Bishop Gorman, the defending MaxPreps National Champs, started the season with a 33-7 win over
Kahuku (Hawaii) to extend its winning streak to 26. This will be the season opener for Aquinas as it begins a quest for a sixth consecutive state title.
Saturday, 4 p.m. (All times local) - ESPN
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The last time these two national powers played was in 2016 when it went to triple overtime and the Gaels pulled out a 25-24 win. Expect another instant classic on Saturday. The Gael defense looked great in their season opener against Kahuku but face a different test this week. The Raiders are loaded and have gone 65-3 over the last five years.
Saturday, 8 p.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas - ESPN2
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Both these schools prevailed in the Broward County Football Showcase last season. The Braves beat St. Thomas Aquinas 20-7, while the Lions outscored
St. Frances Academy (Baltimore) 28-0 in the second half to cruise to a 35-14 win. This will be the first meeting between two of the most consistent programs over the last decade. St. John Bosco is the only school to finish ranked every season since 2013. Chaminade-Madonna has made it to the state championship game in eight straight years and have won six since 2017.
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Corona Centennial is the last school not named St. John Bosco to beat Mater Dei. That happened all the way back in 2015. The Huskies are hopeful Longstreet will be able to play but he has been nursing a foot injury and is a game-time decision. The Monarchs begin the season ranked No. 1 for the fifth time since 2017. They bring back plenty of talent and added some key transfers in Henry, Greene and starting quarterback
Dash Beierly.
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The Charger offense looked like it always has under head coach Eric Kjar. They put up 70 points for the first time since 2021 last week. Five-star wide receiver Jerome Myles was the main focus for American Fork's defense and it opened up the field for
Chryshaun Lee who had nine receptions for a school-record 245 yards and four scores. The Ascenders are riding an 18-game win streak and have 32 players rated as a three-star recruit or higher.
Friday, 7 p.m. - ESPN
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Last year's AAAAAAA state champs extended their win streak to 11 with an impressive 13-10 win over a talented Buford squad. The last four wins have come against MaxPreps Top 25 opponents. The Patriots return plenty of talent after going 10-2 last season and are the favorites to win 4A.
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This is the first of 10 games Orange Lutheran has against teams ranked in our expanded top 100. Serra checks in at No. 43. These two opened against each other last season and the Lancers cruised to a 47-19 win. Expect this one to be a lot closer. The Lancers will face four consecutive MaxPreps Top 25 opponents during a five-week stretch from Sept. 6 until Oct. 4 when they take on No. 14 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore), No. 2 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), No. 17
Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) and No. 4 St. John Bosco (Bellflower).
Friday, 7 p.m.
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Miami Central is looking to bounce back after dropping four games last season. Those four losses came by a combined 13 points against nationally-ranked opponents. Expect the Rockets to have one of the most explosive offenses in the country. Marvin Frazier led the Dreadnaughts to a 12-3 record and 4S state title during his first year as head coach after replacing legendary head coach Bill Castle.
Mission Viejo kicked off its 2024 season with a 41-7 win in Hawaii against
Kamehameha (Honolulu). The defending CIF Division 1-AA state champs are one of the first five teams out of the MaxPreps Top 25 and a statement win against Santa Margarita will go a long way. The Eagles check in at No. 38 in our expanded top 100. They return plenty of talent led by four-star junior wide receiver Trent Mosley. He was a first team selection on the preseason Junior All-America team and had a standout sophomore season accounting for 1,552 total yards and 26 touchdowns.
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A lot of talent has come from Folsom and five-star junior quarterback Ryder Lyons is right there with any of them. He put up big numbers as a sophomore throwing for 3,578 yards and 38 touchdowns to go with 929 yards rushing and 23 more scores. He is trying to do something no one has done in program history and that is lead the Bulldogs to the Open Division state championship game. The Jackrabbits have to replace a some key players but are loaded with plenty of young playmakers.
Sunday, noon - ESPN
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The five-game showcase on ESPN networks this week concludes with an out-of-state showdown between two teams in our expanded top 100. Rabun Gap checks in at No. 55, while the Red Raiders are a few spots below at No. 63. The Eagles kicked off their season with a dominant 41-17 win over Benedictine (Savannah, Ga.). This will be the fourth straight year these two face off and the Eagles won 35-24 last season after Baylor won the first two meetings.
