High school football: No. 5 Carrollton at No. 10 Buford headline MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week

The 2024 high school football season is nearing the end with big playoff matchups this week led by two semifinal games in Georgia. No. 10 Buford hosts No. 5 Carrollton in 6A and No. 25 Lee County (Leesburg) makes the road trip to face No. 2 Milton in 5A.

The big question mark for Carrollton is the health of four-star quarterback Julian Lewis. He played just over a quarter in last week's 46-6 win over Hillgrove (Powder Springs) and left the game in the second quarter with an injury to his throwing hand. Dylan Bishop came in and completed 10 of 14 passes for 123 yards and three touchdowns.

Buford has won 12 in a row since a 13-10 season-opening loss against No. 2 Milton. The Wolves handed North Gwinnett (Suwanee) its only loss of the season last week with a resounding 43-7 win.

Milton has won 23 in a row heading into the semis. Four-star quarterback Luke Nickel completed 16 of 24 passes for 327 yards and five touchdowns in the quarterfinals against Houston County (Warner Robins). Lee County improved to 13-0 with a 64-0 win over Sprayberry (Marietta).

The third MaxPreps Top 25 matchup this week is going down in Texas as No. 6 North Shore (Houston) faces No. 20 Atascocita (Humble) in the Class 6A Division 1 quarterfinals. The regular season meeting came down to the wire as Kaleb Bailey connected with Quanell Farrahkan Jr. for the go-ahead touchdown with six seconds left for the 27-23 win.

Both state title games in Alabama's largest classifications are featured this week.

Thompson (Alabaster) squares off against Central (Phenix City) in the 7A championship Wednesday and Saraland faces Parker (Birmingham) in the 6A championship Friday. MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week

• • 30
    Carrollton
  • 17
    Buford

  12/06 Final

Carrollton: QB Julian Lewis (6-1, 175), WR Ryan Mosley (6-3, 190), DB Dorian Barney (6-1, 175), DB Zelus Hicks (6-3, 190), DB Shamar Arnoux (6-2, 180)

Buford: LB Jadon Perlotte (6-4, 215), DL Bryce Perry-Wright (6-3, 255), RB Justin Baker (5-11, 190), WR Jordan Allen (5-8, 170), LB Mantrez Walker (6-1, 225)

Lewis has thrown for 3,272 yards and 44 touchdowns this season so it would be a huge blow for the Trojans if he can't play. If he can't go, then Bishop would get the start. Carrollton's defense has held five of its last six opponents to 13 points or less. Buford has dominated in the postseason, outscoring its first three opponents 142-23. This will be the fourth playoff meeting since 2016 and Buford has won the previous three with the latest coming in the 2021 6A semifinals. The winner will face Douglas County (Douglasville) or Grayson (Loganville) in the 6A state championship Dec. 18.

• • 28
    Lee County
  • 56
    Milton

  12/06 Final

Lee County: RB Ousmane Kromah (6-2, 210), QB Weston Bryan (6-4, 225), DL Jeramiah Mccloud (6-3, 280), LB Greg Batson (6-1, 205), DB Lasiah Jackson (6-3, 175)

Expect fireworks when these two square off with a spot in the 5A state championship on the line. Milton comes in averaging 42.2 points per game while Lee County is putting up 55.2 points a game. This one is loaded with talent and features two of the best quarterbacks in the country. Nickel has thrown for 3,033 yards and 36 touchdowns to go with 152 yards on the ground and four more scores. Bryan has thrown for 2,357 yards and 29 touchdowns to go with 1,241 yards rushing and 30 more scores. The winner will face Langston Hughes (Fairburn) or Coffee (Douglas) in the 5A championship Dec. 17.

• • 21
    Atascocita
  • 49
    North Shore

  12/07 Final

North Shore: DB Devin Sanchez (6-2, 170), QB Kaleb Bailey (6-2, 190), LB Charles Ross (6-2, 210), WR Quanell Farrahkan Jr. (5-11, 185), WR Deion Deblanc (5-10, 180)

Atascocita: RB Tory Blaylock (5-11, 190), QB Cardae Mack (5-10, 195), DB Brandon Washington (5-11, 170), WR C.J. Toney (5-10, 175), WR Brodrick Malone (6-5, 200)

North Shore has had Atascocita's number as they go for their 10th straight win in the series. Atascocita came close to snapping that streak in the regular season meeting and played the majority of the game without Oklahoma-bound running back Tory Blaylock, who had 10 carries for 152 yards and five touchdowns in last week's 47-42 win over Fulshear. The Mustangs are coming off a 42-28 win over Katy as Bailey threw for 281 yards and five scores. The winner will face Westlake (Austin) or Lake Travis (Austin) in the Class 6A Division 1 semifinals.

• • 17
    Saraland
  • 28
    Parker

  12/06 Final

Saraland: QB K.J. Lacey (6-1, 175), DL Antonio Coleman (6-3, 265), WR Carson Gill (5-8, 155), RB Santae McWilliams Jr. (5-9, 170), ATH Deshawn Spencer (5-11, 165)

Parker: ATH Naeem Offord (6-1, 185), DL Jourdin Crawford (6-3, 275), DB Timothy Merritt (6-2, 175), DL Vodney Cleveland (6-3, 295), RB Terence Gaines Jr. (5-10, 195)

Saraland is playing in its third consecutive 6A state championship game. The Spartans won it all in 2022 and finished as the runner-up last season. Parker is playing in its first state championship game in 44 years and going for its first state title. This game features two players in the running to be named the 2024 MaxPreps Alabama Player of the Year. Lacey has thrown for 2,817 yards and 38 touchdowns to go with two more rushing scores. Offord has been dynamic on all three phases with 936 all purpose yards and 15 scores to go with 46 tackles and four interceptions on defense.

• • 35
    Liberty
  • 17
    Basha

  12/07 Final

Basha: RB Noah Roberts (6-1, 200), DL Bleu Dantzler (6-3, 230), OL Jake Hildebrand (6-6, 285), WR Gio Richardson (5-11, 170), LB Eli Cramer-Cronin (6-1, 205)

Liberty: LB Hudson Dunn (6-1, 210), QB Hayden Fletcher (6-2, 170), WR Braxton Huynh (5-11, 175), OL Nick Spence (6-6, 280), DB Zeth Thues (6-0, 185)

This is the matchup everyone has wanted to see in the Grand Canyon State this season and it comes in the Open Division championship. Both team's losses came against nationally-ranked, out-of-state opponents. Navi Bruzon led Liberty to its only Open Division state crown last season and Demond Williams led the Basha to its lone Open Division title in 2022.

Hough: DB Samari Matthews (6-0, 180), WR Tyran Evans (6-3, 170), QB Trey Blakeney (6-2, 210), LB Ayden Bell (6-0, 200), WR Sean Brady (5-9, 165)

Grimsley: QB Faizon Brandon (6-4, 200), DL Bryce Davis (6-3, 240), RB Mitchell Summers (5-8, 175), ATH Kaden Catoe (6-0, 165), DB Kosci Barnes (6-3, 190)

North Carolina's 4A bracket is loaded and this quarterfinal matchup features two teams ranked in our expanded top 100. The only other team ranked in the state is the defending 4A state champ Weddington (Matthews). Brandon and Davis help form one of the best duos in the country. Brandon has accounted for 2,820 yards of total offense and 35 total touchdowns while Davis has piled up 78 tackles, 24 tackles for loss and 17 sacks. Hough has won 12 in a row since a season-opening loss against Northwestern (Rock Hill, S.C.) and outscored its first three postseason opponents 140-3.

• • 20
    Avon
  • 13
    Anderson

  12/05 Final

Anderson: WR Trace Jallick (6-3, 175), QB Justice Burnam (6-0, 190), TE Caden Piening (6-4, 240), LB Antwoine Higgins (6-4, 225), DB Jayonn Saunders (5-10, 170)

Out of the seven Ohio state championship games this is the only one that features two undefeated teams. Anderson took down Big Walnut (Sunbury) in the semifinals with a 28-24 win. Avon finally got past Archbishop Hoban (Akron) with a dominant 35-10 win last week after being knocked out of the postseason by the Knights in five of the last seven postseasons. Anderson is going for its first state title since 2007. Avon is trying to win its first state title in program history after a runner-up finish in 2011 in its only other championship game appearance.

• • 28
    Douglas County
  • 35
    Grayson

  12/06 Final

Grayson: LB Tyler Atkinson (6-3, 205), DL Dre Fuller (6-3, 235), LB Anthony Davis (6-2, 200), QB Travis Burgess (6-5, 190), DB Jaylen Bell (5-11, 175)

Both teams are close getting in the MaxPreps Top 25. Douglas County checks in at No. 30 in our expanded top 100 while Grayson is nine spots below at 39. The Rams have won 12 in a row and got revenge on Collins Hill (Suwanee, Ga.) with a 38-14 win last week. The Tigers' two losses have come against No. 5 Carrollton and No. 10 Buford. Douglas County has had to get through Mill Creek (Hoschton), North Cobb (Kennesaw) and West Forsyth (Cumming) to advance to the 6A semifinals. The big question mark heading into Friday's game is the availability of Bordeaux for Douglas County. He left last week's game in the third quarter and did not return.

• • 27
    Folsom
  • 28
    Pittsburg

  12/06 Final

Folsom: QB Ryder Lyons (6-3, 215), DL Josiah Sharma (6-6, 300), WR Jameson Powell (5-10, 175), TE Nela Tupou (6-5, 240), OL Vlad Dyakonov (6-7, 270)

Pittsburg: DB Jadyn Hudson (6-2, 180), DL Jewelous Walls (6-3, 225), RB Jamar Searcy (5-8, 180), WR Kenneth Ward (5-8, 175), QB Marley Alcantara (5-10, 180)

Folsom has dominated since suffering its only loss of the season against Serra (San Mateo). The Bulldogs have won 11 in a row by an average margin of 43.6 points per game. Pittsburg's only two losses have come against nationally-ranked opponents. They lost at No. 7 St. John Bosco (Bellflower) and dropped a close one against No. 22 De La Salle (Concord) in the North Coast Section Open Division championship. These two met in last year's NorCal Division 1-A championship and Folsom won 28-25. The winner will face Lincoln (San Diego) or Newbury Park in the Division 1-A state championship Dec. 13.

• • 7
    Central
  • 21
    Thompson

  12/04 Final

Thompson: DB Anquon Fegans (6-1, 180), DL Jared Smith (6-6, 235), QB Trent Seaborn (6-1, 190), LB Trenton Cheatom (6-2, 200), WR Darion Moseley (5-11, 175)

Central: DL Tristan Lyles (6-1, 225), WR Daylyn Upshaw (6-0, 165), OL Mal Waldrep (6-5, 320), RB Tristan Williams (5-9, 180), QB Andrew Alford (6-1, 185)

This will be the seventh straight 7A state championship game for Thompson. The Warriors won it all in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 in addition to 1982. Central won its third state title last season with the other two coming in 1993 and 2018. This will be the fourth meeting in the 7A state championship since 2018 between the two programs.