Week 8 of the 2024 California high school football season is in the books, and High School on SI is unveiling its latest computer rankings for the state.
They look a lot different than the human rankings, but that’s what makes them interesting.
In the Southern Section, the top two teams at the top — in the nation and state as well — No. 1 Mater Dei and St. John Bosco are also 1 and 2 of the computer rankings after tough Trinity League wins last week.
The two Trinity League, section, state and national powers have combined to win every CIF Open Division title game since 2015. Every season but 2021 — there was no 2020 season due to the pandemic — the teams have met for the Southern Section crown.
The winner of the regular-season game doesn’t always have the upper hand in the playoffs. In fact, the teams have split their two meetings in 2016, 2019, 2022 and 2023. Last season was a prime example of how the regular-season showdown evidently triggers a revenge factor as Bosco won in October (28-0) but lost by the same margin in the section finals (35-7).
Both teams were victorious Friday heading into this week’s game as Mater Dei handled state No. 11 JSerra Catholic, 41-17, and St. John Bosco edged then No. 8 Servite, 27-17.
1.235 pts
1.194 pts
1.122 pts
1,054 pts
1.042 pts
In a battle of 1 versus 2 last week, Oregon-bound QB Akili Smith completed 13 of 20 for 189 yards and a touchdown and Aden Jackson and Junior Curtis combined to rush for 182 yards and three scores as No. 1 Lincoln handled then No. 2 Cathedral Catholic, 27-7.
1. Lincoln (6-2)
.938 pts
2. Cathedral Catholic (6-2)
.935 pts
3. La Costa Canyon (8-0)
.921 pts
4. Rancho Bernardo (7-1)
.890 pts
5. Mission Hills (6-2)
.885 pts
All eyes will be at Sofi Stadium Friday when the East LA Classic takes place pitting No. 1 Garfield against Roosevelt. Last week one of the games of the year in the state took place when Venice edged Palisades, 45-44.
1. Garfiled (6-2)
.817 pts
2. San Pedro (6-3)
.807 pts
3. Narbonne (6-2)
.806 pts
4. Carson (5-3)
.795 pts
5. Birmingham (3-4)
.790 pts
The vaunted Tri-River Athletic Conference is full speed ahead and last week top-ranked Clovis East took care of No. 8 Clovis 52-33 as Tyus Miller threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns and Lindsey Graves, Tyrone Bishop and Caleb Slocum each rushed for touchdowns, offsetting a 154-yard rushing performance by Maddox Merrill.
Fourth-ranked Clovis North took care of No. 6 Buchanan, which dropped 13 spots to No. 19, by a score of 51-14 as Jackson Cinfel rushed 18 times for 160 yards and two touchdowns and Mckay Madsen rushed for three scores. Luca Smith was an efficient 12 of 16 for 130 yards and two touchdowns to Ramzee Hamm.
1. Clovis East (8-0)
1.139 pts
2. Hanford (8-0)
1.005 pts
3. Arroyo Grande (7-1)
.963 pts
4. Clovis North (6-2)
.924 pts
5. Central (6-2)
.906 pts
Somehow, the section’s No. 1 team Saint Francis dropped three spots to No. 4 after trailing 13-0 at half scored 27 unanswered points in the second half, led by the section’s leading rusher Kingston Keanianna who finished with 211 yards and three touchdowns, to beat hostSt. Ignatius, 27-13. St. Ignatius dropped to No. 5 in the computer rankings.
1. Carmel (7-0)
.978 pts
2. Los Gatos (6-1)
.934 pts
3. Christopher (7-1)
.912 pts
4. Saint Francis (6-1)
.910 pts
5. St. Ignatius (5-2)
.909 pts
Top-ranked Lincoln had little trouble winning its 12th straight Bell Game over Washington, 54-0, as junior running back Michael Washington rushed for 159 yards and three touchdowns.
According to Ethan Kassel, the Mustangs held a 392-84 advantage in yards while winning their 32nd straight Academic Athletic Association game overall.
1. Lincoln (4-2)
.567 pts
2. Balboa (3-4)
.440 pts
3. Lowell (2-4)
.359 pts
4. Mission (2-4)
.296 pts
5. Galileo (1-5)
.214 pts
In a battle of the top two teams, it wasn’t much of a battle at all as top-ranked De La Salle opened up a 35-0 lead early in the second quarter en route to a 42-14 win over visiting San Ramon Valley. A spectacular 89-yard kickoff return by Jaden Jefferson set the tone, and Dom Kelley added TD runs of 4 and 81 yards. San Ramon Valley dropped just one spot in the computer rankings to No. 3 despite two TD passes from Rhett Thompson.
1. De La Salle (6-0)
1.146 pts
2. Cardinal Newman (7-0)
1.062 pts
3. San Ramon Valley (7-1)
1.004 pts
4. Pittsburg (6-1)
.985 pts
5. San Marin (6-1)
.946 pts
OAKLAND SECTION
Due to a fight that ended the McClymonds-Oakland game two minutes into the second quarter, the data for this section is a bit skewed. McClymonds was awarded a 21-0 win that was not reflected here, thus they are ranked second even though the Warriors haven’t lost to an Oakland Section team on the field since 2009. McClymonds and Oakland each forfeited games last week due to not enough players on the teams.
1. Oakland (4-2)
.584 pts
2. McClymonds (2-4)
.523 pts
3. Oakland Tech (3-3)
.484 pts
4. Castlemont (3-3)
.440 pts
5. Skyline (1-5)
.210 pts
Top-ranked Folsom raced to a 42-0 halftime lead then got a lot of players in the game as seven different players scored touchdowns with junior receiver Jason Hill Jr. the only one to score twice in a 69-7 win at Whitney. Five-star QB Ryder Lyons was 16 of 23 for 171 yards and five touchdowns, while Carter Jackson and Daymion Rivera combined for 11 carries, 122 yards and one touchdown.
1. Folsom (7-1)
1.100 pts
2. St. Mary’s (6-2)
1.090 pts
3. Twelve Bridges (8-0)
1.008 pts
4. Hughson (8-1)
.916 pts
5. Rocklin (7-1)
.914 pts
NORTHERN SECTION
Second-ranked Winters remaining on a destructive path with a 48-0 win over East Nicolause, a week after beating Colusa by the same score. ON the season the Warriors, who have a 77-0 win over Rio Vista on its schedule, has outscored opponents 307-43.
1. Foothill (7-1)
.929 pts
2. Winters (7-0)
.855 pts
3. Enterprise (5-1)
.825 pts
4. Shasta (5-2)
.816 pts
5. Red Bluff (5-2)
.797 pts
