It’s too early for a High School Football Top 10 so let’s go 12. The “Dirty Dozen” if you will. It’s challenging piecing together a Top 10 or even a Top 12 in our coverage area when you have teams that range from Division 2 all the way to Division 14. There should probably be five different lists of the top teams. But we settled on one. Almost all of the 7 on 7 passing tournaments have been played and we’re just a few weeks away from kicking off the 2024 campaign. Here we go.
- Warren -Quarterback Madden Iamaleava, follows in brother Nico’s footsteps as the next great Warren QB.
- Damien – Linebacker Caden Arellano anchors a solid defense.
- La Serna – Kaimana Tufaga ready to bust out.
- Bishop Amat – Viva Villalbazo!
- Downey – Quarterback Oscar Rios, class of ’26, getting offers already.
- St. Francis – Dual threat John Sanders threw for over 2,000 yards last year and ran for 778.
- Charter Oak – Four Division 1 commitments heading into the season.
- Mayfair – Quarterback Jeremiah Calvin is gearing up for a big year.
- St. Paul – The Swordsmen will be tested right out of the gate with Newport Harbor, Bishop Amat and Damien.
- Bonita – Noah Mikhail is one of the best players in the area.
- Colony – Returning running back Elijah Ybanez rushed for 1,050 yards last year. Titans have a solid offensive line.
- Northview – Keanu Tauvao leads a solid running attack.
1. Warren- Looks like the end of the Pearson era does not mean the team’s demise. Have to give the current staff credit for keeping the team in tact. .
2. Damien- Too much drama. There’s always something in the air at Damien. The fights, the Lucero transfers, and now the stoppage of practice?
3. La Serna- Will pummel the Del Rio, but who will be the QB? And could it lead to a divided locker room?
4. Bishop Amat- Teams are always ready to stomp on their grave, but they just keep showing up and showing out year in and year out. They should be #1 based on history alone.
5. Downey- Jack Williams is one of the premiere coaches in the area. Not many have done it at that level for as long as he has.
6. St. Francis- Always able to throw the ball around and play physical, disciplined defense. Should be more of the same this year.
7. Charter Oak- Is CO back? They have all the talent in the right places but do they have the depth to compete with higher division teams? If they’re below D-5 this year, it’s a tank job.
8. Mayfair- Returning CIF champs have their returning QB and athletes to go with it. Not sure they have the beef to upset Downey or Warren though. What a league that is!!
9. St. Paul- Moschetti doing what he does and now it looks like he has some loyal followers heading to be Swordsmen. Amat/SP game should be another fun one!
10. Bonita- Bogan has tools and will know how to use them. Mikhail and Robinson on the same team is scary!
11. Colony- Athletes and more athletes on the field! Zavala seems to have locked up the best kids in the Ontario area.
12. Northview- This team takes after the personality of their coach Marcel Perez. TOUGH!!!!
@ Question Mark: Bryce Young started out at Cathedral High School and transferred to Mater Dei after his sophomore season. He played well at the University of Alabama, so was his success there the result of the offensive system, his talent, or a combination of both?
It will be interesting to see how Young’s NFL career turns out; I think his most serious problem now is that he’s been playing for a bad team.
Bryce Young the Warren and MD and Alabama star ain’t made for the NFL. He is gonna be a huge bust.
L.A. Times investigative reporter found out that 17,068 high school atheletes transfered to a different schhol last season. 2024’s student athletes will be much higher than that. It used to be called The Paper Chase. Moving to a school that may provide a better education. Now parents are into The Money Chase where their kid can get some NIL cash.
The annual crosstown rivalry between Downey and Warren looks to be better than ever, with QBs leading the way. I had thought Pearson left the shelf empty, but with the younger Iamaleava still in the mix, the Bears should still growl.