MaxPreps Top 10 High School Football Games of the Week

State championship high school football games in many states are as much a part of Thanksgiving weekend as turkey sandwiches and leftover mashed potatoes. This week's MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week looks at some of the most interesting state-title tilts from around the nation along with other key postseason matchups.

In our 50th state, Kahuku will be in familiar surroundings when it plays Punahou for the Hawaii Division I title Friday night at Aloha Stadium. It is the eighth trip to the championship game in 13 seasons for the Red Raiders, who are seeking their seventh title.

A chance to finish the season with a perfect 15-0 record and the Indiana 5A state title is on the line Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium when Fort Wayne Snider plays fellow unbeaten Lawrence Central. Just across the border, Glenbard West and Lincoln-Way East – another pair of unbeatens – play for the Illinois 7A crown at the University of Illinois' Memorial Stadium.

The lone game of the week between two nationally ranked teams is in Texas, where No. 4 DeSoto will take on No. 17 Coppell in a titanic Class 5A/I second-round playoff showdown.



Mitch Stephens and Jamie DeMoney – co-leaders in our season-long predictions contest – each went 7-3 in their selections last week and now have matching 92-38 (.707 pct.) records through 13 weeks. Stephen Spiewak and Leland Gordon are tied for third place with 87 correct selections.

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.


Punahou (Honolulu) vs. Kahuku (Hawaii)

Punahou (8-2) wants to cap the election month of November by winning its first state title since 2008, which was also the same year its most famous alum – newly reelected President Barack Obama -- was first voted into the presidency.

The Buff n' Blue have lost three straight games against Kahuku, including a 30-24 defeat in last season's state championship and a 21-13 setback in a game played this season on Aug. 18. They earned their way back to the title game by rolling past Mililani (Honolulu) last week, 49-19. The offensive star was junior quarterback Larry Tuileta, who passed for 420 yards and five touchdowns, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

See the MaxPreps Hawaii football playoff brackets

Kahuku (11-0) has reached the Division I state title game for the eighth time since 2000. A win Friday would give the Red Raiders back-to-back championships and a total of seven titles in the past 13 seasons. Senior Aofaga Wily ran for 141 yards and four touchdowns to help lead the Red Raiders to a 47-14 rout of Farrington (Honolulu) in last week's semifinals, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.



Mitch Stephens: Kahuku 31, Punahou 28
Steve Montoya: Kahuku 24, Punahou 21
Stephen Spiewak: Punahou 28, Kahuku 24
Kevin Askeland: Kahuku 35, Punahou 21
Leland Gordon: Kahuku 27, Punahou 24
Jamie DeMoney: Punahou 27, Kahuku 21



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Snider (Fort Wayne, Ind.) vs. Lawrence Central (Indianapolis)

This is the first time since 1998 that Indiana's 5A championship game features a pair of undefeated teams.

Snider (14-0) is shooting for its first championship since 1992 after falling short in the finals in 2002 and 2004. The Panthers survived a pair of close calls in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, nipping Fishers 36-35 in overtime on Nov. 9 and getting past Merrillville last week, 42-39.

See the MaxPreps Indiana football playoff brackets



It's only the second time Lawrence Central (14-0) has played for a state championship. The Bears lost to Fishers (38-19) in the 2010 title game. With an offensive line led by 6-foot-5, 315-pound Ohio St. recruit Tim Gardner, Lawrence Central grinded for 305 team rushing yards in a 28-15 win against Center Grove (Greenwood) in last week's state semifinals.

Mitch Stephens: Lawrence Central 24, Snider 21
Steve Montoya: Snider 21, Lawrence Central 14
Stephen Spiewak: Lawrence Central 28, Snider 14
Kevin Askeland: Lawrence Central 42, Snider 24
Leland Gordon: Lawrence Central 35, Snider 30
Jamie DeMoney: Lawrence Central 31, Snider 17



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Glenbard West (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) vs. Lincoln-Way East (Frankfort, Ill.)

Glenbard West (13-0) earned the right to play for the 7A state championship by grinding out a 19-13 win against Lake Zurich in last week's semifinals. This is the Hilltoppers' first season with at least 13 wins since 2009, when they lost to Wheaton-Warrenville South (Wheaton) in the 7A final. A win Saturday would give the school only its second state title. The last one was in 1983, well before any current player on the roster was born.

See the MaxPreps Illinois football playoff brackets

Northern Illinois-bound quarterback Tommy Fuessel had more than 100 yards both passing and rushing to lead Lincoln-Way East (13-0) to a 37-13 win against Benet (Lisle) last week. It was the Griffins' 12th consecutive win by a double-digit margin and landed them into the state championship game for the first time since they won it all in 2005.



Mitch Stephens: Lincoln-Way East 35, Blenbard West 28
Steve Montoya: Lincoln-Way East 31, Glenbard West 21
Stephen Spiewak: Lincoln-Way East 21, Glenbard West 10
Kevin Askeland: Glenbard West 40, Lincoln-Way East 14
Leland Gordon: Glenbard West 27, Lincoln-Way East 26
Jamie DeMoney: Lincoln-Way East 23, Glenbard West 15



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Coppell (Texas) vs. DeSoto (Texas)

The loser of this second-round Texas 5A/I playoff battle of undefeated and nationally ranked teams will not see its season extend past the end of November.

Playing with added motivation following the October drowning death of senior standout Jacob Logan, Coppell (11-0) has a double-digit win total for the third time in four seasons. The Cowboys thumped MacArthur (Irving) in a round-one game last weekend, 31-7. It was the fourth-straight time that Coppell's defense held an opponent to a touchdown or less. Leading the way on offense was sophomore Charles West, who had more than 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

See the MaxPreps Texas football playoff score projections

DeSoto's offense continued to run like a finely tuned machine in a 62-15 runaway against Harker Heights (Killeen). It was the fourth time the Eagles have scored 60 or more points this year. (Their average margin of victory is 52-21.) Senior running back Dontre Wilson had a big game against Harker Heights. The Oregon recruit scored six touchdowns, including one on a returned fumble.

Mitch Stephens: DeSoto 31, Coppell 28
Steve Montoya: Coppell 28, DeSoto 27
Stephen Spiewak: DeSoto 31, Coppell 30
Kevin Askeland: DeSoto 45, Coppell 14
Leland Gordon: Coppell 35, DeSoto 32
Jamie DeMoney: DeSoto 47, Coppell 44





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Staples (Westport, Conn.) at Greenwich (Conn.)

For the second-straight season, these traditional Thanksgiving rivals will battle for much more than just Turkey Day pride.

The Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference title is on the line, with Staples (8-0) aiming to make it two championships in a row. The Wreckers beat Greenwich with the same title at stake last season (31-27) and own a 5-3 advantage in games played against the Cardinals since 2004. All eight of Staples' wins this season are by more than 20 points, including a 49-7 rout of Westhill (Stamford) in which the Wreckers had a season-high 509 team rushing yards.

See the MaxPreps Connecticut football Freeman Rankings

Greenwich also improved to 8-0 with a commanding performance last week. The Cardinals crushed Dunbury, 54-8, for their ninth-straight win over the Hatters since 2004. Sophomore Austin Longi – a 5-9, 145-pound sophomore -- returned an interception and a punt for touchdowns, according to the Connecticut Post.

Mitch Stephens: Staples 21, Greenwich 20
Steve Montoya: Staples 17, Greenwich 10
Stephen Spiewak: Staples 28, Greenwich 20
Kevin Askeland: Staples 28, Greenwich 14
Leland Gordon: Greenwich 38, Staples 35
Jamie DeMoney: Staples 28, Greenwich 21





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American Heritage (Delray Beach, Fla.) at University (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

This second-round playoff showdown is a rematch of last year's state quarterfinal game won by American Heritage, 31-20. The Stallions went on to capture the Class 3A championship. This year, the teams enter the game undefeated and ranked No. 1 and 2 in the latest state sportswriters poll. The winner will be considered the clear-cut favorite to run the table to a state title.

University tops the list in our Small Schools National Rankings

University, ranked ninth in the latest MaxPreps Xcellent 25, has played only two games in the last month. The Suns (9-0) appeared to show some rust in their round-one game against Cardinal Newman (West Palm Beach) last week, leading just 7-0 at halftime before pulling away with a 27-0 victory. On the bright side, it was the sixth time in seven games University held an opponent without a touchdown. Jordan Scarlett – one of the nation's most talented sophomore running backs – keyed an otherwise sluggish offensive performance with 186 rushing yards and two touchdowns, according to the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel.

American Heritage improved to 11-0 for the regular season with a 30-14 win against Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood). Greg Bryant, the No. 31 recruit in MaxPreps' Top 100 list for the Class of 2013, had 116 rushing yards and a 21-yard touchdown catch to lead American Heritage, according to the Sun-Sentinel. The Stallions now have a 22-game winning streak despite their loss in a nationally televised preseason game versus state-ranked Cocoa on Aug. 25 that did not count in the win-loss column.

Mitch Stephens: University 31, American Heritage 27
Steve Montoya: University 45, American Heritage 28
Stephen Spiewak: University 17, American Heritage 14
Kevin Askeland: University 35, American Heritage 28
Leland Gordon: University 42, American Heritage 36
Jamie DeMoney: American Heritage 37, University 28





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Allen (Texas) vs. Mesquite (Texas)

This Class 5A/Division I second-round playoff matchup is the first meeting between these teams since 2006. Allen won that game (59-42) and is 3-0 overall against Mesquite overall since 2004.

Allen (10-1) clinched its seventh-straight season with at least 10 wins with a resounding 63-14 defeat of Richardson in an opening-round game last week. The Eagles had 621 yards of total offense in the game, according to the Star Newspapers. The standout was sophomore quarterback Kyler Murray, who passed for 203 yards and ran for 102 with four total touchdowns.

See the MaxPreps Texas football playoff brackets

Mesquite has its first 11-0 start to a season since 2001, which is also the last time the Skeeters captured a state championship. It's a potential dream season in the making for a program that just evened its record at 51-51 in games played since 2004 with last week's 50-28 opening-round playoff win over Sachse.

Mitch Stephens: Allen 28, Mesquite 27
Steve Montoya: Mesquite 28, Allen 24
Stephen Spiewak: Allen 35, Mesquite 21
Kevin Askeland: Allen 38, Mesquite 14
Leland Gordon: Allen 31, Mesquite 24
Jamie DeMoney: Allen 38, Mesquite 27





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Whitmer (Toledo, Ohio) vs. Mentor (Ohio)

Whitmer won its third-straight Region 2 title with a dominant 49-16 performance against a Massillon squad loaded with tradition and Division I-caliber talent. The Panthers (13-0) are trying to become the first Region 2 champion since 1998 to go forward and capture the Ohio Division I state title. The last team to do it was McKinley (Canton), which is in northeast Ohio. St. Francis de Sales (1984) was the last team from the city of Toledo to accomplish the feat.

See Mentor's big leap in the Regional Computer Rankings

Mentor's already-explosive offense has managed to somehow find another gear at just the right time. The Cardinals (12-1) earned their first Region 1 championship since 1997 by winning shootouts against the previous two state champions in back-to-back weeks. North Carolina-bound quarterback Mitch Trubisky accounted for six touchdowns in a Nov. 10 come-from-behind 63-56 win against 2010 titlist St. Edward (Lakewood) and did so again in last week's 57-56 triumph against defending champ St. Ignatius (Cleveland). The St. Ignatius game was decided on a successful Trubisky pass to Brandon Fritts on a 2-point conversion attempt in overtime.

Mitch Stephens: Mentor 42, Whitmer 35
Steve Montoya: Mentor 48, Whitmer 35
Stephen Spiewak: Mentor 48, Whitmer 31
Kevin Askeland: Mentor 53, Whitmer 50 (2 OT)
Leland Gordon: Mentor 42, Whitmer 28
Jamie DeMoney: Mentor 34, Whitmer 24



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Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) at St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.)

A spot in the Pac-5 championship game is up for grabs in this matchup of perennial Southern California powers. This is Mater Dei's second trip to the Pac-5 semifinals in three seasons. But it's top-seeded St. Bonaventure's first go-around in the brutally tough Pac-5 bracket after the Seraphs reached at least the semifinal round in their former CIF-SS divisions every year going back to 2004.



Mater Dei (10-2) is tantalizingly close to its first 11-win season since 1999. The Monarchs' two-game playoff point total reached 124 in a come-from-behind 53-42 triumph over Alemany (Mission Hills) last week. Mater Dei scored 22 unanswered points in the final seven minutes of the game thanks in part to a pair of touchdown runs from senior J.C. Genova, who also contributed seven tackles and a sack on defense.

See where these teams rank in the California Bowl Game Rankings

St. Bonaventure (11-1) avenged its only loss of the season with a 27-21 overtime win against Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita). Zachary Green, an Arizona commit, led the way with 195 rushing yards and four touchdowns, according to the Ventura County Star.

Mitch Stephens: St. Bonaventure 28, Mater Dei 24
Steve Montoya: St. Bonaventure 35, Mater Dei 28
Stephen Spiewak: St. Bonaventure 28, Mater Dei 27
Kevin Askeland: Mater Dei 53, St. Bonaventure 50
Leland Gordon: St. Bonaventure 28, Mater Dei 27
Jamie DeMoney: Mater Dei 27, St. Bonaventure 24



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Christian (Grand Rapids, Mich.) vs. St. Mary Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.)



Grand Rapids Christian is playing for a state football title for the first time in school history thanks in large part to another outstanding individual performance by junior receiver Drake Harris. The 6-4, 180-pounder -- who has committed to Michigan State with plans to play both football and basketball – caught seven passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns in a 52-28 win against DeWitt in the Division 3 semifinals last Saturday. The win improved the Eagles' record to 12-1, with their only loss coming on Sept. 1 on the road against Ohio Division I state semifinalist Moeller (Cincinnati).

See the MaxPreps Michigan football playoff brackets

While Grand Rapids Christian is a neophyte when it comes to playing on Thanksgiving weekend, it's pretty much old hat for St. Mary Prep (11-2). The Eaglets are trying to repeat as the Division 3 state champions in this their eighth appearance in the finals in the last 14 seasons. Senior fullback/linebacker Grant Niemiec – a Miami of Ohio commit – had 148 yards rushing and two touchdowns (on only 15 carries) and also intercepted a pass to spark St. Mary's 28-7 semifinal win over Harper Creek (Battle Creek), according to the Detroit Free Press.

Mitch Stephens: St. Mary's Prep 24, Grand Rapids Christian 21
Steve Montoya: St. Mary Prep 28, Grand Rapids Christian 21
Stephen Spiewak: Grand Rapids Christian 28, St. Mary Prep 27
Kevin Askeland: Grand Rapids Christian 35, St. Mary Prep 31
Leland Gordon: Grand Rapids Christian 27, St. Mary Prep 21
Jamie DeMoney: St. Mary Prep 27, Grand Rapids Christian 23

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.