Acalanes takes the field to face Escalon in the CIF NorCal 3-AA high school football championship game, Friday, Dec. 1, 2023, in Lafayette, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
We’ve reached the last few days of the high school football season.
It’ll be the 16th and final weekend, one more game for the fortunate few that will play for a state championship on Friday or Saturday in Southern California.
With most of the teams in the Bay Area News Group’s coverage area done until 2024, only a couple of changes were made in this week’s rankings.
The Top 5 remained status quo even though third-ranked Pittsburg lost on the road to Folsom on Saturday, its bid for a state championship and perfect season ending in a 28-25 defeat.
The Pirates are still No. 3, followed by San Ramon Valley and Los Gatos, which lost to Pittsburg in September.
SRV stayed at No. 4, given that its resume includes two close losses to De La Salle, one in overtime, and a 16-point section final loss to Pittsburg in a game that was much tighter than the final score.
Acalanes was the big mover, pulling league rival Campolindo along for the ride.
As the Dons have continued to win impressively — San Marin last week in the North Bay, Escalon by 35 at home on Friday — Campo’s rally from 14 down midway through the fourth quarter on the road to beat Acalanes 25-24 in a regular-season finale is all the more impressive.
Acalanes, which will play in its first state championship game on Saturday, leaped five spots to No. 9.
Campo moved up three spots to No. 10.
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On to the rankings …
Bay Area News Group Top 25
(Mercury News & East Bay Times)
No. 1 SERRA (12-0)
Previous ranking: 1
Last week: Did not play
Up next: Saturday vs. Mater Dei in Open Division state championship game at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, 8 p.m.
No. 2 DE LA SALLE (11-2)
Previous ranking: 2
Last week: Beat Clovis North 41-0 in Division 1-AA regional
Up next: Friday vs. Mission Viejo in Division 1-AA state championship game at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, 8 p.m.
No. 3 PITTSBURG (13-1)
Previous ranking: 3
Last week: Lost to Folsom 28-25 in Division 1-A regional
Up next: Season completed
No. 4 SAN RAMON VALLEY (10-3)
Previous ranking: 4
Season completed
No. 5 LOS GATOS (12-2)
Previous ranking: 5
Last week: Beat El Cerrito 14-6 in Division 2-A regional
Up next: Saturday vs. Central Valley Christian-Visalia at Pasadena City College, 7 p.m.
No. 6 EL CERRITO (12-2)
Previous ranking: 6
Last week: Lost to Los Gatos 14-6 in Division 2-A regional
Up next: Season completed
No. 7 MCCLYMONDS (9-3)
Previous ranking: 7
Last week: Lost to Marin Catholic 35-28 in Division 3-A regional
Up next: Season completed
No. 8 ST. IGNATIUS (7-5)
Previous ranking: 8
Season completed
No. 9 ACALANES (10-4)
Previous ranking: 14
Last week: Beat Escalon 49-14 in Division 3-AA regional
Up next: Saturday vs. Birmingham at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, 11:30 a.m.
No. 10 CAMPOLINDO (7-3-1)
Previous ranking: 13
Season completed
No. 11 ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN (7-4)
Previous ranking: 9
Season completed
No. 12 WILCOX (8-5)
Season completed
No. 13 ST. FRANCIS (7-4)
Previous ranking: 11
Season completed
No. 14 VALLEY CHRISTIAN (6-5)
Previous ranking: 12
Season completed
No. 15 CALIFORNIA (7-5)
Previous ranking: 15
Season completed
No. 16 LAS LOMAS (10-2)
Previous ranking: 16
Season completed
No. 17 CHRISTOPHER (11-2)
Season completed
No. 18 MENLO SCHOOL (10-2)
Previous ranking: 18
Season completed
No. 19 LIBERTY (7-3)
Previous ranking: 19
Season completed
No. 20 CLAYTON VALLEY (5-6)
Previous ranking: 20
Season completed
No. 21 AMADOR VALLEY (7-3)
Previous ranking: 21
Season completed
No. 22 LIVE OAK (9-1)
Previous ranking: 22
Season completed
No. 23 SACRED HEART PREP (6-5)
Previous ranking: 23
Season completed
No. 24 ARCHBISHOP MITTY (5-6)
Previous ranking: 24
Season completed
No. 25 PALO ALTO (8-6)
Previous ranking: 25
Last week: Lost to St. Vincent de Paul 28-26 in Division 6-AA regional
Up next: Season completed
Editor’s note: Teams eligible for the Bay Area News Group rankings come from leagues based predominantly in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.
Originally published at Darren Sabedra