MaxPreps Top 10 football games of the week

Braggin’ rights are on the line for the seventh time this season between high school football blue blood states Florida and Texas

The MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week slate begins with Thursday's nationally televised tilt between Plant (Tampa, Fla.) and Abilene (Texas) — two teams that began the season in the upper half of most national polls. It's the seventh Florida versus Texas matchup of the year, with the Sunshine State boys holding a 6-1 advantage.

On the East Coast, Gilman (Baltimore) continues its brutal early season schedule when it hosts DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.). The top game in the Midlands takes place in Omaha, where Nebraska No. 1 Millard South takes on rival No. 2 Millard North. Out West, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) must upset Centennial (Corona, Calif.) to avoid its first 0-2 start since 2005.

After going 7-3 last week, MaxPreps National Football Editor Stephen Speiwak (29-11 overall) has opened a three-game advantage on Top 10 Games of the Week author Jamie DeMoney in the season-long prediction contest. Steve Montoya is four games back and in third place. MaxPreps Projections — the two-time defending season predictions champion — is five games back and tied for fourth place with Kevin Askeland. Mitch Stephens has rallied from a slow start to the season but still finds himself six games back and in last place. 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:

Plant (Tampa, Fla.) at Abilene (Texas), Thursday FINAL Abilene 27-17
This game had potential national championship implications when it was scheduled over the summer. Both teams began the year in the MaxPreps Xcellent Top 25 rankings presented by the Army National Guard, but neither is there now. Plant was embarrassed in a nationally televised preseason game against Manatee (Bradenton, Fla.), 48-10. The Panthers' defense has shown improvement since but playing without injured quarterback Phillip Ely (an Alabama recruit), the offense has scored only 30 points in two regular season wins. Ely's return is possible this week and might be crucial if the Panthers hope to move the football versus Abilene. MaxPreps' No. 1-rated recruit, James Wilder (Florida State), had 196 yards rushing and three touchdowns last week.

Abilene, the defending Texas 5A/II titlist, has also been bit by the injury bug. The Eagles (2-1) didn't have MaxPreps' 18th-ranked recruit Herschel Sims when they lost 24-21 to Cocoa (Fla.) last week. The Oklahoma State-bound running back separated his shoulder in week two but could return for Plant. His cousin Ronnell Sims completed 16 of 27 passes for 277 yards and two touchdowns against Cocoa.

Mitch Stephens: Plant 24, Abilene 21
Steve Montoya: Abilene 27, Plant 17
Stephen Spiewak: Abilene 24, Plant 21
Kevin Askeland: Plant 28, Abilene 21
Jamie DeMoney: Abilene 24, Plant 21
MaxPreps Projection: Abilene 22, Plant 7

St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) at Boyd Anderson (Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.), FINAL Aquinas 52-13
St. Thomas Aquinas beat Boyd Anderson 46-6 last season but this year's contest is expected to be much closer. The Raiders had the week off after handling Skyline (Dallas), 31-3, at Cowboys Stadium on Labor Day. Iowa recruit Jacob Rudock completed 11 of 14 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns in the game. Rashad Greene (Florida State) had four catches for 114 yards and a score. Junior running back Dami Ayoola looked impressive carrying the ball, finishing with 98 yards on 13 carries.

Boyd Anderson (2-0) was ranked ahead of Aquinas in the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel's Broward County preseason rankings but now is No. 2 behind the Raiders. The reason for optimism is the Cobras' impressive collection of Division I talent. Linebackers Kent Turene (USC) and Shaun Ward (Texas A&M) are the stalwarts of a potentially great defense. On offense, the leader is running back Corey Tindal, who ran for 120 yards on 13 carries in a 34-25 win against Northeast (Oakland Park, Fla.) last week.

Mitch Stephens: St. Thomas Aquinas 28, Boyd Anderson 21
Steve Montoya: St. Thomas Aquinas 33, Boyd Anderson 24
Stephen Spiewak: St. Thomas Aquinas 35, Boyd Anderson 21
Kevin Askeland: St. Thomas Aquinas 35, Boyd Anderson 21
Jamie DeMoney: St. Thomas Aquinas 34, Boyd Anderson 17
MaxPreps Projection: St. Thomas Aquinas 35, Boyd Anderson 28

St. Xavier (Cincinnati) at Trinity (Louisville, Ky.), Friday FINAL St. Xavier (Ohio) 17-10
A week after it knocked St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) from atop the Kentucky 6A rankings at home, the Bombers (2-1) now travel to the Bluegrass State to take on the team that's ranked No. 1 this week. It is the ninth game for St. Xavier versus a Kentucky team since 2006. The Bombers improved to 6-2 in those games after hammering St. Xavier (Louisville), 32-13. Their defense limited the Tigers to only 74 yards of offense on 47 plays. On offense, senior running back Conor Hundley was outstanding, running for 251 yards on 22 carries.

Just as this is back-to-back games for St. Xavier against teams from Louisville, it's the second straight game versus a Cincinnati foe for Trinity (3-0). The Shamrocks beat Elder 22-20 last week on a game-winning pass from Travis Wright to Ryan Steffey as time expired. Derek Bishop was the go-to guy in running game, gaining 102 yards on 17 carries. Trinity lost to St. Xavier 43-13 last season but beat the Bombers 17-6 the year before.

Mitch Stephens: Trinity 21, St. Xavier 20
Steve Montoya: Trinity 22, St. Xavier 20
Stephen Spiewak: St. Xavier 21, Trinity 17
Kevin Askeland: St. Xavier 30, Trinity 20
Jamie DeMoney: St. Xavier 19, Trinity 13
MaxPreps Projection: Trinity 31, St. Xavier 21

Stony Point (Round Rock, Texas) at DeSoto (Texas), Friday Stony Point 46-29
The competition goes up several notches this week for Stony Point, which is ranked No. 18 in the MaxPreps Xcellent Top 25. The Tigers are 3-0 and have outscored opponents by a total of 163-28, but two of those wins were against teams from Mexico. They are an experienced squad that has returned 12 starters from its second consecutive 13-win season, including a pair of Oklahoma commits in linebacker P.l. Lindley and defensive tackle Jordan Wade.

While Stony Point has breezed through the first three weeks of the season, it's been just the opposite for DeSoto. The Eagles have wins over three highly regard opponents, including last week's 42-41 overtime triumph against defending Florida 6A champion Miramar. The Eagles feature a three-year starter at quarterback in Ryan Polite plus four players committed to colleges currently ranked in the Associated Press college Top 10 rankings.

Mitch Stephens: DeSoto 31, Stony Point 28
Steve Montoya: DeSoto 42, Stony Point 31
Stephen Spiewak: Stony Point 45, DeSoto 42
Kevin Askeland: DeSoto 32, Stony Point 30
Jamie DeMoney: Stony Point 32, DeSoto 20
MaxPreps Projection: DeSoto 35, Stony Point 31

Millard North (Omaha, Neb.) at Millard South (Omaha, Neb.), Friday  FINAL Millard North 21-16
One of these rivals from Omaha's west side has reached Nebraska's Class A title game every season but one since 2002. North (2-1) is shaking the effects of back-to-back disappointing seasons when they lost 12 of 19 games. This year's team has an experienced quarterback in Kyle Erickson and a playmaker to lead the defense in safety Cole Fisher, an Iowa recruit who had two interceptions in a 22-7 win last week against state-ranked Central (Omaha).

South enters with a 16-game winning streak — and all but one win was by at least two touchdowns. The Patriots have one of the state's best all-around talents in senior Quentin Urban. An all-state linebacker last season, Urban is the team's top offensive threat this year. He leads the team with five rushing touchdowns.

Mitch Stephens: Millard South 35, Millard North 24
Steve Montoya: Millard South 27, Millard North 14
Stephen Spiewak: Millard South 31, Millard North 10
Kevin Askeland: Millard South 40, Millard North 18
Jamie DeMoney: Millard South 17, Millard North 13
MaxPreps Projection: Millard South 38, Millard North 3

Union (Tulsa, Okla.) at Broken Arrow (Okla.), Friday FINAL Union 54-27
The Redskins (1-1) are still licking their wounds from last week's 33-7 throttling on their home field by archrival Jenks. Kendall Holmes was Union's most effective offensive player last week, running for 122 yards and the team's only score on 15 carries.

Broken Arrow hopes to be the team that breaks Jenks' and Union's 14-year stranglehold on the 6A state championship. The Tigers are 2-0 after knocking off Class 5A No. 1-ranked Washington (Tulsa), 32-17, last week. Senior running back Richie Fruechting dominated the stat sheet with 271 yards and five touchdowns on 29 carries.

Mitch Stephens: Union 21, Broken Arrow 17
Steve Montoya: Broken Arrow 24, Union 20
Stephen Spiewak: Broken Arrow 21, Union 20
Kevin Askeland: Broken Arrow 21, Union 17
Jamie DeMoney: Union 28, Broken Arrow 27
MaxPreps Projection: Broken Arrow 27, Union 24

Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) at Centennial (Corona, Calif.), Friday Final Centennial 44-13
This has become one of the most entertaining series in Southern California in recent years. Mater Dei won the inaugural meeting in 2007 by the score of 51-37 as well last season's contest, 31-13. This year, the Monarchs are 0-1 after being upset by Carson in the opener, 14-10. USC-bound quarterback Max Wittek was sacked four times by the Colts and held to only 62 passing yards. Adding injury to insult, receiver Victor Blackwell – also a USC recruit – was knocked out of the game with a banged-up shoulder. His status for the Centennial game is in doubt.

While Mater Dei once was considered the top football program in Southern California, that description now fits Centennial much better. The Huskies have won 50 games since the start of the 2006 season and beat national power De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) for the Division I state title in 2008. Converted receiver Barrinton Collins was on fire in a 48-8 opening win against Birmingham (Van Nuys, Calif.). The senior ran for 147 yards and five touchdowns on only eight carries.

Mitch Stephens: Centennial 35, Mater Dei 34
Steve Montoya: Centennial 38, Mater Dei 35
Stephen Spiewak: Centennial 28, Mater Dei 17
Kevin Askeland: Centennial 45, Mater Dei 42
Jamie DeMoney: Centennial 31, Mater Dei 12
MaxPreps Projection: Centennial 31, Mater Dei 28

DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) at Gilman (Baltimore), Saturday FINAL GILMAN 35-10
DeMatha has won four of the last six meetings in this Interstate-95 rivalry, including a wild 56-35 decision last year in Baltimore. The Stags are 2-0 but have struggled on defense, allowing a total of 63 points already. Last week, they needed two touchdown runs in the fourth quarter by Jacob Siwicki to come from behind to beat Friendship Collegiate (Washington, D.C.), 35-32.

Gilman's explosive offensive weapon quarterback Darius Jennings was muted last week in a shocking 33-6 loss to Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.). Though Jennings managed 105 yards on 24 carries, the Greyhounds couldn't muster enough offense elsewhere to score against Don Bosco until late in the fourth quarter. An even bigger concern was Gilman's rush defense, which allowed 326 yards to Don Bosco running back Paul Canevari.

Mitch Stephens: DeMatha 42, Gilman 41
Steve Montoya: Gilman 27, DeMatha 20
Stephen Spiewak: Gilman 38, DeMatha 35
Kevin Askeland: DeMatha 28, Gilman 21
Jamie DeMoney: Gilman 39, DeMatha 32
MaxPreps Projection: Gilman 24, DeMatha 21

St. Ignatius (Cleveland) at Centerville (Ohio), Saturday FINAL Centerville 31-7
The Wildcats have won 10 Division I state titles the last 22 years but could have their work cut out for them just to make the playoffs. They are 2-1 with a season-opening loss to defending Division II champion Lake Catholic (Mentor) and will be tested the next two weeks against Centerville then Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.). This is the second of two consecutive games against undefeated teams from Region 3. Last week, Bobby Grebenec had three touchdown runs – including the game-winner with less than a minute to play – to beat Lancaster on the road, 28-21.

Centerville (3-0) is looking to make a statement even greater than last week when it ended fellow Dayton-area power Archbishop Alter's 32-game winning streak. The Elks' dominant defense held the Knights to minus-two yards rushing in a 24-7 victory. It's a unit that features three players committed to BCS programs including Ohio State-bound tackle Michael Bennett.

Mitch Stephens: Centerville 21, St. Ignatius 20
Steve Montoya: Centerville 17, St. Ignatius 10
Stephen Spiewak: Centerville 28, St. Ignatius 14
Kevin Askeland: St. Ignatius 32, Centerville 14
Jamie DeMoney: Centerville 21, St. Ignatius 17
MaxPreps Projection: Centerville 31, St. Ignatius 14

Katy (Texas) at West Brook (Beaumont, Texas), Saturday FINAL Katy 45-21
Katy, which is 2-0 and ranked No. 17 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25, had a week off to prepare for West Brook. This is a program that's reached at least the 5A state semifinals seven times since 2000 and should compete with the state's best again this year. The strength of the Tigers is their running game. Donovan Young and Adam Taylor both rushed for more than 100 yards in a 45-20 defeat of Alief Taylor.

While Katy is entrenched as one of the Lone Star State's legendary prep football programs, West Brook is still building toward a championship level. With eight returning starters on both sides of the ball, some feel this is the year the Bruins take the next step. Percy Johnson, a 5-foot-7 junior, has scored four rushing touchdowns and averages 9.5 yards per carry.

Mitch Stephens: Katy 28, West Brook 21
Steve Montoya: Katy 30, West Brook 17
Stephen Spiewak: Katy 21, West Brook 10
Kevin Askeland: Katy 40, West Brook 12
Jamie DeMoney: Katy 28, West Brook 13
MaxPreps Projection: Katy 31, West Brook 14

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.