THE TEAM TO BEAT: Monrovia, which opens its season on Friday, is No. 1 in this week’s Star-News football rankings
Staff photo by Sarah Reingewirtz

STAR-NEWS SUPER 23 RANKINGS
1. Monrovia (0-0) — The Wildcats have yet to play, but with an experienced line and standout running backs Kurt Scoby and Darione Jones, they could be extra special this season. But redpemption vs. Ayala comes first on Friday.
2. St. Francis (0-0) — All signs point towards a solid season for the Golden Knights. The only question appears to be at quarterback, but if summer means anything, they should be fine with Ty Gangi behind center. We get a look see when they travel to Chino on Friday.
3. Rio Hond Prep (1-0) — The Kares looked in mid-season form, rolling over Brentwood in their opener. Now comes a big barometer test when they travel to San Luis Obispo to face Mission Prep, who the Kares beat for the Northeast Division title last season.
4. Muir (1-0) — How good are the Mustangs? We find out Friday when Alemany, one of the better Pac-5 Division schools, comes to town. But they’ll likely need a better showing than Friday’s 18-12 victory over Salesian, which began the season ranked No. 2 in the Northeast.
5. San Marino (0-0) — The Titans are another mystery team, which lost its entire 2012 backfield to graduation. Coach Mike Hobbie says they’ll be competitive. We finally get an answer on Friday when they host Duarte, which is coming off a solid opening week win.
6. La Salle (0-1) — The Lancers saw the negatives of stepping up their schedule, losing to Cathedral, 34-9. But sans three rushing plays that totaled 203 yards, La Salle stood toe-to-toe with the Phantoms. Their defense, for the most part, looked solid. But they’ll need better production on the ground moving forward, which they should get when they host Pasadena this week.
7. Maranatha (1-0) — The beginning of the Jude Oliva era received favorable reviews in its opening, a 41-21 victory over Bassett. Next up is a trip to Firebaugh, which should be another productive outing, then the Minutemen welcome Azusa, which should be a solid test.
8. Duarte (1-0) — The Falcons had a solid opening win over Cerritos Christian. This week they get San Marino, which will give us a better look whether this team can compete for the Montview League title, which we think they can.
9. Arcadia (1-0) — Are the Apaches back? One game is hardly a big sample size, but you have to like what you see following a 38-6 win over Alhambra. They get Monrovia in two weeks, which now looks like it may be more competitive.
10. Flintridge Prep (1-0) — The Rebels opened with their second consecutive tough loss to Army-Navy. But senior Stefan Smith, one of the top backs in the area last season, had a monster opening. He’s the key to their success.
The rest: 11. Pasadena Poly (1-0), 12. South Pasadena (0-0), 13. Pasadena, 14. Gabrielino (1-0), 15. Rosemead (0-0), 16. Temple City (0-1), 17. Keppel (1-0), 18. La Canada (0-0), 19. San Gabriel (0-1), 20. Alhambra (0-1), 20. Bosco Tech (0-1), 21. Marshall (0-1), 22. Blair (0-1).

LEADERS
Passing
Eli Snyder, Maranatha 22-30-331-0-4
Johnny Bollinger, Rio Hondo Prep, 4-8, 80 yards, 1 TD
Rushing
Stefan Smith, Flintridge Prep, 304 yards, 4 TDs
Nate Tayco, Rio Hondo Prep, 160 yards, 2 TDs
Michael Valenzuela, Alhambra 144 yards, 0 TDs
Baile McDavid, Maranatha, 91 yards, 2 TDs
Domenico Chico, Rio Hondo Prep, 65 yards, 0 TDs
Josh Yoon, Maranatha, 45 yards, 0 TDs
Receiving
Aidan Yamada, Maranatha, 4 receptions, 84 yards, 0 TDs
Darron McWhorter, Maranatha, 6 receptions, 76 yards, 2 TDs
NOTE: Stat leaders are based on those reported on maxpreps.com