Riverside Stays Atop Latest Football Coaches Poll; DVC Moves to Second
San Mateo, Calif. - Riverside City College maintains the top spot in this week's JC Athletic Bureau state poll of California Community College Football Coaches Association representatives after defeating formerly No. 2 Saddleback College, 38-21, in Saturday's National Southern League opener in Mission Viejo. Riverside (4-0) took 15 of the 17 first place votes and totaled 423 points.
No. 2 Diablo Valley College (4-0) had 391 points, just ahead of No. 3 College of San Mateo (3-1) with 380 points. The two Bay Area teams wind up non-league play Saturday in San Mateo.
San Diego Mesa jumps to No. 4 this week from the No. 7 spot, after opening Southern League play with a 40-12 win over Mt. San Jacinto (2-2). Mesa faces another crucial Saturday at No. 8 Southwestern in this week's top SoCal battle of 4-0 teams. No. 6 Saddleback visits the other undefeated Southern League team, No. 12 Chaffey, on Saturday. No. 7 Golden West (3-1) visits East LA (0-4) next. Nine of the 3C2A''s 65 teams remain unbeaten, six in the National Division with four in the Southern League.
Butte jumped from ninth to No. 5 after topping previously unbeaten Fresno City College, 34-31, in overtime. Butte (3-1) returns home to host No. 14 Modesto (2-2), which has suffered back-to-back setbacks to DVC and CSM after being top ranked.
Top 20 Games:
No. 1 Riverside at No. Palomar; No. 2 Diablo Valley at No. 3 San Mateo; No. 4 San Diego Mesa at No. 8 Southwestern; No. 14 Modesto at No. 5 Butte; No. 6 Saddleback at No. 12 Chaffey; No. 7 Golden West at East LA; American River at No. 9 Fresno; No. 10 Mt. San Antonio at Moorpark; No. 11 Sierra at No. 24 De Anza; Monterey Peninsula at No. 13 Redwoods; No. 15 Cerritos at Canyons; No. 16 Pasadena at No. 22 Bakersfield; No. 17 San Francisco at No. 21 Sequoias; No. 17 Ventura at Santa Barbara; Mt. San Jacinto at No. 19 El Camino; San Bernardino at No. 20 Fullerton.
2026 JC Athletic Bureau / CCCFCA Coaches Poll (Sept. 22)
| Rank | College | 2026 Record | Points | Previous Ranking |
| 1. | Riverside (15) | 4-0 | 423 | 1 |
| 2. | Diablo Valley | 4-0 | 391 | 3 |
| 3. | San Mateo (1) | 3-1 | 380 | 4 |
| 4. | San Diego Mesa (1) | 4-0 | 366 | 7 |
| 5. | Butte | 3-1 | 329 | 9 |
| 6. | Saddleback | 3-1 | 324 | 2 |
| 7. | Golden West | 3-1 | 323 | 6 |
| 8. | Southwestern | 4-0 | 287 | 12 |
| 9. | Fresno | 3-1 | 276 | 5 |
| 10. | Mt. San Antonio | 3-1 | 271 | 10 |
| 11. | Sierra | 3-1 | 263 | 14 |
| 12. | Chaffey | 4-0 | 234 | 17 |
| 13. | Redwoods | 4-0 | 219 | 18 |
| 14. | Modesto | 2-2 | 202 | 8 |
| 15. | Cerritos | 3-1 | 195 | 16 |
| 16. | Pasadena | 3-1 | 155 | 19 |
| 17. | San Francisco | 2-2 | 154 | 13 |
| Ventura | 2-2 | 154 | 11 | |
| 19. | El Camino | 2-2 | 127 | 15 |
| 20. | Fullerton | 2-2 | 103 | 23 |
| 21. | Sequoias | 2-2 | 70 | 24 |
| 22. | Bakersfield | 2-2 | 69 | 20 |
| 23. | Palomar | 2-2 | 35 | 21 |
| 24. | De Anza | 2-2 | 33 | 22 |
| 25. | Laney | 2-2 | 23 | RV |
Others Receiving Votes: Santa Monica (4-0) 23; San Bernardino (4-0) 13; Mt. San Jacinto (2-2) 13; Moorpark (2-2) 11; Monterey Peninsula (2-2) 11; Allan Hancock (2-2) 9; Antelope Valley (3-1) 7; Shasta (4-0) 7; Coalinga (3-1) 4; Sacramento (1-3) 4; Foothill (1-3) 3; Victor Valley (2-2) 3; Siskiyous (3-1) 2; Feather River (2-1) 1.
Upcoming Schedule
Friday, September 25
NCFC NATIONAL - NON-LEAGUE
San Jose at Laney (5:30 p.m.)
Saturday, September 19
NCFC NATIONAL - NON-LEAGUE
San Francisco at Sequoias (11 a.m.)
American River at Fresno (1 p.m.)
Diablo Valley at San Mateo (1 p.m.)
Modesto at Butte (1 p.m.)
Monterey Península at Redwoods (1 p.m.)
Santa Rosa at Reedley (1 p.m.)
Sierra at De Anza (1 p.m.)
Sacramento at Foothill (6 p.m.)
NCFC AMERICAN - NON-LEAGUE
Feather River at Coalinga (1 p.m.)
Contra Costa at Hartnell (3 p.m.)
Chabot at Merced (6 p.m.)
Los Medanos at Cabrillo (6 p.m.)
San Joaquin Delta at Gavilan (6 p.m. | Gilroy HS)
Siskiyous at Shasta (6 p.m.)
SCFA NATIONAL - NORTHERN
Cerritos at Canyons (12 p.m.)
Santa Ana at Citrus (6 p.m.)
Mt. San Antonio at Moorpark (6 p.m.)
Ventura at Santa Barbara (6 p.m.)
SCFA NATIONAL - CENTRAL
Golden West at East LA (1 p.m.)
Long Beach at Allan Hancock (1 p.m.)
Pasadena at Bakersfield (6 p.m.)
SCFA NATIONAL - SOUTHERN
San Diego Mesa at Southwestern (12 p.m.)
Mt. San Jacinto at El Camino (6 p.m.)
Riverside at Palomar (6 p.m.)
Saddleback at Chaffey (6 p.m.)
SCFA AMERICAN - NON-LEAGUE
Los Angeles Southwest at West LA (1 p.m.)
Grossmont at Victor Valley (5 p.m.)
Fullerton at San Bernardino Valley (6 p.m.)
Santa Monica at Los Angeles Valley (6 p.m.)
Compton at Glendale (7 p.m.)
(Fred Baer, JC Athletic Bureau)