Updates on the rankings of the best teams in the CIF-SSafter Week 0:
No. 1 St. John Bosco had a less than stellar opening game with Dominguez, and the Braves took care of the Dons with little trouble in a 40-7 win. Junior quarterback Josh Rosen, ranked the No. 2 quarterback in the nation by Scout.com, pegged the efficiency scale completing 12 of 15 passes for over 300 yards and five touchdowns. The Braves should find the goings a little tougher against Clovis North this week, but Bosco should still win handily.
No. 2 Serra got a lesson in finishing the drill on Saturday afternoon. Serra cruised into halftime with a comfortable lead against an overmatched Desert Ridge team from Mesa, Ariz. 28-6. But sloppy second half play, coupled with a scrappy double-wing option offense, and Serra found themselves up 28-22, and Desert Ridge in possession of the ball in the fourth quarter. Serra's defense hung tough and the Cavaliers escaped with the win. Five-star athlete Adoree Jackson was everywhere for Serra. He played receiver, running back, defensive back, return man, blocked an extra point and even punted for good measure. Serra better bring their A-game for four quarters this week against Oceanside.
No. 3 Long Beach Poly expected a fight with Crenshaw, and the defending Pac-5 Champion got one with the perennial City-Section power. Tied 15-15 in the fourth quarter, Poly turned to its All-American JuJu Smith to close the game. Smith entered at running back and started eating up chunks of yards, setting up a touchdown pass for the go-ahead score. Poly's defense was stout, and the offense should be able to get good work in against a down but not out Servite team as the game with No. 4 Corona Centennial looms on Sept. 13.
No. 4 Corona Centennial had no trouble moving the ball, the Huskies had a little more trouble stopping Liberty (Nev.). Centennial won a shootout 60-42 as senior running back Tre Watson put up over 275 yards rushing on 30 carries. Liberty is coming off a game where the Patriots only scored seven points against Salpointe Catholic (Ariz.). With quarterback Robert Webber and Watson returning, we knew Centennial would be able to put up points, but with St. Bonaventure, Long Beach Poly, and Alemany looming the next three weeks, Centennial's defense needs to come together in a hurry.
No. 5 Mater Dei had as impressive an outing as anyone in the Top 10. The Monarchs ran over, around, and through No. 10 Upland, who hadn't lost a regular season game in the 2010 season. Mater Dei dominated in all phases; the final score was 44-13 and the game wasn't that close. Running back Justin Allen gives Mater Dei's offense balance as senior quarterback Chase Forrest was efficient through the air. Mater Dei is sitting at No. 5, but any of the Top 5 teams have a case for No. 1. Mater Dei takes its chance to get its younger players some work as the Monarchs are scheduled to blow out St. Paul this week.
No. 6 Vista Murrieta was off this week, but several of its upcoming opponents were in action including Sept. 27 opponent Cathedral Catholic of San Diego. The Dons waxed Utah's No. 1 team in Jordan 38-6. Oct. 4 opponent Crespi also looked impressive in its 67-0 beatdown of Taft. Vista Murrieta's schedule isn't loaded with tough opponents week in and week out, but those two games in back to back weeks will tell us a lot more about the 2013 version of the Broncos.
No. 7 Mission Viejo was an inhospitable host to Baldwin of Hawaii in thrashing the Bears 49-20. The Diablos took a 42-13 lead into the half before easing up in the second. Quarterback Ian Fieber was solid with 156 yards passing on just 10/15 throws including a touchdown pass to Connor Hill. Mission Viejo gets a scrappy Corona Santiago team this week who put up 49 points in a loss to Hart on Friday's FOX Sports West Game of the Week. Santiago should find moving the ball against Mission Viejo considerably more difficult.
No. 8 St. Bonaventure got the John Muller era kicked off in style with a convincing 42-14 win over Garfield. Muller took over as head coach during the summer, and this week he faces a huge test against No. 4 Centennial. St. Bonaventure has won the previous two meetings with the Huskies, but this matchup has a different feel to it. For one, each of the past two years, St. Bonaventure was Centennial's first game of the season, and for two, each of the past two years Centennial was starting a new quarterback and running back. This game features several of the Southern Section's top players including junior quarterback Ricky Town, ranked No. 1 in the nation by Scout.com.
No. 9 Chaminade found itself down early against Venice. It was 14-0, then 21-7 before Chaminade gained its footing and won 57-33. Miami bound quarterback Brad Kaaya rebounded from some early first-half jitters to complete 20 of 31 passes for 269 yards. Running back Cory Watkins did his best Terrell Newby impression finding the endzone three times. With 90 points scored in their first game, the over/under on this week's game with Hart should be roughly 100 as both teams broke 50 last week, but combined to give up 82 points in wins.
No. 10 Alemany handled its business at Los Osos coming away with a 30-7 win. Alemany must travel again this week to take on Muir in what has to be the toughest schedule in the Southern Section. After its two road openers, Alemany hunkers in at home to take on City-Section Champion Narbonne, No. 4 Centennial, and No. 8 St. Bonaventure in consecutive weeks before hitting the road again to take on Norco then getting into a tough Serra league schedule. Alemany could be a Top 10 team in the Southern Section with a 7-3 record at season's end.
