A little palate-cleanser in the middle of the week. While looking through boxes in the garage I came across a magazine I'd saved from the year after I graduated from high school, the California Prep Football 1969 Yearbook. This magazine, and one for basketball, was produced for several years about that time. I thought it would be interesting to see who the top teams were then compared to now. If nothing else it shows that only a handful of teams have stayed consistently good over the years and changing demographics have had a very large impact on the football scene. Plus, it reminds me that I am a senior citizen who graduated 54 years ago.
I won't do all the sections but here are a few - and these are preseason rankings. These are all top to bottom top ten.
Sac-Joaquin: Mira Loma, Edison, Downey, Tracy, Bella Vista, Yuba City, Stagg, Sacramento,Johnson, Ceres.
North Coast: Alameda, Vallejo, Hogan, Pleasant Hill, Arroyo, Hayward, Terra Linda, San Ramon, Concord, Castro Valley
Central Coast: Los Altos, Riordan, Woodside, Soquel, Campbell, South San Francisco, Sequoia, Serra, Piedmont Hills, Los Gatos
Southern: Anaheim, El Rancho, Lakewood, St. Paul, West Covina, Santa Barbara, Redlands, Blair, Mater Dei, Loara
State Top Twenty: Anaheim, El Rancho, Lakewood, St. Paul, West Covina, Santa Barbara, Redlands, Mira Loma, Fresno, Alameda, Vallejo, Blair, Mater Dei, Los Altos, Loara, Hogan, Riordan, Gardena, Canoga Park, Pleasant Hill
The all state team had only one player that would have any resonance today - Lynn Swann, from Serra. Old-timers might also remember James McAlister, who played at UCLA.
Time has not been kind to most of these teams. Not even listed is the Central Section, where the top team was Fresno and all of the teams listed are way down in the rankings today. The same goes for the San Diego Section, where only Oceanside at number 9 is even remotely relevant today. Over the years schools at the very top of the food chain have come and gone (Cordova was once the top team in the state, now...........) and new dynasties have risen. Time waits for no one.
I won't do all the sections but here are a few - and these are preseason rankings. These are all top to bottom top ten.
Sac-Joaquin: Mira Loma, Edison, Downey, Tracy, Bella Vista, Yuba City, Stagg, Sacramento,Johnson, Ceres.
North Coast: Alameda, Vallejo, Hogan, Pleasant Hill, Arroyo, Hayward, Terra Linda, San Ramon, Concord, Castro Valley
Central Coast: Los Altos, Riordan, Woodside, Soquel, Campbell, South San Francisco, Sequoia, Serra, Piedmont Hills, Los Gatos
Southern: Anaheim, El Rancho, Lakewood, St. Paul, West Covina, Santa Barbara, Redlands, Blair, Mater Dei, Loara
State Top Twenty: Anaheim, El Rancho, Lakewood, St. Paul, West Covina, Santa Barbara, Redlands, Mira Loma, Fresno, Alameda, Vallejo, Blair, Mater Dei, Los Altos, Loara, Hogan, Riordan, Gardena, Canoga Park, Pleasant Hill
The all state team had only one player that would have any resonance today - Lynn Swann, from Serra. Old-timers might also remember James McAlister, who played at UCLA.
Time has not been kind to most of these teams. Not even listed is the Central Section, where the top team was Fresno and all of the teams listed are way down in the rankings today. The same goes for the San Diego Section, where only Oceanside at number 9 is even remotely relevant today. Over the years schools at the very top of the food chain have come and gone (Cordova was once the top team in the state, now...........) and new dynasties have risen. Time waits for no one.
