34-14 win over previous No. 3 Palo Alto on Saturday it’s time for Mitty to make a huge move.

Another team that’s on the move and will now be the No. 2-ranked Division III team in Northern California is Campolindo of Moraga.

In what can be considered a mild upset, the Cougars pinned a 42-27 loss on previous No. 5 El Cerrito, the team many thought to be the best Division III team in the state.

Here are this week’s new rankings:
(Through games of September 21; previous ranking in parentheses)

Watch highlights of the Bay Area’s best teams every Sunday at 7 p.m. on KOFY, Channel 20, San Francisco.

1. (1) De La Salle (Concord) 4-0
These guys won’t be looking past anyone so whoever plays the Spartans is in for a bruising, including a No. 22 San Ramon Valley team that comes in off a rough 67-36 loss to state No. 3 Folsom.

2. (2) Bellarmine (San Jose) 3-0
Coach Mike Janda’s team gave up three scores but still beat crosstown Piedmont Hills 41-21. After the way Mitty handled Palo Alto, Serra played against De La Salle, and the possible re-emergence of St. Francis, it looks like the Bells will be in a tough fight this year in the West Catholic Athletic League. After a bye this week, they open at San Jose City College against Serra.

3. (4) Serra (San Mateo) 1-1
The Padres set a school record with 626 yards of total offense and the defense only gave up only 66 yards in a 49-13 win over host Encinal of Alameda.

4. (6) Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 4-0
A blowout of Tamalpais in Mill Valley coupled with the demise of Palo Alto and El Cerrito gives the Wildcats a two-spot bump in this week’s rankings.

5. (19) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 3-0
The Monarchs’ starting quarterback was out but it didn’t make any difference as their powerful running game went for 477 yards rushing in the big win over Palo Alto. That style kept Paly’s Stanford-bound quarterback Keller Chryst off the field. Mitty quarterback Brett Foley, who replaced injured QB Trenton Scharrenberg, scored on a 60-yard run the first time he carried the ball, and the Mitty ground game was rolling.

6. (7) James Logan (Union City) 3-1
The Colts took a 21-7 victory from a Heritage of Brentwood team that has played a tough non-league schedule. The lone loss is to Del Oro.

7. (8) Foothill (Pleasanton) 4-0
After a 52-0 blowout of Napa Vintage, the Falcons have outscored their four non-league opponents 166-18.

8. (9) St. Francis (Mountain View) 3-0
The Lancers gave up their first points of the season in a 35-12 win over visiting Skyline of Oakland. A WCAL opener at St. Ignatius on Saturday looms very intriguing.

9. (10) Pittsburg 3-1
There were no problems in a 24-0 win on the road at Berkeley. We’re going to give Pittsburg a total pass on the Analy loss as a result of the negative circumstances surrounding that game that head coach Vic Galli seems to have turned around.

10. (3) Palo Alto 1-1
The offense didn’t click and the defense couldn’t keep Mitty out of the end zone – and that’s a bad combination.

11. (11) California (San Ramon) 2-1
It was bye week for the Grizzlies with the EBAL opener versus visiting Livermore Granada up next.

12. (12) Clayton Valley (Concord) 2-1
A 42-7 win at San Jose Independence doesn’t really pad the resume, nor will Oakland Skyline this week, but the Eagles still hold down the top spot in D2 in these rankings and in Northern California

13. (18) Campolindo (Moraga) 4-0
With a big 47-27 win over El Cerrito, the Cougars make their move here and in the upcoming Division III CIF Bowl Game rankings. But because they only beat Fremont Washington 28-14 and that team just lost 29-23 to Windsor, and neither is in the Division II NorCal rankings, Campo falls in behind the D2 top team.

14. (14) Amador Valley (Pleasanton) 3-0
A bye week precedes an EBAL opener with Monte Vista.

15. (5) El Cerrito 2-2
After getting the monkey off their back in a win over Cardinal Newman two weeks ago, this past week the Gauchos felt the mojo once again but on the other side after a 47-27 loss on the road to Campolindo.

16. (15) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 2-1
With previous No. 13 Rancho Cotate getting blown out, the Cardinals can go back in front of their North Bay League rivals.

17. (16) Valley Christian (San Jose) 1-1
The Warriors had a bye week before their final non-league game at Milpitas.

18. (20) Terra Nova (Pacifica) 3-0
The Tigers want to join the CCS elite, and they look like they very well belong. Also, we have engaged veteran prep scribe Horace Hinshaw of the Pacifica Tribune to gather the 42-year coaching record of head coach Bill Gray. There’s a good chance that after 19 years at Pacifica Oceana, and 23 years at Terra Nova, the wily veteran may have reached the 200-win threshold that makes the Cal-Hi Sports State Record Book.

19. (17) Casa Grande (Petaluma) 3-0
A bye week follows the solid win over Napa with Santa Rosa Montgomery on tap at home. With the lopsidedness of the Rancho Cotate loss, the Gauchos also go ahead of their North Bay League rivals. Even so, they drop two spots to make room for Campolindo and Terra Nova.

20. (23) Deer Valley (Antioch) 3-0
A 50-16 win at Santa Rosa plus knowing how talented the Webster brothers (Nzuzi and Nsimba) are is enough to give the Wolverines a bump in this week’s rankings.

21. (13) Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park) 2-1
It looks like Cougars were outclassed in a 56-12 blowout loss at American Canyon of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section.

22. (22) San Ramon Valley (Danville) 1-2
The Wolves lost in a shoot-out to Folsom and have a close loss to Logan to go with a big win over Atwater Buhach Colony.

23. (NR) Carmel 3-0
The top team from the Monterey Bay region this season so far was actually ranked higher than Campolindo or Miramonte in last week’s Division III NorCal bowl rankings, so it makes sense for us to bring in the Padres after a 48-21 win over Gilroy Christopher.

24. (21) Miramonte (Orinda) 3-1
This slight rankings drop had to be made in order to match the expected order of this week’s CIF D3 North bowl game rankings.

25. (NR) Menlo-Atherton (Atherton) 2-1
A 21-16 win last week over previous No. 25 St. Ignatius, and a previous win over a Los Gatos team that just beat previous No. 24 San Benito, coupled with a lone loss, 38-21 to Campolindo, gets M-A into this week’s rankings.

Dropped Out: Previous No. 24 San Benito (Hollister), No. 25 St. Ignatius (San Francisco).

Teams On The Bubble
Acalanes (Lafayette) 4-0, Analy (Sebastopol) 3-1, Berkeley 2-2, Christopher (Gilroy) 2-1, Concord 1-1*, Encinal (Alameda) 1-2, Freedom (Oakley) 1-3, Justin-Siena (Napa) 3-1, Liberty (Brentwood) 3-0*, Los Gatos 1-2, McClymonds (Oakland) 3-1, Milpitas 2-0, Monte Vista (Danville) 1-2, Northgate (Walnut Creek) 4-0, Oak Grove (San Jose) 1-1, Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco) 2-1, Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton) 3-0, St. Ignatius (San Francisco) 0-3, San Benito (Hollister) 1-2, San Marin (Novato) 3-1, Sequoia (Redwood City) 3-0, Wilcox (Santa Clara) 3-0
(*Not including forfeits)

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