Gaels, Rockets meet for first time since 2017; Texas schedule features three must-see matchups.
A monster showdown in Florida between Las Vegas power No. 9 Bishop Gorman and No. 24 Miami Central headlines this week's MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week. The 8 p.m. game on Saturday is part of the Battle at The Beach event in Naples and could have a big impact on next week's MaxPreps Top 25 rankings.
The Rockets look to bounce back after dropping their season opener against No. 3 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) while the Gaels rolled to a 42-21 win over Hawaii power St. Louis (Honolulu). Both teams were off last week.
Another out-of-state marquee showdown has No. 2 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) taking on a more established program from Ohio — La Salle (Cincinnati). The Lancers have started 2-0 while the Ascenders rolled to a 58-0 shutout over Bishop Sycamore (Columbus, Ohio)
in a game that ignited national controversy.
Two more out-of-state games in this week's slate feature East St. Louis (Ill.) hosting De Smet Jesuit (St. Louis) and Catholic (Baton Rouge, La.) traveling to the DMV area to face Good Counsel (Olney, Md.). In-state matchups in California, Indiana, Oklahoma and Texas are also featured this week.
Keyone Jenkins, Miami Central
Photo by Louis Lopez
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This game checked in at
No. 7 in our Top 10 Games of the Year and features some of the best talent in high school football. The Gaels continue their revenge tour after beating St. Louis by 21 in their season opener, a team that beat them in 2019. Next up: Miami Central after the Rockets rolled out to Las Vegas in 2017 when James Cook led them to a 24-20 win.
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The Ascenders face a tougher test this week against La Salle, a program that has made it to the Ohio Division II semifinals in each of the last two seasons and won it all in 2019. IMG has 29 players on its roster rated as a three-star recruit or higher and is in contention to repeat as MaxPreps National Champs this season.
Saturday, 4 p.m. at Cathedral Catholic High School (San Diego)
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Matt Logan's Huskies moved into the MaxPreps Top 25 after an impressive 57-14 win over Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) — the most points the Dons defense has allowed since 2003. The Honor Bowl matchup on Saturday would allow Sierra Canyon, currently No. 38 in the top 100, to come close to jumping into the Top 25 with a victory.
Friday, 7:30 p.m.
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Gordon switched to quarterback this year and showed he's going be just as much as a problem for opposing defenses. The Oklahoma State commit completed 3-of-6 passes for 76 yards and two touchdowns while adding 136 yards rushing and three scores. The Chaparrals rolled to a dominant 54-13 win over Temple last week and Klubnik accounted for nearly 300 yards of total offense and four touchdowns.
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The 2019 WCAC champs held on for a 28-21 win over St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.) in their season opener and face another legit out-of-state test on Friday. Catholic had to vacate last year's Division 1 state championship but return a lot of key players and will not face any sanctions this season. The Bears checks in at No. 36 in the top 100 while the Falcons check in one spot behind them.
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The defending 5A Division I state champs looked impressive in their quest to repeat this season, beating a very good Longview squad, 40-7. Junior running back Hicks rushed for 139 yards and three scores while five-star junior linebacker Hill racked up a team-high 12 tackles and added 62 yards rushing and a touchdown. Guyer rolled to a 46-17 season-opening win against Hebron (Carrollton) and looks to knock off the Raiders for the first time since 2014.
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Chad Morris' return to high school football went well as Allen beat Plano East (Plano) 56-30 behind a strong performance from Jenkins. The senior running back rushed for 200-plus yards and three touchdowns. The Eagles face a tougher test this week against Atascocita, which rolled to a 48-7 win over Klein Collins (Spring).
Friday, 7 p.m.
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Carmel has beat two quality out-of-state opponents to start the 2021 season but needed a
game-winning Hail Mary in last week's 42-40 win over King (Detroit). Center Grove is the defending 6A state champs and have outscored its first two opponents 94-21. The Trojans enter on a 16-game win streak dating back to last season.
Friday, 7:30 p.m.
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Burke was impressive in his start for the three-time defending 6A-II state champs, completing 18-of-24 passes for 285 yards and five touchdowns as the Spartans won their 37th straight game. Presley,
the 2020 MaxPreps Oklahoma Player of the Year, racked up 132 total yards and a touchdown in the 69-14 win against Mansfield Timberview (Mansfield, Texas). Jenks needed overtime to win its season opener over Mansfield Summit (Arlington, Texas). The Trojans are the last team to knock off Bixby with a 28-14 win in 2018.
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East St. Louis won a 48-44 thriller last week against Christian Brothers (St. Louis). De Smet Jesuit has won 21 of its last 22 games and rolled to a 44-17 win against Edwardsville (Ill.) in Carl Reed's head coaching debut with the Spartans. They most likely will be without junior Florida commit Markway for the first half of the season, but are still loaded with talent.
