Theirs is not as old a rivalry or as traditional as Grossmont-Helix, but Grossmont-Valhalla will come close this week when the undefeated East County powers roll in the dirt in a Grossmont Hills League game.
The winner probably will determine who challenges Helix for the championship.
Valhalla’s 6-0 record represents its best start since racing to 7-0 in 2005. Grossmont, also 6-0, won its first six in 2015 but flattened out to 7-4.
The 2005 Valhalla Norsemen got to 9-0-2 before losing, 49-48, to St. Augustine in the San Diego Section Division III finals.
The Norsemen are 6-3 against Grossmont since 2007, although the Foothillers lead the all-time series, 22-18-1. Valhalla won, 32-21, in 2015 but Grossmont is 4-2 since the teams were reunited in the ‘Hills in 2010. They’ve played every year except 2005 and ’06 from Valhalla’s opening in 1975.
DONS MOVE UP
With St. Augustine knocked out by Madison, 56-42, Cathedral, 6-0 and a 55-6 winner over Scripps Ranch, finally took over as the No. 1 team in the Union-Tribune poll.
The Dons figure to have things their way at least until the final two weeks of the season when they meet St. Augustine and Madison.
Cathedral moved up to No. 8 in the Cal-Hi Sports rankings as St. Augustine exited from No. 10, out of the Top 25, and to “On the Bubble” status.
Helix improved to 17th from 18th and St. Augustine joined Rancho Bernardo and Madison as bubble teams.
HOOVER BOTTOMING OUT
Since Jerry Ralph got out of Dodge, the floor has collapsed at Hoover.
Ralph, whose team was 25-11 from 2012-14, left after the 2-8 campaign in 2015 to take a post at El Camino.
Hoover is 0-6 this year and hasn’t scored a point.
Repeat, Hoover is 0-6 this year and hasn’t scored a point.
The Cardinals are making history in reverse.
Hoover could tie an unwanted school record this week. The Cardinals still were on the schneid after seven games in 1974. Winterhaven San Pasqual Valley also didn’t score, finishing with a 0-6-1 record in 1983.
The all-time record of eight consecutive scoreless games at the start of the season was set by Ramona in 1974 and tied by Borrego Springs in 1978.
First-place votes in parenthesis.
Points awarded on basis of 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1.
| Rank | Team | W-L | Points | Last Week |
| 1. | Cathedral (21) | 6-0 | 262 | 2 |
| 2. | Madison (3) | 5-1 | 219 | 6 |
| 3. | Rancho Bernardo (3) | 6-0 | 218 | 3 |
| 4. | Mater Dei | 5-1 | 166 | 4 |
| 5. | Helix | 4-2 | 158 | 5 |
| 6. | St. Augustine | 5-1 | 154 | 1 |
| 7. | Poway | 6-0 | 92 | 9 |
| 8. | Oceanside | 5-1 | 81 | 8 |
| 9. | Grossmont | 6-0 | 52 | 10 |
| 10 | Mission Hills | 4-2 | 41 | 7 |
Others receiving votes: Valhalla (6-0, 28 points), The Bishop’s (6-0, 3), Christian (6-0, 1).
Twenty-seven sportswriters, sportscasters, and other representatives comprise the voting panel:
John Maffei, Union-Tribune. Terry Monahan, Don Norcross, Tom Saxe, Rick Hoff, Jim Lindgren, Union-Tribune contributors. Michael Bower, Pomerado News. Lisa Lane, Fox 5 News. Montell Allen, MBA Sports-SDFNL Magazine. Brandon Stone, Rick Willis, KUSI, Channel 51. Adam Clark, Ted Mendenhall, Taylor Quellman, The Mighty 1090. Steve (Biff) Dolan, Mountain Radio 107.9 FM. Bob Petinak, 1360 Radio. Bill Dickens, Adam Paul, Chris Davis, eastcountysports.com. Bodie DeSilva, sandiegopreps.com. Drew Smith, sdcoastalsports.com. Raymond Brown, sdfootball.net. Rick Smith, partletonsports.com. Steve Brand, San Diego Hall of Champions. Jerry Schniepp, John Labeta, CIF San Diego Section. John (Coach) Kentera, Prep Talent Evaluator.
