I can't say I knew exactly what was coming last Friday, but much of it wasn't a surprise. That I will say.
La Quinta came back to beat Rancho Mirage, 44-34, further validating the respect I think we've shown the Blackhawks all season in these weekly power rankings, and Desert Christian Academy hung on late to win, once again.
Those weren't exactly surprises, though La Quinta coming back from being down by two touchdowns should raise some eyebrows.
I'm still not sure what to make of Palm Desert's pretty stunning 14-3 loss to Xavier Prep, but give the Saints a ton of credit for that one. It certainly complicates the Aztecs' quest for a third consecutive Desert Empire League title. There's still a window for the three-peat, though it is complicated.
So, let's sort it all out with our weekly high school football power rankings. Some of this will be obvious; other parts will need some explaining, so let's get right into it.
1. La Quinta
Last week: 2
There shouldn't be a doubt here. La Quinta proved on Friday, in the win over Rancho Mirage, that the Blackhawks are the best team in the valley. Forget the 3-4 record. Look at the quality of the schedule. With senior James Madden Ruberg back and running like he did Friday, and with senior Colton LaCrone also back on the field, combined with what might be the best offensive line in the valley and a host of other really talented players, La Quinta showed why no deficit is too big for this team to overcome.
After Friday's win, some La Quinta players razzed me about having the Blackhawks fourth (huh?) in my rankings. Maybe they were confusing me with someone else, but I've had La Quinta either 1 or 2 all season, despite the record, and the first two weeks of the DEL slate have showed exactly why.
2. Desert Christian Academy
Last week: 3
The Conquerors moved to 7-0 with a 19-12 win over Linfield Christian, so much respect to Desert Christian Academy for taking one step closer to potentially a second consecutive undefeated season. That would be quite the accomplishment and I see it likely happening, based on the remaining schedule. Friday's win shouldn't have dropped any jaws, because Linfield Christian has struggled all season, but sometimes you simply take the win and move on.
3. Rancho Mirage
Last week: 4
Something to consider is that the Rattlers (4-3) held a lead in the final four minutes against both La Quinta and Palm Desert and led for much of those two games. So, by that measure, Rancho Mirage has shown that it's about as good as any team in the valley this year. Still, the two losses will hurt and it puts the Rattlers' backs against the wall a bit because they may need to win their next three (against Xavier Prep, Palm Springs and Shadow Hills) to earn an automatic postseason berth.
This team can run the ball well and has playmakers at the skill positions and a quarterback who doesn't make a lot of mistakes. That's a good recipe for a young team.
4. Desert Hot Springs
Last week: 5
The Golden Eagles were off on a bye week last Friday, but they still jump a spot in these rankings due to Palm Desert's loss. This spot feels right, too. I mean, Desert Hot Springs barely lost to Rancho Mirage, a team that nearly beat La Quinta and Palm Desert, and the Golden Eagles beat Xavier Prep, a team that beat Palm Desert. By that logic, putting Desert Hot Springs ahead of Palm Desert shouldn't be controversial.
I still think Desert Hot Springs should enter Desert Valley League play this week as the favorites to win the league.
5. Palm Desert
Last week: 1
Friday's 14-3 loss to Xavier Prep opened up a can of questions for the Aztecs (4-3). There's the possibility that Xavier Prep is much better than the Saints were earlier this season. But being held to three points is still wildly stunning for a team that has as much talent as Palm Desert. So, after the loss, no one should argue that a fall to 5 is warranted.
What's interesting now is that Palm Desert needed a last-second field goal to beat Rancho Mirage and has now lost to Xavier Prep for the second consecutive year. That makes the remainder of the season especially intriguing for the Aztecs.
6. Xavier Prep
Last week: 7
Yes, the Saints (3-4) beat Palm Desert on Friday, but we're not quite ready to move them ahead of the Aztecs based on that one game. Maybe that doesn't make sense, so let me further explain. The Saints lost to Desert Hot Springs and Yucca Valley earlier this season, which are not bad losses at all but still provide more context about Xavier Prep. Back-to-back wins over Palm Springs and Palm Desert are impressive but we're still not sold on Xavier Prep definitely being a top three team in the DEL. Say that we're sleeping on the Saints, but we need to see a little more.
7. Palm Springs
Last week: 8
The Indians (3-4) beat Shadow Hills, 21-14, on Friday and narrowly lost to Xavier Prep a week earlier. So, there's a lot to like about this squad, particularly after Kaylaun "Tank" Smith returned this week from rehabbing a knee. The Indians have also allowed just 28 points in two DEL games, which is an encouraging sign for a defense that struggled earlier this season.
8. Yucca Valley
Last week: 6
The Trojans (3-4) dropped two spots despite not playing last week, so maybe that's not exactly fair. But these rankings are all about trying to find a true representation of each team rather than rewarding them for wins and punishing them for losses. The Trojans have now won three consecutive games, after starting the season 0-4, but the real test will come this week against Banning.
9. Coachella Valley
Last week: 9
Like Yucca Valley, Coachella Valley (3-4) has now won three consecutive games after starting 0-4. What's especially impressive is that the Arabs have allowed just 32 points in their last three games. So, with the defense showing signs of life and star quarterback Ivan Garza back from injury, this team could be dangerously overlooked in what should be a tough DVL title race. This team is definitely flying under the radar, and coaches should be happy about it.
10. Shadow Hills
Last week: 11
The Knights (1-6) lost but still rise a spot here. The 21-14 loss to Palm Springs was a solid showing and it tells us that Shadow Hills is perhaps not as far behind the other teams in the DEL as we once thought. The remaining schedule includes games against Xavier Prep, Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage, so that's not going to be easy.
11. Indio
Last week: 12
The Rajahs (3-4) also move up a spot despite being on a bye week last Friday. Indio should still be considered among the favorites, if not the favorite, heading into Sun Valley League play this week against Desert Mirage.
12. Desert Mirage
Last week: 10
Maybe we got a little head of ourselves by moving the Rams (5-2) up to No. 10 last week. The record warranted it, but Friday's 49-18 loss to Coachella Valley showed that the soft schedule also played at least some role in Desert Mirage's impressive start to the season. Desert Mirage can bounce back and prove that last week's loss was a fluke this week against Indio.
13. Twentynine Palms
Last week: 13
The Wildcats (2-5) lost to Banning, 49-20, on Friday. They'll open SVL play Friday against Cathedral City.
14. Cathedral City
Last week: 14
Following a bye week, the Lions (1-6) will have a chance to snap a five-game losing streak this week against Twentynine Palms.
Andrew John covers sports and recreation in the Coachella Valley for The Desert Sun. Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Desert drops, La Quinta, DCA rise in our Week 9 football rankings
