One of just five teams still undefeated in the state, Monterey Peninsula College finally gained a Top 25 ranking in the latest JC Athletic Bureau polls at No. 23.

With the teeth of its schedule completed, thoughts of complacency are put aside as MPC (6-0) finds itself facing longtime rivals in three of the final four weeks of the regular season. Saturday the Lobos travel to Gilroy High for a 1 p.m. game against Gavilan (2-5).

MPC is 17-1 over the past four years in the American Golden Coast Conference, having gone a combined 12-0 against their next four conference opponents. Dating back to last year, MPC has won 10 straight regular season games.

Devin Ellison jumped to No. 2 in the state in touchdown catches for the Lobos with six, having caught three in last week’s beat down of Coalinga. The fleet receiver is also No. 2 in average yards per catch at 20.0.

On the heels of a 128-yard rushing effort, sophomore tailback Kieryus Boone remains No. 1 in the state in rushing yards per game at 133.8. Boone is 197 yards shy of 1,000 for the season.

LSU transfer quarterback Eric Gibson is coming off arguably his best game in a Lobos uniform, completing 20-of-27 for 261 yards and three touchdowns, with five different receivers having multiple catches.

The Lobos remain in the Top 10 in the state in scoring at 37 points a game, while Gavilan has allowed 37 or more points in four of its five losses this fall.

The heartbeat of MPC has been its defense, which has created 22 turnovers this fall, with a ball-hawking secondary intercepting 16 passes — four from Hollister product Jayden Friedt and a pair from Noah Garry and Jaki Thomas.

Maurice Mathis put together a nice debut at home last week, leading the Lobos in tackles with nine, along with a pick. Garry leads the team in tackles on the season with 36, while Roger Guillory and Kefa Pereira added sacks to their resumes.

The Lobos are also third in the state in field goals, as Isaac Mancera and Joey Fernandez have combined to kick seven field goals, to go along with a half dozen touchbacks on kickoffs.

The Rams struggled to mount any kind of offense in last week’s loss to Cabrillo, finishing with just 85 passing yards and 81 rushing yards. Mason Pound is a threat with his arm and legs.

Hartnell hosts Cabrillo

A week after giving up 56 points in a loss to Coalinga, Cabrillo (1-5) held Gavilan to seven points, while erupting for a season-high 40 for their first win of the season.

With this newfound momentum, the Seahawks (1-5) roll into Salinas’ Rabobank Stadium at 6 p.m. Saturday to face Hartnell (1-5).

Coming off a 159-yard rushing effort last week, former Rancho San Juan running back Peyton Hatten is fifth in the state in rushing at 109.0 yards a game for Cabrillo, while Seaside graduate Jamari Vaughns threw for 240 yards and three touchdowns.

Former St. Francis Catholic receiver Brandon George caught six passes last week for 189 yards and three touchdowns for Cabrillo, which has not won on the road this year.

Spotting Merced 21 points before the offense got untracked in the second half last week was too big of a hole for the Panthers to dig themselves out of. Unable to establish any kind of run game turned them into a one-dimensional attack.

The Panthers continue to shuffle quarterbacks, with former Soledad product Dominic Chavez putting up a career-high 44 attempts last week for 244 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the loss to Merced.

Max Castro, who played 8-man football at Anzar, showed glimpses of his potential with 11 catches for 141 yards and a touchdown for Hartnell last week, while Gonzales graduate Adrian Perez caught a season-high nine passes for 71 yards.

Isias Morin is coming off a 12-tackle effort for Hartnell, while Elijah Perkins intercepted two more passes, giving him four in the last two games.

Having given up 187 yards on the ground last week, the Panthers can expect the Seahawks to pound the ball with Hatten. Vaughns is a threat with his legs as well as his arm.

Last season the 225-pound Hatten, who holds every Rancho San Juan rushing record, turned 36 carries into a career high 347-yard rushing effort against the Panthers

Hartnell leads the overall series between the two rivals 39-19-2.