MaxPreps Top 10 High School Football Games of the Week

A matchup of crosstown rivals who are battling toward the top of the California Bowl Game rankings kicks off the latest edition of the MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week.

Bragging rights in Elk Grove, Calif., and – in all likelihood – the outright championship of the Delta Valley League are at stake when Franklin takes on Elk Grove High Friday night. Franklin is rated third in the latest MaxPreps California North Division I Bowl Game Rankings while Elk Grove is No. 5. The winner could end up representing Northern California in a regional game that leads to the state championship game at Home Depot Center in December.

The rest of this week's slate of top games includes four matchups involving MaxPreps Xcellent 25 teams. No. 4 St. Ignatius (Cleveland) travels to Cincinnati to play a St. Xavier team desperate for a win to improve its playoff chances. No. 10 Ensworth (Nashville, Tenn.) is on upset alert against a talented squad from Brentwood Academy. No. 16 Goose Creek (S.C.) is playing a fellow unbeaten conference opponent in Wando (Mount Pleasant), as is No. 19 Colerain (Cincinnati), which hosts Lakota West (West Chester).

After correctly picking the winner in only four of last week's 10 games, Jamie DeMoney's lead in our season-long predictions contest has narrowed to a single game. At 59-21 overall (.737 percent) for the season, Jamie is only one game in front of Leland Gordon and just three games clear of Mitch Stephens. Stephen Spiewak sits in fourth place, a mere four games off the pace while Steve Montoya and Kevin Askeland currently reside in the cellar but are only five games behind the leader.



Here's a look at this week's top 10 games of the week along with predictions by MaxPreps staff writers and contributors Mitch Stephens, Steve Montoya, Stephen Spiewak, Kevin Askeland, Leland Gordon and Jamie DeMoney.

MaxPreps Top 10 Football Games of the Week

Franklin (Elk Grove, Calif.) at Elk Grove (Calif.)

Franklin improved to 7-0 on the year with a dominating 72-7 win over Davis last week. Senior running back Christian Fonbuena led the way with a season-high 123 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. The Wildcats are looking for their fourth win against Elk Grove in the last five years.

Look for a call-in update from this game on the Friday Night Live show, powered by American Family Insurance

Elk Grove (7-0) wants to add to its regular-season winning streak that reached 17 games with a 24-0 shutout of perennial power Grant (Sacramento) last week. Robert Frazier, a 5-foot-8, 180-pound senior running back, eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the second-straight season, running for 159 yards and one touchdown against Grant.

Mitch Stephens: Franklin 22, Elk Grove 21
Steve Montoya: Franklin 21, Elk Grove 20
Stephen Spiewak: Elk Grove 35, Franklin 28
Kevin Askeland: Franklin 65, Elk Grove 14
Leland Gordon: Elk Grove 35, Franklin 32
Jamie DeMoney: Elk Grove 28, Franklin 24




{PAGEBREAK}
St. Ignatius (Cleveland) at St. Xavier (Cincinnati)

For two of the best programs in the football-prolific state of Ohio, Saturday's game has two separate – but equally important – potential outcomes at stake.

St. Ignatius enters with an undefeated record and No. 4 ranking in the latest MaxPreps Xcellent 25. It has hopes for not only its second-consecutive Division I state title – and 12th since 1988 – but possibly a shot to win a fourth national championship. All eight of St. Ignatius' wins are by 24 points or more. However, the Wildcats have had their share of struggles in the past against St. Xavier. They've lost six of eight games in the series since 2004, including the last two in a row.

See the other 24 teams featured in the Xcellent 25 Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard

On the other hand, St. Xavier is 5-3 following last week's 27-16 loss to unbeaten St. Edward (Lakewood), a game in which the Bombers outgained the Eagles but still fell. It was the third setback for St. X against an unbeaten opponent, yet this week's Region 4 computer rankings show the Bombers on the outside looking in for a playoff berth. A loss Saturday could mean the Bombers miss out on the postseason for the second time since 2008.

Mitch Stephens: St. Xavier 21, St. Ignatius 20
Steve Montoya: St. Xavier 28, St. Ignatius 20
Stephen Spiewak: St. Ignatius 17, St. Xavier 14
Kevin Askeland: St. Ignatius 28, St. Xavier 21
Leland Gordon: St. Ignatius 27, St. Xavier 21
Jamie DeMoney: St. Ignatius 23, St. Xavier 13


{PAGEBREAK}
Brentwood Academy (Tenn.) at Ensworth (Nashville, Tenn.)

First place in the Division II AA East/Middle standings will be settled in this matchup of the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the latest Mid-State rankings. Brentwood Academy has won its last seven after opening the year with a 52-23 loss at nationally ranked Trinity (Louisville, Ky.). The Eagles have two high-profile recruits in Florida-bound quarterback Max Staver (6-6, 233) and Southern California-committed defensive back Jalen Ramsey (6-1, 190).

See where Ensworth stacks up in this week's regional computer rankings



Ensworth wants to extend a 16-game winning streak as well as its string of four straight wins over Brentwood Academy. Without a doubt, Ensworth's stalwart this season has been running back Cornelius Elder. The 5-10, 175-pound senior has 1,609 rushing yards on 161 carries (nearly a 10-yard average) with 26 touchdowns.

Mitch Stephens: Ensworth 42, Brentwood Academy 28
Steve Montoya: Ensworth 42, Brentwood Academy 21
Stephen Spiewak: Ensworth 42, Brentwood Academy 28
Kevin Askeland: Ensworth 48, Brentwood Academy 14
Leland Gordon: Ensworth 42, Brentwood Academy 40
Jamie DeMoney: Ensworth 41, Brentwood Academy 27


{PAGEBREAK}
Goose Creek (S.C.) at Wando (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) (Watch LIVE via PlayON! Sports)

Goose Creek extended its state-best winning streak to 21 games when it pummeled Cane Bay (Summerville) last week, 55-0. It was the seventh win by more than 30 points this season for the Gators (8-0). Leading the charge for an offense averaging 50 points per game is highly touted junior running back Caleb Kinlaw. The 5-10, 185-pounder had a season-high 185 yards rushing against Cane Bay. He's averaged more than 8 yards per carry for the season and has 10 touchdowns.

Check out this week's slideshow of the Top 10 football stadiums to see before you die (Edition 2)

For a program that hasn't won more than seven games in a season since 2004, Wando's 8-0 start this year is one of the surprise stories in South Carolina football. The Warriors proved they were legit last week by dismantling previously unbeaten Stratford (Goose Creek), 42-7. It was only their second win against the Knights in the last 10 meetings. Wando's task this week will be even harder: to break a seven-game losing skid to Goose Creek, which beat the Warriors last season by a wide 72-28 margin.

Mitch Stephens: Goose Green 28, Wando 21
Steve Montoya: Wando 23, Goose Creek 20
Stephen Spiewak: Goose Creek 40, Wando 17
Kevin Askeland: Goose Creek 38, Wando 21
Leland Gordon: Goose Creek 49, Wando 32
Jamie DeMoney: Goose Creek 35, Wando 17


{PAGEBREAK}
Lakota West (West Chester, Ohio) at Colerain (Cincinnati)

Lakota West became 8-0 for the first time and took a huge step toward locking up its first playoff berth since 2009 with a 27-14 win over Middletown last week. Highly touted 6-2, 225-pound junior running back Mikel Horton had 103 rushing yards and one touchdown on 24 carries to lead the Firebirds.



Read MaxPreps correspondent Eric Frantz's story about the monster weekend for Ohio prep football

A win would give Colerain (8-0) at least a share of the Greater Miami Conference championship for the 13th-straight season. The Cardinals have won six straight over Lakota West since 2004 and have won 60 of 61 conference games during that period. Alfred Ramsby, a 5-11, 195-pound senior, leads the team in both passing (1,107) and rushing yards (583) with 20 total touchdowns.

Mitch Stephens: Colerain 28, Lakota West 17
Steve Montoya: Colerain 34, Lakota West 9
Stephen Spiewak: Colerain 28, Lakota West 7
Kevin Askeland: Colerain 65, Lakota West 6
Leland Gordon: Colerain 35, Lakota West 14
Jamie DeMoney: Colerain 35, Lakota West 21


{PAGEBREAK}
Muskegon (Mich.) at Zeeland East (Mich.)

An outright championship of the newly aligned O-K Black Conference is at stake in this, the first matchup between these teams since 2006. Muskegon won the last meeting back in 2006, 45-13. The Big Reds are the winningest program in state history but have gone without a conference title since 2008. Muskegon, ranked No. 1 in the state Division 2 rankings, ran its record to 8-0 with a 45-7 blowout of Kenowa Hills (Grand Rapids) last week. Senior quarterback Jalen Smith had more than 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Check out the Freeman Rankings for Michigan football teams

Zeeland East eclipsed the 50-point threshold for the fourth time during a 55-41 victory against Mona Shores last week. Senior Josh Blauwkamp had nearly 300 rushing yards and scored two touchdowns for the Chix, who are 8-0 and sit atop the latest state Division 3 rankings.



Mitch Stephens: Zeeland East 28, Muskegon 24
Steve Montoya: Muskegon 14, Zeeland East 12
Stephen Spiewak: Muskegon 31, Zeeland East 28
Kevin Askeland: Muskegon 28, Zeeland East 14
Leland Gordon: Muskegon 35, Zeeland East 28
Jamie DeMoney: Zeeland East 32, Muskegon 25



{PAGEBREAK}
Aloha (Beaverton, Ore.) at Jesuit (Portland, Ore.)

Aloha is off to its only 7-0 start since 2004 thanks in large part to the dominant play of running back Thomas Tyner, who just decommitted from Oregon. A top contender for National Player of the Year accolades, Tyner made headlines when he ran for 643 yards and 10 touchdowns in a 84-63 win over Lakeridge (Lake Oswego) on Sept. 14. For the season, he already has 2,325 yards on just 183 carries (12.71 average) with 30 touchdowns total and is the No. 10 prospect overall in the MaxPreps Top 100 recruiting rankings for the Class of 2013.

Read more about Tyner's decommitment from Oregon

Jesuit began the year as a favorite to win its first Class 6A title since 2006. But the Crusaders (5-2) have lost two of their last four games, including a 26-21 defeat against Southridge (Beaverton) last week when Jesuit surrendered 26 straight points after opening a 14-0 lead late in the first half. Jesuit hopes to get its season back on track with a win against Aloha, a team it has beaten seven times in the last eight years, including 28-0 shutout last season.

Mitch Stephens: Jesuit 42, Aloha 41
Steve Montoya: Aloha 45, Jesuit 42
Stephen Spiewak: Aloha 42, Jesuit 28
Kevin Askeland: Aloha 48, Jesuit 24
Leland Gordon: Jesuit 34, Aloha 33
Jamie DeMoney: Aloha 37, Jesuit 31


{PAGEBREAK}
St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) at Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)

St. John Bosco's record is officially 3-4, but it's a perfect 7-0 on the field. The Braves forfeited their first four games for using an ineligible player, a blunder that could ultimately keep them out of contention for one of the regional bowl games even if they end up winning the highly competitive Trinity League and prevail in the Pac-5 playoffs. Leading rusher Darren Walker had a season-high 191 rushing yards and scored five touchdowns in a 44-41 overtime win over JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano). The bad news is that overtime was even necessary after the Braves blew a 24-0 lead in the first half to one of the Trinity League's weaker teams.



See where Mater Dei and St. John Bosco stack up in the California Bowl Game rankings

Mater Dei would put itself in prime position to win its first Trinity League championship since 2008 with a win Friday at Santa Ana Stadium. The Monarchs are coming off a huge 24-7 win over league favorite and former national Top-5 team Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita). Senior Thomas Duarte continued to be quarterback Ryan McMahon's go-to receiver, leading the way with four catches for 79 yards, including the longest scoring play of the night, a 29-yard touchdown catch. Mater Dei has won six of the last seven games versus St. John Bosco, but lost a year ago, 24-7.

Mitch Stephens: Mater Dei 21, St. John Bosco 17
Steve Montoya: St. John Bosco 31, Mater Dei 28
Stephen Spiewak: Mater Dei 28, St. John Bosco 27
Kevin Askeland: Mater Dei 28, St. John Bosco 21
Leland Gordon: Mater Dei 28, St. John Bosco 20
Jamie DeMoney: Mater Dei 33, St. John Bosco 27


{PAGEBREAK}
Union-Endicott (Endicott, N.Y.) at Maine-Endwell (Endwell, N.Y.)

Union-Endicott, the sixth-ranked ranked team in the state sportswriters' Class A poll, is looking to snap a three-game losing streak against Maine-Endwell, which is No. 1 in the state Class B rankings. U-E got its seventh-straight win – all by 19 or more points – when it knocked off Cornell last week, 33-14. Senior running back Michael Cheslock ran for more than 100 yards and three touchdowns and 6-foot-5, 220-pound Division I-bound quarterback-turned-tight end Caleb Scepaniak caught a 21-yard touchdown pass.

View the Union-Endicott vs. Maine-Endwell series history in the MaxPreps record book

Last season's Class A champion Maine-Endwell (now in Class B) carries a 19-game winning streak into Saturday's regular-season finale. The Spartans decimated their first seven opponents, winning by a combined margin of 390-52. The latest victim of the M-E machine was Susquehenna Valley (Conklin), which surrendered nearly 600 yards during a 71-0 massacre last Saturday. Quarterback Kyle Gallagher, a 6-5 junior and son of coach Matt Gallagher, had touchdown runs from 44 and 66 yards in the last two games.

Mitch Stephens: Maine-Endwell 31, Union-Endicott 21
Steve Montoya: Maine-Endwell 24, Union-Endicott 14
Stephen Spiewak: Maine-Endwell 30, Union-Endicott 28
Kevin Askeland: Maine-Endwell 45, Union-Endicott 14
Leland Gordon: Maine-Endwell 54, Union-Endicott 40
Jamie DeMoney: Maine-Endwell 49, Union-Endicott 21
{PAGEBREAK}
Service (Anchorage, Alaska) vs. South (Anchorage, Alaska)

Service earned its third-consecutive berth in the Alaska Large School state championship game with a 49-34 victory against West (Anchorage) last week. Leading the way was explosive two-way standout Viliamu Aukusitino, who accounted for 533 combined passing and rushing yards and all seven Service touchdowns. He also snagged a pair of interceptions on defense. Aukusitino scored seven touchdowns – including three on defense – in the Cougars' 58-10 rout of Juneau-Douglas two weeks ago in the state quarterfinals. Service (9-1) is undefeated against Alaska opponents. Its only loss came in Hawaii at the Fire and Ice Bowl to Leilehua (Wahiawa, Hawaii) on Aug. 10, 23-15.

View the MaxPreps Alaska football playoff brackets for all divisions



If South upsets Service on Saturday, it would earn its first state championship since 2006. In addition, it would snap South's losing streak against the Cougars that includes last year's Large School championship game and reached five games with a 21-14 defeat on Sept. 15. South earned its return trip to the finals with a 25-7 win over then-unbeaten Palmer last Friday. Like Service, the Wolverines played a road game against strong opponent from another state, falling 49-8 to nationally ranked Vista Murrieta (Murrieta, Calif.) on Sept. 7.

Mitch Stephens: Service 42, South 28
Steve Montoya: South 28, Service 21
Stephen Spiewak: Service 14, South 7
Kevin Askeland: Service 35, South 14
Leland Gordon: South 24, Service 21
Jamie DeMoney: Service 42, South 28


Jamie DeMoney is a Regional Content Manager and Product Specialist for XOS Digital PlayerOnDemand. He has covered high school sports and recruiting for more than 15 years.