MaxPreps Top 10 high school football Games of the Week: St. Xavier vs. Colerain

Video: Top 10 Games of the Week
MaxPreps previews some of the top matchups in the nation this weekend.

St. Xavier (Cincinnati) at Colerain (Cincinnati)

Why it's big: This the top crosstown rivalry game in Cincinnati that isn't a head-to-head Greater Catholic League South game. St. Xavier has won nine of the last 14 games in the series, including two over the Cardinals last season. The Bombers opened the season with a 57-7 drubbing of Covington Catholic (Park Hills, Ky.). They led 50-0 at the half and outgained the Colonels 345 to 20.

Colerain had a lot more pushback in its opener, a 27-16 win over Warren Central (Indianapolis). As usual, Colerain's strength on offense is its power rushing attack. The Cardinals piled up 381 yards on the ground against Warren Central. Leading the way was senior quarterback Deshaunte Jones, who had 183 yards and three touchdowns on only 14 carries.

Names to watch: St. Xavier's quarterback is junior Sean Clifford. He's a 6-foot-3, 210-pound Penn State commit who's ranked the nation's 13th-best pro-style passer in the Class of 2017 by 247Sports. Clifford was an efficient 9-for-11 passing for 102 yards and two touchdowns last week.



Colerain has two FBS-committed offensive linemen paving the way for its downhill running game. Nathan Niehaus, a 6-6, 250-pound tackle, is committed to West Virginia. Desmond Noel (6-3, 280) has pledged to Ohio. Jones, who is being recruited as an athlete, has a handful of FBS offers.