High school football in San Diego technically begins Thursday night, when Torrey Pines takes on Honolulu Radford in Hawaii.
The first local games will be played Friday night. Here’s a league-by-league look at our picks for the 2026 season, along with MaxPreps.com’s team-by-team and league-by-league ratings:
Avocado West League
U-T prediction, School, MaxPreps rating
1. Mission Hills, 87.22
2. Carlsbad, 89.58
3. La Costa Canyon, 89.85
4. Torrey Pines, 73.70
5. San Marcos, 79.44
MaxPreps league average: 83.95
Western League
U-T prediction, School, MaxPreps rating
1. Cathedral Catholic, 98.47
2. Lincoln, 92.56
3. Point Loma, 77.04
4. Mission Bay, 53.24
MaxPreps league average: 80.32
Avocado East League
U-T prediction, School, MaxPreps rating
1. Oceanside, 71.53
2. Rancho Bernardo, 72.55
3. Del Norte, 63.88
4. Poway, 72.03
5. El Camino, 63.27
MaxPreps league average: 68.49
Grossmont Hills League
U-T prediction, School, MaxPreps rating
1. Granite Hills, 85.68
2. Helix, 69.10
3. Steele Canyon, 60.27
4. El Capitan, 35.68
5. Mount Miguel, 73.36
MaxPreps league average: 64.81
Eastern League
U-T prediction, School, MaxPreps rating
1. San Diego, 55.67
2. La Jolla, 62.44
3. Scripps Ranch, 62.85
4. St. Augustine, 66.05
5. Christian, 52.81
6. University City, 51.14
MaxPreps league average: 58.40
Coastal League
U-T prediction, School, MaxPreps rating
1. Santa Fe Christian, 62.13
2. La Jolla Country Day, 42.97
3. Bishop’s, 51.47
4. Army-Navy, 50.96
MaxPreps league average: 51.88
Imperial Valley League
U-T prediction, School, MaxPreps rating
1. Central Union, 54.25
2. Holtville, 53.64
3. Imperial, 52.72
4. Brawley, 40.64
5. Calexico, 23.37
MaxPreps league average: 44.92
Metro Mesa League
U-T prediction, School, MaxPreps rating
1. Mater Dei Catholic, 62.21
2. Montgomery, 40.74
3. Eastlake, 40.20
4. Olympian, 38.97
5. Otay Ranch, 33.73
MaxPreps league average: 44.37
Palomar League
U-T prediction, School, MaxPreps rating
1. San Pasqual, 49.55
2. Ramona, 50.61
3. Valley Center, 42.03
4. Mt. Carmel, 37.41
5. Escondido, 26.99
MaxPreps league average: 41.31
City League
U-T prediction, School, MaxPreps rating
1. Madison, 58.79
2. Patrick Henry, 43.17
3. Mira Mesa, 33.13
4. Hoover, 28.55
5. Crawford, 23.56
MaxPreps league average: 37.44
Mesa Pacific League
U-T prediction, School, MaxPreps rating
1. Hilltop, 34.34
2. Chula Vista, 31.43
3. Sweetwater, 32.44
4. Bonita Vista, 24.35
MaxPreps league average: 30.64
Pacific League
U-T prediction, School, MaxPreps rating
1. Maranatha Christian, 37.71
2. Coastal Academy, 37.05
3. Classical Academy, 25.43
4. Escondido Charter, 20.56
MaxPreps league average: 30.15
Grossmont Valley League
U-T prediction, School, MaxPreps rating
1. Valhalla, 20.71
2. Grossmont, 47.29
3. Santana, 29.61
4. West Hills, 28.42
5, Monte Vista, 27.87
6. El Cajon Valley, 6.98
MaxPreps league average: 28.82
Central League
U-T prediction, School, MaxPreps rating
1. Morse, 34.83
2. Coronado, 36.39
3. Kearny, 29.97
4. Canyon Hills, 29.38
5. Clairemont, 9.67
MaxPreps league average: 28.04
Valley League
U-T prediction, School, MaxPreps rating
1. Rancho Buena Vista, 29.33
2. Westview, 38.74
3. Fallbrook, 27.53
4. Vista, 12.97
MaxPreps league average: 27.14
Desert League
U-T prediction, School, MaxPreps rating
1. Palo Verde, 33.09
2. Vincent Memorial, 27.09
3. Mountain Empire, 13.54
4. Calipatria, 12.84
5. Southwest-El Centro, 7.03
MaxPreps league average: 17.15
Metro Pacific League
U-T prediction, School, MaxPreps rating
1. Southwest-San Diego, 18.43
2. San Ysidro, 15.56
3. Mar Vista, 16.36
4. Castle Park, 0.06
MaxPreps league average: 12.60
Sunset League
U-T prediction, School, MaxPreps rating
1. O’Farrell Charter, 2.35
2. Victory Christian Academy, -0.66
3. Foothills Christian, -6.42
4. Orange Glen, -4.48
5. Tri-City Christian, -16.21
MaxPreps league average: -5.08
JOHN MAFFEI