Here's a look at the top 10 games to watch in Week Four, followed by many more games on our radar. Rankings referenced in games' descriptions below refer to SN's statewide team rankings for Week Four.
Top 10 California high school football games to watch in Week 4
(Games start at 7:00 or 7:15 p.m. PT on Friday unless otherwise noted.)
10. Yorba Linda vs. Tustin
No. 19 Yorba Linda is one win away from a 5-0 run through non-league play, but number five might be its most difficult to come by against a loaded Tustin defense. Tustin is coming off back-to-back losses against Long Beach Poly and Damien, but that's not nearly enough to disqualify the Tillers from having a shot at Yorba Linda given that they also have a 30-17 win over San Clemente under their belt. Tustin will be a heavy favorite in Delta League play win or lose, so one could argue that it has an easier mental task in this one with little to lose but much to gain.
9. Vista Murrieta vs. Beaumont
3-0 hosts 4-0 in an evenly matched battle between two Inland Empire heavyweights with a shot at breaking through into SN's statewide top 25 after recently breaking into the Southern Section top 25. For Beaumont, a win at Vista Murrieta means a very good chance of going 10-0 for the second year in a row, which would all but lock in another CIF-SS D2 playoff selection. It would also extend the Cougars' regular season winning streak to 11 games. For Vista Murrieta, on the other hand, Big West League - Upper Division play will be daunting win or lose, but that only makes a win here more valuable going forward.
8. JSerra vs. Leuzinger
So far this season, JSerra games have not disappointed. Nobody expected the Lions to stand much of a chance against Sierra Canyon in their 35-0 season-opening blowout loss, but their ensuing matches against Damien (a thrilling but heartbreaking 34-31 loss) and Oak Hills (a 24-21 victory) were among the best games of their respective weeks. We feel pretty confident that No. 20 JSerra versus Leuzinger will be right in the same vein. Leuzinger faces a unique challenge in that it could be rusty from two consecutive bye weeks, one of which was the result of a late cancellation/forfeit by Bishop Montgomery. Can the well-rested Olympians come sharp three weeks after their previous contest and upset a Trinity League team?
7. Downey (Downey) vs. Inglewood
It's been a weird start to the year for Inglewood, which could really use a statement win with Bay League play around the corner. The Sentinels are without arguably their best player, 4-star junior DL Elija Harmon, for the whole season, but they still nearly beat Los Alamitos in a Week Double Zero season opener. Then they got routed by Central East, had a game cancelled by Bishop Montgomery, beat St. Bonaventure, and took another bye week as St. Bonaventure got upset by Central Catholic to devalue Inglewood's lone win in the rankings. If Inglewood has another gear, this is the week to find it against a talented Downey team that got blown out by Sierra Canyon after an impressive 4-0 start. Downey, on the other hand, wants to make the most of a game against its highest-ranked opponent besides Sierra Canyon before presumably cruising through Gateway League play.
6. Del Oro vs. Oak Ridge
After a 2-8 record in a rebuilding year, Del Oro football is not only back but also loaded with a full head of steam at 3-0. The Golden Eagles haven't played any state-ranked competition, but they've put a hurting on three quality opponents – Downey (Modesto), Placer, and Foothill (Palo Cedro) – by a combined score of 149-35. Is that enough to give them a chance at high-powered Oak Ridge in both teams' Sierra Foothill League opener? Not necessarily, but they also haven't shown enough vulnerability this year to be counted out. Oak Ridge has a loss to its name, a competitive loss against San Diego Section powerhouse Mission Hills, but is still the heavy favorite here thanks to a season-opening 40-7 rout of Frontier and last week's 56-35 win against St. Mary's (Stockton).
5. Folsom vs. Rocklin – Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Admittedly, Rocklin faces long odds to make this a game, so it might prove not to be a top-five game to watch before halftime even rolls around. But if the Thunder can keep pace through multiple quarters, it could end up being the biggest and most exciting game of the night. No. 9 Folsom has been in another ballpark from the rest of the Sierra Foothill League for most of recent history, but Rocklin is the one team that has given the Bulldogs a scare with decent consistency, and that includes 2021 when Rocklin rolled to a 40-7 win for a league title. Last year was among Folsom's least competitive romps through the SFL, which included a 51-14 rout of the Thunder. That makes Rocklin the overwhelming underdog, but it does come in with the momentum of a 3-0 start.
4. Los Alamitos vs. Granite Hills (El Cajon)
A lot of Southern Section fans will expect the Griffins to roll. And they might. But Granite Hills has been one of the San Diego Section's toughest and most consistent programs since winning a section and state title in 2022 followed by an Open Division CIF-SDS title in 2023. Right now, Granite Hills is on the bubble of the statewide top 25 with its only loss coming 31-21 to Mission Hills. While Los Alamitos is the favorite at No. 14 in the state, this one could go either way.
3. St. John Bosco vs. St. Louis (HI)
For the second time in three weeks, the newly-crowned No. 1 team in California takes on the No. 1 team in another state known for taking its football seriously. This time the Braves host St. Louis (3-0), the reigning Hawaii state champion ranked 67th in the nation by MaxPreps. It's too early to tell if St. Louis can push St. John Bosco, but most remember what Kahuku did against St. John Bosco two years ago, and St. Louis is a more highly-touted team at this point in the season that Kahuku was in 2023. With that said, that's all the more reason to expect the Braves to come out in lockdown mode. A St. John Bosco blowout win is probably likely, but it's not unfathomable that St. Louis gives Bosco a run for its money, in which case the entire nation would be on notice by halftime.
2. Orange Lutheran vs. Sierra Canyon – Thursday at 7 p.m.
No. 7 in California hosting No. 6? Enough said. Sierra Canyon has been so good through four games – winning all four by a combined 192-7 against big-name opponents – that there's no way to know yet how it'll handle being tested. Orange Lutheran has already had a chance to show its resolve against national competition by battling back from a 24-0 deficit against Basha (AZ) to tie the game before narrowly losing 30-24 to one of the nation's better or best teams. For Sierra Canyon, this is the only chance this regular season at securing a win over a nationally-ranked team.
1. Bishop Gorman (NV) vs. Mater Dei
When was the last time that Mater Dei was widely considered the clear underdog in any football game? Perhaps the 2023 CIF-SS D1 championship in which it routed St. John Bosco 35-7 after losing 28-0 to the Braves six weeks prior? Even then, there was no question that the Monarchs were set for a much more competitive performance. Before that, one would have to go back to the 2018 section finals in which they upset St. John Bosco 17-13 after losing 41-18 in Trinity League play. But Mater Dei is officially the underdog on Friday at Bishop Gorman – the No. 1 team in the country alongside St. John Bosco – especially playing in another state. Will we see nearly a full game of the locked-in Monarchs who were untouchable in the second quarter of the St. Thomas Aquinas win and third quarter of the Corona Centennial loss? If so, Mater Dei fans would have to like their chances, but if not, back-to-back losses are probably in store.
MORE GAMES TO WATCH:
Chino Hills vs. San Clemente
Palos Verdes vs. Banning (Wilmington)
Birmingham vs. Calabasas
Mira Costa vs. San Juan Hills
Kennedy (Granada Hills) vs. Van Nuys
McCallie (TN) vs. Mission Viejo – Saturday at 4 p.m.
Rancho Cucamonga vs. Corona Centennial
Grant Union vs. De La Salle
Lincoln (San Diego) vs. Frontier (Bakersfield)
Liberty (Bakersfield) vs. Central East – Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Clovis North vs. San Ramon Valley – Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Chaminade vs. Cathedral
St. Bonaventure vs. Oak Hills
Carson vs. North (Torrance) – Thursday at 7 p.m.
Serra (Gardena) vs. Oaks Christian
Bullard vs. Clovis – Thursday at 7 p.m.
Taft vs. Eagle Rock
Upland vs. Bishop Amat
Garfield vs. Legacy
El Modena vs. San Pedro – Thursday at 5 p.m.
Chaparral vs. Great Oak
Cajon vs. San Jacinto
Turlock vs. Clovis West
La Mirada vs. La Habra
San Marcos (San Marcos) vs. San Pasqual
Simi Valley vs. Thousand Oaks
Crean Lutheran vs. La Serna
Sonora (Sonora) vs. Escalon
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- California top 25 rankings: St. John Bosco is No. 1
- SN's CIF-Southern Section top 25 rankings (Week 4)
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