Let the countdown begin. California’s 2026 season is less than two weeks away with openers starting Aug. 20-21 in the Central, Southern, San Diego, Sac-Joaquin and Los Angeles City sections, and Aug. 27-28 in the Central Coast Section, North Coast, Oakland and San Francisco sections. Picking the Top 25 teams isn’t as difficult as it once was. Quite earnestly, the same teams largely resurface every year, built by cohesive coaching staffs that draw in top talent. If not the old fashion way of residing in circulation regions, blue chip athletes are finding ways to gain eligibility by legal bounds. The results, are many of the titan programs battling year after year for winning programs, leading to section, if not regional and state titles. Over the next week, check back for the top 25 teams in the Golden State. See last season’s 2025 final rankings here and below check for the California 2025 in review section, featuring title game results, section champions and statistical leaders. Today are teams 16-20. Saturday look for teams 11-15, Monday 6-10 and Wednesday 1-5. All Southern Section team writeups are from Tarek Fattal and his Southern Section’s preseason football rankings. COUNTDOWN: Teams 21-2520. ARCHBISHOP RIORDANRiordan junior running back Adonyae Brown rushed for nearly 180 yards and three touchdowns in the first half, but was held to less than 50 and no scores in the second half of a season-ending loss to Folsom in the CIF NorCal Division 1-AA finals. | Photo by Dennis LeeLast season: 12-1, 7-0 West Catholic Athletic LeagueLast 5 seasons: 34-22Top offensive players: RB Adonyae Brown, Sr.; QB Jayden Crane, Sr.; RB Chase Elzey, So.; WR Kaden Herman, So; TE-WR Ernie Tofi, Jr.; WR Isaiah Flores, Jr. Top defensive players: DE DJ Sanchez, Sr.; DL Lopeti Malupo, Sr.; DL Soape Mafuahingano, So.; DL David Eriksson, CB Israel Lawson, Jr.; S Sione Valhola, Jr.; Newcomers: QB Kalvin Bishop, Fr.; TE-WR Jeffery Palega, Fr. WR Kaden Herman, SoRecruited/ranked players: Rivals/On 3 2027 (Top 232) — Malupo (No. 146, Washington State commit), Sanchez (No. 163, Princeton commit); Brown (No. 175, UNLV commit); Rivals/On 3 2028 (Top 99) — Tofi (No. 71). 19. GARDENA SERRALast season: 4-6, 1-4 Mission LeagueLast 5 seasons: 39-23Top Offensive Players: QB Malik Tunai, Jr.; OL Larry Shingleton, Jr.; OL Ace Taylor, Sr.; OL Darlington Nwenza, Sr.Top Defensive Players: S Pole Moala, Sr.; CB Wesley Ace, Sr.; DB Derrick Coleman, Jr.; LB Quintin Washington, Jr.Newcomers: RB AJ McBean, Sr. (Mira Costa); OL PJ Faaoso, So. (Leuzinger).Recruited/ranked players: Rivals/On 3 2027 (Top 232) — Moala (No. 12, UCLA commit), McBean (No. 119, Stanford), Ace (No. 137, San Jose State); Rivals/On 3 2028 (Top 99) — Coleman (No. 60). Coach Scott Altenberg says: "We will be a ball control offense with an aggressive defense."18. SAN CLEMENTELast season: 9-5, 2-1 Alpha LeagueLast 5 seasons: 38-21Top Offensive Players: DB/WR Jaxson Rex, Sr.; QB Preston Beck, Jr.; OL Brody Ragland, Sr.; RB Colin Granite, Sr.Top Defensive Players: LB Jack Weller, Jr.; DB Cade Hogan, Sr.; DL Payton Proffitt, Sr.; LB Declan Sawyers, Jr.Newcomers: WR Ryan Matheson, Sr. (San Juan Hills); TE/DL Drew Della Vedova, Jr.; LB/DL Gunnor Bachhuber, Jr.; OL/DL Trey Humphrey, Sr.; LB Jackson Humphries, Sr. (Coronado, NV); DB Tate Bollard, Sr.Recruited/ranked players: Rivals/On 3 2027 (Top 232) — Rex (No. 60, BYU commit); Rivals/On 3 2028 (Top 99) — Beck (No. 38)Coach Jaime Ortiz says: "Many returning starters from the 2025 CIF Finalist who have a chip on their shoulder with something to prove in 2026."17. SERVITELast season: 6-5, 2-3 Trinity LeagueLast 5 seasons: 31-29Top Offensive Players: OL Drew Fielder, Sr.; OL Nija Uliese, Jr.; OL Keiden Lokeni, Jr.; OL Gio Blanco, Jr.; QB Gino Wang, Jr.; WR Benjamin Harris, Sr.; WR Kamil Pelovello, Jr.; WR Taua Niumata, So.; WR Jaden Vaicaro, Sr.; RB Jorden Wells, RB, Jr.Top Defensive Players: LB Isaiah Leilua, Sr.; LB Allen Kennett, Jr.; DB Treveon Nunley, So.; DL Jordyn Taylor Brown, So.; DL Caleb Fata, So.; SS Kestin Jiles, Jr. Newcomers: (None listed by coach)Recruited/ranked players: Rivals/On 3 2027 (Top 232) — Fielder (No. 11, USC commit), Lellua (No. 89, Washington), Coach Rick Garretson says: "Play fast, smart and physical."16. CATHEDRAL CATHOLICLast season: 11-3, 3-0 Western LeagueLast 5 seasons: 42-22Top Offensive Players: RB-S Honor Fa’alave, Sr.; WR-DB Isaac Cook, Sr.; RB Willie Flores, Sr.; WR Gianluca Busalacchi, Sr. Top defensive players: S Fa’alave-Johnson, Sr.; LB Kevin Clark, Sr.; DL Ryder Molchanoff, Sr.; DB Noah Lauifi, Sr.; LB Titus Napoleon, Sr. Newcomers: DL Asofa Laufi, Sr.; QB Daniel Najera, So.; OL Tre’von Taylor Recruited/ranked players: Rivals/On 3 2027 (Top 232) — Fa’alave-Johnson (No. 2, USC commit), Cook (No. 108, San Diego State commit), Molchanoff (No. 164, New Mexico), Asofa Laufi (No. 181, Hawaii). CALIFORNIA 2025 IN REVIEWNot Mater Dei. Not St. John Bosco. For the first time since 2015, a California football team not named either of those two schools won the biggest prize — the California Interscholastic Federation Open Division championship — to finish off the 2025 season. Santa Margarita, a rapidly rising up-and-coming program that plays in the same Trinity League as national juggernauts Mater Dei and St. John Bosco, won the Open crown with a decisive 47-13 win over perennial Northern California power De La Salle-Concord at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo. Santa Margarita senior WR Trent Mosley and USC commit had eight catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone when the Eagles raced to a 35-7 lead en route to a 47-13 win in the CIF State Open Division championship at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo. | Photo by Todd ShurtleffState Player of the Year, big-play receiver Trent Mosley had 11 catches for 183 yards and two touchdowns and added a TD rushing as the Eagles, coached for the first season by former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback standout Carson Palmer, finished off a late-season flurry with a thoroughly decisive win over De La Salle (12-1), which was after its ongoing record eighth state title. The Spartans, who hadn’t played for 22 days due to early North Coast Section playoffs and a week off after being selected the top team from the North, were outgained 377-180 and sacked four times. Its star running back, state-champion sprinter Jaden Jefferson, scored both of De La Salle’s touchdowns. Tulsa-bound quarterback Trace Johnson threw for 247 yards and four touchdowns, two also to Luke Gazzaniga. A 43-yard pick-6 by Siua Holani capped the lopsided win for Santa Margarita (11-3), which finished the season with lopsided wins over Orange Lutheran (28-7 and 31-6), JSerra Catholic (41-14), Sierra Canyon (21-9) and Corona Centennial (42-7). MORE STATE CHAMPIONSDivision 1-AA: Folsom 42, Cathedral Catholic-San Diego 28Division 1-A: Central East 42, Pacifica-Oxnard 28Division 2-AA: St. Mary’s-Stockton 27, Bakersfield Christian 24Division 2-A: Sonora 35, Rio Hondo Prep 10Division 3-AA: St. Ignatius 42, Ventura 35Division 3-A: Kennedy-Delano 42, McClymonds-Oakland 25Division 4-AA: Barstow 17, Sutter 7Division 5-AA: Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland 37, Christian-El Cajon 0Division 5-A: San Andreas 42, Bishop Union 21Division 6-AA: Valley Center 36, Lincoln-San Jose 35Division 6-A: Winters 28, Morse 7Division 7-AA: Redding Christian 16, Woodbridge-Irvine 0Division 7-A: Balboa-San Francisco 42, South El Monte 8State championship game previews ALL SECTION CHAMPIONSCentral Section — Central East (Division 1-AA), Bakersfield Christian (1-A), Arroyo Grande (D2), Kennedy (D3), Immanuel (D4), Bishop Union (D5), Minarets (D6), Fresno Christian (8-man)Central Coast Section — Riordan (Open Division), Serra (Division 1), St. Ignatius (D2), Menlo-Atherton (D3), Lincoln-San Jose (D4), Piedmont Hills (D5)LA City Section — Carson (Open Division), South Gate (D1), San Fernando (D2), Santee (D3), Sherman Oaks CES (8-person)North Coast Section — De La Salle (Open Division), Pittsburg (D1), Monte Vista-Danville (D2), El Cerrito (D3), Miramonte (D4), Ferndale (D5), Bishop O’Dowd (D6), Middletown (D7), Stuart Hall (8-person D1), Elsie Allen (8-person D2).Northern Section — Chico (Division 2), Gridley (D3), Winters (D4), Redding Christian (D5)Oakland Section — McClymondsSan Diego Section — Cathedral Catholic (Open Division), Granite Hills (D1), Santa Fe Christian (D2), Christian (D3), Valley Center (D4), Morse (D5-A), Marantha Christian (D5-AA), St. Joseph Academy (D6)Sac-Joaquin Section — Folsom (D1), St. Mary’s (D2), Woodcreek (D3), Roseville (D4), Sutter (D5), Sonora (D6), Calaveras (D7), Mira Loma (D8)San Francisco Section — BalboaSouthern Section — Santa Margarita (D1), Los Alamitos (D2), Pacifica (D3), La Habra (D4), Rio Hondo (D5), Ventura (D6), Barstow (D7), Beckman (D8), Valley Christian (D9), Hillcrest (D10), Valley View (D11), Grace (D12), Woodbridge (D13), South El Monte (D14), Flintridge Prep (8-man D1), Lancaster Baptist (8-man D2). RETURNING STATE STAT LEADERS(All via MaxPreps leaderboards)TouchdownsEli Dukes (Palma) 37Elijah Walker (Chavez) 36Joe Lara (Liberty Ranch) 32James Curso (Clovis) 30Carson Tidwell (King City) 30Elias Haynes (Downey) 30 Passing yards Jelani Dipper (Central East) 4,583 yardsTaylor Lee (Pacifica-Oxnard) 4,059Zachary Benitez (Granite Hills-Cel Cajon) 4,009Deshawn Laporte (Burbank) 3,990Michael Gonzalez (South Gate) 3,842Touchdown passesDippel (Central East) 58Wyatt Shaw (Redding Christian) 55Laport (Burbank) 54Lee (Pacifica) 53Riley Williams (Grace) 46Rushing yardsEli Dukes (Palma) 2,420Gage Jones (Live Oak) 2,207Wyatt Gillett (Los Molinos) 2,187Ma’Kahl Fields-Cook (Canyon Hills) 2,092Carson Tidwell (King City) 2,076Dvaughn Norwood (Bella Vista) 1,876Receiving yardsNicholas Fonseca (South Gate) 1,782 (99 catches, 20 touchdowns)Bayon Harris (Central East) 1,768 (86, 26)Demaje Riley (Tulare Union) 1,519 (72, 13)Blake Wong (Norco) 1,479 (84, 20)Jmari Garlington (Banning) 1,470 (76, 17)TacklesIsiah Phelps (Pacifica) 232Madden Mayer (Linfield Christian) 180Ryan Halversen (Middletown) 177Jaret Bridwell (Red Bluff) 173Kane Casani (Loyola) 166SacksBrandon Garcia (La Puente) 21Anthony Lara (Kennedy-Delano) 19Juan Raygoza (McLane) 18Kingston Sula (Carson) 16Paul Pennson (North Hollywood) 15Cody McCoard (Golden Sierra) 15InterceptionsJaden Walk-Green (Corona Centennial) 10Raul Iniguez (Fall River) 9Micah Skinner (Redding Christian) 9Xavier Musselman-Cano (Beckman) 9Taylor Sheriff (Canyon Hills) 8Shane Anderson (Viewpoint) 8Jayden Harris (Manteca) 8Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow