SBLive's LA City Section Top 10 Football Rankings: Venice moves up
SBLive's LA City Section football rankings will be released every Monday throughout the 2022 season. Enjoy!
PRESEASON RANKINGS | WEEK 1 | WEEK 2 | WEEK 3 | WEEK 4 | WEEK 5 | WEEK 6 | WEEK 7
1. San Pedro Pirates (7-0)
Last week: 1
Last game: 56-14 win over Gardena
Next game: Oct. 13 at No. 9 Carson
Who else can't wait for San Pedro at No. 2 Banning on Oct. 28? That game will decide who gets the No. 1 seed in the LA City Section Open Division playoffs.
2. Banning Pilots (3-4)
Last week: 3
Last game: 40-14 win over No. 9 Carson
Next game: Oct. 14 at Narbonne
In the span of seven days a week ago, Banning forfeited a win against Garden Grove Pacifica due to using an ineligible player and then had the ineligible player suspended an additional game. That resulted in the Pilots threatening to not play their game against No. 9 Carson, but ultimately Banning took the field and walked away with a 40-14 rivalry win.
3. Roosevelt Roughriders (7-0)
Last week: 4
Last game: 60-0 win over Legacy
Next game: Oct. 14 at Bell
The key to beating Roosevelt is to stop the run, but so far this season no team has been able to figure that out. In the Rough Riders' 60-0 win over Legacy, Roosevelt totaled 433 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. Expect another blow out win this week.
4. Venice Gondoliers (5-2)
Last week: 5
Last game: 26-0 win over Westchester
Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Hamilton
Head coach Angelo Gasca is known for being a quarterback whisperer, but how about the Gondoliers defense this season? Over the last four weeks, Venice is giving up just 5.25 points per game.
5. Franklin Panthers (7-0)
Last week: 6
Last game: 42-13 win over Kennedy
Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Lincoln
Franklin picked up a big 30-13 rivalry win over Northern League foe Eagle Rock (No. 7) two weeks ago. The game was tied 7-7 at halftime, but the Panthers pulled away in the second half to win. Senior receiver Hector Ceballos had 10 catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Last week, Eagle Rock beat Kennedy on the road 42-13. Sophomore Eduardo Cuevas threw three touchdown passes.
6. Garfield (6-2)
Last week: 7
Last game: 55-7 win over Bell
Next game: Oct. 21 vs. No. 3 Roosevelt
When Garfield has won this season, they've won by at least 28 points in each game. The East LA Classic against No. 3 Roosevelt can't come soon enough. The game is scheduled for Oct. 21 at the LA Coliseum.
7. Eagle Rock (7-1)
Last week: 8
Last game: 50-6 win over Wilson
Next game: Oct. 21 vs. Marshall
Eagle Rock dropped its first game of the season against No. 5 Franklin two weeks ago, but bounced back last week with a blowout win over Wilson. The Franklin loss put the Eagles right on the Open Division/Division 1 playoff line in the City. Eagle Rock's best win this season came in September against No. 10 Granada Hills 37-22.
8. Birmingham Patriots (3-4)
Last week: 2
Last game: 29-28 win over No. 10 Granada Hills
Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Chatsworth
Dropping Birmingham six spots after a win is harsh, but No. 7 Eagle Rock beat No. 10 Granada Hills by 15 points and Birmingham won by just one against the Highlanders. The Patriots did extend their impressive West Valley League win streak to 20 games in their 29-28 victory against Granada Hills though. Birmingham hasn't lost a league game since 2017.
9. Carson (4-4)
Last week: 9
Last game: 46-7 win over Narbonne
Next game: Oct. 13 vs. No. 1 San Pedro
After a tough loss against Banning, Carson responded with a 46-7 win over Narbonne. Sophomore Nazarus Williams intercepted three passes for the Colts.
10. Granada Hills Highlanders (4-2)
Last week: 10
Last game: 29-28 loss to No. 8 Birmingham
Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Cleveland
Granada Hills lost a 29-28 heartbreaker to West Valley League rival Birmingham last week. Senior Dijon Stanley scored all four Highlanders touchdowns. Trailing by one point, Granada Hills went for fourth-and-4 on its own 42-yard line and didn't get it. From there, Birmingham ran out the clock.
In the mix: Cleveland
