MaxPreps Top 10 High School Football Games of the Week

For the second-straight season, Curtis (River Ridge, La.) will play "host" to one of Florida's best teams at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. A preview of the No. 6 Patriots' matchup against third-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) leads off the latest edition of the MaxPreps Top 10 Football Games of the Week.

Last year, John Curtis trounced Plant (Tampa, Fla.), 33-3, helping pave the way for the Patriots' first No. 1 finish in many national polls. This year's task against Aquinas – a team that has two national titles of its own – will likely prove to be much tougher.

There are six more teams from this week's MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings featured in this week's Top 10 GOTW slate. Top teams in action include No. 4 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) taking on a talented Chandler (Ariz.) squad, fifth-ranked Karr (New Orleans) playing a crosstown showdown against the Leonard Fournette-led St. Augustine Purple Knights, and No. 15 Northwestern (Rock Hill, S.C.) hosting Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) in what figures to be a high-scoring affair.



GOTW author Jamie DeMoney's (21-8-1) lead in our season-long predictions contest narrowed significantly after he picked only five out of 10 winners last week. Stephen Spiewak has closed to within one game in second place, and Colin Ward-Henninger is only three games back in third place.

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.

St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) vs. Curtis (River Ridge, La.)

What to watch: A Superdome showdown between two of the nation's elite programs. In addition to seven state titles in the last 20 years, St. Thomas Aquinas also claimed the mythical national championship in 2008 and 2010. John Curtis earned its first national title last season while adding its 25th state crown. Aquinas (1-0) opened the season with a dominant 38-3 win against another former national poll champion – Miami Northwestern – at Sun Life Stadium on Aug. 31. Three-star running back Madre London had 99 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries according to the Miami Herald. Curtis (1-0) opened last weekend with a victory against perennial New Jersey power Bergen Catholic (24-13). It extended the Patriots' winning streak to 29 games.

Just the facts: Neither team is a stranger to playing on a national stage against top-flight competition. St. Thomas Aquinas is 7-1 against out-of-state opponents since 2008. Curtis has won four of its last five versus non-Louisiana teams in the same period, including two wins against Florida foes. … Curtis head coach J.T. Curtis ranks second all-time with 521 wins. He is the son John T. Curtis Sr., who founded the school in 1962.

Mitch Stephens: Curtis 21, St. Thomas Aquinas 20
Kevin Askeland: Curtis 28, St. Thomas Aquinas 14
Jamie DeMoney: St. Thomas Aquinas 21, John Curtis 10
Stephen Spiewak: St. Thomas Aquinas 21, John Curtis 20
Leland Gordon: St. Thomas Aquinas 24, Curtis 22
Colin Ward-Henninger: Curtis 24, St. Thomas Aquinas 21
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St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) vs. Chandler (Ariz.)

What to watch: A matchup between two of the top junior quarterbacks in the west. St. John Bosco (2-0) has looked like the best all-around team in California through two weeks of the season, blowing out Dominguez (40-7) in the opener and defending CIF Central Section Division I champion Clovis North (48-0) last week. Five-star junior quarterback Josh Rosen has completed more than 75 percent of his passes for 551 yards and six touchdowns for the Braves. Fellow unbeaten Chandler also broke the 40-point barrier in both its games. The Wolves scored 51 in the first half of last week's 65-13 rout of Buena (Sierra Vista). Chandler's four-star junior quarterback Bryce Perkins has 509 combined passing and rushing yards with nine touchdowns.

Just the facts: California owns a 10-4 advantage in games played against teams from Arizona so far this season. … Chandler's last game versus a nationally ranked opponent was a 38-20 loss to crosstown rival Hamilton (Chandler) in 2010.



Mitch Stephens: St. John Bosco 35, Chandler 28
Kevin Askeland: St. John Bosco 42, Chandler 14
Jamie DeMoney: St. John Bosco 45, Chandler 17
Stephen Spiewak: St. John Bosco 42, Chandler 20
Leland Gordon: St. John Bosco 45, Chandler 17
Colin Ward-Henninger: St. John Bosco 40, Chandler 21


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Karr (New Orleans) at St. Augustine (New Orleans)

What to watch: A meeting between the two most dangerous offensive players in Louisiana in Karr dual-threat quarterback Devante Noil and St. Augustine's five-star running back Leonard Fournette. Noil, rated five stars by 247Sports as a receiver prospect, sat out the first quarter of Karr's season-opening 34-12 win against St. Paul (Covington, La.) for breaking team rules but still managed to run for 91 yards and throw three touchdown passes, according to the Baton Rouge Advocate. Fournette, who is the top-rated running back in the nation, needed just four carries to gain 159 yards and score two touchdowns in St. Augustine's 47-12 win against McDonogh 35.

Just the facts: These teams have met only twice since 2006, with Karr winning both times, including a 28-12 decision in last year's state quarterfinals. … After St. Augustine, Karr will have an extra week off to prepare for defending national champion John Curtis (River Ridge), which it plays Sept. 26.

Mitch Stephens: St. Augustine 28, Karr 21
Kevin Askeland: Karr 35, St. Augustine 30
Jamie DeMoney: Karr 38, St. Augustine 34
Stephen Spiewak: Karr 35, St. Augustine 21
Leland Gordon: Karr 42, St. Augustine 35
Colin Ward-Henninger: St. Augustine 28, Karr 24


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Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) at Northwestern (Rock Hill, S.C.)

What to watch: A showdown between the top two passing offenses – and top two teams, for that matter – in the Palmetto State. Byrnes senior Shuler Bentley tied a state record with nine touchdown passes in an 82-49 win over Woodruff last week. The Old Dominion recruit also ran for a score, pushing his tally to 22 total touchdowns in two games. Led by Oklahoma State-bound senior Mason Rudolph, No. 15 Northwestern has averaged more than 51 points in its three wins. Rudolph had five of his career 81 touchdown passes in the Spartans' 65-7 blowout of South Aiken (Aiken) last week.

Just the facts: Byrnes beat Northwestern last season, 32-28, and the Spartans are looking to snap a two-game losing streak to the Rebels. … Senior receiver Shaedon Meadors had four touchdown receptions in each of Byrnes' first two games.



Mitch Stephens: Byrnes 35, Northwestern 28
Kevin Askeland: Byrnes 56, Northwestern 54
Jamie DeMoney: Northwestern 45, Byrnes 24
Stephen Spiewak: Northwestern 56, Byrnes 55
Leland Gordon: Northwestern 45, Byrnes 42
Colin Ward-Henninger: Northwestern 48, Byrnes 35


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Long Beach Poly (Calif.) vs. Centennial (Corona, Calif.)

What to watch: Poly trying to stop – or maybe just slow down – a high-powered Centennial offense and avoid another slow start to a season. The Jackrabbits' record dropped to 1-1 after a surprising 31-24 loss to Servite (Anaheim) last week. With back-to-back rough games against Centennial and then at Bakersfield next week, Poly could start the year 1-3 – like it did last season before winning 11 in a row and reaching the Division I state championship game. No. 7 Centennial's offense has put up 129 points in two games this season. The Huskies are relying heavily on the legs of senior running back Tre Watson, and the California recruit has answered the call in a big way with 785 yards and 12 touchdowns on 70 carries.

Just the facts: This is the first meeting between these SoCal powers in nine years. Poly beat Centennial in back-to-back meetings in 2004-05. … With more than 1,500 total yards in just two games, Centennial is setting a pace to smash its school-record total of 8,570 combined passing and rushing yards (in 16 games) last season.

Mitch Stephens: Centennial 42, Long Beach Poly 28
Kevin Askeland: Centennial 56, Long Beach Poly 21
Jamie DeMoney: Centennial 52, Long Beach Poly 31
Stephen Spiewak: Centennial 40, Long Beach Poly 20
Leland Gordon: Centennial 49, Long Beach Poly 24
Colin Ward-Henninger: Centennial 35, Long Beach Poly 28


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Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) at Mission Viejo (Calif.)

What to watch: A chance for Mission Viejo to avenge a lopsided loss to Don Bosco Prep in 2011. The Diablos were beaten by the eventual national champion, 35-7, on the Ironmen's home field two Septembers ago. This time, Don Bosco Prep will be on the left coast for the final game of a terrific two-day quadrupleheader of games in the Mission Viejo Football Classic. Led by San Jose State-bound quarterback Ian Fieber, Mission Viejo is undefeated with 107 points in its first two games. Fieber is joined in the backfield by Stanford-bound fullback Daniel Marx (6-foot-2, 235 pounds) and his top receiving target is Sean Modster, a Boise State recruit. This is the first time in many seasons that Don Bosco Prep wasn't even among the top two teams in the newspaper preseason state rankings. No matter, the Ironmen still looked dominant in a 42-0 season-opening rout of Philadelphia power St. Joseph's Prep last week.

Just the facts: To say the least, Don Bosco Prep is a road-tested program, winning the last six games played more than 300 miles away from home. That dates back to a 23-21 win at De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) in 2008. … Mission Viejo has had 33 players sign with FBS programs since 2001.



Mitch Stephens: Mission Viejo 22, Don Bosco Prep 21
Kevin Askeland: Mission Viejo 28, Don Bosco Prep 14
Jamie DeMoney: Don Bosco Prep 31, Mission Viejo 20
Stephen Spiewak: Don Bosco Prep 21, Mission Viejo 14
Leland Gordon: Don Bosco Prep 28, Mission Viejo 21
Colin Ward-Henninger: Don Bosco Prep 17, Mission Viejo 14


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Colerain (Cincinnati) at Trinity (Louisville, Ky.)

What to watch: For Trinity, it's another week, another game worthy of previewing in the MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week. The Shamrocks (1-2) have a week 2  win against Carmel (Ind.) sandwiched between losses to defending state champions Ensworth (Nashville, Tenn.) and Lawrence Central (Indianapolis). Six of the nine teams on Trinity's regular-season schedule this year are from outside the Bluegrass State. Meanwhile, No. 23 Colerain improved to 2-0 with a 31-19 win against St. Xavier (Cincinnati) last week. It's the Cardinals' third-straight win against the Bombers.

Just the facts: Colerain is a perfect 13-0 against non-Ohio opponents since 2005, with six of those wins against teams from Kentucky. … Trinity has never played Colerain, but holds a 9-5 advantage in games played against Ohio teams since 2004.

Mitch Stephens: Colerain 28, Trinity 27
Kevin Askeland: Colerain 35, Trinity 28
Jamie DeMoney: Trinity 26, Colerain 23
Stephen Spiewak: Colerain 20, Trinity 17
Leland Gordon: Colerain 31, Trinity 27
Colin Ward-Henninger: Colerain 24, Trinity 21


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North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.) at Norcross (Ga.)

What to watch: Norcross' collective psyche. Is it back in full working order or are there still side effects from the 55-0 season-opening loss to Washington (Miami)? The Blue Devils turned in a solid defensive effort in a 21-7 win against Parkview (Lilburn) last week but questions remain on offense. No. 8 North Gwinnett (2-0) had last week off following a 35-0 rout of Grayson (Loganville) on Aug. 30 that helped propel it into the Top 10 of the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 rankings.

Just the facts: If Norcross wins, it evens its record against North Gwinnett to 5-5 in games played since 2004. The Blue Devils won last season, 31-21, breaking a streak of four straight losses to the Bulldogs. … North Gwinnett has won at least 10 games every season since Bob Sphire became its coach in 2006.



Mitch Stephens: Norcross 24, North Gwinnett 21
Kevin Askeland: Norcross 35, North Gwinnett 21
Jamie DeMoney: North Gwinnett 28, Norcross 22
Stephen Spiewak: North Gwinnett 21, Norcross 17
Leland Gordon: North Gwinnett 24, Norcross 14
Colin Ward-Henninger: Norcross 21, North Gwinnett 17


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Kamehameha (Honolulu) vs. Punahou (Honolulu)

What to watch: A matchup at Aloha Stadium between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the latest newspaper state rankings. This will be the 20th time these teams have met since 2004, and a win for top-ranked Punahou would even its record against the Warriors to 10-10. Hawaii-committed quarterback Larry Tuileta has completed better than 62 percent of his passes for 628 yards and five touchdowns, helping the Buff n' Blue start the year with three straight wins. It's barely mid-September, but Kamehameha (5-0) has only three regular-season games left after this weekend. It already has wins in the bank against state-ranked St. Louis and ‘Iolani.

Just the facts: In addition to the NFL Pro Bowl and University of Hawaii home games, Aloha Stadium plays host to dozens of high school, junior high and Pop Warner contests each year. … Kamehameha's most famous alum is arguably Hawaiian music icon Don Ho. For Punahou, without argument, it's President Barack Obama.

Mitch Stephens: Kamehameha 35, Punahou 28
Kevin Askeland: Punahou 35, Kamehameha 28
Jamie DeMoney: Kamehameha 28, Punahou 24
Stephen Spiewak: Punahou 28, Kamehameha 24
Leland Gordon: Punahou 27, Kamehameha 24
Colin Ward-Henninger: Punahou 31, Kamehameha 14


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Union (Tulsa, Okla.) at Jenks (Okla.)

What to watch: The Backyard Bowl – simply the best rivalry game in contemporary high school football. Two extremely successful programs – either Jenks or Union has won every single Class 6A state title since 1996 -- from neighboring districts playing annually in front of crowds that usually top 30,000 in a college stadium. That's pretty hard to match. The archrivals each traveled to Southlake, Texas, last week to open the year against Lone Star State powers. Jenks came away with a 27-23 win against Trinity (Euless) but Union didn't fare as well, losing to No. 12 DeSoto (Texas), 44-20.

Just the facts: In 1995, the last time a team other than Jenks or Union won the Oklahoma 6A title: Bill Clinton was President, the average price for a gallon of gas was $1.35, and only about one in 10 American adults used the Internet. Jenks won the 10th of its titles during that span last season. … Union has won five of the last six games against Jenks, but the Trojans still lead the all-time series (which dates back to 1949) by a margin of 31-19. The teams have actually met twice in a season – once in the regular season and again in the playoffs – every year since 2007.



Mitch Stephens: Jenks 42, Union 35
Kevin Askeland: Jenks 42, Union 7
Jamie DeMoney: Jenks 34, Union 27
Stephen Spiewak: Jenks 42, Union 28
Leland Gordon: Jenks 34, Union 27
Colin Ward-Henninger: Union 35, Jenks 34

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.