High school football's weekend slate is headlined by No. 4
St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.) heading west to take on No. 2
St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) in a game with national championship implications.
St. Frances Academy (1-0) opened the season by dismantling then-No. 7
Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.) 42-13. The Panthers defense features five-star seniors
Zion Elee and
Jireh Edwards. Headed to Maryland, Elee is regarded as the No. 1 prospect in the country. Edwards is the No. 2-rated safety and committed to Alabama.
St. John Bosco (2-0) is led by sophomore quarterback
Koa Malau'ulu and his senior targets
Daniel Odom and
Madden Williams. Odom is headed to Oklahoma and Williams will play at Texas A&M.
Jesse Legree and St. Frances Academy could put themselves in the thick of the national championship conversation with a win over St. John Bosco. (PHOTO: Jeff Klein)
The Braves and Panthers have a combined 76 players with at least one Division I scholarship offer. Forty-six are rated three-star prospects or above.
Five-star quarterback
Ryder Lyons and
Folsom (Calif.) also head to Southern California to take on No. 11
Mission Viejo in a matchup of 2-0 squads. Lyons has 797 yards and eight touchdowns through the air in those two games this season. The Diablos are led by Ohio State commit
Luke Fahey at quarterback. In the season opener, the Mission Viejo defense held No. 17
Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita) to three points.
Read on for a complete look at this week's biggest games.
No. 2 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) vs. No. 4 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.)Friday, 7 p.m. (All times local) - Watch live and free on MaxPreps | YouTube
Top players
St. John Bosco: WR
Daniel Odom (6-2, 193), WR
Madden Williams (6-2, 190), QB
Koa Malau'ulu (6-2, 173), LB
Josiah Poyer (6-1, 233), DB
Dillon Davis (6-0, 185)
St. Frances Academy: DB
Jireh Edwards (6-2, 210), DE
Zion Elee (6-4, 235), QB
Jae'Oyn Williams (5-10, 190), CB
Amauri Polydor (6-1, 170), DB
Raylaun Henry (6-2, 175)
This Maryland vs. California game is the first of the season featuring two teams ranked in the top five. These squads have played once before in 2023 when St. John Bosco hosted the Panthers and won 37-14. St. John Bosco four-star seniors Odom and Williams both caught a touchdown in that game and have been nothing but dominant since with 33 combined TD receptions.
No. 11 Mission Viejo (Calif.) vs. Folsom (Calif.)Friday, 7 p.m. - Watch live NFHS Network
Top players
Mission Viejo: QB
Luke Fahey (6-2, 205), WR
Jack Junker (5-10, 182), WR
K.J. Woodbury (6-1, 170), DB
Jeron Jones (6-1, 175), DB
Jordan Hicks (6-2, 182)
Folsom: QB
Ryder Lyons (6-3, 225), WR
Jameson Powell (5-11, 175), WR
Rob Larson (6-3, 195), LB
E.J. Coleman (6-1, 205), DT
Dontay Kendrick (6-2, 265)
It's a matchup of two top California teams with quarterbacks who make plays and have started since their sophomore years. Fahey of Mission Viejo is headed to Ohio State. The senior has thrown for 47 touchdowns in his career and has a record of 25-4. This season he helped lead the Diablos to a win over nationally-ranked Santa Margarita. Folsom is led by five-star senior Lyons. The BYU commit is coming off a 56-42 win where he threw for four touchdowns and ran for three more. In his career he has a 27-4 record, 134 total touchdowns and over 9,000 total yards.
No. 7 American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) vs. Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.)Friday, 7 p.m. - Watch live NFHS Network
Top players
American Heritage: QB
Dia Bell (6-3, 210), RB
Jonathan Bueno Jr. (5-10, 200), WR
Jamar Denson (5-10, 185), DE
Rodarion Tellez (6-3, 220), DE
Isaac Tanis (6-2, 240)
Chaminade-Madonna: DE
Trevoris Finley (6-4, 235), DT
Damani Atkinson (6-0, 295), QB
Tyler Chance (6-0, 170), RB
Arwin Jackson (5-10, 170), WR
Jasen Lopez (5-11, 175)
American Heritage is looking for revenge on Chaminade-Madonna after falling the last three times these teams have squared off. It will be the first time American Heritage steps on the field since erasing a 28-point lead against St. Joseph's Prep on Aug. 22. Seniors Bell and Denson are one of the best quarterback-receiver tandems in the nation and connected 12 times for 147 yards and a touchdown in the 31-28 win. Chaminade-Madonna rebounded from its loss to St. Frances Academy by beating McArthur (Texas) 28-14. Finley and Atkinson have combined for 4.5 sacks this season for the 1-1 Lions.
No. 14 Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah) vs. Liberty (Peoria, Ariz.) Friday, 7 p.m.
Top players
Corner Canyon: QB
Helaman Casuga (6-1, 210), DB
Josh Harris (5-9, 155), RB
Weston Briggs (6-2, 205), WR
Jesean Mayberry (5-10, 160), DE
Jayden Pearce (6-2, 245)
Liberty: QB
Brayden Stevens (5-10, 165), DE
Tyler Burnstein (6-4, 235), S
Zeth Thues (6-1, 195), RB
Jayden Sanchez (5-10, 170), WR
Marley Chancey (6-1, 155)
Each of these teams have won consecutive championships in their state's highest classification. Corner Canyon has been a buzzsaw this season, outscoring opponents 150-34. Senior four-star quarterback Casuga has passed for six touchdowns and ran for four more, racking up 973 yards in the process. Harris already has three interceptions defensively for the Chargers. Liberty graduated key starters from last year's team but has seen current players rise to the occasion. In the first game of the season, a 50-7 win, Stevens threw for two touchdowns, Burnstein picked up two sacks and Theus had two interceptions.
No. 16 Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) at West Boca Raton (Boca Raton, Fla.)Friday, 6:30 p.m.
Top players
Bergen Catholic: QB
Trey Tagliaferri (6-1, 190), RB
Najee Calhoun (5-11, 195), WR
Austin Busso (6-1, 180), DB
Jordan Thomas (6-1, 185), DL
Jackson Vaughn (6-4, 225)
West Boca Raton: QB
Trey Moran (5-11, 165), RB
Jayden Lockhart (5-11, 190), DE
Grant Edmond (6-1, 225), DL
Xavier Reid (6-0, 270), RB
Javian Mallory (6-0, 200)
Bergen is coming off a near-miracle victory after blocking a punt and returning it for a touchdown over then-No. 25 East St. Louis. Vaughn is a forced to be reckoned with on the defensive line and recorded 2.5 sacks in the win. West Boca Raton won its first game 50-7 and returns many key players from last year's state championship team including quarterback Moran, running backs Mallory and Lockhart and defensive linemen Edmond and Reid.
No. 23 Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) at Basha (Chandler, Ariz.)Friday, 7 p.m. - Watch live on NFHS Network
Top players
Orange Lutheran: DE
Marcus Fakatou (6-7, 285), RB
Jae Nembhard (5-9, 170), QB
Reagan Toki (6-1, 185), WR
Chris Flores Jr. (5-10, 163), WR
Nico Bland (6-1, 190)
Basha: QB
Brodie Vehrs (6-0, 200), RB
Noah Roberts (6-1, 205), S
Kaden Williams (5-10, 185), LB
Kyser Wilson (6-0, 195), LB Eli Cramer-Cronin (6-1, 210)
It's been the Fakatou show so far at Orange Lutheran as the five-star sophomore defensive end has four sacks, including one that preserved a 17-13 victory over then-No. 11 Northwestern (Miami, Fla.) late in the fourth quarter on fourth down. Basha is ranked No. 38 in our expanded top 100 and returned quarterback Vehrs and running back Roberts from a team that reached the state championship game in Arizona's highest classification last season.
No. 3 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) vs. Lone Peak (Highland, Utah)Friday, 7 p.m. - Watch live NFHS Network
Top players
Bishop Gorman: QB
Maika Eugenio (6-0, 210), LB
Toleafoa Gaoteote (6-0, 215), DL
Ocean Taufa (6-3, 250), WR
Zyren Menor (6-0, 180), DL
Prince Williams (6-3, 255)
Lone Peak: QB
Cruz Christensen (6-1, 170), RB
Isaac Fonua (5-9, 165), WR
Kennan Pula (6-3, 200), DB
Tevita Mounga (6-1, 205), DB
Gabe Harmon (6-2, 190)
Bishop Gorman is 2-0 and coming off a 38-0 victory at Kahuku last week. The Gaels have yet to allow a point this season and are led by three-star Hawaii commit Eugenio at quarterback. The senior has seven passing touchdowns this season including three last week. Three-star edge rusher Taufa also makes his return to Utah. The Bishop Gorman senior spent his first two years of high school at Desert Hills and had 12 sacks in 2023. Lone Peak is ranked No. 3 in Utah with a 3-0 record. The Knights are coming off a loss in last year's Class 6A state championship game against nationally-ranked Corner Canyon and have Christensen at quarterback. The junior has completed 68 percent of his passes for six touchdowns without an interception.
No. 8 Duncanville (Texas) vs. South Oak Cliff (Dallas, Texas)Friday, 7 p.m. - Watch live NFHS Network
Top players
Duncanville: DE
K.J. Ford (6-4, 245), DE
Landon Barnes (6-4, 230), TE
Zach Turner (6-3, 216),
Ayson Theus (5-9, 170), WR
Trenton Yancey (6-0, 180)
South Oak Cliff: QB
Jayden Williams (6-1, 170), RB
Levon Morton (5-7, 175), LB
Jamarion Phillips (6-1, 220), LB
Jamari Stewart (5-10, 190), OT
Cortavious Tisaby (6-7, 305)
It will be a showdown in Dallas on Friday between a South Oak Cliff team on the rise and a perennial powerhouse in Duncanville. These teams have squared off in each of the last six seasons with Duncanville winning each contest by an average of 27.5 points per game. This year has already started out much differently for South Oak Cliff, which defeated then-No. 23 North Shore 41-31 last week, a season after losing 38-0 to them.
Douglas County (Douglasville, Ga.) at Langston Hughes (Fairburn, Ga.)Friday, 7:30 p.m. - Watch live NFHS Network
Top players
Douglas County: QB
Mike Johnson (6-1, 180), RB
Zamarcus Lindley (5-11, 200), WR/S
Aaron Gregory (6-2, 175), DE
Jordan Carter (6-4, 245), DB
Kennedy Green (6-2, 195)
Langston Hughes: OL
Kelsey Adams (6-6, 295), TE
Xavier Tiller (6-5, 226), RB
Carsyn Baker (6-2, 210), RB
Qwantavius Wiggins (5-11, 200), QB
Darnell Kelly (6-2, 185)
Douglas County and Langston Hughes meet in a matchup of undefeated Georgia teams. Douglas County is 3-0 and just outside the MaxPreps Top 25 at No. 27. Last week in a 27-21 win over Newton, four-star senior Carter had three sacks while quarterback Johnson had the game-winning touchdown run. Langston Hughes is 2-0 and checks in at No. 59. The Panthers have hammered each of their opponents so far and average 44 points per game.
Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) at Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio)Friday, 7 p.m.
Top players
Trinity: QB
Zane Johnson (6-1, 200), DL
Jahbarri Frost (6-2, 285), OL
Nathaniel Shields (6-3, 255), CB
Allen Evans (6-2, 190), RB
Jamaurion Berry (5-10, 211)
Archbishop Moeller: QB
Matt Ponatoski (6-2, 190), TE
Cooper McCutcheon (6-4, 235), TE
Sam Hamilton (6-4, 230), DL
Christian Harris (6-1, 285), OT
Kal-el Johnson (6-8, 293)
Trinity travels north to take on Archbishop Moeller in a game between teams ranked in our expanded top 100. Trinity has blown past opponents by scores of 63-0 and 37-0. The No. 1-ranked team in Kentucky has won two consecutive state championships. Archbishop Moeller is 1-1 and coming off a 43-42 loss to Chicago Mt. Carmel, the three-time defending Illinois state champs. The Fighting Crusaders are led by four-star quarterback Ponatoski, who threw for five touchdowns in the thriller.
