MaxPreps Top 10 high school football games of the week

As per tradition, Thanksgiving weekend offers a bountiful harvest of key prep football matchups across the nation. It's hard to focus our attention on only 10 matchups this time of year, but such is the sworn duty of the MaxPreps Top 10 High School Football Games of the Week.

We start this week's preview in Arizona, where No. 23 Chandler is knocking on the door of its first state championship in the playoff era. But the Wolves will need to conquer their crosstown rival Hamilton, a team that has won it all seven times in the last 12 years.

Another key game involving a ranked team is defending national champion Booker T. Washington taking its quest for a 39th-consecutive win up the coast to face Cocoa, a program eliminated from the playoffs by the Tornadoes each of the last three years.

The most noteworthy game taking place on Thanksgiving Day happens in Connecticut, where unbeaten rivals New Canaan and Darien will battle for bragging rights and an outright conference championship.



Things are starting to get a little more bunched up at the top of our season-long predictions contest. Jamie DeMoney (94-46) is barely grasping on to first place in the standings. After going 9-1 last week, Leland Gordon now shares second place with Stephen Spiewak with 93-47 records. Kevin Askeland holds fourth place, only four games out of first. Mitch Stephens (89-51) is currently in fifth place and Colin Ward-Henninger (84-56) remains in sixth.

Here's a look at this week's Top 10 games along with predictions by MaxPreps staff writers and contributors Mitch Stephens, Stephen Spiewak, Kevin Askeland, Leland Gordon, Colin Ward-Henninger and Jamie DeMoney.

To catch up with what's happening in the playoffs nationwide, view the state champions and brackets nationwide story.


Chandler (Ariz.) vs. Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.)

What to watch: Crosstown rivals meet up Friday night for a Division I state championship game that is a rematch of an Oct. 2 contest won convincingly (52-24) by Chandler. That was the second win of a current nine-game streak for the No. 23 Wolves (12-1). Their most recent victory was a 43-22 triumph over Mountain Pointe (Phoenix) in last week's semifinals. It resulted in Chandler's first trip to a state title game and avenged its only loss of the year. Senior quarterback Bryce Perkins (an Arizona State recruit) threw three touchdown passes to increase his season total to 45, which ranks second in Arizona. Meanwhile, Hamilton (12-1) punched its ticket to the state finals for the seventh straight year and 12th time since 2001 with a 24-7 win over Brophy (Phoenix). The Huskies forced four turnovers, including a 72-yard fumble recovery returned for a touchdown by senior defensive back Morris Kroma.

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Just the facts: Hamilton has lost to rival Chandler only two times in 15 meetings between the schools during the last 11 seasons. However, both of Chandler's wins have occurred in the past two years. … Hamilton became Arizona's preeminent large-school football power in a remarkably short period of time. The Huskies already have seven state titles in their 17-year history.

Mitch Stephens: Chandler 24, Hamilton 21
Kevin Askeland: Hamilton 35, Chandler 24
Jamie DeMoney: Chandler 26, Hamilton 20
Stephen Spiewak: Chandler 35, Hamilton 14
Leland Gordon: Chandler 42, Hamilton 39
Colin Ward-Henninger: Chandler 30, Hamilton 27


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Washington (Miami) at Cocoa (Fla.)

What to watch: No. 4 Booker T. Washington lacks nothing in the confidence department, but it should expect a stiff challenge when it attempts to get its fourth-straight win over Cocoa – and 39th-straight win overall – in a Class 4A state semifinal game Friday night. Cocoa (11-1) is fresh off its eighth-consecutive region title earned with a 26-21 road win over previously unbeaten Clewiston last week. Ohio State-bound senior Jamel Dean caught his 12th touchdown pass of the season for the Tigers. On the same night, Washington set a Miami-Dade County record for consecutive wins when it dumped Glades Central (Belle Glade), 35-7, according to the Miami Herald. Junior running back Mark Walton (a Miami commit) led the Tornadoes with 166 rushing and yards and a pair of touchdowns.

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Just the facts: Washington has not lost a game since the 2011 Class 4A state championship, when it fell 33-25 to Bolles (Jacksonville). … Cocoa's goal is to regain the level of play it displayed when the Tigers won 38 consecutive games and three state titles in Class 3A and 2A from 2008-10.

Mitch Stephens: Booker T. Washington 35, Cocoa 21
Kevin Askeland: Booker T. Washington 24, Cocoa 21
Jamie DeMoney: Booker T. Washington 28, Cocoa 26
Stephen Spiewak: Booker T. Washington 35, Cocoa 21
Leland Gordon: Booker T. Washington 32, Cocoa 24
Colin Ward-Henninger: Booker T. Washington 35, Cocoa 24




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New Canaan (Conn.) vs. Darien (Conn.)

What to watch: Among the many traditional Thanksgiving Day football games to be played this year in the Northeast, probably no other matchup carries as much weight as Thursday morning's showdown between New Canaan and Darien at Boyle Stadium in Stamford. Both teams enter the game with unbeaten records, and the winner will come away with the championship of the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference. New Canaan (9-0) generates the majority of its offense via the arm of 6-foot-5 quarterback Mike Collins. The junior has thrown for 1,948 yards and 23 touchdowns this season. Collins had 349 passing yards and three touchdowns in the Rams' last game, a 47-16 rout of Trinity Catholic (Stamford) on Nov. 15. Darien (10-0) also features a lanky top-notch junior signal caller in Tim Graham. Last time out, the 6-5, 185-pounder threw for a season-high 248 yards and a touchdown in Darien's 31-0 shutout of North Haven.

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Just the facts: This will be the 87th meeting in a rivalry that kicked off in 1928. The two teams have played on Thanksgiving every year since 1994, according to the New Canaan Advertiser. New Canaan has won 10 of the last 12 meetings, including a 44-12 blowout in last year's Class L state championship game. … A win would give New Canaan its fifth overall Fairfield County championship since 1999. Darien is shooting for its third since 1998. Both will advance to the CIAC tournament beginning Dec. 6.

Mitch Stephens: New Canaan 28, Darien 21
Kevin Askeland: New Canaan 27, Darien 14
Jamie DeMoney: New Canaan 27, Darien 21
Stephen Spiewak: New Canaan 28, Darien 17
Leland Gordon: New Canaan 17, Darien 13
Colin Ward-Henninger: New Canaan 20, Darien 17


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Long Beach Poly (Calif.) at St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)

What to watch: It's a Pac 5 Division semifinal game matching the past two section champions, which are led by two of SoCal's top quarterbacks. Long Beach Poly – the 2012 Pac 5 champ which eliminated Bosco en route to a state bowl game – extended its season with an impressive 44-27 win at Crespi (Encino) last Friday. Senior quarterback Josh Love engineered the Jackrabbits' (11-1) offense with 281 passing yards and four touchdowns. Love, an uncommitted three-star prospect according to 247Sports, has thrown for 2,983 yards and 39 touchdowns this season. On the other side, No. 6 St. John Bosco (11-1) collected its 24th-straight win over a California opponent with a 48-7 rout of Norco. UCLA pledge Josh Rosen was an efficient 19 of 30 for 284 yards and two touchdowns. Rosen is a five-star prospect and is rated the top pro-style Class of 2015 quarterback in the nation by 247Sports.

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Just the facts: The last time these teams met was a 2012 Pac 5 semifinal when Poly upset St. John Bosco, 13-10, in a pea soup fog. … Friday's game will feature at least 15 seniors and juniors who have received scholarship offers from FBS colleges.

Mitch Stephens: St. John Bosco 35, Long Beach Poly 24
Kevin Askeland: St. John Bosco 52, Long Beach Poly 48
Jamie DeMoney: St. John Bosco 37, Long Beach Poly 28
Stephen Spiewak: St. John Bosco 42, Long Beach Poly 30
Leland Gordon: St. John Bosco 33, Long Beach Poly 27
Colin Ward-Henninger: St. John Bosco 34, Long Beach Poly 30

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Bishop Amat (La Puente, Calif.) at Centennial (Corona, Calif.)

What to watch: Friday's other Pac 5 semifinal matches teams with only one collective win in this division's playoffs prior to this season. Centennial had no previous Pac 5 wins because it was assigned to the division just this year, while Amat had only advanced past the first round one time in five earlier Pac 5 playoff appearances. Last week, Centennial achieved its ninth-straight win and avenged one of its two losses with a 27-24 victory against Mater Dei (Santa Ana). The Huskies picked an opportune time for one of their best defensive efforts of the season with standout junior running back JJ Taylor sitting out following appendix surgery. On the same night, Bishop Amat pulled one of the biggest surprises of the postseason when it knocked off then-No. 22 JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano), 24-17. Both Centennial (10-2) and Bishop Amat (9-3) have leaned on two different quarterbacks for production this season. Centennial junior Anthony Catalano and senior Nate Ketteringham have combined to throw for 3,100 yards and 27 touchdowns in a rotation system. Bishop Amat junior Damian Garcia threw for 2,004 passing yards and 21 touchdowns during the first eight games of the year before injuring his ribs. Although Garcia is now back healthy, former backup junior Ryder Ruiz appears locked into the starting role after producing 1,279 passing yards and 10 touchdowns in the last four games.

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Just the facts: This is the first CIF semifinal-round game for Bishop Amat since 1998. … Centennial has reached at least the semifinals of its division's playoffs every season since 2007.

Mitch Stephens: Centennial 42, Bishop Amat 38
Kevin Askeland: Centennial 45, Bishop Amat 42
Jamie DeMoney: Centennial 38, Bishop Amat 21
Stephen Spiewak: Centennial 42, Bishop Amat 34
Leland Gordon: Centennial 52, Bishop Amat 40
Colin Ward-Henninger: Centennial 42, Bishop Amat 35
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South Panola (Batesville, Miss.) at Starkville (Miss.)



What to watch: The season will end Friday night for one of these undefeated MaxPreps Xcellent 25 teams after the Class 6A North championship game. It will be the 12th-consecutive state semifinals appearance for No. 25 South Panola. The Tigers (13-0) advanced with an edge-of-their-seat 9-7 win against Clinton last week. A fourth-quarter interception in the end zone by junior Turner Rotenberry helped seal the deal for South Panola. Conversely, No. 10 Starkville (13-0) beat its quarterfinal opponent, Southhaven, by a much-more-comfortable 34-10 margin. Quarterback Brady Davis ran for two touchdowns and threw for another to lead Starkville. The Memphis-committed senior now has 43 total touchdowns this season.

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Just the facts: South Panola is trying for its ninth-straight win over Starkville in games played since 2004. The most recent meeting between the teams was a 20-6 South Panola victory in last year's state quarterfinals. … With eight state titles and a 166-10 overall record since 2003, South Panola is currently ranked No. 14 in the CalPreps.com National Dynasty Rankings.

Mitch Stephens: South Panola 24, Starkville 21
Kevin Askeland: Starkville 38, South Panola 28
Jamie DeMoney: Starkville 28, South Panola 17
Stephen Spiewak: Starkville 35, South Panola 21
Leland Gordon: Starkville 28, South Panola 25
Colin Ward-Henninger: South Panola 24, Starkville 21
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Carmel (Ind.) vs. Ben Davis (Indianapolis)

What to watch: Conference rivals Carmel and Ben Davis meet Friday night with the Class 6A state championship going to the winner. No. 21 Carmel's 37-14 win over Ben Davis during Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference play was one of its most impressive efforts along the way to its current 13-0 record. One more win would give the Greyhounds their eighth state title overall and first unbeaten season since 1986. On the other side, Ben Davis (11-2) has won seven straight since the Oct. 3 loss to Carmel. The Giants were rewarded with their first trip to the state finals in 13 years after a 49-45 win over Center Grove (Greenwood). Junior running back Chris Evans ran for a season-high 273 yards with three touchdowns, including the game-winner.

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Just the facts: Carmel and Ben Davis have a combined 14 state titles – seven apiece – in Indiana's largest classification. National high school hall-of-fame coach Dick Dullaghan had a hand in eight of them. Dullaghan led Carmel to the 3A title in 1978, then guided Ben Davis to seven Class 5A crowns between 1987-2002. … This will be the 13th meeting between these teams in the last 11 seasons. Carmel is 7-5 against Ben Davis during that span, including five wins in the last seven games.

Mitch Stephens: Ben Davis 28, Carmel 27
Kevin Askeland: Ben Davis 35, Carmel 30
Jamie DeMoney: Carmel 28, Ben Davis 27
Stephen Spiewak: Carmel 21, Ben Davis 14
Leland Gordon: Carmel 24, Ben Davis 22
Colin Ward-Henninger: Carmel 17, Ben Davis 14

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Hudson (Ohio) vs. St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio)

What to watch: No. 22 Hudson's rapid ascent toward the apex of Northeast Ohio football would be complete if it takes down former No. 1-ranked St. Edward in Saturday's state semifinals. Hudson (13-0) remains the lone unbeaten team in Division I after beating conference rival Mentor (41-20) for the second time in five weeks. Quarterback Mitchell Guadagni accounted for 256 of Hudson's 337 total yards against Mentor with three touchdowns. The Toledo-bound senior is now over 2,000 passing yards and 1,000 yards rushing for the season. Meanwhile, St. Edward was utterly dominant in a 41-0 shutout of Westerville Central last week. The Eagles (11-2) built a 27-0 halftime lead and cruised home to their eighth-consecutive win.

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Just the facts: St. Edward needs two more wins to earn its second Division I state crown since 2010. Hudson has never reached the state semifinals. The Explorers have an 8-7 overall record in eight postseason appearances. … St. Edward could become the first team to win Division I state titles in football and boys basketball in the same calendar year since its archrival St. Ignatius (Cleveland) did it in 2001.

Mitch Stephens: St. Edward 35, Hudson 21
Kevin Askeland: Hudson 28, St. Edward 21
Jamie DeMoney: St. Edward 34, Hudson 24
Stephen Spiewak: St. Edward 20, Hudson 17
Leland Gordon: St. Edward 27, Hudson 24
Colin Ward-Henninger: St. Edward 28, Hudson 21

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Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) at Dutch Fork (Irmo, S.C.)

What to watch: It's a state semifinal showdown between the two teams widely considered co-favorites to win the Class 4A-Division I crown all season. Byrnes (12-1) is the only team left in either Class 4A bracket without a loss to a South Carolina opponent. The Rebels' only defeat was at the hands of No. 3 De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) on Sept. 12. They survived to play again this weekend with a 37-36 overtime win over Northwestern (Rock Hill) that was achieved with a successful 2-point conversion. Dutch Fork, on the other hand, was more decisive in its 27-13 quarterfinal win over Dorman (Roebuck). Louisville-committed senior running back Matt Colburn ran for 180 yards as the Silver Foxes avenged their only in-state loss of the year, according to thestate.com.



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Just the facts: Friday will be the third postseason confrontation between these teams in the last five seasons. Dutch Fork eliminated Byrnes in last year's semifinal round, and Byrnes beat Dutch Fork in the 2010 quarterfinals. … Tom Knotts-coached teams have won 31 of 37 postseason games since he returned to high school coaching in 2005. He spent the 2004 season as quarterbacks coach at his alma mater Duke.

Mitch Stephens: Dutch Fork 31, Byrnes 28
Kevin Askeland: Byrnes 28, Dutch Fork 21
Jamie DeMoney: Dutch Fork 35, Byrnes 20
Stephen Spiewak: Dutch Fork 42, Byrnes 41
Leland Gordon: Byrnes 38, Dutch Fork 36
Colin Ward-Henninger: Byrnes 42, Dutch Fork 41

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Providence Catholic (New Lenox, Ill.) vs. Cary-Grove (Cary, Ill.)

What to watch: Saturday's Illinois 7A state championship game is a rematch of the 2009 Class 6A final won by Cary-Grove. That remains the one and only meeting between these schools located nearly 60 miles apart in the Chicago suburbs in at least the last decade. Although Cary-Grove enters the game with a 13-0 record compared to Providence's 12-1 mark, the Trojans' regular-season schedule was weaker than Providence's and, thus, are probably the underdog in this game. That being said, the Trojans looked like anything but a darkhorse when pummeling Libertyville, 41-7, in last week's semifinals. Sophomore fullback Tyler Pennington led Cary-Grove with 119 rushing yards and four touchdowns. On the same day, Providence Catholic toppled rival Mount Carmel (Chicago), 42-21. It was the Celtics' second win over the defending 7A champion this year. Senior receiver Miles Boykin (a Notre Dame recruit) victimized Mount Carmel's secondary with 15 receptions for 204 yards and three touchdowns in the two games this year.

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Just the facts: Including the playoffs, Providence Catholic went 5-1 against fellow members of the Chicago Catholic League Blue Division this season. All five Blue Division members qualified for the postseason and finished with winning records. … Providence Catholic is aiming for its 10th state title but first since 2004. Cary-Grove won its only title in 2009.

Mitch Stephens: Providence Catholic 24, Cary-Grove 21
Kevin Askeland: Providence Catholic 21, Cary-Grove 18
Jamie DeMoney: Providence Catholic 27, Cary-Grove 14
Stephen Spiewak: Cary-Grove 20, Providence Catholic 17
Leland Gordon: Providence Catholic 21, Cary-Grove 18
Colin Ward-Henninger: Providence Catholic 23, Cary-Grove 17

Jamie DeMoney has covered high school sports and recruiting for the past 20 seasons. He is a Regional Content Manager and Product Specialist for XOS Digital and compiles the National Prep Poll (PrepNation) for World Features Syndicate.