SportStars 100: Top 25 Teams

  1. De La Salle-Concord Football 2014
  While the Spartans have had an honor roll of talented individuals play between the white lines at Owen Owens Stadium, it’s impossible not to think of that football program and not think TEAM. There was little doubt a De La Salle football was going to top this list.
  The 2014 team may not have been the best Spartans team of the storied program, but it was the most dominant of the SportStars Era. The Spartans went 15-0 and were the highest-scoring team in school history, outscoring opponents 748-182 (42 of those opponents’ points came in the CIF Open Division State Bowl Championship against high-powered Centennial-Corona). It was also the most dominant rushing offense in school history, fueled by the junior tandem of Antoine Custer and Andrew Hernandez. The team finished No. 1 in the state (Cal-Hi Sports) and No. 2 in the nation (StudentSports.com).

  2. Granite Bay Girls Volleyball 2013
  The Grizzlies weren’t just the best girls volleyball team in the SportStars Era, they have a very real argument for the best team in STATE HISTORY. The CIF Division I State Champions finished the season with a record of 45-0 “” the best unbeaten record in state history by five games, passing the 2000 team of Bonita Vista-Chula Vista. Granite Bay finished the year ranked No. 1 in state (Cal-Hi Sports) and No. 3 in nation (StudentSports.com)

  3. Folsom Football 2014
  In an exclusive article for SportStars Magazine, Cal-Hi Sports co-founder and editor Mark Tennis ranked this Bulldogs team as the second-greatest Sac-Joaquin Section football team of all-time behind the undefeated 1975 Cordova-Rancho Cordova team. Behind national record-setting quarterback Jake Browning, Folsom went set a state record with 915 points (and also a state record for season point differential, 915-166) on its way to a perfect 16-0 season that included a CIF Division I State Bowl Championship and nation’s No. 5 ranking (StudentSports.com)

  4. St. Mary’s-Stockton Girls Basketball 2015
  Much like the De La Salle football program, there’s a huge back catalog of great teams in the history of the Rams program, but if this year’s squad that went 34-1 and won the CIF Open Division State Championship wasn’t the best, then the 2015-16 team might be. Only one senior will graduate from the roster that went a perfect 26-0 against California opponents, finished the year on a 29-game winning streak and as the No. 3 team in the nation (StudentSports.com).

  5. Monte Vista-Danville Girls Soccer 2013-14
  The Mustangs became just the second East Bay team in a 20-year span to finish a season undefeated, closing the year with a 23-0-2 mark after winning the North Coast Section Division I championship. The Mustangs allowed just seven goals on the season, outscoring their 25 opponents 59-7. They were crowned mythical national champs in the final StudentSports.com rankings of the season.

  6. Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland Boys Basketball 2014-15
  The CIF Open Division Champions were the undisputed best team in the state with a record of 28-4 and undefeated against in-state opponents. Three of the team’s four losses were to the two teams which finished No. 1 and 2 in StudentSports.com final national rankings. The Dragons would get the No. 4 ranking.

  7. Archbishop Mitty Girls Volleyball 2012
  Prior to Granite Bay’s perfect season, this Monarchs team may have held the title of NorCal’s most dominant team ever. Mitty went a perfect 38-0 to win the CIF Div. II State Championship. It lost just eight sets all year, and didn’t drop a single set in the state playoffs. The Monarchs closed the year No. 1 in the state and No. 2 in national (MaxPreps.com).  

  8. Jesuit-Carmichael Rugby 2013
  It’s not a CIF-sanctioned sport, but SportStars covers all sports. The 2013 Marauders (18-1-1) weren’t just mythical national champs, they won it outright on the field in the High School Rugby National Invitational in Indiana. Jesuit erased a 29-point deficit to defeat Xavier (N.Y.) in the semifinals, avenging their only other loss of the season.

  9. Amador Valley-Pleasanton Softball 2014
  Make room for another national champion. The Dons were crowned mythical national champions by MaxPreps.com after closing out a perfect 27-0 season and outscoring opponents 141-25. The StudentSports.com Fab 50 put them at No. 2 in their final national rankings.

  10. Jesuit Soccer 2012
  Yet another national champion, the Marauders closed the year atop the MaxPreps.com national rankings after posting a 27-1-1 overall record on their way to winning the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I title. Jesuit was undefeated against California opponents and outscored competition 120-8 on the season.

  11. De La Salle Boys Wrestling 2012
  As North Coast Section wrestling teams go, there hasn’t been a more dominant one. The Spartans scored a NCS Championship-record 318.5 points and finished 130.5 points ahead of second-place College Park. The Spartans had 12 wrestlers place, eight qualify for state and six won titles.

  12. San Ramon Valley Girls Water Polo 2013
  Led by top youth national player Kat Klass, who was in her junior year, the Wolves torched nearly every team that dared get in the pool with them. SRV finished the year 27-0 and outscored opponents 439-101 and scored 15 or more goals in 15 of their 27 contests.

  13. Bishop O’Dowd Girls Basketball 2012-13
  Like the school’s boys team of 2014-15, the Dragons were unquestionably the Alpha team in the state this season. With six NCAA Division-I talents on the roster, O’Dowd went 30-3 and avenged its only loss to a California team when it beat Windward-L.A. in the the inaugural CIF Open Div. State final. They finished No. 3 in the nation (StudentSports.com).

  14. Elk Grove Baseball 2013
  The Thundering Herd hit .333 AS A TEAM behind two of the best talents in the state, Rowdy Tellez and future MLB first-round pick, Derrick Hill. Elk Grove won the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. I title and posted a 30-5 record.

  15. Monte Vista-Danville Boys Hoops 2013-14
  The Mustangs were the closest thing to an undefeated state champion as a team could be. The CIF Division I champions went 32-1 and were undefeated in regulation during the season. Their only loss, which they avenged, was OT defeat to cross-town rival San Ramon Valley.

  16. De La Salle Football 2011
  Perhaps the best Spartans defense ever fueled this 13-1 season (its only loss coming in Florida against St. Thomas Aquinas in Week 2) and allowed 7 points or less in 10 games. They are the only team to win an CIF Bowl Game by shutout, defeating Westlake 35-0 in the Open Div. Bowl.

  17. College Park-Pleasant Hill Baseball 2015
  It’s difficult to put a team on this list that hasn’t completed its season yet, but the the Falcons have lived up to the hype of being BaseballAmerica’s preseason No. 1. They were runners-up in the National High School Invitational and have seven Div. I college-signed players on the roster.

  18. Archbishop Mitty Boys Basketball 2011-12
  In his junior year, Aaron Gordon led the Monarchs to a 31-3 overall record and the CIF Division II State Championship. Mitty closed the year on a 19-game winning streak to close season.

  19. Salesian-Richmond Boys Basketball 2011-12
  Had the CIF Open Division existed in 2012, the Pride may have had as good a shot as any NorCal team to win it. Instead, Salesian won the CIF Division IV championship behind a 34-2 record.

  20. Campolindo-Moraga Football 2014
  The Cougars went 16-0 and became just the second North Coast Section school to win a CIF State Bowl title, and the first public school to do so. They came from behind in each of their last four playoff games.

  21. Campolindo Girls Volleyball 2010
  The Cougars went 34-3 and captured the CIF Division III State title. Campo avenged or had previous wins against all three teams which beat them that season.

  22 .Sheldon-Sacramento Basketball 2011-12
  The third boys team on the list from this season, the Huskies went 29-6 to finish as CIF Div. I NorCal champs. Of their five  losses to California teams, three were to eventual state champs (Mitty, Salesian and Mater Dei-Santa Ana)

  23. Campolindo Girls Cross Country 2010
  The Cougars girls have notched a pair of state titles during the SportStars Era, but this team’s composite time of 91 minutes, 32 seconds is a CIF State Championships Division III Race record by 25 seconds

  24. Granite Bay Boys Golf 2013
  With all five players shooting in the 70s, the Grizzlies were the first NorCal team to win a CIF State Boys Golf title since 2006, edging Foothill-Pleasanton by two strokes.

  25. Albany Girls Wrestling 2014
  It plays in the shadows of boys wrestling, but girls wrestling is growing and the 2014 Cougars team was the first to bring a state title back to NorCal thanks to four podium finishes, including two individual champions.