Attribution consolidated to one in-context citation; removed conflicting second-half interception count

Final score card with school logos: No. 92 The St. James 42, No. 3 IMG Academy 44, October 3, 2026, SPIN National Game of the Week.

With 57 seconds left in Bradenton, The St. James led IMG Academy 42-41, and the No. 3 team in the country was one stop away from its first loss.

Osani Gayles took the ensuing kickoff back 60 yards, deep into St. James territory, and Zach Brien won it with a 47-yard field goal in the final seconds, according to MaxPreps and USA TODAY's Alex Martin, who covered the game live from Bradenton. No. 3 IMG Academy 44, No. 92 The St. James 42.

The St. James scored first, on a run-pass option that went for a long touchdown in the first quarter. IMG stalled in the red zone twice and settled for two field goals, and the Strivers led 7-6 after one quarter.

Quarterback Kash Carter made the play of the half. He pump-faked, dropped his arm to the side and found a receiver wide open for a 66-yard touchdown that put The St. James up 21-13 with 6:04 left in the second quarter. Gayles, the Alabama commit, answered on a fade to make it 21-20, and that was the halftime score.

The Strivers came out of the break and went up 28-20, converting a third-and-13 on the way.

IMG quarterback Jayden Wade tied it 28-28 on a run with 4:58 left in the third quarter, and Gayles ran in the two-point conversion on a reverse. By the end of the quarter, IMG led 35-28.

The second half turned on turnovers. Censere Gaylord intercepted Carter twice and returned one 99 yards for a touchdown, and Wade's touchdown pass made it 41-28 with 10:16 left.

Carter hit Camden Simmons on a catch-and-run touchdown with 7:41 left to make it 41-35. The St. James got the ball back, drove into IMG territory with three minutes left and ran its way to the go-ahead touchdown with 57 seconds to play. "A second year academy is under a minute away from a MONUMENTAL upset," Martin posted.

It was not, because the kickoff went to Gayles.

Wade threw three touchdown passes and ran for another, and Gayles caught two of them. IMG is 6-0 and has scored 307 points this season. Before Saturday, its closest game was a 21-point win, 48-27 at The First Academy. IMG visits New Palestine next Friday.

The St. James is 4-1 after its first loss. It went on the road to Florida, led the No. 3 team in the country in the final minute and lost by two points.

Sloane Carter

A second-year program from Virginia led the No. 3 team in the country with 57 seconds left. Osani Gayles answered with a 60-yard kickoff return, and Zach Brien finished it.

IMG Academy Survives The St. James on a 47-Yard Field Goal in the Final Seconds

SoCal POP Rankings 2026 through Week 9, the Top 10 quarterbacks card, with Jaden Jefferson of Centennial of Corona No. 1 at 96

**These are not opinion rankings.** Nobody at SPIN picks who is No. 1. POP, Production Over Potential, is calculated from what each player has actually done this season, game by game, from the box scores of his games, weighed for who he did it against and where. Stars, offers, highlight tapes and reputation are not in the math. Two things are: what he produced, and the competition he produced it against.

That is why big numbers against weak opponents do not rank high here, and why a big game against a great opponent is the most valuable thing on these boards. Consistency counts too: a full season of steady games is worth more than one monster night surrounded by quiet ones. The rules are set before the numbers come in, and they apply to every player in every region the same way.

Below: the Top 10 at every position across Southern California through Week 9, games of Oct. 8 to 10 included, plus the Two-Way board. This is the first SoCal board. It covers the Southern Section, the San Diego Section, the Los Angeles City Section and the southern end of the Central Section, Bakersfield to the Central Coast. The full Top 25 at every position, a Top 10 for every section and every rated player in the region live on the [Player Rankings tab](/player-rankings), updated every Wednesday at noon.

## What to know about the first SoCal board

- **Five players at 99.** Tegan Ogas of Norco (tight end), Braylin Spencer of JSerra Catholic (linebacker), Caleb Joy of Chaparral (defensive line) and two Santa Margarita freshmen, Aydan Steen (linebacker) and Kaleb Herndon (defensive line). The three other boards live today, Utah, Nevada and Northern California, have two 99s between them.
- **The depth is real.** Forty-eight Southern California players rate 95 or better on the seven position boards. Utah, Nevada and Northern California have 22 combined. That is not a thumb on the scale for the region: every rating sits on one national scale, and a 95 here means what a 95 means anywhere. It is what Trinity League, South Coast League and San Diego Section schedules produce when the games are weighed for who was on the other side.
- **Santa Margarita holds 12 of the 70 Top 10 spots** across the seven position boards, with three of the Top 10 defensive backs and three of the Top 10 defensive linemen. St. John Bosco, JSerra Catholic, Mater Dei and Sierra Canyon hold five each.
- **Jaxson Rex of San Clemente is the region's top two-way player at 94.** He is No. 4 among defensive backs at 96 and No. 17 among receivers at 93, both against a Heavy schedule.
- **Bishop Gorman is rated on the Nevada board,** live since Oct. 14.
- **Two rules to know.** A Top 25 spot requires a real share of the load at the position; a player under that line is still rated and still listed, just not ranked. And return yardage counts fully in competitive games and is discounted in mismatches; turnovers and touchdowns always count.

**Coaches, post your box scores.** POP can only count what gets recorded. About seven in ten Southern California games from Oct. 8 to 10 had a box score in when this week's numbers were run Tuesday evening. Los Alamitos has no box in our data for its last two games and Long Beach Poly none for Oct. 10, so their players carry fewer games than their opponents until next week's board. When a program posts no box score, or logs only part of what its players did, those players lose credit for work they actually did. Post full box scores, offense and defense, every week. If a stat is wrong, tell us and show us; the corrected rating shows on the next board.

SoCal POP Rankings 2026, Top 10 quarterbacks through Week 9: Jaden Jefferson of Centennial of Corona No. 1 at 96, Koa Malau'ulu of St. John Bosco second at 95, Hayes Cloutier of JSerra Catholic third at 94

| # | Player | School | Yr | GP | POP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaden Jefferson | Centennial (Corona) (SS) | Sr | 7 | **96** |
| 2 | Koa Malau'ulu | St. John Bosco (SS) | Jr | 7 | **95** |
| 3 | Hayes Cloutier | JSerra Catholic (SS) | Sr | 7 | **94** |
| 4 | Julian Medina | Norco (SS) | Sr | 6 | **93** |
| 5 | Caden Jones | Crean Lutheran (SS) | Sr | 7 | **92** |
| 6 | Eiler King | San Juan Hills (SS) | Sr | 7 | **92** |
| 7 | Star Thomas III | Orange (SS) | Jr | 7 | **91** |
| 8 | Talon Spencer | Capistrano Valley (SS) | Sr | 7 | **91** |
| 9 | Demarco Hernandez | Sierra Canyon (SS) | Sr | 7 | **91** |
| 10 | Brett Burnor | Mission Viejo (SS) | So | 7 | **91** |

SoCal POP Rankings 2026, Top 10 running backs through Week 9: Maliq Allen of St. John Bosco No. 1 at 98, Adrian Petero of Santa Margarita second at 96

| # | Player | School | Yr | GP | POP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maliq Allen | St. John Bosco (SS) | Sr | 7 | **98** |
| 2 | Adrian Petero | Santa Margarita (SS) | So | 7 | **96** |
| 3 | Ryan Christianson | Orange Lutheran (SS) | So | 7 | **95** |
| 4 | Asir Nembhard | Mater Dei (SS) | So | 7 | **95** |
| 5 | Darian Webb | Carlsbad (SDS) | Sr | 7 | **95** |
| 6 | Jorden Wells | Servite (SS) | Jr | 5 | **94** |
| 7 | Jaxsen Stokes | Sierra Canyon (SS) | Sr | 6 | **94** |
| 8 | AJ McBean | Serra (Gardena) (SS) | Sr | 6 | **93** |
| 9 | Neke Letuli | Oceanside (SDS) | Jr | 7 | **93** |
| 10 | William Fredericksen | JSerra Catholic (SS) | Sr | 7 | **93** |

SoCal POP Rankings 2026, Top 10 wide receivers through Week 9: Kuika Moaalii of St. John Bosco No. 1 at 98, Michael (Kiko) Farinas of Chaparral and DJ Tubbs of St. John Bosco at 97

| # | Player | School | Yr | GP | POP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kuika Moaalii | St. John Bosco (SS) | So | 7 | **98** |
| 2 | Michael (Kiko) Farinas | Chaparral (Temecula) (SS) | Sr | 7 | **97** |
| 3 | DJ Tubbs | St. John Bosco (SS) | Jr | 7 | **97** |
| 4 | Quentin Hale | Centennial (Corona) (SS) | Sr | 7 | **96** |
| 5 | Braylen Ross | Crean Lutheran (SS) | Sr | 7 | **95** |
| 6 | Grant Van Raaphorst | Santa Margarita (SS) | Jr | 7 | **95** |
| 7 | Kiyan Callis | Santa Margarita (SS) | Fr | 6 | **95** |
| 8 | Eli Woodard | Chaparral (Temecula) (SS) | Sr | 6 | **94** |
| 9 | Jack Junker | Mission Viejo (SS) | Sr | 7 | **94** |
| 10 | Luke Frith | San Juan Hills (SS) | Sr | 7 | **94** |

SoCal POP Rankings 2026, Top 10 tight ends through Week 9: Tegan Ogas of Norco No. 1 at 99, Grayson Matvay of JSerra Catholic second at 95

| # | Player | School | Yr | GP | POP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tegan Ogas | Norco (SS) | Sr | 7 | **99** |
| 2 | Grayson Matvay | JSerra Catholic (SS) | Sr | 6 | **95** |
| 3 | Colin Hooper | Capistrano Valley (SS) | Sr | 7 | **94** |
| 4 | Charles Davis | Westlake (Westlake Village) (SS) | Sr | 7 | **93** |
| 5 | Luke Gazzaniga | Santa Margarita (SS) | Sr | 5 | **92** |
| 6 | Owen Yurosek | Bakersfield Christian (CS) | Sr | 6 | **90** |
| 7 | Graham Murdock | Point Loma (SDS) | Sr | 7 | **88** |
| 8 | Diego Botron | La Costa Canyon (SDS) | Sr | 6 | **87** |
| 9 | Jett Wright | San Clemente (SS) | Sr | 6 | **85** |
| 10 | Aiden Tanks | Victor Valley (SS) | Sr | 7 | **85** |

SoCal POP Rankings 2026, Top 10 defensive backs through Week 9: Ca'ron Williams of Santa Margarita No. 1 at 97, Isala Wily-Ava of St. John Bosco second at 97

| # | Player | School | Yr | GP | POP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ca'ron Williams | Santa Margarita (SS) | Jr | 6 | **97** |
| 2 | Isala Wily-Ava | St. John Bosco (SS) | Sr | 6 | **97** |
| 3 | King Rich Johnson | Orange Lutheran (SS) | Jr | 7 | **96** |
| 4 | Jaxson Rex | San Clemente (SS) | Sr | 7 | **96** |
| 5 | Faruq Muhammad | Sierra Canyon (SS) | Sr | 7 | **95** |
| 6 | Tahj Skinner | Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) (SS) | Sr | 7 | **95** |
| 7 | Jayden Jack | Santa Margarita (SS) | Fr | 7 | **95** |
| 8 | Jack Strosnider | Mira Costa (SS) | Sr | 8 | **94** |
| 9 | Anhor Johnson | Orange Lutheran (SS) | Jr | 7 | **94** |
| 10 | Jake Martin | Santa Margarita (SS) | Jr | 7 | **94** |

SoCal POP Rankings 2026, Top 10 linebackers through Week 9: Braylin Spencer of JSerra Catholic No. 1 at 99, Aydan Steen of Santa Margarita second at 99

| # | Player | School | Yr | GP | POP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Braylin Spencer | JSerra Catholic (SS) | Sr | 6 | **99** |
| 2 | Aydan Steen | Santa Margarita (SS) | Fr | 7 | **99** |
| 3 | Dailon Clanton | Mater Dei (SS) | Sr | 7 | **98** |
| 4 | Cruz Nuñez | Santa Margarita (SS) | Sr | 7 | **97** |
| 5 | Ezekiel Su'a | Mater Dei (SS) | Sr | 7 | **97** |
| 6 | Michael Davis | Mater Dei (SS) | Sr | 7 | **96** |
| 7 | Eli Zamorano | Sierra Canyon (SS) | So | 6 | **96** |
| 8 | Boogie Baker | Chino Hills (SS) | Sr | 8 | **95** |
| 9 | Kane Casani | Loyola (SS) | Sr | 6 | **94** |
| 10 | Jameson Garrison | Oceanside (SDS) | Sr | 7 | **94** |

SoCal POP Rankings 2026, Top 10 defensive line through Week 9: Caleb Joy of Chaparral No. 1 at 99, Kaleb Herndon of Santa Margarita second at 99

| # | Player | School | Yr | GP | POP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caleb Joy | Chaparral (Temecula) (SS) | Sr | 7 | **99** |
| 2 | Kaleb Herndon | Santa Margarita (SS) | Fr | 7 | **99** |
| 3 | Kameron Payne | Chaparral (Temecula) (SS) | Sr | 7 | **98** |
| 4 | Kingston Jimmerson | Santa Margarita (SS) | So | 6 | **98** |
| 5 | Maddox Mataele | Mission Viejo (SS) | Jr | 7 | **98** |
| 6 | Isaia Vandermade | Santa Margarita (SS) | Sr | 6 | **97** |
| 7 | Godschoice Eboigbodin | JSerra Catholic (SS) | Sr | 6 | **96** |
| 8 | Hudson Manning | Chaminade (SS) | Sr | 6 | **96** |
| 9 | Viliami Sisifa | Mater Dei (SS) | So | 6 | **96** |
| 10 | Stephan Harrison | Sierra Canyon (SS) | So | 6 | **96** |

SoCal POP Rankings 2026, Top 10 two-way athletes through Week 9: Jaxson Rex of San Clemente No. 1 at 94, Colin Hooper of Capistrano Valley second at 92

| # | Player | School | Yr | Sides | POP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaxson Rex | San Clemente (SS) | Sr | WR/DB | **94** |
| 2 | Colin Hooper | Capistrano Valley (SS) | Sr | TE/LB | **92** |
| 3 | Tahj Skinner | Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) (SS) | Sr | QB/DB | **91** |
| 4 | Ezekiel McIntyre | San Marcos (SDS) | Sr | WR/DB | **91** |
| 5 | Nolan Scott | Corona del Mar (SS) | Jr | WR/LB | **91** |
| 6 | Gaige Weddle | Rancho Bernardo (SDS) | Jr | QB/DB | **89** |
| 7 | Luke Frith | San Juan Hills (SS) | Sr | WR/DB | **89** |
| 8 | Isaiah Trujillo | Yorba Linda (SS) | So | RB/LB | **88** |
| 9 | Isaiah Phelps | Pacifica (Oxnard) (SS) | Sr | RB/LB | **87** |
| 10 | Justin Karg | El Dorado (Placentia) (SS) | Sr | WR/DB | **85** |

A POP rating runs 25 to 99 on one national scale, so a 95 in Southern California means the same thing as a 95 in Utah or Northern California. GP is games with a posted stat line. Two-Way players must be rated on an offensive board and a defensive board; the Two-Way number is built from both sides.

How every number on this board is built: [the SPIN Production Rankings methodology](/articles/spin-production-rankings-how-pop-and-proof-work-what-goes/FB882453). Why we built it: [Stars Are a Bet. Yards Are a Receipt.](/articles/stars-are-a-bet-yards-are-a-receipt-just-ask/FB542443) This week's other boards: [Utah through Week 9](/articles/utah-pop-rankings-2026-top-10-at-every-position-through/FB475947) and [NorCal through Week 9](/articles/norcal-pop-rankings-2026-top-10-at-every-position-through-week/FB796773).

Utah, Nevada, Northern California and Southern California are live on the Player Rankings tab. Arizona follows, then a national board.

Max Fielder

Production over potential, not opinion. Southern California's first board: eight Top 10s, every number earned on the field, with games of Oct. 8 to 10 included.

SoCal POP Rankings 2026: Top 10 at Every Position Through Week 9

NorCal POP Rankings 2026 through Week 9, the Top 10 quarterbacks card, with Jelani Dippel of Central East No. 1 at 93

Below: the Top 10 at every position across Northern California through Week 9, games of Oct. 8 to 10 included, plus the Two-Way board. The full Top 25 at every position, a Top 10 for every CIF section and every rated player in the region live on the [Player Rankings tab](/player-rankings), updated every Wednesday at noon.

- **New No. 1 at quarterback.** Central East's Jelani Dippel (93) moves ahead of Acalanes' Tyler Winkles (93). Both sit at 93 and the order comes from the unrounded rating. Dippel went 15 of 21 for 261 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, and ran for 93 more, in a 27-0 win over Clovis. Winkles also went up a point, on 179 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns in a 35-10 win over Las Lomas.
- **New No. 1 at running back.** Buchanan's Carvell Wafer Jr. (93) moves ahead of Cardinal Newman's James Curoso (93) after 167 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries in a 45-28 win over Clovis West. His teammate Gannon Sever, 192 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries in the same game, is No. 3 at 93. Curoso answered with 171 yards and three touchdowns in a 40-0 win over San Marin and holds No. 2 on the Two-Way board.
- **The first 95s on a NorCal board.** Brennen Gibbs of Del Oro (wide receiver, up from 93) scored four touchdowns, two rushing and two receiving, with 104 rushing and 107 receiving yards in a 35-30 win over Jesuit. CJ Wallace IV of Folsom (defensive back, up from 91) had 13 tackles, a tackle for loss, two pass breakups and a punt return touchdown against Whitney. Brixton Bridger of Clovis and Blake Meggers of Oak Ridge share the top of the defensive line board at 95.
- **Jason Taormino, Whitney, jumps from No. 13 to No. 5 among linebackers (91)** on 10 tackles, a tackle for loss and an interception against Folsom, with 72 receiving yards and a touchdown on the other side of the ball. He is No. 8 on the Two-Way board.
- **Six new names in the Top 10s.** Uate Pifeleti of Saint Francis (defensive back, No. 5), Jayden Lewis of Saint Francis (linebacker, No. 4), Landen Parry of Del Oro (linebacker, No. 6, and No. 10 Two-Way), Jerrek Buckley of Rancho Cotate (tight end, No. 4) and Nick Hunt of Oak Ridge (defensive line, No. 9) all reached the five-game line this week and enter the boards. Isaac Anderson of American Canyon enters at No. 10 among running backs after 277 yards and four touchdowns against St. Vincent de Paul.
- **The scale was recalibrated.** Arizona, Southern California and Nevada joined the rating pool this week, and every rating is set on one national scale, so most Northern California players moved up a point or two. The order inside each board mostly held.
- **Two rules apply for the first time this week**, to every region. Return yardage counts fully in competitive games and is discounted in mismatches; turnovers and touchdowns always count. And a Top 25 spot now requires a real share of the load at the position. A player under that line is still rated and still listed, just not ranked. Riley McElvane of Valley Christian is the clearest case here: rated 88 at defensive back, up from 85, but under that line on the defensive side, so he is listed and not ranked there. He holds No. 5 on the Two-Way board.

**Coaches, post your box scores.** POP can only count what gets recorded. Only about six in ten Northern California games from Oct. 8 to 10 had a box score in when this week's numbers were run Tuesday evening. Clovis and Saint Francis were among the programs whose Week 9 game was not in, so Brixton Bridger, Uate Pifeleti and Jayden Lewis carry one fewer game than their opponents until next week's board. Bellarmine and Sacred Heart Cathedral have no box score in our data this season, so none of their players can be rated yet. When a program posts no box score, or logs only part of what its players did, those players lose credit for work they actually did. Post full box scores, offense and defense, every week. If a stat is wrong, tell us and show us; the corrected rating shows on the next board.

NorCal POP Rankings 2026, Top 10 quarterbacks through Week 9: Jelani Dippel of Central East No. 1 at 93, Tyler Winkles of Acalanes second at 93, Brody Rudnicki of Folsom third at 91

| # | Player | School | Yr | GP | POP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jelani Dippel | Central East (CS) | Sr | 6 | **93** |
| 2 | Tyler Winkles | Acalanes (NCS) | Sr | 6 | **93** |
| 3 | Brody Rudnicki | Folsom (SJS) | Sr | 7 | **91** |
| 4 | Juju Hernandez | Tulare Western (CS) | Jr | 7 | **90** |
| 5 | Tommy Devany | Buchanan (CS) | Jr | 7 | **90** |
| 6 | Isaac Liu | St. Ignatius College Preparatory (CCS) | So | 6 | **90** |
| 7 | Jamar Howard | Clovis West (CS) | Jr | 7 | **90** |
| 8 | Nick Johnson | Oak Ridge (SJS) | Sr | 6 | **89** |
| 9 | Jaxon Loftin | De La Salle (NCS) | Sr | 6 | **89** |
| 10 | Grayson Haugen | Del Oro (SJS) | Jr | 5 | **88** |

NorCal POP Rankings 2026, Top 10 running backs through Week 9: Carvell Wafer Jr. of Buchanan No. 1 at 93, James Curoso of Cardinal Newman and Gannon Sever of Buchanan also at 93

| # | Player | School | Yr | GP | POP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carvell Wafer Jr. | Buchanan (CS) | Sr | 7 | **93** |
| 2 | James Curoso | Cardinal Newman (NCS) | Jr | 6 | **93** |
| 3 | Gannon Sever | Buchanan (CS) | Sr | 7 | **93** |
| 4 | Duece Jones-Drew | De La Salle (NCS) | Sr | 6 | **92** |
| 5 | Aiden Dunkley | Clovis (CS) | Jr | 7 | **92** |
| 6 | Luke Tribolet | St. Ignatius College Preparatory (CCS) | Sr | 6 | **91** |
| 7 | Bronson Bambino | Folsom (SJS) | Jr | 7 | **90** |
| 8 | Owen Power | San Ramon Valley (NCS) | Jr | 6 | **87** |
| 9 | Gabe Smyth | Granite Bay (SJS) | Sr | 5 | **87** |
| 10 | Isaac Anderson | American Canyon (NCS) | Sr | 6 | **86** |

NorCal POP Rankings 2026, Top 10 wide receivers through Week 9: Brennen Gibbs of Del Oro No. 1 at 95, Relando Jefferson of Central East second at 93

| # | Player | School | Yr | GP | POP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brennen Gibbs | Del Oro (SJS) | Sr | 6 | **95** |
| 2 | Relando Jefferson | Central East (CS) | Sr | 6 | **93** |
| 3 | Hawkes Packard | St. Ignatius College Preparatory (CCS) | Jr | 6 | **92** |
| 4 | Finley Rivera | Acalanes (NCS) | Sr | 6 | **92** |
| 5 | Travis Beatty | Folsom (SJS) | Sr | 7 | **92** |
| 6 | Amarion Taylor | Tulare Western (CS) | Jr | 7 | **91** |
| 7 | Jackson Boselli | Acalanes (NCS) | Sr | 6 | **91** |
| 8 | Titus Thomas | Central East (CS) | Jr | 6 | **91** |
| 9 | Davion Moffett | St. Ignatius College Preparatory (CCS) | Jr | 6 | **91** |
| 10 | Damari Dean | De La Salle (NCS) | Jr | 6 | **91** |

NorCal POP Rankings 2026, Top 10 tight ends through Week 9: Jeremiah Whyte of Woodcreek No. 1 at 92, Exavier Jackson of Redwood and AJ Del Santo of Acalanes at 90

| # | Player | School | Yr | GP | POP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeremiah Whyte | Woodcreek (SJS) | Sr | 6 | **92** |
| 2 | Exavier Jackson | Redwood (Visalia) (CS) | Fr | 7 | **90** |
| 3 | AJ Del Santo | Acalanes (NCS) | Sr | 6 | **90** |
| 4 | Jerrek Buckley | Rancho Cotate (NCS) | Sr | 5 | **89** |
| 5 | Landon Miller | De La Salle (NCS) | Jr | 6 | **89** |
| 6 | Collin Benninger | Central Catholic (SJS) | Sr | 6 | **87** |
| 7 | Christian Taylor | Bella Vista (SJS) | Jr | 6 | **87** |
| 8 | Logan Miller | Whitney (SJS) | Sr | 6 | **86** |
| 9 | Jayden Martinez | Madera (CS) | Sr | 7 | **84** |
| 10 | Declan Dixon | Folsom (SJS) | So | 5 | **84** |

NorCal POP Rankings 2026, Top 10 defensive backs through Week 9: CJ Wallace IV of Folsom No. 1 at 95, Trey Greenwood of Central East second at 92

| # | Player | School | Yr | GP | POP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CJ Wallace IV | Folsom (SJS) | Sr | 7 | **95** |
| 2 | Trey Greenwood | Central East (CS) | Sr | 6 | **92** |
| 3 | Mason Towne | Franklin (Elk Grove) (SJS) | Jr | 7 | **91** |
| 4 | Nate Anzelc | Oak Ridge (SJS) | Jr | 6 | **91** |
| 5 | Uate Pifeleti | Saint Francis (CCS) | Sr | 5 | **90** |
| 6 | Jaret Bridwell | Red Bluff (NS) | Sr | 6 | **90** |
| 7 | Jayden Arfa | Folsom (SJS) | Sr | 7 | **89** |
| 8 | Jaylen "JR" Rabon | Grant (SJS) | Sr | 6 | **88** |
| 9 | Casey Nelson | St. Ignatius College Preparatory (CCS) | So | 5 | **88** |
| 10 | Justice Nonoguchi | Folsom (SJS) | Jr | 5 | **88** |

NorCal POP Rankings 2026, Top 10 linebackers through Week 9: EJ Coleman of Folsom No. 1 at 92, Nick Wegner of Folsom second at 92

| # | Player | School | Yr | GP | POP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EJ Coleman | Folsom (SJS) | Sr | 6 | **92** |
| 2 | Nick Wegner | Folsom (SJS) | Sr | 7 | **92** |
| 3 | Julian "JuJu" Bruno | Grant (SJS) | Jr | 6 | **91** |
| 4 | Jayden Lewis | Saint Francis (CCS) | Jr | 5 | **91** |
| 5 | Jason Taormino | Whitney (SJS) | Sr | 6 | **91** |
| 6 | Landen Parry | Del Oro (SJS) | Sr | 5 | **91** |
| 7 | Brayden Molloy | Oak Ridge (SJS) | Sr | 6 | **91** |
| 8 | Elijah Williams | Folsom (SJS) | So | 7 | **91** |
| 9 | Zion Cadet | De La Salle (NCS) | Sr | 6 | **90** |
| 10 | Ethan Chase | Archbishop Mitty (CCS) | Sr | 5 | **89** |

NorCal POP Rankings 2026, Top 10 defensive line through Week 9: Brixton Bridger of Clovis No. 1 at 95, Blake Meggers of Oak Ridge second at 95

| # | Player | School | Yr | GP | POP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brixton Bridger | Clovis (CS) | Jr | 6 | **95** |
| 2 | Blake Meggers | Oak Ridge (SJS) | Sr | 6 | **95** |
| 3 | Bret Roberts | Oak Ridge (SJS) | Sr | 6 | **94** |
| 4 | Cameron Saunders | Valley Christian (CCS) | Sr | 6 | **93** |
| 5 | Prayshawn Harang | De La Salle (NCS) | Sr | 6 | **92** |
| 6 | Lua DeBerry | Folsom (SJS) | Sr | 7 | **92** |
| 7 | Finnegan Dyck | Cardinal Newman (NCS) | Sr | 6 | **92** |
| 8 | Kahlio Vaetoe | Cardinal Newman (NCS) | Sr | 6 | **91** |
| 9 | Nick Hunt | Oak Ridge (SJS) | Jr | 5 | **91** |
| 10 | Cooper Haydock | Clovis North (CS) | Jr | 7 | **90** |

NorCal POP Rankings 2026, Top 10 two-way athletes through Week 9: Nate Anzelc of Oak Ridge No. 1 at 90, James Curoso of Cardinal Newman, Logan Miller of Whitney and Landon Miller of De La Salle at 88

| # | Player | School | Yr | Sides | POP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nate Anzelc | Oak Ridge (SJS) | Jr | WR/DB | **90** |
| 2 | James Curoso | Cardinal Newman (NCS) | Jr | RB/LB | **88** |
| 3 | Logan Miller | Whitney (SJS) | Sr | TE/DL | **88** |
| 4 | Landon Miller | De La Salle (NCS) | Jr | TE/LB | **88** |
| 5 | Riley McElvane | Valley Christian (CCS) | Sr | WR/DB | **87** |
| 6 | Jack Granrud | Oak Ridge (SJS) | Sr | WR/DB | **87** |
| 7 | Finley Rivera | Acalanes (NCS) | Sr | WR/DB | **86** |
| 8 | Jason Taormino | Whitney (SJS) | Sr | RB/LB | **86** |
| 9 | Cash Stevens | Whitney (SJS) | Sr | RB/LB | **86** |
| 10 | Landen Parry | Del Oro (SJS) | Sr | RB/LB | **86** |

A POP rating runs 25 to 99 on one national scale, so a 93 in Northern California means the same thing as a 93 in Utah or Southern California. GP is games with a posted stat line. Two-Way players must be rated on an offensive board and a defensive board; the Two-Way number is built from both sides.

How every number on this board is built: [the SPIN Production Rankings methodology](/articles/spin-production-rankings-how-pop-and-proof-work-what-goes/FB882453). Why we built it: [Stars Are a Bet. Yards Are a Receipt.](/articles/stars-are-a-bet-yards-are-a-receipt-just-ask/FB542443) Last week's board: [NorCal through Week 8](/articles/norcal-pop-rankings-2026-top-25-at-every-position-through/FB667117).

Utah, Nevada and Northern California are live on the Player Rankings tab. Arizona and Southern California follow, then a national board.

Production over potential, not opinion. Eight boards, every number earned on the field, with games of Oct. 8 to 10 included.

NorCal POP Rankings 2026: Top 10 at Every Position Through Week 9

Skyridge players run onto the field before the 21-15 win over American Fork at Skyridge High School in Lehi on October 14, 2026.

I was in Lehi on Wednesday night, and I'll say it plainly: that was not pretty. Skyridge beat American Fork 21-15, finished the regular season 8-1 and 4-0 in Region 3, and needed a fourth-down interception with 2:02 left to close it out.

Nobody at Skyridge is going to frame that tape. They're going to frame the standings.

| When | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1st quarter, final minute | Beckham Bennett 6-yard run (Skyridge), PAT good | 7-0 |
| 2nd quarter, about 8:00 left | Bennett 1-yard run (Skyridge), PAT good | 14-0 |
| 3rd quarter, about 9:00 left | 15-yard pass to Noah Behm (American Fork), PAT good | 14-7 |
| 3rd quarter, 4:51 | Jagger Fountaine 9-yard pass to Omarian Sanders (Skyridge), PAT good | 21-7 |
| 4th quarter, 8:21 | Nate Childs 4-yard pass to Zach Cowie (American Fork), two-point run good | 21-15 |

The first quarter was a standoff. Two defenses, a lot of punts, nobody in a hurry. Then Skyridge put together the one drive that mattered, and it was all nerve. Fifteen yards on third and 20. Then a fourth-down throw to **Dax Rehrer**, who took a shot the second the ball arrived and held on anyway. **Beckham Bennett** finished it from 6 yards out with under a minute left in the quarter, and it was 7-0.

Bennett scored again midway through the second, a 1-yard plunge after he'd set it up himself with a long run to the 4. The junior finished with 21 carries for 67 yards, six catches for 67 more and the two touchdowns, his third straight game with at least two scores on the ground.

American Fork had its best drive of the half right after that. **DC Fonua** ripped off a long run into Skyridge territory, and then **Trey Harper** ended it, an interception he brought back 36 yards. Skyridge drove to the 8 off the turnover, got pushed back by a penalty, and missed a field goal before the break. 14-0 at halftime, and the feeling in the stands wasn't that American Fork was close. It was that Skyridge had just left points on the field. Against a defense this good you start counting the chances you waste, because sooner or later one of them comes back to bite you. That field goal felt like the one. It almost was.

The Cavemen forced a punt to open the third quarter, and then came the play of the night that won't show up in a box score. The quarterback scrambled right and threw it up for **Cash Taiese**, who tipped it to himself over a Skyridge defender and came down with it at the 15. Next snap, a 15-yard touchdown pass to Noah Behm. 14-7.

Skyridge answered the way a region champion answers. **Jagger Fountaine** found **Omarian Sanders** from 9 yards out with 4:51 left in the third, 21-7, and that was the drive where safety Lincoln Miller put two big hits on Bennett. The Cavemen weren't going quietly. Skyridge missed another field goal at the end of the quarter, its second of the night, and left the door open.

American Fork walked through it. The Cavemen converted a stack of third and fourth downs on a drive that ended with **Nate Childs** hitting Zach Cowie from 4 yards with 8:21 to play. The two-point run was good, 21-15, and you could feel the stadium shift. The American Fork side got loud. The Skyridge side went quiet and tense.

Stops traded. American Fork punted with about three and a half minutes left and handed Skyridge the ball at the 48, exactly the field position you want when you're trying to put a game away. Skyridge ran it three times. American Fork stopped it three times and burned two timeouts doing it.

So the punt pinned the Cavemen at their own 15 with 2:28 to go, 85 yards from the lead. The first play went for 19 to the 34, and for a moment it looked like we were going to get the ending nobody in a Skyridge jersey wanted.

Then three plays went nowhere, and on fourth down **Ethan Schriever** picked it off with 2:02 left. Skyridge bled the clock under a minute, punted, and American Fork's last possession started at its own 20 with no timeouts and nothing but seconds. Game.

Tough end to an up-and-down season, and I'm not going to dress it up. American Fork is 6-4 and 1-3 in Region 3, and it has lost three straight.

But look at the four losses before you write this team off. Lehi by a point. Skyridge by six. Mater Dei of Santa Ana in August, a 31-11 final that was a one-score game with 12 minutes to play. The only one that got away was Corner Canyon, and that one got away in a hurry.

This is a team that beat Davis and beat Lone Peak, and on the right night it can still beat anybody on that schedule. It just has to put the whole thing together once.

Here's the thing about the playoffs, though. Defense travels. That unit was physical for four quarters on Wednesday, it held Skyridge to 79 rushing yards on 32 carries, and **Noah Behm** is the No. 1 defensive back on our Utah POP board and plays like it. When the Cavemen draw a team that wants to run the ball, they're a nightmare out. Nobody wants that bracket line.

The offense is the problem, and the problem is predictability, not boredom. You can win with a boring, basic offense. You can't win with one a defense can call out before the snap, and defenses have stopped guessing against this one. No misdirection, no off-balance looks, nothing that makes a linebacker hesitate. It produced 15 points on Wednesday, 19 against Lehi and 17 against Corner Canyon.

The personnel is there. A quarterback who can throw it. One of the best tight ends in the state in **Christian Hanshaw**, 6-foot-5, second on our Utah tight end board. A receiver in Behm who scored the touchdown that got them back in it.

Here's the one that's been bugging us for two weeks. We've watched American Fork in the red zone a handful of times against Corner Canyon and Skyridge, and we keep waiting for the same call: Hanshaw on the boundary, the smallest corner on the field, throw the fade. It never came against Corner Canyon. It didn't come Wednesday.

We're not the coaches, and we don't see what they see in practice. But a 6-foot-5 tight end against a corner under six feet should win one of every three of those in the end zone, and in a six-point game, one of three is the game.

The good news is none of this takes a new playbook. The 6A first round isn't until October 30, so American Fork gets 16 days to work on it. Keep the physical defense. Add some misdirection, a couple of looks nobody has on film. It doesn't have to be fancy. It has to be less predictable.

One more thing from the Cavemen side. American Fork played the whole second half without **Dalin Afu**, the No. 2 defensive lineman on our Utah POP board, who left in the second quarter and didn't return. They're going to need him back, because he's the difference-maker on that front, and that front is the reason this team is dangerous.

Great season. Full stop. Skyridge lost its opener 41-26 at Mountain Ridge on August 13 and hasn't lost since, eight straight, and it went 4-0 in the toughest region in the state. Five of the eight best teams on our Utah board play in Region 3. Skyridge beat the other four.

It wasn't pretty, and it was never pretty. The four region wins came by eight, 10, three and six points, 27 points of margin across four games against Lehi, Corner Canyon, Lone Peak and American Fork. The counterargument writes itself: a team that wins by a field goal is a team that can lose by a field goal. Fair. I'd just point out that Skyridge has played that exact game four times, and it's 4-0 in it.

The defense is why. It kept the Falcons in every one of those games while the offense ran hot and cold, and in the one that mattered most it was the difference. On September 25 against Corner Canyon, Jackson Horsley and Ethan Schriever returned interceptions for touchdowns in the first quarter, and Skyridge led 14-0 before its offense had scored a point. A defense that can spot you 14 in the biggest game of the season is a 14-point head start every week.

**Sa Tanuvasa** is the heart of it, a senior linebacker who sits second on our Utah POP linebacker board. Rex Caswell led the sheet with nine tackles on Wednesday, and Schriever's interceptions against Corner Canyon and American Fork tell you what kind of fall he's having.

**Jagger Fountaine** has looked good most of the year, third among Utah quarterbacks on that same board, and he was 19 of 31 for 222 yards without a pick. When he's on, the Sanders touchdown is what it looks like. And Bennett is as productive a back as there is in this state, which is exactly why he sits fourth on our production board. Wednesday he showed the other thing. He took some shots, came back in and kept running. One tough cookie.

Call it what it is: the second most consistent team in the state behind Mountain Ridge, and the most consistent team in its region by a mile.

Bookmark this. Mountain Ridge and Skyridge are the two favorites to reach the 6A title game, and if the seeds fall the way I think they fall, Skyridge gets Corner Canyon again in the semifinals.

The Falcons won the first one 37-27 on September 25. Corner Canyon is the three-time defending champion, it beat Lehi 34-7 on Wednesday, and it is going to be a very different team in November than it was in September.

Skyridge made the semifinals last year and lost 13-7 to Lone Peak. This year it has a defense that holds up anywhere, a quarterback who has grown up, and a real chance at a state title.

Style points are for September. They hang banners in November, and Corner Canyon has the last three of them. Skyridge took the Region 3 flag this year and beat the Chargers to do it. The banner still hangs in Draper. The only question left is how bad the Falcons want it.

No. 53 Skyridge beat American Fork 21-15 in Lehi on Wednesday night, finished the regular season 8-1 and 4-0 in Region 3, and sealed it with a fourth-down interception with 2:02 to play.

IMG Academy Survives The St. James on a 47-Yard Field Goal in the Final Seconds

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The week out West, in one email.