MaxPreps Top 10 high school football games of the week

MaxPreps' weekly look at the Top 10 High School Football Games of the Week begins with a Thursday night clash of Xcellent 25 teams in the southern suburbs of Dallas-Fort Worth.

A national television audience will watch one of Texas' top backyard brawls as No. 21 Cedar Hill makes the short trip east to play No. 6 DeSoto. The winner will move closer to at least a share of the District 8-6A championship.

Other action involving ranked teams this week includes No. 2 De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) playing host to fellow unbeaten Foothill (Pleasanton). The Spartans are trying to extend a 255-game unbeaten streak against Northern California opponents. In addition, No. 7 Folsom (Calif.) will be on the road trying to hand Rocklin its first loss of the year. In New Jersey, No. 9 Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) tries to keep its Big North United Division title hopes alive against rival Bergen Catholic (Oradell). And No. 22 Punahou (Honolulu) takes on St. Louis (Honolulu) for the championship of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu.



Jamie DeMoney continues to maintain a slim lead over Stephen Spiewak in our season-long predictions contest. Both pickers selected eight out of 10 winners last week. DeMoney is now 61-29 for the season. Leland Gordon is in third place with 58 correct picks. Mitch Stephens sits in fourth position with 57 winners. Fifth place belongs to Kevin Askeland (55), and Colin Ward-Henninger (48) continues to bring the up the rear.

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.


Cedar Hill (Texas) at DeSoto (Texas)

What to watch: Cedar Hill (6-1) has stampeded to four straight wins after falling to No. 16 Skyline (Dallas), 40-30, on Sept. 12. The Longhorns' field general is LSU commit Justin McMillan, who has 1,043 passing yards and 20 touchdowns this season. Aside from a 29-24 win against state-ranked Steele (Cibolo) on Sept. 18, DeSoto has won the rest of its games by an average margin of 33 points. The Eagles (7-0) have a phenomenal 3,689 combined passing and rushing yards, which is ahead of their pace last season when they totaled an incredible 7,464 yards in 15 games. DeSoto's individual leader in all-purpose yards is senior running back Larry Nixon. He has 835 rushing yards, 130 receiving yards, and 11 total touchdowns.

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Just the facts: Both Cedar Hill and DeSoto – whose campuses are located less than six miles apart – have won exactly 71 games since the 2008 season. … DeSoto has three consecutive wins over Cedar Hill, including a 47-20 rout over the eventual 5A/II state champion last season.



Mitch Stephens: DeSoto 35, Cedar Hill 31
Kevin Askeland: DeSoto 35, Cedar Hill 14
Jamie DeMoney: Cedar Hill 45, DeSoto 42
Stephen Spiewak: DeSoto 42, Cedar Hill 41
Leland Gordon: DeSoto 43, Cedar Hill 37
Colin Ward-Henninger: DeSoto 48, Cedar Hill 42


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Foothill (Pleasanton, Calif.) at De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)

What to watch: Foothill aims to do what no Northern California team has done in the last 255 games: Beat De La Salle. These are the last two undefeated teams in the North Coast Section's Division I. In order for Foothill to move to 8-0, it will probably need a big game from the pass-catch combo of Kyle Kearns and Isaiah Langley. The USC-committed Langley is averaging over 22 yards per reception and has eight touchdowns. Kearns, an SMU recruit, has completed just shy of 70 percent of his throws for 1,471 yards with 20 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Second-ranked De La Salle was idle last week after hammering James Logan (Union City), 51-7, on Oct. 11. The Spartans (7-0) ran for 388 yards as a team against James Logan, matching their per-game average for the year.

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Just the facts: The last time De La Salle lost to a NorCal team was in 1991 when it lost to Pittsburg, 35-27, in the NCS 4A championship game. … Friday will be the 10th meeting between these teams since 2005. De La Salle won the last game, 34-17, in 2012. It was the only time Foothill has lost to the Spartans by less than 20 points in the last nine games.

Mitch Stephens: De La Salle 42, Foothill 21
Kevin Askeland: De La Salle 56, Foothill 14
Jamie DeMoney: De La Salle 41, Foothill 20
Stephen Spiewak: De La Salle 42, Foothill 10
Leland Gordon: De La Salle 53, Foothill 30
Colin Ward-Henninger: De La Salle 42, Foothill 14


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Folsom (Calif.) at Rocklin (Calif.)

What to watch: Folsom quarterback Jake Browning begins the final stretch of his record-setting career against fellow unbeaten Rocklin. Friday's winner will take sole possession of first place in the Sierra Foothill League standings with only two games left to play. Seventh-ranked Folsom steamrolled through the first half of the season, winning seven games by a combined score of 389-55. Last time out, the Bulldogs mauled Nevada Union, 63-6, behind eight touchdown passes from Browning. It's the third time the Washington commit has thrown for eight or more scores in a single game during his three-year varsity career. Browning's 181 career touchdown passes are easily a state record and 38 short of tying the national mark. Meanwhile, Rocklin is coming off an emotional 35-7 win over Woodcreek (Roseville) last week. It was the Thunder's first game of the year without Max O'Rourke as starting quarterback. O'Rourke broke his femur on a routine tackle in the previous game. Doctors later discovered the bone had been weakened by a benign tumor growing in his leg. In O'Rourke's place, junior William Floyd threw for 169 yards and two touchdowns in the win against Woodcreek.



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Just the facts: According to the National Federation of State High School Associations Record Book, Browning's career touchdown total currently ranks third all-time. His career passing yardage total of 13,609 (also a state record) is sixth on the list. … This will be the first meeting between these teams in at least the last decade. Folsom was a member of the Delta River League until this season.

Mitch Stephens: Folsom 55, Rocklin 28
Kevin Askeland: Folsom 56, Rocklin 21
Jamie DeMoney: Folsom 52, Rocklin 22
Stephen Spiewak: Folsom 55, Rocklin 30
Leland Gordon: Folsom 49, Rocklin 17
Colin Ward-Henninger: Folsom 44, Rocklin 14


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Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) at Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.)

What to watch: Saturday's winner will stay alive for a championship run in the rugged Big North United Division. Since both Don Bosco and Bergen Catholic already have losses to league leader Paramus Catholic, this is virtually an elimination game. Ninth-ranked Don Bosco (4-1) rebounded from its Oct. 11 loss to Paramus Catholic with a 38-0 shutout of previously unbeaten Passaic County Tech (Wayne). The Ironmen scored a pair of touchdowns in the game on interception returns. Meanwhile, Bergen Catholic got its second-consecutive Big North United win with a thrilling 37-34 double-overtime triumph over St. Joseph Regional (Montvale) last Saturday. Senior running back Corey Russo led the Crusaders as he ran for 113 yards and two touchdowns, including a 25-yard score that ended the game, according to northjersey.com. The only bad news for Bergen Catholic is junior quarterback Jarrett Guarantano – a four-star prospect according to 247Sports – injured his throwing wrist during the game and is likely to miss the rest of the season, according to nj.com.

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Just the facts: The Don Bosco-Bergen Catholic rivalry -- arguably the best in Northern Jersey -- has greatly favored Don Bosco during the last decade. The Ironmen have won 12 of the last 13 and are 13-2 overall against Bergen Catholic since 2004. … Bergen Catholic is coached by Nunzio Campanile, who was Don Bosco's offensive coordinator from 2000-09. The Ironmen went 112-6 with four state championships during that stretch.



Mitch Stephens: Don Bosco Prep 28, Bergen Catholic 17
Kevin Askeland: Bergen Catholic 24, Don Bosco Prep 21
Jamie DeMoney: Don Bosco Prep 37, Bergen Catholic 13
Stephen Spiewak: Don Bosco Prep 28, Bergen Catholic 17
Leland Gordon: Don Bosco Prep 24, Bergen Catholic 18
Colin Ward-Henninger: Don Bosco Prep 20, Bergen Catholic 13


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Punahou (Honolulu) vs. St. Louis (Honolulu)

What to watch: No. 22 Punahou would earn its fourth-consecutive ILH Division I championship with a win over rival St. Louis Friday night at Aloha Stadium. Punahou (6-0) utterly dominated its regular-season opponents, winning by an average score of 56-7. That's nearly the identical margin of the Buff-n-Blue's 55-7 Week 1 win over St. Louis. Junior Ephraim Tuliloa is the triggerman in Punahou's explosive offense. The 6-3, 225-pound quarterback has completed 72 percent of his passes for 1,344 yards with 15 touchdowns and only one interception. On the other side, St. Louis has six straight victories after starting the year 0-3. The Crusaders have averaged 55 points in those six games after being held to only seven in the first Punahou game. St. Louis sophomore Jahred Silofau ran for a season-high 166 yards in last week's 47-20 win over Kamehameha (Honolulu).

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Just the facts: This will be the 22nd faceoff between these teams over the last 11 seasons. Punahou has won the last six and owns a 12-9 edge overall. … St. Louis has claimed a state football championship 16 times in the last 29 years. Punahou has two titles (2008 and 2013).

Mitch Stephens: St. Louis 42, Punahou 35
Kevin Askeland: Punahou 48, St. Louis 14
Jamie DeMoney: Punahou 38, St. Louis 35
Stephen Spiewak: Punahou 35, St. Louis 10
Leland Gordon: Punahou 41, St. Louis 28
Colin Ward-Henninger: Punahou 35, St. Louis 17


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Mentor (Ohio) at Hudson (Ohio)

What to watch: The Northeast Ohio Conference Valley Division championship will be decided Thursday night in this battle of unbeaten squads. Mentor (8-0) got a spectacular effort from its special teams during its 42-16 rout of Solon last week. The Cardinals blocked two Solon field goal attempts and got a 73-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from senior defensive back Marc Walton. On the other side, Toledo-committed quarterback Mitchell Guadagni has over 2,100 combined passing and rushing yards with 25 touchdowns to help Hudson attain its second-consecutive 8-0 start.



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Just the facts: Hudson also started last season 8-0, but that ended with a Week 9 loss to Mentor. … This is just the second season that Mentor and Hudson have played in the same league. Hudson was champion of the NEOC River division in 2011-12 before being elevated to the Valley Division last year.

Mitch Stephens: Hudson 28, Mentor 21
Kevin Askeland: Hudson 28, Mentor 27
Jamie DeMoney: Hudson 29, Mentor 23
Stephen Spiewak: Mentor 44, Hudson 41
Leland Gordon: Mentor 27, Hudson 23
Colin Ward-Henninger: Mentor 21, Hudson 17


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Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) at Dacula (Ga.)

What to watch: Along with No. 13 Colquitt County (Moultrie), Grayson and Dacula are the only undefeated teams left in Georgia's Class AAAAAA. This is Grayson's first 8-0 start since 2011, when the nationally ranked Rams went 15-0 and won their only state championship. This year's squad has received a lot less hype despite fielding a defense that's allowed less than seven points per contest. The unit is led by senior defensive end Justin Young, a 6-4, 260-pound Georgia commit. On the other side, coach Tommy Jones has Dacula in the midst of one of the best recent turnarounds in the nation. The Falcons (7-0) have won 15 of their last 20 games after enduring a disastrous 1-9 season in 2012.

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Just the facts: Dacula had dropped five games in a row to Grayson before claiming a 14-7 victory last season. … Dacula's 1-9 record in 2012 was just its second sub-.500 finish during the last 10 seasons.



Mitch Stephens: Dacula 21, Grayson 20
Kevin Askeland: Grayson 42, Dacula 14
Jamie DeMoney: Grayson 20, Dacula 12
Stephen Spiewak: Grayson 17, Dacula 10
Leland Gordon: Grayson 28, Dacula 27
Colin Ward-Henninger: Grayson 28, Dacula 20


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Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) at Grandview (Aurora, Colo.)

What to watch: The expectation was for this to be a No. 1-versus-No. 2 matchup, but the top of Colorado's 5A rankings were rearranged after Valor Christian's 33-17 loss to Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village) last week. The upset ended Valor's 28-game winning streak against Colorado opponents that started in 2012. Sophomore quarterback Dylan McCaffrey led Valor Christian (6-2) with a career-high 283 passing yards and two touchdowns in the losing effort. Meanwhile, top-ranked Grandview improved to 8-0 with a 53-13 blowout of a solid Overland (Aurora) team. The Wolves' rushing attack steamrolled its way to 439 yards and six touchdowns. Individually, senior Chukwuma Obinnah tied his season high with 261 rushing yards with three scores.

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Just the facts: Prior to last week's loss against Cherry Creek, the last time Valor Christian was beaten by a Colorado public school was Sept. 24, 2010 against Pomona (Arvada). … Friday will be the first time these teams will meet as members of the same conference (Centennial League). However, they did split a pair of nonleague matchups in 2010-11.

Mitch Stephens: Grandview 24, Valor Christian 21
Kevin Askeland: Valor Christian 35, Grandview 12
Jamie DeMoney: Grandview 28, Valor Christian 24
Stephen Spiewak: Grandview 28, Valor Christian 21
Leland Gordon: Valor Christian 31, Grandview 30
Colin Ward-Henninger: Grandview 24, Valor Christian 21


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South (Anchorage, Alaska) vs. West (Anchorage, Alaska)

What to watch: It's the Alaska Large School Division championship. This is the fourth-straight year that one of these teams is playing for a state title but the first time they'll face each other in the final. South enters with a 9-1 record. Its only loss occurred during a long Aug. 29 road trip to Stephenville (Texas) that ended in a 43-0 blowout. But against Alaska opponents, the Wolverines have been stellar, owning a 33-point average win margin that was greatly boosted by a 56-9 rout of West (Anchorage) back on Sept. 20. In order for West to avoid a similar beating this Friday, it probably will need another big performance from senior running back Dave Tuilimu. The 6-1, 220-pounder ran for a season-high 194 yards with two touchdowns in the Eagles' 29-15 state semifinal win against Lathrop (Fairbanks), according to the Anchorage Daily News.



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Just the facts: West is the defending state champion and also won a title in 2010. South also has two state championships, which it won in 2006 and 2012. … This will be the 13th meeting of these cross-town rivals since 2004. South has won four out of the last five and eight of the last 12 overall.

Mitch Stephens: South 28, West 21
Kevin Askeland: South 48, West 6
Jamie DeMoney: South 37, West 25
Stephen Spiewak: South 21, West 14
Leland Gordon: South 35, West 22
Colin Ward-Henninger: South 44, West 35


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St. Ignatius (Cleveland) at St. Xavier (Cincinnati)

What to watch: It's potentially a state championship game preview in a wide-open race in Ohio's Division I this season. Both teams are ranked in the top four of MaxPreps' latest Ohio state computer rankings. Each squad has posted a 6-2 record against a tough schedule. St. Ignatius is trying for its second win against a Cincinnati Greater Catholic League South power in as many weeks. The Wildcats took care of two-time defending state champion Moeller (Cincinnati), 34-20, last Saturday. Ohio State-bound defensive end Dre'mont Jones made a huge first-quarter play, stripping a Moeller ballcarrier, scooping up his caused fumble, and rumbling for a 50-yard touchdown. Meanwhile, St. Xavier (6-2), which has clinched a tie with Moeller for the GCL South championship, picked up its third-straight win by knocking off Indiana power Warren Central, 23-14. Linebacker Justin Hilliard, also an Ohio State recruit, recorded seven solo tackles and a sack.

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Just the facts: Saturday will be the 15th matchup between these teams since 2001. St. Xavier has a comfortable 10-3 edge in the regular-season showdowns. But St. Ignatius won the only postseason meeting: a 37-6 rout in the 2001 Division I state title game. … St. Ignatius has a record 11 state championships – all since 1988. St. Xavier has two state titles, which it won in 2005 and 2007.

Mitch Stephens: St. Ignatius 21, St. Xavier 20
Kevin Askeland: St. Ignatius 14, St. Xavier 13
Jamie DeMoney: St. Ignatius 24, St. Xavier 21
Stephen Spiewak: St. Xavier 17, St. Ignatius 14
Leland Gordon: St. Ignatius 17, St. Xavier 16
Colin Ward-Henninger: St. Xavier 17, St. Ignatius 14



Jamie DeMoney has covered high school sports and recruiting for the past 20 seasons. He is a Regional Content Manager and Product Specialist for XOS Digital and compiles the National Prep Poll (PrepNation) for World Features Syndicate.