Bee’s Best: Sizing up the Top 30 football teams in Sacramento area to start 2025
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Folsom and Grant lead Sacramento's rankings with strong D-I college pipelines.
- Public schools dominate the region, claiming most section and state titles since 1991.
- Folsom vs. Grant opener on ESPN sets tone for potential playoff rematch in Division I.
The Sacramento-area high school football landscape is different than the metro regions in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Orange County.
Those regions are dominated by private-school powerhouse programs, including De La Salle and Serra in the Bay Area, and Mater Dei and Bosco in the south. In this region?
It’s the pubic schools that have stood tall all over the decades, including Folsom and Grant combining to win eight CIF state championships and 23 CIF Sac-Joaquin Section banners since 1991, punctuated by those two programs producing more Division I college and NFL players than anyone else.
Fittingly, Folsom starts this top-ranked by The Sacramento Bee, anchored by pedigree and 18 players with Division I scholarship offers. The storied Pacers of Del Paso Heights — the proud city school — has 14 players with D-I offers and starts the season ranked second.
Who’s better? Stay tuned: Folsom visits Grant on Saturday to cap the opening weekend before a nationally televised audience on ESPN. A rematch could happen in the section Division I playoffs as Grant has moved up from Division II to the highest classification.
The private schools ranked high by The Bee have tradition, to be sure, but the trophy case is lonely. Christian Brothers last won a section championship in 1983, Destiny Christian Academy in 2018 when it went by Capital Christian, and Jesuit last tasted section glory in this sport in 2002.
A closer peek at The Bee’s rankings:
1. Folsom (12-2 in 2024)
League: Sierra Foothill
Division: I
School opened: 1922
Outlook: The stacked championships on campus include five CIF state crowns since 2010, the last in 2023 when then-sophomore QB ace Ryder Lyons engineered a late scoring drive. The Bulldogs also since 2010 have won 11 section crowns, including four in a row in Division I, and they have won nine SFL crowns since entering the best league in the section in 2014.
With 122 total career touchdowns, Lyons is back for a final season, headed to BYU, and WR Jameson Powell is committed to Ole Miss and OL Vlad Dyakonov to USC.
2. Grant (12-3)
League: Metro
Division: I
School opened: 1932
Outlook: The Pacers are big, fast, physical and motivated to four-peat as a section and Northern California champion, and they seek the program’s third CIF state crown in four years. The Pacers return All-Metro linemen Ronnie Noa-Keil, Lucio Dominguez and Roger Vaderhoef and fellow Bee All-Metro receivers Zo Edwards and Koby Shabazz.
The nonleague schedule includes state-ranked powers De La Salle, Clovis East of Fresno and 2024 CIF state champion Lincoln of San Diego.
3. Oak Ridge (8-5)
League: Sierra Foothill
Division: I
School opened: 1980
Outlook: The Trojans of El Dorado Hills have faced Folsom in each of the last three D-I title games without a breakthrough, though the program did win the 2019 D-I crown with a triumph over Monterey Trail.
Brothers Jasen and Justen Womack are two-way stars, WR Isaac Pierce can stretch the field, and Washington State commit rush end Javon Joseph is poised for a big season.
4. Rocklin (10-3)
League: Sierra Foothill
Division: II
School opened: 1992
Outlook: The Thunder of Placer County have reached three section finals in five seasons, winning one and losing a last-second crusher to Grant last season.
Two-time Bee All-Metro QB Reeve Slone, headed to Nevada, is back, as is WR/DB Josiah Andrews (Northern Arizona), and lineman Dominic Coelho (San Diego State).
5. Granite Bay (8-4)
League: Sierra Foothill
Division: II
School opened: 1996
Outlook: The Grizzlies seek their 26th consecutive playoff berth, a run that started with founding program coach Ernie Cooper and has continued with Joe Cattolico, whose son, Dominic, will quarterback the team.
Fourth-year starting RB/DB Isaiah Ene, a Sacramento State commit, is one of the program’s all-time greats.
6. Twelve Bridges (14-1)
League: Foothill Valley
Division: IV
School opened: 2021
Outlook: The Raging Rhinos of Lincoln, still growing by the week, have stormed onto the scene under coach Chris Bean, going 12-1 in 2023 and 14-1 last season with a CIF state championship appearance.
New QB Connor Frontiera and veteran OL Colton Hogge (Nevada) as well as relentless LB Chase Wyhlidko lead the charge.
7. Jesuit (7-5)
League: Sierra Foothill
Division: II
School opened: 1963
Outlook: In his 14th season as head coach and sitting at 181 career victories overall, Marlon Blanton may have his best Big Red team yet with 14 returning starters.
QB Teddy Rios returns, as does WR Ryan Reeves and field-tilting lineman Duncan Broughton (6-5, 315 pounds).
8. Monterey Trail (8-4)
League: Delta
Division: I
School opened: 2004
Outlook: Nine starters return for T.J. Ewing, the only head varsity coach in the history of this Elk Grove Unified School District program, and the Mustangs will be fast and ferocious again as they seek a league title repeat, having lost no league games since 2017 (mostly in the Metro League before realignment).
Linemen Henry Talakai and Cyrus Cuffee lead the way in the trenches.
9. Inderkum (9-3)
League: Capital Valley
Division: I
School opened: 2004
Outlook: The Tigers of Natomas have reached the playoffs 17 of the last 18 seasons. First-year coach Justin Reber, the program’s former offensive coordinator, has to break in a new quarterback, though there is an abundance of talent, including players from a 10-0 junior varsity team.
Top veteran talents include DB/WR Josiah Amey, WR/DE Jacob Stoll and WR/DB Jordan Cole.
10. Destiny Christian Academy (9-4)
League: Metro
Division: III
School opened: 2024
Outlook: This is the former Capital Christian, which opened in 1977 and became DCA at the start of the last academic year. The Lions are massive up front with Stephen Dotson (6-4, 315), Ly’gend Barrett (6-5, 325), Jesus Rodriguez (6-7, 320), Sione Schaaf (6-5, 270) and Elias Arthur (6-3, 300), and it’ll take every bit of speed and bulk to topple Grant in the Metro.
11. Placer (9-3)
League: Foothill Valley
Division: IV
School opened: 1897
Outlook: The storied Hillmen of Auburn seek their 11th league championship in 13 seasons and a 17th consecutive playoff berth under coach Joey Montoya.
Ten starters return, including RB Shaun Jones, and linemen Jeremiah Rethi (6-7, 245), Brayden Wright (6-3, 235) and Gage Esty (6-3, 270) look the part of two-way bruisers.
12. Casa Roble (7-5)
League: Golden Empire
Division: V
School opened: 1966
Outlook: Eleven starters return for longtime coach Chris Horner, whose Rams seek a second section title in three years. Casa is led by All-Metro QB Aidan Lopez and two-way star Zander Freitag.
Home games in Orangevale are a festive event, including an opener against Placer.
13. West Park (10-2)
League: Metro
Division: III
School opened: 2020
Outlook: Twelve starters return for the Panthers of Roseville for founding program coach Jason Tenner, who calls this his strongest team in the weight room., with the bonus of having 12 program coaches on campus as teachers.
Three-year varsity starting QB Jaden Jackson is back, and LB’s Topher Petersen and Deacon Ogden are physical and fast for a program that has 20 wins in the last two seasons.
14. Roseville (7-4)
League: Foothill Valley
Division: IV
School opened: 1912
Outlook: Veteran QB Mason Susnara leads the way, as does 6-4 WR/TE Oreste Yong, RB/DE D’Marcis Gresham and lineman Trevor Kirby.
Roseville figures to participate in a league race that includes Twelve Bridges and Placer.
15. Sutter (11-2)
League: Golden Empire
Division: V
School opened: 1893
Outlook: The Huskies seamlessly moved into this section after decades of good living in the Northern Section, and now they trot out one of the program’s all-time greats in national recruit DE Troy Bowens.
QB Braden Scritchfield, DB Max Bringgold and RB/LB Justice White also return, and the junior varsity team went 9-1 in 2024.
16. Elk Grove (7-5)
League: Delta
Division: II
School opened: 1893
Outlook: Longtime coach John Hefferman must replace a host of linemen and skill players, but the storied Thundering Herd have the talent to reach the playoffs for the 37th time since 1984, thanks in part to the hard-to-defend flex-bone rushing attack.
The top RB is AJ Moore.
17. Vacaville (8-4)
League: Monticello Empire
Division: II
School opened: 1898
Outlook: The Bulldogs aim to return to the top of the MEL heap under longtime coach Mike Papadopoulos and senior QB Brendan Jackson.
Vacaville’s offensive line includes tackle Risati Siaosi and brothers Ezra and Eli Cremo.
18. Christian Brothers (6-5)
League: Capital Valley
Division: III
School opened: 1876
Outlook: Deakon Holden returns for his fourth varsity season at QB for coach Larry Morla, whose club will compete with Inderkum and Vista del Lago for the league crown in 2024.
RB Jay Cummings rushed for 780 yards and eight scores last season.
19. Del Oro (2-8)
League: Sierra Foothill
Division: II
School opened: 1958
Outlook: The storied Golden Eagles of Loomis endured a rare bad season last fall, but returning players have impressed in scrimmages, including tight end bruisers Luke Galer and Landen Parry, the son of spirited and bearded coach Josh Parry.
QB Nolen Sauve has impressed early.
20. Sacramento (9-4)
League: Monticello Empire
Division: IV
School opened: 1856
Outlook: The Dragons of Oak Park have returning leaders in QB Laron James-Radcliffe, RB Cordell Radcliffe, WR/DB Robert Hamel and WR Damarie Taylor back for another run.
All of them are eager to reverse three close losses that kept Sacramento from winning the league championship.
No. 21-30
21. Laguna Creek (5-6)
22. Vista del Lago (6-6)
23. Woodcreek (5-6)
24. Wheatland (9-2)
25. Bradshaw Christian (12-1)
26. Woodland Christian (10-2)
27. Nevada Union (6-5)
28. Del Campo (5-6)
29. Yuba City (6-5)
30. Union Mine (9-3)
This story was originally published August 20, 2025 at 5:00 AM.