The latest San Joaquin County football power rankings are in.
Each week, The Record will rank all 26 county high school football teams while tracking how the landscape shifts throughout the season.
It’s more than just wins and losses. Movement is explained. Results are detailed. Every ranking carries a reason.
After Week 5, here’s how all 26 county teams rank heading into Week 5. Movement reflects changes from The Record’s Week 4 rankings
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1. Tracy (—) (5-0)
An open date isn't knocking Tracy off the top. The Bulldogs are ranked inside California's top 65 by MaxPreps and own something no other county team can claim — a win over another program currently ranked inside that same group.
2. Manteca (—) (4-2)
Big play after big play. Manteca needed just
nine carries to rush for 204 yards and five touchdowns, went 6-of-6 passing for 123 yards and two more scores and got an 86-yard kickoff return touchdown from Jaylin Harris in a 63-0 rout of Mountain House. That's 110-7 through two VOL games. The three-peat chase is on, and Friday could help decide it.
3. Edison (—) (4-1)
Blowouts are nice. Close wins might prove more valuable. Edison finished non league play with a 36-29 win over Wilcox, its third game decided by seven points or fewer. Add 194 points and a 38.8 scoring average, and the Vikings leave non league play with more than numbers. They leave knowing how to finish tight games before entering the TCAL.
4. St. Mary's (—) (1-4)
Worst start since 2019. No league losses since 2013. An open date gave St. Mary's plenty of time to think about both. The last time the Rams were in this position, they still ended up league champions. With coach Tony Franks calling the TCAL as competitive as ever, will history repeat itself?
5. Lincoln (—) (3-2)
Maybe Julian Perez knew something when he proclaimed “Lincoln's back” before the season. An upset of then-top-100 Oakdale and impressive wins over West Park and Downey certainly support it. But after an open date, the real opportunity to prove those words has arrived. TCAL play starts now.
6. Chavez (—) (4-2)
Who's stopping Chavez in the SJAA? The Titans have won back-to-back league titles, haven't lost an SJAA game since 2024 and won every league game last season by at least 28 points. Tokay entered as one of the biggest threats to changing that. Chavez responded with a 49-14 win. The reign continues.
7. Escalon (—) (3-3)
Enough about being “a year away.” Escalon is here. The Cougars fell 36-32 to TVL favorite Hilmar, their first loss in the matchup since 2022, but rallied after trailing 23-14 at halftime. Last season, going toe to toe with a league favorite might have felt a year away. Not anymore.
8. Oakdale (—) (3-3)
The Wing-T is back. Oakdale didn't reach 250 rushing yards in any of its three losses, something that never happened last season. Two wins later, that concern looks much different. The Mustangs followed a 331-yard rushing performance with 359 more in a 49-21 win over Patterson.
9. East Union (—) (3-2)
Consider this a lesson for a young East Union team. Most of the Lancers had never faced a top-70 team in California, and Central Catholic showed them what that level looks like. East Union managed a season-low 56 rushing yards in a 41-7 loss to one of the VOL's two clear favorites alongside Manteca.
10. Ripon Christian (—) (4-2)
The growing pains have arrived. Ripon Christian started 4-0, but its youth is showing in TVL play. After managing 138 yards a week earlier, much of it in a running-clock fourth quarter, the Knights were held to just 109 in a 28-7 loss to back-to-back state champion Sonora.
11. Stagg (—) (4-2)
Darnell Holmes handled the scoring. The defense handled everything else. Holmes rushed for 174 yards and three touchdowns as Stagg shut out Merrill West 28-0, with Fresno State commit Kemonnie Eskridge, Alonzo Gregory and Elias Mao each recording an interception.
12. Linden (↑2) (4-2)
Apparently, MLL play was all Linden's offense needed. The Lions have posted their two highest point totals in league play, following 35 last week with a 40-6 win over Bret Harte. Devin Hunger threw four touchdowns, Isaac Ruvalcaba rushed for 124 yards and two scores and Antoine Moore had 100 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
13. Ripon (—) (2-4)
Ripon fell 35-21 to Hughson and now sits 0-2 in the TVL. The Indians haven't posted a winning league record since 2021, and in a loaded TVL, they're already on the outside looking in. Can they find a way back?
14. Tokay (↓2) (4-2)
Eight points. Three points. And now, maybe two. Tiny margins have haunted Tokay the past two seasons, and that two-point loss to Stagg could prove costly again. After also falling to Chavez, the Tigers are staring at the possibility of another third-place SJAA finish.
15. River Island (—) (5-1)
So much for that 48-6 reality check sending River Islands back to its old ways. One week after getting blown out by a defending state champion, the program responded by flipping last year’s 30-13 loss to Summerville into a 37-17 win.
16. Lathrop (↑1) (2-3)
How does a champion respond to its first league loss since 2023? Apparently, like this. After back-to-back WAC titles without a league loss, Lathrop bounced right back with a 39-6 rout of Pacheco.
17. McNair (↓1) (4-2)
18. Lodi (—) (2-3)
19. Sierra (—) (3-2)
20. Bear Creek (—) (2-4)
21. Merrill West (—) (3-3)
22. Mountain House (↑1) (1-5)
23. Franklin (↓1) (2-4)
24. Millennium (—) (4-1)
25. Kimball (—) (0-5)
26. Weston Ranch (—) (0-6)
This article originally appeared on The Record: San Joaquin County football power rankings remain steady after Week 5
