State No. 2 Classical (10-1) handled Bonita Vista (4-2), 43-6, and next week faces No. 3 San Juan Capistrano JSerra. The Caimans’ lone loss was to state and national No. 1 Orange Lutheran (13-0), 40-14. Classical is averaging 39 points a game and has outscored opponents, 433-172.

Mira Mesa (7-1) squeaked by Torrey Pines, 9-8, to move up in the ranks, along with newcomers Grossmont (3-1), Westview (5-0) and Our Lady of Peace (5-1).

This week’s featured game is Poway (6-0), a scoring machine at 180-32 points overall,  at San Marcos (6-0), a 212-46 juggernaut.

Complete schedules and results are here.

Top 10 San Diego section teams per the Max Preps ranking system*, as of Sept. 12:

Others in top 100: 64 Brawley (7-4), 69 Poway (6-0), 73 San Marcos (6-0), 79 Imperial, 91 Mission Bay

* The entirely computer generated and proprietary MaxPreps.com ranking algorithm, based solely on wins and losses, plus the opponents strength of schedule, is described here.

Henrik Jonson, Web Master

Take a bow, Chris Hauser, and a doffing of the fedora  to the Mission Hills coach, the 11th in San Diego County history to win at least 200 games.

Hauser (200-87-2) last week coached the Grizzlies to a 28-14 victory over Oceanside 21 seasons after his first, 26-6 over Vista Murietta in 2004.

That win in ’04 was the only taste of success for the Grizzlies, who, finished 1-10 and followed with a 4-6 in 2005 before finding their stride with a 9-3 campaign in 2006.

Hauser played for the legendary Dick Haines at Vista and coached the Panthers to a 34-15 record from ’00-03 before taking the start-up program at Mission Hills.

Hauser’s 200 wins is third among active coaches to the 237 of Monte Vista’s Ron Hamamoto and 234 of Cathedral’s Sean Doyle.

The all-time leader is Herb Meyer, light years away with 339, after 113 at Oceanside and 226 at El Camino, from 1959-2003.

Several coaches could earn their 100th victories his season.  San Pasqual’s Tony Corley (98), Carlsbad’s Thadd MacNeal (98), Lincoln’s David Dunn (96), and  Granite Hills’ Kellan Cobbs (95) are well placed.  La Costa Canyon’s Sean Sovacool (92) has a shot.

GLOBAL WARMING?

The term wasn’t a part of the lexicon more than 60 years ago, but the triple index temperatures that visited the area last week brought back memories of a game I covered for the Evening Tribune on a hot Friday night.

From the 1963 football narrative:

“Hoover and Helix battled heat that set a San Diego record of 111 degrees on Thursday, Sept. 27, and on Friday reached 104, the fifth highest reading since records began in 1874.

Temperature for the 8 p.m. kickoff on Sept. 28 was at least 100 degrees and the Cardinals and Highlanders responded with a memorable game before about 6,000 persons at Hoover.

The Cards won, 14-13, when Hoover drove 81 yards in the final 4 minutes to score the winning touchdown.”

MAFFEI FEELS IT

John Maffei’s The San Diego Union Week 3 poll:

Points awarded on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. *First-place votes. Previous ranking in (italics).
Bold indicates latest ranking. NR–Not ranked. Max Preps‘ and Cal-Hi Sports‘ are state rankings.

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES
Rancho Bernardo (2-0), 5 points.  Mt. Carmel (3-0, 4). Helix (1-2, 3).  University City (3-0, 2), El Centro Central (2-0), 1), Scripps Ranch (3-0), 1.

VOTING PANEL

Thirty sportswriters, sportscasters, administrators from San Diego County, plus Max Preps.com.

• John Maffei (San Diego Union-Tribune).
• Don Norcross, Steve Brand, Rick Hoff, Kevin Farmer (Union-Tribune Freelance contributors).
• Joe Heinz, Todd Cassen, Ron Marquez (CIF San Diego Section).
• Brandon Stone, Allison Edmonds, John Carroll, Chase Izidor (KUSI, Channel 51).
• Rick Smith (partletonsports.com).
• Bodie DeSilva (ScorebookLive.com).
• Braden Suprenant (97.3-FM The Fan).
• Christian Pedersen (San Diego Sports Association).
• Tom Helmantoler, (Southern Conference advisor).
• Rex Johnson, Bruce Ward (CIF Advisory Committee).
• Mike Dolan, Joe Evangelist (San Diego Coaching Legends).
• Raymond Brown (SDfootball.net).
• John Kentera, Steve (Biff) Dolan, Dennis Ackerman, Eric Williams, Thomas Gutierrez, Tom Ronco, Adam Paul (Freelance contributors).

Classical (6-1) remains on top, and next meets Bonita Vista (4-1), which stubbed its toe on unranked Grossmont. Mira Mesa (6-1), with only a one-score loss to Our Lady of Peace (3-0 and 12-3 last year), plus undefeated La Costa Canyon, Poway, and San Marcos are on the rise.

Complete schedules and results are here.

Top 10 San Diego section teams per the Max Preps ranking system*, as of Sept. 5:

* The entirely computer generated and proprietary MaxPreps.com ranking algorithm, based solely on wins and losses, plus the strength of schedule of opponents, is described here.

Henrik Jonson, Web Master

Long Beach Poly, since losing, 11-0, to San Diego High in 1910, has pretty much had its way with teams from San Diego.

Lincoln’s 42-14 victory last week at Long Beach Veterans’ Memorial Stadium, was infrequent.  Poly leads the series, 40-15-1.

This once was a premier rivalry in Southern California, with the Jackrabbits and San Diego usually battling for Coast League supremacy.

As the cities and population grew, new leagues were created, making the schools less dependent on travel. Poly and San Diego didn’t see much of each other.

Mira Mesa’s 13-6 loss here in 2006 was the last season Long Beach faced off with an opponent from this area and only the fifth time since 1960.

Poly holds a 24-11-1 lead over San Diego and hasn’t met the Cavers since a 26-18 victory 64 years ago.

MAFFEI FEELS IT

John Maffei’s The San Diego Union Week 2 poll:

Points awarded on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. *First-place votes. Previous ranking in (italics).
Bold indicates latest ranking. NR–Not ranked. Max Preps‘ and Cal-Hi Sports‘ are state rankings.

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES
Rancho Bernardo (2-0), 5 points.  Helix (0-2, 5), Mt. Carmel (2-0, 4). University City (2-0, 2),  El Centro Central (1-0, 1), Scripps Ramch (2-0), 1.

VOTING PANEL

Thirty sportswriters, sportscasters, administrators from San Diego County, plus Max Preps.com.

• John Maffei (San Diego Union-Tribune).
• Don Norcross, Steve Brand, Rick Hoff, Kevin Farmer, Union-Tribune Freelance contributors.
• Joe Heinz, Todd Cassen, Ron Marquez (CIF San Diego Section.
• Brandon Stone, Allison Edmonds, John Carroll, Chase Izidoro  (KUSI, Channel 51).
• Rick Smith (partletonsports.com).
• Bodie DeSilva (ScorebookLive.com).
• Braden Suprenant (97.3-FM The Fan).
• Christian Pedersen (San Diego Sports Association).
• Tom Helmantoler, (Southern Conference advisor).
• Rex Johnson, Bruce Ward (CIF Advisory Committee).
• Mike Dolan, Joe Evangelist (San Diego Coaching Legends Committee.
• Raymond Brown  (SDfootball.net).
• John Kentera, Steve (Biff) Dolan, Dennis Ackerman, Eric Williams, Thomas Gutierrez, Tom Ronco, Adam Paul (Freelance contributors).

Defending San Diego Section champions are off to a strong start, each with a majority of their All-CIF starters returning.

Division I Bonita Vista (3-0), coming off a 19-1 season, is outscoring its opponents 533 to 137. This early season includes a win over Brawley (6-2), itself a five-game winner in a one-day tournament!

D-II Classical  (6-1), rated No. 4 in the state by Max Preps, overpowered Mission Viejo, Number 13 Newport Harbor, and 26 Long Beach Poly, losing only to #2  San Juan Capistrano JSerra.  Last season the Caimans were 17-2 and led the section in scoring at 30 points a game, outscoring opponents 573 to 86.

A local “Clash of the Titans” is Sept. 7, when Classical hosts Bonita Vista. Schedules and results are here.

D-I newcomer Poway (4-0, #36)  dominated its 4 opponents with a 114-20 scoring  total, as only Santana (4-1-1) put up a fight, 20-12. The lady Titans will meet Bonita Vista on Sept. 21.

In town notables are Mira Mesa (4-1), Mission Bay (4-2), plus Kearny (3-0), with all shutout wins and outscoring opponents 75-0.

Brawley (6-2), Imperial (4-1), and Calexico Vincent Memorial (3-0) are off to a good starts in the desert.

San Diego section teams with a Max Preps top 100 state ranking through Aug. 29:

Henrik Jonson, Web Master

Patrick Henry opened the season with a 77-48 victory over Grossmont and broke the school record, set in a 69-14 win over Coronado in 2021.

The outburst also more or less squared the record of a  previous Patriots encounter.  They were on the opposite end of a 77-point explosion by The Bishop’s seven years ago (see table).

Henry’s result marked the eighth time a San Diego County team had scored 77 points, tied for 21^st highest all time.

There have been 109 games in which the winning team scored at least 70 in 11-man football.  San Diego High set the all-time high in a 130-7 win in 1920 over Army-Navy.

We’ll go out on a limb and suggest that the Hilltoppers’ record, now 104 years old, is not in danger.

There have been an estimated nearly 30,000 games played by San Diego County teams since students from San Diego High teed up on Christmas Day, 1891, against  “adults” from the “San Diego Football Club”.

The game, more like rugby, with no score ever reported, took place at what is now Chicano Park, near the on ramp to the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge.

The 77’s:

MAFFEI FEELS IT

John Maffei’s first The San Diego Union weekly poll.

Points awarded on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. *First-place votes. NR–Not ranked.
Max Preps‘ and Cal-Hi Sports‘ are state rankings. Bold indicates latest ranking.

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES
Helix (0-1, 15 points), Del Norte (1-0, 9), El Centro Central (1-0, 2), Mt. Carmel (1-0, 2).

VOTING PANEL

Thirty sportswriters, sportscasters, administrators from San Diego County, plus Max Preps.com.

• John Maffei (San Diego Union-Tribune).
• Don Norcross, Steve Brand, Rick Hoff, Kevin Farmer, Union-Tribune Freelance contributors.
• Joe Heinz, Todd Cassen, Ron Marquez (CIF San Diego Section office.
• Brandon Stone, Allison Edmonds, John Carroll, Chase Izidoro  (KUSI, Channel 51).
• Rick Smith (partletonsports.com).
• Bodie DeSilva (ScorebookLive.com).
• Braden Suprenant (97.3-FM The Fan).
• Christian Pedersen (San Diego Sports Association).
• Tom Helmantoler, (Southern Conference advisor).
• Rex Johnson, Bruce Ward (CIF Advisory Committee).
• Mike Dolan, Joe Evangelist (San Diego Coaching Legends Committee.
• Raymond Brown  (SDfootball.net).
• John Kentera, Steve (Biff) Dolan, Dennis Ackerman, Eric Williams, Thomas Gutierrez, Tom Ronco, Adam Paul (freelance contributors).