Top 25 California high school football rankings (9/16/2024)

Top-ranked Mater Dei gets defensive in 38-7 win over Hawaii power Kahuku; Second-ranked St. John Bosco makes first trip to Northern California a smashing success with convincing win over No. 16 Serra

St. John Bosco sophomore Maliq Allen on way to a 62-yard touchdown run in the first quarter in 56-16 nonleague win at Serra on 9/14/2024 | Photo: Dennis Lee

Mater Dei, the nation's No. 1 team, pulled off what St. John Bosco couldn't do last year — take a trip to Hawaii in the middle of the season and beat The Island's No. 1 team Kahuku.

Last season. Bosco, then the nation's No. 1 team, lost a Week 4 game at Kahuku, 30-23. And though the Braves stunned then No. 1 Mater Dei 28-0 three weeks later, they lost a rematch to the Monarchs for the CIF Southern Section Division I championship, 35-7.

On Saturday, Mater Dei held the three-time defending Hawaii Open Division champions to minus-10 yards rushing in a 38-7 win. Tomuhini Topui had a 50-yard interception return for score and Abdull Sanders Jr. added another pick-6 as the Monarchs remained firmly on top of the national and California rankings. Dash Beierly led the offense with two touchdowns.

Meanwile, No. 2 St. John Bosco showed off its big-play prowess with three touchdown plays over 60 yards in a 56-16 win at previous No. 16 San Mateo Serra. Matai Fuiava thew three first-half touchdowns, Maliq Allen scored on a 62-yard TD sprint and freshman Darren Tubbs had two TD catches.

CALIFORNIA WEEK 3 FOOTBALL SCORES

SCORES BY DAYS: Thursday | Friday | Saturday

SCORES BY SECTIONS: San Diego | Southern | LA City | Central | Central Coast | San Francisco | Oakland | North Coast | Sac-Joaquin | Northern

FOOTBALL HEADLINES OF THE WEEK

• St. John Bosco races past Serra
• Bishop Gorman handles Orange Lutheran
• Fight in stands spills to field, games stopped early in 2Q
• Southern Section scoreboard
• How SDS Top 15 fared
• How Central Section Top 15 fared
• How SJS Top 15 fared
• How CCS Top 15 fared
• How NCS Top 15 fared
• Santa Margarita handles Oaks Christian
• How 5-7 QB leads one of state's top teams
• LB Poly flag football player snags 7 interceptions
• Former NFL great Hardy Nickerson, son lead Bishop O'Dowd resurgence
• SS Sitdown: Long Beach Poly remembrances with Rob Shock

CALIFORNIA TOP 25 FOOTBALL RANKINGS (9/16/2024)

1. Mater Dei (3-0)

Mater Dei’s Kayden Dixon-Wyatt catches a pass and eludes a Bishop Gorman defender on Friday, September 6, 2024. | Heston Quan

Previous rank: 1
Last week results: Beat Kahuku, 38-7
Next: Friday vs. St. Frances Academy (Md.)

2. St. John Bosco (4-0)

St. John Bosco receiver Carson Clark had one of four touchdown catches for the Braves in a 56-17 win over Serra on 9/14/2024 | Photo: DennIs Lee

Previous rank: 2
Last week results: Beat San Mateo Serra, 56-16
Next: Friday vs. Pittsburg

3. Mission Viejo (3-0)

Mission Viejo's Phillip Bell tries to shed a De La Salle defender during the 2023 CIF D1-AA state title game | Joe Bergman

Previous rank: 3
Last week results: Beat Highland, 63-6
Next: Friday vs. Basha (Ariz.)

4. JSerra Catholic (4-0)

Previous rank: 4
Last week results: Beat San Diego Lincoln, 28-19
Next: Friday at Damien

5. De La Salle (3-0)

De La Salle 4-star defensive lineman and University of Oregon commit Matt Johnson (56) was a menace all night. He had a second-half sack in the Spartans' 39-10 win over Serra. | Photo: Dennis Lee

Previous rank: 6
Last week results: Beat Mountain View Saint Francis, 42-7
Next: Friday at Stockton St. Mary's

6. Santa Margarita (3-1)

Previous rank: 8
Last week results: Beat Oaks Christian, 37-17
Next: Friday at Leuzinger

7. Orange Lutheran (3-1)

Previous rank: 5
Last week results: Lost to Bishop Gorman, 55-28
Next: Satureday at Sierra Canyon

8. Pittsburg (3-0)

Previous rank: 7
Last week results: Beat Archbishop Riordan, 56-42
Next: Friday at St. John Bosco

9. Sierra Canyon (2-2)

Previous rank: 9
Last week results: Bye
Next: Friday vs. Orange Lutheran

10. Corona Centennial (2-2)

Corona Centennial takes the field against Mater Dei in season opener on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. | Greg Stein

Previous rank: 10
Last week results: Beat Highland (Utah) Lone Peak, 49-35
Next: Saturday at Peoria (Ariz.) Liberty

11. Servite (4-0)

Previous rank: 11
Last week results: Beat Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 38-17
Next: Sept. 27 vs. St. Paul

12. Gardena Serra (2-1)

Previous rank: 12
Last week results: Bye
Next: Thursday at Oaks Christian

13. Chaparral (4-0)

Previous rank: 13
Last week results: Beat Temecula Valley, 56-2
Next: Friday at Great Oak

14. Folsom (2-1)

What makes Ryder Lyons so effective is that he's equally good in or at of the pocket, as he displayed Friday in a 63-20 opening game win of the 2024 season in Folsom. | Photo: Ralph Thompson

Previous rank: 13
Last week results: Beat Turlick, 56-14
Next: Friday vs. Rocklin

15. San Diego Lincoln (2-2)

Previous rank: 15
Last week results: Lost to JSerra Catholic, 28-19
Next: Sept. 27 at Grant Union-Sacramento

16. Murrieta Valley (2-1)

Previous rank: 18
Last week results: Beat Murrieta Mesa, 42-0
Next: Thursday at King

17. Newbury Park (4-0)

Previous rank: 20
Last week results: Beat St. Pius X-St. Matthias, 44-14
Next: Sept. 26 at Ventura

18. Cathedral (4-0)

Previous rank: HM
Last week results: Beat Chaminade, 35-14
Next: Friday vs. Narbonne

19. Oak Hills (4-0)

Previous rank: 21
Last week results: Beat Beaumont, 28-19
Next: Friday vs. St. Bonaventure

20. Los Alamitos (3-1)

Previous rank: 23
Last week results: Beat St. Paul, 38-14
Next: Friday at Clovis North

21. San Mateo Serra (1-2)

Bosco offensive lineman Adrian Tavui (left) squares off with Serra's Quinn Seeberan. | Photo by Todd Shurtleff

Previous rank: 16
Last week results: Lost to St. John Bosco, 56-16
Next: Sept. 27 at St. Ignatius

22. Central (4-0)

Previous rank: 22
Last week results: Beat Stockton Edison, 42-26
Next: Friday vs. Bakersfield Liberty

23. San Clemente (2-2)

Previous rank: HM
Last week results: Beat Corona del Mary, 28-0
Next: Friday vs. Chino Hills

24. Clovis East (4-0)

Previous rank: HM
Last week results: Beat Grant Union, 59-45
Next: Friday at Lemoore

25. Rocklin (3-0)

Previous rank: 25
Last week results: Bye
Next: Friday at Folsom

HONORABLE MENTION: Clovis North (3-1), Damien (3-0), Downey (4-0), Inglewood (4-0), Leuzinger (3-0), Millikan (2-2), Oaks Christian (2-2), Pacifica Oxnard (3-1), San Ramon Valley (3-0), St. Bonaventure (3-0), Upland (2-1), Vista Murrieta (3-1), Yorba Linda (4-0).