We bided our time for several weeks before tuning in to the Union-Tribune writer’s 2025-26 season weekly poll, which he began weeks earlier.  That explains our Week 1 designation for winter Maffei Madness.
So far, other than a few intersectional victories along the way, it’s been a relatively quiet season in the San Diego Section.
Two small private schools, Santa Fe Christian in Solana Beach and Victory Christian in Chula Vista, are holding sway; traditional big shots Mission Bay and Cathedral have represented, but Torrey Pines and St. Augustine are treading water.
Things should change in the next several weeks. The season is at about the halfway juncture. League play now is paramount, along with the occasional weekend “classics”.
Cal-Hi Sports, which publishes a top 50 in football, so far has scaled basketball down to 30, without a single San Diego Section team in the mix. Santa Fe, Mission Bay, and Francis Parker are on Cal-Hi’s bubble.
First-place votes in parenthesis.
Points awarded on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.
Cal-Hi Sports rankings are by Mark Tennis, the newsletter’s publisher, with contribution from his statewide correspondents.
Max Preps essentially relies on various school representatives.
| TEAM | RECORD | POINTS | PREVIOUS | MAXPREPS.COM | CAL-HI SPORTS |
| 1. Santa Fe Christian | 15-1 (18) | 180 | 1 | 15 | Not Ranked |
| 2. Victory Christian | 10-4 | 145 | 5 | 42 | NR |
| 3. Cathedral | 11-5 | 132 | 3 | 89 | NR |
| 4. Mission Bay | 12-5 | 109 | 4 | 68 | NR |
| 5. Francis Parker | 7-8 | 113 | 2 | 119 | NR |
| 6. Madison | 12-2 | 92 | 6 | 57 | NR |
| 7. Torrey Pines | 7-8 | 56 | 10 | 165 | NR |
| 8. San Marcos | 11-5 | 41 | 9 | 101 | NR |
| 9. Mira Mesa | 13-5 | 38 | 8 | 108 | NR |
| 10. St. Augustine | 8-7 | 33 | 7 | 146 | NR |
Others receiving votes: La Costa Canyon (11-5, 26 points), Olympian (12-4, 15) Rancho Bernardo (8-6, 4), Army-Navy (10-5, 2), Morse (14-0, 2), Poway (12-5, 2), Calexico (11-2, 1).
VOTING PANEL (18)
John Maffei (San Diego Union-Tribune).
Aaron Burgin (Full-Time Hoops),
Steve Brand, Bodie DeSilva (Union-Tribune freelance contributors).
Todd Cassen, Ron Marquez (San Diego Section honchos).
Rick Smith (partletonsports.com).
Tom Helmantoler (Southern Conference).
Joe Evangelist, Rex Johnson (San Diego Section Advisory Committee).
Christian Pedersen (San Diego Sports Association).
Braden Surprenant (97.3-FM The Fan).
Dennis Ackerman, Steve (Biff) Dolan, John (Coach) Kentera, Adam Paul, Tom Ronco, Eric Williams (freelance contributors).
