2025 Football Week 3: Lincoln, Cathedral in Cal-Hi Sports’ Top 10

Lincoln and Cathedral scored significant intersectional victories last week and Cal-Hi Sports noticed.

The Hornets reversed a 2024 loss to Arbor View with a 50-31 victory over the Las Vegas team, 0-3 but third-ranked in Nevada by Max Preps, and Cathedral outlasted Chandler, a tough customer and No. 4 in Arizona, 24-23.

Lincoln, up to eighth in Mark Tennis’ Cal-Hi publication, will get a very severe test this week when it plays host to Trinity League blueblood and state No. 5 Mission Viejo from the Southern Section.

Tenth-ranked Cathedral takes on 1-2 Helix, 6-9 in its last 15 games, the Highlanders’ worst stretch since the 2-7-1 season of 2005. Don’t expect legendary Scots Reggie Bush and Alex Smith to come walking through the door anytime soon, with apologies to NBA and former Boston Celtics coach Rick Pitino.

MAFFEI MADNESS

John Maffei’s The San Diego Union Week 3 poll:
Points awarded on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. *First-place votes. Previous ranking in (italics).
NR–Not ranked. MaxPreps, Cal Preps, and Cal-Hi Sports provide state rankings.

RANK	TEAM/RECORD	POINTS	*MAX PREPS*	*CAL PREPS*	*CAL-HI SPORTS*
1.	Lincoln (3-0) 24*	294 (1)	10 (10)	54.5 (51.2)	8 (10)
2.	Cathedral (3-0) 6*	273 (2)	13 (14)	51.4 (52.5)	10 (11)
3.	Mission Hills (3-0)	225 (3)	48 (60)	42.4 (39.7)	19 (36)
4.	Granite Hills (3-0)	209 (4)	30 (33)	37.5 (31.8)	20 (25)
5.	La Costa Canyon (3-0)	206 (5)	20 (28)	47.5 (43.1)	14 (14)
6.	Carlsbad (3-0)	156 (6)	27 (27)	35.6 (33.6)	43 (45)
7.	San Marcos (2-1)	110 (7)	80 (95)	27.6 (21.8)	NR (NR)
8.	Mount Miguel (2-1)	91 (9)	128 (161)	33.4 (25.8)	On Bubble (On Bubble)
9.	Rancho Bernardo (3-0)	56	118	20.1	NR (NR)
10.	Poway (2-1)	28 (8)	119 (101)	15.8 (17.1)	NR-NR

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES
Santa Fe Christian (3-0, 10 points), El Camino (1-2, 7), Imperial (3-0, 4), The Bishop’s (3-0), Mater Dei (1-2), Torrey Pines (2-1, 3 points each), Point Loma (3-0, 2), El Centro Central (3-0), Helix (1-2), Olympian (3-0, 1 point each).

VOTING PANEL

Twenty-nine sportswriters, sportscasters, and administrators from the San Diego Section, plus Max Preps:

John Maffei (The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Donald Ray Norcross, Kevin Farmer, Rick Hoff, Steve Brand (Union-Tribune correspondents)
Joe Heinz, Todd Cassen, Ron Marquez (San Diego Section)
Brandon Stone, Allison Edwards, John Carroll, Chase Izidoro (KUSI-TV)
Rick Smith (partletonsports.com)
Braden Suprenant (3 FM “The Fan”)
Mike Dolan (Coaching Legends)
Tom Helmantoler (Southern Conference)
Joe Evangelist, Rex Johnson, Bruce Ward (CIF Advisory Committee)
Raymond Brown (sdsports.net)
Christian Pedersen (San Diego Sports Association)
Bodie DeSilva, John Kentera, Dennis Ackerman, Steve (Biff) Dolan, Eric Williams, Thomas Gutierrez, Tom Ronco, Adam Paul (freelance contributors).

TRUE GRID

Cathedral’s Sean Doyle no longer is tied with Point Loma’s Bennie Edens and is sole possessor of fifth place in all-time coaching victories…Doyle, in his 30^th season and with three wins this year, now has 241, with Valley Center’s Rob Gilster ahead at 244, behind Ron Hamamoto’s 246 and John Carroll’s 248…up there on Mt. Everest is Herb Meyer, who won 339 games in 45 seasons at Oceanside and El Camino…Mission Hills’ Chris Hauser, in his 26^th season, has 209 victories, representing the other active San Diego Section member of the 200 Club…Mount Miguel scored an infrequent victory for local clubs against Los Angeles Loyola, when the Matadors topped the visiting Cubs, 21-0…Loyola leads the all-time series, 21-13-2, against nine different San Diego-area teams dating to 1920, when the school was known as Loyola College…San Diego High and Loyola were first-round opponents in the Southern Section playoffs in 1946…an estimated Balboa Stadium turnout of 20,000 persons only heard of the Cubs’ 19-6 victory, since fog blanketed the field and the stadium public address announcer was forced to cover the game from the sidelines, often dodging fans who had left the stands and wondered onto the playing field….