Top 25 California high school football rankings (9/2/2024)

Trinity League lives up to lofty reputation with four monumental wins, boasts all six teams among the state's top 11

A De La Salle defender tackles Grant's Truman Broadnax from behind during the Spartans' 42-14 opening-week win over Grant. De La Salle moved up from No. 9 to 6 after the victory, while Grant, previously No. 13, dropped to honorable mention | Photo by Dennis Lee

Everyone jumped into the fray last week and it resulted in a lot of movement in SBLive’s Top 25 California rankings. 

The Trinity League out of the Southern Section flexed its muscle, topped off by Santa Margarita, coming off a humbling loss to Mission Viejo, which pulled off a notable 31-15 win over nationally-ranked Corona Centennial. 

Other impressive Trinity League wins came from No. 2 St. John Bosco, fourth-ranked JSerra Catholic, No. 5 Orange Lutheran and Servite, which jumped from No. 23 to No. 11 with a 37-17 victory over previous No. 8 Vista Murrieta.

• CALIFORNIA WEEK 1 SCORES: Thursday | Friday | Saturday
• FRIDAY SCORES BY SECTION: San Diego | Southern | LA City | Central | Central Coast | San Francisco | Oakland | North Coast | Sac-Joaquin | Northern

Top-ranked and Trinity League King Mater Dei enjoyed a bye while preparing for Bishop Gorman-Las Vegas in a battle of No. 1 versus No. 2 in the nation Friday at Santa Ana Stadium. 

FOOTBALL HEADLINES OF THE WEEK

• El Paso Eastwood's long, dusty trails to St. John Bosco
• Santa Margarita stuns Corona Centennial
• Duece Jones-Drew gets dad Maurice emotional
• De La Salle strikes early, often; Beats Grant
• No rebuild at Serra-San Mateo; shocks No. 3 Folsom
• Mission Viejo's Phillip Bell goes yachting, commits to Ohio State
• Best tailgate in California
• 4-star DL Matt Johnson's plans early enrollment to Oregon
• Suspensions handed down following Central Section fight
• Utah getting good one in Sierra Canyon QB Wyatt Becker
• Amazing photos: No. 9 De La Salle takes down No. 13 Grant
• Defensive Play of the Year in Week 1?

To the North, Serra of San Mateo showed it is in no rebuilding mode, with a wild 22-21 win at previous state No. 3 Folsom. The Padres, who had to replace 18 new starters off one of the best teams in Bay Area history, jumped out to a 13-0 lead, fell behind 21-13 by halftime, then got a late touchdown, but missed the extra point. 

Serra recovered an onside kick, then Brode Smith, who earlier missed an extra point, drilled a 38-yard field goal with 10 seconds left. 

Upland and Pacifica of Oxnard moved into the Top 25 after second straight wins. 

CALIFORNIA TOP 25 FOOTBALL RANKINGS (9/2/2024)

1. Mater Dei (2-0)

Dash Beierly throws the ball for Mater Dei against Corona Centennial on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. The Monarchs, not only California's top-ranked team, but No. 1 in the nation, hosts No. 2 national power Bishop Gorman-Las Vegas Friday at Santa Ana Stadium. | Greg Stein

Previous rank: 1
Last week: Idle
Next game: Friday vs. national No. 2 Bishop Gorman-Las Vegas 

2. St. John Bosco (2-0)

St. John Bosco had little trouble with a West Texas opponent on Friday but will be more severely tested Saturday when it travels to ninth-ranked Sierra Canyon. File photo by Heston Quan | Photo by Heston Quan

Previous rank: 2
Last week: Beat Eastwood of West Texas, 71-14
Next game: Saturday at Sierra Canyon

3. Mission Viejo (2-0)

Previous rank: 4
Last week: Idle
Next game: Friday vs. Liberty (Nev.)

4. JSerra Catholic (2-0)

Previous rank: 5
Last week: Beat Aquinas-Los Angeles, 35-7
Next game: Friday vs. Clovis North

5. Orange Lutheran (2-0)

In two games, Orange Lutheran senior quarterback TJ Lateef, a Nebraska commit, has completed 37 of 47 passes (79 percent) for 443 yards and seven touchdowns. | Photo: Dennis Lee

Previous rank: 6
Last week: Beat Rancho Cucamonga, 45-14
Next game: Friday vs. St. Frances Academy (Md.)

6. De La Salle (1-0)

Senior quarterback Tao Faavae celebrates in the back of the end zone with De La Salle students following a 9-yard scoring run, one of two he had during a 42-14 win over Grant on Friday. | Photo by Dennis Lee

Previous rank: 9
Last week: Beat No. 13 Grant-Union, 42-14
Next game: Friday vs. No. 12 Serra-San Mateo

7. Pittsburg  (1-0)

Previous rank: 10
Last week: Beat Monterey Trail, 42-13
Next game: Friday vs. Bishop Manogue

8.Santa Margarita (1-1)

Previous rank: 14
Last week: Beat Corona Centennial, 31-15
Next game: Friday vs. Liberty-Bakersfield

9. Sierra Canyon  (2-1)

Previous rank: 11
Last week: Beat Oaks Christian, 35-10
Next game: Saturday vs. No. 2 St. John Bosco

10. Corona Centennial (0-2)

Previous rank: 7
Last week: Lost to Santa Margarita, 31-15
Next game: Friday vs. Timpview (Provo, Utah)

11. Servite (2-0)

Previous rank: 23
Last week: Beat previous No. 8 Murrieta Valley, 37-17
Next game: Friday at Chaminade

12. Serra-San Mateo  (1-0)

Previous rank: 25
Last week: Beat prev. No. 4 Folsom, 22-21
Next game: Friday at No. 6 De La Salle

13. Folsom (1-1)

Previous rank: 3
Last week: Lost to prev. No. 25 Serra, 22-21
Next game: Sept. 13 vs. Turlock

14. Gardena Serra (1-1)

Previous rank: 12
Last week: Beat Warren 36-0 in game called at halftime due to altercation in stands
Next game: Saturday vs. Long Beach Poly at Cathedral Catholic (Honor Bowl)

15. Los Alamitos (2-0)

Previous rank: 15
Last week: Beat Narbonne, 49-6
Next game: Friday vs. Mililani (Hawaii)

16. Chaparral (2-0)

Previous rank: 16
Last week: Beat Apple Valley, 49-28
Next game: Friday vs. Temecula Valley

17. Granite Hills (2-0)

Previous rank: 17
Last week: Beat Mater Dei Catholic, 56-28
Next game: Saturday vs. Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) at Cathedral Catholic (Honor Bowl)

18. Lincoln-San Diego (1-1)

Previous rank: 18
Last week: Beat Long Beach Poly, 42-14
Next game: Friday at Coronado

19. Murrieta Valley  (1-1)

Previous rank: 8
Last week: Lost to Servite, 37-17
Next game: Sept. 13 vs. Murrieta Mesa

20. Upland (2-0)

Previous rank: HM
Last week: Beat Norco, 34-17
Next game: Friday at Villa Park

21. Archbishop Riordan (1-0)

Riordan junior QB Michael Mitchell Jr. (9) completed 24 of 37 passes for 298 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-34 comeback win over host McClymonds to open the 2024 season. Mitchell completed TD passes of 16 and 40 yards to Cynai Thomas in the final six minutes, the latter with 43 seconds left to help the Crusaders to the unlikely win. | Photo: Eric Taylor

Previous rank: 19
Last week: Beat McClymonds 35-34
Next game: Friday at St. Bonaventure

22. Central-Fresno (2-0)

Previous rank: 21
Last week: Beat East Anchorage (Alaska), 49-21
Next game: Friday at Turlock

23. Oak Hills (2-0)

Previous rank: 24
Last week: Beat Highland, 56-24 
Next game: Friday at Palmdale

24. Pacifica-Oxnard (2-0)

Previous rank: HM
Last week: Beat Oxnard, 44-7
Next game:  Next game: Friday at Newbury Park

25. Oaks Christian (1-1)

Previous rank: 20
Last week: Lost to prev. No. 11 Sierra Canyon, 35-10 
Next game: Friday vs. Roosevelt-Eastvale 

Honorable mention: Cathedral Catholic (2-0),  Cathedral (2-0), Clovis East (2-0), Clovis North (2-0), Damien (2-0), Grant (1-1), Inderkum (2-0), Newbury Park (2-0), Palos Verdes (1-1), Rocklin (2-0), San Clemente (1-1), St. Bonaventure (2-0), St. Francis (1-0), Vista Murrieta (2-0), Yorba Linda (2-0).