MaxPreps Top 10 High School Football Games of the Week

In football, not much really gets settled during the month of September. But any debate over who will own No. 1 ranking in next week's Arizona Division I state rankings will definitely be put to bed Friday night when Chandler travels to Mountain Pointe.

The showdown between the No. 24 Wolves and No. 17 Pride is the only head-to-head matchup of nationally ranked teams in the latest edition of the MaxPreps Top 10 Football Games of the Week.

In other action, St. Edward will spend its first weekend as the No. 1 team in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 in Cincinnati to play Elder on Saturday afternoon; No. 10 DeSoto has a Thursday night date at Baylor's new McLane Stadium to face fellow unbeaten Steele; No. 16 St. Thomas Aquinas will try to bounce back from a crushing loss to Don Bosco Prep when it plays South Florida rival Miramar on Saturday night.



Despite going only 6-4 last week, Jamie DeMoney maintained a two-game lead in our season-long predictions contest. DeMoney has correctly picked the winner in 29 out of 40 games this season. Next closest in the standings are Leland Gordon and Kevin Askeland, with 27 correct picks each. Stephen Spiewak sits alone in fourth place only three games back. Mitch Stephens and Colin Ward-Henninger are currently in the cellar, both six games off the pace.

Here's a look at this week's Top 10 games along with predictions by MaxPreps staff writers and contributors Mitch Stephens, Stephen Spiewak, Kevin Askeland, Leland Gordon, Colin Ward-Henninger and Jamie DeMoney.

Chandler (Ariz.) at Mountain Pointe (Phoenix)

What to watch: Arizona is in very select company among the states with more than one team nationally ranked this week. Both No. 17 Mountain Pointe and No. 23 Chandler have undefeated records, but Chandler (3-0) is probably a little more battle-tested at this point. The Wolves have a win over state-ranked Centennial (Peoria) plus an impressive win at Colorado power Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch) last week. Conversely, Mountain Pointe has beaten every team it's played by at least 42 points. But the combined won-loss record of those four teams is just 2-11.

Just the facts: Both squads are led by senior quarterbacks. Arizona State-bound Bryce Perkins had a hand in eight of Chandler's 15 touchdowns so far. Mountain Pointe's Garvin Alston – whose dad was a major league pitcher – is averaging a touchdown pass in every 3.7 attempts. ... These teams have split the four games they've played since 2004. Mountain Pointe has two wins in a row, including a 38-14 victory at Chandler last season.

Mitch Stephens: Mountain Pointe 35, Chandler 28
Kevin Askeland: Mountain Pointe 45, Chandler 35
Jamie DeMoney: Chandler 32, Mountain Pointe 27
Stephen Spiewak: Mountain Pointe 35, Chandler 28
Leland Gordon: Mountain Pointe 49, Chandler 43
Colin Ward-Henninger: Chandler 28, Mountain Pointe 27


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Steele (Cibolo, Texas) at DeSoto (Texas)

What to watch: Thursday night's tilt features two teams expected to be top title contenders when Texas' first Class 6A state playoffs begin in November. The game will be played at Baylor's newly christened McLane Stadium, which is a near midpoint between schools separated by nearly 250 miles. No. 10 DeSoto (3-0) has won 23 consecutive regular games, almost all by huge margins. Last week, the Eagles steamrolled South Oak Cliff (Dallas), 53-13. Sophomore Jaylin Nelson started in place of injured fellow sophomore Tristen Wallace and accounted for more than 250 total yards and seven touchdowns. In contrast, Steele (3-0) struggled offensively in a 10-3 win against O'Connor (Helotes) last week. But the Knights' defense continued to impress. The unit hasn't allowed a touchdown all season.



Just the facts: Steele played its first varsity season in 2006 but already has won 10 or more games six times and captured a state championship in 2010. … Steele has played only one other team from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex in its history. It was the Knights' 24-21 win over Guyer (Denton) in the 2010 Class 5A/Division 2 state final.

Mitch Stephens: DeSoto 35, Steele 24
Kevin Askeland: DeSoto 35, Steele 7
Jamie DeMoney: Steele 27, DeSoto 24
Stephen Spiewak: DeSoto 46, Steele 40
Leland Gordon: DeSoto 43, Steele 20
Colin Ward-Henninger: DeSoto 35, Steele 21


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St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) at Elder (Cincinnati)

What to watch: Its newly minted status as the nation's No. 1 team will be put in jeopardy Saturday when St. Edward plays an Elder team that was also nationally ranked just one week ago. So far, St. Edward has barely been challenged by three very capable opponents it has faced, winning by an average margin of almost 38 points. Perhaps the Eagles' most dominant effort of the young season was a 42-0 rout of New Jersey power St. Joseph Regional (Montvale) last week. Elder fell out of the Xcellent 25 after a 28-14 home loss last Friday to defending Maryland Independent Athletic Association champion McDonogh (Owings Mills). Elder jumped to an early 14-0 lead, but its offense was completely shut down the rest of the evening.

Just the facts: This is the ninth meeting between the teams in the last 10 seasons. St. Edward won six of the previous eight matchups, including a 48-7 blowout a year ago. Elder's last win in the series occurred in 2009. … Elder won back-to-back Division I state championships in 2002-03. The Panthers' 2003 championship was earned with a 31-7 rout over St. Edward.

Mitch Stephens: St. Edward 28, Elder 14
Kevin Askeland: St. Edward 45, Elder 0
Jamie DeMoney: St. Edward 31, Elder 7
Stephen Spiewak: St. Edward 35, Elder 34
Leland Gordon: St. Edward 21, Elder 13
Colin Ward-Henninger: St. Edward 28, Elder 7


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Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) at Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)

What to watch: Bishop Gorman's killer lineup of out-of-state games carries on when unbeaten Santa Margarita pays a visit to Fertitta Field. The sixth-ranked Gaels are eying a third win against a California team this season and ninth in a row overall. Their biggest challenge Friday night might be resisting the urge to look ahead one week when another Golden State opponent -- No. 5 St. John Bosco (Bellflower) – comes to town. If that happens, watch out Gaels. Santa Margarita was only 4-6 last season, but still pushed Bishop Gorman to the wall in a 34-31 September loss. This year, the Eagles are off to a 3-0 start behind standout quarterback KJ Costello. The 6-5, 213-pound junior – rated a four-star prospect by 247Sports – has completed over 66 percent of his passes for 1,030 yards and eight touchdowns. Bishop Gorman is 4-0, but its last two wins were very much in doubt until the end. UCLA-bound tight end Alize Jones caught eight passes for 163 yards, two touchdowns and a game-deciding 2-point conversion in a 43-42 come-from-behind win at Centennial (Corona, Calif.) last week. The Gaels needed overtime the week before that to survive No. 23 Bingham (South Jordan, Utah), 23-20.



Just the facts: Bishop Gorman has completely dominated the most popular Nevada Class 4A boys sports in recent years, winning six football state titles and four in basketball since 2007. … Santa Margarita's career records for passing yardage and touchdowns belong to former Heisman Trophy winner and current Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer. He threw for 4,692 yards and 55 scores in three seasons with the Eagles.

Mitch Stephens: Bishop Gorman 28, Santa Margarita 27
Kevin Askeland: Santa Margarita 38, Bishop Gorman 28
Jamie DeMoney: Bishop Gorman 38, Santa Margarita 28
Stephen Spiewak: Bishop Gorman 35, Santa Margarita 21
Leland Gordon: Bishop Gorman 49, Santa Margarita 24
Colin Ward-Henninger: Bishop Gorman 44, Santa Margarita 35


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St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) at Miramar (Fla.)

What to watch: St. Thomas Aquinas must set aside any lingering disappointment felt from its loss to New Jersey power Don Bosco Prep and be ready to play one of the best South Florida opponents on its schedule in Miramar. Aquinas (1-1) dropped all the way from third to No. 16 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 after last Saturday's one-sided 24-7 defeat. It was the Raiders' second loss to Don Bosco in three years and their biggest deficit in a regular-season game since 2003. Meanwhile, Miramar enters Saturday's contest with a 2-1 record. Its only loss was to former Top 10 team American Heritage (Plantation), a squad St. Thomas Aquinas clobbered in the season-opener, 38-7.

Just the facts: Miramar joins Don Bosco Prep as St. Thomas Aquinas' biggest nemeses in recent years. The Raiders have only 10 losses since 2008; two are to Don Bosco Prep and three are against Miramar. … St. Thomas Aquinas had more alums taken in the last NFL Draft (four) than any other high school. Miramar's most recent NFL Draft pick was current New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith in 2013.

Mitch Stephens: St. Thomas Aquinas 35, Miramar 24
Kevin Askeland: St. Thomas Aquinas 42, Miramar 24
Jamie DeMoney: St. Thomas Aquinas 35, Miramar 20
Stephen Spiewak: St. Thomas Aquinas 17, Miramar 10
Leland Gordon: St. Thomas Aquinas 27, Miramar 16
Colin Ward-Henninger: St. Thomas Aquinas 34, Miramar 20


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Long Beach Poly (Calif.) at Centennial (Corona, Calif.)

What to watch: Long Beach Poly is trying to start a season 4-0 for the first time since 2008, but it must conquer a very battle-tested Centennial team for that to come to fruition. Centennial has only one win in three games, but both losses were against teams currently ranked in the Top 10 of the MaxPreps Xcellent 25. The Huskies were beaten, 38-18, by No. 8 Mater Dei (Santa Ana) in the season opener, then let a 14-point lead slip away against No. 6 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) last week. Meanwhile, Long Beach Poly trailed at halftime last week but still came away with a 34-24 win against state-ranked Westlake (Westlake Village). The No. 22 Jackrabbits were led by senior quarterback Josh Love, who completed 27 of 43 passes for 347 yards and four touchdowns.



Just the facts: Centennial wants to break a three-game losing streak against Long Beach Poly. The Jackrabbits won last year's meeting, 35-28. … After winning four of the last six CIF-SS Inland Division championships, Centennial is now alongside Long Beach Poly vying to qualify for the rigorous Pac 5 Division playoffs. The Pac 5 titlist has represented Southern California in the Open Division state championship game three of the last four years.

Mitch Stephens: Centennial 42, Long Beach Poly 41
Kevin Askeland: Centennial 42, Long Beach Poly 28
Jamie DeMoney: Long Beach Poly 34, Centennial 24
Stephen Spiewak: Centennial 41, Long Beach Poly 35
Leland Gordon: Long Beach Poly 35, Centennial 34
Colin Ward-Henninger: Long Beach Poly 24, Centennial 21


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Cocoa (Fla.) at Trinity (Louisville, Ky.)

What to watch: Two teams seemingly always eager for a chance to play out-of-state opponents meet up at Trinity's Marshall Stadium. It's the fifth in a string of six non-Kentucky teams for Trinity (2-2) to open the season. Conversely, this will be the only non-Florida team Cocoa (2-0) plays this year, but the Tigers have faced nine out-of-state opponents in the past four years. Although Cocoa will suit about half as many players for Friday's game as Trinity, the overall talent comparison looks pretty congruent. Cocoa has had two players sign with FBS colleges the last two years and could have at least a half dozen scholarship players in its current senior and junior classes. Most notably, the Tigers have Ohio State-bound senior defensive back Jamel Dean and Florida-committed junior DB Chauncey Gardner on their roster. Trinity's top college prospect is probably running back Donald Brooks. The 5-11, 185 senior had five touchdowns and nearly 300 rushing yards in a 36-27 win over Colerain (Cincinnati) last week.

Just the facts: Trinity's victory against Colerain boosted its record to 20-14 versus out-of-state competition since 2004. … Cocoa went 3-0 in games against teams from Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Texas in 2010 but lost four out of five games versus non-Florida teams the next three years.

Mitch Stephens: Trinity 24, Cocoa 21
Kevin Askeland: Trinity 35, Cocoa 18
Jamie DeMoney: Cocoa 22, Trinity 21
Stephen Spiewak: Trinity 21, Cocoa 14
Leland Gordon: Trinity 40, Cocoa 21
Colin Ward-Henninger: Trinity 27, Cocoa 24


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Ben Davis (Indianapolis) at Warren Central (Indianapolis)

What to watch: Two teams, both likely to be top contenders for Indiana's Class 6A state title in November, square off with the more immediate concern of staying alive for a conference championship. Both are unbeaten and involved in a three-way tie with Carmel atop the Metropolitan Conference standings. Ben Davis, which averaged more than 45 points in its first four games, recorded its first shutout of the year with last week's 28-0 win against Center Grove (Greenwood). Senior running back Dorian Tate led the Giants with two touchdowns and his second 100-yard rushing game. Meanwhile, Warren Central had its highest scoring output of the season in a 41-22 win over Lawrence Central (Indianapolis). Senior running back Tirone Young, a three-star prospect according to 247Sports, paced the Warriors with 118 rushing yards and two touchdowns, according to the Indianapolis Star.



Just the facts: Friday's the 14th renewal of what has been a pretty one-sided rivalry since 2004. Warren Central has an 11-2 edge and nearly a 23-point average margin of victory against the Giants. … Ben Davis and Warren Central hold two of Indiana's top championship pedigrees from the last few decades. Ben Davis won seven state titles in the last 30 years. Warren Central has eight.

Mitch Stephens: Warren Central 28, Ben Davis 24
Kevin Askeland: Ben Davis 35, Warren Central 34
Jamie DeMoney: Warren Central 24, Ben Davis 21
Stephen Spiewak: Warren Central 28, Ben Davis 24
Leland Gordon: Warren Central 17, Ben Davis 16
Colin Ward-Henninger: Ben Davis 20, Warren Central 17


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Saraland (Ala.) at Spanish Fort (Ala.)


What to watch: Spanish Fort will try to extend its winning streak to 29 games in Friday's rematch from last season's Class 5A state semifinals. Spanish Fort's 24-14 win that night was one of only two it had all season decided by less than 20 points. The Toros' most heralded players are brothers Tyler Johnston and Thomas Johnston. Tyler, a 6-2, 200-pound junior quarterback, has completed over 70 percent of his passes for 13 touchdowns and almost 1,000 yards in four games. Thomas, a 6-1, 190-pound sophomore linebacker, leads the team with 41 tackles. He had over 100 stops as a freshman. For Saraland (4-0) to pull an upset, it probably needs a big night from senior Chris Weaver. The Louisiana-Lafayette commit is a 6-1, 205-pound dual threat quarterback who also had over 100 tackles last year as a linebacker.

Just the facts: Spanish Fort's 28-game winning streak is tops among schools that are members of the Alabama High School Athletic Association. … Saraland won a school-record 12 games last season. It was only the fourth year the school has fielded a varsity football team.

Mitch Stephens: Spanish Fort 35, Saraland 21
Kevin Askeland: Spanish Fort 30, Saraland 21
Jamie DeMoney: Spanish Fort 28, Saraland 14
Stephen Spiewak: Spanish Fort 35, Saraland 21
Leland Gordon: Spanish Fort 40, Saraland 17
Colin Ward-Henninger: Spanish Fort 21, Saraland 20
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Acadiana (Lafayette, La.) at Archbishop Rummel (Metairie, La.)

What to watch: The last two Louisiana Class 5A champions will butt heads Saturday night in suburban New Orleans. Defending champ Acadiana started the year No. 1 in the state sportswriters' poll, but a 39-21 loss to Shades Valley (Birmingham, Ala.) in Shreveport, La., last week dropped the Rams' early record to 1-1. Tulane recruit Malik Eugene ran for 162 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Acadiana loss. On the other side, Rummel -- which won it all in 2012 -- is 2-0, but just barely. The Raiders needed three overtime possessions to come away with a 37-31 win over Hahnville last week. Senior running back Brandon Phillips scored three rushing touchdowns, including the game-winner.



Just the facts: Acadiana has won three of the four games in this series since 2007. The Rams won 42-28 last season. … Acadiana is No. 2 and Rummel is fifth in CalPreps.com's dynasty rankings for Louisiana since 2010.

Mitch Stephens: Rummel 24, Acadiana 17
Kevin Askeland: Acadiana 35, Rummel 21
Jamie DeMoney: Rummel 23, Acadiana 14
Stephen Spiewak: Acadiana 42, Rummel 40
Leland Gordon: Acadiana 36, Rummel 28
Colin Ward-Henninger: Acadiana 42, Rummel 28

Jamie DeMoney has covered high school sports and recruiting for the past 20 seasons. He is a Regional Content Manager and Product Specialist for XOS Digital and compiles the National Prep Poll (PrepNation) for World Features Syndicate.