MaxPreps Top 10 High School Football Games of the Week

Video: Plays of the Week
Highlights from Alabama, Hawaii and Virginia make the cut.

Although the 2016 high school football season doesn't officially kick off for everyone this weekend, the first MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week has no shortage of big time matchups to preview from coast to coast.

One of the hot spots is along the North Carolina-South Carolina border, where two teams ranked in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard have tough season openers. No. 10 Mallard Creek, the defending 4AA titlist in North Carolina, is on the road against last year's South Carolina Class AA/I champion Dillon. Meanwhile, reigning South Carolina 4A/II champ No. 17 Northwestern will be tested in head coach David Pierce's first game by crosstown rival South Pointe.

Seven games on this week's slate involve either nationally ranked teams or teams that won championships in their state's largest classification last season (or both).

South Panola (Batesville, Miss.) at Clinton (Miss.)
Thursday, 7 p.m. Central time

Why it's big: A battle of two preseason favorites for the Class 6A crown kicks off Mississippi's high school football season in style on Thursday night. Clinton is ranked No. 2 in the Jackson Clarion-Ledger's preseason Top 10 rankings and South Panola is No. 3. South Panola won all six prior meetings in this series since 2004, including a 35-25 triumph in last year's season opener.

Players to watch: Clinton senior Cam Akers – the No. 2-rated running back nationally by 247Sports – will face a major challenge going against a tough South Panola defensive front featuring Memphis-committed nose guard Ob Goodson.

No. 7 Roswell (Ga.) vs. Buford (Ga.)
Friday, 5:30 p.m. Eastern time

Why it's big: The first team in the Xcellent 25 to take the field this season will be No. 7 Roswell. Lofty expectations for the Class 7A Hornets will be stress-tested by Buford, a perennial power that moved up to Class 5A this year after winning seven state crowns in nine years at the 2A, 3A and 4A levels.

Players to watch: With two defensive backs ranked among the Top 20 prospects in the state by 247Sports, Georgia's best high school secondary might belong to Roswell. The two leaders of the unit are safety Xavier McKinney -- a recent decommit from Alabama -- and Clemson-bound cornerback Leanthony Williams. Buford's top prospect is four-star junior running back Anthony Grant.

Warren Central (Indianapolis) at Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.)
Friday, 7 p.m. Eastern time

Why it's big: The Nos. 1 and 3-ranked teams in the state preseason media poll square off for the 16th time in 12 seasons. Defending 6A state titlist Center Grove eliminated Warren Central in last year's playoffs and wants to extend its winning streak against the Warriors to three games overall.

Players to watch: Running back Titus McCoy is back to spark Center Grove's offense after running for 1,912 yards and 28 touchdowns as a junior. The 5-foot-11, 188-pounder is committed to Indiana State. Warren Central's defense features one of the Midwest's top safety prospects for the Class of 2018 in Julius Brents.

South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C.) at No. 17 Northwestern (Rock Hill, S.C.)
Friday, 7:30 p.m. Eastern time

Why it's big: No. 17 Northwestern has won seven of the 12 games played in this rivalry since South Pointe fielded its first team in 2006. South Pointe actually won the first two times it played against Northwestern, but Northwestern has been dominant in recent years, claiming five of the last seven.
 
Players to watch: Northwestern quarterback Gage Moloney is back after throwing for a whopping 3,969 yards, 47 touchdowns and only four interceptions as a junior. Moloney guided a Northwestern offense that scored 715 points and ended the season with 14 straight wins and the 4A/II state crown. Among a very talented junior class for South Pointe is three-star defensive back Steven Gilmore jr., younger brother of former South Pointe star and current Buffalo Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

No. 10 Mallard Creek (Charlotte, N.C.) at Dillon (S.C.)
Friday, 7:30 p.m. Eastern time

Why it's big: These defending state champions from bordering states collide on opening night for the second time in four years. Mallard Creek won the 2013 meeting, 27-21, and has a 3-1 record overall versus out-of-state opponents since fielding its first team in 2007. Dillon has lost only one other time since that Mallard Creek game and currently owns a 37-game winning streak.

Names to watch: Four of 247Sports' Top 30 Class of 2017 prospects in North Carolina will suit up for Mallard Creek. All four – wide receiver Ryan Jones (North Carolina), offensive lineman Travaris Moore (South Carolina), defensive lineman Grant Gibson (N.C. State) and offensive lineman Eric Douglas II (South Carolina) -- are committed to ACC colleges. Among Dillon's top returning players is senior defensive end Jerdarius McDaniel, an Appalachian State pledge.

Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.) at Valdosta (Ga.)
Friday, 8 p.m. Eastern time Why it's big: Valdosta – the winningest program in high school football history – shoots to become the first team to reach 900 wins when it battles crosstown rival Lowndes. It will be the 55th meeting in the series. Despite losing nine of the last 12, Valdsota still owns a 2-to-1 edge (36-18) all-time in the series.
 
Players to watch: Lowndes' most explosive offensive threat is likely to be Xavier Jenkins Jr., the Vikings' leading receiver last season and a three-star rated senior by 247Sports. Leading the way for Valdosta's defense is junior outside linebacker Zakoby McClain, a four-star prospect.

Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) at Ensworth (Nashville, Tenn.)
Friday, 7 p.m. Central time

Why it's big: This will be the eighth-consecutive season that Trinity opens the season against a non-Kentucky opponent. It's the sixth-straight time the opponent is from Tennessee and the fourth year in a row the Shamrocks will open against Ensworth. Trinity improved to 4-3 in those out-of-state openers when it crushed Ensworth, 45-0, last season.

Names to watch: Sophomore Stephen Herron Jr., a recent transfer from New Albany (Ind.), has a chance to become Trinity's next big-time recruit. The 6-4, 220-pound defensive end already reports offers from Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville and Tennessee. Ensworth's most heralded player is senior Rodney Owens Jr., a Louisville commit with a big-play ability as a safety, receiver and on special teams.

Brighton (Salt Lake City) at Herriman (West Herriman, Utah)
Friday, 7 p.m. Mountain time

Why it's big: Herriman shrugged off an 0-2 start then went 11-1 and concluded last season with its first Class 5A state championship. One of the teams that defeated the Mustangs early on was Brighton, which claimed a 23-14 victory in the season opener.

Players to watch: In senior running back Sione Lund, Brighton returns a four-star recruit and leading rusher from last season. Lund, who ran for 1,184 yards and 14 touchdowns on only 113 carries, has verbally committed to Stanford. Herriman had over 3,000 rushing yards as a team last season, but its three leading individual gainers have graduated. However, on defense, leading tackler Noah Vaea, a 6-foot, 195-pound safety, does return.

Serra (Gardena, Calif.) at No. 25 Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.)
Friday, 7 p.m. Mountain time

Why it's big: No. 25 Saguaro begins a two-game, season-opening gauntlet against tough out-of-state opponents at home versus SoCal power Serra. Saguaro – which won its third-consecutive state crown last fall -- hopes to work out any preseason kinks before next Saturday's nationally televised road game versus No. 24 Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.). But it better not look past Serra. The Cavaliers have averaged more than 11 wins per season the last 10 years.

Players to watch: Saguaro has at least seven players with FBS offers on its roster, but that doesn't even include its most productive player last season, Stone Matthews. The 5-8, 180-pounder, capped a 2,000-yard season with 291 rushing yards in the state championship game. On the other side, Serra graduated last year's leaders in passing, rushing and receiving yards. However, four-star linebacker Merlin Robertson is back after topping the team's tackle charts as a sophomore.

Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.) vs. Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.)
Saturday, 5:45 p.m. Eastern time

Why it's big: Colquitt County looks to extend its 30-game winning streak against the team it beat in last year's Class 6A state semifinals. A scant few starters are back from that squad but the Packers are still expected to be heavily in the mix for this season's newly formed Class 7A crown. Mill Creek, on the other hand, has much more experience, returning 11 starters – including nine on offense – from a team that won its first 13 games last season.

Players to watch: Senior Cameron Turley, a Georgia Tech baseball commit, returns to guide Mill Creek's offense after throwing for 2,358 yards and 18 touchdowns last season. He will benefit from an experienced offensive line that includes Virginia-bound center Tyler Fannin. Although Colquitt County is in reload mode, its roster doesn't lack for talent. One of the team's top up-and-comers is junior linebacker JJ Peterson, a four-star prospect with at least three Southeastern Conference offers already.

MaxPreps contributor Jamie DeMoney has covered high school sports and recruiting for more than two decades. He is a Regional Content Manager and Product Specialist for XOS Digital and has compiled the National Prep Poll (PrepNation.com) since 1999.