MaxPreps Top 10 high school football Games of the Week: Two of four CIF Southern Section D1 games featured

By Zack Poff Nov 14, 2019, 10:00pm

No. 22 Corner Canyon faces Lone Peak with a spot in the Utah 6A state championship on the line in our headline contest.

Video: Top 10 high school football Games of the Week
All 10 games featured are playoff matchups.

It's officially the best time of the year in high school football as just about every state is in playoff mode.

The defending 5A and 6A Utah state champs face off in the semifinals with a spot in the 6A championship up for grabs. No. 22 Corner Canyon (Draper) puts its 24-game winning streak on the line against a Lone Peak (Highland) squad that is getting hot at the right time.

Both Washington Catholic Athletic Conference semifinal matchups are featured in the Top 10 Games of the Week. No. 24 St. John's (Washington, D.C.) hosts DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) and No. 25 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) takes on Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.).



Two of the four CIF Southern Section Division 1 games are on tap as No. 2 St. John (Bellflower, Calif.) hosts Calabasas and Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) faces an undefeated Mission Viejo (Calif.) team on the road.

In the inaugural Arizona Open Division playoff bracket No. 17 Chandler (Ariz.) hosts 2020 Ohio State commit Jack Miller and Chaparral (Scottsdale, Ariz.) in the opening round.

St. Xavier (Cincinnati) takes on rival Elder (Cincinnati) with a spot in the Ohio Division 1 quarterfinals up for grabs and speaking of rivalry games Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey) hosts Bergen Catholic (Oradell) in the New Jersey Non-Public Group IV quarterfinals.

The 3A New York state championship is on the line between Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains) and Cardinal Hayes (Bronx) and the final game featured is going down in the Florida 4A playoffs between Gulliver Prep (Miami) and Booker T. Washington (Miami).
Graphic by Ryan Escobar
MaxPreps Top 10 high school football Games of the Week

Friday, 11 a.m. (All times local) at Ricce-Eccles Stadium (University of Utah)

Top Players



Corner Canyon: QB Cole Hagen (6-2, 180), DE Van Fillinger (6-3, 250), LB Josh Wilson (6-0, 210), OL Jackson Light (6-2, 275), RB Austin Bell (5-9, 185)

Lone Peak: Nate Ritchie (6-3, 200), LB Jared Fotu (5-11, 225), WR Trajan Hansen (6-3, 185), RB Daniel Yamada (6-1, 205), WR Shawn Wood (6-0, 170)

Corner Canyon has won every game except one by double digits and that came back in late September against Lone Peak. The Chargers erased a 17-7 deficit with 2:17 left and Hagen found his younger brother Cody Hagen for the game-winning score in the final seconds to pull off a 21-17 win. Expect the rematch to be just as good and the winner faces either American Fork or East (Salt Lake City) in the Nov. 22 6A state championship at Ricce-Eccles Stadium.

Saturday, 1 p.m.

Top Players

DeMatha: RB MarShawn Lloyd (5-9, 205), DL Coziah Izzard (6-3, 280), OL Golden Achumba (6-5, 320), LB Gregory Penn III (6-1, 225), RB Sieh Bangura (5-11, 175)



St. John's: WR Rakim Jarrett (6-0, 210), LB Mekhail Sherman (6-3, 235), DL Tré Williams (6-2, 305), DL Taizse Johnson (6-1, 290), QB Sol-Jay Maiava (6-0, 190)

The last three times these two DMV powers have played it has been a one-score game. Two weeks ago, the Cadets won 24-20 — the fourth straight win over the Stags. Both teams played two of the toughest schedules in the country this year to get them ready for the WCAC postseason and all seven combined losses between the two have come against Top 25 opponents.

Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Top Players

Servite: WR Tetairoa McMillan (6-3, 185), QB Noah Fifita (5-10, 170), WR Zedakiah Centers (5-11, 165), DE Tristen Wilson (6-2, 190), ATH Noah Avinger (5-11, 165)

Mission Viejo: QB Peter Costelli (6-3, 205), WR Mavin Anderson (6-1, 175), LB Easton Mascarenas (6-0, 215), WR Chase Nenad (6-3, 200), DE Lance Keneley (6-5, 240)



The CIF Southern Section Division 1 bracket is filled with the best teams in the state. All three of Servite's losses have come against Top 25 opponents and the Diablos roll into this one 10-0. They've outscored the opposition 443-73 but face their toughest test on Friday. Troy Thomas has the Friars back playing at a high level and they have one of the best sophomore quarterback/wide receiver duos in Fifita and McMillan. The winner takes on either No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana) or Bishop Amat (La Puente) in the semifinals.


Top Players

Chaparral: QB Jack Miller (6-4, 210), WR Tommy Christakos (6-4, 215), DE Jaxon Richards (6-5, 215), CB Kamdan Hightower (6-2, 175), RB Jared Williams (5-11, 205)

Chandler: RB Dae Dae Hunter (5-10, 200), LB Malik Reed (6-2, 220), S Gunner Maldanado (5-11, 180), DL Brandon Buckner (6-2, 230), QB Mikey Keene (5-11, 165)

Get your popcorn ready for the first ever Arizona Open Division postseason bracket. It features the eight best teams in the state and the argument about whether Chandler, Saguaro (Scottsdale) or Centennial (Peoria) is the best will finally come to an end in 2019. The Wolves' have won 23 consecutive games and three consecutive 6A state championships. Saguaro has won six consecutive state titles and Centennial has won four in the last five years. The three-time defending state champs face a big-time test in the opening round against a high scoring offense led by Miller and Christakos.



Friday, 7 p.m.

Top Players

Calabasas: WR Jermaine Burton (6-0, 190), WR Johnny Wilson (6-6, 225), DE LeShaun Bell (6-3, 235), QB Jaden Casey (6-1, 185), WR Larry Turner-Gooden (5-10, 180)

St. John Bosco: QB DJ Uiagalelei (6-4, 245), LB Kourt Williams II (6-1, 215), WR Kris Hutson (5-10, 175), OL Drake Metcalf (6-2, 275), WR Logan Loya (5-11, 185)

Calabasas was moved up to the Open Division and all the Coyotes have to do is beat a team that has played in the CIF Southern Section championship game six consecutive years. This one features some of the best talent in the state, especially at the wide receiver position. Burton, Wilson, Turner-Gooden, Hutson, Loya, Beaux Collins and Jode McDuffie all have offers from multiple Power 5 schools.

Friday, 7 p.m.



Top Players

Gonzaga: QB Caleb Williams (6-1, 210), OL Olu Fashanu (6-5, 320), OL Luke Petitbon (6-3, 285), RB Malcolm Terry (5-9, 190), LB Rodney Faulk (6-2, 230)

Good Counsel: OL Landon Tengwall (6-6, 300), LB Mitchell Melton (6-3, 235), DE Kris Jenkins (6-4, 240), CB Jason Scott (6-0, 170), S Jalen McNair (5-9, 165)

It will be near impossible to top the regular season meeting that went to five overtimes, but expect another big-time game. The last three matchups have been one-score contests and Good Counsel has won the last two. The winner advances to take on either St. John's or DeMatha on Nov. 24 at Catholic University (Washington, D.C.) in the WCAC championship.

Friday, 7 p.m.

Top Players



Bergen Catholic:Jordan Morant (5-11, 210), DL Tywone Malone (6-3, 300), RB Ryan Butler (5-11, 210), OL Bryan Felter (6-2, 300), LB Esquire Boyce (6-0, 220)

Don Bosco Prep: RB Jalen Berger (6-0, 205), RB Kyle Monangai (5-8, 205), LB Colin Ramos (5-10, 195), QB Jahquil Batts (6-0, 210), S Nick Alvarado (6-0, 190)

Eight of the last nine meetings have been decided by seven points or less. They played in late September and the Crusaders' pulled out a 23-17 win and Bergen has won the last four meetings. The Non-Public Group IV postseason bracket is one of the toughest in the country and the winner advances to the semifinals against either St. Joseph Regional (Montvale) or Paramus Catholic.

Friday, 7 p.m. at Dwire Field (Mason)

Top Players

St. Xavier: QB Matthew Rueve (6-4, 185), TE Marshall Lang (6-4, 225), RB Kellen Newman (5-8, 185), ATH Liam Clifford (6-1, 195), LB Noah Taylor (6-3, 210)

Elder: TE Joe Royer (6-5, 225), OL Jakob James (6-5, 285), OL Luke Kandra (6-4, 290), QB Matthew Luebbe (5-11, 175), ATH Drew Ramsey (5-10, 170)



One of the biggest rivalries in high school football will advance the winner to the quarterfinals of the Ohio Division 1 playoffs. This is the 101st meeting between the two Cincinnati powers and they've split the last eight. Elder held on for a 31-28 win in early October but the last time either school swept the two game series in the same year was back in 2007.

Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Top Players

Booker T. Washington: WR Jacorey Brooks (6-3, 185), QB Torey Morrison (5-9, 150), DT Anthony Hundley (6-1, 255), WR Ternard Summerall (5-8, 160), CB Corey Thornton (6-1, 175)

Gulliver Prep: DL Donell Harris (6-4, 210), DB Eddie Jackson (6-1, 190), DB Gabe Taylor (5-10, 170), QB Carson Haggard (5-10, 150), WR Jalen Brown (6-0, 155)

The 4A Florida bracket is loaded — especially in Region 4. Gulliver Prep puts its 10-0 record on the line against Booker T. Washington, which has played one of the toughest schedules in the state. Its only two losses came to No. 14 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) and Central (Miami). The Tornadoes rolled past Carol City (Miami) in the opening round 35-14 and the Raiders had a bye. 2020 Texas A&M commit Harris faces his former school for the first time and the 4-star edge rusher has 21 tackles for loss an 16 sacks in 2019.

Saturday, 1 p.m. at Mitchel Field (Uniondale)



Top Players

Archbishop Stepinac: QB Joey Carino (6-0, 190), WR Quentin McCauley (6-2, 175), ATH Kevin McKenna (5-11, 190), LB/DE Brendan Wilkins (5-10, 175), RB Kyle Benjamin (5-10, 190)

Cardinal Hayes: DL Michael Tetteh (6-2, 240), DB Sidiki Kone (6-0, 195), RB Jalen Smith (5-8, 175), QB Henry Belin (6-3, 210), LB Nicholas Burgess (5-11, 215)

The 3A New York state championship game features the top two teams in the state (MaxPreps' Computer Rankings). The Cardinals beat Iona Prep (New Rochelle) in the semifinals and the Crusaders rolled past Christ the King (Middle Village) 43-6 in the other semifinal. These two played four weeks ago and Edna Kirby nailed a 29-yard field goal with one second remaining to give Stepinac a 28-26 win. The Crusaders are going for a three-peat but the last team to beat them in 3A state championship game was the Cardinals back in 2016.