Top California High School Football Games of the 2017 Season

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG

The 2017 high school football season in California is shaping up to be one of the best yet. As always, there is top talent throughout the state with a cluster in the southern section. All roads to a state title seemingly always run through De La Salle out of the north section and a Trinity League team in the south. The season starts off with two of the best teams in the nation ready to take on all challengers out of the Trinity League with everyone else playing catchup until the playoffs.

The game of the year in California will be played on Oct. 13 when No. 1 Mater Dei takes on No. 2 St. John Bosco. The two split the series last season with Bosco winning in the playoffs on the way to a state title. Tough to imagine a different scenario in 2017 but there are up-and-coming teams in Orange Lutheran and Servite ready to flex their muscle. Much is expected of JSerra Catholic starting the year off with a No. 7 in-state ranking. Whoever survives the Trinity League gets bragging rights and a top seed in the playoffs.

If there is a true high school team in the nation with a tougher four-game start to the season than Vista Murrieta, I’d like to see it. Vista Murrieta is set to take on Colquitt County (GA), Mission Viejo, Orange Lutheran, and JSerra Catholic. If the Broncos emerge 4-0 before the end of September, hard to imagine Vista Murrieta not being a Top 10 ranked team in the country with a full-head of steam going into conference play and the playoffs.

One of the more exciting aspects of the 2017 schedule is all the out of state contests pairing top California teams against other top programs from across the country. St. John Bosco against St. Thomas Aquinas, Centennial against IMG Academy, and Chaminade against Mountain Pointe are just a few of the games that will be fun for diehard football fans to watch.

At the end of the day, all teams will be gunning for defending champs St. John Bosco. The Braves were battled tested by the end of the 2016 season after taking on St. Xavier in Cincinnati, Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, St. Mary’s (Stockton, CA), and Mater Dei. The 35-20 loss to Bishop Gorman and 26-21 loss to league rival Mater Dei helped the Braves click on all cylinders in the playoffs running through Upland (47-20), Santa Margarita (54-14), and Centennial (49-47) before meeting Mater Dei in the southern section championship. The Braves flipped the script in Angel Stadium beating the Monarchs 42-28 before toppling De La Salle 56-33 for the trophy and a No. 2 end of season national ranking.

The following is a breakdown of some of the top games scheduled for the 2017 season. Rankings for non-California teams represent individual in-state rankings. MaxPreps’ rankings seem to change minute to minute. All rankings reflect time of post, should they change.

2017 Top California High School Football Games

August 24

No. 35 Calabasas vs. Dorsey at Agoura High School

August 25

No. 2 St. John Bosco at St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) – No. 2 ranked in Florida

No. 20 Pittsburg at No. 3 Centennial

No. 5 Serra at No. 11 Narbonne

No. 51 Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) at No. 9 Chaminade (West Hills)

No. 19 Cathedral Catholic at Del Oro (Loomis)

No. 24 Vista Murrieta at Colquitt County (GA) – No. 11 ranked in Georgia

No. 68 La Habra at No. 25 Upland

No. 27 Norco at No. 67 Servite

August 26

No. 5 Serra at No. 12 St. Mary’s (Stockton)

August 31

No. 9 Chaminade vs. Mountain Pointe (Phoenix, AZ) – No. 2 ranked in Arizona at Mission Viejo

September 1

No. 1 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV) at No. 1 Mater Dei

No. 1 St. John’s (Maryland) at No. 4 De La Salle

No. 24 Vista Murrieta at No. 6 Mission Viejo

No. 51 Oaks Christian at No. 8 Edison (Huntington Beach)

No. 13 Orange Lutheran at No. 19 Cathedral Catholic (San Diego)

No. 67 Servite at American Fork (UT) at Mission Viejo – American Fork No. 6 ranking in Utah

No. 16 Rancho Cucamonga at No. 27 Norco

No. 33 Long Beach Poly at No. 11 Narbonne

September 2

No. 3 Centennial vs. IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL) in San Diego – IMG No. 1 ranking nationally

No. 14 Helix vs. Paraclete

No. 23 Bakersfield vs. Orem at Mission Viejo – No. 8 ranked team in Utah

September 8

No. 9 Chaminade at No. 2 St. John Bosco

No. 13 Orange Lutheran at No. 24 Vista Murrieta

No. 5 Serra vs. Dorsey

No. 26 Bishop Amat at No. 7 JSerra Catholic

September 15

No. 11 Narbonne at No. 3 Centennial

No. 33 Long Beach Poly vs. No. 6 Mission Viejo at Veterans Stadium

No. 23 Bakersfield at No. 9 Chaminade

No. 7 Jserra Catholic at No. 24 Vista Murrieta

No. 11 Murrieta Valley at No. 18 San Clemente

No. 15 Valencia at No. 57 Newbury Park

No. 16 Rancho Cucamonga at No. 26 Bishop Amat

No. 19 Cathedral Catholic at No. 14 Helix

September 16

No. 1 Mater Dei vs. Bergen Catholic (NJ) at Mission Viejo

Dorsey vs. No. 2 St. John Bosco at Mission Viejo

No. 4 De La Salle at No. 1 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)

September 22

No. 21 Sierra Canyon at Redondo Union

No. 57 Newbury Park at Venice

September 23

No. 12 St. Mary’s at No. 1 Mater Dei

No. 2 St. John Bosco at St. John’s (DC) – No. 1 ranked in Maryland

September 28

No. 5 Serra at No. 9 Chaminade

No. 15 Valencia at No. 35 Calabasas

September 29

No. 4 De La Salle at No. 44 Bishop O’Dowd

No. 8 Edison at No. 18 San Clemente

October 6

No. 25 Upland at No. 16 Rancho Cucamonga

No. 57 Newbury Park at No. 51 Oaks Christian

October 13

No. 1 Mater Dei at No. 2 St. John Bosco

No. 21 Sierra Canyon at No. 33 Calabasas

October 20

No. 7 JSerra Catholic at No. 1 Mater Dei

No. 26 Bishop Amat at No. 5 Serra

No. 51 Oaks Christian at No. 33 Calabasas

October 27

No. 1 Mater Dei at No. 13 Orange Lutheran

No. 27 Norco at No. 3 Centennial

November 3

No. 2 St. John Bosco at No. 7 JSerra Catholic

No. 18 San Clemente at No. 6 Mission Viejo

No. 26 Bishop Amat at No. 9 Chaminade

No. 17 Folsom at No. 22 Oak Ridge

St. Augustine at No. 19 Cathedral Catholic

 

What are some of the top high school football games in the state of California you are looking forward to seeing this season?

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Photo credit: Long Beach Press Telegram; St. John Bosco QB Re-al Mitchell drops back to pass against Centennial High School in 2016 playoffs