MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week

Not every prep football aficionado agrees on what makes a great matchup. Some aren't truly interested unless two nationally ranked teams play each other. Others get more excited when two good teams from diverse parts of the country do battle. Then there are the traditionalists who believe the only games that really matter are when nearby rivals battle each other.

Regardless of your particular taste, there's something for everyone in this installment of the MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week.

In the only matchup between teams in this week's Xcellent 25 rankings, No. 5 Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) hopes to continue its dream season, but will have its work cut out for it when it visits No. 16 St. Xavier (Cincinnati).

The most noteworthy interregional games of the weekend take place in Bradenton, Fla., where top-ranked Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) and rival Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) participate in a doubleheader against Manatee (Bradenton) and Plant (Tampa, Fla.), respectively.



Meanwhile, conference play is beginning in some regions of the country, including the Detroit metro where Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) will host league rival De La Salle (Warren, Mich.) on Sunday. It will be Brother Rice's first game in its new on-campus stadium Fracassa Field.

Kevin Askeland has recorded back-to-back 9-1 weeks, leaving him two games up on the competition in our season-long predictions contest. Jamie DeMoney and Stephen Spiewak went 8-2 last week and are two games back. With 4-6 records last week, Steve Montoya and Mitch Stephens slipped further behind the pace. You can track our overall results and standings all season long by clicking here.

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 and Jamie DeMoney.

Begin slideshow{PAGEBREAK}No. 5 Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) at No. 16 St. Xavier (Cincinnati)

Trinity has bulldozed every team in its path so far this season, including Greater Cincinnati Catholic League power Elder last week. The Shamrocks rolled up nearly 600 yards of offense inside Elder's famed facility "The Pit." Doug Ramsey, who has seen several nationally ranked teams in his decade and a half as Elder's head coach told the Cincinnati Enquirer, "In my 15 years that's probably one of the top five teams we've played." The dynamic all-junior pass-catch combo of Travis Wright and James Quick connected on three touchdown strikes. With a win on Friday, Trinity would even its record against GCL opponents to 4-4 since 2007.

St. X will have several challenges when it plays Trinity. The obvious ones are finding a way to contain Trinity's explosive offense and finding ways to exploit Trinity's stout defense. But the Bombers also must be able to recoil emotionally after a draining 17-14 win last week over Colerain, which ended the Cardinals' 61-game home winning streak. Senior running back Conor Hundley was held to just 53 rushing yards against Colerain but scored two touchdowns to up his season total to seven. St. Xavier has a 19-4 record against non-Ohio opponents since 2004.



Mitch Stephens: Trinity 24, St. Xavier 21
Steve Montoya: Trinity 24, St. Xavier 21
Stephen Spiewak: Trinity 28, St. Xavier 17
Kevin Askeland: Trinity 45, St. Xavier 30
Jamie DeMoney: Trinity 31, St. Xavier 16
{PAGEBREAK}No. 1 Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) at Manatee (Bradenton, Fla.)

The path to a possible national championship doesn't get any easier in week two of the season for top-ranked Don Bosco Prep. The Ironmen were at home for their opener, a surprisingly comfortable 35-7 win over So-Cal power Mission Viejo (Calif.). Don Bosco Prep's John Wilkins was a standout in his first game as starting tailback. The senior had more than 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Super sophomore Jabrill Peppers also had a pair of touchdown runs. This Friday, the Ironmen will be more than 1,000 miles away from home taking on Manatee. Don Bosco has won 36 consecutive games, including its last seven against out-of-state opponents.

Manatee already has one game against a nationally ranked foe under its belt this season. It lost 24-17 in double-overtime at No. 14 Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) in its opener. The Hurricanes got back on the winning track last week with a 48-6 laugher against Riverview (Sarasota). Standout junior quarterback Cord Sandberg threw for one score and ran for another as Manatee built an early first-half lead then coasted to victory. Manatee has not lost a home game since Oct. 30, 2009.

Mitch Stephens: Don Bosco Prep 21, Manatee 10
Steve Montoya: Don Bosco Prep 21, Manatee 14
Stephen Spiewak: Don Bosco Prep 28, Manatee 10
Kevin Askeland: Don Bosco Prep 35, Manatee 7
Jamie DeMoney: Don Bosco Prep 24, Manatee 18
{PAGEBREAK}Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) vs. Plant (Tampa, Fla.)

Bergen Catholic looked in midseason form during its opening win over back-to-back Pennsylvania 4A finalist La Salle College (Wyndmoor) last Saturday. In the 41-17 triumph, the Crusaders got 315 passing yards and five total touchdowns from junior Jonathan Germano, who made his first varsity start under center. The real strength of this year's team might be its defense, which has nine returning starters led by FBS defensive back prospect Charles Wingate. Bergen Catholic has a nine-game winning streak going against out-of-state opponents.

This is game two of a doubleheader at Manatee High School between New Jersey and Florida powers. It's the third regular season game of the year for Plant, which improved to 2-0 when it whipped Hillsborough (Tampa, Fla.), 36-6, last week. Senior quarterback James Few threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score to lead the Panthers. Plant has won two state titles and reached the state finals four times in the last five years.

Mitch Stephens: Plant 23, Bergen Catholic 21
Steve Montoya: Plant 35, Bergen Catholic 20
Stephen Spiewak: Bergen Catholic 28, Plant 24
Kevin Askeland: Bergen Catholic 28, Plant 21
Jamie DeMoney: Plant 31, Bergen Catholic 17
{PAGEBREAK}No. 11 Gaffney (S.C.) at Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.)

Gaffney has been a juggernaut this season under second-year coach Dan Jones. The Indians have beaten four opponents – including a pair of state-title contenders in Dorman (Roebuck) and Greenwood – by a combined total of 191-45. Joey Copeland's first year at quarterback has netted outstanding results. This senior has completed more than 71 percent of his passes for more than 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also has nine rushing touchdowns, including a 24-yarder last week in Gaffney's 62-10 obliteration of Union County (Union, S.C.).



Last week, Byrnes bounced back from its 28-21 double-overtime loss to Myrtle Beach on Sep. 2 with a 56-2 assault on Bayside (Palm Bay, Fla.). It began a new home winning streak for the Rebels, who were victories in 70 consecutive home games before losing to Myrtle Beach. Though Byrnes has clearly been the top team in South Carolina for nearly a decade, Gaffney has been an ongoing thorn in its side. The Rebels have lost only eight times to in-state opponents since 2004, and four of those were to Gaffney.

Mitch Stephens: Byrnes 28, Gaffney 24
Steve Montoya: Gaffney 14, Byrnes 6
Stephen Spiewak: Gaffney 31, Byrnes 17
Kevin Askeland: Gaffney 50, Byrnes 35
Jamie DeMoney: Gaffney 35, Byrnes 28


{PAGEBREAK}Red Lion Christian Academy (Bear, Del.) at Calvert Hall (Baltimore)

Red Lion Christian is a small private school in Delaware aspiring to become a big football institution on a national scale. There are 10 teams on Red Lion's schedule and none are from Delaware. Instead, the Lions are playing some of the top programs from football-rich states such as Florida, Ohio and nearby Maryland. The team improved to 2-0 this season with a 41-6 blowout of Annapolis Christian (Md.) at last week's Patriot Classic at Navy Stadium. There are several highly touted prospects on the Lions' roster, but none more noteworthy than freshman quarterback David Sills. The 6-foot-2, 170-pounder -– who made a well-publicized verbal commitment to USC when he was in the seventh grade -– fired four touchdown throws and totaled 292 passing yards last week.

Calvert Hall made a statement when it shut out perennial Washington D.C.-area power DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.), 18-0, at the Patriot Classic, holding the Stags to less than 50 total yards for the game. West Virginia recruit Da'quan Davis capped the Cardinals' scoring with a 35-yard return of an interception for a touchdown. This is the second meeting between these programs. Calvert Hall defeated Red Lion 27-20 last November.

Mitch Stephens: Calvert Hall 28, Red Lion Christian 27
Steve Montoya: Red Lion Christian 35, Calvert Hall 21
Stephen Spiewak: Red Lion Christian 28, Calvert Hall 20
Kevin Askeland: Red Lion Christian 28, Calvert Hall 27
Jamie DeMoney: Calvert Hall 27, Red Lion Christian 24
{PAGEBREAK}Upper St. Clair (Pa.) at North Allegheny (Wexford, Pa.)

Expect a physical battle in the trenches as these two Western Pennsylvania powers get together in the final week before conference play begins. Upper St. Clair has a pair of Northwestern recruits on its offensive line in guard Ian Park and tight end Jack Schwaba. University of Pittsburgh commit Dakota Conwell is the Panthers' starting quarterback and also a standout linebacker. Upper St. Clair was dominant in its first two games, defeating Shaler Area (Pittsburgh) 49-0 in the opener and Norwin (North Huntingdon, Pa.) 42-0 last week.

North Allegheny returned only seven starters from a team that went 15-1 and won the 4A state championship last season. The strength of this year's squad is on the offensive and defensive lines, where the leader is top-notch junior recruit Patrick Kugler (6-4, 265). The Tigers are 2-0, with comfortable wins over State College and Butler to start the year. They also defeated Upper St. Clair, 27-0, last season. It was only the second win for the Tigers over USC in their last eight meetings.



Mitch Stephens: North Allegheny 21, Upper St. Clair 19
Steve Montoya: North Allegheny 21, Upper St. Clair 14
Stephen Spiewak: Upper St. Clair 31, North Allegheny 28
Kevin Askeland: North Allegheny 28, Upper St. Clair 21
Jamie DeMoney: Upper St. Clair 24, North Allegheny 21
{PAGEBREAK}No. 10 DeSoto (Texas) at Stony Point (Round Rock, Texas)

DeSoto began the year outside of MaxPreps' Xcellent 25 team rankings but is now firmly entrenched after three impressive wins. The explosive Eagles, who won the Texas 7-on-7 state title during the summer, have outscored their competition by a combined score of 151-16. That includes last week's 45-13 blowout of Cedar Hill, a team considered to be a serious contender for the Class 5A title. First-year starting quarterback Raheem Wilson accounted for four touchdowns in the game. He also scored six a week earlier in a 63-0 rout of Douglass (Oklahoma City) in the Kirk Herbstreit Classic.

Following three consecutive seasons of at least 13 wins, Stony Point was a favorite in the Class 5A title race this season. The Tigers returned only six total starters, but there were high expectations nonetheless. That talk has been quieted by a disappointing start. Stony Point is 2-1 with a pair of wins over teams from Mexico (including one by forfeit). Its loss came in week two to Wagner (San Antonio), a team the Tigers beat by 42 points the year before. Despite some struggles on offense, the very definite strength of this squad is its defense led by SMU-committed tackle Brian Cramer. DeSoto and Stony Point played a pair of high-scoring games in 2010. Stony Point was on top in both, winning 46-29 in the regular season and 72-48 in 5A state quarterfinals.

Mitch Stephens: DeSoto 35, Stony Point 28
Steve Montoya: DeSoto 41, Stony Point 35
Stephen Spiewak: DeSoto 42, Stony Point 41
Kevin Askeland: DeSoto 42, Stony Point 28
Jamie DeMoney: DeSoto 31, Stony Point 18
{PAGEBREAK}Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.) at Desert Ridge (Mesa, Ariz.)

Two teams with winning streaks of over 40 games already have been beaten this season. Hamilton, victorious in its last 43 straight, hopes to avoid becoming the third when it travels to Desert Ridge, the second-ranked team in the state according to the Arizona Republic. The Huskies had to replace eight starters on both sides of the ball this season. They have won their last two games by a combined 99-7 after beating Mountain Pointe (Phoenix) in the opener by only 10.

Desert Ridge probably has had this game circled since it lost to Hamilton 21-13 in last year's 5A/I state championship game. Last week, the Jaguars were easy 48-0 winners against Highland (Gilbert). Senior quarterback Parker Rasmussen rushed for nearly 200 yards and accounted for five total touchdowns.



Mitch Stephens: Hamilton 24, Desert Ridge 21
Steve Montoya: Hamilton 28, Desert Ridge 21
Stephen Spiewak: Desert Ridge 17, Hamilton 10
Kevin Askeland: Hamilton 40, Desert Ridge 20
Jamie DeMoney: Desert Ridge 27, Hamilton 17
{PAGEBREAK}Grant (Sacramento, Calif.) at Lincoln (Stockton, Calif.)

MaxPreps Top 100 running back Shaq Thompson ran for 158 yards and two touchdowns as Grant blew out Burbank 40-8 last week. The game before, the Pacers lost a 24-23 heartbreaker to Long Beach Poly. It was their first regular-season loss since the 2007 season.

Although it lost to Grant 56-20 in week three last season, Lincoln could be the favorite in this matchup. The Trojans already have a win against preseason section favorite Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove), which they beat 50-49 in double-overtime Sept. 3. Justin Davis has been Lincoln's go-to guy on offense this season. The junior running back is averaging 147 rushing yards per game with six touchdowns.

Mitch Stephens: Grant 21, Lincoln 20
Steve Montoya: Grant 21, Lincoln 20
Stephen Spiewak: Grant 28, Lincoln 24
Kevin Askeland: Lincoln 35, Grant 20
Jamie DeMoney: Lincoln 35, Grant 27
{PAGEBREAK}De La Salle Collegiate (Warren, Mich.) at Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.)
University of Michigan commit Shane Morris is one of the most touted junior quarterbacks in the country. The 6-3, 190-pounder has led De La Salle to three consecutive wins to start the season, in which it has averaged 36 points. Morris has completed 61 percent of his throws for 499 yards with five touchdowns and only one interception. The Pilots have won only three of the last 10 meetings against Brother Rice, but did defeat the Warriors last season, 7-0.

For Brother Rice, Sunday's game means more than just the start of the Detroit Catholic League season, it's also the first true home game in the school's storied football tradition. A new on-campus stadium has opened bearing the name Fracassa Field in honor of long-time coach Al Fracassa, who has 398 career wins (354 at Brother Rice) and has led the Warriors to seven state championships. This year's team improved to 3-0 with a 42-9 rout of St. Francis De Sales (Toledo, Ohio) last week. Northern Illinois commit Devin Church ran for 122 yards and one touchdown on just 10 carries.

Mitch Stephens: Brother Rice 38, De La Salle 28
Steve Montoya: Brother Rice 7, De La Salle 0
Stephen Spiewak: Brother Rice 30, De La Salle 20
Kevin Askeland: De La Salle 35, Brother Rice 21
Jamie DeMoney: Brother Rice 25, De La Salle 24

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