New Overall Top 25 State Football Rankings

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RoadRunner
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New Overall Top 25 State Football Rankings

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New Overall Top 25 State Football Rankings

October 6, 2009 12:26 AM


Bishop Amat bolts up into the top 20 after huge win. Watch out this weekend as Lakewood and Monte Vista of Danville try to break decades-long streaks of dominance by Long Beach Poly and De La Salle.

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By Mark Tennis & Ronnie Flores
Contributing: Steve Brand, Harold Abend, Paul Muyskens


(After games of Saturday, Oct. 3)
(Previous ranking in parentheses)


1. (1) Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 4-0
The Lions have proven that if opponents want to put extra defenders up front to stop Malcolm Jones and the rushing attack that they have a passing game, with QB Nick Montana leading the way, that can make big plays as well. In last week's 33-13 win over Venice, it might not have mattered how many were in the box to stop Jones. The senior standout was red-hot with 27 carries for a new school record of 329 yards and four touchdowns. Montana added 15 completions in 27 attempts for 120 yards and one TD. Coach Bill Redell's team completes the non-league portion of its regular season on Friday at home against Jordan of Long Beach.


2. (2) Grant (Sacramento) 5-0
As the goose eggs are piling up for the Pacers' defense, it could be that the offense is starting to get into a groove as well. Although last Saturday's opponent, Johnson of Sacramento, is not a good barometer to judge much against, Grant still put up 62 points in rolling to a 62-0 win over the Warriors. Senior Devontae Butler rushed for 278 yards and five touchdowns on just 13 carries. In addition to getting its fifth straight shutout and remaining unsecured on, Grant's defense got into the scoring column as well with sophomore Shaquille Thompson returning an interception 15 yards for a touchdown and with junior Darryl Paulo returning a fumble 10 yards into the end zone. The Pacers play Rosemont of Sacramento in this week's game.


3. (4) Crenshaw (Los Angeles) 5-0
Now that previous No. 3 St. Bonaventure of Ventura has fallen, a debate between the Cougars and Oaks Christian about Southern California superiority is becoming more focused. While Crenshaw does have a one-point win over Lakewood, that win could get a big boost in importance if Lakewood can beat Long Beach Poly this weekend. Head coach Robert Garrett's team faced Culver City last Friday and racked up an impressive 48-7 triumph. Junior QB Marquis Thompson hit on 10 of 21 passes for 192 yards and four scores to lead the offense. Teammate Geno Hall had all four TD catches and ended up with seven grabs for 142 yards. The Cougars are off this week and have completed the nonleague portion of their regular season. Up next is the Coliseum League opener on Oct. 16 vs. Manual Arts of Los Angeles.

4. (5) Oceanside 5-0
Quentis Clark fired three touchdown passes in the second quarter alone to spark the Pirates over San Marcos, 56-14. Showing no let up after its previous win over Long Beach Poly, Oceanside stomped on the gas pedal for a 42-0 halftime lead before head coach John Carroll started putting in reserves. King Holder caught one of Clark's TD passes and also scored on an eight-yard run. The Pirates, like Crenshaw, also are idle this week. They come back on Oct. 16 for a game against Westview of San Diego.


5. (6) Edison (Huntington Beach) 5-0
After a 3-0 start, the Chargers were looking at a tall hurdle to beat both Servite of Anaheim and Mater Dei of Santa Ana in consecutive weeks, but that's what head coach Dave White's team has done. Edison followed up its 23-9 win over Servite from two weekends back with a 36-29 victory in two overtimes last Thursday against the Monarchs. After both teams failed to score in the first overtime, quarterback Matt Viles won it for Edison on a seven-yard scoring run. During the game, Viles also completed 26 of 39 passes for 263 yards. Wade Houston added 99 yards rushing and another score. Edison is taking this week off as well and will need the rest, not to mention the extra time to prepare for the rugged Sunset League. The team's first league matchup on Oct. 16 will be at Esperanza of Anaheim.


6. (7) Lakewood 4-1
The Lancers were the favorites going into their Moore League opener with Compton, but even though the Tarbabes were sporting some injuries it was still surprising to see the Tarbabes get rolled, 61-0. Compton trailed 7-0 after one quarter, but the Lancers scored on their first play of the second quarter. By the time Kevin Anderson returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown near the end of the first half, Lakewood led 26-0 and was well on its way to victory. Elite 11 quarterback Jesse Scroggins completed 12 of 17 passes for 191 yards and four touchdowns, including a 62-yarder to Anderson with 10 seconds remaining in the first half. This week Lakewood faces its biggest hurdle of the regular season in 2-3 Long Beach Poly, which has not lost a Moore League contest since 1994 and has not lost lost to Lakewood since 1982. Crenshaw, which edged Lakewood in its opener, is a better team than Poly, but the Jackrabbits are a dangerous opponent because A) they are young and unpredictable B) they have played tough teams pretty close and C) because Lakewood has more pressure to win because of the stakes on the line in regards to its standing as a legitimate CIFSS Pac-Five and bowl game contender.


7. (8) De La Salle (Concord) 2-2
After the two out-of-state losses, the Spartans got back on the winning track and evened their record with a hard-fought 32-21 home victory over Amador Valley of Pleasanton, a game in which Coach Bob Ladouceur's boys had to overcome an 11-point deficit at the end of two quarters. After halftime, the defense got rolling, creating two turnovers that led to two of three third quarter touchdowns that put the game away. The offense quickly took advantage with a touchdown pass by quarterback Bart Houston, a 15-yard TD run by Terron Ward and a short Preston Lyon field goal that erased the deficit. De La Salle has perhaps its biggest East Bay Athletic League matchup coming up this Friday night on the road in Danville against No. 8 Monte Vista.


8. (9) Monte Vista (Danville) 4-0
The Mustangs are the second Bay Area team to benefit from previous No. 3 St. Bonaventure's loss, with the other being the team ranked right above them whom they meet at home this Friday night. This past Friday in a 55-13 Mustang romp in Livermore's pasture, it was Brett Nottingham playing top equine again. The 6-4, 210-pound, UCLA-bound quarterback went over the 300-yard mark for the third straight week, completing 17-of-21 for 328 yards and four touchdowns, all in the first half. Last week's ESPN RISE CalHiSports.com Boys State Athlete of the Week, junior WR/DB Bryce McGovern, had another good game. He caught four passes for 108 yards and one TD and had a second score when he recovered a fumble in the end zone. The big question brewing around the Bay Area is whether this Friday's game will be the one in which someone local can finally get a win against De La Salle?


9. (10) St. Mary's (Stockton) 4-0
For awhile Friday night, it looked like the Rams would be in for a tough fight against their local rivals from Lincoln of Stockton. Then Josh Harper scored two touchdowns in under a minute to blow the game open before halftime and St. Mary's went on to a 48-18 victory. With just under two minutes remaining until halftime, Harper caught a 29-yard touchdown pass from Marcus McDade and then on the next offensive play he intercepted a pass and returned it 58 yards for six points as the Rams took a 27-12 lead into the half. Maurice Howze rushed for 159 yards and scored a touchdown for the Rams, who never trailed against the Trojans. Up next for the Rams is a home contest against an undefeated Central Catholic of Modesto squad that is No. 2 in our CIF Division III North bowl rankings. St. Mary's is No. 1 in that same division.


10. (11) Mission Viejo 5-0
The defense got equal billing with the offense for a change as the Diablos hammered Murrieta Valley (Murrieta) 40-7 heading into the bye week. Whereas the offense still did its job of scoring, it was helped along by a defense that forced five turnovers. Dallin McEwen and Joey Branker hooked up for an 80-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage and when Tre Madden picked off a pass and went 75 yards for a TD, any doubt which team would win was erased. McEwen finished with 193 yards passing with that long TD and zero interceptions as he found Branker four times for 129 yards. Bob Johnson's Diablos will have a week to rest up and get healthy heading into South Coast League play at Capistrano Valley.


11. (12) Servite (Anaheim) 4-1
Inching up one spot for the Friars wasn't nearly as important as getting back on the winning side of the ledger, 28-21, over upset-minded Chaparral in Temecula. With a schedule like Servite's, none of the games will be easy and playing in Temecula is tough. The hosts rallied to tie 21-21 and after QB Cody Fajardo's 7-yard run gave the Friars the lead back with 4:40 remaining, the Pumas threatened to tie or even win if they could score and try a two-point conversion. Michael Marcoux stepped up with an interception with 36 seconds remaining to end any of those thoughts. Fajardo rushed for 132 yards and passed for 117. After taking this week off, Servite opens Trinity League play at St. John Bosco of Bellflower.


12. (13) Moorpark 4-0
The Musketeers looked like a team that had two weeks to prepare for this game as they wasted no time in taking a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and led 35-0 at halftime in a 35-7 win against Calabasas. Austin Edmonson scored two rushing touchdowns on runs of three and 18 yards in the Marmonte League opener for both squads. The Musketeers' defense may have allowed a late score but they also contributed to the first half scoring as A.J. Detorre returned a fumble 52 yards for a touchdown and Tommy Collet intercepted a pass and returned it 33 yards for six points. Moorpark now goes on the road to take on undefeated Newbury Park on Friday night.


13. (14) Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 4-1
It wasn't that long ago when a game between the Knights and Dominguez of Compton was a major showdown. Not so last Friday when the 1-3 Dons were not close in a 48-10 loss to Notre Dame. Quarterback Ryan Kasdorf completed 10 of 17 passes for 191 yards and three TDs. He tossed all three scoring passes to Patrick Dayao, who had four catches for 108 yards. Kenny Boggs added one TD rushing with 12 carries for 142 yards. Head coach Kevin Rooney and his staff get a bye week and then open Serra League play against St. Francis of La Canada, which is currently unbeaten.


14. (15) Serra (Gardena) 4-0
Outside of a potential CIF Southern Section Northwest Division showdown with state No. 1 Oaks Christian, the team Serra faces this week might be the only one that can match the Cavaliers in pure talent. Taft of Woodland Hills comes in with a 2-2 record, but games against previously state-ranked Alemany of Mission Hills and No. 13 Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks would have been tough for Serra, too. Serra has to try and contain D.J. Morgan, who has been spectacular even in defeat, while the Toreadors can't get behind like they did against Notre Dame since the Cavs' offense is so potent. Another intriguing aspect of this game is the presence of highly-recruited Lucky Radley, who is making his debut for Taft after sitting out the first two games following his transfer from Agoura. Taft has also picked up transfer QB Michael Bercovici from Westlake, but he's definitely not going to play this week. Serra did not play last weekend.


15. (16) Granite Bay 4-0
The Grizzlies remained undefeated as they topped Point Loma of San Diego by a 22-12 final score last Friday night to hand the Pointers their second straight loss after they started 3-0. While the offense struggled in the first half, the defense more than stepped up as it allowed less than 10 yards of total offense in the opening half and then after the opening kickoff of the second half was returned to their 3-yard line allowed just two yards on four plays to force a turnover on downs. Travis Nicholas scored the game's first touchdown on a 38-yard run and a 42-yard pass from Brendan Keeney to Ian Rhodes extended the lead even further before halftime. With one game remaining before league play gets underway, Granite Bay next heads to Tracy to take on West this Friday.


16. (NR) Bishop Amat (La Puente) 4-0
The Lancers jump right into the mix of the top 25 after their thrilling 24-23 overtime victory over previous No. 3 St. Bonaventure. The Lancers hovered around the top 25 last season, but the win over the Seraphs was definitely the program's biggest in recent memory. Amazingly, the Lancers only scored three offensive points before the game-winning touchdown in overtime by Jay Anderson, who finished with 23 carries for 108 yards. Amat's other two touchdowns came courtesy of a kickoff return and an interception return by standout defensive back-wide receiver Darien Johnson, who made spectacular plays on both sides of the ball. Amat's results prior to last Friday night gave no indication that it should be regarded as one of the state's best teams, but the last two seasons the Lancers have definitely showed signs of slowly returning to statewide prominence after being one of the state's most dominant programs from the 1960s through the 1990s. Last week's victory is the biggest sign yet for a program that is hoping to avoid an emotional letdown this week against 1-4 Diamond Ranch of Pomona.


17. (17) Rancho Cucamonga 4-0
The Cougars took a much-welcomed week off following the 35-25 win over previously unbeaten Charter Oak and meet Temecula Valley before opening Baseline League play. RC beat Temecula Valley, 56-30, last year, one of the 19 straight games it has played without a loss (includes a tie with Charter Oak last year). Greg Watson has been the quarterback through all those games and this year he has completed 32-of-61 passes for 599 yards and seven TDs with just three interceptions. His most productive receiver is junior James Zamarripa who is averaging 28.9 yards per catch. The Cougars will look to 5-11, 180-pound Michael Boyd for ground yardage as he has gained 576 yards on 72 carries.


18. (3) St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 4-1
After three solid wins to open the 2009 season, the Seraphs played in two overtime barnburners the past two weeks. They escaped with a 42-41 victory over Crespi of Encino two weeks ago, but last week after they missed an extra-point in overtime, they couldn't stop the bad momentum and Bishop Amat came away with a 24-23 victory after scoring on fourth down and converting the extra-point. In overtime, the Seraphs allowed a big third down, 25-yard reception by Darien Johnson that set up the winning touchdown. The Seraphs fell a spot in the ratings after edging a team that was soundly defeated by No. 11 Servite previously and this week they fall 15 spots after losing to a team that beat 1-4 Damien of La Verne, 29-20. The Seraphs hope to get back on track and stay in contention for a possible CIF Bowl berth against 1-3 San Marcos of Santa Barbara.


19. (19) Redlands East Valley (Redlands) 4-0
In their Citrus Belt League opener, REV allowed Eisenhower of Rialto to stay close, leading just 21-20 at the break before erupting for 48 second-half points in a 69-27 romp. A.J. Fernandez rushed for 224 yards on just 11 carries, scoring four times, and caught three passes for 115. Tyler Shreve was 9-of-15 for 159 yards for three TDs, including a 70-yard TD to Fernandez. It doesn't figure to be nearly as easy for the Wildcats when they play at 3-1 Yucaipa this week. The T-Birds lost their opener to Rancho Verde of Moreno Valley but are averaging 367.7 yards of offense and are coming off a 28-24 win over Rialto.


20. (20) Serra (San Mateo) 3-1
It wasn't exactly a romp in the park, although Kezar Stadium, site of the Padres' 27-9 victory over host Sacred Heart Cathedral is adjacent to San Francisco's famous Golden Gate Park. What transpired was a romp at Kezar for the Central Coast Section's 100-meter champion turned explosive running back Adonis Smith, who went over the 200-yard mark for the second time this season. The 5-11, 185-pound solidly-built besides lightning quick Smith rushed for 259 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Andrew McAlindon, a 6-5 junior, rushed for a touchdown and passed for a second score. Next up is a gigantic test for Serra when it travels to face preseason Top 50 St. Francis of Mountain View (3-1), whose only loss is to highly-regarded Palma of Salinas. In the past, the Lancers have been the Padres' nemesis. Will Coach Patrick Walsh's charges pass the test this year and validate themselves as the CCS's top team?


21. (21) La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad) 4-0
The Mavericks roared into their bye week with a 38-14 conquest of Rancho Buena Vista of Vista that really wasn't that close. LCC led 38-0 before easing up. Kenny Stills, despite double- and triple-team coverage, grabbed five passes for 134 yards, with one of them going 73 yards for a touchdown. Isaac Maquet rushed for 92 yards on just eight carries as the Mavericks scored early and often. The defense did its part as well. Although it is still a few weeks away, San Diego Section football fans have already circled Oct. 30 when LCC travels to still unbeaten Escondido, led by Ricky Seale. It's a rematch of last year's Division I section title game won by La Costa Canyon.


22. (23) Los Alamitos 4-0
After three relatively soft opponents, the Griffins had their first true test of the season last week against La Habra and they passed it with flying colors en route to a 28-13 victory. Although Los Al's defense actually gave up points for the first time this season, it held a potent La Habra offense to 216 total yards, with roughly half of them from standout back Josh Quezada. On the other side, veteran coach John Barnes received a career-best 188 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries from junior RB Nick Richardson. Los Al's special team also came up with a big play — a blocked Robert Watson punt that set up a short touchdown run by Joe Locher — and its defense seems to be much improved over recent seasons. That defense will again have a stiff challenge this Thursday against 2-2 Narbonne of Harbor City, the defending L.A. City Section co-champs that are coming off an overtime victory over Orange Lutheran.


23. (24) Norco 3-1
When an opponent rushes for 330 yards and four touchdowns, odds are you are going to be wondering what hit you both on the field and scoreboard. Although Corona's Jordan James had a career night, the Cougars stopped him when it counted — at the 4-yard line as time expired — to preserve the win. Norco's Kelsey Young rushed for 222 yards, including a 50-yard TD, and Carl Bradford added 136 yards and three TDs on the ground as well as 66 yards in receiving, including the eventual game-winning TD grab of 7 yards with 1:06 remaining. That makes it three straight wins since a season-opening loss to No. 3 Crenshaw heading into a Big VIII game against J.W. North at home.


24. (NR) Buchanan (Clovis) 5-0
The Bears picked up an impressive road win on Friday night as they went to Fresno and handed Edison of Fresno its first loss of the season by a 22-12 final score to earn them their debut in our top 25 state rankings. Against a Tigers' offense that had averaged over 30 points per game, the Bears allowed the Tigers' leading rusher Dewayne Scott to rush for just 26 yards as they kept them off the scoreboard in the first half. After a scoreless first quarter, the Bears scored 15 points in the second quarter as Shota Runge scored on a 29-yard reception and Nigel Simmons ran it in for a score from four yards out with less than a minute until halftime for a 15-0 halftime lead. They will once again go on the road this week against another undefeated team as they take on San Joaquin Memorial on Friday night.


25. (25) Crespi (Encino) 2-2
The Celts are probably really anxious to get back on the field as they didn't play this weekend after back-to-back losses against Servite and St. Bonaventure. Their 14 days without a game will come to an end this Friday night as they look to get back to their winning ways at home against a 1-3 Saugus team that has lost three straight. The Celts' offense has been impressive so far this season as they are averaging 44 points per game through their first four outings.


Dropped Out:
Previous No. 18 Alemany of Mission Hills, No. 22 Foothill of Pleasanton


On the Bubble
Bullard (Fresno) 5-0, Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 4-0, Centennial (Corona) 4-1, Central Catholic (Modesto) 4-0, Chaparral (Temecula) 2-2, Charter Oak (Covina) 4-1, Del Oro (Loomis) 4-0, Escondido 4-0, Fountain Valley 5-0, Lincoln (Stockton) 3-1, Long Beach Poly (Long Beach) 2-3, Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 3-2, Oakdale 4-0, Palma (Salinas) 3-1, Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) 3-1, Tulare 5-0, Valencia 4-0, Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) 4-0.
" Inter-National Scouting Director for Youth Football"
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