High school football schedule: No. 17 Denton Ryan vs. No. 29 Denton Guyer headlines week's top games

By Zack Poff Sep 30, 2020, 11:30am

Texas showdown takes center stage while Arizona, New Jersey teams get season underway.

All eyes are on Texas for the second straight week as No. 17 Denton Ryan faces No. 29 Denton Guyer to headline the MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week. The Raiders were the biggest mover in the MaxPreps Top 25 high school football rankings last week, moving up four spots to No. 17 after a 47-24 win over Arlington Martin (Texas). The Wildcats rolled past Hebron (Carrollton, Texas) 56-33 in their season opener.

Two other Lone Star State matchups are featured as No. 23 Allen hosts Atascocita (Humble) and Judson (Converse) faces No. 38 DeSoto.

New Jersey kicks off this week and No. 28 St. Joseph Regional (Montvale) hosts No. 24 Bergen Catholic (Oradell) on Saturday in one of the biggest games of the weekend. The two have met 18 times since 2004 and the Crusaders have won nine of the previous 17.
Eli Stowers, Guyer
Eli Stowers, Guyer
File photo by Robbie Rakestraw
MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week

Friday, 7:30 p.m. (All times local) - Watch Live on NFHS Network

Top players



Ryan: ATH Ja'Tavion Sanders (6-3, 220), ATH Billy Bowman (5-10, 175), QB Seth Henigan (6-2, 170), LB DJ Arkansas (6-1, 200), CB Austin Jordan (5-11, 185)

Guyer: QB Eli Stowers (6-4, 215), CB Deuce Harmon (5-10, 190), LB Jordan Eubanks (6-2, 200), RB BJ Phillips (5-11, 200), WR Grayson Obara (6-1, 180)

This is the first meeting since 2015 when Spencer Sanders led Denton Ryan to a 31-28 win over Shawn Robinson and the Wildcats. The Raiders hold a 4-3 series edge and you can expect another instant classic Friday. Stowers and Guyer bring in one of the most explosive offenses in Texas while Sanders and Bowman lead the way for one of the most talented defenses in the country.

Saturday, 1 p.m.

Top players

Bergen Catholic: DT Tywone Malone (6-3, 300), CB Jaeden Gould (6-2, 190), QB Steve Angeli (6-3, 210), RB Ryan Butler (5-11, 200), LB Esquire Boyce (6-0, 220)



St. Joseph Regional: RB Audric Estime (6-1, 215), Geno VanDeMark (6-5, 295), LB Frankie Monte (6-0, 220), ATH Christian Abraham (5-11, 200), OL Jack Centrelli (6-0, 275)

Both the Green Knights and Crusaders should be in contention to win the New Jersey Non-Public Group IV championship, one the nation's most difficult titles. Former defensive coordinator Danny Marangi takes over for the Green Knights after Augie Hoffmann left for an assistant coaching job with Rutgers. Expect the Crusaders to bounce back after a 5-4 record in 2019.


Top players

Hoover: QB Josh Lundy (6-3, 190), RB Dylan Pauley (6-0, 215), WR Malik Thomas (6-3, 200), LB Marcus Williams (6-0, 195), WR RJ Hamilton (5-10, 170)

Hewitt-Trussville: RB Armoni Goodwin (5-8, 190), OL/DL Riley Quick (6-5, 240), DE Justice Finkley (6-2, 255), WR Omari Kelly (6-2, 180), RB Sean Jackson (5-8, 225)

Josh Niblett and Hoover are off their first 6-0 start since 2012 while Hewitt-Trussville bounced back from a loss to No. 16 Thompson (Alabaster) with a gritty 3-0 win over Huffman (Birmingham) last week. This is the seventh meeting between the two Alabama powers since 2011 with Hoover winning five of six.



Friday, 7 p.m.

Top players

Atascocita: OL Kam Dewberry (6-4, 315), TE Landen King (6-5, 220), WR Keith Wheeler (6-0, 170), QB Gavin Session (6-0, 210), DB Caleb Burton (5-11, 185)

Allen: WR Blaine Green (6-1, 205), WR Bryson Green (6-0, 205), RB Jordan Johnson (5-9, 165), OL Neto Umeozulu (6-4, 300), QB General Booty (6-3, 195)

Allen kicked off its season with a 49-26 win over Plano East (Plano) while Atascocita is making its debut Friday. Allen has won at least 10 games in 14 consecutive years and five state titles during that span. Craig Stump took over the Atascocita program in 2012 and has led them to a 79-18 record during his tenure, winning at least 10 games in six of the last seven years.

Saturday, 2 p.m.

Top players

McKinley: QB Elijah Wesley (6-2, 195), ATH Jonah Lytle (6-1, 180), S Brian Pinkney (5-11, 175), WR Xavier Black (6-1, 170), RB Brandon Foster (5-9, 185)

Washington: WR Jayden Ballard (6-2, 175), WR Andrew Wilson-Lamp (6-3, 175), OL Terrence Rankl (6-6, 280), ATH Jumacius Portis (6-1, 215), ATH Martavien Johnson (5-9, 170)

Washington has won four straight games since a season-opening, 24-23 loss to No. 32 St. Edward (Lakewood). McKinley bounced back with a 26-0 win over GlenOak (Canton) after losing its first game of the year against Perry (Massillon). This is the 131st meeting between the two schools. The Tigers have won the last four meetings and eight of the last nine.




Top players

Judson: RB De'Anthony Lewis (6-1, 185), LB Donnie Moody (6-0, 210), OL Kamron Scott (6-3, 305), OL Robert Rigsby (6-3, 310), DT Nathaniel Pryor (6-3, 290)

DeSoto: DE Shemar Turner (6-3, 280), DT Byron Murphy II (6-1, 290), QB Samari Collier (6-3, 220), WR Jerand Bradley (6-5, 200), WR Jaeden Wilson (6-3, 175)

The season opener for both programs will be a litmus test. This is the most talented DeSoto team since winning a 2016 state title. Expect the Eagles to be serious 6A contenders this season. The Rockets have won at least 10 games in six of the last seven years while the Eagles seek their first 10-win season since 2017.

Friday, 4 p.m.



Top players

Elder: ATH Drew Ramsey (6-1, 185), QB Ben Hambleton (6-2, 190), WR Scott Nieman (6-6, 200), OL Andrew Beckenhaupt (6-4, 290), S Austin Wandstrat (6-1, 180)

Cathedral: WR Camden Jordan (6-0, 175), QB Nathan McCahill (6-0, 180), LB Jeff Utzinger (6-2, 205), RB Jake Langdon (6-0, 190), WR Michael Page (5-10, 170)

Cathedral is 2-0 against Ohio teams. The Fighting Irish have beat St. Xavier (Cincinnati) and La Salle (Cincinnati) in back-to-back weeks to improve to 6-0. Elder has won two straight since a 38-24 loss to St. Xavier. 

Friday, 7 p.m.

Top players



Centennial: DE DJ Gleash (6-4, 210), OL Caiden Miles (6-4, 300), OL Osacr Abundis (6-5, 325), RB James Scott (5-9, 185), DB DJ Williams (6-1, 175)

Hamilton: QB Nicco Marchiol (6-2, 215), ATH Zachary Lewis (5-11, 180), ATH Jack Howell (6-0, 190), ATH Brady Shough (6-2, 195), OL Grayson Stovall (6-4, 280)

Arizona kicks off this week and Hamilton returns a lot of key players from a team that made it to the Open Division semifinals last year. The Huskies also added a few marquee transfers led by Marchiol and Howell. The Coyotes lost to Hamilton in the opening round of last year's Open Division playoffs.


Top players

Lone Peak: DE John Henry Daley (6-4, 215), Luke Durfey (6-0, 220), WR Weston Covey (5-11, 175), DE Tate Gunnarson (6-2, 220), RB Jaxson Willits (5-9, 185)



Skyridge: QB McCae Hillstead (5-11, 175), WR James Palmer (6-2, 190), DT Stone Mulitalo (6-3, 280), S Jackson Lambert (5-10, 175), CB Smith Snowden (5-9, 160)

Lone Peak gave No. 13 Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah) a test last week before falling 35-25. Up next for the Knights: The state's No. 2 team where a win vaults them back into the Top 50. Skyridge has outscored its first seven opponents 289-57 with notable wins over Bingham (Jordan), Orem, American Fork and Pleasant Grove. The Falcons can't look past Lone Peak to their Oct. 8 showdown with Corner Canyon.

Friday, 7:30 p.m. - Watch Live on NFHS Network

Top players

Trinity: RB Armon Tucker (5-10, 175), LB Jack Dingle (6-4, 205), S Blake Ruffin (6-3, 185), OL Alex Moore (6-3, 275), QB Nathan McElroy (6-2, 205)

St. Xavier: OL Evan Brown (6-4, 260), ATH Mekhi Smith (5-10, 165), QB Giles Pooler (6-4, 200), LB Kurtis Cotten (6-1, 200), S Braden Wilson (5-10, 180)



Originally scheduled for Sept. 25, Louisville's citywide curfew amid racial unrest moved this game to Oct. 2. This is the 28th meeting since 2004 and Trinity has won 19, including eight of the last nine.

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