Desert Christian Academy jumps in Week 5 power rankings

This is the point of the high school football season when not a lot makes sense. Start with these rankings. There's no chance that they'll make sense to everybody. Some teams lost and rose in the rankings. Others won and fell. How does that makes sense, you might ask. This is simply how we see all 1

What is the story about?

This is the point of the high school football season when not a lot makes sense.

Start with these rankings. There's no chance that they'll make sense to everybody. Some teams lost and rose in the rankings. Others won and fell. How does that makes sense, you might ask.

This is simply how we see all 14 Coachella Valley as high school football teams stacking up as if they were to play each other this week. Who would beat who? We never really know the answer to that, but this is simply our best guess.

I've now personally watched nine of the 14 areas teams and while that doesn't give me a crystal ball to see the future I feel like I have a pretty good idea of which teams are the strongest at the moment. So, let's get right into it.

Here's how things

shake out in our latest high school football power rankings:

1. La Quinta

The Blackhawks lost but they still rise back up to the top spot this week, in part because they outplayed (by some accounts) a very, very good Hesperia team for much or or at least parts of Friday night. The 29-22 loss dropped La Quinta to 1-2 on the season, but both losses were to high quality opponents and the Blackhawks haven't been blown out despite playing a challenging schedule.

2. Palm Desert

After Friday's 31-13 win over a Yucaipa team that beat Shadow Hills handily a week earlier, I was tempted to put Palm Desert (2-2) at 1. But I'm actually not as impressed by the win as I was to how close La Quinta played Hesperia, if I'm being honest. Still, the Aztecs rebounded nicely following a 43-0 loss to a very good Victor Valley team. It might take a couple weeks, though, to completely put that shutout loss in the rear view mirror.

3. Desert Christian Academy

Yeah, I'm apparently a believer in the Conquerors (4-0) after Saturday's dominating, 48-7 win over Yucca Valley. I'll be the first to admit that a big win over Yucca Valley this year may not mean as much as it has in the past five years, but it was still incredibly impressive how hard Desert Christian Academy played and how disciplined this group was for 48 minutes. I don't think this group would beat La Quinta or Palm Desert and maybe not Desert Hot Springs, but I think I'd probably take this group over everyone else in the valley right now.

Desert Christian Academy's Jayvon Garcia makes a touchdown catch in the end zone courtesy of quarterback Mario Gallo during the first quarter of their game in Bermuda Dunes, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026.

4. Desert Hot Springs

Granite Hills is a good team and the Golden Eagles (3-1) played them tight in their only loss of the season on Friday. So, the loss kept me from moving Desert Hot Springs into the No. 3 spot this week. But I liked this squad before the season and I still think they're the favorites to win the Desert Valley League. There's a grit and toughness that this team has that makes me believe they could at least hang with any team in the valley this season.

5. Rancho Mirage

It should be fun to see the Rattlers (3-1) match up this Thursday with Desert Hot Springs. Rancho Mirage fell in these rankings following a loss to Tahquitz on Friday. Maybe the Rattlers weren't at full strength but their defense allowed 34 points to a team that scored just nine against Desert Hot Springs earlier this season. I was, admittedly, disappointed to see Rancho Mirage fall to a Tahquitz squad who barely beat a Hemet team that Rancho Mirage sorta dominated.

6. Palm Springs

The Indians (2-2) struggled on Friday, allowing 57 points to an unbeaten Colton team that barely beat Yucca Valley by five a week earlier. So, by some logic an 0-4 Yucca Valley team might be the sixth-best in the valley. But we're not going there. Instead, Palm Springs has averaged 37 points per game over the last three and there is a lot of upside to this very young squad.

7. Xavier Prep

The Saints are just 1-3 this season, with that one win coming against Cathedral City on Friday. But I don't think anyone in the valley, except for the six teams ahead of them here, is better. The Saints lost by a touchdown to Rim of the World and by five to Serrano. They also played Desert Hot Springs close. There's a scenario where this team is 4-0. I think the talent of this group is solid and once the Saints have their full squad by the time league rolls around I think they'll be very competitive.

8. Shadow Hills

I think that seeing Yucaipa fall pretty easily to Palm Desert on Friday soured me on Shadow Hills. Maybe that's not fair, but losing to Yucaipa by 21 and then Yucaipa losing by 18 to a banged up Palm Desert team a week later left me wondering how I feel about the Knights (1-3). The schedule has been challenging, I'll grant you that. But scoring just 47 points in four games, with a quarterback as talented as Jesse Rodriguez is worrisome.

9. Indio

The Rajahs, after starting the season 2-0, lost their second consecutive on Friday, against another very strong opponent in Western Christian. I've said it before, but I have no problem saying once again that I think Indio is the clear favorite in the Sun Valley League and I fully expect that the Bell Game will have plenty of fireworks this season. I also expect Indio to bounce back this week with a win over San Gorgonio.

10. Yucca Valley

Some will wonder why the Trojans (0-4) are ahead of teams like Desert Mirage and Coachella Valley, but there's still a host of talent at Yucca Valley that I just think hasn't produced the results we've come to expect. I wouldn't count these guys out, though that was tempting after Saturday's 48-7 loss at Desert Christian Academy. This group needs to figure some things out but I still expect that they'll be competitive in league play.

Yucca Valley's Aiden Pope jogs off the field after the coin toss before their game in Bermuda Dunes, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026.

11. Coachella Valley

I mean, the Arabs (0-3) have played a challenging schedule so far, but Friday's loss to Palo Verde Valley was one that 100% worries me for this group. Shadow Hills allowed six points to Palo Verde. Coachella Valley allowed 61 to Palo Verde, a week after allowing 41 to Palm Springs. I don't worry about this team's ability to score. We know that they can. But this team has to play better defense to have any shot at repeating as DVL champs.

12. Desert Mirage

The Rams (3-0) were off on Friday. It may be a sign of disrespect to have this unbeaten team ranked below a pair of winless teams, but records often come down to schedules and there's no denying that Yucca Valley ad Coachella Valley have played tougher opponents early this season. Still, we're not trying to take anything away from Desert Mirage, a team that has allowed just 14 points in three games and a squad that should 100% be playing for a league title and playoff berth this season.