Preseason State TOP 50 FB Ranks (1-25)

Two of the top playmakers for the upcoming season for No. 1 St. John Bosco are expected to include RB Maliq Allen (right) and WR D.J. Tubbs. Photo: Scott Kurtz / Cal-Hi Sports.

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1. ST. JOHN BOSCO (BELLFLOWER) 9-2
First Game: Friday, Aug. 21 at Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.).

It’s a pretty full group of returning standouts with some key transfers mixed in, which is why the Braves are starting out the 2026 season with the state’s No. 1 ranking. In watching them last season the thought was that this year might be even better and that was when they were sitting No. 1 at that point not just in California but in the nation. Things then unraveled in the second half of the regular season game (10th week) vs arch-rival Mater Dei and then there was a stunning 20-19 upset to Orange Lutheran in rainy weather in the first round of the CIF Southern Section D1 playoffs.

For a program that has been on top of the state three times since 2016 (the last time in 2022), it’s only been a few key plays here and there in the seasons in which the team hasn’t gotten it done in the CIFSS playoffs. Starting off the Braves on top this year also makes sense because they are playing at Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas in the very first game. Many of the national rankings have it as a No. 1 vs No. 2 so the winning team is going to have an early leg up on the national stage.

Quarterback Koa Malau’ulu is starting his third season leading the Bosco offense. He’s already been State Freshman and State Sophomore of the Year. Malau’ulu passed for 2,361 yards with 33 TDs and five interceptions last season. The receiving corps is depleted by graduation but junior Darren Tubbs should be ready to step up as the No. 1 target. He has multiple D1 offers. The running back group is led by senior Maliq Allen, who has more than 1,500 career yards. The offensive line has multiple returnees as well led by three-year standout Gabriel Villalobos plus there’s junior Servite of Anaheim transfer Elisha Mueller. Elisha is one of the top-ranked junior OLs in the nation.

Defensively, Isala Wily-Ava (Washington commit) has been a leader in the secondary since his sophomore season when he set a school record with seven interceptions. The Braves also have another high honors candidate with Vanderbilt-commit Dillon Davis plus there should be plenty of plays made by Harvard commit Dorian Franklin. The linebacker group is led by USC-bound Josiah Poyer. Up front, there’s some graduation losses but that should be made up by Folsom transfer Isaiah Tuua. The all-state sophomore from last season is the younger brother of 2026 Ms. Softball State Player of the Year Ayla Tuua (Destiny Christian, Sacramento).

2. SANTA MARGARITA (RANCHO SM) 11-3
First Game: Friday, Aug. 21 vs Jones (Orlando, Fla.) at Saddleback College.

While the Eagles essentially ended the reign of either Mater Dei or St. John Bosco at the top of state at nine years straight last year, they still kept the CIF Open Division state title within the firm grasp of the Trinity League. Counting Corona Centennial, Sierra Canyon and Mission Viejo, those teams from the top of the CIF Southern Section plus the Trinity League just play at a much higher level than anywhere else in the state. We also think that applies to every other state in the country, too, other than some other select private schools like Bishop Gorman, IMG Academy, St. Frances Academy of Baltimore and perhaps a couple of other Florida prep schools.

The second year of former NFL QB and Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer as head coach will offer much different challenges than his first year. He and the staff he put together plus the players all bought into everything and by the end of the 2025 season the offense and defense were playing at a level that was overwhelming in the CIFSS D1 playoffs as well as in the CIF Open Division final vs De La Salle of Concord. The main issue coming into this season is that a big chunk of the top players on both sides of the ball have moved on.

Santa Margarita still has a lot of top returning pieces, there’s several big-time freshmen coming into the program and deserves to be in the No. 2 position in our state rankings until proven otherwise. The Orange County Register also has gone with the Eagles as its No. 1 team to start the season.

Preseason All-CIF Southern Section DL Isaia Vandermade (USC) is the top returnee on defense. He was especially dominant in the CIFSS D1 playoffs with eight sacks in three games. The secondary also has junior Ca’ron Williams, a corner with major D1 skills. Two of the freshmen to watch are DE Kaleb Herndon and LB Aydan Steen. TE Luke Gazzaniga (Kansas), WR Grant Mosley (younger brother of graduated Mr. Football State Player of the Year Trent Mosley) and soph RB Adrian Petero are the top returnees on offense. QB Matthew Smith (Vanderbilt) also has checked in from Villa Park.

Santa Margarita players, including Trent Mosley (4), show off some of the CIF state football championship awards after their dominant Open Division title game win vs De La Salle of Concord. Photo: Mark Tennis / Cal-Hi Sports.

Longtime head coach Matt Logan reached 300 career wins last season and should continue to have a team capable of battling all of the top CIFSS teams on even terms. The Huskies had not one but two wins over Mater Dei last season but had two losses to Santa Margarita, including the one in the CIFSS D1 final that just got away from them. They are playing MD again during the upcoming regular season and on Sept. 27 are playing NorCal power De La Salle in a game to be played at Cal.

With a team as prolific on offense that the Huskies have been, their leading returnee is senior defensive back Jaden Walk-Green. All he did as a junior was lead the state with 10 interceptions and set what we think was a state record with five interception return TDs. Jaden was named State Defensive Player of the Year. Cal commit Miles Schermer, a DE who made big plays in the win over Mater Dei in the CIFSS D1 semifinals, is another key defensive veteran.

On offense, similar to two years ago when Inglewood transfer Husan Longstreet took control of the offense at QB, Cathedral of Los Angeles transfer Jaden Jefferson has transferred in for this season. He already has nearly 10,000 yards of total offense and 108 combined TDs for rushing and passing in his prep career. Even bigger news than that, though, is the arrival of Quentin Hale, Cathedral’s top receiver from last season as well. Hale, committed to USC, is one of the top receiver recruits in the nation. Junior Malaki Davis also should provide the offense with that proper rushing attack that has always complemented the passing in Logan’s up-tempo, no-huddle spread offense. Davis rushed for 907 yards and 19 TDs as a sophomore and is getting intense recruiting interest.

Defensive end Montana Toilolo is one of the top returning players this fall at Mater Dei. Photo: Mark Tennis.

Last year’s preseason No. 1 team in the state finished up at No. 3 overall with two losses to Centennial and one to Santa Margarita but also with a big win over St. John Bosco. This year’s No. 4 start (keeping the Monarchs behind Centennial) is the lowest for the program in 10 years. The Trinity League schedule, non-league games vs both Centennial and Bishop Gorman and then the CIFSS D1 playoffs kind of makes preseason rankings meaningless. The path is right in front of head coach Raul Lara’s team to get back to the top.

The defense is where Mater Dei has its most returning talent. Cornerback Danny Lang is one of the top-ranked recruits in the state and has committed to USC. The d-line has both Montana Toilolo (UCLA) and Matamatagi Uiagalelei (Washington). At linebacker, MD has its leading tackler back in D.J. Clanton plus a first team all-leaguer in Ezekiel Su’a.

Leuzinger of Lawndale transfer Russell Sekona has come in to play quarterback, but another QB still on hand who may play a lot is Cameron Pooley. The offense is where the Monarchs have the most work to do. The top receivers have all graduated. The line still has some massive returnees, however, led by three-year starter Lex Mailangi, an Oregon commit.

5. SIERRA CANYON (CHATSWORTH) 10-1
First Game: Friday, Aug. 21 at JSerra (SJ Capistrano)

Since last year’s team wound up with a closer margin of defeat to Santa Margarita (21-9) in the CIFSS D1 playoffs than the margin by which the Eagles won in the rest of their playoff games, it could be argued that the Trailblazers came closer than they ever have yet to getting to that super-elite level they have been looking for in recent years. With the players they can bring in combined with the coaching, that breakthrough season is going to happen someday. It’s just a matter of time.

Head coach Jon Ellinghouse, who is closing in on his 200th win, may have the state’s top overall collection of linemen this season. The group includes two-way OL/DL Kasi Currie (Texas commit) plus rush end prospect Markus Fakatou, a big-time Ohio State commit and transfer from Orange Lutheran. Fakatou was a sophomore last season but has reclassed to being a senior. The offensive line also has Lance Ciechanowki (6-6, 300) and sophomore masher Hunter Bryant (6-4, 285).

Sierra Canyon will need a quarterback to step up and it’s not sure as fall practices began who that might be. The team does have one of the top returning running backs in the state with Jaxsen Stokes. Sir Homer King Webb, a junior who had 22 catches for 443 yards and two TDs last season, is a dynamic receiver to watch.

6. MISSION VIEJO 9-2
First Game: Friday, Aug. 21 vs. Chaparral (Temecula)

Among the top six teams from the CIF Southern Section, the Diablos were fifth in the final rankings a year ago primarily because they had a win over Santa Margarita plus a 53-12 win in the regular season over Folsom. Those six remain a cut above all other squads in the state. Mission Viejo had a strong senior class that departed, but has the track record of being in that top six and why would it make any sense to start Folsom higher when last year’s matchup was so one-sided?

We considered graduated QB Luke Fahey a finalist for Mr. Football State Player of the Year. The new QB is projected to be sophomore Brett Burnor, who has been impressive in spring and summer passing matchups. The team’s leading receiver from last year, Jack Junker, is back. He had 58 catches for 1,147 yards and 14 TDs as a junior with many of those catches in big moments. Luke Karby also is back after grabbing 42 receptions and junior KJ Woodbury Jr was right behind with 40 plus seven TDs. Mission also once again will have a strong anchor on the offensive line. This time it will be 6-foot-7, 340-pound Amaziah Siale (committed to LSU). The defense should have an elite corner returning with junior Jordan Hicks. Junior LB Matt Dalhover also is back after averaging 8.1 tackles per game.

The very first game against Chaparral, loaded with top returning players, should give a quick answer about the new players. We will see the Diablos’ game on Sept. 4 when they play at Folsom.

Folsom head coach Paul Doherty has directed the program to two state titles since 2023. Photo: Mark Tennis.

The CIF state title resume for the Bulldogs added another one with last year’s 42-28 win in the D1-AA final over Cathedral Catholic of San Diego. That’s now six overall for the program and it’s now five straight CIF Sac-Joaquin Section D1 crowns. Folsom has some outstanding returnees, but starting the team any higher than seventh in the state in the preseason makes no sense due to the lopsided 53-14 loss from last season to Mission Viejo (the only loss). There is going to be a rematch at Folsom on Sept. 4 so the obvious way of moving up any higher and into the mix of those top CIFSS teams is going to be for the Bulldogs to win that game. They’ve, in fact, have never been in the CIF Open Division final.

The big storyline in the final two wins of last season (the first was against previously unbeaten Archbishop Riordan in the D1-AA NorCal regional final) was the arrival of QB Brody Rudnicki after All-American Ryder Lyons went out with a shoulder injury in the game against Riordan. Brody accounted for six TDs in the state final and showed that he will be right up there with all of the other top-level Bulldog QBs. He had a great spring and summer and recently committed to Cal.

UCLA-bound Rob Larson looks bigger and faster than even last year as a junior and is the team’s other top offensive returnee. Leading rusher Bronson Bambino (a junior) also is back while the offensive line has two major returnees with center Zach Ramirez (6-6, 315) and tackle Malachi Coleman (6-3, 285). On defense, head coach Paul Doherty has some top returnees as well. DL Lua Deberry is a three-year starter with D1 offers, LB Nick Wegner led the team in tackles and LB A.J. Coleman has D1 offers for his combo skills of pass rushing, explosive tackles and athleticism.

8. LUTHERAN (ORANGE) 5-7*
First Game: Friday, Aug. 21 vs. Central (Miami, Fla.) at Orange Coast College

The Lancers played their first game last year in Florida against Miami Northwestern and are opening this year at home against a different Miami school, Central High. It also will be the first game for the team under new head coach Ray Fenton, who was previously at Los Alamitos and where his team won the 2025 CIFSS D2 title.

After the coaching switch, which was a surprise to some observers in the region, highly regarded rush end Markus Fakatou transferred to Sierra Canyon. But a rush of transfers after that didn’t happen after that and OLu still has a strong group of returning players.

The previous coaches used both Reagan Toki and Ezrah Brown at quarterback and by all indications that is going to continue. Those QBs will have top-notch WRs to throw to in Nico Bland (Arizona State) and multi-year starter Chris Flores Jr. The offensive line already had a top-notch anchor with Lucas Rhoa (Texas) but in the last weeks has picked up junior behemoth Austin Attalah (6-8, 275), one of the top-ranked OLs in his class in the nation. The defense, which will be run by former Mater Dei coordinator Eric Johnson, has much to rebuild up front but on the back end there’s a lot of strength. Anhor Johnson and Matthew Zapien both made all-league. Junior Chauncey Washington also has emerged as a top prospect in the class. He has offers from USC, North Carolina, Washington, UCLA and more.

Duece Jones-Drew of De La Salle has committed to UCLA where his father, Maurice, was once a great player. Photo: dlsfootball.com.

For the past two seasons the Spartans have started one spot behind Folsom in the NorCal pecking order of teams but both times took the NorCal spot in the CIF Open Division by not losing in the regular season. That is going to happen again but this time the regular season schedule has been altered with the addition of adding Corona Centennial (one of those top six from the CIFSS we’ve been talking about). They are playing the Huskies on Sept. 27 at Cal in a double-header dubbed the 151 Classic (refers to the national record 151-game win streak) with the other game matching St. Mary’s of Stockton and Marin Catholic of Kentfield.

The Spartans frankly haven’t been ready to deal with the top SoCal team in the Open Division both of the last two years (other than in one quarter of the game two years ago vs Mater Dei) and they hope by playing Centennial that could help if they get into the top game again. Even if DLS is able to beat Centennial in that Sept. 27 matchup, however, Folsom could still have the edge for getting into the Open Division if it is able to beat Mission Viejo on Sept. 4.

If DLS is able to get back to the top of the NorCal heap, it’s likely going to depend on senior RB Duece Jones-Drew being healthy all year and able to have big games behind an offensive line led by Clint Lundin (6-6, 305 and with several D1 offers). Duece ranks as one of the top RBs in California. Head coach Justin Alumbaugh also will need a QB to step up (Ray Pelosi is the top returnee) similar to the way Brayden Knight did last season. The defense returns junior linebacker standout Landon Miller (one of the top soph LBs in the state) but the secondary lost a lot of top starters. Junior Damari Dean didn’t do much last season for the Spartans, but he flashed world-class speed in the hurdle events in track last spring. He could be in line for a breakout season as a receiver or DB.

10. CENTRAL EAST (FRESNO) 14-1
First Game: Friday. Aug. 28 vs. Grant (Sacramento)

Based on how the Bengals looked in their win last year over Pittsburg for the CIF NorCal D1-A title (two weeks after the Pirates almost knocked off De La Salle in the CIF North Coast Section final) and then in their win over 15-0 Pacifica of Oxnard in the D1-A state final, they were right up there with DLS and Folsom as one of the best teams in Northern California. Head coach Kyle Biggs (who now has two CIF state titles) could have a similar squad this season (maybe even better).

The big graduation loss is two-way Central Section Player of the Year Brandon Smith, but back to be the QB is senior Jelani Dippel. He doesn’t have the size to excite colleges as a prospect, but has been one of the state’s top QB performers. Jelani passed for 4,583 yards and 58 TDs as a junior. The receiving corps is what should really excite Bengals’ fans. It’s a group that would give the very best groups among any of the top CIFSS D1 teams a run for their money. Bayon Harris (Fresno State) had 86 receptions for 1,768 yards and 26 TDs, Rolando Jefferson has transferred in from Fresno Edison and is another elite recruit, and junior Kevin Cooks shined as a sophomore with 45 grabs for 721 yards and eight TDs and junior Titus Thomas was right behind him as a soph with seven TDs.

The secondary on defense should be another strength. Both Xavior Jones and Jontae Della made a lot of plays on the back end last season and could see time on offense. Ehis Idoni also has checked in from Roosevelt of Fresno. The junior RB rushed for 1,732 yards and 24 TDs for that school last season. We plan to see Central East’s first game at home vs Grant of Sacramento, which is loaded with top recruits and handed the team its only loss at Grant early last season.

Note: A first game just showed up on Central East’s schedule against Pinecrest Academy of Nevada, which wasn’t shown on MaxPreps until after it was played on Friday of this week. We’ve never heard of Pinecrest Academy before, but the game was stopped in the second quarter and not continued due to lightning. We’re not counting it towards the team’s schedule.

11. CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC (SAN DIEGO) 11-3
First Game: Friday, Aug. 28 vs Lutheran (Orange).

Last year’s CIF San Diego Section Open Division champions and runner-up to Folsom in the CIF D1-AA state bracket return the 2025 State Junior Player of the Year, who is Honor Fa’alave-Johnson. The USC recruit is considered the No. 1 safety prospect in the nation and had 40 tackles with three interceptions last season. Fa’alave-Johnson also was a powerhouse running back on offense who rushed for 1,532 yards and 23 TDs plus he caught 35 passes for 564 yards and seven scores.

Who at QB that will be working with Honor on offense is one of the big questions for the Dons after last year’s starter, Brady Palmer, graduated. Oceanside transfer Koa Smith-Mayoll may be one possibility. Another top offensive returnee is WR Isaac Cook (San Diego State commit). Head coach Sean Doyle’s team also is playing Chandler, Ariz., this season and is getting a home game against De La Salle of Concord after going up to the Bay Area to play the Spartans (DLS won) last season. Two other returning players to watch who have D1 offers are DL Ryder Molchanoff and DB Asofa Laufi.

Benjamin Harris, the track star-football running back for Servite of Anaheim, has committed to Oregon State. Photo: beavs.report / Instagram.com.

While it seems most of the rankings we follow have the Friars only at No. 5 in the Trinity League, they also are near the top for Orange County and we have only Sierra Canyon and Mission Viejo ahead of them from the CIF Southern Section who are not in the Trinity League. Servite also will be under the direction of a new head coach as Rick Garretson, a former Servite assistant, a grad of the school and the previous head coach at Chandler (Ariz.), was selected after Chris Reinert resigned after three seasons.

Servite’s plans have to revolve around capturing a lot of the speed from its CIF state championship track team onto the football field. State 100-meter dash champ Benjamin Harris (who rushed for 457 yards and eight TDs last season) is a good place to start. RB Jorden Wells also has track speed. The QB may be JSerra transfer Gino Wang, who passed for more than 1,300 yards last season at that school. The o-line has some strength with junior Keiden Lokeni (6-3, 340, five D1 offers) and the linebacking unit led by junior Allen Kinnett (all-state sophomore who reportedly had transferred to Santa Margarita but came back) plus senior Isaiah Lelua (has had injury issues but has been a starter since he was a freshman) also could be very good.

13. CHAPARRAL (TEMECULA) 6-6
First Game: Friday, Aug. 21 at Mission Viejo.

This is one of those teams that just has a ton of top-notch returning talent but is only coming off of a 6-6 season. The Pumas never really got rolled in any of those losses (other than the one to Corona Centennial). We could have started them off lower in the state rankings to start this season, but didn’t see any any other team we liked to be second behind Centennial from the Inland Empire. And besides, it’ll be sink or swim in the very first game since it will be at Mission Viejo.

Dane Weber, one of the top dual-threat QBs in the state and one of the top returning QBs for total offense in the nation, is where you start with Chaparral. The Cal commit and Elite 11 QB hit on his passes for 3,654 yards and 41 TDs plus he rushed for 668 yards and 14 TDs. Head coach Andrew Ramer also has one of the state’s top-ranked WR recruits with Eli Woodard (UCLA) plus another very productive target in Michael “Kiko” Farinas. DE Kameron Payne also is back on defense while the offensive line should be led by senior Calvin Moala (6-2, 295) and junior Axton Lange (6-9, 285).

14. SERRA (SAN MATEO) 8-6
First Game: Friday, Aug. 28 vs. De La Salle (Concord).

Even though the Padres saw 2025 freshman QB William Carr transfer out to Clayton Valley of Concord, we still think they have an overwhelming number of top returning players to be considered the preseason No. 1 team for the CIF Central Coast Section and West Catholic Athletic League. Head coach Patrick Walsh had perhaps his youngest team ever, but Serra didn’t lose by much to St. Mary’s of Stockton in the CIF NorCal D2-AA final and in a loss to Folsom in the regular season it was 42-42 early in the fourth quarter.

There are five D1 college commits so far for this group of Padres. Two of them — DB Malakai Taufoou (Oregon) and TE Jace Cannon (USC) — are among the best at their positions in the entire state. There’s also versatile WR/DB Jeovanni Henley (Cal), leading tackler at LB Dylan Modena (UNLV) and DL Lemoni Fehoko (Minnesota). That doesn’t even count some others, including sophomore DL/LB Taupaki Latu, who was one of the best frosh players we saw last season. Junior TE Sam McReynolds (6-7, 225) is another player to watch who has D1 interest. Coach Walsh’s son, Charles, also made a lot of plays last year as a receiver and kick returner.

Serra isn’t playing Folsom this season, but is going to open up at home for a Friday night game vs De La Salle and then will take a long trip to play Kahuku in Hawaii.

15. PACIFICA (OXNARD) 15-1
First Game: Friday, Aug. 21 vs. Del Sol (Oxnard).

That first game against a new school shouldn’t be confused with the Tritons playing an easier schedule this season. They are stepping up the following week to take on Lincoln of San Diego and even more significantly on Sept. 25 are going to step up to face Sierra Canyon, one of the truly big CIFSS D1 heavyweights. Head coach Mike Moon has a major number of returning starters on both sides of the ball so we would rank the Tritons as favorites again in the Marmonte League plus ahead of all other teams in the San Fernando Valley/Ventura/Oxnard area other than Sierra Canyon.

Taylor Lee (Portland State commit) had a record-breaking junior season with 4,059 yards passing and 53 TDs in the 16 games, which included a CIFSS D3 title, a regional playoff win over Granite Hills of El Cajon and then a loss to Central East of Fresno in the D1A state final. Alijah Royster, who also get a lot of rushing attempts, returns as well after catching 67 passes for 1,001 yards and 15 TDs. There’s also Anthony Jacobs at receiver, who had 54 grabs for 1,202 yards and 14 TDs as a junior.

All of that firepower back must be nice, but Pacifica’s No. 1 recruit and No. 1 player is senior RB/LB Isaiah Phelps. The USC commit had 232 tackles last season with 23 for loss and he rushed for more than 900 yards on offense. Phillip “Pee Wee” Wilson also was very active at LB and had 151 tackles plus two interceptions.

Junior QB Ja’Vale Jones of Pittsburg has made some eye-opening plays so far in his high school career. Photo: Mark Tennis / Cal-Hi Sports.

If you have seen the Pirates playing De La Salle in the CIF North Coast Section D1 final the past two years in losses of 10-7 and 24-17, you know that they are getting very, very close to finally ending the Spartans’ run since 1991 of winning NCS titles. Head coach Charlie Ramirez also likes to improve the team’s chances by scheduling top teams in the preseason. The Pirates are hosting mighty St. John Bosco this year on Sept. 4 and later on will be traveling to play Mission Viejo.

We’d describe Pitt’s graduation losses as not major but some very good players have moved on. Junior QB JaVale Jones gave the DLS defense as a runner a lot of problems in last year’s NCS final and should be one of the top dual-threat QBs in Northern California. Kenny Ward is still a junior WR with multiple D1 offers who has been a top offensive threat for the Pirates since his freshman season. Isaiah Harrison wasn’t the top rusher last season but is another junior who has offers. Senior DE Terrance Murphy is a defensive player who has committed to Fresno State and junior Demetrius Toeaina on the other side has D1 interest. Junior DB Desmond Sanders was one of the top soph DBs in the Sac-Joaquin Section last season at Edison of Stockton but he is now at Pitt.

17. CREAN LUTHERAN (IRVINE) 10-1
First Game: Friday, Aug. 21 vs. Loyola (Los Angeles)

After the first five teams in the Trinity League plus Mission Viejo, one of the big decisions for us to make regarding preseason rankings was what to do with Orange County teams Crean Lutheran and Tustin. Both are quite loaded with returning standouts. Both ahead of JSerra? We said yes. Both ahead of San Clemente and Los Alamitos from the Alpha League? We did that, too, even though Crean Lutheran and Tustin are both going to be in the Bravo League. Crean is moving up to the Bravo League this season and will play Tustin on Oct. 2. We didn’t put Tustin as high since it had a 45-8 first-round loss in the 2025 CIF D2 playoffs to Leuzinger of Lawndale (not ranked in the top 50 to start this year due to major grad losses and players who transferred out). We also saw that the Saints are going to be able to play Oak Ridge of El Dorado Hills on Sept. 11 and Oak Ridge is going to start out No. 2 in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section. So Crean Lutheran not only was placed just in front of Oak Ridge for this rankings but putting the Saints 17th also matches where the OC Register put them in their preseason rankings.

Head coach Rick Curtis’ corps of returning stars is led by senior QB Caden Jones. He passed for 3,044 yards and 30 TDs as a junior with only one interception. He also has committed to Arizona, a college that has commitments from several other Crean Lutheran players. Ty Johnson was the top receiver last season and also is back and also going to Arizona. DB Evan Mack is bound for Tucscon as well. The team also has picked up key transfer Troy Roberts, who was one of the top players last season at Yorba Linda. Leading rusher Caleb Bey (Cal Poly San Luis Obisbo) is back as well and there’s four returning starters in the offensive line.

18. OAK RIDGE (EL DORADO HILLS) 9-4
First Game: Friday, Aug. 28 at Argyle, Texas.

In the last few seasons, especially since Casey Taylor started coaching the Trojans in 2021, there has never been an ounce of timidness for them to challenge Folsom in the Sierra Foothill League and in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section. It’s like the San Diego Padres never backing down from the Los Angeles Dodgers. They don’t lack confidence, but in the end it’s probably going to be the same team moving on. Taylor has 15 returning starters from a squad that lost to Folsom for the third straight year in the SJS D1 final. We are starting his squad in our rankings right behind the Crean Lutheran team it is playing on the road in September but in front of SJS rival Grant of Sacramento, also loaded with returning starters. Oak Ridge beat Grant, 9-7, in last year’s SJS semifinals.

Although all-state sophomore LB Ben Rivas transferred south to St. John Bosco, the Oak Ridge defense still has linebackers who will make a lot of plays. Brayden Molloy was the leading tackler last season and Justen Womack was right behind. Two returning DBs with a lot of experience are Jonathan Grosfeld and junior Nate Anzelc. On offense, Isaac Pierce averaged 21.7 yards per catch last season and can make plays on running plays or returning kicks. QB Nick Johnson, the son of the former New York Yankees’ player by the same name, also is back. The line on both sides shouldn’t back down, either. Nick Hunt (6-3, 270) was on the all-state sophomore team. We picked him as an o-lineman but he made plays on defense, too. Troy Fleming (6-4, 285) also returns as a big-time blocker on offense.

19. GRANT (SACRAMENTO) 7-5
First Game: Friday, Aug. 28 at Central East (Fresno).

We didn’t put Grant right behind Oak Ridge in these preseason rankings since the Pacers also had a loss last season to Lincoln of San Diego. They had a win over Central East of Fresno, but also lost to Folsom, De La Salle and Cardinal Newman of Santa Rosa. Grant isn’t playing either Folsom or DLS this season, but is taking on Central East on the road to open the season. If the Pacers win that first game, they may have a good chance of going 10-0 in the regular season. That’s why it’s a bigger game for us to see than DLS vs Serra of San Mateo. Plus, we will have other opportunities of seeing both of those teams later on.

While Oak Ridge is higher now because of last year’s 9-7 win in the playoffs, the Pacers have more top returning players than just about anybody in Northern California. Cal-committed TE Zo Edwards, who has the speed to play receiver, is one of top recruited players in the region. Junior RB Jayson Williams is committed to Fresno State, senior WR Koby Shabazz (Sacramento State) will be four-year contributor who may go down as one of the top receivers in school history and QB Blake Nycum returns with 13 TD passes after having to sit out early games to gain eligibility. On defense, the Pacers have another Cal commit with rush end Julian Hodge (6-4, 250). Junior LB Julian Bruno is another one collecting D1 offers and DL Isaiah Stephen (6-3, 300) is an effective run stopper and able to take on double teams.

Zac Benitez from Granite Hills of El Cajon was State Freshman Player of the Year following the 2023 season. Photo: Vic Marano / East County Sports.

Which team should be No. 2 in San Diego to start behind Cathedral Catholic is not easy. Some rankings already out have Lincoln in the No. 2 spot, but in our evaluations the Hornets not only lost a lot to graduation but had at least two key transfers out of the program. Granite Hills also is the team that beat Lincoln in last year’s D1 section championship.

Head coach Kellan Cobbs will have the pleasure of working with QB Zac Benitez for the fourth straight year. When he was a freshman starter, the Eagles won the SD Open Division title. Benitez already has 8,710 yards and 92 TD passes in his career. Granite Hills also can say it is returning last year’s leading rusher (Davion Williams), last year’s leading tackler (Cayden Phillips) and last year’s leader in pass interceptions (Jesse Wilhite). If the lines on both sides can get going, it could be a great season for Granite Hills.

21. ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN (SAN FRANCISCO) 12-1
First Game: Friday, Aug. 28 at West (Salt Lake City, Utah).

That was quite a senior class that the Crusaders had last season, led by four-year QB Michael Mitchell Jr. (now at Stanford) and dominant OT Tommy Tofi (now at Oregon). The combination of so much graduating for them with so much coming back at Serra (San Mateo) has caused us to flip those two in this year’s preseason rankings for the CCS and WCAL.

Head coach Adhir Ravipati still has a solid group of players back that certainly will keep the Crusaders near the top of the CCS. The group includes all-state junior RB Adonyae Brown (committed to UNLV), who can be impossible to bring down. Junior WR Israel Lawson could be another one on offense to watch. Defensively, it could be very good in the front seven. LB/Edge D.J. Sanchez was one of the sack leaders in the CCS as a junior, LB Ernie Tofi is a top 50 LB in the nation for his junior class and sophomore Soape Mafuahingano (6-0, 275) already has offers from Cal, Arizona State and more.

22. TUSTIN 8-3
First Game: Friday, Aug. 21 at San Clemente.

If the Tillers hadn’t had such a bad loss in the CIFSS D2 playoffs last season — 45-8 to Rancho Cucamonga — we’re pretty sure they’d be closer to the top 15 to start this season. The returning collection of top players is just that good. They still have to get it done on the field, of course, and the first game will be a major test. Tustin had a season-opening win last season over San Clemente, but this year’s contest will be down there and the Tritons already have played a game.

There are four all-state first team candidates returning to the lineup. That’s similar to what you see for a top team at Mater Dei or St. John Bosco. All four players are on defense at the same time — LB Taven Epps (Oklahoma), DL Jeremiah Williams (BYU), DL Jon Ioane (Washington) and DB Khalil Terry (UCLA). Williams and Ioane also have played fullback and quarterback on offense, respectively. Ioane won’t be needed at QB, however, after sophomore Ayden Edwards emerged last season. The junior has offers from Oregon, Michigan and more. Edwards also will be throwing to one of the top junior WRs in SoCal in Hayden Koo (visits to USC and Ohio State). Another to watch is WR/DB Rufai Azeez (Nevada commit) and WR/DB Jeremiah Salvant.

Jaxson Rex is going to head to BYU after he’s finished up at San Clemente, which makes sense as he has an older brother there. Photo: X.com.

It’s not the preseason for the Tritons as they started out their 2026 campaign with a 23-8 win on Thursday over Kapa’a in Hawaii. There were a couple of other SoCal teams that played there for what were tabbed Week 00 games (the Hawaii season has usually started earlier than in California). The issue was a hurricane coming close to the islands so games were moved up a day so the mainland teams could get back out before it arrived.

San Clemente is often the main contender and second-best team in its league to Mission Viejo. That was not the case last year as Los Alamitos won the CIFSS D2 title. The Tritons made it to the final game and have a stronger group of returning players this season plus Los Al is going through a coaching change. One of the reasons for San Clemente going on a playoff run a year ago was the emergence of QB Preston Beck. He passed for 1,460 yards and 11 TDs despite not being the starter until the middle of the season. Head coach Jaime Ortiz (the 2023 State Coach of the Year) also welcomes back the extremely versatile Jaxson Rex. The BYU commit had 63 receptions for 856 yards and 11 TDs as a junior, but is more highly regarded by college scouts as a safety. All-league LB Jack Weller and all-league DB Cade Hogan both return as well. Another plus is the addition of WR Ryan Matheson of San Juan Hills. The transfer senior had 69 catches for the Stallions last season.

24. LINCOLN (SAN DIEGO) 10-3
First Game: Friday, Aug. 21 vs Carson.

The Hornets have the chance to move up in the rankings with early-season games against both Pacifica of Oxnard and Mission Viejo. Head coach David Dunn’s program, which has won two CIF state titles (D1-AA & D1-AA) since 2022, continues to develop exciting players.

There were several QBs who started more than one game for Lincoln last season. Senior Dre Jackson could be the one this season and if he can stablize the position and spread the ball around to all of the various talented players around him that will greatly improve the chances for the team pulling off some big wins. The top returning receiver is Dareyen Bridges, who has some of the top video highlights out there. The offensive line also has some returning strength. Sophomore Ka’Marion Wiley (6-5, 310) could be one of the top soph OLs in the state. Jesus Jimenez (6-1, 280) also is coming off of a strong 2025 season. Two of the top returnees on defense are DL Jamari Sherrell (6-1, 260) and senior DB Jae’veyion Allen, who had two interceptions as a junior.

25. RANCHO CUCAMONGA 7-5*
First Game: Thursday, Aug. 20 vs. Murrieta Valley (Murrieta).

We thought of putting the Cougars higher than 25th since they had that big win over Tustin in the CIFSS D2 playoffs last year, but lost some great players to graduation. The good news for them is the transfer of QB Treyvonne Towns, who started and shined as a freshman two years ago at Oaks Christian of Westlake Village and started again for the Lions last season. Towns has multiple D1 offers and has made visits to Ohio State, Florida, Penn State, Purdue, Nebraska and Notre Dame.

Rancho Cucamonga also has some others, as usual, who are on D1 college recruit lists. Nathan Mensah led the team in interceptions last season with five and is one of them. Junior TE Jaylin Smalls (6-4, 230) has USC and UCLA among his finalists, junior DB Terence Parsee is ranked among the top 50 junior safeties in the nation and senior WR Landon White has committed to Louisville. The top lineman, senior Johnny Fortune (6-4, 305), has committed to San Diego State.

TO SEE PREVIEWS FOR TEAMS RANKED FROM NO. 26 TO NO. 50, CLICK HERE.

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: @CalHiSports