The Top 10s: California High School Football Week 1 Matchups

Five games pitting Top 25 state-ranked teams highlight a fantastic Friday Night of action

De La Salle junior Landon Miller follows in the footsteps of many great linebackers at his school and in the state, including former Spartan DJ Williams. His sixth-ranked Spartans travel to No. 22 Serra-San Mateo, alma mater of the great Tom Brady, for a sterling Friday Night Lights opener. | Photo by Dennis Lee

More than 90,000 California High Schools play 11-man football. Here are the top 10 games to watch heading Friday's game in Week 1 of the 2026 season, Aug. 28.

Clearly, these are elite games with either elite teams or compelling players or storylines. Check back each week and High Schools On SI's Top 25 California rankings.

Check back here to all the Top 10s, where we give readers just what they want: More lists.

10. Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills (0-0) at Argyle (Texas) (0-0)

The Sacramento region’s second-best team, coached by state-title-winning coach Casey Taylor, tests his squad against a Texas power that has gone 170-16 since 2013. Oak Ridge is led by returning starting QB Nick Johnson. 

9. Clovis West (1-0) at La Costa Canyon (1-0)

Great cross-sectional matchup of Central’s Section’s No. 2 team, according to section historian Paul Meadors, at longtime San Diego power La Costa Canyon, which opened the season with an impressive 35-0 win over Central-El Centro. Clovis West had little trouble with a 48-14 home opening win over Reno-Nevada stalwart Bishop Manogue.   

8. Lincoln-San Diego (0-1) at #13 Pacifica/Oxnard (1-0)

Pacifica/Oxnard QB Taylor Lee is back after leading his team to a Southern California 1-AA championship last year. | Jace Kessler

Lincoln is a perennial San Diego Section juggernaut with two state titles and winners of at least 10 games in seven of its last eight seasons (not counting shortened pandemic season), while the Tritons (83-18 since 2018) has lost in the state finals the last two seasons. Lincoln lost a tough 35-31 opener, while Pacifica rolled cross-town foe Del Sol 52-6. 

7. #20 Riordan (0-0) at West-Orem (Utah) (2-0)

Might be a tough ask for the visiting Crusaders who will play their first game in five seasons without quarterback Michael Mitchell Jr., a four-year starter and San Francisco Chronicle 2025 Player of the Year who is now at Stanford. West beat rival East last week 60-0 getting 100 yards rushing and four touchdowns from senior tailback Junior Dixon. 

6. Oaks Christian (0-1) at #18 Rancho Cucamonga (1-0) 

Oaks Christian hopes for a big turnaround following an 18-0 loss last week to Chaminade under new coach Rudy Carlton, who was an offensive coordinator at JSerra before getting the job in Westlake Village. Rancho Cucamonga erased a 14-point deficit and beat Murrieta Valley last week. 

5. #23 Grant Union (0-0) at #11 Central East (0-0)

Central East's Jelani Dippel led the Bengals to a state title in 2025. | Photo by Todd Shurtleff

Played at beautiful, spacious Deran Koligian Stadium, which seats 5,000, the host Bengals, led by the state’s most prolific passer of 2025, Jelani Dippel (4,583 yards, 58 touchdowns), hope to avenge their only defeat from last season. Grant beat Central East 42-26 in Week 2 in Sacramento, but the Bengals went on to win the state D1-AA championship. 

4. #10 Orange Lutheran (0-1) at #16 Cathedral Catholic (0-0)

The Lancers look to rebound from a heartbreaking 23-22 loss to Miami (Fla.) Central, and now travels to San Diego Section’s top team. 

3. #15 Cardinal Newman (0-0) at #7 Folsom (0-0)

Absolutely intriguing matchup considering Newman is entering the fray of the elite. With an influx of transfers, playmakers, gigantic linemen — the offensive front averages well over 300 pounds — a top-end quarterback in LT Retamoza, and a coaching infusion from Southern California (first-year head coach Kenny McMillan and assistants Sean Embree and Ryan Crowe all coached at defending state Open Division champion Santa Margarita-Rancho Santa Margarita) — the Cardinals have scheduled way up, starting with the six-time state champion Bulldogs, coming off a state D1-A crown behind Cal-bound quarterback Brody Rudnicki and WR Rob Larson (UCLA).

Folsom backup Brody Rudnicki guided a pair of second-half touchdown drives to help the Bulldogs pull out a stunning 42-38 come-from-behind victory in the CIF NorCal Division I-AA regional championship in 2025. He's the fulltime starter now. | Dorie Anderson

2. #6 De La Salle (0-0) at #22 Serra-San Mateo (0-0)

They’re bringing in the lights especially for this Friday Night special, pitting the Bay Area’s top two teams and best friends as coaches, De La Salle’s Justin Alumbaugh and Serra’s Patrick Walsh. The two storied programs feature more than a dozen committed college players, including De La Salle running back Duece Jones-Drew (UCLA) and Serra safety-running back Malakai Taufoou (Oregon). 

1. #3 Santa Margarita (1-0) at #1 Corona Centennial (1-0) 

Centennial High School WR Quentin Hales hold up his offensive MVP award at The Opening in Oregon over the summer. | 247 Sports

This is the third time in two seasons the Eagles have mixed it up with Santa Margarita winning the first two 33-27 in overtime and 42-7 in the Southern Section Division 1 championship at the Rose Bowl. Centennial is the slight favorite only because its has an impressive new passing combination of Jaden Jefferson to Quentin Hale (8 catches, 155 yards, two touchdowns in a 41-21 win over Servite last week). Jefferson threw for 296, ran for 92 and accounted for four scores. Santa Margarita was probably even more impressive in a 27-0 win over Jones as coach Carson Palmer’s son Fletch managed the game expertly in his first start at quarterback.