MaxPreps details the top football matchup for each week

Every week during football season features some sort of marquee matchup somewhere in America. Actually, there are multiple marquee matchups all over the map.

While MaxPreps will feature the Top 10 games every week, following is a look at what appears to be the matchup most worthy of fans' attention for each week of the regular season. Also be sure to read the MaxPreps 2011 high school football kickoff guide.

Aug. 19 - Butler (Matthews, N.C.) vs. Mallard Creek (Charlotte, N.C.)
The Bulldogs from Butler have nine starters back on offense, but only three on defense after going 16-0 last season and winning the Class 4AA state championship for the second straight season. Butler loses seven Division I athletes, but returns its top receiver in Zach Ferguson (6-4, 200) and top linebacker in Peter Kalambayi (6-3, 230).

Mallard Creek won 13 straight last year before falling to Vance 10-7 in the North Carolina 4A semifinals. The Mavericks return only five starters on offense and four on defense, but they are strong on the offensive line with Demarcus Humphries (6-6, 280) and D.J. Humphries (6-6, 260) both returning.
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Aug. 26 - Armwood (Seffner, Fla.) at Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)
Bishop Gorman has pumped up its regular season schedule to include out-of-state games against some of the toughest teams in the country. Besides Chaparral (Scottsdale, Ariz.) on Aug. 20 and Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) on Oct. 1, the Gaels face Florida power Armwood at home. Florida teams rarely play schools from Nevada. In fact according to Calpreps, Florida and Nevada have not met in the last eight seasons.

Bishop Gorman is coming off a 13-2 season and a second straight Class 4A state championship in Nevada. The Gaels return 10 starters on offense and six on defense along with all of the team's top skill players. Armwood starts the season as the top team in Florida after going 14-1 last year with eight starters returning on both offense and defense in 2011.
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Sept. 3 - Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) vs. Bellevue (Wash.) at Mission Viejo
The Lions will hope that their next foray against a Washington-state team goes as well as the last. Oaks Christian knocked off Class 4A power Skyline two years ago, 28-25, and batles perennial 3A champ Bellevue this year. Oaks Christian begins the season with a 10-game winning streak after going 12-2 last season and winning the Northern Division championship in the Southern Section with a 29-28 triumph over Westlake. The Lions should be tough on defense where they return nine starters and they also have one of the top wide receiver prospects in the country in Jordan Payton.



The Wolverines won their third straight 3A state championship and their sixth since 2003 with a 38-0 win in the championship game over Kamiakin (Kennewick). Bellevue also has a win streak going at 12 in a row. Bellevue returns six starters on offense and defense including a pair of big linemen in 6-5 Jake Eldrenkamp and 6-5 center Michael Kneip.
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Sept. 9 - Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) at Aledo (Texas)
The Lake Travis Cavaliers have been the kings of Texas Class 4A football for the past four seasons, winning a 4A-II title in 2007 and 4A-I state titles the past three seasons. Lake Travis went 14-2 last year with one of the two blemishes coming in a 14-10 loss to Aledo. The Cavaliers always have an outstanding passing game and this year Colin Lagasse takes over for the graduated Michael Brewer at quarterback. He'll have TCU-bound receiver Griffin Gilbert (6-5, 210) as his top target.

If Lake Travis isn't the king of Texas 4A football, then maybe Aledo is. The Bearcats were 16-0 last year, including that win over Lake Travis, and have won two straight Class 4A-II state titles. Aledo has a 29-game win streak entering the 2011 season and will field one of the top running backs in the country in Johnathan Gray, who is headed to Texas next year.{PAGEBREAK}

Sept. 16 - Centennial (Corona, Calif.) at Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Historically this game has been a high-scoring affair. The Monarchs won 51-37 in 2007, but lost 47-35 the following season. The Monarchs won handily in 2009 by a 31-13 count, but Centennial countered with a 44-13 blowout win last year. The Monarchs are not rated as highly as they have been in the past, but they still return five starters on both sides of the ball from a team that went 8-5 last year.

Centennial, meanwhile, returns just four starters on offense and six on defense from a team that went 14-1, but it begins the season ranked No. 1 in the Southern Section Inland Division and among the top 25 teams in the country by MaxPreps. Look for the Huskies to put lots of heat on the quarterback with defensive ends Milo Jordan (6-2, 275) and Ngata Tuihalamaka (6-2, 240).
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Sept. 23 - De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) at St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Assuming the Spartans win their first two games of the season against Bellarmine (San Jose, Calif.) and St. Mary's (Stockton, Calif.), they could have a 28-game win streak heading into their Sept. 23 outing in Fort Lauderdale against St. Thomas Aquinas. That win streak would date back to a 31-30 loss to Lakeland, the last Florida team the Spartans faced. Only three starters on offense and five on defense return for De La Salle, which went 14-0 and won the California Division I Bowl Game 48-8 over Servite last season, but the Spartans traditionally reload and they have a Division I signal caller in Bart Houston.

The Raiders are in about the same shape as the Spartans as they have just five starters back on offense and three on defense from a team that went 15-0 and was ranked No. 1 in the country by some polls. A total of 10 Division I prospects graduated, but the Raiders always are well-stocked with Division I talent and have at least five more prospects this year, including Miami-bound defensive tackle Jelani Hamilton.
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Sept. 30 - Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) vs. St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.)
When it comes to rivalries, they don't get much better than Trinity vs. St. Xavier in Louisville, Ky. The Shamrocks begin the season ranked No. 1 in the state Class 6A ratings by the MaxPreps Computer Ratings and are working on an 11-game win streak to start the season after going 14-1 in 2010. Trinity shut out St. Xavier 48-0 last season, but the Tigers return a total of 14 starters, nine of them on offense, from a team that went 10-3. MaxPreps has St. Xavier ranked No. 3 in the state to begin the season and the Tigers have an experienced line led by C.J. Phillips (6-2, 275).
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Oct. 8 - Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) vs. St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio)
Ranked No. 1 in the country by MaxPreps and the Freeman Ratings, Don Bosco Prep will likely be undefeated entering its matchup with St. Edward on Oct. 8. That's assuming the Ironmen get past Mission Viejo (Calif.) and Manatee (Fla.) in the first two weeks of the season. The Ironmen enter the season with 35 straight wins and that total could reach 39 by the time they take on St. Edward. Don Bosco Prep will be especially tough on defense where nine starters return, including All-American candidate Darius Hamilton (6-4, 250) on the defensive line and Yuri Wright (6-2, 180) in the defensive backfield.

The Eagles finished the season ranked No. 2 overall in the Freeman Ratings and begin the year at No. 3. Only five starters return on offense and four on defense, but the line should be strong with Division I talent Kyle Kalis (6-5, 300) and Tyler Orlosky (6-5, 295) returning.
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Oct. 15 - Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) vs. Orange Lutheran (Calif.) at Cerritos College
The battle for first place in the Trinity League could come down to this game between the Friars and the Lancers. Servite enters the game rated No. 1 in the Pac-5 Division of the Southern Section by MaxPreps while returning eight starters on offense and five on defense. The Friars should be strong on defense with BYU-bound LB Butch Pauu and Boise State defensive line recruit Travis Averill (6-4, 265).



The Lancers were just 5-5 last season, but they return eight starters on offense and seven on defense. They are led by Florida State recruit Christo Kourtzidis (6-4, 235) at tight end and Washington-bound Darien Washington in the defensive backfield.
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Oct. 22 - Allen (Texas) at Marcus (Flower Mound, Texas)
The No. 1 team in the state of Texas to begin the season, Allen went 10-2 last year and returns seven starters on both sides of the ball. Tops among those returners is senior running back Jonathan Williams, who is headed to Missouri next year, and quarterback Alec Morris (6-4, 235).

Marcus returns just three starters on offense from a team that went 8-3 last year, but one of those starters is Deion Sanders Jr., the son of Hall of Fame star Deion Sanders. The Marauders expect to have plenty of athleticism among the backs and receivers this year but could struggle on the offensive line.
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Oct. 29 - Cocoa (Fla.) at West Monroe (La.)
The Cocoa Tigers play one of the toughest preseason schedules in the country as they will take on Colerain (Cincinnati), Skyline (Dallas) and West Monroe (La.) all on the road. Cocoa's game against West Monroe on Oct. 29 completes the gauntlet and will be a true test for the defending Florida Class 2A state champions who went 14-0 last year and have a 38-game winning streak entering the season. The Tigers have 13 total returning starters from last year, led by linebackers Grady Redding and Tyrell Denson.

The Rebels fell just short of a repeat state title in Louisiana last year, falling to Acadiana 21-14 and finishing 14-1. West Monroe begins the season ranked No. 2 in the state and has a pair of Division I prospects in defensive ends James McFarland (6-2, 215) and Terrell Lathan (6-4, 235).


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Nov. 4 - Phoebus (Hampton, Va.) at Hampton (Va.)
It could be another perfect season for the Phantoms, who have gone 15-0 each of the past three years and have a 45-game win streak entering the 2011 season. Seven starters return on offense and six are back on defense from a team that won the Virginia 5A state championship, including wide receiver Romond Deloatch (6-5, 215).
Hampton gave Phoebus its toughest game last season, losing only 12-7. In fact, both of Hampton's losses during last year's 11-2 campaign came against the Phantoms. The Crabbers, under legendary coach Mike Smith, begin the season rated No. 3 in the state by MaxPreps.


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Nov. 11 - Westlake (Westlake Village, Calif.) vs. St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.) at Ventura
Westlake came within two points of an undefeated season in 2010, losing to Oaks Christian 29-28 and St. Bonaventure 32-31. The Warriors get the chance to avenge that loss with 12 starters back from last year's 12-2 squad that begins the year ranked No. 3 in the Southern Section Northern Division. Among the returning starters is four-star defensive lineman Justin Solis (6-2, 300).

The Seraphs begin the season ranked No. 2 in the Northern Division and have eight starters back on both sides of the ball. St. Bonaventure returns all of its skill players, including quarterback Marc Evans, running back Shaun Wick and wide receiver Jordan Farris.