MaxPreps Top 10 High School Football Games of the Week

The opening weekend of high school football brought with it a nice slate of games, but the second edition of the MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week is flat-out loaded with intriguing matchups.

Five of top six teams in the latest MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings – and 10 ranked teams overall – get the star treatment in this week's preview.

On Friday night, No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) will take on fifth-ranked American Heritage (Plantation) at Sun Life Stadium. The outcome likely will dash any national title hopes for the loser and begin to break down a logjam of Florida teams atop most of the national polls.

Down in Texas, top-ranked Cedar Hill kicks its season off Saturday night against an up-and-coming South Oak Cliff (Dallas) squad loaded with FBS-caliber college prospects. Elsewhere in the Metroplex, second-ranked Allen opens up with Guyer (Denton) in a battle of last year's Class 5A/Division I and Class 4A/Division I state champions.



With a 7-3 record last week, Kevin Askeland fired out of the gates to a one-game lead in our season-long predictions contest. Jamie DeMoney and Leland Gordon share second place, one game behind Askeland. Stephen Spiewak and Colin Ward-Henninger hold down fourth place with four out of 10 correct picks. Mitch Stephens has some catching up to do after selecting only two winners in the opening week.

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.


St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) vs. American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.)

What to watch: There's still an entire season to play before we talk seriously about crowning a national champion, but it's likely that at least one of the Florida teams currently ranked in the Top 10 of the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 will be eliminated from consideration this weekend. Friday night at Sun Life Stadium, No. 5 American Heritage hopes to derail third-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas' bid for a third national title in the seven seasons. Senior Torrance Gibson – the nation's second-ranked athlete prospect according to 247Sports – accounted for six touchdowns while quarterbacking the Patriots to a nationally televised 49-23 preseason win against Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens) last week. The 6-foot-4, 195-pounder is one of six seniors with FBS scholarship offers and is among 12 returning starters overall from last year's Class 5A state championship team. On the other side, St. Thomas Aquinas has 10 starters back from a 10-3 team that failed to win a state crown for only the third time since 2007. The number of players on the Raiders' roster holding FBS offers is approaching 20, thanks in part to an influx of talented transfers during the offseason. Senior Jordan Scarlett, a Miami recruit who played at University (Fort Lauderdale) last year, ran for 94 yards and a touchdown on only six carries during last Friday's 31-7 preseason win against Dillard (Fort Lauderdale).

This game will be featured on Qwixcore, featuring live scoring updates

Just the facts: St. Thomas Aquinas leads the nation for the most former players selected in the NFL Draft in the past 21 years. There were 19 Raiders alums selected since 1993, including four draft picks last May. … American Heritage has a sister school with the same name located up the coast in Delray Beach. The teams will play each other for only the second time in 11 years on Oct. 24.

Mitch Stephens: St. Thomas Aquinas 35, American Heritage 21
Kevin Askeland: St. Thomas Aquinas 40, American Heritage 14
Jamie DeMoney: St. Thomas Aquinas 31, American Heritage 23
Stephen Spiewak: St. Thomas Aquinas 28, American Heritage 14
Leland Gordon: St. Thomas Aquinas 34, American Heritage 24
Colin Ward-Henninger: St. Thomas Aquinas 28, American Heritage 14




{PAGEBREAK}
Cedar Hill (Texas) at South Oak Cliff (Dallas)

What to watch: The nation's No. 1 team could have its hands full right away when it opens up the season Saturday night against one of Texas' most talent-rich teams. As a top contender in Texas' newly formed Class 6A, top-ranked Cedar Hill will have an edge in depth against 5A South Oak Cliff, but the overall comparison in front-line college talent is about even. Both teams have at least 10 seniors expected to sign with FBS colleges. Cedar Hill returns eight offensive starters from last year's 5A/Division II championship team, including LSU-committed quarterback Justin McMillan and Damarkus Lodge, a 6-2, 190-pound Texas A&M recruit rated the fifth-best receiver in the Class of 2015 by 247Sports. South Oak Cliff has 14 total starters returning from its winningest team since 1970. Senior running back Jordan Stevenson (a Texas recruit) ran for over 2,000 yards and 18 scores as the Bears went 11-2.

This game will be featured on Qwixcore, featuring live scoring updates

Just the facts: South Oak Cliff hopes to become the first Dallas Independent School District team to win a state football champion in any classification since Carter (Dallas) won Class 5A in 1988 (but was later stripped of its title). A movie about that team, "Carter High," is scheduled to be released in 2015. … Cedar Hill has averaged 11 wins per season and won two state championships since 2006.

Mitch Stephens: Cedar Hill 42, South Oak Cliff 20
Kevin Askeland: Cedar Hill 45, South Oak Cliff 21
Jamie DeMoney: Cedar Hill 47, South Oak Cliff 27
Stephen Spiewak: Cedar Hill 35, South Oak Cliff 17
Leland Gordon: Cedar Hill 50, South Oak Cliff 29
Colin Ward-Henninger: Cedar Hill 49, South Oak Cliff 21


{PAGEBREAK}
Allen (Texas) vs. Guyer (Denton, Texas)

What to watch: The inaugural weekend of Texas football with a Class 6A classification starts with a matchup of back-to-back champs at the 5A and 4A levels. Allen, ranked No. 2 in the latest MaxPreps Xcellent 25, returns six offensive starters from its repeat 5A/Division I championship team but only one regular is back on defense. The Eagles are likely to be one of the highest-scoring teams in Texas. MaxPreps Preseason All-American Kyler Murray (a senior Texas A&M recruit) runs the show at quarterback behind an offensive line led by big-time tackles Bobby Evans (Oklahoma) and junior Greg Little (Texas A&M). Guyer is jumping up two classes to 6A after winning consecutive state titles in Class 4A/Division I. The Wildcats will rely on highly touted sophomore quarterback Shawn Robinson to lead their offense while Kansas-bound senior end Carl Thompson anchors an experienced defense.

This game will be featured on Qwixcore, featuring live scoring updates

Just the facts: Friday's game will be played at the University of North Texas' Apogee Stadium and is part of the two-game Tom Landry Classic. Originally, the game was to be played at Allen's $60 million Eagle Stadium, but was moved when that venue shut down due to construction failures only two seasons after it was built. … Despite ending the last two seasons with state championships, Guyer is looking to avoid its third-consecutive season-opening loss.



Mitch Stephens: Allen 42, Guyer 28
Kevin Askeland: Allen 52, Guyer 28
Jamie DeMoney: Allen 38, Guyer 17
Stephen Spiewak: Allen 28, Guyer 24
Leland Gordon: Allen 53, Guyer 40
Colin Ward-Henninger: Allen 56, Guyer 49


{PAGEBREAK}
Gilman (Baltimore) at St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio)

What to watch: Sunday is the first of five games against non-Ohio teams for No. 6 St. Edward this season, and it could prove to be the toughest of the bunch. Gilman was a disappointing 7-3 last season but should be much improved with 15 starters back, including Florida State-bound senior quarterback Kai Locksley. St. Edward has six returning offensive starters and seven back on defense from an 11-2 team that averaged over 42 points per game. There are at least six bona fide FBS prospects in the Eagles' senior class, including Michigan-bound cornerback-receiver Shaun Crawford and South Florida-committed quarterback Brett Kean.

Sign up to be the one who provides Qwixcore live scoring updates from this game

Just the facts: St. Edward has played 23 games against teams from outside Ohio over the last 10 seasons and has gone 21-2. Its only game against a Maryland team was a 41-40 nailbiter over Eastern Christian Academy (Elkton) last year. … Gilman went 6-7 against teams from outside Maryland (or nearby Washington, D.C.) in the last 10 years. The Greyhounds are 0-1 versus Ohio, losing to St. Xavier (Cincinnati) to start the 2012 season.

Mitch Stephens: St. Edward 24, Gilman 21
Kevin Askeland: St. Edward 28, Gilman 17
Jamie DeMoney: St. Edward 35, Gilman 17
Stephen Spiewak: St. Edward 21, Gilman 7
Leland Gordon: St. Edward 21, Gilman 19
Colin Ward-Henninger: St. Edward 21, Gilman 20


{PAGEBREAK}
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) at Servite (Anaheim, Calif.)

What to watch: It's the second of six consecutive tough out-of-state games for No. 9 Bishop Gorman. The Gaels started fast last week with a 44-0 rout of a Brophy Prep (Phoenix) team that was rated fifth in Arizona's Division I preseason rankings. Notre Dame-committed safety Nicco Fertitta had eight tackles and a fumble recovery for Gorman's defense, which surrendered only 150 total yards on the night. This is the season opener for Servite, which is No. 12 in the latest Xcellent 25 and 17th in the MaxPreps Composite Rankings even though it went 6-6 against a demanding schedule a year ago. The lofty expectations are justified by the Friars' talented senior class, which includes four-star dual-threat quarterback Travis Waller (an Oregon commit).



Sign up to be the one who provides Qwixcore live scoring updates from this game

Just the facts: After Friday's trip to Southern California to play Servite, Bishop Gorman must get ready for a matchup against defending Utah state champion Bingham (South Jordan) and, three weeks later, No. 8 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.). … This is a rematch of Gorman's 41-17 blowout of Servite last year. It was one of four losses the Friars had against teams that were nationally ranked at some point during the season.

Mitch Stephens: Bishop Gorman 35, Servite 24
Kevin Askeland: Servite 28, Bishop Gorman 27
Jamie DeMoney: Bishop Gorman 37, Servite 24
Stephen Spiewak: Bishop Gorman 28, Servite 21
Leland Gordon: Bishop Gorman 41, Servite 35
Colin Ward-Henninger: Servite 42, Bishop Gorman 35


{PAGEBREAK}
Hoover (Ala.) at Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.)

What to watch: Hoover, which began the season ranked third and holding national championship aspirations, must bounce back in a hurry after losing at home to No. 10 Central (Miami) on national television last week. If the 15th-ranked Bucs fail to answer the call, they could be ambushed Friday night at Colquitt County. In contrast, the Packers surely have a pep in their step after opening up the year with an impressive 31-14 win against state-ranked Mill Creek (Hoschton).

This game will be featured on Qwixcore, featuring live scoring updates

Just the facts: This is the second-straight year Colquitt County has played Hoover with Rush Propst as its head coach. Propst won 110 games and five state titles as Hoover's head coach from 1999-2007. In a game played at Hoover last season, the Bucs beat Colquitt County, 24-10. … As a whole, Alabama has gotten the better of its border-rival games against Georgia. According to CalPreps.com, teams from the Yellowhammer State are 157-109-1 against Peach State competition since 2003.



Mitch Stephens: Colquitt County 21, Hoover 20
Kevin Askeland: Hoover 35, Colquitt County 28
Jamie DeMoney: Colquitt County 27, Hoover 21
Stephen Spiewak: Hoover 20, Colquitt County 17
Leland Gordon: Hoover 27, Colquitt County 24
Colin Ward-Henninger: Hoover 28, Colquitt County 21


{PAGEBREAK}
St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia) at Mount Carmel (Chicago)

What to watch: This figures to be a fun rendezvous between the preeminent Catholic football powers from two of America's largest cities. The game will be played at Toyota Park, home of the MLS's Chicago Fire. St. Joseph's Prep, ranked 18th in the latest Xcellent 25, has 15 returning starters from its first state championship squad. The Hawks rely on the playmaking ability of receiver-defensive back John Reid, a four-year starter who is verbally committed to Penn State. Mount Carmel also is fresh off a state championship. The 7A title won last season was its 10th under coach Frank Lenti since 1988. The Caravan is traditionally very strong up front, and this year should be no exception with senior guards Jack White and Andrejas Duerig (Syracuse) leading the offensive line and senior tackles DeAndre Greer and Kevin Thurmon expected to be the lynchpins of the defensive front.

This game will be featured on Qwixcore, featuring live scoring updates

Just the facts: Mount Carmel has won at least a share of the Chicago Catholic League championship 35 times dating back to 1927. St. Joseph's Prep is a 20-time champion of the Philadelphia Catholic League since 1920. … Sunday's the first of four consecutive out-of-state games for St. Joseph's Prep to open the season. The Hawks have won eight of their last 11 contests versus non-Pennsylvania opponents.

Mitch Stephens: St. Joseph's Prep 34, Mount Carmel 21
Kevin Askeland: St. Joseph's Prep 30, Mount Carmel 14
Jamie DeMoney: St. Joseph's Prep 27, Mount Carmel 24
Stephen Spiewak: St. Joseph's Prep 24, Mount Carmel 10
Leland Gordon: St. Joseph's Prep 20, Mount Carmel 16
Colin Ward-Henninger: Mount Carmel 20, St. Joseph's Prep 17


{PAGEBREAK}
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) vs. Centennial (Corona, Calif.)



What to watch: A huge test for No. 23 Mater Dei as it opens the season against a Centennial squad that could have one of Southern California's top rushing attacks. The Huskies return only four offensive starters, but three of them are offensive linemen. The trio will pave the way for 5-6, 165-pound junior running back J.J. Taylor, whom coach Matt Logan calls a "Barry Sanders type." Mater Dei returns seven offensive starters and six on defense but is breaking in a new quarterback in senior Jack Lowary. The 6-4, 210-pound senior will have a sure-handed target to rely upon in senior tight end Kyle Penniston, a Wisconsin commit.

Sign up to be the one who provides Qwixcore live scoring updates from this game

Just the facts: Saturday will be the first meeting between the teams in four years. Centennial owned a 3-2 edge in a series between the teams played from 2007-2011. … According to CalPreps.com, Centennial is tied with Folsom for the second-most wins (53) in California since 2010 (not counting forfeits). De La Salle (Concord) ranks first with 56 victories.

Mitch Stephens: Mater Dei 48, Centennial 42
Kevin Askeland: Mater Dei 52, Centennial 50
Jamie DeMoney: Centennial 31, Mater Dei 28
Stephen Spiewak: Mater Dei 35, Centennial 28
Leland Gordon: Mater Dei 42, Centennial 36
Colin Ward-Henninger: Centennial 35, Mater Dei 28


{PAGEBREAK}
DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) at Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.)

What to watch: Archbishop Wood could enhance its national reputation with a win against perennial D.C.-area power DeMatha to open the season. Wood, ranked 22nd in this week's MaxPreps Computer Rankings, has eight returning starters from a 13-2 team on both sides of the ball. Last season, Wood captured its second state title in the last three years. Look for Penn State-bound senior linebacker Jake Cooper to anchor the Vikings defense. Fellow future Nittany Lion Ryan Bates is the top returning offensive lineman protecting junior quarterback Tom Garlick, who is already a three-year starter. DeMatha is annually among the nation's leaders of producing scholarship-worthy college football talent, and its Class of 2016 could end up one of the best it's ever had. Seven juniors already have FBS offers including Penn State-committed defensive end Shane Simmons.

Sign up to be the one who provides Qwixcore live scoring updates from this game



Just the facts: According to CalPreps.com, teams from Maryland have gone 127-91 against Pennsylvania foes since 2003. Archbishop Wood and DeMatha have both played only one team from the other state during the timeframe, with each team going 1-0. … In addition to its strong football tradition, DeMatha is home to one of the winningest basketball programs in America. The Stags have been named national champion twice and won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference 39 times since 1961.

Mitch Stephens: Archbishop Wood 28, DeMatha 21
Kevin Askeland: DeMatha 38, Archbishop Wood 35
Jamie DeMoney: Archbishop Wood 30, DeMatha 20
Stephen Spiewak: Archbishop Wood 28, DeMatha 20
Leland Gordon: Archbishop Wood 24, DeMatha 22
Colin Ward-Henninger: DeMatha 24, Archbishop Wood 20


{PAGEBREAK}
Chandler (Ariz.) at Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.)

What to watch: It's a season-opening showdown between preseason No. 1 teams in the Arizona Republic's state rankings. Chandler, which started on top of the Division I poll, has eight offensive starters back from a 10-3 team. The featured player is senior quarterback Bryce Perkins, a 6-2, 200-pound dual-threat prospect who is verbally committed to Arizona State. Meanwhile in Division II, Centennial is favored to win the state championship – something it has been unable to accomplish since three-peating from 2006-08. Centennial will lean heavily upon three-star running back Dedrick Young. The 6-1, 200-pounder ran for 1,696 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior.

This game will be featured on Qwixcore, featuring live scoring updates

Just the facts: These teams have met three times in the last five years. Chandler beat Centennial, 41-21, a year ago but lost to the Coyotes in 2009 and 2010. … Centennial's 20-point setback to Chandler last year was only its fourth loss by more than a touchdown in any game played since 2006.

Mitch Stephens: Centennial 28, Chandler 27
Kevin Askeland: Chandler 28, Centennial 21
Jamie DeMoney: Chandler 34, Centennial 27
Stephen Spiewak: Centennial 31, Chandler 28
Leland Gordon: Centennial 36, Chandler 35
Colin Ward-Henninger: Chandler 45, Centennial 17





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.