SPIN Media The Rotation, Week 8 top regional matchups graphic, including Basic vs No. 3 Palo Verde on the Nevada regional line.

Palo Verde, third on our Nevada board, and Basic of Henderson meet Friday night. Palo Verde is 6-0. Basic is 5-1 and has won five straight since losing its opener.

Both teams play independent schedules this season. They are among the roughly 30 Clark County School District programs with independent status within the NIAA.

## By the numbers

| | Basic | Palo Verde |
|---|---|---|
| SPIN Nevada Top 10 | not ranked | 3 |
| Record | 5-1 | 6-0 |
| Head coach | Jeff Cahill | Dru Smith, first season |

## Palo Verde

Palo Verde went 3-7 last season. Dru Smith, who previously coached at Bishop Gorman, took over this year, and the Panthers have not lost.

Its best result by our board is a 28-26 win over Legacy of North Las Vegas, eighth on our Nevada board, on August 21. It has also beaten Desert Pines 34-18, Desert Oasis 42-18, Durango, Moapa Valley and Silverado. It beat Silverado 22-6 last week.

## Basic

Basic lost its opener and has won every game since. It beat Green Valley 21-12 on September 4 to take back the Henderson Bowl trophy, beat Virgin Valley 38-28 in Mesquite, and shut out Canyon Springs 47-0. It beat Durango last week.

Head coach Jeff Cahill's son, senior Louden Cahill, plays receiver for him.

## The series

Palo Verde won the 2024 meeting 15-10.

## Players to watch

**Palo Verde**

- **Cooper Roberts, QB, sophomore.**
- **X'Zavier McZeal, WR, junior.**
- **Rio Pascal, RB, junior.**

**Basic**

- **Andrew Rodriguez, QB.**
- **Louden Cahill, WR, senior.**
- **Dominic Fredrickson, RB.**

## What Friday does

Palo Verde and Churchill County are the only unbeaten teams on our Nevada board. A Palo Verde win over a 5-1 team keeps it that way. A Basic win gives it the best result of its season and a win over the team third on our Nevada board.

Max Fielder

Basic and Palo Verde, No. 3 on our Nevada board, meet Friday night.

Palo Verde Is 6-0 Under a First Year Coach. Basic Has Won Five Straight.

Arizona POP Rankings 2026 through Week 9, the Top 10 quarterbacks card, with Will Mencl of Chandler No. 1 at 91

**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 Arizona through Week 9, games of Oct. 8 to 10 included, plus the Two-Way board. This is the first Arizona board. It covers every AIA conference, 6A through 2A. The full Top 25 at every position, a Top 10 for every conference and every rated player in the state live on the [Player Rankings tab](/player-rankings), updated every Wednesday at noon.

## What to know about the first Arizona board

- **Three 98s and no 99.** Torrin Hill of Centennial (Peoria) at tight end, 31 catches for 777 yards and eight touchdowns in six games, and the two defensive linemen, Lachlan Geier of Queen Creek and Luke Franklin of Centennial, sit at 98. Kaden Miller of Liberty (Peoria), 97 at defensive back, and Ian Fullmer of Pinnacle, 96 on the defensive line, complete the five Arizona players at 95 or better.
- **Liberty of Peoria holds 11 of the 70 Top 10 spots** across the seven position boards. Hamilton (Chandler) holds seven; Chandler, Mesa and Mountain View (Mesa) six each; Centennial (Peoria) five. Sixty of the 70 belong to 6A programs.
- **The Two-Way board is where the smaller conferences show up.** Ryder Noche of Brophy College Prep is No. 1 at 87. Behind him, Corbin Wood of Show Low and Jaxon Crick of Round Valley (both 3A), Paul Delgado of Walden Grove (4A) and Caleb Murphy of Scottsdale Christian Academy (2A) are all inside the Top 10. Eight of the ten play outside 6A.
- **Out-of-state games count the same way.** Liberty's win over Corner Canyon, Centennial's at Servite, Chandler's over Cathedral Catholic and Hamilton's over Arbor View are weighed for the opponent like any other game, and so is Basha's loss at Orange Lutheran.
- **Six games, not nine.** Most Arizona starters carry six games with a stat line; Utah's carry eight or nine because its season started earlier. Every rating sits on one national scale, so a 95 here means what a 95 means anywhere, and the number rewards what a player did against whom, not the length of the calendar.
- **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 Arizona games from Oct. 8 to 10 had a box score in when this week's numbers were run Tuesday evening. Basha has no box in our data for its Oct. 9 game and Phoenix Christian none for Oct. 9, so their players carry fewer games than their opponents until next week's board; Chandler's Oct. 2 date and Pinnacle's Sept. 25 date carry no box either, which is why those starters stand on five games. 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.

Arizona POP Rankings 2026, Top 10 quarterbacks through Week 9: Will Mencl of Chandler No. 1 at 91, Tee Smith of Casteel second at 90, Jason Haines of Liberty of Peoria third at 90

| # | Player | School | Yr | GP | POP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Will Mencl | Chandler (6A) | Sr | 5 | **91** |
| 2 | Tee Smith | Casteel (6A) | Sr | 6 | **90** |
| 3 | Jason Haines | Liberty (Peoria) (6A) | So | 6 | **90** |
| 4 | Sawyer Hales | Queen Creek (6A) | Jr | 6 | **86** |
| 5 | Jax Sculley | Hamilton (Chandler) (6A) | Jr | 6 | **85** |
| 6 | Kael Snyder | Perry (6A) | Sr | 6 | **84** |
| 7 | Brayden Merwin | Mountain View (Mesa) (6A) | Jr | 6 | **84** |
| 8 | Blake Roskopf | Desert Edge (5A) | Sr | 7 | **84** |
| 9 | Noah Stewart | Brophy College Prep (6A) | Jr | 6 | **83** |
| 10 | Caleb Joe | Red Mountain (6A) | Sr | 6 | **82** |

Arizona POP Rankings 2026, Top 10 running backs through Week 9: Christian Davis of Williams Field No. 1 at 90, Noah Roberts of Basha second at 90

| # | Player | School | Yr | GP | POP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christian Davis | Williams Field (6A) | Jr | 6 | **90** |
| 2 | Noah Roberts | Basha (6A) | Sr | 5 | **90** |
| 3 | Jayden Sanchez | Liberty (Peoria) (6A) | Sr | 6 | **89** |
| 4 | Jeremy Adeyanju | O'Connor (6A) | Sr | 6 | **88** |
| 5 | Dylan Brush | Horizon (Scottsdale) (5A) | So | 7 | **88** |
| 6 | Devante Roebuck | Hamilton (Chandler) (6A) | Jr | 6 | **87** |
| 7 | Coy Bodily | Mountain View (Mesa) (6A) | Sr | 6 | **87** |
| 8 | Antonio Young | Higley (6A) | Sr | 6 | **86** |
| 9 | Chase Ochoa | Liberty (Peoria) (6A) | Jr | 6 | **86** |
| 10 | D'Mari Bryant | Millennium (5A) | Sr | 7 | **86** |

Arizona POP Rankings 2026, Top 10 wide receivers through Week 9: Braxton Huynh of Liberty of Peoria No. 1 at 92, Roman Oliver of Hamilton and Kingston Anetema of Mesa at 90

| # | Player | School | Yr | GP | POP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Braxton Huynh | Liberty (Peoria) (6A) | Sr | 6 | **92** |
| 2 | Roman Oliver | Hamilton (Chandler) (6A) | So | 6 | **90** |
| 3 | Kingston Anetema | Mesa (6A) | Sr | 6 | **90** |
| 4 | Jaden Baldwin | Basha (6A) | Sr | 6 | **89** |
| 5 | Jai Jones | Chandler (6A) | Sr | 5 | **89** |
| 6 | Carter Rothe | Liberty (Peoria) (6A) | Sr | 6 | **88** |
| 7 | Daryl Little | Thunderbird (4A) | Jr | 7 | **87** |
| 8 | Tanner Austin | Sunrise Mountain (Peoria) (5A) | Sr | 7 | **87** |
| 9 | John Booker | Williams Field (6A) | Sr | 6 | **87** |
| 10 | Amos Augustine | Perry (6A) | Jr | 6 | **87** |

Arizona POP Rankings 2026, Top 10 tight ends through Week 9: Torrin Hill of Centennial of Peoria No. 1 at 98, Jayden Sellers of Liberty of Peoria second at 93

| # | Player | School | Yr | GP | POP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Torrin Hill | Centennial (Peoria) (6A) | Jr | 6 | **98** |
| 2 | Jayden Sellers | Liberty (Peoria) (6A) | So | 5 | **93** |
| 3 | Gio Young | Phoenix Christian (2A) | Sr | 5 | **89** |
| 4 | Talan Scott | ALA - Queen Creek (6A) | Sr | 5 | **89** |
| 5 | Sterling Stapley | Mountain View (Mesa) (6A) | Sr | 6 | **87** |
| 6 | Layne Scarbrough | Mountain Ridge (Glendale) (6A) | Jr | 7 | **86** |
| 7 | Brady Powell | Brophy College Prep (6A) | Jr | 5 | **86** |
| 8 | Malachi Inzunza | Mesa (6A) | Sr | 6 | **85** |
| 9 | Max Germaine Jr. | Mountain View (Mesa) (6A) | Sr | 5 | **82** |
| 10 | Paul Delgado | Walden Grove (4A) | Sr | 6 | **80** |

Arizona POP Rankings 2026, Top 10 defensive backs through Week 9: Kaden Miller of Liberty of Peoria No. 1 at 97, Kacey Allen Jr. of Hamilton second at 91

| # | Player | School | Yr | GP | POP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kaden Miller | Liberty (Peoria) (6A) | Sr | 6 | **97** |
| 2 | Kacey Allen Jr. | Hamilton (Chandler) (6A) | Jr | 6 | **91** |
| 3 | Carter Meyer | Marana (5A) | Jr | 7 | **91** |
| 4 | Kash Skousen | Mountain View (Mesa) (6A) | Sr | 6 | **91** |
| 5 | Brivid Laudermilk | Chandler (6A) | Jr | 5 | **90** |
| 6 | Brayden Howland | Liberty (Peoria) (6A) | Sr | 6 | **90** |
| 7 | Colton Cox | Queen Creek (6A) | Jr | 6 | **89** |
| 8 | Amarious Griffen | Centennial (Peoria) (6A) | Sr | 6 | **89** |
| 9 | Jackson Streeter | Liberty (Peoria) (6A) | Sr | 6 | **89** |
| 10 | Legarrette Blount Jr. | Mountain Pointe (5A) | Jr | 7 | **88** |

Arizona POP Rankings 2026, Top 10 linebackers through Week 9: Jayden Arnold of Chandler No. 1 at 94, Aidan Torres of Centennial of Peoria second at 93

| # | Player | School | Yr | GP | POP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jayden Arnold | Chandler (6A) | Sr | 5 | **94** |
| 2 | Aidan Torres | Centennial (Peoria) (6A) | Jr | 6 | **93** |
| 3 | Carter Camac | Highland (Gilbert) (6A) | Jr | 6 | **92** |
| 4 | Kainalu Skipps | Mesa (6A) | Jr | 6 | **92** |
| 5 | Ivan Valenzuela | Mountain View (Mesa) (6A) | Sr | 6 | **92** |
| 6 | Lucien Tallman | Liberty (Peoria) (6A) | Sr | 6 | **91** |
| 7 | Brecken Garday | Liberty (Peoria) (6A) | Jr | 6 | **91** |
| 8 | Mitchell Raner | Hamilton (Chandler) (6A) | Jr | 6 | **91** |
| 9 | Christian McComber | Desert Mountain (5A) | Sr | 7 | **90** |
| 10 | Nathaniel Olmos | Centennial (Peoria) (6A) | Sr | 6 | **90** |

Arizona POP Rankings 2026, Top 10 defensive line through Week 9: Lachlan Geier of Queen Creek No. 1 at 98, Luke Franklin of Centennial of Peoria second at 98

| # | Player | School | Yr | GP | POP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lachlan Geier | Queen Creek (6A) | Sr | 6 | **98** |
| 2 | Luke Franklin | Centennial (Peoria) (6A) | Sr | 6 | **98** |
| 3 | Ian Fullmer | Pinnacle (6A) | Jr | 5 | **96** |
| 4 | Joe Haynie | Mesa (6A) | Sr | 6 | **94** |
| 5 | Derrick LeBlanc Jr. | Hamilton (Chandler) (6A) | Sr | 6 | **94** |
| 6 | Jude Jones | Chandler (6A) | Sr | 5 | **93** |
| 7 | Cau're Smith | Chandler (6A) | Sr | 5 | **92** |
| 8 | Dylan Linder | Hamilton (Chandler) (6A) | Sr | 6 | **92** |
| 9 | Motuhifonua Stephenson | Mesa (6A) | Jr | 6 | **92** |
| 10 | Sione Taueli | Mesa (6A) | Jr | 6 | **91** |

Arizona POP Rankings 2026, Top 10 two-way athletes through Week 9: Ryder Noche of Brophy College Prep No. 1 at 87, Kingston Anetema of Mesa second at 83

| # | Player | School | Yr | Sides | POP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryder Noche | Brophy College Prep (6A) | Sr | WR/DB | **87** |
| 2 | Kingston Anetema | Mesa (6A) | Sr | WR/DB | **83** |
| 3 | Corbin Wood | Show Low (3A) | Jr | RB/LB | **82** |
| 4 | Jaxon Crick | Round Valley (3A) | So | RB/DL | **82** |
| 5 | Aidan Whitaker | McClintock (5A) | Sr | WR/DB | **82** |
| 6 | Easton Conner | Desert Mountain (5A) | Jr | RB/LB | **82** |
| 7 | Paul Delgado | Walden Grove (4A) | Sr | TE/LB | **81** |
| 8 | Jeffrey Smith III | Marana (5A) | Jr | RB/LB | **81** |
| 9 | Legarrette Blount Jr. | Mountain Pointe (5A) | Jr | WR/DB | **79** |
| 10 | Caleb Murphy | Scottsdale Christian Academy (2A) | Sr | WR/DB | **79** |

A POP rating runs 25 to 99 on one national scale, so a 95 in Arizona means the same thing as a 95 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) This week's other boards: [Utah](/articles/utah-pop-rankings-2026-top-10-at-every-position-through/FB475947), [NorCal](/articles/norcal-pop-rankings-2026-top-10-at-every-position-through-week/FB796773) and [SoCal](/articles/socal-pop-rankings-2026-top-10-at-every-position-through-week/FB922403), all through Week 9.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

	Basic	Palo Verde
SPIN Nevada Top 10	not ranked	3
Record	5-1	6-0
Head coach	Jeff Cahill	Dru Smith, first season

By the numbers

Palo Verde

Basic

The series

Players to watch

Palo Verde

Basic

What Friday does

The week out West, in one email.