MaxPreps Top 10 high school football games of the week

Playoff games involving big-time stakes for big-time programs are on tap from coast to coast in the latest edition of MaxPreps Top 10 High School Football Games of the Week.

We start our weekly preview on the West Coast, where No. 11 Bellevue (Wash.) will put two monumental streaks on the line when it plays Eastside Catholic for the Class 3A championship. Among 11-man teams, Bellevue currently leads the nation with both 67 consecutive wins and six state championships in a row.

Meanwhile in Texas, there are three huge state quarterfinal games involving teams in the latest MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard. No. 2 Allen could bolster its national title hopes with a win over No. 25 Trinity (Euless). No. 10 Manvel will face a major test against a Katy squad that started the year nationally ranked. No. 18 Carroll (Southlake) must overcome preseason No. 1-ranked Cedar Hill in order to advance to the state semifinals for the sixth time in the last 15 seasons.

As we head into the final stretch of the season, Jamie DeMoney still clings to a narrow advantage in our season-long predictions contest. DeMoney has a 101-49 record, which is two games better than second-place holders Stephen Spiewak and Leland Gordon. Mitch Stephens has moved to within three games of the lead after posting a 9-1 mark last week. Kevin Askeland (95-55) and Colin Ward-Henninger round out the standings (91-59).



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.

To catch up with what's happening in the playoffs nationwide, view the state champions and brackets nationwide story.


Bellevue (Wash.) vs. Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Wash.)

What to watch: A win Friday for Bellevue (13-0) would be its fourth in as many years over Eastside Catholic in the postseason, and third in a row in the 3A state championship game. During its 67-game winning streak, only six of Bellevue's wins have been by 10 or fewer points. Some potentially good news for Eastside Catholic is that one of those "close" calls was the Wolverines' 20-10 win over Marysville-Pilchuck last week. Junior quarterback Justus Rogers engineered Bellevue's Wing-T attack with 92 of his team's 238 rushing yards, according to King 5. Meanwhile, Eastside Catholic (12-1) earned another crack at Bellevue by toppling Mount Spokane (Mead), 42-24. Matt Laris, a 6-foot-4 junior receiver, played a key role in the Crusaders' triumph, catching nine passes for 237 yards (both season highs) and two touchdowns.

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Just the facts: Bellevue's combined margin of victory in three prior playoff wins over Eastside Catholic is 129-23. … Both Bellevue and Eastside Catholic played a top-notch Southern California opponent from the Mission League early this season. Bellevue beat then-nationally ranked Serra (Gardena), 31-14. Eastside Catholic lost to Alemany (Mission Hills) by the same score. Serra lost in the opening round of the Pac 5 playoffs and Alemany did not qualify.

Mitch Stephens: Bellevue 31, Eastside Catholic 28
Kevin Askeland: Bellevue 35, Eastside Catholic 34
Jamie DeMoney: Eastside Catholic 34, Bellevue 27
Stephen Spiewak: Bellevue 28, Eastside Catholic 27
Leland Gordon: Bellevue 24, Eastside Catholic 18
Colin Ward-Henninger: Bellevue  32, Eastside Catholic 28

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Allen (Texas) vs. Trinity (Euless, Texas)

What to watch: Already sitting at No. 2 in the latest MaxPreps Xcellent 25, Allen's national title hopes could get a boost with a win over No. 25 Trinity in the Class 6A Division I playoffs. Allen (13-0) notched its Texas-best 40th-consecutive win with a 69-54 triumph over Martin (Arlington) last week. National Player of the Year frontrunner Kyler Murray threw for a season-low 93 yards, but the 5-11, 180-pound senior had a season-high rushing total of 198 yards and accounted for six total touchdowns. It was the seventh time the Eagles have cracked 50 points this season. In contrast, Trinity and its more methodical and physical offensive attack advanced to the state quarterfinals for the sixth time in eight years with a 42-14 rout of Permian (Odessa). Junior Tyler Natee, a 6-0, 217-pound fullback-turned-quarterback, led the Trojans with 214 rushing yards according to the Dallas Morning News.



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Just the facts: Although these are two of the top perennial powers in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Saturday will be only their third postseason meeting in the last seven seasons. Trinity has won the last two meetings and owns a 3-2 edge in all games against Allen since 2008. … In the CalPreps.com Texas Dynasty Ratings, Allen is ranked No. 2 and Trinity comes in at No. 3.

Mitch Stephens: Allen 48, Trinity 42
Kevin Askeland: Allen 45, Trinity 41
Jamie DeMoney: Allen 41, Trinity 37
Stephen Spiewak: Allen 35, Trinity 21
Leland Gordon: Allen 42, Trinity 36
Colin Ward-Henninger: Allen 45, Trinity 28.

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St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) vs. Centennial (Corona, Calif.)

What to watch: A single 16-team playoff bracket that featured seven of the Top 10 teams in MaxPreps' California state computer rankings has boiled down to two nationally ranked powers playing Saturday night for the Pac 5 Division title at Angel Stadium. No. 5 St. John Bosco is trying to extend a 25-game winning streak against California opponents and win its second-consecutive Pac 5 crown. The Braves (12-1) have lost only to national No. 1 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) this season. Last week, junior running back Sean McGrew ran for 149 yards in a 33-21 semifinal win over Long Beach Poly. McGrew also rushed for his 25th touchdown of the season, setting a school record, according to the Long Beach Gazette. Meanwhile, No. 22 Centennial (11-2) -- which also lost to Bishop Gorman earlier this season -- stayed alive with dramatic 38-37 win over Bishop Amat (La Puente) that was settled by a failed 2-point conversion attempt by Bishop Amat. Centennial was led by its two-headed quarterback tandem – senior Nate Ketteringham and junior Anthony Catalano – each of whom had two touchdown passes and combined to throw for over 300 yards.

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Just the facts: This is a rematch of St. John Bosco's 70-49 victory against Centennial in last year's Southern California Open Division championship. It's the only other meeting between these programs in at least the last decade … This will be the seventh time in the last eight seasons that Centennial is playing in a CIF-SS section championship game but the first in the Pac 5 Division.

Mitch Stephens: St. John Bosco 70, Centennial 49
Kevin Askeland: St. John Bosco 53, Centennial 50
Jamie DeMoney: St. John Bosco 41, Centennial 35
Stephen Spiewak: St. John Bosco 54, Centennial 48
Leland Gordon: St. John Bosco 42, Centennial 34
Colin Ward-Henninger: St. John Bosco 55, Centennial 44



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Manvel (Texas) vs. Katy (Texas)

What to watch: Manvel, one of the Houston's top up-and-coming powers, takes on Katy, the region's most established football program, in this Class 6A Division II quarterfinal showdown. Aside from its two-point win over then-unbeaten Pearland in the regular season finale, No. 10 Manvel has been pounding its opposition into the ground all season. Led by a lineup that features a minimum of 10 players who'll likely sign with FBS colleges this year or next, the Mavericks (13-0) have an average margin of victory of 35 points. Junior D'Eriq King, a four-star dual-threat quarterback prospect according to 247Sports, eclipsed 3,000 passing yards for the year with a season-best 326 yards and five touchdowns in a 63-47 win over Cypress Woods (Cypress) last week. On the other side, Katy (12-1) has bounced back in a big way from an early upset loss to The Woodlands. The Tigers have won 10 in a row by an average score of 58-7. Leading the way is senior four-star running back Rodney Anderson. The Oklahoma commit recorded season highs of 265 rushing yards and six touchdowns in a 63-20 rout of Dawson (Pearland) last week.

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Just the facts: A 56-14 Katy win in last season's state quarterfinals is the only other meeting in history between these teams. Manvel's first season of varsity football was 2007. … Katy has won six state titles and reached the championship game on five other occasions during the last 18 years. Manvel's only trip to the state finals happened when it lost a 4A title game to Aledo in 2011.

Mitch Stephens: Katy 38, Manvel 35
Kevin Askeland: Manvel 40, Katy 35
Jamie DeMoney: Katy 38, Manvel 31
Stephen Spiewak: Katy 41, Manvel 38
Leland Gordon: Katy 34, Manvel 32
Colin Ward-Henninger: Katy 30, Manvel 27

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Central (Miami) at Mainland (Daytona Beach, Fla.)

What to watch: This is the third state semifinal-round matchup between these teams in the last five seasons. No. 16 Central beat Mainland last year en route to its second-consecutive Class 6A title. Central also defeated Mainland in 2011, but that result was later changed to a forfeit loss. This season, Central (12-1) has had a few close calls but a one-point loss to No. 4 Booker T. Washington (Miami) on Sept. 5 is the only blemish on its record. Despite committing a whopping 19 penalties for 176 yards, the Rockets prevailed with a 20-12 win over Heritage (Palm Bay) in last week's quarterfinals. On the other side, No. 12 Mainland remains one of only nine unbeaten teams left in the state of Florida. However, the Buccaneers (13-0) have been pushed to their limit a few times in the postseason. They needed a big defensive effort to secure a 21-7 win over South Fort Myers last Friday after barely slipping past Edgewater (Orlando), 30-28, the week before. Quarterback Denzel Houston has developed into Mainland's top offensive weapon. The lightning-quick sophomore has 42 combined passing and rushing touchdowns this season.

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Just the facts: Mainland has qualified for the postseason every year since 1994 but has won only one state title (2003). Central has been in the playoffs only eight years in a row but has won it all three times (2010, '12 and '13). … At least one team from the City of Miami has won a Florida state championship in 16 of the last 23 seasons.

Mitch Stephens: Central 21, Mainland 20
Kevin Askeland: Mainland 35, Central 28
Jamie DeMoney: Central 24, Mainland 22
Stephen Spiewak: Mainland 21, Central 20
Leland Gordon: Mainland 24, Central 21
Colin Ward-Henninger: Central 24, Mainland 21

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Paramus Catholic (N.J.) vs. St. Peter's Prep (Jersey City, N.J.)

What to watch: The final crescendo of New Jersey's rugged Non-Public Group IV playoff chase happens Friday night at Met Life Stadium with this matchup of Xcellent 25 squads. No. 13 Paramus Catholic has designs on a third-consecutive state crown, all of which would have included a postseason victory over St. Peter's Prep. The Paladins (9-1) earned a chance for the three-peat thanks to a heart-stopping 18-17 win over Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey) in a Nov. 22 semifinal game. It took a 12-yard game-winning pass with under a minute to play from senior Willy Hansen to Marquis Spence to keep the Paladins' season alive, according to nj.com. On the other hand, No. 21 St. Peter's Prep's 31-14 semifinal win over Bergen Catholic (Oradell) was more decisive. The Marauders again rode the arm of senior quarterback Brandon Wimbush. The Notre Dame recruit turned in another phenomenal performance, throwing for 424 yards and four touchdowns, according to northjersey.com.

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Just the facts: The final scores of Paramus Catholic's wins over St. Peter's Prep the past two seasons were 13-6 in last year's state championship and 21-0 in the 2012 semifinal round. These are the only two meetings between the teams in at least the last decade. … By the end of the weekend, New Jersey will have crowned 24 different state champions in football.

Mitch Stephens: St. Peter's Prep 21, Paramus Catholic 20
Kevin Askeland: St. Peter's Prep 28, Paramus Catholic 12
Jamie DeMoney: St. Peter's Prep 27, Paramus Catholic 13
Stephen Spiewak: St. Peter's Prep 22, Paramus Catholic 15
Leland Gordon: Paramus Catholic 18, St. Peter's Prep 17
Colin Ward-Henninger: Paramus Catholic 23, St. Peter's Prep 21



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Carroll (Southlake, Texas) vs. Cedar Hill (Texas)

What to watch: Cedar Hill – the preseason No. 1 team in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 – no longer has national title aspirations but still has more than enough motivation this postseason. The Longhorns (11-2) would move a step closer to their second-consecutive state championship with a win over No. 18 Carroll in Saturday's 6A Division II quarterfinals. Cedar Hill hasn't played its best football during the playoffs but managed to hold off Abilene, 36-28, last Saturday. Senior receiver Damarkus Lodge – a four-star prospect according to 247Sports – recorded five catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns. On the same day, Carroll (13-0) came away with much more convincing 35-10 win against San Angelo Central. The Dragons displayed a balanced offensive attack featuring junior running back lil'jordan Humphrey, who ran for 117 yards and two touchdowns and also had a receiving touchdown.

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Just the facts: Carroll has taken two of three games played between these teams since 2008, all of which have come in the state playoffs. The most recent meeting was a 40-7 Carroll second-round win in 2011. … Cedar Hill is marching toward its third-consecutive trip to the state finals and fourth appearance overall in the last nine years. The Longhorns were champions in 2006 as well as last season. Carroll has won five championships and reached the final game one additional time since 2002.

Mitch Stephens: Carroll 28, Cedar Hill 27
Kevin Askeland: Carroll 40, Cedar Hill 35
Jamie DeMoney: Cedar Hill 44, Carroll 41
Stephen Spiewak: Cedar Hill 48, Carroll 41
Leland Gordon: Carroll 31, Cedar Hill 30
Colin Ward-Henninger: Cedar Hill 42, Carroll 34

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St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) vs. Wayne (Huber Heights, Ohio)

What to watch: Wayne could capture its first state football championship with an upset over No. 23 St. Edward in Saturday's Division I final. The Warriors (13-1) earned their trip to Ohio Stadium by defeating two-time defending champion Moeller (Cincinnati), 29-22, last week. Senior quarterback D'mitrik Trice – a likely Division I basketball point guard next season – sparked his team with three touchdown passes, including the game-tying and game-winning connections with 6-6 Iowa basketball recruit Ahmad Wagner. Meanwhile, St. Edward (12-2) advanced with a dominant performance against previously unbeaten and 24th-ranked Hudson. Kentucky-bound twins Andrew Dowell and David Dowell each had a rushing touchdown as St. Edward rolled, 42-14. The Eagles, who were ranked No. 1 in the Xcellent 25 earlier this season, have won nine in a row and beat their four prior playoff opponents by a combined score of 161-29.

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Just the facts: This is a rematch of the 2010 Division I state championship. St. Edward won that game, 35-28, to capture its only state football title in school history. … Wayne also reached the state championship game in 1999, but the Warriors have never won a state title.

Mitch Stephens: St. Edward 24, Wayne 20
Kevin Askeland: Wayne 40, St. Edward 28
Jamie DeMoney: St. Edward 38, Wayne 25
Stephen Spiewak: St. Edward 21, Wayne 17
Leland Gordon: Wayne 21, St. Edward 20
Colin Ward-Henninger: St. Edward 20, Wayne 17

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Ravenwood (Brentwood, Tenn.) vs. Maryville (Tenn.)

What to watch: The championship game in Tennessee's largest classification matches two 14-0 teams. Maryville, the No. 24 team in this week's Xcellent 25, is playing for a state title in a remarkable 11th-consecutive season. The Rebels were 26-14 winners over Oakland (Murfreesboro) in the Class 6A semifinals last week. Air Force-committed quarterback Tyler Vaught led the way with 310 passing yards and two touchdowns, according to the Columbia Daily Herald. Conversely, Ravenwood earned its first state finals trip in nine years with a 24-14 win over Whitehaven (Memphis). The Raptors found a way to get enough points on the board despite their No. 1 offensive weapon – Georgia-committed receiver Van Jefferson – being held to only two catches for a season-low 18 yard, according to the Tennessean.

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Just the facts: A win on Friday would give Maryville its 12th state championship since 1998. Ravenwood, which opened its doors in 2002, won its only title in 2005. … Maryville ranks No. 15 – far and away tops among Tennessee schools – in the CalPreps.com Dynasty Ratings since 2003.

Mitch Stephens: Maryville 42, Ravenwood 28
Kevin Askeland: Maryville 35, Ravenwood 21
Jamie DeMoney: Maryville 31, Ravenwood 28
Stephen Spiewak: Maryville 28, Ravenwood 14
Leland Gordon: Maryville 35, Ravenwood 27
Colin Ward-Henninger: Maryville 25, Ravenwood 17



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Everett (Mass.) vs. Xaverian Brothers (Westwood, Mass.)

What to watch: Saturday's Division I Super Bowl game at Gillette Stadium is a rematch of Xaverian Brothers' 21-14 win over Everett on Sept. 13. The Hawks (11-0) have continued to soar unbeaten throughout the season and now are just one win away from their first state championship since 2009. Aside from the obvious challenge of playing state No. 1 Xaverian Brothers again, Everett's biggest opponent this week might be rust. The Crimson Tide (9-1) haven't played a game since a 31-24 Division 1 North championship win over St. John's Prep (Danvers) on Nov. 14. Senior running back Nick Orekoya was the star that day, rushing for 178 yards and two touchdowns – including the game-winner, according to the Boston Globe.

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Just the facts: Xaverian Brothers' win over Everett earlier this season was its second over the Crimson Tide in the last two years. However, Everett still owns an 8-5 edge in games played in the series since 2004. … This is only the second season in which Massachusetts is crowning true state champions in football. Prior to 2013, separate championship games were held for Central, Eastern and Western Massachusetts.

Mitch Stephens: Xaverian Brothers 21, Everett 14
Kevin Askeland: Xaverian Brothers 28, Everett 14
Jamie DeMoney: Xaverian Brothers 28, Everett 23
Stephen Spiewak: Xaverian Brothers 21, Everett 14
Leland Gordon: Xaverian Brothers 19, Everett 17
Colin Ward-Henninger: Xaverian Brothers 30, Everett 27

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.