The high school football season is 3 weeks old. Here’s what we know (or think we know)

Three weeks into the high school football season, some things look clear:

▪ Folsom is still seething about its 14-0 opening-night loss at De La Salle, having unleashed on Jesuit 51-14 and Antelope 41-0.

▪ Del Oro and Oak Ridge have playmakers galore and are a combined 6-0. They target Folsom in the Sierra Foothill League’s championship chase.

▪ Jesuit is stumbling out of the gate again, but has the talent to make a run.

▪ Capital Christian is soaring and Grant is reeling.

▪ Placer is really good, never mind the division or school size.

▪ Inderkum is eager for a challenge. Any takers?

▪ Monterey Trail has some of the best offensive linemen in the region with a coach to match.

▪ Granite Bay saved its early season with an impressive win at Jesuit despite a rash of injuries.

Here’s this week’s Top 20. Again, keep in mind that our rankings are not standings. We factor in strength of schedule. Here’s a closer peek:

The Bee’s Top 20

With last week’s ranking in parentheses.

1. Folsom (1) 2-1 — Kaiden Bennett has found his groove again, helping the Bulldogs shred Jesuit and Antelope by large margins. He thanks his line and receivers.

2. Oak Ridge (2) 3-0 — The Trojans roar into their bye with Folsom looming with a strong win over Reed of Nevada as the defense allowed just 57 yards rushing.

3. Del Oro (3) 3-0 — Don’t kick it to the Rocket. Ok, do it, then. Johnny Guzman has made plays all over the field, especially electrifying special-teams returns to the house.

4. Placer (4) 3-0 — The Hillmen are thundering along with great line play and the powerful 1-2 running punch of Marshall Chapman and Hans Grassman. Long live the wing-T.

5. Inderkum (5) 3-0 — The Tigers have outscored three teams 148-19, including Elk Grove and Sacramento. They’re still warming up.

6. Monterey Trail (6) 3-0 — Helmets high for line leaders Noah Casarez, Daniel Ramirez, Anthony Thompson, Lathun Snipes and Exavier Malanca. The veer starts up front.

7. Capital Christian (8) 3-0 — The Cougars delivered a knockout blow on storied Grant, but it means nothing if the wins don’t continue.

8. Granite Bay (12) 1-2 — The Grizzlies managed nine points in two games then took it out on Jesuit for a 27-12 victory despite mounting injuries.

9. Jesuit (7) 0-2 — The Marauders are reeling a bit, but also lost their first two last season before going on a 10-game winning streak. Repeat?

10. Antelope (10) 2-1 — The Titans suddenly are scrambling to score. Great game brewing against Capital Christian.

11. Rocklin (11) 1-2 — The Thunder have a last-play loss to Antelope and an agonizing setback against Nevada power Damonte Ranch. Next is loaded Liberty of Brentwood.

12. Sheldon (13) 2-1 — The Huskies opened with a loss to Monterey Trail and have since downed Burbank and Kennedy in conquering all of Florin Road.

13. River Valley (14) 3-0 — The Falcons dominated on defense and rolled on offense in taking out a solid Franklin team 35-0. That’s a championship formula.

14. Bear River (17) 3-0 — The Bruins are brewing up a monstrous season. They’re prolific on offense and stout on defense with a ton of player experience.

15. Grant (9) 1-2 — The Pacers can save the early season with a win against Franklin before the brutal run through the Sierra Foothill League.

16. Elk Grove (15) 0-2 — The Thundering Herd are capable of winning the Delta League, but must learn from losses to Inderkum and Bay Area power Serra.

17. Casa Roble (19) 3-0 — The Rams are off to their best start since going 13-0 in 2008 after downing Vista del Lago in overtime 35-28.

18. Lincoln (20) 1-1 — The Zebras were idle but still buzzing from the big rally and win over Antelope. The next game cannot come soon enough.

19. Christian Brothers (16) 2-1 — After squeezing past Burbank and Pleasant Grove, the Falcons were grounded by Vanden 26-10. The Holy Bowl is next.

20. Ponderosa (-) 3-0 — The Bruins were a powerhouse in the 1970s and had glimpses of glory last decade. Next up is Casa Roble.

Dropped out — Sacramento

Bubble teams (in alphabetical order) — Bradshaw Christian (2-0), Center (3-0), Colfax (2-0), Cosumnes Oaks (2-1), Foothill (2-0), Oakmont (2-1), Rio Linda (2-1), Rosemont (3-0), Roseville (2-1), Vista del Lago (1-2), Winters (2-0), Woodcreek (3-0), Yuba City (2-1).

This week’s schedule

This story was originally published September 3, 2018 at 3:55 AM.