Bryce Coleman of medium schools No. 1 Crean Lutheran (left) breaks loose during recent game. At right, players from St. Vincent de Paul of Petaluma celebrate after big win vs Hughson to win CIF NorCal D4-AA crown. Photos: Crean Lutheran Shutterbugs / For OC Sports Zone & Mark Tennis.
Here’s our first look this season breaking down teams from around the state into medium and small divisions. The first No. 1 team slots go to Crean Lutheran of Irvine (medium) and Sonora (small). These will be weekly starting on Oct. 8 through the end of the regular season and then one week into the playoffs before we’ll switch to CIF state bowl game projections. Then there will be final medium/small school state rankings plus our own traditional final five-division rankings compiled at the end of the season.
Note: We hope you enjoy this free post on CalHiSports.com. All future medium/small school state football rankings this season will be for our Gold Club members only. 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.
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(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 nearly 50 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)
(After games of Saturday, Sept. 13)
MEDIUM SCHOOLS TOP 15
1. Crean Lutheran (Irvine) 4-0
We did not rank the Saints in front of Tustin in this week’s State TOP 50 Rankings at No. 38 compared to No. 35 for the Tillers, but we’re going to match the order of the Orange County TOP 20 and will be starting them one spot higher for medium schools. The team’s earlier 42-10 win vs St. Pius X-St. Matthias of Downey also has been enhanced with that team’s win last week over Newbury Park. Head coach Rick Curtis’ team also has a win over Rick’s son’s team at Capistrano Valley, which is 3-1. Junior QB Caden Jones has passed for 1,119 yards in the first four games.
2. Tustin 2-2
The Tillers are medium schools since they are not in Orange County’s Alpha or Bravo Leagues. They just lost 24-7 to Damien of La Verne, but Damien moved up to No. 18 overall in the state this week and they have a one-point loss to Long Beach Poly (also large schools). Tustin also has a 30-17 win over San Clemente and that may arguably be as strong as a win as any teams on the medium schools chart can claim.
Reigning Gabilan Division MVP Sam Whelan was the QB at Soquel two years ago when it won CIF D4AA state title. Photo: Santa Cruz Sentinel / YouTube.com.
3. Beaumont 4-0
The enrollment at Beaumont is booming but based on the CIFSS divisions that the Cougars have been in and the league they play in, they are still medium schools. Head coach Jeff Steinberg’s team just beat Chaminade of West Hills, 27-14, and Chaminade (large schools from the Mission League) is a team that started the season with a win vs Oaks Christian.
4. Oak Hills (Hesperia) 2-2
The Bulldogs are similar to Tustin in that they have really stepped it up this season with their schedule. They just lost to JSerra of the Trinity League by only 24-21 and their other loss is to higher-ranked large school Rancho Cucamonga. They also have a big win (38-10) over Bishop Amat of La Puente.
5. Soquel 3-0
This is the first team in the medium schools pecking order that is not inside the State TOP 50 that we do every week. The Knights won a CIF state title two years ago, but were stuck in the CIF Central Coast Section Open Division last season. They may have to be in that top division again. They just blasted Carmel, 49-0, to snap that team’s 16-game win streak and they have wins over both Los Gatos (had a win vs Liberty of Brentwood and just lost by one point to Clovis) and San Ramon Valley of Danville (just had a win vs Clayton Valley of Concord).
6. Mt. Miguel (Spring Valley) 3-1
Senior WR/DB Brandon Arrington and junior WR/DB Delontay Williams are two of the most exciting players in the state and the Matadors are firmly inside the top 10 overall for the CIF San Diego Section. Their loss is to state No. 14 La Costa Canyon, but they have a win over San Marcos and two weeks ago they beat Loyola of Los Angeles, 21-0.
7. Twelve Bridges (Lincoln) 4-0
Last season’s CIF D2-A state runner up is still medium schools (Palos Verdes, the team the Raging Rhinos lost big to in that state final, is large) and despite some big graduation losses has started out 4-0. The latest win was super close, 42-41, vs Arroyo Grande of the Central Section. Their best win is 42-27 over Sierra Foothill League member Whitney of Rocklin.
8. Tulare 3-0
New rules in the CIF Central Section won’t force teams like Tulare this year (or Hanford from last year) from having to be placed in the top division. This team has tons of firepower with QB Jordan Crisp and receivers Brayden Stevenson and Demaje Riley and the first win vs St. Joseph of Santa Maria is aging well.
9. McClymonds (Oakland) 1-1
The Warriors have been a medium school even though they routinely step up and play top competition from large school style leagues such as Archbishop Riordan (lost in the first game) and St. Francis of Mountain View (won in the second game).
10. La Habra 3-1
Veteran head coach Frank Mazzotta has had a team that’s been No. 2 in the San Gabriel Valley behind Damien (large schools) and has been in the top 15 in Orange County. The Highlanders just lost to Mira Costa (large schools), but it was 35-33 and the three wins have been impressive. They also are in the same Epsilon League as Crean Lutheran.
11. Acalanes (Lafayette) 3-0
The CIF D3-A state champs from two years ago and a losing team by just one point to Carmel in last year’s CIF D5-AA NorCal final has another strong squad. The Dons just beat 2024 CCS Open champ St. Ignatius, which may be down from last year but that’s still a quality win for a medium school.
12. Aquinas (San Bernardino) 2-1
Remember mentioning Tustin losing to Damien 24-7 up above. Well, the Falcons’ also had a loss to Damien in their first game and it was by a closer margin (20-15). They had a bye last week after collecting wins against Glendora and Bonita of La Verne.
13. Rancho Bernardo (San Diego) 3-0
A win last week over Torrey Pines and one to start the season vs recent CIF D2-AA state champ La Serna stands out for the Broncos. They’re led by multi-purpose standout Gaige Weddle, sophomore son of head coach Eric Weddle (the former NFL player).
14. Campolindo (Moraga) 3-0
Head coach Kevin Macy has another strong team and this year’s game with Acalanes (see above) is going to potentially be huge. The Cougars won last week, 16-13, over 2024 CIF D3-A state champ Vanden of Fairfield behind three field goals from NorCal Special Teams/Multi-Purpose Player of the Week Zach Tabibian.
15. Cajon (San Bernardino) 2-1
The Cowboys’ loss came in a high-scoring first game (35-27) to unbeaten Norco (large school). They have wins since then over Etiwanda and Newport Harbor, they play San Jacinto this week and they are in the same league as No. 3 medium schools’ Beaumont.
Teams On The Bubble
Bakersfield Christian 3-0
Capistrano Valley (Mission Viejo) 3-1
Charter Oak (Covina) 3-1
Huntington Beach 3-1
Oakdale 3-1
San Marin (Novato) 3-0
St. Joseph (Santa Maria) 3-1
St. Pius X-St. Matthias (Downey) 2-2
Vanden (Fairfield) 3-1
Note: Among teams that are large schools that have been medium in the past are Manteca, Cardinal Newman of Santa Rosa and Marin Catholic of Kentfield.
SMALL SCHOOLS TOP 10
1. Sonora 4-0
Everyone around the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section knew that the Wildcats were loaded for this year due to the returning players they have from last year’s team that scored 63 and 52 points in the CIF D4-A regional and state finals. They proved just how loaded last week with a 35-24 win over Turlock (SJS D1 semifinalist last season) and may be the third best team period in the south part of the section behind only St. Mary’s and Manteca.
2. St. Vincent de Paul (Petaluma) 3-0
There’s been some close games, such as the one between the Mustangs and last year’s CIF D5-A state champs from American Canyon, but they now have a 16-game win streak, including the 13 straight wins to end last season for the D4-AA state title. The D-4AA is usually the highest for small schools. Gabe Casanovas also is one of the top QBs in NorCal regardless of school size.
A healthy Ezekiel Osborne this season makes Shafter a very dangerous team in the CIF Central Section. Photo: X.com.
3. Rio Hondo Prep (Arcadia) 4-0
Head coach Mark Carson’s squad got a scare in the first game when returning standout Noah Penunuri had to go in an ambulance to the hospital in the first game. It turned out not to be a serious injury but he has not played since. It’s been RB by committee since then, but QB Yanick Diaz has passed for seven TDs.
4. Sutter 4-0
The Huskies could be a medium school based on their league and continued success, but they are still in a small school playoff division in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section. They just beat Bradshaw Christian of Sacramento, 42-21, by a greater margin that St. Vincent de Paul did vs the same team, and have been getting huge games from junior RB Losi Asiata, who we assume is the younger brother of Auckland Asiata, graduated all-state small schools DE who is now at Fresno State.
5. Shafter 3-0
Four-year QB Ezekiel Osborne pumped up his career passing total to 101 touchdowns with five more in last week’s 49-13 win over Dos Palos. The Generals have an even higher ranked RB on offense as well with Mariyon Sloan, committed to Boise State.
6. Hughson 4-0
Most thought the Huskies were going to be down this year with QB Robert McDaniel graduated plus others, but they are still 4-0 so far this year and have played up with games against large schools Atwater and Pitman of Turlock. The real proof in the pudding for them is still to come in the same league as Sonora, Ripon, Escalon and Hilmar.
7. Salesian (Los Angeles) 3-1
The Mustangs are playing way up this week with a game vs state No. 18 overall Damien of La Verne. They are the highest ranked team going by the computer in the same league we consider small schools that includes Crespi, St. Anthony (Long Beach), and Harvard-Westlake.
8. Menlo School (Atherton) 3-0
While Menlo and its rivals down the street at Sacred Heart Prep now play Los Gatos and others in league games, we’re going to continue to rank them as small schools. Sticking to tradition. The Knights had a 60-0 win in their first game this season over Hozho Academy of New Mexico.
9. Woodland Christian 2-1
Only losing by 43-41 to No. 2 St. Vincent de Paul shows that the Cardinals (15-0 state champion from two seasons ago) have another very strong squad. They opened with 52-14 win over Woodland and won last week in overtime over Pioneer of Woodland to win the unofficial city title.
10. Bishop’s (La Jolla) 3-0
Both Bishop’s and Santa Fe Christian of Solana Beach (4-0) are considered small schools. The Knights are a bit higher in the computer rankings and they have QB Cash Herrera, who has committed to Indiana and is one of the top QBs in the CIF San Diego Section.
Teams On The Bubble
Bradshaw Christian (Woodland) 2-1
Brentwood (Los Angeles) 2-2
Carmel 1-1
Crespi (Encino) 4-0
Escalon 2-2
Fillmore 4-0
Hilmar 3-1
King’s Academy (Sunnyvale) 2-0
Ripon Christian 4-0
Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton) 2-1
Santa Fe Christian (Solana Beach) 4-0
Note: St. Pius X-St. Matthias (Downey) has been in small schools in the past, but is in the same league as medium schools St. Francis (La Canada), Paraclete (Lancaster), St. Paul (Santa Fe Springs), Cathedral of L.A. and Alemany (Mission Hills), and is now medium as well.
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.
