MaxPreps Top 10 High School Football Games of the Week

With Thanksgiving weekend at hand, MaxPreps has prepared another feast of previews spotlighting the Top 10 high school football games of the week across the nation.

We begin in Colorado, where Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium is the site of the Class 5A state championship game. Defending champ Valor Christian has lost only four times to in-state opponents since 2010 and is trying to win a state title for the fifth-consecutive season. In contrast, Fairview is shooting for its first crown since 1987. The Knights are 12-0 this year after finishing with just a net .500 record over the last three seasons.

In featured games involving Xcellent 25 teams, No. 16 St. Edward (Lakewood) and No. 21 Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati) face semifinal tests on opposite sides of the Ohio Division I playoff bracket. And the day after the Detroit Lions host Thanksgiving at Ford Field, No. 24 Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) and Muskegon (Mich.) hit the turf with the Division 2 state championship on the line.

See high school football playoff brackets from across the nation



Jamie DeMoney has created some breathing room for himself at the top of the standings in our season-long predictions contest. Jamie correctly selected the winners in all of the 10 games last week to improve his cumulative record to 100-39-1. He is four games ahead of Stephen Spiewak and six games better than Leland Gordon.

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.


Fairview (Boulder, Colo.) vs. Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.)

What to watch: Fairview is the last unbeaten team in Class 5A. The Knights have one of the state's most potent passing games, led by Anders Hill. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound senior has thrown for 3,659 yards and 35 touchdowns this season. Valor Christian lost only to Utah 5A champion Bingham this year - in overtime. The Eagles (12-1) feature Stanford-bound running back Christian McCaffrey, who has 2,358 combined rushing and receiving yards with 39 touchdowns.

Just the facts: McCaffrey, a varsity player since his freshman season, holds the 11-man state record of 136 career touchdowns. … Saturday will be the first meeting ever between these programs. Valor Christian opened its doors in 2007 and did not begin playing at the 5A level until last year.

Mitch Stephens: Valor Christian 35, Fairview 21
Kevin Askeland: Valor Christian 42, Fairview 23
Jamie DeMoney: Valor Christian 27, Fairview 11
Stephen Spiewak: Valor Christian 35, Fairview 20
Leland Gordon: Valor Christian 49, Fairview 41
Colin Ward-Henninger: Valor Christian 28, Fairview 14
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New London (Conn.) at Norwich Free Academy (Conn.)



What to watch: The oldest rivalry in high school football. It's the 152nd renewal of this traditional Thanksgiving Day matchup, which was first played in 1875, and is featured along with other famous holiday traditional matchups. The winner earns the outright title in the Eastern Connecticut Conference Large Division and secures home-field advantage for a first-round playoff game. After a 1-2 start, New London has won seven in a row. Senior Jose Garcia returned a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns in the Whalers' 44-24 win against East Lyme last week. Norwich Free Academy (8-1) rolled over Stonington, 63-35, for its sixth-consecutive win. Boston College commit Marcus Outlow ran for 228 yards – his second-straight game with more than 200 yards on the ground.

Just the facts: New London has won four of the last six games in this uber-rivalry, but NFA still has a 74-66-11 edge overall. … According to author Brian Girasoli's book chronicling the rivalry, the teams actually stopped playing each other for two years after a brawl broke out in the 1951 game.

Mitch Stephens: Norwich Free Academy 28, New London 27
Kevin Askeland: Norwich Free Academy 32, New London 31
Jamie DeMoney: Norwich Free Academy 28, New London 27
Stephen Spiewak: Norwich Free Academy 35, New London 21
Leland Gordon: Norwich Free Academy 41, New London 31
Colin Ward-Henninger: New London 35, Norwich Free Academy 21
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St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) vs. Mentor (Ohio)

What to watch: The Division I state semifinal for the northeast half of Ohio is the third postseason meeting for these teams since 2010. One big thing they have in common is their only loss this year was to St. Ignatius (Cleveland). Another is the domination they displayed in dispatching three prior playoff opponents. Mentor (12-1) won its first three postseason games by a combined 111-3 score. St. Edward (12-1) won by a cumulative total of 119-7. Cincinnati-bound senior Conner Krizancic has 3,417 combined passing and rushing yards and 37 touchdowns this season for Mentor. One of the top weapons for St. Edward's offense is Michigan-committed junior Shaun Crawford.

Just the facts: Saturday is a rematch of a wild state quarterfinal game from last season won by Mentor (63-56). The teams have split four games against each other overall since 2009. … A win gives St. Edward its first trip back to the state championship game since winning it all in 2010. Mentor hasn't played on the final weekend of the season since it lost the 2006 state championship game.

Mitch Stephens: Mentor 28, St. Edward 27
Kevin Askeland: Mentor 40, St. Edward 28
Jamie DeMoney: St. Edward 31, Mentor 27
Stephen Spiewak: St. Edward 44, Mentor 40
Leland Gordon: St. Edward 31, Mentor 21
Colin Ward-Henninger: St. Edward 42, Mentor 28
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Hilliard Davidson (Ohio) vs. Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati)



What to watch: Moeller wants back-to-back state championship game appearances for the first time in nearly 35 years, but first it must take down Division I's last unbeaten team in the semifinals. Davidson (13-0) is playing the same tough, physical defense that propelled it to its only state championships in 2006 and '09. The Wildcats have allowed only seven points to each of their last four opponents. Moeller (12-1) earned its spot in Saturday's game by defeating then-nationally ranked Colerain (Cincinnati), 35-26. Senior quarterback Gus Ragland led the Crusaders with season-highs of 204 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

Just the facts: This will be the 15th time Moeller has played in a state semifinal game since 1973. The Crusaders have won eight championships since 1975. Hilliard Davidson is making its fifth trip to the semifinals. … Although both teams appear in the top 8 of Ohio's dynasty rankings since 2003, their paths have never crossed in the playoffs nor the regular season.

Mitch Stephens: Moeller 28, Hilliard Davidson 21
Kevin Askeland: Moeller 40, Hilliard Davidson 30
Jamie DeMoney: Hilliard Davidson 24, Moeller 21
Stephen Spiewak: Moeller 30, Hilliard Davidson 20
Leland Gordon: Moeller 21, Hilliard Davidson 20
Colin Ward-Henninger: Moeller 28, Hilliard Davidson 21
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Muskegon (Mich.) vs. Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.)

What to watch: The final game – win or lose – in the legendary career of Al Fracassa. Brother Rice (13-0) would love to send its longtime coach into retirement with a third-consecutive Division 2 state title. It would be the ninth championship and 386th win in Fracassa's 45 seasons at the school. Standing in the way is Muskegon, the winningest program in Michigan history. The Big Reds (12-1) are shooting for their fourth state title in the last 10 years.

Just the facts: Friday's game is a rematch of last year's Division 2 title game. Brother Rice won it (35-28) to even the all-time series between the teams at 3-3. … Senior quarterback Deshaun Thrower – a Stony Brook basketball signee – scored the game-winning touchdown with less than a minute left in Muskegon's 41-35 win over Portage Central in last week's semifinals. Brother Rice advanced with a 43-20 rout of King (Detroit).

Mitch Stephens: Brother Rice 35, Muskegon 28
Kevin Askeland: Brother Rice 38, Muskegon 21
Jamie DeMoney: Brother Rice 34, Muskegon 24
Stephen Spiewak: Brother Rice 21, Muskegon 7
Leland Gordon: Brother Rice 18, Muskegon 16
Colin Ward-Henninger: Brother Rice 17, Muskegon 14
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Long Beach Poly (Calif.) vs. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)



What to watch: Two of Southern California's historic powers meet with a berth in championship game of the Pac 5 Division on the line. Poly (11-1) has won 10 in a row and may have played its best game of the season in a 44-8 rout of St. Bonaventure (Ventura) last week. Senior athlete John "JuJu" Smith – a five-star prospect according to 247Sports – scored a pair of touchdowns and was all over the field on defense. Mater Dei (10-2) advanced after handing Mission Viejo its first loss of the season (21-14). The Monarchs sacked Mission Viejo quarterback Ian Feiber three times and harassed the San Jose State recruit into throwing three interceptions.

Just the facts: Poly beat Mater Dei for the Pac 5 title last season. Prior to that, the teams went 1-1-1 when they played for the CIF-Southern Section Division I title three consecutive times in the late 1990s. … Poly's Pac 5 championship last year was its record 19th section title. Mater Dei is shooting for its 10th all-time CIF-SS championship but first since 1998.

Mitch Stephens: Mater Dei 14, Long Beach Poly 13
Kevin Askeland: Mater Dei 35, Long Beach Poly 30
Jamie DeMoney: Long Beach Poly 27, Mater Dei 9
Stephen Spiewak: Long Beach Poly 28, Mater Dei 27
Leland Gordon: Mater Dei 16, Long Beach Poly 13
Colin Ward-Henninger: Long Beach Poly 28, Mater Dei 24
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St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) at Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.)

What to watch: Two of South Florida's top defenses butting heads with a trip to the Class 7A state semifinals at stake. Dwyer improved to 12-0 with a 49-7 blowout of Blanche Ely (Pompano Beach) last week. It's the 10th time the Panthers have limited an opponent to a touchdown or less this season. St. Thomas Aquinas has allowed a foe to score more than seven points on only three occasions this year. The Raiders (10-2) clinched their 10th consecutive season with at least 10 wins by defeating Plantation, 20-6.

Just the facts: Since 2003, St. Thomas Aquinas has won four of its seven state titles and won at least two playoff games every season. … Friday will be just the third meeting between these teams since 2004. Both games were decided by a field goal, including Dwyer's 6-3 win in the 2011 state quarterfinals.

Mitch Stephens: St. Thomas Aquinas 21, Dwyer 20
Kevin Askeland: St. Thomas Aquinas 35, Dwyer 14
Jamie DeMoney: St. Thomas Aquinas 24, Dwyer 17
Stephen Spiewak: St. Thomas Aquinas 14, Dwyer 7
Leland Gordon: St. Thomas Aquinas 21, Dwyer 15
Colin Ward-Henninger: St. Thomas Aquinas 35, Dwyer 21
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Lamar (Houston) vs. Pearland (Texas)



What to watch: Two of the top defenses in the Houston area mixing it up with a trip to the Class 5A/I Region 3 championship game awaiting the winner. Lamar (11-0) has shut out two of its last three opponents, including a 36-0 win over Alief Taylor (Houston) last Saturday. The Redskins, who have four senior defenders committed to FBS colleges, limited Alief Taylor to a mere 5 yards rushing for the game. Pearland (11-1) – an Xcellent 25 team earlier this season – recorded 11 sacks in a 39-15 win against Fort Bend Austin (Sugar Land). The Oilers have dropped the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage a total of 45 times this season.

Just the facts: Pearland's best season in the last 10 years was when it went 16-0 and won a 5A state title in 2010. Lamar's best mark during the past decade was a year ago, when it was 15-0 before losing to nationally ranked Allen in the 5A/I championship game. … Lamar has reached the state championship game only three times since it started playing in 1937. Its only state title was won in 1953.

Mitch Stephens: Lamar 21, Pearland 17
Kevin Askeland: Pearland 38, Lamar 35
Jamie DeMoney: Lamar 26, Pearland 13
Stephen Spiewak: Pearland 17, Lamar 14
Leland Gordon: Pearland 18, Lamar 15
Colin Ward-Henninger: Lamar 42, Pearland 35
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Montini (Lombard, Ill.) vs. Sacred Heart-Griffin (Springfield, Ill.)

What to watch: Montini attempting to become just the second team in Illinois history to win five consecutive state championships. The Broncos (13-0) punched their ticket to the 5A championship game with a 42-20 win against previously unbeaten Sycamore last week. Senior quarterback Alex Wills accounted for five touchdowns, pushing his season total to 37. Sacred Heart-Griffin also takes a 13-0 record into Saturday's game, however one of its wins was by forfeit over 4A finalist Rochester. Cyclones junior quarterback Gabe Green has thrown for 3,169 yards with 40 touchdowns and only two interceptions this year.

Just the facts: Sacred Heart-Griffin's 127 wins are the most in the state of Illinois since 2003. Montini's total of 108 wins is tied for 16th-best. … This will be SHG's first appearance on Thanksgiving weekend since state titles in three out of four seasons from 2005-08.

Mitch Stephens: Montini 17, Sacred Heart-Griffin 14
Kevin Askeland: Montini 35, Sacred Heart-Griffin 14
Jamie DeMoney: Montini 28, Sacred Heart-Griffin 17
Stephen Spiewak: Montini 35, Sacred Heart-Griffin 20
Leland Gordon: Montini 28, Sacred Heart-Griffin 17
Colin Ward-Henninger: Montini 21, Sacred Heart-Griffin 17
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Central Catholic (Portland, Ore.) vs. Tigard (Ore.)



What to watch: A Class 6A semifinal showdown featuring the top two teams in the final state media poll of the regular season. Top-ranked Central Catholic is averaging more than 53 points per game this season. The Rams (12-0) have a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in junior Cameron Scarlett and senior Ryan Nall. No. 2 Tigard (12-0) averages more than 55 points per game and has beaten every team on its schedule by at least 28 points. The Tigers also have a potent rushing attack, led by Montana-committed fullback Aj Hotchkins (6-0, 225).

Just the facts: A win Saturday would put Tigard a step closer to its first state title since winning the Class 4A crown in 2003. For Central Catholic, the championship drought has been much longer. The Rams are trying to reach the winner's circle for the first time since their back-to-back titles in 1952-53. … This is a rematch of a state quarterfinal game won by Tigard last season. The teams have met only one other time in the last 10 seasons.

Mitch Stephens: Tigard 35, Central Catholic 31
Kevin Askeland: Central Catholic 35, Tigard 13
Jamie DeMoney: Central Catholic 29, Tigard 27
Stephen Spiewak: Central Catholic 20, Tigard 10
Leland Gordon: Tigard 42, Central Catholic 40
Colin Ward-Henninger: Central Catholic 49, Tigard 28

Jamie DeMoney is in his 20th season covering high school sports and recruiting. He is a Regional Content Manager and Product Specialist for XOS Digital and compiles the National Prep Poll for World Features Syndicate.