Scores: MaxPreps Top 10 football games of the week

Herbstreit Classic delivers Top-25 matchups in both Ohio and Texas, while California and Florida powers will be tested in Georgia

High school football fans can look forward to a holiday weekend filled with nationally televised matchups between national and regional powers.

The annual Kirk Herbstreit National Football Classic includes a pair of games both Sunday and Monday in Columbus, Ohio, and a quadruple-header Monday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Ohio offering includes MaxPreps No. 12 Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio) taking on No. 8 Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) while the nation's top-ranked team Trinity (Euless, Texas) should have its hands full with No. 22 Shiloh Christian (Springdale, Ark.) down in Texas.

The five humans on the Top 10 panel are holding their own so far in the season-long standings versus their computer counterpart, the MaxPreps Projections, presented by the Army National Guard. The projections, compiled by Ned Freeman, went 7-3 last week to improve to 15-5 overall. Stephen Spiewak's 8-2 finish was the top result last week and ran his season record to 14-6, a mark he shares with Steve Montoya (7-3). Jamie DeMoney sits in fourth place at 13-7 followed by Kevin Askeland (12-8) and Mitch Stephens (9-11).

Here's a look at this week's Top 10 games along with the predictions by MaxPreps staff writers and contributors Mitch Stephens, Steve Montoya, Stephen Spiewak, Kevin Askeland, Jamie DeMoney and projections for the game by the MaxPreps computer rankings:

Oceanside (Calif.) at Servite (Anaheim, Calif.), Thursday FINAL Servite 31-7
Despite entering the game with a 39-game unbeaten streak, Oceanside is probably the underdog in this matchup of last year's Division I and Division II state champions. The Pirates graduated six players who signed with FBS programs and have only six returning starters. The bulk of the experience is on defense, a unit that allowed opponents eight points per contest last season.

Servite's biggest loss came at quarterback with the graduation of Los Angeles Times player of the year Cody Fajardo (Nevada). But the Friars still have 14 other starters who return, including nine from a defense that was stingy throughout the Pac-5 playoffs. Expect a low-scoring affair that could come down to a field goal. If that happens, it should be advantage Servite, which has one of the nation's most highly recruited kickers in Connor Loftus.

Mitch Stephens: Servite 24, Oceanside 14
Steve Montoya: Servite 28, Oceanside 14
Stephen Spiewak: Servite 21, Oceanside 7
Kevin Askeland: Servite 32, Oceanside 21
Jamie DeMoney: Servite 13, Oceanside 6
MaxPreps Projection: Servite 35, Oceanside 8

Central (Miami) at Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.), Friday FINAL Camden County 45-42
The top game in the Southeast this week has the No. 2 Class 6A team in Florida traveling to the top-ranked 5A squad in Georgia. It's the first official contest of the year for Miami Central, which exploded last week for a 50-6 preseason win against Ely (Pompano Beach). Quarterback Rakeem Cato, a Florida International commit who played at Miami Springs last season, had three touchdown passes including a 91-yarder to fellow FBS talent Charles Gaines Jr. The lone Achilles heel for this Central team – that could have as many as 11 seniors sign FBS scholarships – is penalties and mental errors.

This is the first of two games Camden County will play against South Florida powers this season. On October 1, the two-time defending 5A champion Wildcats travel to St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). Coach Jeff Herron put this schedule together without fear, despite his team returning only one starter on both sides of the ball. In its opener last week, Camden County's Wing-T offense had no difficulties running over, around, and through perennial doormat Savannah, 65-14.

Mitch Stephens: Camden County 28, Miami Central 27
Steve Montoya: Camden County 37, Miami Central 31
Stephen Spiewak: Camden County 21, Miami Central 20
Kevin Askeland: Camden County 35, Miami Central 21
Jamie DeMoney: Miami Central 38, Camden County 28
MaxPreps Projection: Miami Central 38, Camden County 26

Crenshaw (Los Angeles) at North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.), Friday FINAL North Gwinnett 17-12

Crenshaw High's De'Anthony Thomas.

File photo by Dirk Dewachter

According to Georgia High School Football Daily founder and MaxPreps correspondent Todd Holcomb, this will be the first-ever meeting between teams from the football-rich states of California and Georgia. The defending Los Angeles City champion, Crenshaw was 14-0 before losing to powerhouse De La Salle (Concord, Calif.), 28-14, in the Open Division state championship game last year. The Cougars return USC commit De'Anthony Thomas, a multipurpose offensive threat who averaged more than 12 yards every time he touched the ball, as well as Marquis Thompson, a three-year starter at quarterback.

Though the Bulldogs (2-0) have never played a team from the West Coast, they know a lot about playing teams from outside Georgia. Crenshaw is the fifth out-of-state opponent North Gwinnett has played in four years. The most recent was against Bob Jones (Madison, Ala.) last week when the Bulldogs built a 28-0 first-half lead then cruised to a 42-20 final margin. There are only five returning starters from last season but one of them is quarterback CJ Uzomah, a 6-6, 235-pound Auburn commit who threw for more than 1,700 yards and rushed for more than 600 with 24 touchdowns as a junior.

Mitch Stephens: North Gwinnett 28, Crenshaw 27
Steve Montoya: Crenshaw 45, North Gwinnett 28
Stephen Spiewak: North Gwinnett 28, Crenshaw 17
Kevin Askeland: North Gwinnett 35, Crenshaw 28
Jamie DeMoney: North Gwinnett 24, Crenshaw 16
MaxPreps Projection: North Gwinnett 28, Crenshaw 21

LaSalle College (Wyndmoor, Pa. at North Penn (Lansdale, Pa.), Friday FINAL LaSalle 27-14
One of the most anticipated matchups of the season in southeastern Pennsylvania happens right off the bat in week one. Five starters are back on each side of the ball for LaSalle, which became the Philadelphia Catholic League's first state champion the first year the league sent teams to the PIAA playoffs. Villanova-bound running Jamal Abdur-Rahman was a 1,000-yard rusher despite missing three games. He'll continue to run behind an athletic and tough offensive line. The biggest challenge for the Explorers is making up for the loss of Philadelphia Inquirer Player of the Year Drew Loughery at quarterback.

North Penn is the preseason top-ranked 4A team in the state, according to RodFrisco.com. The Knights have always specialized in a physical, smash-mouth brand of football, and this year's team has the personnel to excel in that regard. The team's leading rusher from last season, Craig Needhammer, is back willing to oblige any would-be tackler who needs hammering. The diminutive 5-7, 180-pound senior ran for nearly 1,500 yards and 29 touchdowns last season. On defense, the leader is hard-hitting junior linebacker Ralph Reeves.

Mitch Stephens: North Penn 21, LaSalle 20
Steve Montoya: North Penn 31, LaSalle 30
Stephen Spiewak: North Penn 28, LaSalle 14
Kevin Askeland: North Penn 28, LaSalle 21
Jamie DeMoney: LaSalle 24, North Penn 21
MaxPreps Projection: LaSalle 26, North Penn 21

South Panola (Batesville, Miss.) at Memphis University (Tenn.), Friday FINAL South Panola 39-2
Since the start of the 2002 season, only three teams have beaten South Panola. One year ago this week, Memphis University became a part of that exclusive list with a narrow 21-19 on the Tigers' home field. So, revenge is likely on the minds of the Tigers, who are 2-0 and ranked No. 3 in this week's MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National High School Football Rankings, presented by the Army National Guard. They started the year slow with only a 6-0 halftime lead in the opener but have scored almost at will since. The Tigers ran for 432 yards in a 38-0 shutout of Petal then put up 65 points and 447 rushing yards in last week's 30-point road blowout of Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.). Senior Qyendairs Griffin had more than 500 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in the two games.

Memphis University returned only three starters from a team that went 13-0 and finished No. 4 in the nation. Despite an inexperienced roster, the Owls played well in their first two games winning by a total margin of 56 points. While last year's squad featured all-state quarterback Barry Brunetti (West Virginia), the strength of this year's team is its defense. The leader of the unit is 6-4, 205-pound linebacker Henry Dickinson.

Mitch Stephens: South Panola 35, Memphis University 21
Steve Montoya: South Panola 42, Memphis University 38
Stephen Spiewak: South Panola 35, Memphis University 10
Kevin Askeland: South Panola 50, Memphis University 21
Jamie DeMoney: South Panola 52, Memphis University 14
MaxPreps Projection: South Panola 44, Memphis University 19

Hutchinson (Kan.) at Rockhurst (Kansas City, Mo.), Friday FINAL Rockhurst 29-28
A rivalry has sprouted between these two programs separated by a state border and about 200 miles of rolling plains. A 28-21 loss in Kansas City to open the 2008 season is one of only five losses for Hutchinson in six years. The Salthawks have captured six consecutive 5A or 6A state titles. They are short on varsity experience this year with just five returning starters, but players throughout the Hutchinson football feeder system learn coach Randy Dreiling's flexbone option offense and 4-4 defensive systems every step along the way. Slotback Hunter Stucky is the lone returning starter from an offense that averaged 52 points last season. Strong safety Ben Heeney, an FBS prospect, is the leader on defense.

Rockhurst came out of the gate with a 7-6 grudge-match victory against Blue Springs last week. Rockhurst's run defense played well, holding running back Darrian Miller to only 107 yards on 30 carries (Miller was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Missouri last season with nearly 2,800 yards). Senior quarterback Frank Arbanas will need to be sharp against Hutchinson. One of his top targets is 6-5, 245-pound Oklahoma commit Dan Tapko, a four-year starter at tight end and defensive end.

Mitch Stephens: Hutchinson 14, Rockhurst 13
Steve Montoya: Hutchinson 20, Rockhurst 10
Stephen Spiewak: Rockhurst 17, Hutchinson 10
Kevin Askeland: Hutchinson 48, Rockhurst 20
Jamie DeMoney: Rockhurst 31, Hutchinson 14
MaxPreps Projection: Rockhurst 28, Hutchinson 20

Manatee (Bradenton, Fla.) at Woodland Hills (Pittsburgh), Saturday FINAL Manatee 39-16
The nightcap of Saturday's "Rally at the Wolverena" could be a tricky spot emotionally for Manatee. The Hurricanes – ranked No. 11 by MaxPreps – must leave behind the celebration of last week's nationally televised preseason whooping of Plant (Tampa). They'll need plenty of focus to travel more than 1,000 miles and play a talented opponent on its home field. The Hurricanes are well coached by veteran leader Joe Kinnan and have several outstanding athletes, but the guy to watch is senior running back Mike Blakely. He ran for nearly 2,000 yards as a junior.

This is the third straight time Woodland Hills will open the season against an out-of-state opponent. It lost the previous two games, but this time the Wolverines have the advantage of playing at home. They are ranked No. 1 in western Pennsylvania to start the season by both Pittsburgh newspapers and feature versatile running back/defensive back Lafayette Pitts, a University of Pittsburgh commit. The potential for a mismatch in this game will be Woodland Hills' inexperienced offensive line against Manatee's talented defensive front.

Mitch Stephens: Manatee 21, Woodland Hills 17
Steve Montoya: Manatee 35, Woodland Hills 21
Stephen Spiewak: Manatee 28, Woodland Hills 24
Kevin Askeland: Manatee 39, Woodland Hills 14
Jamie DeMoney: Manatee 31, Woodland Hills 14
MaxPreps Projection: Woodland Hills 20, Manatee 17

Shiloh Christian (Springdale, Ark.) vs. Trinity (Euless, Texas) FINAL Trinity 80-26
The opening stanza of the Texas portion of the Kirk Herbstreit Classic Monday is a nationally televised tilt between two of the most talked about teams in the Southwest. Shiloh Christian, ranked No. 22 by MaxPreps, is a veteran squad led by Auburn-bound quarterback Kiehl Frazier. As a junior, he passed for more than 3,800 yards and 48 touchdowns. Up front, the stalwarts are 6-5, 295-pound Kansas recruit Travis Bodenstein on offense and 6-0, 255-pound Kansas State commit Samuel Harvill on defense. The Saints won two consecutive state championships in Class 4A but haven't played another nationally ranked opponent. On Monday, they'll get their opportunity facing MaxPreps' No. 1-ranked team.

Trinity showed last week why it's ranked No. 1 in the nation. The Trojans bullied their way past Lee (Tyler), 35-0, on the Red Raiders' home field. Up front, Trinity is bigger and stronger than most teams it will face but also has playmakers on the outside. Oklahoma recruit Brandon Carter had 111 receiving yards and caught two touchdown passes against Lee. He also shares duties at quarterback with Kailahi Kautai, a junior who completed 9 of 13 passes for 155 yards and rushed for 91 yards in his starting debut. Running backs Tevin Williams and Terrrence Tusan combined for 126 rushing yards. On defense, Trinity's rock-solid front seven is anchored by 6-3, 280-pound Baylor recruit Suleiman Masumbuko and SMU-bound linebacker Jonathan Yenga. If there are weaknesses on this team, they might be an inability to score points when falling behind and difficulty defending against a high-powered passing game. If Shiloh Christian can jump in front early, the nation's top-ranked team could be in trouble.

Mitch Stephens: Trinity 28, Shiloh Christian 21
Steve Montoya: Trinity 34, Shiloh Christian 24
Stephen Spiewak: Trinity 28, Shiloh Christian 20
Kevin Askeland: Trinity 28, Shiloh Christian 14
Jamie DeMoney: Trinity 37, Shiloh Christian 24
MaxPreps Projection: Shiloh Christian 34, Trinity 31

Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) vs. Glenville (Cleveland) FINAL Glenville 26-22
The Kirk Herbstreit Classic is a tough season-opener for No. 8 Dwyer. The Panthers played good but not great in a 25-20 preseason victory against an overmatched Carol City (Miami) squad last week. They also started slow last season, losing their opener, 21-7, to Glades Central (Belle Glade) but then were dominant in winning 14 straight and the 4A championship. There's plenty of talent left over from that team despite graduating three University of Florida recruits. Jacoby Brissett, a Division I talent in football and basketball, returns at quarterback after throwing for nearly 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns. Nick O'Leary, the grandson of golf legend Jack Nicklaus, is a highly rated tight end. Curt Maggitt and Keith Bowers were key members of a defensive front that allowed less than a touchdown per game last season.

Although Columbus is about a two-hour drive from Cleveland, No. 12 Glenville should feel at home in the famed ‘Horseshoe.’ Since 2002, there have been 16 Tarblooders who have signed with Ohio State including Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith and first-round draft picks Ted Ginn Jr. and Donte Whitner. Glenville's current senior class has no Buckeye commitments as of yet but there is plenty of BCS-level college talent. MaxPreps Top 100 tackle Aundrey Walker leads a potent rushing attack while quarterback Cardale Jones continues to improve as a passer. Receiver Shane Wynn is only 5-6, 145 pounds but can absolutely fly. He returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown last week in a 28-21 road win against Warren Central (Indianapolis).

Mitch Stephens: Dwyer 28, Glenville 24
Steve Montoya: Glenville 24, Dwyer 16
Stephen Spiewak: Dwyer 30, Glenville 27
Kevin Askeland: Glenville 28, Dwyer 27
Jamie DeMoney: Glenville 28, Dwyer 13
MaxPreps Projection: Dwyer 28, Glenville 24

Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.) vs. Pickerington Central (Ohio) FINAL Pickerington Central 36-20
The finale of the four-game Ohio portion of the Kirk Herbstreit Classic is the first game of the year for Oscar Smith, which must replace four-year starting quarterback Philip Sims (Alabama). Still, the Tigers still have more than a dozen returning starters including their three top running backs and three offensive linemen. J.C. Coleman ran for 1,325 yards and 21 touchdowns as a sophomore. On defense the leaders are returning all-state linebacker Raysean Richardson and Syracuse-bound defensive back Jaston George.

With 18 starters back from a 10-2 team, Pickerington Central is a darkhorse to win Ohio's highly competitive Division I championship. The Tigers opened the season last week with a 38-0 shutout of a pretty decent Plainfield (Ind.) squad. The leader of a strong defense is safety Eilar Hardy, a Notre Dame commit. The offensive line has plenty of experience and talent. Tyler "Speedy" Hammond ran for 105 yards on only 12 carries with two touchdowns versus Plainfield.

Mitch Stephens: Pickerington Central 21, Oscar Smith 14
Steve Montoya: Pickerington Central 37, Oscar Smith 24
Stephen Spiewak: Pickerington Central 17, Oscar Smith 14
Kevin Askeland: Oscar Smith 21, Pickerington Central 14
Jamie DeMoney: Pickerington Central 31, Oscar Smith 20
MaxPreps Projection: Pickerington Central 26, Oscar Smith 21

MaxPreps contributor Jamie DeMoney has covered high school sports and recruiting for more than 15 years. He is editor and founder of PrepNation.com. You can reach him at PrepNation@aol.com.