The Times' preseason high school football rankings

The preseason top 25 high school football rankings by The Times:

Rk. SCHOOL; Comment

1. MATER DEI; QB Elijah Brown is 17-0 and will have strong offensive line to support him.

2. ST. JOHN BOSCO; Defense is a strength, and if the Braves can block, beware.

3. MISSION VIEJO; With 16 returning starters, Diablos can be a semifinalist in Division 1

4. CORONA CENTENNIAL; Huskies have speed, size and big-play potential.

5. GARDENA SERRA; With top RBs, a huge OL and great defense, Cavaliers will be very good.

6. LOS ALAMITOS; Griffins have ambitious plans but must be able to excel on defense.

7. SIERRA CANYON; Trailblazers need QB production to combine with other strengths.

8. SANTA MARGARITA; Will build around QB Jaxon Potter and a very good defensive line.

9. NORCO; Versatile WR Grant Gray leads a solid Cougars team.

10. WARREN; The talent is plentiful, led by QB Nico Iamaleava.

11. CORONA DEL MAR; QB David Rasor has lots of weapons to seek out.

12. ORANGE LUTHERAN; It's year two for coach Rod Sherman, so look for more improvement.

13. OXNARD PACIFICA; This could be the best team in Ventura County.

14. ST. BONAVENTURE; QB Anthony Wolter will try to ignite offense.

15. INGLEWOOD; Transfers at skill positions will keep Sentinels in Division 2 mix.

16. SAN JUAN HILLS; The neighborhood kids want to put their school on the map.

17. LONG BEACH POLY; QB Darius Curry is healthy and ready to make impact.

18. ST. FRANCIS; Aided by transfers, strong offensive line and improved defense.

19. BISHOP AMAT; If Lancers can improve with challenging schedule, beware.

20. MURRIETA VALLEY; Bear and Tiger Bachmeier lead the Nighthawks.

21. RANCHO CUCAMONGA; QB CJ Tiller is key player for team with lots of ability.

22. CHAMINADE; Strong line play makes Eagles a team that could surprise.

23. SIMI VALLEY; Plenty of experience at QB, RB, WR and in secondary.

24. SERVITE: With big holes to fill, Friars still have enough talent to cause trouble.

25. JSERRA: Lions have lots of returnees but need strong play at QB position.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.