MaxPreps Top 10 Football Games of the Week

Hard to believe, in some parts of the country the regular season is already winding down. Two of the MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week feature season-ending showdowns, including the Catholic Central championship game in suburban Detroit.

On the other hand, league play is just getting under way in Southern California. Servite (Anaheim) looks to extend its 13-game in-conference winning streak when it hosts undefeated Orange Lutheran in the Trinity League opener for both teams. Both the Trinity and the Catholic Central are in the MaxPreps Top 10 toughest leagues list.

Another story to watch this week is how well St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) rebounds from last week's 38-7 loss to top-ranked Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.). If any hangover symptoms are present, the Eagles could be in for a long day when they travel to play St. Xavier (Cincinnati).

Just a meager three games still separate first place from last place in our season-long predictions contest. Despite only picking half of last week's games correctly, Kevin Askeland remains in first place with a 56-24 mark for the year. Former cellar dweller Mitch Stephens went 6-4 last week and moved into second just two games off the pace. Jamie DeMoney, Steve Montoya and Stephen Spiewak – all of whom went 5-5 last week – share third place in the standings.



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.

Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) at Servite (Anaheim, Calif.)

The Trinity League schedule kicks off with what could be an outstanding game at Cerritos College. Orange Lutheran (5-0) already has matched its win total from last season and certainly is one of the most improved teams on the West Coast. The Lancers have gotten steady play and leadership from senior quarterback Conner Sullivan, who has completed 73 percent of his passes for 965 yards with seven touchdowns and only one interception. Tight end and Florida State commit Christo Kourtzidis caught five passes for 100 yards in Orange Lutheran's last game, a 33-13 win over Redondo Union (Redondo Beach) on Sept. 30.

Servite hasn't lost a conference game since dropping its Trinity League opener to Mater Dei in October of 2008. That was also the last time the Friars had lost a regular season game before they were beaten by nationally ranked Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), 31-28, two weeks ago.

Mitch Stephens: Orange Lutheran 22, Servite 21
Steve Montoya: Servite 21, Orange Lutheran 10
Stephen Spiewak: Servite 20, Orange Lutheran 14
Kevin Askeland: Orange Lutheran 35, Servite 20
Jamie DeMoney: Servite 21, Orange Lutheran 17

{PAGEBREAK}No. 24 Daphne (Ala.) at Fairhope (Ala.)



Daphne is the defending 6A champion with 22 straight wins, but is ranked only 11th this week in MaxPreps' Freeman Rankings for Alabama. The primary reason is because the Trojans' first seven opponents are a collective 23 games below .500 this season. Still, Daphne has been dominant, winning by an average margin of 30 points. Its offensive attack relies heavily on the talents of senior running back T.J. Yeldon. The Auburn commit has rushed for nearly 1,200 yards with 19 touchdowns this season.

Fairhope is 6-1 with its only loss coming by one point to undefeated McGill-Toolen (Mobile) on Sept. 2. The Pirates are one week removed from a 45-34 win over rival Foley, a team Daphne defeated by 21 a month earlier. Chase Domino, the Pirates' 6-foot-3, 185-pound quarterback, passed for more than 200 yards and ran for more than 100 with three total touchdowns against Foley.

Mitch Stephens:  Daphne 24, Fairhope 21
Steve Montoya: Daphne 17, Fairhope 7
Stephen Spiewak: Daphne 28, Fairhope 17
Kevin Askeland: Daphne 45, Fairhope 14
Jamie DeMoney: Fairhope 27, Daphne 21

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{PAGEBREAK}Indianapolis Cathedral at
No. 15 Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati)

Cathedral, the defending Indiana 4A champion, has a 5-3 record but all three losses are high-quality. The Fighting Irish lost their opener, 24-21, to 5A power Ben Davis. They were beaten 27-24 one week later by nationally ranked Warren Central (Indianapolis). Their third loss was by 22 in a Sept. 23 road game versus the No. 3 team in this week's MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings, Trinity (Louisville, Ky.). Cathedral has won only three of its last 10 games against Cincinnati Greater Catholic League opponents, but two of the wins were against Moeller, including a 35-10 rout last season.

Moeller (7-0) is third nationally in this week's Freeman Rankings. With the exception of a 27-24 win over St. Xavier (Cincinnati) on Sept. 23, the Crusaders have beaten everyone on their difficult schedule by at least two touchdowns. With a 36-10 win last week at Elder, they secured their 23rd outright GCL title but first since 1997.



Mitch Stephens: Moeller 27, Cathedral 21
Steve Montoya: Cathedral 28, Moeller 14
Stephen Spiewak: Moeller 35, Cathedral 21
Kevin Askeland: Moeller 42, Cathedral 21
Jamie DeMoney: Moeller 34, Cathedral 24

{PAGEBREAK}Carmel (Ind.) at Ben Davis (Indianapolis)

Carmel and Ben Davis own 7-1 records heading into the final week of Indiana's regular season. The lone blemishes for both are narrow losses to nationally ranked Warren Central (Indianapolis). Carmel fell to the Warriors, 22-20, on a last-second field goal Sept. 30. It's the only time the Greyhounds have allowed more than 20 points this season. In fact, they have shut out four opponents and have an average margin of victory of nearly 40 points.

Long a traditional power in the Hoosier State, this is Ben Davis' finest regular season in recent memory. The Giants – whose only loss was by six to Warren Central on Sept. 9 – look like a real contender for an eighth state title but first since 2002. Senior quarterback Matt Brock leads the team in both passing and rushing yards this year and has 15 total touchdowns.

Mitch Stephens: Ben Davis 35, Carmel 28
Steve Montoya: Ben Davis 21, Carmel 14
Stephen Spiewak: Carmel 21, Ben Davis 20
Kevin Askeland: Carmel 33, Ben Davis 14
Jamie DeMoney: Carmel 28, Ben Davis 20

{PAGEBREAK}Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.) at Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.)

Lowndes is already playing catch-up in the Class 5A Region 1 race after losing in improbable fashion to crosstown rival Valdosta on national television last week, 21-17. Valdosta found the end zone twice in the final minute of the game to claim the victory. It broke a seven-game winning streak over the Wildcats and dropped the Vikings to 0-1 in the region and 5-2 overall. Senior Mike Moore had more than 100 rushing yards in the game for Lowndes.

Colquitt County had a couple of blowout wins since suffering its only loss of the year, which came Sept. 16 at Warner Robins, 16-8. The Packers (6-1) top the charts in the highly competitive Georgia Class 5A division in this week's Freeman Rankings. They opened region play last week with a 46-12 rout of Tift County (Tifton). Colquitt County's defense forced seven turnovers in the game. Senior quarterback Cole Segraves tied a season high with three touchdown passes.



Mitch Stephens: Lowndes 29, Colquitt County 21
Steve Montoya: Colquitt County 14, Lowndes 13
Stephen Spiewak: Lowndes 28, Colquitt County 24
Kevin Askeland: Lowndes 35, Colquitt County 30
Jamie DeMoney: Colquitt County 25, Lowndes 22

{PAGEBREAK}Carencro (Lafayette, La.) at Barbe (Lake Charles, La.)

Carencro is a perfect 6-0 and is Louisiana's No. 1-ranked team in the MaxPreps Freeman Rankings. Coming off a 5-5 mark last season, the Bears are probably the most improved team in the Bayou. Their average scoring output is up nearly 30 points per game (24.5 to 54.1) and their defense is allowing about 11 points fewer per game. Senior quarterback Jalen Nixon had more than 100 rushing yards on only three carries in a 55-8 blowout of Comeaux (Lafayette) last week.

Like Carencro, Barbe has had little trouble putting points on the board this season. The 4-2 Buccaneers average 39 points game. Last week, they clobbered defending 5A champion Acadiana (Lafayette), 44-14. Their only losses were to defending 2A champ Evangel Christian (Shreveport) on Sept. 22 and to state Class 4A No. 1 St. Thomas More (Lafayette) two weeks ago.

Mitch Stephens: Barbe 28, Carencro 21
Steve Montoya: Barbe 35, Carencro 21
Stephen Spiewak: Carencro 35, Barbe 14
Kevin Askeland: Carencro 28, Barbe 27
Jamie DeMoney: Barbe 27, Carencro 20

{PAGEBREAK}St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.) at
Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.)

St. Joseph Regional needs a win to keep stride with national No. 1 Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) atop the Big North league standings. A win would put the Green Knights at 3-0 in the conference and 6-0 overall. Senior Jabari Garvin topped the 100-yard rushing mark for the second time this season in St. Joseph Regional's 34-14 win over state-ranked Ramapo (Franklin Lakes) last Saturday.

To have any chance for a league crown, Bergen Catholic (3-2) must beat St. Joseph Regional on Saturday and then hope the Green Knights knock off Don Bosco Prep on Thanksgiving Day. The Crusaders already lost to Don Bosco, 33-22, on Sept. 30 despite leading in the fourth quarter. This will be only the third game of the year against a New Jersey team for Bergen Catholic. It beat La Salle College (Wyndmoor, Pa.) in the season opener and Friendship Collegiate Academy (Washington, D.C.) last week. Its first loss came Sept. 16 in Florida to Plant (Tampa, Fla.). Bergen Catholic has a slight edge in this series, winning four of the last seven dating back to 2004.



Mitch Stephens: Bergen Catholic 28, St. Joseph Regional 24
Steve Montoya: Bergen Catholic 21, St. Joseph Regional 14
Stephen Spiewak: Bergen Catholic 28, St. Joseph Regional 21
Kevin Askeland: St. Joseph Regional 28, Bergen Catholic 14
Jamie DeMoney: Bergen Catholic 27, St. Joseph Regional 24

{PAGEBREAK}Xaverian Brothers (Westwood, Mass.) at Everett (Mass.)

Xaverian Brothers lost at home last week, 31-4, to state No. 1 (according to MaxPreps' Freeman Rankings) Duxbury. The Hawks had looked untouchable in their previous four games, winning by an average of 27 points. Xaverian Brothers has lost five of the last eight meetings against Everett, but beat the Crimson Tide twice in 2009 including a 29-0 shutout in the Eastern Mass. Division I Super Bowl.

Everett (5-0), the No. 2 team in the state according to the Freeman Rankings, extended its winning streak to 17 games when it blew out Taunton a week ago, 41-8. Senior Jonathan DiBiaso – son of head coach John DiBiaso – had five first-half touchdown passes pushing his season total to 20.

Mitch Stephens: Xaverian Brothers 21, Everett 20
Steve Montoya: Everett 28, Xaverian Brothers 21
Stephen Spiewak: Everett 35, Xaverian Brothers 21
Kevin Askeland: Everett 21, Xaverian Brothers 14
Jamie DeMoney: Everett 21, Xaverian Brothers 12

{PAGEBREAK}St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) at St. Xavier (Cincinnati)

St. Edward must bounce back from a disappointing showing last Saturday against national No. 1 Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.). The Eagles' 21-game winning streak – along with some of their pride – was smashed on the turf at Fordham University in a 38-7 defeat. Dating back to 2004, it was only their second loss in 19 games against non-Ohio opponents.



Despite having two losses this season, St. Xavier is ranked No. 12 in the latest MaxPreps Freeman Rankings. Both teams that beat the Bombers this season – Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) and Moeller (Cincinnati) – are ranked in the top three nationally by Freeman. St. Xavier had its best offensive output of the year in a 45-21 win over La Salle last week. In its series against St. Edward, St. Xavier has won four of the last six meetings. The Bombers' last win over the Eagles was a 3-2 squeaker in 2009.

Mitch Stephens: St. Edward 28, St. Xavier 21
Steve Montoya: St. Xavier 14, St. Edward 7
Stephen Spiewak: St. Edward 21, St. Xavier 17
Kevin Askeland: St. Edward 14, St. Xavier 13
Jamie DeMoney: St. Xavier 21, St. Edward 13

{PAGEBREAK}St. Mary Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.) at
Catholic Central (Novi, Mich.)

The Detroit Catholic Central League title will be decided on the final night of the regular season. St. Mary Prep is 3-0 in league play and 6-1 overall. Its only loss came Sept. 2 to St. John Jesuit (Toledo, Ohio). Last week, the Eaglets earned coach George Porritt his 200th coaching victory in convincing fashion. Brothers Spencer McInnis and Parker McInnis combined for nearly 200 rushing yards and the St. Mary Prep defense held Michigan-bound quarterback Shane Morris to less than 100 passing yards in a 35-10 blowout of De La Salle (Warren).

Catholic Central is undefeated but has been pushed to its limit in all three league games. Last week, a failed 2-point conversion attempt helped the Shamrocks hold off Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills), 21-19. Two weeks earlier, they were only four-point winners over De La Salle (Warren). Catholic Central is looking to even its series record against St. Mary Prep dating back to 2004. The Eaglets have won five out of nine, including a 14-7 victory last season.

Mitch Stephens: Catholic Central 35, St. Mary Prep 27
Steve Montoya: Catholic Central 21, St. Mary Prep 14
Stephen Spiewak: Catholic Central 14, St. Mary Prep 10
Kevin Askeland: Catholic Central 28, St. Mary Prep 21
Jamie DeMoney: Catholic Central 23, St. Mary Prep 12

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

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