WEEK 16: North Coast Section Has Big CIF Regionals Weekend, Though Most Of NorCal Football Rankings Remain Static As We Head Into Season’s Final Week •

NorCal Football Rankings (Records through Dec. 7; previous rank in parenthesis). 

1. (1)  —  De La Salle-Concord   12-1

LAST WEEK: BYE
THIS WEEK: vs. St. John Bosco-Bellflower (12-1), 8 p.m. Saturday (Cerritos College)

2. (2)  —  Serra-San Mateo   13-1

LAST WEEK: d. San Joaquin Memorial-Fresno 28-18
THIS WEEK: vs. Corona Del Mar-Newport Beach (15-0), 4 p.m. Saturday (Cerritos College)

3. (3)  —  Valley Christian-San Jose   11-2

LAST WEEK: DNP
THIS WEEK: SEASON COMPLETE

4. (4)  —  Pittsburg   11-2

LAST WEEK: DNP
THIS WEEK: SEASON COMPLETE

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5. (5)  —  Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills   10-3

LAST WEEK: LOST to Central-Fresno 38-32
THIS WEEK: SEASON COMPLETE

6. (6)  —  Monterey Trail-Elk Grove   12-2

LAST WEEK: DNP
THIS WEEK: SEASON COMPLETE

7. (7)  —  Folsom   10-2

LAST WEEK: DNP
THIS WEEK: SEASON COMPLETE

8. (8)  —  Liberty-Brentwood   10-2

LAST WEEK: DNP
THIS WEEK: SEASON COMPLETE

9. (9)  —  Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa   13-1  

LAST WEEK: d. No. 20 Los Gatos 42-7
THIS WEEK: vs. El Camino-Oceanside (9-6), 6 p.m. Saturday

10. (10)  —  McClymonds-Oakland   11-0  

LAST WEEK: d. No. 17 Manteca 43-16
THIS WEEK: vs. Pacifica-Oxnard (14-1), Noon, Saturday (Cerritos College)

11. (11)  —  St. Ignatius-S.F.   9-3

LAST WEEK: DNP
THIS WEEK: SEASON COMPLETE

12. (12)  —  Wilcox-Santa Clara   9-3

LAST WEEK: DNP
THIS WEEK: SEASON COMPLETE

13. (13)  —  Monte Vista-Danville   8-4

LAST WEEK: DNP
THIS WEEK: SEASON COMPLETE

14. (14)  —  Clayton Valley-Concord   9-5   [PICTURED ATOP: Chace Bryson photo]

LAST WEEK: d. No. 15 Elk Grove 28-26
THIS WEEK: vs. Aquinas-San Bernardino (12-3), 4 p.m. Friday (Cerritos College)

15. (16)  ↑  Marin Catholic-Kentfield  11-2

LAST WEEK: DNP
THIS WEEK: SEASON COMPLETE

16. (NR)  ↑  San Ramon Valley-Danville  7-4

LAST WEEK: DNP
THIS WEEK: SEASON COMPLETE

17. (17)  —  Manteca   11-3  

LAST WEEK: LOST to No. 10 McClymonds-Oakland 46-13
THIS WEEK: SEASON COMPLETE

18. (18)  —  Inderkum-Sacramento   11-1

LAST WEEK: DNP
THIS WEEK: SEASON COMPLETE

19. (19)  —  Buhach Colony-Atwater   11-1  

LAST WEEK: DNP
THIS WEEK: SEASON COMPLETE

20. (15)   ↓   Elk Grove  10-5

LAST WEEK: LOST to No. 14 Clayton Valley-Concord 28-26
THIS WEEK: SEASON COMPLETE 

DROPPED OUT

No. 20 Los Gatos

NEXT FIVE

21. Edison-Stockton (10-2*), 22. Campolindo-Moraga (10-3*), 23. Placer-Auburn (10-3*), 24. Capital Christian-Sacramento (9-3*) and 25. Rancho Cotate-Rohnert Park (11-3)

*=SEASON COMPLETE

THREE AND OUT:

BIGGEST MOVER: The North Coast Section. While it’s not reflected greatly in rankings movement, the NCS had a superb showing during the CIF Northern Regional playoffs. The section went 6-0 and has all seven (No. 1 De La Salle-Concord was advanced straight to the Open Championship and didn’t play in a regional) of its section champions in state bowl games. Four of those teams sit inside our top 25: De La Salle, No. 9 Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa, No. 14 Clayton Valley-Concord and No. 25 Rancho Cotate-Rohnert Park. The other three playing in bowls are Del Norte-Crescent City (NCS Div. 5 champion), St. Bernards-Eureka (Div. 6) and Salesian-Richmond (Div. 7).

UPSET OF THE WEEK: Honestly, we weren’t surprised by any of the results from the regional playoffs. However, the award for the most entertaining game likely goes to Clayton Valley’s 28-26 comeback win over then-No. 15 Elk Grove. The Ugly Eagles scored twice — both on 40+ yard passes — in the final three minutes to rally from 12 points back.

WEEK 16 GAME OF THE WEEK: The only game truly deserving of being called a state championship, the Open Division final between No. 1 De La Salle and St. John Bosco-Bellflower. The Spartans will certainly be considered underdogs, but perhaps less so than in previous years. A perfect effort may just deliver an upset and the program’s first  CIF title since 2015. De La Salle and Bosco last met in the 2016 Open final with the Braves winning 56-33.