After the first week of regular season action, Mater Dei and St. John Bosco are still ranked first and second in the CIF-Southern Section Division 1 football poll released Aug. 20, while Bishop Diego has taken over the top spot in Division 4.
The D-1 list again includes six Catholic schools with some slight changes. Serra (idle in week one) is sixth, Santa Margarita seventh (up from eighth), Chaminade eighth (down from fifth after an opening loss to Oaks Christian), and J.Serra ninth.
Interestingly, St. John Bosco is first and Mater Dei second in Maxpreps’ two national surveys, the Xcellent 25 and Freeman Computer polls. Mater Dei travels to Las Vegas Aug. 24 to play 12th-ranked Bishop Gorman, while St. John Bosco heads to Bakersfield to play Garces Memorial.
Bishop Diego, last year’s D-6 champion, now leads the D-4 poll (the Cardinals were third last week), with Crespi seventh (up from tenth). Bishop Diego hosts St. Bonaventure Aug. 24, with Crespi traveling a few miles west up the 101 Freeway to play Taft in Woodland Hills.
The D-2 rankings find Alemany rising from fifth to third after shutting out San Fernando, while Cathedral dipped from sixth to seventh despite a big win over Banning. Idle Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks fell from seventh to tenth; the Knights open Aug. 24 at St. Francis of Mountain View.
Paraclete slipped from second to third in the D-3 poll after a one-point loss, and plays host this Friday to Chaminade, likewise seeking its first win of the year. St. Paul is ninth in D-5, entering the top 10 after blanking Venice, and St. Genevieve is third in D-10, up from ninth after a huge win a few miles away at Poly.
Other Aug. 24 games feature J.Serra at Calabasas; Santa Margarita at Mission Viejo; St. Francis at Mira Costa; Servite at Norco; Loyola at Fairfax; Alemany at Charter Oak; Linfield at Santa Clara; South/Torrance at Bishop Montgomery; Salesian at La Salle; St. Anthony at Warren; St. Genevieve at Simi Valley; Paramount at Bishop Amat; Whittier Christian at Mary Star of the Sea; Lompoc at St. Paul; Claremont at Damien; Garey at Cantwell-Sacred Heart; Pioneer Valley at St. Joseph/Santa Maria.
The Aug. 25 lineup: St. Pius X-St. Matthias at Webb; Verbum Dei at Manual Arts; Santa Clarita Christian at St. Bernard; St. Monica/Santa Monica at Xavier Prep; Serra/San Mateo at Serra/Gardena.
In eight-man football, St. Joseph Academy is at St. Michael’s Prep (Aug. 24), and Fresno Christian is at Villanova Prep (Aug. 25).
Mike Nelson is the former editor of The Tidings (predecessor of Angelus News).
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