MaxPreps Top 50 high school football scores: No. 5 Chandler holds on against No. 28 Hamilton in Arizona state championship

It's playoff time. Every team playing this week is in win-or-go-home mode with Texas' two largest classifications beginning postseason action.

The 6A Division 1 field features seven Top 25 teams and checked in at No. 1 in our updated Top 10 toughest playoff brackets.

No. 2 North Shore (Houston), No. 7 Duncanville and No. 24 DeSoto were all in action on Thursday and won by a combined score of 176-53.

No. 11 Allen, No. 16 Westlake (Austin) and No. 22 Tompkins (Katy) all won on Friday while No. 25 Lake Travis (Austin) lost to Round Rock, 35-21. It was the first game for the Cavaliers since Nov. 13 because they had to quarantine to close out the regular season.

In the only Top 50 matchup on Saturday No. 5 Chandler held on against No. 28 Hamilton (Chandler) in the Arizona Open Division state championship and won 23-21. Nicco Marchiol led the Huskies to a late rally and had the underdog in position for a go-ahead field goal in the final seconds but the kick went wide left. Boise State commit Eli Sanders rushed for two scores and Mikey Keene found Eli Swope for the other touchdown.

It was the Wolves 36th consecutive win and fifth straight state title.

In the Georgia AAAAAAA quarterfinals No. 35 Norcross handed No. 9 Colquitt County (Moultrie) its first loss of the season with a 17-7 victory. The Blue Devils will host No. 4 Grayson (Loganville) on Dec. 18 with a spot in the state championship on the line.

The Rams shutout West Forsyth (Cumming) 33-0.

No. 32 Lowndes (Valdosta) rolled past Milton 23-13 and will face Collins Hill (Suwanee) in the other AAAAAAA semifinal matchup on Dec. 18.

No. 17 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) cruised to a 37-14 win over No. 40 Bloomingdale (Valrico) in the Florida 7A semifinals. The Raiders will defend their 7A championship on Dec. 19 against Edgewater (Orlando).

This is a rematch of last year's state title game and the Raiders won 28-23.

No. 18 Central (Miami) beat Palmetto 47-20 to advance to the 6A state championship. The only thing standing in the Rockets way from repeating as 6A champs is Lake Minneola (Minneola) who won 49-48 in triple overtime against St. Augustine.

No. 23 American Heritage (Plantation) scored the final 16 points against No. 48 Jesuit (Tampa) to win 16-13 to clinch a spot in the 5A state championship. Chris Maron connected on a 40-yard field goal as time expired.

Up next for the Patriots is Rickards (Tallahassee) on Dec. 18 as they try and win their first state title since 2017. 

• • 7
    Deer Park
  • 59
    North Shore

  12/10 Final

• • 0
    West Forsyth
  • 33
    Grayson

  12/11 Final

• • 21
    Hamilton
  • 23
    Chandler

  12/12 Final

• • 14
    Harker Heights
  • 60
    Duncanville

  12/10 Final

• • 7
    Colquitt County
  • 17
    Norcross

  12/11 Final

• • 6
    Adams
  • 69
    Ryan

  12/11 Final

• • 13
    Plano West
  • 34
    Allen

  12/11 Final

• • 0
    St. Xavier
  • 31
    Trinity

  12/11 Final

• • 14
    Cedar Ridge
  • 57
    Westlake

  12/11 Final

• • 37
    St. Thomas Aquinas
  • 14
    Bloomingdale

  12/11 Final

• • 20
    Palmetto
  • 47
    Central

  12/11 Final

• • 0
    Bryan
  • 27
    Cedar Hill

  12/11 Final

• • 10
    Fort Bend Travis
  • 42
    Tompkins

  12/11 Final

• • 13
    Jesuit
  • 16
    American Heritage

  12/11 Final

• • 57
    DeSoto
  • 32
    Shoemaker

  12/10 Final

• • 21
    Lake Travis
  • 35
    Round Rock

  12/11 Final

• • 23
    Lowndes
  • 13
    Milton

  12/11 Final

• • 21
    New Caney
  • 56
    H
    Highland Park

  12/10 Final

• • 14
    Haltom
  • 49
    Southlake Carroll

  12/11 Final

• • 49
    Catholic
  • 31
    Brother Martin

  12/11 Final

• • 24
    University Lab
  • 31
    St. Thomas More

  12/11 Final