MaxPreps Top 10 high school football games of the week

We begin our weekly look at the MaxPreps Top 10 Football Games of the Week along the shores of Lake Erie, where Cleveland westside rivals St. Edward and St. Ignatius renew one of Ohio's top rivalries -- the "Holy War" -- for the 52nd time.

Setting pride aside, Saturday is a key game for postseason positioning. St. Edward and St. Ignatius could both use a win to improve their seeding when the Division I state playoff brackets are released on Sunday.

In action involving ranked teams, third-ranked Allen will try to make quick work of another district opponent when it travels to one-loss Plano West. No. 8 St. John Bosco can move closer to a second-straight Trinity League title with a win over reeling Servite. No. 17 Starkville tries to move closer to its first undefeated season since 1995 with a win against district rival Warren Central. And No. 23 Clay-Chalkville looks to build momentum entering the postseason with a non-region road date with Hewitt-Trussville.

After posting a 7-3 record last week, Jamie DeMoney expanded his lead in our season-long predictions contest. DeMoney's 68-32 overall record is two games better than Stephen Spiewak's and five clear of Mitch Stephens'. Fourth place currently belongs to Leland Gordon (62-38), followed by Kevin Askeland (61-39) and Colin Ward-Henninger (54-46).



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.


St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) at St. Ignatius (Cleveland)

What to watch: Although the teams already have five losses between them, both are already assured entry into the first round of the Division I state playoffs. St. Edward (7-2) has won five straight after back-to-back losses in late September that knocked it from the No. 1 ranking in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25. Notre Dame commit Shaun Crawford totaled 131 yards of offense and a touchdown to lift the now unranked Eagles to a 24-10 win over two-time defending state champ Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati) last week. St. Ignatius (6-3) had a three-game winning streak snapped when it lost 24-10 to St. Xavier (Cincinnati) the same day. St. X stifled the Wildcats' running game to the tune of just 13 yards gained on 18 attempts (0.7 average).

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Just the facts: St. Ignatius has won three of the last four games against St. Edward, all of which were decided by seven points or less. The Wildcats also have the edge in the series all-time, 28-22-1. … These two all-male Catholic schools, which are located only about six miles apart, have combined to win 84 state championships in 20 different sports since 1978.

Mitch Stephens: St. Edward 28, St. Ignatius 21
Kevin Askeland: St. Ignatius 14, St. Edward 13
Jamie DeMoney: St. Edward 34, St. Ignatius 21
Stephen Spiewak: St. Ignatius 21, St. Edward 20
Leland Gordon: St. Ignatius 24, St. Edward 19
Colin Ward-Henninger: St. Edward 20, St. Ignatius 17


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Allen (Texas) at Plano West (Texas)

What to watch: Allen's quest for a ninth-consecutive district title would become mission accomplished with a win Friday night against Plano West. The third-ranked Eagles (8-0) have lost only one district game since 2006 and haven't lost to Plano West in more than a decade. Senior Kyler Murray – a Texas A&M pledge – earned his 35th straight win as Allen's starting quarterback with a 63-17 rout of Flower Mound last Friday. Murray accounted for five touchdowns in the game, upping his season total to 39. Meanwhile, Plano West (7-1) crushed Hebron (Carrollton), 50-7, for its third consecutive victory. Senior running back Soso Jamabo – a four-star prospect according to 247Sports – led the Wolves with 153 rushing yards and two touchdowns, according to starlocalmedia.com.



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Just the facts: Allen crushed Plano West, 77-37, when the teams met last season. It's the most points Allen has scored in a game since 1952. … Plano West's last victory against Allen was in 2004. That is also the last time the Wolves won 10 games in a season.

Mitch Stephens: Allen 48, Plano West 35
Kevin Askeland: Allen 45, Plano West 30
Jamie DeMoney: Allen 56, Plano West 35
Stephen Spiewak: Allen 55, Plano West 40
Leland Gordon: Allen 52, Plano West 38
Colin Ward-Henninger: Allen 48, Plano West 28


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Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) at St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)

What to watch: Servite, which began the season ranked nationally in several polls, needs a win Friday against No. 8 St. John Bosco to keep from falling below .500. Servite (4-4) has been victimized by injuries as well as its brutal schedule. The Friars lost to top-ranked Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) and No. 2 De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) in nonconference play, then dropped to 1-2 in the Trinity League with a tough 22-17 setback against Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita) last week. Oregon-bound senior quarterback Travis Waller, who is nursing a foot injury, was held to 85 rushing yards and only 42 passing years – both season lows. On the other side, St. John Bosco (7-1) is just two wins shy of a second consecutive undefeated Trinity League record. Last week, UCLA-committed quarterback Josh Rosen accounted for three touchdowns in a 54-43 win against Orange Lutheran.

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Just the facts: St. John Bosco beat Servite the last two seasons after it lost seven in a row to the Friars from 2005-11. … This is a matchup of the nation's top-ranked pro-style quarterback (Rosen) and fifth-rated dual-threat prospect (Waller), according to 247Sports.



Mitch Stephens: St. John Bosco 42, Servite 28
Kevin Askeland: St. John Bosco 42, Servite 35
Jamie DeMoney: St. John Bosco 44, Servite 23
Stephen Spiewak: St. John Bosco 28, Servite 24
Leland Gordon: St. John Bosco 45, Servite 30
Colin Ward-Henninger: St. John Bosco 44, Servite 35


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Warren Central (Vicksburg, Miss.) at Starkville (Miss.)

What to watch: Starkville would inch closer to a Class 6A, Region 2 title and stay on track for its first undefeated season in nearly 20 years with a win Friday night. Starkville (9-0) rose to No. 17 in the latest MaxPreps Xcellent 25 after 31-6 win over Murrah (Jackson) last week. It was the seventh-straight game in which the Yellowjackets held an opponent to seven or fewer points. On the same night, Warren Central suffered its first loss of the year at home to state-ranked Clinton, 14-13. Chris Stamps, a Mississippi State recruit, caught what might have been a game-tying touchdown pass for Warren Central, but the Vikings (8-1) failed to covert on the ensuing PAT.

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Just the facts: Starkville must defeat Warren Central and, most likely, the aforementioned Clinton next Friday in order to claim an undisputed region championship. … Starkville senior quarterback Brady Davis – a Memphis commit – ranks third in Mississippi this season with 27 touchdown passes.

Mitch Stephens: Starkville 28, Warren Central 14
Kevin Askeland: Starkville 40, Warren Central 25
Jamie DeMoney: Starkville 27, Warren Central 13
Stephen Spiewak: Starkville 35, Warren Central 21
Leland Gordon: Starkville 24, Warren Central 21
Colin Ward-Henninger: Starkville 35, Warren Central 28


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Clay-Chalkville (Pinson, Ala.) at Hewitt-Trussville (Trussville, Ala.)

What to watch: Josh Floyd would end his first regular season as Hewitt-Trussville head coach on a very high note with an upset over No. 23 Clay-Chalkville Friday night. Floyd, who was lured to Alabama after winning four state titles in 10 years at Shiloh Christian (Springdale, Ark.), saw his team fall to 5-4 on the season with a 38-24 home loss to national power Hoover last week. Junior quarterback Zac Thomas threw for 244 yards but was stung by a season-high two interceptions. Meanwhile, Clay-Chalkville (9-0) piled up 625 yards of total offense in a 45-20 rout of Gardendale that wrapped up a disputed Class 6A, Region 6 championship. Middle Tennessee State-committed running back Terrelle West led the Cougars with 224 rushing yards and two touchdowns, according to al.com.



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Just the facts: From 1996-98, Floyd passed for 10,606 yards and 147 touchdowns while playing for current Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn at Shiloh Christian. … Clay-Chalkville, which averages more than 48 points per game this season, would break a state record if it scores at least 20 points this week. The Cougars are tied with Hoover (2001-04) with 56 straight games scoring 20 or more points.

Mitch Stephens: Clay-Chalkville 35, Hewitt-Trussville 21
Kevin Askeland: Clay-Chalkville 35, Hewitt-Trussville 21
Jamie DeMoney: Clay-Chalkville 38, Hewitt-Trussville 17
Stephen Spiewak: Clay-Chalkville 21, Hewitt-Trussville 14
Leland Gordon: Clay-Chalkville 42, Hewitt-Trussville 14
Colin Ward-Henninger: Clay-Chalkville 31, Hewitt-Trussville 21


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Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) at Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.)

What to watch: Byrnes would be a virtual lock to be outright champion of Class 4A, Region II with a win Friday night over Dorman. Byrnes is the lone unbeaten team in region play and it closes the season next week against 1-8 Wade Hampton. Overall, the Rebels enter the game with 8-1 record, their only loss coming in September at No. 2 De La Salle (Concord, Calif.). Micah Young has impressed in his first year in the spotlight as Byrnes' starting quarterback. The junior has passed for 2,029 yards, 23 touchdowns and only four interceptions. Dorman is also 8-1, but its loss was in-region to rival Spartanburg on Oct. 10 (35-28). It's the only time the Cavaliers have been held under 30 points all season. Engineering Dorman's high-powered offense is promising junior quarterback Collin Hill, a 6-5, 210-pounder who has 11 touchdowns in the last three games.

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Just the facts: Byrnes has won 11 of 14 games against Dorman since 2004, including the last four in a row. … Dorman's most noteworthy win over Byrnes during the past decade was a 28-17 triumph in the 2009 Class 4A state championship game.

Mitch Stephens: Dorman 27, Byrnes 24
Kevin Askeland: Byrnes 30, Dorman 28
Jamie DeMoney: Byrnes 37, Dorman 34
Stephen Spiewak: Byrnes 44, Dorman 41
Leland Gordon: Byrnes 41, Dorman 20
Colin Ward-Henninger: Byrnes 42, Dorman 28




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Blackman (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) at Hoover (Ala.)

What to watch: Blackman can complete the first undefeated regular season in its 15-season history, but for that to happen the Blaze must find a way to win at The Hoover Met. Hoover (7-2) started this season ranked in the Top 5 of most national polls but lost at home to No. 13 Miami Central on opening weekend -- it was only the fourth home loss for the Bucs since 2004 – and fell again the next week at No. 10 Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.). Hoover has since strung together seven straight wins, all by double-digit margins. The Bucs wrapped up a third-consecutive region crown with a 38-24 win over Hewitt-Trussville last week, according to al.com. Senior Marcus Webb posted a season-high 182 rushing yards and two touchdowns. On the other side, Blackman (9-0) got three incredible, explosive plays from its defense and special teams – and needed all three to hold off Siegel (Murfreesboro), 42-28. Ronnie Killings scored on a pair of 99-yard kickoff returns in the first quarter, and teammate Quentin Hardy returned an interception for a touchdown – also covering 99 yards and also occurring in the first quarter, according to dnj.com.

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Just the facts: Friday will be the first meeting ever between these teams and the first game for Blackman against an Alabama opponent. … Hoover has a 7-5 record against out-of-state competition since 2005.

Mitch Stephens: Hoover 28, Blackman 27
Kevin Askeland: Hoover 17, Blackman 14
Jamie DeMoney: Hoover 34, Blackman 27
Stephen Spiewak: Hoover 17, Blackman 14
Leland Gordon: Hoover 27, Blackman 21
Colin Ward-Henninger: Hoover 28, Blackman 20


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Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.) at Valdosta (Ga.)

What to watch: Valdosta (7-1) must prevail against crosstown rival Lowndes for any chance at sharing the 6A Region 1 crown with nationally ranked Colquitt County. Even more desperate, Lowndes (6-2) needs a win to keep from slipping even more onto the playoff bubble. Lowndes has missed out on the postseason only once since 2006. Both teams had a bye last week to prepare for Friday's showdown. In its last game action, Valdosta suffered its first loss of the season to No. 10 Colquitt County, 48-20. The Wildcats defense struggled after having surrendered only 44 points combined in the previous seven games. Meanwhile, Lowndes has lost two of its last three games. The Vikings fell at Colquitt County, 45-27, on Oct. 3 and fell at Lee County (Leesburg), 42-30, on Oct. 17.



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Just the facts: Valdosta has a national-record 889 wins and 23 state titles since its first season in 1913. Lowndes has 350 wins and five state crowns since its program started in 1966. … Valdosta was dubbed "TitleTown USA" through an ESPN online vote in 2008. The city has also been nicknamed "Winnersville."

Mitch Stephens: Valdosta 27, Lowndes 21
Kevin Askeland: Valdosta 28, Lowndes 21
Jamie DeMoney: Valdosta 25, Lowndes 18
Stephen Spiewak: Valdosta 24, Lowndes 21
Leland Gordon: Lowndes 26, Valdosta 24
Colin Ward-Henninger: Valdosta 24, Lowndes 20


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Wayne (Huber Heights, Ohio) at Centerville (Ohio)

What to watch: The Greater Western Ohio Conference Central Division championship goes to the winner of this regular-season finale between undefeated rivals. Senior quarterback D'mitrik Trice leads a Wayne offense averaging nearly 47 points per game in nine wins. Trice, a Division I basketball prospect as a point guard, has thrown for a league-high 2,211 yards and 24 touchdowns this season. Another hoops star, Ahmad Wagner, is Trice's top target. The 6-foot-6, 215-pound Iowa hardwood commit is third in the GWOC with 612 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Centerville is shooting for its first unbeaten regular season since 2004. Compared to Wayne, the Elks (9-0) have a more methodical offensive attack that features senior running back Damian Popp. The 5-10, 190-pounder has over 2,700 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns during the last two seasons.

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Just the facts: Wayne holds a 7-5 advantage against Centerville in games played since 2004 and has won five of the last six. … Either Wayne or Centerville has won or shared the GWOC championship in all but two seasons since 2001.

Mitch Stephens: Centerville 17, Wayne 14
Kevin Askeland: Wayne 28, Centerville 14
Jamie DeMoney: Wayne 27, Centerville 15
Stephen Spiewak: Wayne 31, Centerville 20
Leland Gordon: Wayne 32, Centerville 25
Colin Ward-Henninger: Centerville 21, Wayne 14


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Alhambra (Phoenix) at Tempe (Ariz.)

What to watch: Senior quarterback Emanuel Gant could break Arizona's career passing yardage record with a single flick of his wrist, and his Tempe teammates could also celebrate the program's first 10-0 start since 1996. Gant needs just 27 yards to become the state's all-time leading passer. The 6-3, 230-pound senior currently has 9,619 yards in a four-year career. He was expected to break the record during a 38-26 win over Moon Valley last week, but was held to just 151 passing yards – his lowest total since the third game of his sophomore season. Although Alhambra (7-2) has lost its last two games, the Lions still have clinched their third winning season in the last four years. Quite an accomplishment for a program that was an overall 54 games below .500 from 2004 to 2010. Alhambra does most of its offensive damage on the ground, rushing for 3,398 yards as a team so far this season.

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Just the facts: Gant is trying the break the passing record set by Saguaro's Luke Rubenzer from 2010-13. Rubenzer is currently the starting quarterback for Cal. … Last season, Tempe won the only other meeting between these teams during the past decade (55-28).

Mitch Stephens: Tempe 42, Alhambra 24
Kevin Askeland: Tempe 45, Alhambra 35
Jamie DeMoney: Tempe 48, Alhambra 17
Stephen Spiewak: Tempe 30, Alhambra 14
Leland Gordon: Tempe 54, Alhambra 32
Colin Ward-Henninger: Tempe 20, Alhambra 16



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.