MaxPreps Top 10 Football Games of the Week

So-Cal power No. 23 Servite heads into the desert to take on No. 11 Bishop Gorman, while top-ranked Don Bosco Prep puts its winning streak on the line against league rival Bergen Catholic.

Flipping the calendars over to October this weekend should make us feel even more like it's the middle of football season. Not only is the weather getting cooler, but the MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week are starting to include more contests with a local rivalry flavor.

The obvious exception to this week's otherwise neighbor-versus-neighbor theme is the lone matchup between teams featured in the MaxPreps Xcellent Top 25 National Football Rankings, presented by the Army National Guard. No. 11 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) will play its third game against an out-of-state opponent this season and its 11th since 2008 when it hosts No. 23 Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) on national television Friday night.

Still, a number of other ranked squads have a key conference rival on their schedules this week. That includes top-ranked Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), which looks to extend its 38-game winning streak against Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.).

Also, midseason state No. 1 rankings in various media polls will be decided by the outcomes of three Top 10 games. In Indiana, No. 17 Warren Central (Indianapolis) plays Carmel (Ind.) at Lucas Oil Stadium. Lone Peak (Highland) aims to end the 21-game in-state winning streak of Bingham (South Jordan) in Utah. While in Hawaii, Kahuku's 29-game regular season winning streak is on the line when the Red Raiders take on undefeated Farrington.

Despite picking only six of 10 games correctly last week, Kevin Askeland remains three games clear of the field in our season-long prediction contest. Stephen Spiewak, who was six games back, cut his deficit in half by posting a 9-1 record. Jamie DeMoney went a meager 5-5 to fall four games off the pace into a tie with Steve Montoya, who moved up the standings after going 8-2. Still in last place – but now only five games back after going 9-1 – is Mitch Stephens.

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.

No. 23 Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) at No. 11 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)

Two-time defending CIF-SS Pac-5 champ Servite has a strong defense, led by BYU-committed linebacker Butch Pauu, and an efficient offense engineered by experienced signal-caller Cody Pittman. The Friars improved to 4-0 on the season with a 27-14 win against Edison (Huntington Beach) last week. It avenged their only loss to a Southern California opponent dating back to the 2009 season.

The Gaels bring in a 5-1 record, losing only to No. 2 Armwood (Seffner, Fla.) on Aug. 26. In the interim, Gorman has mauled four Nevada teams by a cumulative score of 244-13. In last week's 74-6 rout of Sierra Vista (Las Vegas), junior quarterback Jarrett Solomon completed 9 of 10 passes for 140 yards and five touchdowns. Running back Shaquille Powell added 157 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just three carries. The uncommitted senior is averaging nearly 14 yards per carry this season with 15 touchdowns.

Mitch Stephens: Bishop Gorman 24, Servite 17
Steve Montoya: Bishop Gorman 21, Servite 6
Stephen Spiewak: Bishop Gorman 21, Servite 14
Kevin Askeland: Bishop Gorman 56, Servite 35
Jamie DeMoney: Bishop Gorman 26, Servite 13

Graphic by Ryan Escobar. Photos by Ian Tennant/Todd Shurtleff

{PAGEBREAK}Coppell (Texas) at Guyer (Denton, Texas)

Guyer's Jerrod Heard will try and help breakCoppell's 21-game regular season win streak.

Photo by Robbie Rakestraw

Coppell is riding a 21-game regular season winning streak. The Cowboys handed eventual 5A/II state runner-up Guyer a 31-14 defeat last year. Despite graduating more than half of its offensive starters from last year's 13-1 team, Coppell has looked salty on that side of the ball this season, averaging more than 30 points per game. The Cowboys scored on their first three possessions in a 35-6 blowout of Saginaw last week. First-year starting quarterback Jake Larson has completed more than 60 percent of his passes for almost 800 yards and six touchdowns.

Guyer is 3-1 and hitting its stride offensively with electric sophomore quarterback Jerrod Heard leading the way. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound dual threat has completed more than two-thirds of his passes for nearly 900 yards with 10 touchdowns and only two interceptions. He threw three touchdown passes and ran 68 yards for another score in a 49-20 rout of Northwest (Justin) last week.

Mitch Stephens: Coppel 28, Guyer 27
Steve Montoya: Guyer 28, Coppell 21
Stephen Spiewak: Coppell 28, Guyer 24
Kevin Askeland: Coppell 14, Guyer 7
Jamie DeMoney: Guyer 31, Coppell 23
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Lone Peak (Highland, Utah) at Bingham (South Jordan, Utah)

Lone Peak would take over the No. 1 ranking in Utah with a win over Bingham. Led by senior quarterback Chase Hansen, the No. 2 Knights are 6-0 and average 39 points per game. Hansen, a University of Utah commit, already has more than 1,000 passing yards and nearly 500 rushing yards with 20 total touchdowns. One of his top receiving targets is BYU recruit Micah Hannemann.

Bingham was blown out by Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.), 42-7, in week three but still tops both the MaxPreps Utah rankings as well as those published by the Deseret News newspaper. The Salt Lake Tribune, however, ranks Lone Peak No. 1 and Bingham No. 2. The Miners' claim as Utah's top program is centered on the fact they have not lost to an in-state opponent in 21 consecutive games. The go-to guy in Bingham's offense has been senior running back Daniel Palepoi, who has 778 rushing yards on 130 carries with six touchdowns. These teams have not met since 2008, a game won by Bingham, 24-8.

Mitch Stephens: Bingham 35, Lone Peak 28
Steve Montoya: Bingham 21, Lone Peak 10
Stephen Spiewak: Bingham 28, Lone Peak 24
Kevin Askeland: Bingham 34, Lone Peak 20
Jamie DeMoney: Lone Peak 33, Bingham 30

Lone Peak will try to keep quarterback Chase Hansen on his feet and blast Bingham to become Utah's unanimous No. 1 team.

Photo by David Argyle

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Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) at No. 1 Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.)

Don Bosco Prep and Bergen Catholic battled twicelast year. Once again, Bergen will try to take downthe nation's No. 1 team.

Photo by Mitchell Reibel

There's plenty of motivation here for Bergen Catholic. Not only do the Crusaders aim to knock off the No. 1-ranked team in the nation, they want to end an eight-game losing streak to their conference rival. Bergen Catholic is 2-1 this season, with its only loss a 12-7 decision to Plant (Tampa, Fla.) in Florida two weeks ago. The Crusaders whipped Teaneck, 62-12, last week. Quarterback Jonathan Germano had three passing and two rushing touchdowns.

Don Bosco Prep is the top-ranked team in both the MaxPreps' Xcellent 25 writers poll and the MaxPreps Freeman Rankings. The Ironmen started the season with wins over tough out-of-state competition, beating Mission Viejo (Calif.) 35-7 in the opener and winning at Manatee (Bradenton, Fla.), 22-16, a week later. Last week, Don Bosco improved to 3-0 with a 35-0 shutout of Ridgewood. The Ironmen have won their last 48 games against New Jersey opponents.

Mitch Stephens: Don Bosco Prep 24, Bergen Catholic 21
Steve Montoya: Don Bosco Prep 28, Bergen Catholic 14
Stephen Spiewak: Don Bosco Prep 24, Bergen Catholic 21
Kevin Askeland: Don Bosco Prep 30, Bergen Catholic 14
Jamie DeMoney: Bergen Catholic 27, Don Bosco Catholic 21
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Central (Miami) at No. 24 Columbus (Miami)

Central returns to Dade County with a 3-0 record after surviving a tough road test at Elder (Cincinnati) last week. Junior Emilio Nadleman kicked a 34-yard field goal in the closing seconds to give the Rockets a 27-24 win at "The Pit." Sophomore sensation Joe Yearby had touchdown runs of 76 and 80 yards and totaled more than 300 yards for the game. Central, last year's 6A state champion, hasn't lost to a South Florida opponent since 2009.

This is a proving ground game for 3-0 Columbus. The Explorers sport a fine 63-13 record since 2004, but are only 3-8 against Miami's top two programs – Miami Central and Miami Northwestern – during that period. Columbus tuned up for Central with a 55-3 wipeout of a previously unbeaten Miami High team last week.

Mitch Stephens: Central 35, Columbus 32
Steve Montoya: Columbus 35, Central 28
Stephen Spiewak: Columbus 31, Central 28
Kevin Askeland: Central 28, Columbus 27
Jamie DeMoney: Columbus 29, Central 19

Central survived a trip to Ohio and now turns its attention to beating an intracity rival.

Photo by Wayne Litmer

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No. 17 Warren Central (Indianapolis) vs. Carmel (Ind.)

Indiana's top 5A programs of the last decade will meet at Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis. Warren Central has a 6-0 record and averages more than 45 points per game. The Warriors have nine seniors committed to FBS colleges including Cincinnati pledge Deionte Buckley, the team's leading rusher with more than 100 yards per game. Warren Central has won five state titles since 2003, including in 2006 and 2009 when they beat Carmel for the crown. Overall, the Warriors have defeated the Greyhounds six of the last nine times the teams have met.

Carmel is coached by Kevin Wright, who led Warren Central to three consecutive state titles in 2003-05. Wright took over the Carmel job in 2010, and the Greyhounds have won 16 of 18 games with him at the helm. No opponent has stayed within three touchdowns of Carmel this season. A 56-0 shutout of North Central (Indianapolis) last week pushed the Greyhounds' average margin of victory to nearly 44 points. Carmel has an outstanding defense with nine veteran starters including three BCS-caliber recruits in ends Langston NewtonShawn Heffem (Indiana) and safety Jimmy Herman (Purdue).

Mitch Stephens: Warren Central 28, Carmel 27
Steve Montoya: Carmel 14, Warren Central 13
Stephen Spiewak: Warren Central 28, Carmel 21
Kevin Askeland: Warren Central 55, Carmel 21
Jamie DeMoney: Warren Central 28, Carmel 17
(Kentucky commit),

Warren Central will try and ride Deionte Buckley's strength to a win over Carmel.

Photo by Warren Robison

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St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) vs. No. 3 Trinity (Louisville, Ky.)

St. Xavier has lost 7 of the last 12 games to its arch rival, including a pair of blowout losses last season. With Trinity ranked No. 3 nationally, the 3-3 Tigers might be in for another long night at Papa John's Stadium. St. Xavier's three losses already match last season's total, which was the most it's had in a season since 2006. After falling to nationally ranked Moeller (Cincinnati) on Sept. 16, the Tigers got back in the win column with a narrow 31-30 overtime decision against Central (Louisville) last week.

For the first time all season, Trinity will face a team from the Blue Grass State. The Shamrocks started 5-0 with wins over perennial power programs from the states of Tennessee, Ohio and Indiana. A key reason for Trinity's success has been the hookup between quarterback Travis Wright and James Quick, both juniors. Wright is completing almost 70 percent of his passes and has thrown for 1,122 yards with 15 touchdowns and only two interceptions. Quick has more than 600 receiving yards and nine touchdown grabs.

Mitch Stephens: Trinity 35, St. Xavier 21
Steve Montoya: Trinity 21, St. Xavier 14
Stephen Spiewak: Trinity 42, St. Xavier 14
Kevin Askeland: St. Xavier 28, Trinity 21
Jamie DeMoney: Trinity 48, St. Xavier 6

Travis Wright and Trinity haven't played a Kentucky opponent yet this year. St. Xavier, a crosstown rival, is the first one.

Photo by Jim Owens

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No. 10 Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) at Red Lion Christian Academy (Bear, Del.)

Good Counsel comes in at No. 4 in the MaxPreps Freeman Rankings this week. The Falcons (4-0) were challenged early on this season, opening with an overtime win against Manatee (Bradenton, Fla.) followed by a narrow 26-21 victory over Gilman (Baltimore). Last week, Stefon Diggs caught six passes for 101 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-7 blowout of Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.). Diggs is the No. 1-rated athlete in the country according to MaxPreps' Tom Lemming.

This game is scheduled for Saturday night at the University of Delaware, and is part of the inaugural Flash Training Football Classic. It's the first time this season Red Lion Christian will play a game in its home state. The Lions are 2-2 after opening with impressive wins over Ursuline (Youngstown, Ohio) and Annapolis Area Christian (Md.). They then lost a 28-27 heartbreaker to Calvert Hall (Baltimore) and fell 21-16 last Saturday at Cardinal Mooney (Youngstown, Ohio). Red Lion Christian features perhaps the top freshman football player in the country in quarterback David Sills. The 6-2, 170-pounder has already committed to USC.

Mitch Stephens: Good Counsel 35, Red Lion Christian 21
Steve Montoya: Good Counsel 42, Red Lion Christian 21
Stephen Spiewak: Good Counsel 28, Red Lion Christian 17
Kevin Askeland: Good Counsel 42, Red Lion Christian 28
Jamie DeMoney: Good Counsel 31, Red Lion Christian 17

Stefon Diggs will lead the Good Counsel army against Red Lion Christian Academy.

Photo by Jim Stout

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Glenville (Cleveland) at St. Ignatius (Cleveland)

These teams did not play each other last season after meeting six times between 2006-09. Glenville won four of those games including the last matchup, a 30-13 blowout in the 2009 Division I playoffs. The Tarblooders are 3-2 this year, with both losses coming to teams in this week's Xcellent 25 rankings. They were beaten 17-14 in overtime by No. 9 St. Edward (Lakewood) in the season-opener and fell 23-14 to No. 22 Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.) at Ohio Stadium the following week. A key storyline in this game is the possible absence of longtime head coach Ted Ginn Sr. for a second straight week. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Ginn was not on the sidelines for Glenville's 69-0 rout of Collinwood (Cleveland) last week due to personal reasons.

St. Ignatius is off to a 4-1 start after enduring a rare sub-.500 season in 2010. This year, the Wildcats' only loss was by 14 points to undefeated Mentor in week three. Eric Williams, who played his junior year at Jesuit (Portland, Ore.), is St. Ignatius' starting quarterback. He has a reliable target in Ohio State-bound tight end Blake Thomas.

Mitch Stephens: St. Ignatius 17, Glenville 14
Steve Montoya: St. Ignatius 7, Glenville 0
Stephen Spiewak: St. Ignatius 21, Glenville 17
Kevin Askeland: St. Ignatius 32, Glenville 14
Jamie DeMoney: Glenville 20, St. Ignatius 14

Glenville will aim to gang up on St. Ignatius in an all-Cleveland matchup.

Photo by Todd Shurtleff

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Kahuku (Hawaii) at Farrington (Honolulu)

The Nos. 1 and 2-ranked teams in the state (according to media polls) do battle in the penultimate game of the regular season for both squads. Top-ranked Kahuku improved to 6-0 with a 14-7 win against Moanalua (Honolulu) last week. It was the Red Raiders' 29th consecutive regular-season victory. In addition, Kahuku has 10 consecutive wins against Farrington dating back to the 2004 season.

This is Farrington's best start to a season since 2009, when the Governors were 5-0 before losing to Kahuku, 16-14. Farrington has recorded shutouts in three of its last four games, including a 63-0 drubbing of Roosevelt (Honolulu) last week. For the season, the Governors have outscored their opponents by an average margin of 39-7.

Mitch Stephens: Farrington 31, Kahuku 27
Steve Montoya: Farrington 24, Kahuku 14
Stephen Spiewak: Kahuku 28, Farrington 27
Kevin Askeland: Kahuku 35, Farrington 30
Jamie DeMoney: Farrington 31, Kahuku 19

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