By Kevin Askeland
MaxPreps.com
Match-ups between undefeated teams fill this week’s 10 Games to Watch, highlighted by the game of the year in Illinois between Wheaton-Warrenville South and Naperville North and a national rankings clash between South Carolina combatants Byrnes and Dorman. Similar showdowns loom in Idaho, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, and Nevada.
The prediction records after seven weeks find MaxPreps Projections moving into first place with a 56-14 record, followed by Mitch Stephens at 55-15 mark, Steve Spiewak at 53-17, Jason Hickman at 51-19 and Kevin Askeland at 48-22. Here’s a look at this week’s top 10 games.
McKinley (Canton, Ohio) at Washington (Massillon, Ohio)
Steve Spiewak will be on hand to cover one of the great national high school football rivalries when McKinley and Washington meet. Spiewak looks at the buildup to the game while Matt Florjancic reports on the coaches.
Mitch Stephens: Washington 28, McKinley 27
Jason Hickman: Washington 16, McKinley 10
Steve Spiewak: McKinley 17, Washington 10
Kevin Askeland: Washington 30, McKinley 20
MaxPreps Projection: Washington 24, McKinley 21
Mullen (Denver, Colo.) at Grandview (Aurora, Colo.)
The top two teams in the MaxPreps/National Guard Colorado state rankings meet in the season finale for both teams when No. 1 Mullen (7-1) travels to play No. 2 Grandview (8-0). Mullen has won four in a row since losing a non-league match-up against defending Missouri state champion Rockhurst. Meanwhile Grandview is undefeated on the season and is coming off a big win over Cherry Creek, 27-10, in 5A Centennial play. Zach Horan leads the rushing attack for Grandview, rambling for 976 yards on 134 carries with nine touchdowns. He gets help from Matt Tucker, who has gained 436 yards with six scores. Mullen has a pair of talented runners as well, with Josh Ford running for 728 yards and Adonis Ameen Moore gaining 669. Both have scored 10 touchdowns. Mullen has more of a passing game thanks to Timmy Tancik, who has thrown for 796 yards and six touchdowns and Johnny Miller, who has thrown for 431 yards. Tucker is Grandview’s leading passer with 335 yards and four scores.
Mitch Stephens: Mullen 21, Grandview 17
Jason Hickman: Grandview 24, Mullen 21
Steve Spiewak: Grandview 21, Mullen 20
Kevin Askeland: Mullen 32, Grandview 19
MaxPreps Projection: Mullen 24, Grandview 19
Capital (Boise, Idaho) at Lewiston (Idaho)
Capital (7-0), the 5A state runner-up last year, takes on undefeated Lewiston (7-0) in a non-league contest. The two squads are the top two ranked teams in Idaho with Capital holding down the top spot and Lewiston coming in at No. 2. Capital captured the Southern Idaho Conference championship last week with a 39-20 win over Vallivue. Jalani Phillips ran wild in the win, gaining 244 yards on just 15 carries with touchdown runs of 31, 77 and 63 yards. Lewiston has improved on last year’s 5-5 mark thanks to an outstanding air attack led by first-year quarterback Justin Podrabsky, a 6-foot-6 junior who has thrown for 1,301 yards and 19 touchdowns in seven games.
Mitch Stephens: Lewiston 17, Capital 16
Jason Hickman: Capital 30, Lewiston 16
Steve Spiewak: Capital 24, Lewiston 20
Kevin Askeland: Capital 30, Lewiston 28
MaxPreps Projection: Lewiston 28, Capital 27
Wheaton-Warrenville South (Wheaton, Ill.) at Naperville North (Naperville, Ill.)
The DuPage Valley Conference title is on the line between a pair of unbeaten foes in Wheaton-Warrenville South and Naperville North. Steve Spiewak writes about the game of the year in Illinois.
Mitch Stephens: Wheaton-Warrenville South 24, Naperville North 23
Jason Hickman: Wheaton-Warrenville South 21, Naperville North 14
Steve Spiewak: Wheaton-Warrenville South 38, Naperville North 35
Kevin Askeland: Wheaton-Warrenville South 34, Naperville 24
MaxPreps Projection: Wheaton Warrenville South 28, Naperville North 20
East (Wichita, Kan.) at Derby (Kan.)
Derby (7-0) will try and contain MaxPreps Player of the Year candidate Bryce Brown when the Panthers take on East of Wichita (6-1). Brown has been spectacular so far with 1,480 yards rushing in seven games for an average of 211 yards per outing. He also has 26 touchdowns on the season and has accounted for 156 of East’s 243 points. Derby has a diverse offense behind the 1-2 punch of Aaron Wilson and Jake Snodgrass. Wilson has run 133 times for 949 yards while Snodgrass has thrown for 1,242 yards on the year.
Mitch Stephens: Derby 21, East 20
Jason Hickman: Derby 35, East 21
Steve Spiewak: Derby 30, East 27
Kevin Askeland: Derby 40, East 36
MaxPreps Projection: Derby 38, East 22
East Grand Rapids (Grand Rapids, Mich.) at Lowell (Mich.)
A pair of No. 1 ranked teams meet when undefeated East Grand Rapids (8-0) meets undefeated Lowell (8-0). East Grand Rapids has won the last two Division 3 state championships and has been the top-ranked team in the state in that division in 2008. Meanwhile Lowell has risen to the top of the Division 2 rankings heading into this week’s game. East Grand Rapids has scored at least 40 points in six of its wins including 56 in last week’s 56-16 win over Greenville. Joe Glendening had 163 yards and three touchdowns on just 10 carries with EGR building a 49-0 halftime lead. Lowell’s offense is just as powerful, scoring 40 or more points seven times. Austin Graham ran for 126 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s win over Grand Rapids Christian.
Mitch Stephens: Lowell 17, East Grand Rapids 14
Jason Hickman: Lowell 28, East Grand Rapids 24
Steve Spiewak: Lowell 28, East Grand Rapids 27
Kevin Askeland: East Grand Rapids 36, Lowell 31
MaxPreps Projection: Lowell 31, East Grand Rapids 28
Custer County (Miles City, Mont.) at Billings Central Catholic (Billings, Mont.)
This match-up between two undefeated Montana teams will be a family affair. Coach Jim Stanton leads the 8-0 Billings Central Catholic team while brother Dan Stanton coaches 8-0 Custer County. The two teams are ranked among the top three teams in Montana by MaxPreps. Custer County has been tough on defense this year, allowing just 50 points on the season and only three touchdowns in its last five games. Brennan Haughian leads the Cowboy rushing attack with 959 yards and 15 touchdowns. Aleksei Grosulak, an all-state linebacker from last year, paces Billings Central with 1,163 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also leads the defense with 99 tackles.
Mitch Stephens: Custer County 14, Billings Central Catholic 13
Jason Hickman: Billings Central Catholic 19, Custer County 14
Steve Spiewak: Billings Central Catholic 31, Custer County 21
Kevin Askeland: Billings Central Catholic 18, Custer County 14
MaxPreps Projection: Billings Central Catholic 28, Custer County 22
McCook (Neb.) at Ogallala (Neb.)
A pair of offensive, and defensive, powerhouses collide in Class B action in Nebraska where No. 2 McCook (8-0) meets No. 5. Ogallala (8-0). McCook is the top offensive Class B team in the state with an average of 452 yards per game. Ogallala is right behind with 420 yards an outing. On defense, McCook is once again the top squad, allowing a meager 120 yards per game. Ogallala is only a few yards behind at 124. Quarterback Matt Berry leads the McCook attack with 24 touchdowns on the season. He ran for four scores in last week’s 47-0 win over Holdrege. Ogallala has a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Jade Cleveland (1,086) and Joseph Knott (1,023).
Mitch Stephens: McCook 21, Ogallala 20
Jason Hickman: McCook 14, Ogallala 13
Steve Spiewak: McCook 28, Ogallala 10
Kevin Askeland: McCook 36, Ogallala 35
MaxPreps Projection: McCook 35, Ogallala 31
McQueen (Reno, Nev.) at Hug (Reno, Nev.)
Bragging rights in the Biggest Little City in the World are at stake in the McQueen-Hug match-up. The Lancers have been stellar on defense, allowing just 34 points in posting a 7-0 record. McQueen also has a 24-7 win over a Serra (Calif.) team that lost by just one point to De La Salle. McQueen reached the state finals last year and is led by quarterback Anthony Stolo, who has thrown for 946 yards and 13 touchdowns. Meanwhile Tyler York adds 792 yards on the ground with 13 scores. The Hug Hawks have been outstanding on offense, averaging over 35 points per game. Hug played a wild one last week, edging Reed 53-47. WR Courtney Gardner is a blue chip prospect and has caught 24 passes for 449 yards and nine touchdowns. Tonio Burton leads the rushing attack with 802 yards and eight touchdowns.
Mitch Stephens: McQueen 28, Hug 17
Jason Hickman: McQueen 38, Hug 21
Steve Spiewak: McQueen 14, Hug 10
Kevin Askeland: McQueen 40, Hug 20
MaxPreps Projection: McQueen 28, Hug 21
Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) at Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.)
Mitch Stephens takes a closer look at a game that features two of the top 13 teams in the MaxPreps/National Guard rankings.
Mitch Stephens: Byrnes 28, Dorman 27
Jason Hickman: Byrnes 34, Dorman 17
Steve Spiewak: Byrnes 35, Dorman 28
Kevin Askeland: Byrnes 36, Dorman 24
MaxPreps Projection: Byrnes 27, Dorman 14
