MaxPreps Top 10 Football Games of the Week

The stakes are big in every one of the MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week.

In California, the regular season draws to a conclusion. No. 22 Westlake (Westlake Village) puts its undefeated record and a shot at an outright Marmonte League title on the line when it travels to one-loss St. Bonventure (Ventura), and Servite (Anaheim) hopes to extend its 18-game Trinity League winning streak with a win at Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita).

The postseason is already underway most everywhere else, including the South. An intriguing Alabama 6A second-round playoff game features a pair of teams that were in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard earlier this season when Prattville plays host to defending champion Daphne.

Meanwhile in the Dakotas, where winter is already setting in, state championships will be decided this weekend. In North Dakota, Bismarck can win its third Class AAA title in four years with a win over conference rival Century (Bismarck). Similarly, Washington (Sioux Falls) is seeking its third straight South Dakota Class 11AA crown with a win over Greater Dakota Conference mate Roosevelt (Sioux Falls).



With seven correct selections out of 10 last week, Jamie DeMoney opened a three-game lead in the standings of our season-long predictions contest. Stephen Spiewak slipped to second place after going just 4-6. Mitch Stephens was the top picker with an 8-2 record. He remains in last place, but is now just five games off the pace.

You can track our overall results and standings all season long by clicking here.

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 and Jamie DeMoney.

MAXPREPS TOP 10 FOOTBALL GAMES OF THE WEEK
No. 22 Westlake (Westlake Village, Calif.) at St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.)

A win Thursday gives Westlake the outright Marmonte League championship and its second consecutive win over St. Bonaventure. The Warriors beat the Seraphs, 37-27, in last year's CIF-SS Northern Division semifinals after losing to them during the regular season. Led by the junior backfield tandem of Justin Moore and UCLA commit Dashon Hunt, Westlake is averaging more than 46 points per game this season. Moore has completed 65 percent of his passes for 1,597 yards with 17 touchdowns and only two interceptions. Hunt is averaging more than 11 yards per carry and a touchdown every seven times he carries the ball.

St. Bonaventure (8-1) opened the year with a 29-27 win at then-nationally ranked Centennial (Corona). The Seraphs' only loss came two weeks later against once nationally ranked Oaks Christian (Westlake Village). Last week, St. Bonaventure warmed up for Westlake with a 60-7 win over league punching bag Calabasas. Seven different St. Bonaventure ballcarriers combined for 288 rushing yards in the game, according to the Ventura County Star.

Mitch Stephens: St. Bonaventure 22, Westlake 21
Steve Montoya: Westlake 24, St. Bonaventure 21
Stephen Spiewak: Westlake 28, St. Bonaventure 24
Kevin Askeland: Westlake 48, St. Bonaventure 24
Jamie DeMoney: Westlake 34, St. Bonaventure 31
{PAGEBREAK}Daphne (Ala.) at Prattville (Ala.)



The top two preseason favorites for Alabama's Class 6A title will meet in week 2 of the playoffs. Daphne (10-1), the defending champion, won a first-round game over Opeklia last week, 49-31. Senior T.J. Yeldon had 177 rushing yards and four touchdowns, according to the Mobile Press-Register. The Auburn commit has more than 2,000 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns this season.

MaxPreps Alabama football playoff brackets

Prattville (8-2) was in the national Top 10 at the start of the season before losing to then nationally ranked St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) on Aug. 27. The Lions lost again four weeks later to Opelika (the team Daphne beat last week). Since then, Prattville has won five straight including a 56-14 blowout of Bryant (Irvington) last week. Quarterback Justin Thomas, an Alabama commit, led the way with 54 rushing yards and a touchdown on six carries.

Mitch Stephens: Prattville 35, Daphne 28
Steve Montoya: Prattville 28, Daphne 21
Stephen Spiewak: Prattville 28, Daphne 21
Kevin Askeland: Daphne 30, Prattville 28
Jamie DeMoney: Prattville 32, Daphne 27
{PAGEBREAK}
Omaha Central (Neb.) at Burke (Omaha, Neb.)

The Nebraska Class A state championship game isn't until Nov. 22, but this semifinal game might match the top two teams in the state. Central has gone undefeated since a 14-7 loss to Burke on the opening night of the season. According to the Lincoln Journal-Star, junior running back Jackie Davis had 171 yards on 30 carries in Central's 34-24 win over Grand Island in last week's quarterfinals. The Eagles – Class A champions in 2007 – are the only Omaha city public school team to win a state football title in the last 30 years.

MaxPreps Nebraska football playoff brackets

State No. 1 Burke (11-0) devastated its first two playoff foes by a combined score of 100-9. In last week's 55-7 rout of Papillion-LaVista South (Papillion), the Bulldogs scored three touchdowns on their first five offensive plays of the game. Senior Carson Collins scored on a 52-yard touchdown run and finished the game with 127 rushing yards. Burke has never won a state championship in football. Its best-ever finish was second place in 1980.



Mitch Stephens: Central 14, Burke 13
Steve Montoya: Burke 14, Central 7
Stephen Spiewak: Burke 28, Central 20
Kevin Askeland: Burke 28, Central 27
Jamie DeMoney: Burke 23, Central 19
{PAGEBREAK}
No. 13 Carmel (Ind.) at Ben Davis (Indianapolis)

Carmel ousted nationally ranked Warren Central (Indianapolis) from the Class 5A playoffs last week, winning 34-30 and avenging its regular season loss to the Warriors. Senior Jalen Lucas' 16-yard touchdown run with less than 30 seconds left decided the outcome. As the state quarterfinals begin, the road to the championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium doesn't get any easier. The Greyhounds travel to Ben Davis in another rematch. They beat the Giants in the regular season, 20-10, after trailing 10-0 at halftime.

MaxPreps Indiana football playoff brackets

Ben Davis (10-2) lost to Warren Central and Carmel during the regular season. The Giants defeated the state's 4A top contender Cathedral (Indianapolis), 24-21, in the season-opener. According to the Indianapolis Star, senior running back Lamont Osborn had five touchdown runs in last week's 64-41 win over Avon in the 5A sectional final. Ben Davis has won seven state championships but hasn't claimed one since 2002.

Mitch Stephens: Ben Davis 29, Carmel 28
Steve Montoya: Carmel 21, Ben Davis 14
Stephen Spiewak: Carmel 28, Ben Davis 24
Kevin Askeland: Carmel 40, Ben Davis 35
Jamie DeMoney: Carmel 28, Ben Davis 17
{PAGEBREAK}

Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) at Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)

Servite (8-1) already has locked up at least a share of its seventh consecutive Trinity League title. The Friars took care of that last week with a come-from-behind 35-28 win over rival Mater Dei (Santa Ana) at Angel Stadium. Servite trailed 21-14 in the third quarter before scoring 21 consecutive points. It was the Friars' 18th consecutive league win.



Santa Margarita (8-1) can finish in a tie for the Trinity League crown if it beats Servite. It would be the Eagles' first win over the Friars since 2004. Santa Margarita has won three straight since an Oct. 13 loss to Mater Dei (Santa Ana). The Eagles beat St. John Bosco (Bellflower) last week, 28-20. Junior quarterback Johnny Stanton led the way with 173 rushing yards and 153 passing yards with two touchdowns.

Mitch Stephens: Servite 21, Santa Margarita 20
Steve Montoya: Servite 28, Santa Margarita 21
Stephen Spiewak: Servite 17, Santa Margarita 14
Kevin Askeland: Servite 35, Santa Margarita 32
Jamie DeMoney: Santa Margarita 27, Servite 24
{PAGEBREAK}

St. Ignatius (Cleveland) vs. St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio)

Saturday's "Holy War" on Cleveland's westside is renewed for the second time in three weeks as the Ohio Division I playoffs enter round 2. St. Ignatius (9-2) won the regular season matchup, 20-17, to improve its all-time lead in the series to 26-21-1. The Wildcats opened the postseason with a 29-14 win over Boardman (Youngstown) last Saturday. Ohio State-bound tight end Blake Thomas had two touchdown receptions.

MaxPreps Ohio football playoff brackets

St. Edward (8-3) lost three of its final four regular season games but is still considered a serious threat to repeat as Division I champion amidst a wide-open field of contenders. The Eagles spoiled Cleveland Heights' first-ever playoff appearance with a 28-14 win last week. Dwayne Aaron, a 5-foot-5, 165-pound junior, ran for 205 yards, according to the Sun News.

Mitch Stephens: St. Edward 28, St. Ignatius 21
Steve Montoya: St. Edward 14, St. Ignatius 13
Stephen Spiewak: St. Ignatius 21, St. Edward 20
Kevin Askeland: St. Ignatius 21, St. Edward 17
Jamie DeMoney: St. Ignatius 24, St. Edward 14



Watch more videos of St. Ignatius football
{PAGEBREAK}
Sacred Heart-Griffin (Springfield, Ill.) at Glenwood (Chatham, Ill.)

These Central State Eight Conference rivals are meeting in the 5A playoffs for the third time in six seasons on Saturday. Sacred Heart-Griffin won the two previous postseason meetings and is 12-0 against Glenwood overall since 2002. The Cyclones have allowed only 27 points in their last six games. Junior running back Chris Harris eclipsed the 1,000 rushing-yard barrier for the season when he gained 117 on the ground with one touchdown in a 42-7 win over Triad (Troy) last week.

MaxPreps Illinois football playoff brackets

Junior quarterback Miles McAdams completed 7 of 11 passes for 181 yards with two touchdowns in Glenwood's 27-20 win over University (Normal) last week, according to the Springfield State Journal-Register. It was the Titans' 10th consecutive win of the season. As a sophomore, McAdams led Glenwood to the 5A state championship game but the Titans did not have to play nemesis Sacred Heart-Griffin along the way in the playoffs to get there.

Mitch Stephens: Sacred Heart-Griffin 35, Glenwood 28
Steve Montoya: Sacred Heart-Griffin 31, Glenwood 28
Stephen Spiewak: Sacred Heart-Griffin 35, Glenwood 24
Kevin Askeland: Glenwood 35, Sacred Heart-Griffin 28
Jamie DeMoney: Sacred Heart-Griffin 27, Glenwood 14
{PAGEBREAK}
Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.) at Stephenson (Stone Mountain, Ga.)

Week 1 of the Georgia 5A playoffs features an interesting matchup of teams with contrasting styles Saturday. In the preseason, both were among a handful of favorites to win the state championship. Lowndes is now considered more of a darkhorse after it lost three games during the regular season, including a 34-7 defeat to Colquitt County (Moultrie) on Oct. 14. On the bright side, the Vikings are coming off a bye, giving them an extra week to get things back on track.

MaxPreps Georgia football playoff brackets

Last week, with a perfect regular season on the line, Stephenson led King (Lithonia), 49-44, with less than 30 seconds to play. The Jaguars had just scored a go-ahead touchdown before kicking off to King's Blake Tibbs (a Georgia recruit). Tibbs returned the kick 82 yards for a touchdown and a 50-49 win. Stephenson (9-1) led by as much as 35-7 in the first half but could not hold the lead. Florida commit Mike Davis ran for more than 200 yards and two touchdowns in a losing effort for Stephenson.



Mitch Stephens: Stephenson 21, Lowndes 20
Steve Montoya: Stephenson 21, Lowndes 14
Stephen Spiewak: Lowndes, 21, Stephenson 20
Kevin Askeland: Lowndes 24, Stephenson 21
Jamie DeMoney: Stephenson 34, Lowndes 27
{PAGEBREAK}
Washington (Sioux Falls, S.D.) vs. Roosevelt (Sioux Falls, S.D.)

One thing is for certain, the winner of the Class 11AA state championship will be from Sioux Falls. In fact, this will be the eighth consecutive season South Dakota's most populous city will produce the champion. Washington (9-2) is shooting for its third straight title in this Saturday contest. Senior Davonte Claytate had a season-high 282 rushing yards and five touchdowns in the Warriors' 42-7 romp over Lincoln (Sioux Falls) in last week's semifinals.

MaxPreps South Dakota football playoff brackets

The only loss for Roosevelt (10-1) was a 34-29 setback to Washington in the final week of the regular season. The Rough Riders earned their trip to the DakotaDome with a 23-16 win over O'Gorman in the semifinals. Roosevelt is seeking its first state championship in four years. It won back-to-back titles in 2006-07. See Hudl videos of Roosevelt

Mitch Stephens: Roosevelt 22, Washington 21
Steve Montoya: Roosevelt 17, Washington 14
Stephen Spiewak: Washington 35, Roosevelt 31
Kevin Askeland: Washington 28, Roosevelt 14
Jamie DeMoney: Roosevelt 20, Washington 19
{PAGEBREAK}
Century (Bismarck, N.D.) vs. Bismarck (N.D.)

The North Dakota Class AAA state final is a rematch of a crosstown rivalry game won by Bismarck, 27-19, on Sept. 15. It was the only loss of the season for Century (9-1), which was victorious in its next eight games and is now 10-1. Century earned its first trip to the championship game since 1977 with a 14-13 win over Minot last week, which was preserved by a blocked PAT late in the game. The Patriots had lost in their previous 11 state semifinal appearances.

MaxPreps North Dakota football playoff brackets



Bismarck is in the Dakota Bowl for the fifth consecutive season. It was state champion in 2008 and 2009. The Demons got past Mandan, 32-30, in last week's semifinals thanks to a 32-yard field goal from Joshua Seibel as time expired. Bismarck (10-1) lost by 26 points on Oct. 13 to Minot, the team Century beat in the semifinals.

Mitch Stephens: Bismarck 21, Century 14
Steve Montoya: Bismarck 21, Century 20
Stephen Spiewak: Bismarck 17, Century 10
Kevin Askeland: Bismarck 28, Century 21
Jamie DeMoney: Bismarck 30, Century 21

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