Riverside, San Mateo Hold Top Spots in Latest JCAB Poll
San Mateo, Calif. - After the most "form following" week of the 2026 football season, little change among this week's top 10 in the JC Athletic Bureau's state poll of California Community College Football Coaches Association representatives. However, there are showdowns ahead in the final two weeks of regular season play.
Riverside City College (8-0) took 15 of the 16 first place votes this week, totaling 399 points to hold the No. 1 position ahead College of San Mateo (7-1), taking the remaining top ballot and and scoring 381 points.
Riverside downed Palomar, 42-26, last week with QB Christopher Cooper throwing for career highs of 487 yards and six touchdowns to keep the National Southern League lead at 5-0. RCC hosts El Camino this week, before ending regular season play Nov. 7 at No. 9 San Diego Mesa.
San Mateo got a program record 54-yard field goal from Logan Calder to complete a game-opening drive and take the lead en route to a 31-7 win at rival City College of San Francisco, avenging last season's only loss - all but wrapping-up a sixth-straight Bay 6 league title.
Saddleback (7-1) continues to rank No. 3 following a 41-26 victory over formerly No. 14 Chaffey and sits a game behind Riverside in the Southern League, along with this Saturday's upcoming host foe No. 6 Southwestern (also 7-1 overall). No. 4 Sierra (7-1) and No. 7 Butte co-lead the NorCal league at 3-0 and meet at the finish Nov. 7 at Sierra.
No. 5 Mt. San Antonio (7-1) alone atop the Northern League at 5-0, faces co-second place 4-1 teams the final two weeks in No. 20 Allan Hancock (5-3) on the road this week and then visiting No. 11 Ventura on Nov. 7. Sierra and Mt. SAC switched positions this week, the lone change among the top six.
The Central League has a three-way deadlock at 3-1 among No. 8 Golden West, No. 12 Cerritos, and No. 14 Fullerton after Golden West beat Cerritos, 44-26, last week. Fullerton entertains Cerritos this Saturday and closes at Golden West.
No. 10 Fresno (6-2) is alone atop the Valley League at 3-0 after beating Monterey Peninsula, 37-10, last week and finishes with rivals No. 23 College of the Sequoias (4-4) and Reedley (1-7).
Shasta, the remaining American Division unbeaten, at 8-0, brings its state-leading eight-game winning streak into a Golden Coast showdown of 3-0 teams at Hartnell on Saturday.
3C2A Playoffs for 12 National Division teams (six each in the north and south) begin early this year on November 14. Top two seeds in each region receive first round byes.
Top 20 Games:
October 31: El Camino at No. 1 Riverside, De Anza at No. 2 San Mateo, No. 3 Saddleback at No. 6 Southwestern, No. 4 Sierra at American River, No. 5 Mt. San Antonio at No. 20 Allan Hancock, No. 24 Laney at No. 7 Butte, No. 8 Golden West at Canyons, Mt. San Jacinto at No. 9 San Diego Mesa, No. 10 Fresno at No. 23 Sequoias, Long Beach at No. 11 Ventura, No. 12 Cerritos at No. 14 Fullerton, No. 15 Diablo Valley at No. 19 Redwoods, East LA at No. 16 Pasadena, No. 17 Chaffey at Palomar, No. 18 Monterey Peninsula at Reedley.
(Fred Baer, JC Athletic Bureau)
2026 JC Athletic Bureau / CCCFCA Coaches Poll (Oct. 27)
| Rank | College | 2026 Record | Points | Previous Ranking |
| 1. | Riverside (15) | 8-0 | 399 | 1 |
| 2. | San Mateo (1) | 7-1 | 381 | 2 |
| 3. | Saddleback | 7-1 | 357 | 3 |
| 4. | Sierra | 7-1 | 349 | 5 |
| 5. | Mt. San Antonio | 7-1 | 337 | 4 |
| 6. | Southwestern | 7-1 | 321 | 6 |
| 7. | Butte | 6-2 | 290 | 8 |
| 8. | Golden West | 6-2 | 276 | 11 |
| 9. | San Diego Mesa | 6-2 | 271 | 9 |
| 10. | Fresno | 6-2 | 265 | 10 |
| 11. | Ventura | 6-2 | 248 | 12 |
| 12. | Cerritos | 6-2 | 241 | 7 |
| 13. | Modesto | 5-3 | 197 | 15 |
| 14. | Fullerton | 5-3 | 186 | T-18 |
| 15. | Diablo Valley | 5-3 | 158 | 20 |
| 16. | Pasadena | 5-3 | 144 | 13 |
| 17. | Chaffey | 5-3 | 137 | 14 |
| 18. | Monterey Peninsula | 5-3 | 123 | 16 |
| 19. | Redwoods | 5-3 | 105 | 17 |
| 20. | Allan Hancock | 5-3 | 101 | 22 |
| 21. | San Francisco | 4-4 | 72 | T-18 |
| 22. | Bakersfield | 4-4 | 67 | 25 |
| 23. | Sequoias | 4-4 | 57 | 21 |
| 24. | Laney | 4-4 | 23 | 23 |
| 25. | Foothill | 4-4 | 21 | RV |
Others Receiving Votes: Shasta (8-0) 20, San Bernardino Valley (7-1) 16, El Camino (3-5) 10, Antelope Valley (6-2) 8, Siskiyous (6-2) 7, Feather River (6-2) 6, Palomar (3-5) 3, Sacramento City (2-6) 2, Canyons (2-6) 1, Mt. San Jacinto (2-6) 1.
Current Win Streaks: 9 - Shasta, 8 - Riverside, 7 - Sierra, 6 - Mt. San Antonio, San Mateo.
Remaining Schedule
Saturday, October 31
NCFC NATIONAL - BAY 6
De Anza at San Mateo (1 p.m.)
San Francisco at Foothill (1 p.m.)
San Jose at Santa Rosa (1 p.m.)
NCFC NATIONAL - NORCAL
Diablo Valley at Redwoods (1 p.m.)
Laney at Butte (1 p.m.)
Sierra at American River (1 p.m.)
NCFC NATIONAL - VALLEY
Fresno at Sequoias (1 p.m.)
Monterey Peninsula at Reedley (1 p.m.)
Sacramento at Modesto (1 p.m.)
NCFC ANERICAN - GOLDEN COAST
Gavilan at Coalinga (1 p.m.)
Merced at Cabrillo (1 p.m.)
Shasta at Hartnell (1 p.m.)
NCFC AMERICAN - PACIFIC 7
Contra Costa at Siskiyous (1 p.m.)
Feather River at Chabot (1 p.m.)
Los Medanos at San Joaquin Delta (1 p.m.)
SCFA NATIONAL - NORTHERN
Moorpark at Santa Ana (1 p.m.)
Mt. San Antonio at Allan Hancock (1 p.m.)
Citrus at Santa Barbara (6 p.m.)
Long Beach at Ventura (6 p.m.)
SCFA NATIONAL - CENTRAL
Cerritos at Fullerton (12 p.m.)
East LA at Pasadena (12 p.m.)
Golden West at Canyons (12 p.m.)
SCFA NATIONAL - SOUTHERN
El Camino at Riverside (12 p.m.)
Saddleback at Southwestern (12 p.m.)
Chaffey at Palomar (1 p.m.)
Mt. San Jacinto at San Diego Mesa (6 p.m.)
SCFA AMERICAN - PACIFIC
San Bernardino Valley at West LA (1 p.m.)
SCFA AMERICAN - METRO
Antelope Valley at LA Valley (1 p.m.)
Desert at Los Angeles Southwest (6 p.m.)
SCFA NON-LEAGUE
Bakersfield at Glendale (5 p.m.)
Friday, November 6
NCFC NATIONAL - NORCAL
American River at Diablo Valley (6 p.m.)
Saturday, November 7
NCFC NATIONAL - BAY 6
Foothill at De Anza (1 p.m.)
San Mateo at San Jose (1 p.m.)
Santa Rosa at San Francisco (1 p.m.)
NCFC NATIONAL - NORCAL
Butte at Sierra (1 p.m.)
Redwoods at Laney (1 p.m.)
NCFC NATIONAL - VALLEY
Modesto at Monterey Peninsula, 1 p.m.
Reedley at Fresno, 1 p.m.
Sequoias at Sacramento, 1 p.m.
NCFC ANERICAN - GOLDEN COAST
Cabrillo at Shasta (1 p.m.)
Coalinga at Merced (1 p.m.)
Hartnell at Gavilan (1 p.m.)
NCFC AMERICAN - PACIFIC 7
Chabot at Contra Costa (1 p.m.)
San Joaquin Delta at Feather River (1 p.m.)
Siskiyous at Los Medanos (1 p.m.)
SCFA NATIONAL - NORTHERN
Allan Hancock at Citrus (1 p.m.)
Santa Barbara at Santa Ana (1 p.m.)
Ventura at Mt. San Antonio (1 p.m.)
Moorpark at Long Beach (4 p.m.)
SCFA NATIONAL - CENTRAL
Fullerton at Golden West (12 p.m.)
East LA at Cerritos (1 p.m.)
Canyons at Bakersfield (4 p.m.)
SCFA NATIONAL - SOUTHERN
Southwestern at Chaffey (1 p.m.)
Palomar at Mt. San Jacinto (6 p.m.)
Riverside at San Diego Mesa (6 p.m.)
Saddleback at El Camino (6 p.m.)
SCFA AMERICAN - PACIFIC
Grossmont at Glendale (5 p.m.)
Santa Monica at San Bernardino Valley (6 p.m.)
SCFA AMERICAN - METRO
LA Southwest at Victor Valley (1 p.m.)
Antelope Valley at Desert (2 p.m.)
SCFA NON-LEAGUE
West LA at Pasadena (1 p.m.)