Bee’s Best: Breaking down the Sacramento-area’s Top 25 prep football teams
It’s easier to rank high school football teams when they keep winning, or when they beat a team ranked lower than them. But what’s the excitement in any of that, right?
Isn’t the real intrigue to any season, at any level of play, rooted in a rankings upset? That’s what the Jesuit Marauders have pulled off this increasingly memorable season for a program long known as Big Red.
Earlier this season Jesuit won its 400th game in program history, dating back to when the school opened in Carmichael in 1963. Coach Marlon Blanton followed that up by winning his 100th game at Jesuit. He and the Marauders then defeated The Bee’s No. 2-ranked team twice in Sierra Foothill League rumbles, downing Rocklin 20-14 on Sept. 26 and topping Oak Ridge 28-14 on Friday.
Now, the question of how to rank the Marauders in this week’s Bee Top 25. Suggestions?
Rankings don’t affect playoff seedings, and are really designed for debate and discussion as a way to chronicle seasons, but this is an interesting topic. Does Jesuit rise from No. 9 last week up to the top three? Does Jesuit move ahead of Granite Bay, which handled the Marauders 31-20 on Sept. 19 before falling at Oak Ridge, 21-14?
Then again, Jesuit beat Oak Ridge by two touchdowns shortly after Jesuit lost to Granite Bay by 11. These are the only measurables we have. MaxPreps has in its computer formula rankings, which factor in strength of schedule, Oak Ridge ranked second locally, Granite Bay fifth and Jesuit seventh. Unbeaten Twelve Bridges of Placer County is 10th in the MaxPreps rankings.
What’s it all mean? Not sure. Just trying to confuse everyone here.
And what about Woodcreek of Roseville? The Timberwolves are Bee-ranked ninth, which may seem a bit low, given the team rolled Jesuit in a season opener 38-13. That was on Aug. 22, a lifetime ago, and Jesuit’s wins over Rocklin and Oak Ridge have more rankings clout than Woodcreek’s biggest wins, which include topping Jesuit, Whitney and Roseville.
Jesuit this week hosts No. 8 Del Oro, so this will all shake out soon enough.
The Bee’s Team of the Week
Wait, Jesuit is our Team of the Week for the second time?
In what world does this happen? Well, it happens in this wild, unpredictable and fun world that is prep football, and the honor is warranted when a team delivers another spirited rankings upset, this time the inspired 28-14 triumph over Oak Ridge. Big Red coach Blanton saw in that Sierra Foothill League showdown speedy sophomore Kwanna Smith rush for 71 yards and a score, John Giovannettone run for a touchdown, the defense produce four sacks, and Luke De Lyser having a play that he and his running mates will not soon forget.
The senior linebacker, in the team’s mantra of “Next Man Up!”, sealed the game when he yanked the ball away from a ball carrier and raced 82 yards the other way for the final points in the final moments. The postgame locker room scene was festive. De Lyser may be late to class this week, signing autographs and reminding everyone that it was a team effort all the way.
This week’s Top 20 teams
The rankings this week include division placement for the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs.
1. Folsom (6-1): In a season of rankings debate, the Division I Bulldogs are the clear top dog of this section, with wins over Grant (51-13), Bay Area heavy Serra of San Mateo (56-42), then-Bee-No. 2 Rocklin (34-21), then-No. 2 Oak Ridge (28-9) and No. 8 Del Oro last week (35-2). Folsom still hasn’t played its best game of 2025.
2. Jesuit (5-2): The Division II Marauders get their shot at No. 2, having beaten two previous No. 2-ranked teams. Big Red is especially tough at home at 4-0. They play at Folsom on Oct. 24.
3. Oak Ridge (4-3): Ranked this high with three losses? These are not win-loss standings, and strength of schedule matters. The setbacks for the Division I Trojans are to San Diego power Mission Hills (24-13), Folsom (28-9) and Jesuit (28-14).
4. Granite Bay (6-2): Coach Joe Cattolico is a 201-game winner, joining a lofty list of all-time area coaches. The Division II Grizzlies have a close loss to Bay Area No. 3-ranked Pittsburg (42-36), and another to Oak Ridge (21-14), with recent wins over Jesuit (31-20), Del Oro (14-13) and Whitney (42-7).
5. Grant (4-4): The Division I Pacers are rounding into form after a brutal schedule , and they liked what they saw in Folsom-transfer QB Blake Nycum. In his Grant debut, Nycum passed for 249 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Koby Shabazz, in a 38-3 win over West Park.
6. Rocklin (5-2): The Division II Thunder have SFL setbacks to Folsom (34-21) and Jesuit (20-14), and have responded with a rivalry rout over Whitney (53-20) and a satisfying effort over speedy Monterey Trail (35-14) last week in a nonleague game.
7. Twelve Bridges (7-0): The Division IV Raging Rhinos have a 27-game regular-season winning streak (non-playoffs), and just rolled Placer 49-24. Twelve Bridges will host Roseville next in a Foothill Valley League tilt that will ultimately decide the champion.
8. Del Oro (4-3): The Division II Golden Eagles are a few bounces away from a really glossy record, having dropped SFL games to Oak Ridge (12-8) and Granite Bay (14-13), and battling Folsom (35-20) last week.
9. Woodcreek (7-0): The Division III Timberwolves have a nice resume with wins over Jesuit (38-13), Whitney (37-20) and Roseville (21-11). They face Inderkum this week for what likely, in effect, will be for the Capital Valley Conference championship.
10. Monterey Trail (5-2): The Division I Mustangs are the likely winner of the Delta League, and they appreciated the opportunity for the showdown at Rocklin despite the setback.
11. Inderkum (6-1): The Division I Tigers opened the season with a 27-22 loss at Monterey Trail and have not looked back, including wins over Bay Area power Marin Catholic (21-20) and CIF Northern Section top-ranked Pleasant Valley of Chico (35-14). Now it’s Woodcreek Week.
12. Roseville (6-1): The Division IV Tigers have a 21-11 nonleague loss to higher-ranked Woodcreek, then impressed last week in front of another festive crowd. They can really throw these rankings into a loop with a victory at unbeaten Twelve Bridges on Friday.
13. Sutter (8-0): The Division V Huskies are rolling with a Week 10 showdown at home against Casa Roble, on real dirt, in what figures to be chilly conditions.
14. Casa Roble (6-1): The Division V Rams of Orangevale cannot afford even a slight hiccup in the Golden Empire League with the regular-season finale looming at Sutter on Halloween Night.
15. Vacaville (5-2): The Division III Bulldogs of Solano County have a five-game winning streak and are inching closer to another Monticello Empire League championship, having won trophy cases full of that sort of hardware over the decades.
16. Vanden (5-2): The Division III Vikings of Fairfield have pedigree: Two section, NorCal and CIF State championships since 2021.
17. Placer (4-3): The Division IV Hillmen of Auburn have no bad losses, falling to higher-ranked Casa Roble (46-30), Del Oro (49-14) and last week to Twelve Bridges (49-24). Getting healthy and shoring up their defense is paramount.
18. Bradshaw Christian (6-1): The Division VI Pride are a running machine, and they host upstart Liberty Ranch this week in what could decide the Sierra Valley Conference championship.
19. Lincoln (6-1): The Division V Zebras of Placer County are in the driver’s seat to take the Pioneer Valley League, and the star power includes QB Eli Duff and RB Brock Galer.
20. Liberty Ranch (7-0): The Division VI Hawks of Galt are rolling in the run game, averaging nearly 370 yards rushing, with junior back Joe Lara having already scored 16 times.
The Next 5
21. Liberty Ranch (7-0)
22. Woodland Christian (6-1)
23. Pioneer (6-2)
24. Winters (5-1)
25. Sacramento (4-3)
8-man Top 5
1. Mira Loma (6-0)
2. Foresthill (6-0)
3. Valley Christian (5-2)
4. Vacaville Christian (6-1)
5. Delta (4-3)
Sac-Joaquin Section Top 15
1. Folsom (6-1)
2. Manteca (7-0)
3. Jesuit (5-2)
4. Oak Ridge (4-3)
5. Granite Bay (6-2)
6. St. Mary’s (5-2)
7. Grant (4-4)
8. Rocklin (5-2)
9. Twelve Bridges (7-0)
10. Del Oro (4-3)
11. Woodcreek (7-0)
12. Sonora (8-0)
13. Monterey Trail (5-2)
14. Central Catholic (3-4)
15. Oakdale (6-1)