MaxPreps Top 10 High School Football Games of the Week

The last MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week for the month of September has five games that involve nationally ranked teams and also two intriguing interregional games to be played in Sandy, Utah.

On Friday, Allen (Texas) will put its undefeated record and MaxPreps Xcellent 25 national ranking on the line when it travels to fellow unbeaten Coppell. Although both teams have a "run-first" offensive mentality, plenty of scoring is expected. Each squad is averaging more than 35 points per game and the teams combined to score more than 70 when they last met in 2008.

Meanwhile, No. 6 Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.) could have its hands full it meets Valdosta (Ga.) at legendary Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. This will be Camden County's maiden voyage as a member of Georgia's ultra tough Region 1-AAAAA.

Major League Soccer venue Rio Tinto Stadium in suburban Salt Lake City will be the site of the Xfinity Challenge on Saturday. Host teams Jordan (Sandy) and Alta (Sandy) would make a major statement for prep football in Utah if they can beat St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) and defending national champion Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.).



There is a two-way tie for the lead in our season-long predictions contest. Stephen Spiewak and Jamie DeMoney have each correctly prognosticated the winner in 38 of 50 featured games this season. Steve Montoya and Leland Gordon share third place, only one game off the pace. Mitch Stephens and Kevin Askeland are bringing up the rear but are just two games behind the leaders.

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, Leland Gordon and Jamie DeMoney.

MaxPreps Top 10 Football Games of the Week

Allen (Texas) at Coppell (Texas)

Allen amassed more than 300 rushing yards en route to a comfortable 42-17 victory over Hebron (Lewisville) last week. It was the Eagles' fourth win – all by at least 17 points. Not a lot was expected back in the preseason from this Allen team – which returned only five total starters – but it opened the year with a 24-0 win over then-nationally ranked Carroll (Southlake) and itself is now ranked 15th in the latest MaxPreps Xcellent 25.

Allen is the No. 1 Southwest team in this week's Regional Computer Rankings

Coppell improved its record to 4-0 with a 35-14 blowout of Garland last week. The Cowboys were led by speedy junior Gavin McDaniel, who ran for three touchdowns and more than 150 yards. Coppell's defense, featuring New Mexico-bound lineman William Udeh, has allowed only 31 points through four games.

Mitch Stephens: Coppell 28, Allen 27
Steve Montoya: Allen 31, Coppell 21
Stephen Spiewak: Allen 24, Coppell 21
Kevin Askeland: Allen 30, Coppell 28
Leland Gordon: Allen 28, Coppell 20
Jamie DeMoney: Coppell 35, Allen 27





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Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.) at Valdosta (Ga.)

This is the Region 1-AAAAA debut for sixth-ranked Camden County, which should be in for its toughest test of the season after winning four games by a combined score of 198-19. The Wildcats employ a run-heavy Wing-T offense that limits opportunities for senior quarterback Brice Ramsey to make plays through the air. But the 6-foot-4, 205-pound Georgia recruit still has 11 touchdown passes with a .625 completion percentage this season.

See our list of the Top 50 all-time winningest programs

Valdosta remains the winningest team in prep football history but its standing among the elite in Georgia has slipped behind the likes of Camden County. The Wildcats won the most recent of its 21 state titles in 1998, while Camden County has three in the last 10 years. Valdosta is 3-1 this season following a 31-7 blowout of Newton (Covington) last week.

Mitch Stephens: Valdosta 21, Camden County 20
Steve Montoya: Camden County 17, Valdosta 14
Stephen Spiewak: Camden County 21, Valdosta 17
Kevin Askeland: Camden County 45, Valdosta 12
Leland Gordon: Camden County 42, Valdosta 16
Jamie DeMoney: Camden County 28, Valdosta 14





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St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) vs. Jordan (Sandy, Utah)

This is a matchup of two of the nation's top sophomore quarterbacks. St. John Bosco features 6-3, 190-pounder Josh Rosen, who threw nine touchdown passes in the Braves' last two games. For Jordan, reigning Freshman of the Year Austin Kafentzis already has 1,491 passing and 914 rushing yards and 29 total touchdowns in less than six full games. The 6-1, 195-pound dynamo had 4,565 all-purpose yards and 55 touchdowns as a freshman.

See the other U.S. Air Force Freshman All-Americans

St. John Bosco's impressive 4-0 start to the season turned to a disappointing 0-4 (four forfeit losses) earlier this week after the school self-reported to the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section that it had unknowingly used an ineligible player. Before the wins were erased, the Braves' average of victory was 52 points. Meanwhile, Jordan is officially 5-0 with all wins by double digits. The lone asterisk for the Beetdiggers is an Aug. 31 game in which it narrowly trailed East (Salt Lake City) in the third quarter before the game was called off after an electrical fire was discovered at the stadium.

Mitch Stephens: St. John Bosco 42, Jordan 35
Steve Montoya: St. John Bosco 31, Jordan 21
Stephen Spiewak: Jordan 28, St. John Bosco 21
Kevin Askeland: St. John Bosco 32, Jordan 14
Leland Gordon: Jordan 24, St. John Bosco 22
Jamie DeMoney: St. John Bosco 41, Jordan 37



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Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) vs. Alta (Sandy, Utah)



In the second game of the day at Sandy's Rio Tinto Stadium, defending national champion and road warrior Don Bosco will play its third game of the early season away from New Jersey. After losing the opener in Maryland to Gilman (Baltimore), the Ironmen have bounced back with an impressive 20-10 win at St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) followed by a 62-14 blowout of DePaul (Wayne) last week for their 56th-straight win against in-state opponents.

See photos from Don Bosco Prep's trip to Baltimore and the Patriot Classic

Alta's only loss was to rival Jordan, 36-24, on Sept. 14. Last week, the Hawks improved to 5-1 with a 48-31 win over Brighton (Salt Lake City). Chipper Lucero passed for 299 yards and five touchdowns. The 6-2, 195-pound junior already has 1,711 yards and 15 touchdowns this season.

Mitch Stephens: Don Bosco Prep 28, Alta 14
Steve Montoya: Don Bosco Prep 45, Alta 20
Stephen Spiewak: Don Bosco Prep 17, Alta 7
Kevin Askeland: Don Bosco Prep 42, Alta 14
Leland Gordon: Don Bosco Prep 24, Alta 14
Jamie DeMoney: Don Bosco Prep 41, Alta 37



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Glenville (Cleveland) at St. Ignatius (Cleveland)

Glenville has won its last four games by huge margins after it opened the season with a blowout loss to St. Edward (Lakewood). The Tarblooders have a 5-3 record in games played against St. Ignatius since the 2004 season despite losing two of the last three in the series.

See the Glenville vs. St. Ignatius series history in the MaxPreps record book

Seventh-ranked St. Ignatius has built on the momentum that led it to last season's Division I state title. The Wildcats beat all five of their first opponents by at least 24 points, including last week's 34-10 win at McDowell (Erie, Pa.). Boston College-committed end Kevin Kavalec leads one of the top defensive lines in the nation.



Mitch Stephens: St. Ignatius 35, Glenville 21
Steve Montoya: St. Ignatius 28, Glenville 14
Stephen Spiewak: St. Ignatius 42, Glenville 14
Kevin Askeland: St. Ignatius 25, Glenville 21
Leland Gordon: St. Ignatius 21, Glenville 14
Jamie DeMoney: St. Ignatius 42, Glenville 20



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Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) vs. St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.)

Trinity survived a road trip to Lucas Oil Stadium to face Cathedral (Indianapolis) last week. A nationally televised 24-16 triumph extended the No. 8 Shamrocks' winning streak to 30 games, which is tied for the longest among teams ranked in this week's MaxPreps Xcellent 25 rankings. Quarterback Travis Wright threw for more than 300 yards and two touchdowns against Cathedral. The senior has 85 touchdown passes since 2010.

See the Trinity vs. St. Xavier series history in the MaxPreps record book

St. Xavier wants to snap a four-game losing streak to its archrival in this game played annually before upwards of 30,000 fans at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. Another loss would mean the Tigers' slim 36-35-2 lead in the all-time the series would be gone. Junior Charles Walker had more than 100 yards rushing last week as St. X improved to 4-2 for the season with a 27-13 win over two-time defending Class 3A champion Central (Louisville).

Mitch Stephens: Trinity 27, St. Xavier 21
Steve Montoya: Trinity 42, St. Xavier 21
Stephen Spiewak: Trinity 21, St. Xavier 20
Kevin Askeland: Trinity 38, St. Xavier 10
Leland Gordon: Trinity 45, St. Xavier 21
Jamie DeMoney: Trinity 34, St. Xavier 31





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Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) at Narbonne (Harbor City, Calif.)

Mater Dei has started the season with a 4-0 record for the first time since 2007. The Monarchs won a hard-fought victory over then-unbeaten Edison (Huntington Beach) last week, 20-14. Southern California baseball commit Ryan McMahon threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Thomas Duarte in the second quarter for the final margin of victory. This game will be featured on this week's Friday Night Live show powered by American Family Insurance.

Read Editor Leland Gordon's game preview story

With a win over tradition-rich Mater Dei, No. 14 Narbonne's national reputation would continue to pick up steam. The Gauchos have an explosive offense -- led by Washington-bound quarterback Troy Williams -- that averages 45 points per game. Their defense, featuring playmaking linebacker Marquis Lomax, has surrendered only one offensive touchdown in four games.

Mitch Stephens: Narbonne 35, Mater Dei 28
Steve Montoya: Narbonne 45, Mater Dei 41
Stephen Spiewak: Narbonne 31, Mater Dei 28
Kevin Askeland: Narbonne 50, Mater Dei 12
Leland Gordon: Narbonne 34, Mater Dei 19
Jamie DeMoney: Narbonne 31, Mater Dei 21





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South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C.) at Northwestern (Rock Hill, S.C.)

These rivals have split eight previous games since South Pointe fielded its first varsity team in 2006. While they share the same hometown, these rivals' formulas for winning is a little different. South Pointe is more likely to smother an opponent into submission with a swarming defense. The Stallions have allowed 10 points or less in eight of their last 20 games. Northwestern, on the other hand, is known for a wide-open offense that is averaging more than 47 points per game this year.

See the South Pointe vs. Northwestern series history in the MaxPreps record book

South Pointe notched its 15th-consecutive win with a 35-14 road triumph over Fort Mill last week. Northwestern, whose only loss this season was to fifth-ranked Byrnes (Duncan), got six touchdown passes from junior quarterback Mason Rudolph to spark a 48-13 blowout of Lancaster.

Mitch Stephens: South Pointe 28, Northwestern 27
Steve Montoya: Northwestern 21, South Pointe 20
Stephen Spiewak: Northwestern 35, South Pointe 20
Kevin Askeland: Northwestern 28, South Pointe 21
Leland Gordon: South Pointe 27, Northwestern 25
Jamie DeMoney: Northwestern 35, South Pointe 20



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Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.) at Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.)

Lowndes enters the trudge of Region 1-AAAAA play after waltzing past four non-region opponents by a combined margin of 176-23. The Vikings would like to avenge their 34-7 loss to Colquitt County from last season. It was their largest margin of defeat since the 2002 season.



See the Lowndes vs. Colquitt County series history in the MaxPreps record book

Colquitt County has won three straight after starting the year with a 16-14 upset loss to North Gwinnett (Suwanee). The Packers are operating with a two-quarterback system this season with senior Cole Segraves and junior Daniel Mobley sharing snaps. Each signal caller completed nine passes for around 150 yards and one touchdown in Colquitt County's 33-0 blowout of Carver (Columbus) last Friday.

Mitch Stephens: Colquitt County 21, Lowndes 17
Steve Montoya: Colquitt County 28, Lowndes 21
Stephen Spiewak: Colquitt County 28, Lowndes 21
Kevin Askeland: Colquitt County 28, Lowndes 7
Leland Gordon: Colquitt County 27, Lowndes 7
Jamie DeMoney: Colquitt County 28, Lowndes 19



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Bolingbrook (Ill.) at Lincoln-Way East (Frankfort, Ill.)

Revenge is on the minds of Bolingbrook players who remember going 13-1 and capturing the Class 8A state title last year, but also losing to Southwest Suburban Blue Conference rival Lincoln-Way East during the regular season. The Raiders (5-0) picked up their 13th-straight win with a 45-28 victory over Homewood-Flossmoor (Flossmoor) last week. University of Illinois-committed quarterback Aaron Bailey led the way with more than 150 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

See the Bolingbrook vs. Lincoln-Way East series history in the MaxPreps record book



Senior defensive back Sean Doherty had two interceptions – including one he returned 47 yards for a touchdown – as Lincoln-Way East defeated Sandburg (Orland Park), 28-7, to improve to 5-0 this season. Quarterback Tommy Fuessel, a Northern Illinois recruit, added a 50-yard touchdown run for the Griffins.

Mitch Stephens: Bolingbrook 28, Lincoln-Way East 21
Steve Montoya: Lincoln-Way East 14, Bolingbrook 7
Stephen Spiewak: Bolingbrook 35, Lincoln-Way East 28
Kevin Askeland: Bolingbrook 21, Lincoln-Way East 14
Leland Gordon: Lincoln-Way East 27, Bolingbrook 26
Jamie DeMoney: Lincoln-Way East 28, Bolingbrook 27



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