Only a handful remain
The stage has been set for a final push, and the playoffs are down to a final four for each organization. Golden West took over the top spot by a nose over Hutchinson after a stunning finish in the SoCal Semifinals.
Golden West was down 31-21 in the fourth quarter when they went on a run. The Rustlers scored five times in just under eight minutes to turn a deficit into a three-score win. The Rustlers are the last remaining undefeated program from the Golden State’s upper tier at 11-0 and have defeated five programs in the Dirty 30 and eight programs during the season that appeared in either the Dirty 30 portion of the rankings or teams on the bubble.
Golden West is about to get a serious test from Saddleback, who is red hot with eight straight wins. The Bobcats moved up to No. 4 in the rankings by dismantling perennial power in Mt. San Antonio in the other semifinal, 58-28. Saddleback had seven touchdowns on the ground while their defense forced three turnovers and special teams blocked a punt. The Bobcats have defeated two very game opponents in succession (#19 El Camino 49-7, #12 Mt. SAC 58-28) by a total of 107-35. Saddleback has defeated six programs in the Dirty 30 and nine programs that appeared in either in the Dirty 30 portion of the rankings or on the bubble during the course of the season.
The Northern California playoffs had a bit of a surprise when Modesto streaked past Diablo Valley 35-7. The Pirates now find themselves at No. 9 in the rankings and have a date at perennial power San Mateo this weekend. No. 7 San Mateo cruised past No. 22 Fresno City in the other semifinal, 34-13, to advance to an sixth straight NorCal final. The two teams met in week three, with San Mateo breezing to a 41-21 win after the score was tied at halftime (21-21). Modesto has defeated four programs in the Dirty 30 and eight programs that appeared in either the Dirty 30 portion of the rankings or on the bubble during the season while San Mateo has defeated five in the Dirty 30 and nine teams either in the Dirty 30 or on the bubble.
The NJCAA semifinals are set for this week and there were no surprises with the matchups. No. 2 Hutchinson will host No. 6 Northwest Mississippi this Saturday while No. 3 Iowa Western will host No. 5 Tyler on Friday night in Iowa. The winners will face each other in the NJCAA title game at West Texas A&M University on December 17. Hutchinson’s resume includes five wins against programs in the Dirty 30 during the season and seven wins against programs that appeared in either the Dirty 30 Rankings or on the bubble during the course of the season, while Northwest has also defeated five in the Dirty 30 and seven either in the Dirty 30 or on the bubble. Iowa Western has six wins against programs in the Dirty 30 and seven wins against programs that either appeared in the Dirty 30 Rankings or on the bubble. Tyler has a nation-leading seven wins against programs in the Dirty 30 and eight against programs either in the Dirty 30 or on the bubble during the course of the season.
Two other bowl games were announced for the NJCAA ranks as No. 25 Iowa Central will host No. 31 Snow in the Game One Bowl and No. 40 DuPage will host No. 45 North Dakota State College of Science in the NJCAA DIII title game.
Here is the rest of the JCGridiron Dirty 30 Rankings. Just a reminder, the Dirty 30 Rankings do not count games against unaffiliated programs or club programs in the rankings.
- JCGridiron Dirty 30 Rankings (12/1/25)
| Rank | School | City | Rcd | Next |
| 1 | Golden West | Huntington Beach, CA | 11-0 | v #4 Saddleback |
| 2 | Hutchinson | Hutchinson, KS | 10-0 | v #6 Northwest |
| 3 | Iowa Western | Council Bluffs, IA | 10-1 | v #5 Tyler (FRI) |
| 4 | Saddleback | Mission Viejo, CA | 10-1 | @ #1 Golden West |
| 5 | Tyler | Tyler, TX | 11-0 | @ #3 Iowa Western (FRI) |
| 6 | Northwest | Senatobia, MS | 10-1 | @ #2 Hutchinson |
| 7 | San Mateo | San Mateo, CA | 10-1 | v #9 Modesto |
| 8 | Georgia Military | Milledgeville, GA | 10-1 | Finished |
| 9 | Modesto | Modesto, CA | 9-2 | @ #7 San Mateo |
| 10 | Gulf Coast | Perkinston, MS | 9-2 | Finished |
| 11 | Diablo Valley | Pleasant Hill, CA | 10-2 | Finished |
| 12 | Mt. San Antonio | Walnut, CA | 10-2 | Finished |
| 13 | Ventura | Ventura, CA | 10-2 | Finished |
| 14 | Copiah-Lincoln | Wesson, MS | 8-2 | Finished |
| 15 | Coffeyville | Coffeyville, KS | 7-3 | Finished |
| 16 | Cerritos | Norwalk, CA | 8-3 | Finished |
| 17 | Fullerton | Fullerton, CA | 8-3 | Finished |
| 18 | East Mississippi | Scooba, MS | 7-3 | Finished |
| 19 | El Camino | Torrance, CA | 8-3 | Finished |
| 20 | Butler | El Dorado, KS | 7-3 | Finished |
| 21 | Hinds | Raymond, MS | 6-3 | Finished |
| 22 | Fresno City | Fresno, CA | 7-5 | Finished |
| 23 | San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | 7-4 | Finished |
| 24 | Trinity Valley | Athens, TX | 7-3 | Finished |
| 25 | Iowa Central | Fort Dodge, IA | 7-4 | v #31 Snow (SUN) |
| 26 | Riverside City | Riverside, CA | 7-4 | Finished |
| 27 | Butte | Oroville, CA | 8-3 | Finished |
| 28 | Garden City | Garden City, KS | 6-5 | Finished |
| 29 | Feather River | Quincy, CA | 10-1 | Finished |
| 30 | NE Oklahoma A&M | Miami, OK | 6-5 | Finished |
Others on the Bubble: Snow (UT) 4-3, Northeast (MS) 5-4, Itawamba (MS) 5-4, De Anza (CA) 10-1, Los Medanos (CA) 10-1, Southwestern (CA) 8-3, Cisco (TX) 5-4, Foothill (CA) 6-5, Monroe (NY) 5-4, DuPage (IL) 6-2, Sequoias (CA) 7-4, Jones (MS) 5-4, Pasadena City (CA) 6-5, Victor Valley (CA) 10-1, North Dakota SCS 8-1
