MaxPreps Top 10 high school football games of the week

The postseason is underway across most of the country, including Utah, where a matchup between two of the top teams in the state – although each nearly missed the playoffs – leads off this edition of the MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week.

After being considered the top two teams in Class 4A throughout the course of the regular season, East (Salt Lake City) and Timpview (Provo) were sanctioned by Utah's state association for using ineligible players. East forfeited six wins and Timpview four as a punishment. Both teams still barely qualified for the postseason and won a series of road playoff games for the right to meet Friday in the state semifinals.

Elsewhere, the Ohio playoffs are entering their second weekend. Fourth-ranked St. Edward (Lakewood) has a tough draw in the Region 1 semifinals against a one-loss Mentor squad that averages 45 points per game.

In South Dakota, Washington (Sioux Falls) is looking to add to its national-record total of state championships when it takes on Brandon Valley (Brandon) in the 11A final. A win Saturday night at the Dakotadome would give Washington its 39th crown since 1905.



After correctly forecasting the winner in eight of last week's 10 games, Mitch Stephens made a move toward the top of our season-long predictions contest. Mitch now has 77 correct picks out of 110 games (70 percent) this season, leaving him only one game behind current leader Jamie DeMoney. Leland Gordon currently resides in third place but is only two games behind DeMoney.

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, Leland Gordon and Jamie DeMoney.

MaxPreps Top 10 Football Games of the Week

Timpview (Provo, Utah) vs. East (Salt Lake City)

The official won-loss records show Timpview (Provo) at 7-5 playing an East (Salt Lake City) squad with a 5-7 record, but this still looks and feels like the matchup folks were expecting to see late in the playoffs.

Timpview (11-1 on the field) had little trouble winning on the road the first two weeks of the postseason. First, the Thunderbirds crushed top-seeded Logan, 49-14, and then ran past Woods Cross last weekend, 35-14. Now only two wins separate them from what would be a fourth state title in nine seasons. In the Woods Cross game, quarterback Jake Lloyd led the way with four touchdown passes. The senior now has 46 touchdowns for the season with only six interceptions, according to the Deseret News.

View the MaxPreps Utah football playoff brackets



Meanwhile, East (11-1 on the field) had to win three consecutive road games to reach this week's semifinals. The Leopards had to win a play-in game to even get in to the playoffs. Last week's 21-7 win over Box Elder marked the sixth time East has held an opponent to seven or fewer points this season.

Mitch Stephens: Timpview 28, East 24
Steve Montoya: East 22, Timpview 17
Stephen Spiewak: Timpview 35, East 28
Kevin Askeland: East 42, Timpview 17
Leland Gordon: Timpview 24, East 21
Jamie DeMoney: Timpview 27, East 21
Freeman Computer prediction: East 31, Timpview 28


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

Mentor may need another big game from quarterback Mitch Trubisky in order to knock off nationally ranked St. Edward. Trubisky, a North Carolina recruit, had more than 400 combined passing and rushing yards and six total touchdowns to lead the Cardinals (10-1) to a 45-35 victory against Warren Harding (Warren) in an opening-round playoff game. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound senior has accounted for 43 touchdowns and more than 3,300 yards of total offense this season.

Due to a series of court rulings related to the playoff eligibility of multiple teams, St. Edward (11-0) didn't know who its round-one opponent would be until about 24 hours before last Saturday's game versus Mayfield. In spite of those circumstances, the Region 1 top-seeded Eagles looked no worse from the wear, building a commanding 48-13 halftime lead and rolling to a 55-27 victory.

View the MaxPreps Ohio football playoff brackets

These teams have not met since the 2010 playoffs, when St. Edward beat the Cardinals, 35-21, and went on to capture the Division I state championship.



Mitch Stephens: St. Edward 42, Mentor 28
Steve Montoya: St. Edward 31, Mentor 24
Stephen Spiewak: Mentor 35, St. Edward 34
Kevin Askeland: St. Edward 52, Mentor 24
Leland Gordon: St. Edward 28, Mentor 20
Jamie DeMoney: St. Edward 31, Mentor 23
Freeman Computer prediction: St. Edward 42, Mentor 31


{PAGEBREAK}
Washington (Sioux Falls, S.D.) vs. Brandon Valley (Brandon, S.D.)

In the history of high school football, no team has more state championships than Washington. The Warriors own 38 official state titles dating back to 1905 and can increase the total to 39 with a win in Saturday's Class 11AA final against Brandon Valley. Washington (11-0) rolled into its sixth-straight title game with a stunning 49-3 blowout of O'Gorman in the semifinals. Jon Hander continued his steady play, completing 9 of 12 passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns. The 6-2, 182-pound senior boasts a 128 passer rating for the season.

View the MaxPreps South Dakota football playoff brackets

While Washington is seeking its 39th state title, Brandon Valley hopes to capture its seventh championship and first since 1998. The Lynx (11-0) earned their way to the DakotaDome by eliminating defending champion Roosevelt (Sioux Falls), 34-20. Senior receiver Matthew Vandeberg had two touchdown receptions. The University of Iowa recruit has caught 16 passes for scores this season.

Mitch Stephens: Washington 20, Brandon Valley 13
Steve Montoya: Washington 15, Brandon Valley 7
Stephen Spiewak: Washington 28, Brandon Valley 24
Kevin Askeland: Washington 35, Brandon Valley 7
Leland Gordon: Washington 31, Brandon Valley 21
Jamie DeMoney: Washington 42, Brandon Valley 34





{PAGEBREAK}
Martin (Arlington, Texas) at Bowie (Arlington, Texas)

The District 3-5A championship will be decided in this matchup of crosstown rivals on Thursday. Although Martin won the two previous meetings in the series, the teams are tied with four wins apiece in games played since 2004.

Martin (7-2) has a seven-game winning streak since losing its opening two games against DeSoto and Skyline (Dallas) – two teams that have been ranked in the Top 10 of the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 at some point this season. Despite playing without Texas-committed quarterback/running back Kyle Hicks (who reportedly was under the weather), the Warriors still had more than 300 rushing yards in last week's 52-21 blowout of Houston (Arlington).

View the MaxPreps Texas Top 25 football rankings

Led by dynamic sophomore Tony James at quarterback, Bowie improved to 8-1 when it plastered Arlington High last week, 38-7. James, who is listed at only 5-8, 150 pounds, ran for 109 yards and passed for 236 with three total touchdowns. He has 1,821 total yards and 24 touchdowns this season.



Mitch Stephens: Bowie 35, Martin 28
Steve Montoya: Bowie 28, Martin 14
Stephen Spiewak: Martin 24, Bowie 21
Kevin Askeland: Bowie 35, Martin 14
Leland Gordon: Bowie 42, Martin 40
Jamie DeMoney: Martin 38, Bowie 28


{PAGEBREAK}
Boylan (Rockford, Ill.) at Lake Zurich (Ill.)

Boylan's multi-season winning streak was extended and its quest for a third-consecutive 7A state title was salvaged by a heroic 90-yard punt return for a touchdown by Peter Cimino as time expired in last Saturday's second-round game against Fenwick (Oak Park). Zach Mathews found the end zone on the subsequent 2-point conversion attempt allowing the Titans (11-0) to salvage win No. 39 in a row and punch their ticket to this weekend's quarterfinals with a thrilling 22-21 victory.

View the MaxPreps Illinois football playoff brackets

In addition to continuing the march toward possibly its first state title since 2007, Lake Zurich (9-2) hopes to avenge a 16-10 loss to Boylan in last year's semifinals. The Bears' path to this weekend's matchup was less theatrical than that of Boylan: a 49-0 rout of South (Crystal Lake) in round one followed by a 17-6 win over Honoegah (Rockton) last Saturday. The Honoegah win marked the seventh time in 10 games (not counting one forfeit) that Lake Zurich held an opponent to six points or less.

Mitch Stephens: Lake Zurich 21, Boylan 20
Steve Montoya: Boylan 21, Lake Zurich 20
Stephen Spiewak: Boylan 17, Lake Zurich 10
Kevin Askeland: Boylan 31, Lake Zurich 30
Leland Gordon: Lake Zurich 20, Boylan 19
Jamie DeMoney: Boylan 17, Lake Zurich 14
Freeman Computer prediction: Lake Zurich 20, Boylan 17


{PAGEBREAK}
Plant (Tampa, Fla.) at Robinson (Tampa, Fla.)

The two top-ranked teams in Tampa-St. Pete meet in the regular-season finale for both squads. Although these rivals are located less than 5 miles apart, this is a non-district game. Plant (8-1), the defending Class 8A state champion, has won its last seven games against Robinson by an average margin of 32 points. Robinson (9-0) needs one more win for its first undefeated regular season since 1963, according to TampaBay.com.



Plant has gone 7-0 since a crushing 33-3 loss to nationally ranked Curtis (River Ridge, La.) at the Louisiana Superdome on Labor Day weekend. Senior running back Wesley Bullock – who was limited by injury in the Curtis game – has emerged of late by rushing for more than 100 yards in four of the last six games, including a 108-yard effort on only six carries in a 51-20 blowout of Bloomingdale (Valrico) last week.

See the Plant vs. Robinson series history in the MaxPreps record book

Robinson's strength all season has been its defense. Despite giving up 21 points both last week to Middleton (Tampa) and to Jefferson (Tampa) in the opener, the Knights still have allowed only 66 points total in nine games.

Mitch Stephens: Plant 28, Robinson 21
Steve Montoya: Plant 28, Robinson 20
Stephen Spiewak: Plant 21, Robinson 17
Kevin Askeland: Plant 42, Robinson 40
Leland Gordon: Plant 27, Robinson 20
Jamie DeMoney: Plant 28, Robinson 7


{PAGEBREAK}
Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) at American Heritage (Delray Beach, Fla.)

In one of the top non-district games of the year in South Florida, Dwyer and its stingy defense look to derail defending Class 3A state champion American Heritage's bid for an unbeaten regular season.

Led by a highly athletic front seven, Dwyer's defense is the biggest reason the team has built an 8-1 record. The Panthers have recorded five shutouts and allowed only 60 points all season.



See the latest edition of Friday Night Live

American Heritage is coming off an extra week of rest after it handed perennial Louisiana power West Monroe a stunning 31-7 home defeat on Oct. 27. The key player for the Stallions, without question, is Greg Bryant. The uncommitted 5-11, 205-pound senior is rated the No. 2 running back in the Class of 2013 by MaxPreps. He has 1,245 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns in only 143 carries this season, according to The Palm Beach Post.

Mitch Stephens: American Heritage 24, Dwyer 21
Steve Montoya: Dwyer 28, American Heritage 21
Stephen Spiewak: Dwyer 20, American Heritage 17
Kevin Askeland: American Heritage 28, Dwyer 21
Leland Gordon: American Heritage 29, Dwyer 17
Jamie DeMoney: American Heritage 27, Dwyer 14


{PAGEBREAK}
Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) at Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)

Oaks Christian has hopes of making a deep debut run in the brutally tough Pac-5 playoffs, but first it must bounce back mentally from a disappointing loss to St. Bonaventure (Ventura) last week. After building a seemingly safe 21-0 lead in the second quarter, the Lions allowed St. Bonaventure to score 30 answered points and take home the undisputed Marmonte League title with a 30-21 victory. Standout junior quarterback Brandon Dawkins accounted for 293 yards of offense and ran for two touchdowns for Oaks Christian, which dropped to 8-2 this season.

View the MaxPreps California football playoff brackets

Notre Dame closed the regular season with three straight wins and earned a share of the Serra League championship and its first berth in the postseason since 2009. The Knights (7-3) had perhaps their best all-around game of the year in last week's 49-28 win against Pac-5 at-large playoff qualifier Bishop Amat (La Puente). A top performance was that of senior running back Khalfani Muhammad, who ran for a season-high 261 yards and four touchdowns for Notre Dame, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.



Mitch Stephens: Notre Dame 24, Oaks Christian 21
Steve Montoya: Oaks Christian 28, Notre Dame 21
Stephen Spiewak: Oaks Christian 35, Notre Dame 31
Kevin Askeland: Oaks Christian 28, Notre Dame 14
Leland Gordon: Oaks Christian 35, Notre Dame 30
Jamie DeMoney: Notre Dame 35, Oaks Christian 28


{PAGEBREAK}
Desert Vista (Phoenix) at Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.)

This Division I quarterfinal matchup is the second meeting of the year between the teams that played in last year's state championship game. Desert Vista won the 2011 state final to break Hamilton's 53-game winning streak, but the Huskies got revenge with a 23-13 win over the Thunder on Oct. 5.

View the MaxPreps Arizona football playoff brackets

Overall, Hamilton (9-2) has won nine straight after starting the year with back-to-back losses. One key to the revival has been the efficient play of quarterback Aj Thigpen. The 6-3, 196-pound senior completed 9 of 10 passes for 218 yards and pair of touchdowns in a 44-14 rout of Highland (Gilbert) last week, according to the East Valley Tribune.

Senior running back Jarek Hilgers had 143 rushing yards -- and eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the season – as Desert Vista outlasted Basha (Chandler) in a first-round playoff game last week, 35-28. It was the Thunder's fourth-consecutive win after their loss to Hamilton in October.

Mitch Stephens: Hamilton 28, Desert Vista 21
Steve Montoya: Hamilton 31, Desert Vista 21
Stephen Spiewak: Hamilton 28, Desert Vista 21
Kevin Askeland: Hamilton 28, Desert Vista 7
Leland Gordon: Hamilton 35, Desert Vista 31
Jamie DeMoney: Hamilton 31, Desert Vista 16




{PAGEBREAK}
Rockford (Mich.) at Clarkston (Mich.)

Rockford scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter on its way to beating West Ottawa (Holland), 35-28, to earn its eighth-consecutive district championship and 13th-straight win over its OK-Red Conference rival. According to MLive.com, senior Connor Darby ran for 118 yards and scored two of the Rams' three fourth-quarter touchdowns. The game-winner came from 45 yards out after Rockford (9-2) had recovered an onside kick two plays earlier while trailing 28-27.

View the MaxPreps Michigan football brackets

While Rockford is shooting for its fourth Division I title in nine seasons, state No. 1-ranked Clarkston hopes to collect three more wins needed for its first state championship. The Wolves (11-0) rode the legs of workhorse running back Ian Eriksen to a 35-13 win over Grand Blanc last week. Eriksen – a 5-10, 175-pound senior -- had 205 yards and two touchdowns on a whopping 43 carries.

Mitch Stephens: Clarkston 35, Rockford 28
Steve Montoya: Rockford 33, Clarkston 21
Stephen Spiewak: Clarkston 28, Rockford 27
Kevin Askeland: Clarkston 28, Rockford 27
Leland Gordon: Clarkston 24, Rockford 18
Jamie DeMoney: Rockford 26, Clarkston 21

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