MaxPreps Top 10 High School Football Games of the Week

By Zack Poff Sep 20, 2019, 11:30am

St. John's looks to avoid its third straight loss in battle with No. 3 IMG Academy.

This week features huge out-of-state showdowns led by Ohio vs. Maryland, Florida vs. Washington, D.C. and Texas vs. Louisiana.

The top game showcases No. 3 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) traveling to the DMV to take on St. John's (D.C.). This is the first matchup between the two programs since 2016 — the last two years were each canceled due to bad weather. The series is split 1-1 with St. John's winning in 2014 with IMG knotting the series in 2016 with a 35-14 victory.

St. Ignatius (Cleveland), one of the new teams featured in the Power 25 rankings presented by Powerade, has a huge test this week against DMV power DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.). The Stags and Cadets are both in the "Next 5" group so a win for either school will jump then back into next week's rankings.

Video: Top 10 Games of the Week
Six of the 10 matchups this week are out of state contests.



The other states featured this week are from California, Georgia, Washington, Arizona, Louisiana, New Jersey, Kentucky and Hawaii.

MaxPreps Top 10 Games

2 p.m. Saturday (All times local)


Top Players

IMG Academy: CB Elias Ricks (6-2, 190), S Lejond Cavazos (6-1, 195), DL Demonte Capehart (6-4, 285), WR Michael Redding III (6-1, 195), RB Kaytron Allen (5-11, 195)



St. John's: WR Rakim Jarrett (6-0, 205), LB Mekhail Sherman (6-3, 235), DL Tré Williams (6-2, 305), QB Sol-Jay Maiava (6-0, 190), ATH Antwain Littleton (6-0, 265)

St. John's entered this season with the toughest schedule in the country and face its third straight Top 25 opponent. This is the first time since 2014 the Cadets have lost two straight and must to beat the No. 3 team in the nation if they want to avoid a three-game skid. The Ascenders are 3-0 this year and have beat Top 25 opponents in back-to-back weeks.
Graphic by Ryan Escobar
No. 25 St. Ignatius (Cleveland) at DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)
2 p.m. Saturday at PG Sports and Learning Complex (Landover, Md.)


Top Players

St. Ignatius: WR Connor Cmiel (6-2, 175), QB Griffin Hanna (6-2, 195), OL Nicholas Schwitzgebel (6-3, 285), WR Henry Cook (5-10, 160), LB Aidan Hubbard (6-3, 215)

DeMatha: RB Marshawn Lloyd (5-9, 205), DL Coziah Izzard (6-3, 270), OL Golden Achumba (6-5, 320), OL Jordan White (6-3, 295), OL Dwayne Allick Jr. (6-3, 290)



St. Ignatius already faced two of the top teams in Ohio and now the Wildcats get a crack at one of the best from the DMV. They erased a 35-10 second-half deficit and snapped Archbishop Hoban's (Akron, Ohio) 31-game winning streak with a 42-41 victory. DeMatha has won two straight since a season opening loss to No. 2 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.).

7:45 p.m. Friday


Top Players

Pinnacle: QB J.D. Johnson (6-4, 215), OL Tosh Baker (6-8, 275), WR Marcus Libman (6-1, 185), RB Matt Goodlow (6-1, 190), DE Anthony Franklin (6-4, 240)

Eastside Catholic: WR Gee Scott Jr. (6-2, 205), RB Sam Adams II (6-2, 200), DL J.T. Tuimoloau (6-4, 275), TE D.J. Rogers (6-3, 230), CB Ayden Hector (6-0, 195)



Two of the best teams on the West Coast meet with state bragging rights on the line. Eastside Catholic is  loaded with players with Power 5 offers. The Crusaders bring in a 15-game winning streak and have won every one by double-digits, but face one of their toughest tests Friday.

8 p.m. Friday


Top Players

Northwestern: LB Terrence Lewis (6-1, 195), WR Marcus Fleming (5-9 , 160), RB Nathaniel Noel (5-10, 170), S Kamren Kinchens (5-10, 175), WR Romello Brinson (6-2, 180)

Lowndes: QB Jacurri Brown (6-3, 195), DE Jaylon Jones (6-4, 260), LB Jalon Baker (6-0, 180), CB Josh Brown (5-11, 165), OL Jacarri Williams (6-3, 320)



Anytime Florida and Georgia lock horns it's big-time. Lowndes is 4-0 and already owns one win against a team from the Sunshine State. Northwestern's only loss came against No. 3 IMG Academy and the Bulls bounced back last week beating Killian (Miami) 48-13. This will be Northwestern's fourth out-of-state game since 2007. They beat Carroll (Southlake, Texas) in 2007 and lost to Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) and Chandler (Ariz.) in 2008 and 2017, respectively.

7:30 p.m. Friday at Aloha Stadium (Honolulu)


Top Players

St. Louis: LB Jordan Botelho (6-3, 230), QB Jayden de Laura (6-1, 190), WR Roman Wilson (6-0, 175), WR Matthew Sykes (6-3 , 205), LB Nick Herbig (6-2, 215)

Punahou: S Alaka`i Gilman (5-11, 190), OL Solatoa Moea`i (6-4, 290), WR Koa Eldredge (6-0, 185), QB John Keawe-Sagapolutele (6-0, 185), RB Vincent Terrell (5-8, 150)



This is the 33rd meeting during the MaxPreps' era between these two Hawaii powers. St. Louis has won 17 of the previous 32 and five in a row. Freshman quarterback Keawe-Sagapolutele has filled in nicely after the Buff N' Blue lost Hugh Brady with a season ending injury. He has thrown for nearly 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns but will face one of the country's best defenses Friday.



Top Players

St. John Bosco: QB DJ Uiagalelei (6-4, 245), LB Kourt Williams II (6-1, 215), OL Drake Metcalf (6-2, 275), WR Kris Hutson (5-10, 175), WR Beaux Collins (6-2, 195)

Mililani: LB Muelu Iosefa (6-3, 210), LB Bam Amina (6-0, 205), DE Shane Kady (6-3, 210), OL Jacob Tuatagaloa (6-2, 290), RB Malosi Sam (5-7, 195)



St. John Bosco makes the 2,500-mile trip to the islands and both teams enter undefeated. The Braves have looked like one of the most dominant teams in the country winning by more than 30 points per game and Mililani has rolled to a 6-0 record in 2019. These two played last year and Uiagalelei threw for 380 yards and six touchdowns in the Braves' 52-14 win.

1 p.m. Saturday


Top Players

St. Peter's Prep: LB Cody Simon (6-1, 220), QB Tahj Bullock (6-3, 205), DE KJ Miles (6-3, 260), DL/OL Isaiah Wright (6-5, 275), DT George Rooks (6-5, 260)

Bergen Catholic: S Jordan Morant (5-11, 210), DL Tywone Malone (6-4, 300), OL Bryan Felter (6-2, 300), QB Andrew Boel (5-11, 175), QB Steven Angeli (6-2, 190)



It's always a big-time game when these two New Jersey powers square off — especially when both are undefeated. St. Peter's Prep hasn't allowed a point through its first two games and Bergen Catholic beat Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia) 25-6 in its only game of the season. This is the 17th meeting since 2004 and St. Peter's Prep has won 10 of the previous 16.

7 p.m. Friday


Top Players

Serra: WR LV Bunkley-Shelton (6-0, 180), ATH Ronald Gilliam (6-0, 190), LB Justin Houston (6-3, 185), QB Doug Brumfield (6-5, 215), CB Devyn King (5-11, 175)

Narbonne: QB Jacob Garcia (6-1, 190), CB Darion Green-Warren (6-0, 185), LB Jordan Banks (6-1, 230), WR Joshua Jackson Jr. (6-0, 180), CB Brandon Jones (5-10, 165)



Serra is 3-0 this season and pulled out tight wins against Calabasas and Long Beach Poly while Narbonne has bounced back strong since a loss to Lone Peak (Highland, Utah). This is the 10th straight year these two lock horns and the Gauchos have won five of the previous nine meetings and three straight.

7:30 p.m. Friday at Independence Stadium (Shreveport)


Top Players

Longview: QB Haynes King (6-2, 190), DL Sawyer Goram-Welch (6-4, 280), WR Kyas Moore (5-8, 155), RB Kaden Meredith (5-9, 180), LB Tyshawn Taylor (5-10, 175)

West Monroe: DL Dontrell Cobbs (6-4, 260), LB Brooks Miller (6-1, 195), WR Jerry Day Jr. (6-0, 170), ATH Cayden Pierce (6-1, 210), RB Derome Williams (5-9, 175)



The Lone Star State and Pelican State tussle in the Joe Delaney Memorial Classic. Longview is coming off its first state title in 81 years last season and has won its first three games of the season. West Monroe has gone 14-1 in back-to-back years and is 2-0. This is the fifth meeting between these two schools and first since 2006. The Rebels have won three of the previous four matchups.

7 p.m. Friday


Top Players

Trinity: DE Tyler Roberson (6-3, 255), RB Armon Tucker (5-9, 165), LB Charlie Ely (6-2, 220), QB Nathan McElroy (6-2, 170), RB Bradley West (5-10, 175)

Male: WR Izayah Cummings (6-3, 210), TE Briceson Rodgers (6-4, 220), RB Jaylin Bross (5-10, 195), QB Elijah Parish (6-0, 185), ATH Selah Brown (6-2, 270)

The top two Kentucky teams in MaxPreps computer rankings are featured in this one. Both schools have dominated this season. Male, the defending 6A state champs, has outscored its three opponents 134-41. Trinity is 4-0 in 2019 and has outscored the opposition 159-34. This will be the 16th meeting between the two Louisville powers and the Shamrocks have won eight of the previous 15 matchups but the Bulldogs have won two straight.