MaxPreps Top 10 Football Games of the Week

It's a high-stakes weekend upcoming for some of the highest-ranked teams in the nation. The Top 10 Games of the Week features 11 teams in this week's MaxPreps Xcellent 25 presented by the Army National Guard battling either for state championships or the right to play for a state title next week.

The state of Florida has a pair of semifinal bouts where two Top 25 teams will square off in rematches from last season. In the 5A semifinals, it's No. 18 Manatee traveling to No. 4 St. Thomas Aquinas, and the 4A semis has No. 17 Dwyer playing at No. 7 Armwood.

In Texas, the road to possible state and national titles doesn't get any easier for Euless Trinity. The top-ranked Trojans must survive unbeaten and 11th-ranked Stony Point in order to return to the 5A/I championship game.

Out west, the recipient of Southern California's bid to the CIF Open Division state bowl championship game will likely be determined when No. 9 Mission Viejo takes on fellow unbeaten No. 20 Servite for the Pac-5 Division title.

After going only 5-5 last week, Stephen Spiewak's season-long stranglehold on the predictions contest has slipped away. Two-time defending champion MaxPreps Projections has drawn even with Spiewak with 113 correct selections and 47 losses. Jamie DeMoney also went 5-5 last week and is 10 games back with only two weeks and 20 games left in the contest. You can track the season-long standings and all the weekly results here.

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

Manatee (Bradenton, Fla.) at St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Friday
Football fans from both coasts in the Sunshine State were hoping all season to see this rematch in the Class 5A semifinals. One year ago this week, Manatee upset then-national No. 1 Aquinas, 28-20, keeping the Raiders from possible repeat state and national titles. It's the fourth time in the last six years these teams are meeting in the semifinals and the seventh time overall that Aquinas has made it at least this far in the postseason. This time around, both teams have identical 13-0 records and appear in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25.

For No. 18 Manatee, the key to winning the game might be establishing a clock-evaporating ground game with Florida-committed running back Mike Blakely. That would also open up throwing lanes for sophomore quarterback Cord Sandberg, who has more than 2,600 passing yards this season. While Manatee was only a three-point winner in last week's quarterfinals against Bayside, No. 4 St. Thomas Aquinas obliterated Boyd Anderson, 47-6, and has won every game this season by at least 16 points. The Raiders are led by senior quarterback Jacob Rudock. The 6-foot-3 Iowa commit is the school's all-time passing leader and has completed 66 percent of his throws for 2,399 yards and 34 touchdowns this year. Seniors Phillip Dorsett (a Miami recruit) and Rashad Greene (Florida State) have combined for more than 1,500 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns.

Video of Cord Sandberg

Mitch Stephens: St. Thomas Aquinas 42, Manatee 35
Steve Montoya: St. Thomas Aquinas 31, Manatee 28
Stephen Spiewak: St. Thomas Aquinas 35, Manatee 28
Kevin Askeland: St. Thomas Aquinas 40, Manatee 25
Jamie DeMoney: St. Thomas Aquinas 31, Manatee 13
MaxPreps Projection: St. Thomas Aquinas 35, Manatee 27

Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) at Armwood (Seffner, Fla.), Friday
An almost equally awaited rematch takes place in the Florida 4A bracket, where nationally ranked title contenders Dwyer and Armwood do battle. Dwyer took Armwood to the woodshed in the semifinals last season, winning 41-15 en route to a dominant state-title run.

A controversial loss at Ohio Stadium to then-nationally ranked Glenville (Cleveland) is the only blemish on No. 17 Dwyer's record since Sept. 4, 2009. The Panthers have won 26 of 27 games during that span by an average margin of 43 points. Earlier this week, senior quarterback Jacoby Brissett was named Palm Beach County's player of the year. The 6-5, 230-pounder had 22 touchdown passes and no interceptions in 10 regular season games. On the other side, No. 7 Armwood is the lone unbeaten team left in the 4A field. The Hawks, who haven't lost a home playoff game since 2002, have one of the top defenses in the state while their offense features versatile senior quarterback Josh Grady and touted junior tailback Matt Jones.

Video of Matt Jones

Mitch Stephens: Dwyer 21, Armwood 14
Steve Montoya: Armwood 20, Dwyer 13
Stephen Spiewak: Armwood 21, Dwyer 10
Kevin Askeland: Dwyer 28, Armwood 14
Jamie DeMoney: Dwyer 28, Armwood 20
MaxPreps Projection: Armwood 31, Dwyer 21

Stone Bridge (Ashburn, Va.) vs. Phoebus (Hampton, Va.), Saturday
The Division 5 state championship game at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville is a rematch of last year's final, won by Phoebus, 15-10. It was the second straight year Phoebus ended Stone Bridge's season. But, in 2007, Stone Bridge beat Phoebus in the playoffs – and that was the last time the Phantoms lost a game.

Stone Bridge (14-0) can mix up its offensive sets from a spread attack to the run-oriented single-wing. Both looks are equally difficult to defend and makes it tough to prepare for the Bulldogs. Their defense, led by Boston College-bound safety Spenser Rositano and Virginia-committed end Rob Burns, has allowed less than six points per game. No. 12 Phoebus continues to own the second-longest active win streak in the nation (44 games), but just barely. After slipping past rival Hampton, 12-7, two weeks ago the Phantoms needed 21 straight points to rally past Dinwiddie for a 21-13 win in the state semifinals. The main culprit for their late-season struggles has been turnovers. They have as many giveaways (seven) in the last two weeks as they did the first 12 weeks of the season combined.

Mitch Stephens: Phoebus 21, Stone Bridge 17
Steve Montoya: Phoebus 27, Stone Bridge 20
Stephen Spiewak: Phoebus 17, Stone Bridge 14
Kevin Askeland: Phoebus 35, Stone Bridge 7
Jamie DeMoney: Stone Bridge 24, Phoebus 13
MaxPreps Projection: Phoebus 28, Stone Bridge 17

Butler (Matthews, N.C.) vs. Wake Forest-Rolesville (Wake Forest, N.C.), Saturday
Despite starting the season in the national rankings, some are surprised to see Butler still alive and playing to defend its Class 4AA title on Saturday at North Carolina's Kenan Stadium. The Bulldogs, 15-0 and ranked 22nd in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25, lost not only star quarterback Christian LeMay (who he left the school after being suspended) but also two of their top running backs due to off-the-field issues during the season. Stepping up and filling in more than admirably has been sophomore Riley Ferguson at quarterback (more than 2,000 passing yards) and 235-pound senior Jahwan Edwards (more than 1,000 rushing yards) at running back. They have made it possible for Butler to extend its winning streak to 30 games.

Wake Forest-Rolesville (14-1) is appearing in its first state title game and could have the mental advantage of playing with nothing to lose. The Cougars play tenacious defense and are smash-mouth to the core on offense with a wing-T alignment. Their leading rusher is senior James Harris (more than 1,300 yards). He runs behind an offensive line featuring a pair of Division I recruits in Dylan Intemann (Wake Forest) and Ryan Doyle (Maryland).

Mitch Stephens: Butler 28, Wake Forest-Rolesville 14
Steve Montoya: Butler 17, Wake Forest-Rolesville 10
Stephen Spiewak: Butler 42, Wake Forest-Rolesville 28
Kevin Askeland: Butler 21, Wake Forest-Rolesville 7
Jamie DeMoney: Butler 29, Wake Forest-Rolesville 14
MaxPreps Projection: Butler 35, Wake Forest-Rolesville 14

La Salle College (Wyndmoor, Pa.) vs. North Penn (Lansdale, Pa.), Saturday
A trip to the Class 4A championship game is on the line in this rematch of the season-opener for both teams. La Salle (12-1) won the first matchup, 27-14, and now has 23 straight victories against in-state opponents. The defending state champion's only loss this season was to New Jersey power Bergen Catholic (Oradell). The Explorers played suffocating team defense and got an outstanding individual effort from senior running back Jamal Abdur-Rahman in last week's 19-7 win over Easton. The Villanova recruit ran for more than 100 yards and returned an interception for a touchdown.

North Penn (13-1) might have played its best game of the year when it beat Neshaminy (Langhorne), 42-6, in last week's District One championship. Senior running back Craig Neddhammer had more than 100 yards on only four carries and the Knights' defense was outstanding. With a win over La Salle, North Penn could reach the state final for the first time since 2003, when it last won a state championship.

Mitch Stephens: North Penn 21, La Salle 20
Steve Montoya: La Salle 13, North Penn 7
Stephen Spiewak: La Salle 24, North Penn 21
Kevin Askeland: North Penn 14, La Salle 7
Jamie DeMoney: La Salle 23, North Penn 20
MaxPreps Projection: La Salle 22, North Penn 21

Trinity (Euless, Texas) vs. Stony Point (Round Rock, Texas), Saturday
Trinity, the nation's No. 1-ranked team, will likely get another stout test from another undefeated team in the Texas 5A/I playoffs. A week after defeating Coppell, 41-40, on the final play of the game, the Trojans now must find a way to get past Stony Point. The Tigers are ranked No. 11 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 after defeating DeSoto, 72-48, last week. These teams also met in the semifinals last season, with Trinity winning, 35-28, on its way to the 5A/I championship.

Despite featuring high-profile Division I athletes on defense, neither Trinity nor Stony Point has been as strong as expected on that side of the ball this season. However, neither squad has struggled getting the ball into the end zone. Trinity scores an average of 48 points per game and Stony Point averages 44. Oklahoma recruit Brandon Carter – a quarterback-slash-receiver – and Tevin Williams – who scored last week's game-winning touchdown on a 2-yard run – are Trinity's most renowned playmakers. Sam Kelley – Stony Point's 5-7 senior running back – went over the 2,000-yard mark for the season after gaining 273 yards and scoring three touchdowns against DeSoto.

Mitch Stephens:  Stony Point 42, Trinity 41
Steve Montoya: Stony Point 24, Trinity 17
Stephen Spiewak: Trinity 45, Stony Point 42
Kevin Askeland: Trinity 42, Stony Point 41
Jamie DeMoney: Trinity 37, Stony Point 27
MaxPreps Projection: Trinity 34, Stony Point 31

West Monroe (La.) vs. Acadiana (Lafayette, La.), Saturday
West Monroe will make a familiar 200-mile trek to the Louisiana Superdome to play Acadiana for the state championship this weekend. It will be the Rebels' 12th trip to the 5A final in the last 17 seasons. A win would equal their eighth title since 1993 and second in a row. LSU commit Paul Turner is the team leader and starting quarterback. In last week's 34-3 rout of Westgate, he ran for 114 yards on 11 carries with three touchdowns.

Acadiana enters the game with a 9-5 record, but four of its losses were by forfeit due to the participation of an ineligible player. The Rams avenged their lone on-field defeat of the season with great vengeance last week, shutting out then-unbeaten St. Thomas More (Lafayette, La.), 31-0. Senior Micah Eugene had a huge day, returning a recovered fumble for a touchdown as well as leading the team in rushing with 128 yards.

Mitch Stephens: West Monroe 28, Acadiana 24
Steve Montoya: West Monroe 21, Acadiana 0
Stephen Spiewak: West Monroe 31, Acadiana 24
Kevin Askeland: West Monroe 35, Acadiana 14
Jamie DeMoney: Acadiana 25, West Monroe 20
MaxPreps Projection: Acadiana 31, West Monroe 26

Aloha (Beaverton, Ore.) vs. Tualatin (Ore.), Saturday
Oregon State's Reser Stadium is the site of the Oregon Class 6A championship game, which is a rematch of a week-two contest won by Tualatin, 33-21. This is Aloha's first appearance in the state finals. In fact, the Warriors had four consecutive losing seasons before going 7-4 last year and 12-1 this season. A strong senior class has helped turn the program's fortunes around. One of the leaders is 6-7, 285-pound lineman James Euscher, a University of Oregon recruit. Aloha edged Lake Oswego, 17-16, in last week's semifinal round.

While its opponent is a newbie to the state championship round, undefeated Tualatin is back for the second time in four years. The Timberwolves took second place in 2007. In last week's 26-22 semifinals win against Jesuit, they converted five fourth-down conversions and scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns.

Mitch Stephens: Tualatin 28,Aloha 27
Steve Montoya: Aloha 24, Tualatin 13
Stephen Spiewak: Aloha 21, Tualatin 14
Kevin Askeland: Aloha 14, Tualatin 7
Jamie DeMoney: Aloha 23, Tualatin 14
MaxPreps Projection: Aloha 26, Tualatin 24

Mission Viejo (Calif.) vs. Servite (Anaheim, Calif.), Saturday
The CIF Southern Section's Pac-5 Division championship game at Angel Stadium comes down to a pair of undefeated and nationally ranked teams. The winner could be in line to represent Southern California in next weekend's Open Division state championship bowl game.

Mission Viejo, 13-0 and ranked No. 9 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25, was beaten by eventual champion Servite in last season's semifinal round. The Diablos had a chance to win the game in the final seconds but were unable to convert a 2-point conversion attempt. There haven't been many close calls for Mission Viejo this year. Only one opponent has stayed with two touchdowns of the Diablos. Their average offensive output has been 45 points per game. Junior pro-style passer Alex Bridgford has thrown for 1,860 yards and 16 touchdowns while sometimes sharing the quarterback position with USC-bound athlete Tre Madden. He missed several games due to injury but averages more than nine yards per carry.

No. 20 Servite enters with a 24-game winning streak. The Friars have been strong defensively all season long (giving up only 11 points per game), but it took a while before hitting their stride on offense. One of the key reasons for improvement has been the emergence of senior Malik Felton at running back. The converted receiver has back-to-back 100-yard rushing games in the postseason.

Video of Tre Madden

Mitch Stephens:  Servite 21, Mission Viejo 20
Steve Montoya: Servite 14, Mission Viejo 7
Stephen Spiewak: Mission Viejo 28, Servite 24
Kevin Askeland: Mission Viejo 28, Servite 27
Jamie DeMoney: Servite 27, Mission Viejo 24
MaxPreps Projection: Mission Viejo 28, Servite 24

Chaparral (Scottsdale, Ariz.) vs. Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.), Monday
It will be Monday night football at University of Phoenix Stadium – this time of the high school variety – to crown a pair of state champions at the Class 5A level. In the Division II game, undefeated and defending champion Chaparral could receive its toughest test of the season when it takes on Centennial (12-1), the team that won three consecutive state crowns from 2006-08.

Chaparral's offense is guided by Connor Brewer, one of the most highly touted junior quarterbacks in the nation. The Firebirds have averaged an amazing 53 points per game, with Brewer completing nearly 70 percent of his throws for 2,558 yards and 36 touchdowns. Centennial's top offensive weapon is Air Force-bound running back Vegas Johnson, who has 1,134 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.

Mitch Stephens: Chaparral 42, Centennial 28
Steve Montoya: Centennial 28, Chaparral 21
Stephen Spiewak: Chaparral 35, Centennial 24
Kevin Askeland: Centennial 40, Chaparral 21
Jamie DeMoney: Chaparral 42, Centennial 17
MaxPreps Projection: Chaparral 38, Centennial 24

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.