2026 California Football Preseason Rankings Countdown: Nos. 6-10

The countdown is winding down.

California’s 2026 season is less than a week away with openers starting Aug. 20-21 in the Central, Southern, San Diego, Sac-Joaquin and Los Angeles City sections, and Aug. 27-28 in the Central Coast Section, North Coast, Oakland and San Francisco sections.

Picking the Top 25 teams isn’t as difficult as it once was. Quite earnestly, the same teams largely resurface every year, built by cohesive coaching staffs that draw in top talent. If not the old fashion way of residing in circulation regions, blue chip athletes are finding ways to gain eligibility by legal bounds.

The results are many of the titan programs battling year after year for winning programs, leading to section, if not regional and state titles.

See last season’s 2025 final rankings here and below check for the California 2025 in review section, featuring title game results, section champions and statistical leaders.

Today are teams 6-10. Look for the Top 5 on Thursday. All Southern Section team writeups are from Tarek Fattal and his Southern Section’s preseason football rankings.

COUNTDOWN | Teams 21-25, 16-20, 11-15

10. ORANGE LUTHERAN

Orange Lutheran wide receiver Nico Bland is one of the state's best. | Jack Beasley

Last season: 3-9, 1-4 Trinity League

Last 5 seasons: 33-29

Top Offensive Players: WR Nico Bland, Sr.; WR Chris Flores Jr., Sr.; OL Troy Oliva, Sr.; OL Lucas Rhoa, Sr.; QB Reagan Toki, Sr.;

Top Defensive Players: DL Raymond Langi, Sr.; LB Anthony McClure, Sr.; DL Cory Panapa, Sr.; DB Matthew Zapien, Sr.; DB Anhor "The Great" Johnson, So.; DB King Rich Johnson, So.; DL Ariez Leomiti, So.; DB CJ Washington, So.

Newcomers: Jamaal Fay, LB, So. (Leuzinger), QB Ezrah Brown, Fr., OL Mario Luna, Fr.; WR Raiden Velasquez, Fr.

Coach Ray Fenton says: "We expect to be a tough, physical, and disciplined team that competes every week. We will represent our program with Dignity, Integrity, and Grace."

9. PITTSBURG

High school football California — Pittsburg WR RJ Mosley, making a spectacular one-handed catch in last season's NorCal D1-A final, has graduated. But the Pirates bring a boatload of talent back in 2026. | Photo by Dennis Lee

Last season: 11-3, 5-0 Bay Valley Athletic League

Last 5 seasons: 57-13

Top offensive players: RB Isaiah Harrison, Jr.; QB JaVale Jones, Jr.; WR Kenny Ward, Jr.; OL Ha’angana Tau, Sr.;

Top Defensive Players: DL Tau, Sr.; DB Ward, Jr.; DE Terrance Murphy, Sr. (Fresno State commit), SS Jeremiah Edwards, Jr., DL Demetrius Toeaina, Jr.; LB Nico Pavlin, So.; SS Antjuan Holly, Sr.

Coach Charlie Ramirez says: “The primary focus is having a set standard, which is always focusing on us and being the best version of us. … Everyone knows the expectations and has bought into the expectations and that’s what we have been able to establish over the last 10 years.”

8. MISSION VIEJO

Last season: 9-2, 3-0 Alpha Athletic League

Last 5 seasons: 51-10

Top Offensive Players: OL Amaziah Siale, Sr.; TE Max Markofski, Sr.;TE Luke Karby, Sr.; TE Kole Davis, Sr.; WR Jack Junker, Sr.

Top Defensive Players: CB Jordan Hicks, Jr.; ATH Jeremy Bonhomme, Jr.; DB Jojo Reed, Sr.

Newcomers: QB Brett Burnor, So.

Coach Chad Johnson says: Johnson told the OC Register he returns his whole offensive line. "Are they as good as advertised?” Johnson asked. “We’ll see. Can they protect the young quarterback?”

7. FOLSOM

Last season: 14-1, 6-0 Sierra Foothill League (state D1-AA champs

Last 5 seasons: 62-11

Top offensive players: QB Brody Rudnicki, Sr.; WR Rob Larson, Sr. (UCLA) commit; RB Branson Bambino, Jr.; C Zach Ramirez, Sr.; OL Malachi Coleman, Sr.

Top defensive players: LB Nick Wegner, Sr.; LB EJ Coleman (Washington State commit) , Sr.; DL Lua DeBerry (Sacramento State), Sr.

Newcomer: Ath. Carter Williams, Sr. (San Jose State commit)

6. DE LA SALLE-CONCORD

Cathedral Catholic at De La Salle: Live score updates — De La Salle running back Duece Jones-Drew runs against Serra in 2024. The UCLA-bound running back is a son of former NFL tailback Maurice Jones-Drew. | Dennis Lee

Last season: 12-1, 5-0 East Bay Athletic League

Last 5 seasons: 55-12

Top offensive players: RB Duece Jones-Drew (UCLA commit), RB Jamal Johnson Lucas, Jr.; WR-DB Dylan Scott, Sr.; OL-DL Ben Glover; OT Clint Lundin (Stanford commit), Sr.; WR-DB Damari Dean, Jr.; QB Ray Pelosi, Sr., WR-DB Cameron Shepherd, So.

Top defensive players: LB Landon Miller, Jr.; DB-TE Chase Young, Sr.; DL AJ Talaola (UNLV commit), Sr.; DL Samatuafaiga Tagaloa Jr., So.; DL Darylon Asiasi, So.; LB Zion Cadet (San Jose State commit), Sr.; TE-LB Jmo Mitzel, Jr.

Newcomer: QB Jackson Mims, Jr.

Coach Justin Alumbaugh says: “We have a lot of guys back who had a lot of playing time at almost all positions. … To win another state title (the Spartans have won a record seven of them, but last is 2015) we ultimately have to play much better in the state title game. We’ve been right there. But there’s a whole big challenging path to get there first. We’re just taking it one game, one practice at a time.”

CALIFORNIA 2025 IN REVIEW

Not Mater Dei. Not St. John Bosco.

For the first time since 2015, a California football team not named either of those two schools won the biggest prize — the California Interscholastic Federation Open Division championship — to finish off the 2025 season.

Santa Margarita, a rapidly rising up-and-coming program that plays in the same Trinity League as national juggernauts Mater Dei and St. John Bosco, won the Open crown with a decisive 47-13 win over perennial Northern California power De La Salle-Concord at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo.

Santa Margarita senior WR Trent Mosley and USC commit had eight catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone when the Eagles raced to a 35-7 lead en route to a 47-13 win in the CIF State Open Division championship at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo. | Photo by Todd Shurtleff

State Player of the Year, big-play receiver Trent Mosley had 11 catches for 183 yards and two touchdowns and added a TD rushing as the Eagles, coached for the first season by former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback standout Carson Palmer, finished off a late-season flurry with a thoroughly decisive win over De La Salle (12-1), which was after its ongoing record eighth state title.

The Spartans, who hadn’t played for 22 days due to early North Coast Section playoffs and a week off after being selected the top team from the North, were outgained 377-180 and sacked four times. Its star running back, state-champion sprinter Jaden Jefferson, scored both of De La Salle’s touchdowns.

Tulsa-bound quarterback Trace Johnson threw for 247 yards and four touchdowns, two also to Luke Gazzaniga. A 43-yard pick-6 by Siua Holani capped the lopsided win for Santa Margarita (11-3), which finished the season with lopsided wins over Orange Lutheran (28-7 and 31-6), JSerra Catholic (41-14), Sierra Canyon (21-9) and Corona Centennial (42-7).

MORE STATE CHAMPIONS

Division 1-AA: Folsom 42, Cathedral Catholic-San Diego 28

Division 1-A: Central East 42, Pacifica-Oxnard 28

Division 2-AA: St. Mary’s-Stockton 27, Bakersfield Christian 24

Division 2-A: Sonora 35, Rio Hondo Prep 10

Division 3-AA: St. Ignatius 42, Ventura 35

Division 3-A: Kennedy-Delano 42, McClymonds-Oakland 25

Division 4-AA: Barstow 17, Sutter 7

Division 5-AA: Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland 37, Christian-El Cajon 0

Division 5-A: San Andreas 42, Bishop Union 21

Division 6-AA: Valley Center 36, Lincoln-San Jose 35

Division 6-A: Winters 28, Morse 7

Division 7-AA: Redding Christian 16, Woodbridge-Irvine 0

Division 7-A: Balboa-San Francisco 42, South El Monte 8

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS | Game previews

SECTION CHAMPIONS

Central Section — Central East (Division 1-AA), Bakersfield Christian (1-A), Arroyo Grande (D2), Kennedy (D3), Immanuel (D4), Bishop Union (D5), Minarets (D6), Fresno Christian (8-man)

Central Coast Section — Riordan (Open Division), Serra (Division 1), St. Ignatius (D2), Menlo-Atherton (D3), Lincoln-San Jose (D4), Piedmont Hills (D5)

LA City Section — Carson (Open Division), South Gate (D1), San Fernando (D2), Santee (D3), Sherman Oaks CES (8-person)

North Coast Section — De La Salle (Open Division), Pittsburg (D1), Monte Vista-Danville (D2), El Cerrito (D3), Miramonte (D4), Ferndale (D5), Bishop O’Dowd (D6), Middletown (D7), Stuart Hall (8-person D1), Elsie Allen (8-person D2).

Northern Section — Chico (Division 2), Gridley (D3), Winters (D4), Redding Christian (D5)

Oakland Section — McClymonds

San Diego Section — Cathedral Catholic (Open Division), Granite Hills (D1), Santa Fe Christian (D2), Christian (D3), Valley Center (D4), Morse (D5-A), Marantha Christian (D5-AA), St. Joseph Academy (D6)

Sac-Joaquin Section — Folsom (D1), St. Mary’s (D2), Woodcreek (D3), Roseville (D4), Sutter (D5), Sonora (D6), Calaveras (D7), Mira Loma (D8)

San Francisco Section — Balboa

Southern Section — Santa Margarita (D1), Los Alamitos (D2), Pacifica (D3), La Habra (D4), Rio Hondo (D5), Ventura (D6), Barstow (D7), Beckman (D8), Valley Christian (D9), Hillcrest (D10), Valley View (D11), Grace (D12), Woodbridge (D13), South El Monte (D14), Flintridge Prep (8-man D1), Lancaster Baptist (8-man D2).

RETURNING STATE STAT LEADERS
(All via MaxPreps leaderboards)

Touchdowns

Eli Dukes (Palma) 37

Elijah Walker (Chavez) 36

Joe Lara (Liberty Ranch) 32

James Curso (Clovis) 30

Carson Tidwell (King City) 30

Elias Haynes (Downey) 30

Passing yards

Jelani Dipper (Central East) 4,583 yards

Taylor Lee (Pacifica-Oxnard) 4,059

Zachary Benitez (Granite Hills-Cel Cajon) 4,009

Deshawn Laporte (Burbank) 3,990

Michael Gonzalez (South Gate) 3,842

Touchdown passes

Dippel (Central East) 58

Wyatt Shaw (Redding Christian) 55

Laport (Burbank) 54

Lee (Pacifica) 53

Riley Williams (Grace) 46

Rushing yards

Eli Dukes (Palma) 2,420

Gage Jones (Live Oak) 2,207

Wyatt Gillett (Los Molinos) 2,187

Ma’Kahl Fields-Cook (Canyon Hills) 2,092

Carson Tidwell (King City) 2,076

Dvaughn Norwood (Bella Vista) 1,876

Receiving yards

Nicholas Fonseca (South Gate) 1,782 (99 catches, 20 touchdowns)

Bayon Harris (Central East) 1,768 (86, 26)

Demaje Riley (Tulare Union) 1,519 (72, 13)

Blake Wong (Norco) 1,479 (84, 20)

Jmari Garlington (Banning) 1,470 (76, 17)

Tackles

Isiah Phelps (Pacifica) 232

Madden Mayer (Linfield Christian) 180

Ryan Halversen (Middletown) 177

Jaret Bridwell (Red Bluff) 173

Kane Casani (Loyola) 166

Sacks

Brandon Garcia (La Puente) 21

Anthony Lara (Kennedy-Delano) 19

Juan Raygoza (McLane) 18

Kingston Sula (Carson) 16

Paul Pennson (North Hollywood) 15

Cody McCoard (Golden Sierra) 15

Interceptions

Jaden Walk-Green (Corona Centennial) 10

Raul Iniguez (Fall River) 9

Micah Skinner (Redding Christian) 9

Xavier Musselman-Cano (Beckman) 9

Taylor Sheriff (Canyon Hills) 8

Shane Anderson (Viewpoint) 8

Jayden Harris (Manteca) 8

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