After months of anticipation, it’s finally time for St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) to lock horns.
Gio Bernard will lead Aquinas against Byrnes.
Todd Shurtleff
The Raiders, who began the season ranked No. 1 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25, defeated Cardinal Gibbons and improved their record to 3-0. No. 2 Byrnes downed Gaffney to remain undefeated and keep the showdown between the nation's top two teams intact.
In a matchup of two top 25 teams this past weekend, Highlands (Fort Thomas Ky.), previously ranked No. 18, upset then-No. 16 St. Xavier (Ohio), 12-7.
Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif.) enters the rankings after overwhelming previously-ranked Servite, while Memphis University (Memphis, Tenn.) joins the Xcellent 25 after improving to 6-0.
MaxPreps Xcellent 251. Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 3-0. Last Week: 1. After breezing by Cardinal Gibbons 35-7, the Raiders are ready for their heavily-anticipated matchup with No. 2 Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) on Friday night.
2. Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.), 5-0. Last Week: 2. Traditional rival Gaffney was no match for the Rebels, who overwhelmed the Indians 60-7. Marcus Lattimore and Chas Dodd continued their fine play, accounting for five touchdowns.
3. Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio), 5-0. Last Week: 3. The Panthers traveled to Cleveland and beat St. Edward 38-14. The team was dealt a setback when 6-foot-5 offensive lineman Pete Bachman suffered a season-ending leg injury on the game's first play.
4. Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.), 5-0. Last Week: 4. It was another week of total domination for the Vikings, as they smashed Tift County 50-7. Up next will be a challenge from 1-AAAAA rival Northside, who is also undefeated at 4-0.
5. Central (Miami, Fla.), 4-0. Last Week: 6. With 46 points in the second quarter, the Rockets pulled away from Miami Springs for a 70-24 win. Quarterback Jeffrey Godfrey threw six touchdown passes and added an 80-yard touchdown run to propel Central.
6. Cedar Hill (Texas), 4-0. Last Week: 7. The Longhorns were off this week and will play South Grand Prairie on Friday.
7. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), 2-0. Last Week: 8. Prattville (Ala.) proved to be no match for the Don Bosco Prep as the Ironmen traveled to Alabama and defeated the Lions 35-24. Diminutive running back Tony Jones led the way with three scores.
8. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.), 4-0. Last Week: 9. Marcus Coker continued his monstrous senior campaign by rushing for 246 yards and three touchdowns to power DeMatha over Paul VI.
9. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.), 3-0. Last Week: 10. Oaks Christian had a bye week after beating Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.) last weekend.
10. Curtis (River Ridge, La.), 3-0. Last Week: 11. The Patriots continue their fine play, beating Newman 34-7. Torey Price rushed for 134 yards and scored twice for Curtis.
11. Smith (Chesapeake, Va.), 4-0. Last Week: 4. Smith pulled out a win but did not look sharp in the victory. Phillip Sims connected with Marquie Mays on a 63-yard touchdown that accounted for the team’s lone score.
12. Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.), 4-0. Last Week: 13. The Coyotes kept up their winning ways, besting Millennium 51-3. Matt Baugh has eight catches for 195 yards and one touchdown for Centennial.
13. Madison Central (Madison, Miss.), 5-0. Last Week: 14. Madison Central handed Clinton its first loss of the season, shutting down the Arrows 24-3. Junior Tobias Singleton had two total touchdowns for the Jaguars.
14. Northwestern (Miami, Fla.), 3-0. Last Week: 14. Teddy Bridgewater threw for seven touchdowns, setting a Miami-Dade record en route to the Bulls 54-23 win over Hiahleah-Miami. Bridgewater connected with five different receivers and totaled 327 yards through the air.
Gus Ferrara is part of a balanced Stony Point offense.
Jim Redman
15. Stony Point (Round Rock, Texas), 4-0. Last Week: 17. The Tigers continue to climb up the rankings as they blow through competition in the Lone Star State. Jihad Johnson scored two rushing touchdowns as a part of a balanced ground attack.
16. Highlands (Fort Thomas, Ky.), 6-0. Last Week: 18. The Bluebird defense was stout in an upset of Cincinnati’s St. Xavier. Quarterback Will Bardo had 135 yards rushing to lead Highlands to victory.
17. Butler (Matthews, N.C.), 5-0. Last Week: 23. Butler is proving to be a very complete team, as senior running back Anthony Short compiled 199 all-purpose yards before halftime as the Bulldogs rolled over Myers Park 56-13. Quarterback Christian LeMay added four touchdown passes.
18. Grayson (Loganville, Ga.), 5-0. Last Week: 19. Touchdowns in the first and fourth quarter by running back Ean Pemberton helped Grayson to its fifth straight win as the Rams held off Parkview 33-26.
19. Bishop McDevitt (Harrisburg, Pa.), 4-0. Last Week: 20. It appears that the Crusaders are living up to high expectations, as they once again won easily with a 48-13 win against Central Dauphin. Junior Jameel Poteat had 214 yards on the ground.
20. St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.), 4-0. Last Week: 21. In one of the week’s more exciting contests, St. Bonaventure edged Crespi 42-41 in overtime. Troy Hill had 11-yard touchdown run as well as a 95-yard kickoff return for a score.
21. Jenks (Tulsa, Okla.), 4-0. Last Week: 22. The Trojans continue to establish themselves as 6A title favorites, beating Claremore 34-13. Zack Langer had 232 yards rushing to lead the way for the Trojans.
22. Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif.), 4-0. Last Week: NR. Edison jumps into the Xcellent 25 after stunning Servite 23-9. The Chargers thoroughly outplayed Servite, and appear to be a force to be reckoned with in Southern California.
23. St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio), 5-0. Last Week: 24. For the second time in three weeks, the Wildcats traveled to New York to take down an opponent from the Empire State, beating St. Francis (Athol Springs, N.Y.) 30-14.
24. North Penn (Lansdale, Pa.), 4-0. Last Week: 25. North Penn received its first real challenge of the season as Central Bucks South played to a 7-7 halftime score. Three second half touchdowns, including two by Craig Needhammer, allowed the Knights to pull away.
25. Memphis University (Memphis, Tenn.), 6-0. Last Week: NR. Memphis University enters the Xcellent 25 after pushing its record to 6-0 with a win against Memphis East. The Owls may be challenged this week as they take on 4-1 White Station.
Dropped out:
Servite (Anaheim, Calif.): Lost to Edison 23-9
St. Xavier (Cincinnati,Ohio): Lost to Highlands 12-7
