Helix and Cathedral collide this week while La Costa Canyon and Torrey Pines are on a collision course.
The Cathedral Dons, 5-7 last season and missing stud running back Shawn Poma much of the year, made a statement last week with a 42-21 win over high-powered Gardena Serra, the state’s 10th-ranked team, according to Cal-Hi Sports.
Poma, who gained 160 yards in 21 carries with one touchdown, helped elevate Cathedral, which trailed, 14-7, at halftime, to 20th from 32nd in the ratings. Helix, a 28-21 loser to Arizona’s Scottsdale Saguaro, is 1-2, with both losses coming to top teams, San Bernardino Cajon, now No. 10 in California, and Saguaro, No. 4 in Arizona.
Helix and Cathedral have been playing home-and-home every year since 2009 after not so much as passing on the freeway for 50 years. Helix opened in 1951 and Cathedral, as University of San Diego High, in 1957.
Helix leads the series, 6-3, including a 39-0, home victory last season, when the Highlanders went to the state Division 1-AA finals. Cathedral, en route to a 15-0 season and the state Division 1-AA championship, won at home, 35-28, in 2016.
La Costa Canyon, No. 2 in the Union-Tribune poll and 16th in California, will not meet Torrey Pines, No. 1 in San Diego and 15th in the state, until the final game of the regular season. If both get to that point undefeated and with 9-0 records, leave early for the game. Record traffic is guaranteed on the Leucadia Boulevard off-ramps, either coming south or going north on I-5.
TOP 50
Madison is 26th in the Cal-Hi rankings and Helix, 47th despite the two losses, still commands some respect. Eastlake and San Marcos are on the bubble.
Despite losing to Torrey Pines and La Costa Canyon by the identical, 38-35 score on successive weeks, San Clemente dropped only one spot, to 33rd.
The Tritons led La Costa, 28-23, last week but the brothers Lippert were too much for the home team. Karson and Alden Lippert combined to rush for 285 yards and three touchdowns. They averaged 12 yards every time they touched the ball.
Torrey Pines scored on its first five possessions against Olympian and then kicked back and rested on its 35-0 advantage.
Week 3 Union-Tribune poll:
| Rank | Team | 2018 | Points | Previous |
| 1. | Torrey Pines (26) | 3-0 | 296 | 1 |
| 2. | La Costa Canyon (1) | 3-0 | 259 | 2 |
| 3. | Madison | 3-0 | 228 | 3 |
| 4. | Cathedral | 2-1 | 197 | 6 |
| 5. | San Marcos | 3-0 | 181 | 5 |
| 6. | Helix | 1-2 | 149 | 4 |
| 7. | St. Augustine | 3-0 | 127 | 7 |
| 8. | Eastlake | 2-1 | 53 | 10 |
| 9 | Lincoln | 3-0 | 52 | 9 |
| 10. | Ramona | 2-1 | 19 | NR |
NR–not ranked.
Others: Carlsbad (2-1, 17 points), Mission Hills (0-3, 15), Rancho Bernardo (2-1, 14), Otay Ranch (2-1, 13), Monte Vista (3-0, 9), Mira Mesa (3-0, 7), Grossmont (2-1, 6), Oceanside (1-2, 1), Granite Hills (2-0, 1), University City (2-1, 1).
Voting panel (30 sportswriters, sportscasters, various County football honchos):
- John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune
- Jim Lindgren, Rick Hoff, Terry Monahan, Don Norcross, Tom Saxe, Union-Tribune correspondents
- Paul Rudy, Brandon Stone, KUSI Chl. 51
- Adam Paul, ECpreps.com
- Ramon Scott, EastCountySports.com
- Bodie DeSilva, sandiegopreps.com
- Ted Mendenhall, Tyler Quellman, The Mighty 1090
- Steve Brand, San Diego Hall of Champions
- Troy Hirsch, Fox 5, San Diego
- Rick Smith, PartletonSports.com
- Jerry Schniepp, John Labeta, Ron Marquez, Carlton Hoggard, CIF San Diego Section
- Joe Heinz, Coordinator, Athletics, Sweetwater School District
- Raymond Brown, sdfootball.net
- Montell Allen, MBA Sports/San Diego Friday Night Lights Magazine
- Bob Petinak, Fox 1360 Radio
- John Kentera, Brandon Suprenant, 97.3 FM The Fan
- Steve (Biff) Dolan, Mountain Country 107.9 FM
- Jim Arnaiz, Mike Dolan, John Carroll, San Diego Section Tournament Directors.
