MaxPreps Top 10 High School Football Games of the Week

As the first weekend of October spreads cooler temperatures across much of the nation, conference action in high school football is just starting to heat up.

Nine of this week's MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week are previews of key intraleague contests. But we'll start off with a look at the only nonleague game in this week's lineup. Sixth-ranked Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) has one final tune-up before starting play in the highly competitive Trinity League next week. The Monarchs will be hard-pressed to improve to 5-0 when they travel to Marmonte League power Westlake (Westlake Village) on Thursday night.

Elsewhere, No. 13 Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.) begins a tough trudge through 6A-Region 1 play hosting fellow unbeaten Lowndes (Valdosta); Defending 3A state champion No. 19 Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) has a Catholic League crossover game with 4A power La Salle College (Wyndmoor), and No. 20 Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati) can take a major stride toward another Greater Catholic League South crown with a win Friday against undefeated La Salle (Cincinnati).



As we enter the midpoint of the season, Stephen Spiewak and Leland Gordon are tied for the lead in our season-long prediction contest. Both pickers went 6-4 last week to improve to 40-20 for the season. After back-to-back 5-5 weeks, Jamie DeMoney has fallen out of the lead for the first time since week one. He currently shares third place with Kevin Askeland with an overall record of 39-21. Fifth place belongs to Mitch Stephens (37-23) and Colin Ward-Henninger remains in last place with a 33-27 record.

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.


Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) at Westlake (Westlake Village, Calif.)

What to watch: Sixth-ranked Mater Dei has won all four of its games by a least 14 points, including a 34-12 road triumph against Edison (Huntington Beach) last week in which it allowed just 1 rushing yard for the entire game, according to the Orange County Register. Senior linebacker Gerran Brown leads the Monarchs' front seven with 20 tackles, including five for losses. Westlake (3-1) bounced back from a Sept. 12 defeat to state-ranked Long Beach Poly with a 41-14 blowout of Dominguez (Compton). Junior quarterback Malik Henry – rated a five-star prospect by 247Sports – threw for 303 yards and four touchdowns, both season highs.

Follow live scoring of this game on Qwixcore

Just the facts: According to Mater Dei's football website, this will be the first meeting between these programs, which collectively have nine CIF Southern Section titles since 1991. … Mater Dei and Westlake are ranked Nos. 2 and 9, respectively, in the latest Pac-5 Division poll. Pac-5 teams occupy 17 of the top 35 spots in the MaxPreps California Computer Rankings.

Mitch Stephens: Mater Dei 35, Westlake 28
Kevin Askeland: Mater Dei 40, Westlake 25
Jamie DeMoney: Mater Dei 31, Westlake 24
Stephen Spiewak: Mater Dei 28, Westlake 17
Leland Gordon: Mater Dei 28, Westlake 20
Colin Ward-Henninger: Mater Dei 28, Westlake 21
{PAGEBREAK}
Chaminade (West Hills, Calif.) at Alemany (Mission Hills, Calif.)

What to watch: It's obviously still way too early to declare a champion of the Mission League, but the winner Thursday night between Chaminade and Alemany might emerge as the odds-on favorite. Chaminade (5-0) opened league play with a decisive 24-7 win over previously unbeaten Loyola (Los Angeles) last week. Freshman phenom T.j. Pledger had 101 yards rushing and a touchdown on only seven carries. On the other hand, this will be the first league game for Alemany (4-0). The Warriors were off last week after hammering Dorsey (Los Angles), 45-15, on Sept. 19, according to the Los Angeles Times. Washington State-committed senior Dominic Davis was a star on both sides of the ball in that game for Alemany, running for 215 yards and taking an interception 99 yards for a touchdown.



Follow live scoring of this game on Qwixcore

Just the facts: These teams, which were not in the same conference last season, have not met since 2011. Alemany won that game and also four out of the last seven against Chaminade since 2004. … All seven Mission League members are ranked among the Top 35 in the latest MaxPreps California Computer Rankings.

Mitch Stephens: Alemany 28, Chaminade 21
Kevin Askeland: Alemany 30, Chaminade 21
Jamie DeMoney: Alemany 33, Chaminade 28
Stephen Spiewak: Alemany 30, Chaminade 20
Leland Gordon: Chaminade 42, Alemany 40
Colin Ward-Henninger: Chaminade 35, Alemany 28


{PAGEBREAK}
Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.) at Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.)

What to watch: Action begins in Georgia's tough Class 6A Region 1 with a showdown between the Nos. 2 and 3-ranked teams in MaxPreps Georgia Computer Rankings. Colquitt County (5-0) is ranked 13th nationally in the Xcellent 25 after finishing the first half of the regular season with a 32-point average margin of victory. The Packers have one of top defenses in the state, led by senior linebacker Quintin Hampton. The 6-foot, 225-pound UCF commit had 13 tackles in a 35-14 win over then-nationally ranked Hoover (Ala.) on Aug. 29. The standout defender for unbeaten Lowndes has been linebacker Corveon White. The 5-10, 195-pound senior already has 16 tackles for loss through five games.

Follow live scoring of this game on Qwixcore

Just the facts: Although Colquitt County has won two out of the last three in this series, Lowndes still has an 8-2 overall advantage overall in games played since 2004. … All six members of Class 6A Region 1 enter head-to-head play with 5-0 records. Current members of this region have combined to win 18 state titles in Georgia's largest classification since 1978.



Mitch Stephens: Colquitt County 28, Lowndes 24
Kevin Askeland: Colquitt County 35, Lowndes 14
Jamie DeMoney: Colquitt County 23, Lowndes 13
Stephen Spiewak: Colquitt County 35, Lowndes 28
Leland Gordon: Colquitt County 30, Lowndes 22
Colin Ward-Henninger: Colquitt County 34, Lowndes 31


{PAGEBREAK}
La Salle College (Wyndmoor, Pa.) at Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.)

What to watch: Defending 3A state champion and 19th-ranked Archbishop Wood would probably improve its national ranking with a win Friday against a La Salle team that might be Eastern Pennsylvania's best hope for winning the Class 4A crown. Last week, Wood (5-0) easily avenged one of its two losses from last season with a 47-14 rout of Archbishop Ryan (Philadelphia) to open Philadelphia Catholic League play, according to philly.com. Villanova-bound senior running Jarrett McClenton totaled 202 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, La Salle improved to 4-1 with a stellar 31-20 win against a McDonogh (Owings Mill, Md.) team that handed No. 22 Elder (Cincinnati) its only loss this season. La Salle, which features Vanderbilt-bound senior quarterback Kyle Shurmur, suffered its only loss on the road against Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) on Sept. 6.

Follow live scoring of this game on Qwixcore

Just the facts: This will be the first meeting between these teams since 1998. La Salle won that contest, 28-0, in the PCL playoffs. … La Salle has one state title and Archbishop Wood has claimed two over the past five seasons.

Mitch Stephens: Archbishop Wood 35, La Salle College 28
Kevin Askeland: Archbishop Wood 40, La Salle College 24
Jamie DeMoney: Archbishop Wood 27, La Salle College 17
Stephen Spiewak: Archbishop Wood 28, La Salle College 24
Leland Gordon: Archbishop Wood 24, La Salle College 17
Colin Ward-Henninger: Archbishop Wood 21, La Salle College 20


{PAGEBREAK}
Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati) at La Salle (Cincinnati)

What to watch: No. 20 Moeller can secure its 12th-consecutive win and improve to 2-0 in Greater Catholic League South play with a win over La Salle Friday night. Moeller, the two-time defending Division I state champ, has surrendered only 20 points through five games. Notre Dame-bound senior tackle Elijah Taylor had six tackles and a sack in a 13-7 win over GCL rival St. Xavier (Cincinnati) last week. On the other side, La Salle is also off to a 5-0 start but has yet to play a conference game. The last time La Salle beat Moeller was 2010. To have a shot of doing it again, running back Jeremy Larkin might need to have another big night. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound junior ran for 192 yards and four touchdowns in only 16 carries in a 48-6 rout of Northwest (Cincinnati) last week. He has a GCL South-best 848 yards and 13 touchdowns this season.



Follow live scoring of this game on Qwixcore

Just the facts: La Salle's 2010 win over Moeller was only its second in the last 10 games of the series. The Lancers went on to win a share of the GCL South crown that season for only the second time ever. … A win over La Salle and then next week against No. 22 Elder (Cincinnati) would clinch a 25th undisputed league championship for Moeller.

Mitch Stephens: La Salle 21, Moeller 20
Kevin Askeland: Moeller 38, La Salle 35
Jamie DeMoney: Moeller 24, La Salle 14
Stephen Spiewak: Moeller 21, La Salle 10
Leland Gordon: Moeller 17, La Salle 14
Colin Ward-Henninger: Moeller 21, La Salle 17


{PAGEBREAK}
Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) at Paramus Catholic (N.J.)

What to watch: Saturday is the league opener for both teams in New Jersey's elite Big North United Division. After losing to then-nationally ranked St. Peter's Prep (Jersey City) in week two, Bergen Catholic (3-1) has back-to-back wins over out-of-state powers Bentonville (Ark.) and former national No. 1 St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio). Junior quarterback Jarrett Guarantano – rated a four-star prospect by 247Sports – has completed 64 percent of his passes for 723 yards and seven touchdowns. Paramus Catholic (4-0) sneaked into this week's Xcellent 25 rankings at No. 25 after a 37-31 overtime win against Ohio stalwart St. Ignatius (Cleveland) last Saturday. Senior quarterback Willy Hansen rallied the Paladins from a 24-10 fourth-quarter deficit, rushing for 104 yards and two touchdowns – including the game-winner in overtime.

Sign up to provide live scoring of this game on Qwixcore

Just the facts: The Big North United Division, which also includes top-ranked Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey), was ranked the toughest football league in America last season by MaxPreps. ... Paramus Catholic has a two-game winning streak over Bergen Catholic but still trails 3-7 in games played since 2004.



Mitch Stephens: Paramus Catholic 21, Bergen Catholic 20
Kevin Askeland: Bergen Catholic 14, Paramus Catholic 7
Jamie DeMoney: Paramus Catholic 29, Bergen Catholic 27
Stephen Spiewak: Paramus Catholic 28, Bergen Catholic 27
Leland Gordon: Paramus Catholic 32, Bergen Catholic 21
Colin Ward-Henninger: Paramus Catholic 20, Bergen Catholic 14


{PAGEBREAK}
DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) at Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.)

What to watch: As per usual, Friday's game will figure prominently in what looks like a wide-open race for the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference regular season crown. DeMatha, the defending WCAC champion, started the season 1-2 with losses to Pennsylvania powers Archbishop Wood and La Salle College. But the Stags now have two straight wins against battle-tested Eastern Christian Academy (Elkton) and previously unbeaten league rival St. John's (Washington) in overtime last week. Meanwhile, Good Counsel (4-1) is also coming off its best win of the season, a 17-7 upset of then-nationally ranked Gonzaga (Washington). The Falcons outgained Gonzaga 170-22 on the ground with all but eight of its rushing yards coming from three-star junior running back Jonathon Lee.

Follow live scoring of this game on Qwixcore

Just the facts: This has been a back-and-forth rivalry during the last decade, with Good Counsel owning a slim 7-6 advantage in games played since 2004. … Either DeMatha or Good Counsel has won the WCAC football title in every season since 2003. DeMatha has seven championships and Good Counsel owns four during the time frame.

Mitch Stephens: Good Counsel 28, DeMatha 27
Kevin Askeland: DeMatha 31, Good Counsel 27
Jamie DeMoney: Good Counsel 27, DeMatha 24
Stephen Spiewak: Good Counsel 21, DeMatha 20
Leland Gordon: Good Counsel 17, DeMatha 16
Colin Ward-Henninger: DeMatha 28, Good Counsel 27


{PAGEBREAK}
Ben Davis (Indianapolis) at Carmel (Ind.)

What to watch: To have any real chance at snagging a share of the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference (MIC) title for a third-straight season, Ben Davis needs a win Friday over unbeaten Carmel. Ben Davis is 5-1 with its loss occurring two weeks ago against No. 24 Warren Central (Indianapolis), the team currently tied atop the league standings with Carmel. The Giants rebounded from the setback in a big way with a 56-6 massacre of Lawrence North (Indianapolis) last week. It's the fourth time in the last five years Ben Davis has beaten Lawrence North by 50 or more points. On the other side, Carmel (6-0) is also fresh off its most lopsided win of the year. Despite committing five turnovers and 13 penalties, the Greyhounds blanked North Central (Indianapolis), 56-0. It was their sixth shutout against the Panthers since 2009.



Follow live scoring of this game on Qwixcore

Just the facts: This will be the 12th meeting between these teams in the last 11 years. Ben Davis has won the last two, but Carmel owns a 6-5 edge in games played since 2004. … A current member of the MIC has captured the state title in Indiana's largest classification in 12 of the last 13 seasons.

Mitch Stephens: Ben Davis 30, Carmel 28
Kevin Askeland: Carmel 28, Ben Davis 27
Jamie DeMoney: Carmel 27, Ben Davis 24
Stephen Spiewak: Ben Davis 24, Carmel 21
Leland Gordon: Carmel 31, Ben Davis 28
Colin Ward-Henninger: Ben Davis 24, Carmel 20


{PAGEBREAK}
St. Mary Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.) at Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.)

What to watch: Sole possession of first place in the Detroit Catholic Central Division will be determined Friday night when St. Mary Prep battles Brother Rice for the 24th time in the last 17 seasons. St. Mary earned its first 5-0 start since 2010 after rallying for a 14-10 win over De La Salle (Warren) last week, according to the Detroit Free Press. The Eaglets pulled it out with a Brendan Tabone-to-Ross W moore touchdown pass with just six seconds left in the game. Meanwhile, Brother Rice (5-0) extended its winning streak to 27 with an easier-than-expected 41-14 win over rival Catholic Central (Novi). Michigan-committed senior quarterback Alex Malzone threw for 276 yards and three touchdowns, according to mlive.com.

Sign up to provide live scoring of this game on Qwixcore

Just the facts: These teams have split their last 16 games played during the last decade, but St. Mary Prep holds a slim 14-11 edge overall in the all-time series. … Brother Rice is coached by Dave Sofran, who was a player and then a longtime assistant under the legendary coach Al Fracassa. The Warriors won nine state titles – including in the last two seasons – and 387 games in Fracassa's 45 seasons at the school.



Mitch Stephens: Brother Rice 31, St. Mary Prep 28
Kevin Askeland: Brother Rice 28, St. Mary Prep 21
Jamie DeMoney: Brother Rice 30, St. Mary Prep 17
Stephen Spiewak: Brother Rice 21, St. Mary Prep 14
Leland Gordon: St. Mary Prep 21, Brother Rice 17
Colin Ward-Henninger: Brother Rice 35, St. Mary Prep 21


{PAGEBREAK}
Baylor (Chattanooga, Tenn.) at McCallie (Chattanooga, Tenn.)

What to watch: The lone unbeaten teams in Tennessee's Division II-AA renew a rivalry that dates back nearly 110 years. Led by Mississippi State recruit Nick Tiano, Baylor (6-0) has buried its last three opponents by a combined score of 113-27. Tiano is a 6-5, 228-pound dual-threat quarterback rated three stars by 247Sports. McCallie is off to its first 6-0 start since 2001 after it stunned four-time defending state champion Ensworth (Nashville), 62-34, last week. Alex Trotter, a 5-9, 170-pound senior running back, powered the Blue Tornado with 177 rushing yards and five touchdowns, according to the Chattanoogan.

Follow live scoring of this game on Qwixcore

Just the facts: The Baylor-McCallie rivalry is the oldest in Tennessee. Baylor has won six in a row on the heels of a McCallie 11-game winning streak between 1998-2008. Overall, Baylor maintains a 43-35-3 advantage in the series that began in 1905 but actually was dormant from 1941-70. … McCallie's win over Ensworth last week was its first in 10 games since that series started in 2007.

Mitch Stephens: Baylor 34, McCallie 33
Kevin Askeland: McCallie 35, Baylor 28
Jamie DeMoney: McCallie 47, Baylor 42
Stephen Spiewak: McCallie 40, Baylor 32
Leland Gordon: Baylor 50, McCallie 42
Colin Ward-Henninger: McCallie 27, Baylor 24

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.