Eight of this week's MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week involve teams ranked in the latest MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard. Included is No. 3 Santa Margarita's matchup with fellow unbeaten St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.). The Eagles scored a combined 127 points the last two games but should get a much sterner test this Friday.
Out east, Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) jumped to No. 6 in this week's rankings after it won at Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) last Friday. The Crusaders are now back in the Garden State to take on St. Joseph Regional (Montvale) in the conference opener for both teams.
The nationally ranked team on the biggest upset alert of the week might be Trinity (Louisville, Ky.). In order to extend their winning streak to 30 games, the ninth-ranked Shamrocks must win on the road against two-time defending Indiana 4A champion Indianapolis Cathedral.
With four weeks of our season-long contest in the books, Leland Gordon and Jamie DeMoney have correctly predicted 31 out of 40 winners and share a slim advantage over the rest of the field. Stephen Spiewak is only one game behind and Mitch Stephens, Steve Montoya and Kevin Askeland are each just two games off the pace.
Here's a look at this week's Top 10 Games of the Week along with predictions by MaxPreps staff writers and contributors Mitch Stephens, Steve Montoya, Stephen Spiewak, Kevin Askeland, Leland Gordon and Jamie DeMoney.
MaxPreps Top 10 Football Games of the Week
It's a Southern California mammoth matchup this week that leads the Top 10 Games of the Week. Be sure to visit the Friday Night Live show, presented by American Family Insurance, for updates as the game begins.
Photos by Kevin French/David Hood
Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)After opening the year with a 48-0 rout of Garfield (Los Angeles), St. Bonaventure beat Inland Division powers Centennial (Corona, Calif.), 40-35, and Redlands East Valley (Calif.), 18-7. The Seraphs then improved to 4-0 by hammering Atascadero last week, 56-23. Arizona recruit
Zachary Green led the way with three touchdown runs.
Read National Football Editor Stephen Spiewak's game previewSanta Margarita won its last three games by a combined score of 162-6. Last week, the Eagles got six touchdowns and 168 rushing yards on only 16 carries from senior
Ryan Wolpin in a 72-0 massacre of Carson. Nebraska-bound quarterback
Johnny Stanton accounted for three touchdowns in the game and now has 14 this season.
This game will be featured on our new Friday Night Live web program, presented by American Family Insurance.
Check out last week's Friday Night Live show and see what the new program has in store for you.
Mitch Stephens: Santa Margarita 38, St. Bonaventure 25
Steve Montoya: St. Bonaventure 28, Santa Margarita 27
Stephen Spiewak: Santa Margarita 31, St. Bonaventure 28
Kevin Askeland: Santa Margarita 45, St. Bonaventure 12
Leland Gordon: Santa Margarita 48, St. Bonaventure 35
Jamie DeMoney: Santa Margarita 41, St. Bonaventure 22
