THE TIMES’ RANKINGS

FINAL FOOTBALL RANKINGS AND COMMENTS

*--* Rk School (Rec.-Div.) Comment and last ranking 1 MISSION VIEJO (14-0, SS-Div. II) Deserves to be mentioned among Southland’s best ever. (1) 2 S.O. NOTRE DAME (14-0), SS-Div. III) What we wouldn’t give for a game vs. Mission Viejo. (2) 3 L.B. POLY (13-1, SS-Div. I) DeSean Jackson stole the show, and the title. (4) 4 COR. CENTENNIAL (13-1, SS-Div. V) Stupid us, began the year unranked. (11) 5 LOS ALAMITOS (12-2, SS-Div. I) Defense played well enough to be champion. (3) 6 LAKEWOOD (11-2, SS-Div. I) Luthur Brown-led defense was second to none. (7) 7 VALENCIA (12-2, SS-Div. II) Only losses were to teams ranked 1-2. (5) 8 ST. BONAVENTURE (13-1, SS-Div. IV) Seraphs secured fifth title in six years. (8) 9 ORANGE LUTHERAN (13-1, SS-Div. VI) In championship games, sixth time’s the charm. (9) 10 BIRMINGHAM (10-4, City) For City champs, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. (18) 11 LOYOLA (9-3, SS-Div. I) Three losses by a combined 13 points. (13) 12 MATER DEI (8-3, SS-Div. I) Met its match against an emerging Esperanza. (6) 13 DORSEY (12-2, City) Johnson & Johnson were double trouble for nearly everyone. (10) 14 DOMINGUEZ (12-2, SS-Div. III) Dons fell in a track meet with Notre Dame. (NR) 15 NORCO (12-2, SS-Div. V) Toby Gerhart, Cougars were runners-up again. (15) 16 TAFT (10-2, City) Ten wins in a row, but couldn’t carry momentum past Birmingham. (12) 17 ESPERANZA (9-4, SS-Div. I) Late-season changes yielded late-season charge. (NR) 18 CRENSHAW (10-3, City) Cougars twice lacked the horsepower against Dorsey. (16) 19 TEMESCAL CANYON (12-1, SS-Div. V) Best-ever season ends with season-low 21 points vs. Norco. (17) 20 PALMDALE (8-3, SS-Div. II) Caught looking ahead, embarrassed in first round of playoffs. (14) 21 NEWPORT HARBOR (12-1-1, SS-Div. VI) Only loss was a complete dismantling in division final. (24) 22 CRESPI (11-3, SS-Div. X) Randle Harris led Celts to first championship since 1986. (NR) 23 SAN CLEMENTE (10-3, SS-DIV. II) Title hopes diminished with Josh Fortin’s injured ankle. (23) 24 SERRANO (14-0, SS-Div. VIII) Diamondback defense packed bite, delivered its first title. (NR) 25 OAKS CHRISTIAN (14-0, SS-Div. XI) Put up astounding numbers against a small-school schedule. (25)

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