Video: Top 10 Games of the Week
No. 23 St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.) at No. 10 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
Friday, 7 p.m. Eastern timeWhy it's big: St. Joseph Regional (4-0) is the third New Jersey team to appear in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 this season – all of whom lost shortly thereafter. If they win Friday night at IMG, the Green Knights would not only be the first Garden State team to stay in the national poll but would likely make a significant move up next week.
Its last time out, IMG Academy (4-0) beat St. Joseph Regional's Big North United league rival Bergen Catholic, 59-47. It's one of two wins the Ascenders have against teams that have been in the Xcellent 25 this season.
Names to watch: Junior linebacker
Louis Acceus – rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports – leads St. Joseph Regional in tackles. The 6-foot, 200-pounder recorded a season-high 12 stops in last week's win against Eastern Christian Academy (Elkton, Md.).
Four-star prospect
Rahshaun Smith shares the IMG Academy team lead in tackles along with three-star prospect Brendan Pyne. The linebacker duo is among 19 seniors who have at least one FBS scholarship offer on IMG's roster.
Photos by MaxPreps photographers / Graphic by Ryan Escobar
