The Monterey Herald's Top 10 football rankings – Sept. 8-12

Top 10 football rankings 1. Soquel (1-1): My guess is the Knights are somewhere in the middle of what they've looked like in their first two games, erupting for 35 points in a win over Aptos a week after being blanked by Los Gatos. 2. Palma (1-1): Eli Dukes is a massive part of the Chieftains' offense. But that wasn't the issue in last week's loss to Central Coast Section power Sacred Heart Cathedral, as a banged-up offensive line contributed to their offensive struggles. 3. Salinas (0-2): The Cowboys have started the season 0-2 twice during Steve Zenk's decade-long tenure as the school's head coach. Each time they went on to win the Pacific Coast Athletic League's Gabilan Division title. 4. North Salinas (2-0): The Vikings responded in a positive way on the field after a brawl with Soledad halted play for 17 minutes in the first half, scoring 24 points in the second half to remain undefeated. 5. King City (2-0): Having posted back-to-back shutouts gives the defending Mission Division South champions five in their last 10 games, not to mention a PCAL best 11 straight regular season wins. 6. Hollister (1-1): This offense is beginning to find itself as quarterback Eli Lovejoy tossed a pair of touchdowns and ran for one in a 52-0 win over a depleted Alvarez squad. 7. Monterey (2-0): Retaining the Battle of the Bay perpetual trophy for the sixth straight year, the focus may be on healing before they open Gabilan Division play in two weeks, hosting Palma. 8. Pacific Grove (1-1): Beating Carmel to capture the Shoe trophy appeared to give the Breakers a hangover, as Half Moon Bay handed them a lopsided loss. How they respond on a short week Thursday against Monte Vista will provide a clearer vision of where the program is headed. 9. Carmel (1-1): The Padres are at their best when they execute calculated risks, converting five fourth-down attempts, while recovering two onside kicks in snapping Woodside's 14-game regular season winning streak. 10. Stevenson (1-1): For a program that plays most of their games on Saturday afternoons, the Pirates sparkled under the lights as Lincoln Clymo accounted for four touchdowns either through the air and on the ground in a win at Livingston. On the bubble: Alisal, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Monte Vista, Alvarez. Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved. This story was originally published September 8, 2026 at 9:43 AM.