MaxPreps Top 10 Football Games of the Week

Only a small handful of teams are still playing, but the final weekend of the high school football season has plenty of intriguing matchups.

There are nine teams ranked in this week's MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard featured in the MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week.

The highest-ranked team in action is No. 3 Miramar, which must defeat perennial power Plant (Tampa) in the Florida 8A championship to claim its second state title in three seasons. The Sunshine State is also the site of one of two matchups between Xcellent 25 teams this weekend: No. 13 Miami Central can claim its second consecutive 6A crown with a win over No. 9 Armwood.

With an 8 p.m. Pacific Standard Time scheduled start time, the California Open Division championship game will likely represent the finale of the 2011 prep football season. No. 6 Westlake hopes to finish with a perfect 15-0 record but must topple two-time defending champ De La Salle to do so.



Our season-long prediction contest will also be decided on the final weekend of the season. Jamie DeMoney has held or shared the lead in the standings for eight consecutive weeks, but has a mere one-game lead on Stephen Spiewak. 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. 9 Armwood (Seffner, Fla.) vs. No. 14 Central (Miami)

Armwood fought hard to tune out distractions associated with injuries and allegations of player ineligibility and remained undefeated to reach the state championship game for the second straight year. The Hawks (14-0) aren't as dominant lately on defense as they were earlier this season when they shut out five out of six opponents between Sept. 23 to Oct. 28. In fact, last week's 46-38 semifinal win over Bartram Trail (St. John's) was the first time since 2009 that an Armwood opponent scored more than 30 points.

A win over Armwood on Saturday would give Central its second consecutive Florida Class 6A championship. The Rockets (13-0), who are riding a 27-game winning streak, would become the first Miami city school to repeat as state titlist since Miami Northwestern did it in 2006-07. Sophomore sensation Joe Yearby exceeded 2,000 rushing yards for the season with a 160-yard, two-touchdown effort in Central's 17-7 win over Mainland (Dayton Beach) in last week's semifinals.



Mitch Stephens: Armwood 20, Central 14
Steve Montoya: Armwood 17, Central 14
Stephen Spiewak: Armwood 20, Central 17
Kevin Askeland: Armwood 40, Central 38
Jamie DeMoney: Armwood 20, Central 17
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Clairton (Pa.) vs. Southern Columbia Area (Catawissa, Pa.)

With a victory in Friday's Class A state championship game, Clairton would finish the season with the nation's longest active winning streak. The Bears enter the final weekend of the season with 46 consecutive victories, tied for the lead currently with national No. 1-ranked Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) and 8-man power Pahranagat Valley (Alamo, Nev.). A 47th straight win would also break a Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League record. This is Clairton's fourth-straight trip to the state championship game. It beat Sharpsville in last weekend's state semifinal, 30-8.

This is the 13th time in 18 seasons that Southern Columbia is playing on the final weekend of the season. With a win over Clairton, the Tigers (14-1) would break a state record with their seventh state title. They advanced to the state final with a 37-6 rout of Penns Manor (Clymer) last week.

Mitch Stephens: Clairton 34, Southern Columbia 21
Steve Montoya: Clairton 27, Southern Columbia 14
Stephen Spiewak: Clairton 28, Southern Columbia 21
Kevin Askeland: Clairton 40, Southern Columbia 21
Jamie DeMoney: Clairton 33, Southern Columbia 17
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First Coast (Jacksonville, Fla.) vs. No. 18 Manatee (Bradenton, Fla.)

Undefeated First Coast could be a handful for nationally ranked Manatee in Friday night's Florida Class 7A championship game. The Buccaneers (13-0) rely on the dynamic combination of DeAndre Johnson throwing to Alabama commit Chris Black. Johnson, who is only a freshman, has thrown for 2,706 yards and 24 touchdowns. Black has 55 catches for 881 yards. First Coast beat previously undefeated Lakeland last week 24-14, denying the Dreadnaughts a fifth state finals berth in eight seasons.

Without question, Manatee (12-2) has the best resume of any two-loss team in the country. The Hurricanes challenged themselves to the max in the preseason, losing by a combined 13 points to top-ranked Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) and No. 5 Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.). Manatee has since won 11 straight games including last week's hard-fought 19-14 decision over Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens). Junior quarterback Cord Sandberg ran for a 20-yard touchdown in the final three minutes to send Manatee to the championship game for the second time in three seasons and seventh overall. Its last state title time came in 1992.



Mitch Stephens: Manatee 21, First Coast 15
Steve Montoya: Manatee 14, First Coast 7
Stephen Spiewak: Manatee 24, First Coast 10
Kevin Askeland: Manatee 35, First Coast 14
Jamie DeMoney: Manatee 24, First Coast 21
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No. 15 Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) vs. Midway (Waco, Texas)

Lake Travis could accomplish something no other team has done in the long, illustrious history of Texas high school football. With a win in Friday night's Class 4A-I championship game, the Cavaliers would be the first Texas team ever to win five consecutive state titles. Lake Travis has won 76 of its last 79 games. It improved to 15-0 this season when it crushed Dawson (Pearland) in last week's semifinals, 45-14. Junior quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 15 of 26 passes for 285 yards and four touchdowns.

Though it's a decided underdog against Lake Travis, Midway (12-2) showed in the last two weeks it has the offensive firepower to hang with just about anybody. The Panthers beat Rider (Wichita Falls), 54-34, in the quarterfinals and downed John Tyler (Tyler) in last week's semifinals, 51-20. This is the first trip to the state championship game for Midway.

Mitch Stephens: Lake Travis 34, Midway 21
Steve Montoya: Lake Travis 21, Midway 17
Stephen Spiewak: Lake Travis 35, Midway 24
Kevin Askeland: Lake Travis 52, Midway 24
Jamie DeMoney: Lake Travis 42, Midway 23
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Bellarmine (San Jose, Calif.) vs. Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)

Bellarmine has won 12 consecutive games following its Week 1 overtime loss to De La Salle (Concord). This is the Bells' second trip to the Division I state bowl game in three seasons. They lost to Oceanside, 24-19, in the 2009 championship game. Senior quarterback Travis McHugh ran for 209 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-13 blowout of Palo Alto for the CIF Central Coast Section Open Division championship on Dec. 3.

Santa Margarita was a controversial, if not surprising, pick to represent Southern California in Friday's Division I title game at the Home Depot Center (preview). Proving the power of the Pac-5 Division's stellar reputation, the Eagles (12-2) were chosen ahead of Inland Division champion Vista Murrieta (9-5, with all five losses by forfeit) and Central Section titlist Bakersfield (13-0). Despite having two losses – the most recent coming Nov. 11 to Trinity League champion Servite (Anaheim) – this is an outstanding Santa Margarita team. Led by legendary coach Harry Welch (who now has nine CIF-SS titles with three different teams), the Eagles are ranked second in the state according to the MaxPreps Freeman Rankings. Junior quarterback Johnny Stanton has eclipsed 2,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards this season.



Mitch Stephens: Santa Margarita 21, Bellarmine 20
Steve Montoya: Bellarmine 20, Santa Margarita 14
Stephen Spiewak: Bellarmine 21, Santa Margarita 20
Kevin Askeland: Bellarmine 35, Santa Margarita 12
Jamie DeMoney: Santa Margarita 27, Bellarmine 24
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Aledo (Texas) vs. Manvel (Texas)

There is more on the line Saturday than just a third consecutive Texas 4A-II state title shot for Aledo and its all-world senior running back Johnathan Gray. The University of Texas commit needs only one more touchdown to break the national career record of 204 and needs only two to eclipse the single-season record (69) for touchdowns. In addition, Gray conceivably could break the longstanding record for career rushing yards (11,232) held by Sugar Land (Texas) legend Ken Hall, but he'd need to gain 382 yards to do it. Aledo, which started the year 1-2, has played its best football of the season during the playoffs. The Bearcats avenged an earlier loss to Stephenville, 33-0 in the quarterfinals, and blasted Corsicana last week, 68-28.

Despite entering the game with a perfect 15-0 record, Manvel is a decided underdog against Aledo. The Mavericks slipped past Calallen (Corpus Christi), 31-28, in a semifinal game at the Alamodome thanks to a 25-yard field goal by Josh Martinez as time expired. This is the first state finals appearance for Manvel, a school that opened its doors in 2006. It had never even reached the playoffs prior to last season.

Mitch Stephens: Aledo 48, Manvel 28
Steve Montoya: Aledo 28, Manvel 20
Stephen Spiewak: Aledo 44, Manvel 30
Kevin Askeland: Aledo 55, Manvel 48
Jamie DeMoney: Aledo 49, Manvel 21
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No. 8 Carroll (Southlake, Texas) vs. Fort Bend Hightower (Missouri City, Texas)

Playing for a state championship is nothing new for the Carroll program, which has won seven titles in history including four in the last decade. But this is the Dragons' first trip to the finals since 2006 and their only appearance under coach Hal Wasson. They improved to 15-0 and punched their ticket to Saturday's Texas Class 5A-I title game in dramatic fashion last week. Trailing nationally ranked Skyline (Dallas) 24-14 with less than 2 minutes to play, the Dragons scored a touchdown, recovered an onside kick, then scored another touchdown – all in the span of 21 seconds – to win the game 28-24. Standout quarterback Kenny Hill ran in the winning score from 35 yards out. The junior has more than 2,700 passing yards and more than 1,200 rushing yards with 45 total touchdowns this season.

Hightower blew past Madison (San Antonio), 54-35, last week to earn its second title-game berth in four seasons. Quarterback Bralon Addison, a Texas A&M commit, led the way with 229 rushing yards and six total touchdowns. Wake Forest-bound running back Joshua Wilhite added 153 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns. It was the Hurricanes' 13th consecutive win after starting this season with two straight losses.



Mitch Stephens: Carroll 35, Hightower 21
Steve Montoya: Hightower 35, Carroll 28
Stephen Spiewak: Carroll 35, Hightower 28
Kevin Askeland: Carroll 35, Hightower 14
Jamie DeMoney: Hightower 38, Carroll 35
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No. 20 Steele (Cibolo, Texas) vs. Dekaney (Houston)

In only its sixth season playing varsity football, Steele already is on the verge of winning its second state championship. The Knights were Texas Class 5A-II champions last season and are riding a 28-game winning streak entering Saturday night's contest. Last year, Steele counted heavily on University of Texas-bound running back Malcolm Brown. This year, much of the offensive burden is being carried by senior quarterback Tommy Armstrong. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Nebraska commit has 1,700 passing yards to go with 1,232 rushing yards and 42 total touchdowns this season.

Like its opponent this weekend, Dekaney is playing for a state title while still in the relative infancy of its football history. This is only the fourth year the school has played at the varsity level and the first time it's ever reached the postseason. The Wildcats feature Texas A&M-bound Trey Williams at running back. The 5-10, 176-pound speedster ran for 281 yards and six touchdowns in last week's 56-19 blowout of Mansfield Timberview (Arlington).

Mitch Stephens: Steele 31, Dekaney 21
Steve Montoya: Steele 34, Dekaney 21
Stephen Spiewak: Steele 31, Dekaney 24
Kevin Askeland: Steele 28, Dekaney 14
Jamie DeMoney: Steele 28, Dekaney 14
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Plant (Tampa, Fla.) vs. No. 3 Miramar (Fla.)

Saturday's Florida Class 8A championship game will be Plant's fourth consecutive appearance in the state finals and its fifth in six years. The Panthers were state champs in 2006, '08 and '09. This year, they are 13-1, losing only to nationally ranked Armwood (Seffner) on Oct. 28, 21-0. Running back Wesley Bullock, a 5-foot-6, 150-pound junior, ran for a season-high 163 yards and a touchdown on only 11 carries in a 26-7 win over Fletcher (Neptune Beach) last week.

This is the second trip to a state championship in three seasons for Miramar, which won the 6A title in 2009. The Patriots (13-0) have played lights-out defense throughout the postseason, allowing just 20 total points in four playoff games. According to the Miami Herald, they allowed only 178 total yards in a 14-6 semifinals win over Columbus (Miami). On offense, senior quarterback Cam Hudge was spectacularly efficient, completing 22 of 25 passes for 244 yards and both Miramar touchdowns.



Mitch Stephens: Miramar 21, Plant 13
Steve Montoya: Miramar 21, Plant 20
Stephen Spiewak: Plant 17, Miramar 14
Kevin Askeland: Miramar 26, Plant 14
Jamie DeMoney: Miramar 23, Plant 13
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No. 19 De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) vs. No. 6 Westlake (Westlake Village, Calif.)

This is sixth year the CIF has played state championship games on the final weekend of the season. Each time, De La Salle has represented Northern California in one of the contests, including Saturday's Open Division title game. De La Salle is 12-1 this year, losing only at then-nationally ranked St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) on Sept. 23. It's been since the 2008 Open Division championship that the Spartans last lost a game to a California opponent. They captured their 20th consecutive North Coast Section title with a 49-13 rout of San Ramon Valley (Danville) last weekend. Junior running back Tiapepe Vitale had 181 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 19 carries.

This is Westlake's first appearance in a state championship game. The Warriors remained undefeated and earned their way to the Home Depot Center by knocking off Marmonte League and crosstown rival Oaks Christian in the CIF-SS Northern Division championship game, 49-42. Standout juniors Justin Moore and Dashon Hunt (a UCLA commit) each had more than 100 rushing yards in the game. It was the first time since a season-opening 30-27 overtime win over Division II finalist Del Oro (Loomis) that Westlake won by fewer than 21 points.

Mitch Stephens: De La Salle 28, Westlake 21
Steve Montoya: De La Salle 42, Westlake 40
Stephen Spiewak: Westlake 24, De La Salle 21
Kevin Askeland: Westlake 48, De La Salle 14
Jamie DeMoney: De La Salle 31, Westlake 24


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