MaxPreps Top 10 Football Games of the Week

Don Bosco Prep can likely wrap up its second national championship in three years this weekend.

The Ironmen, who have been top-ranked in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard all season, will play for the New Jersey Non-Public Group IV state title Friday night against league rival Bergen Catholic.

There are five other entries in the MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week where state championships are on the line. In South Carolina, No. 3 Gaffney aims for its first undefeated season and state title since 2006. The Indians must beat Byrnes – which has seven titles since 2002 – to close the deal.

Another nationally ranked team looking to end the year unbeaten and wear a state crown is No. 10 Maryville (Tenn.). The Rebels – who have won titles in seven of the last eight years – are taking on fellow unbeaten Whitehaven (Memphis), which has never reached the state finals.

A 9-1 record one week ago allowed Jamie DeMoney to distance himself from the pack a little in our season-long prediction contest. Stephen Spiewak picked only six out of 10 correctly last week, causing him to fall four games out of first place. You can track our overall results and standings all season long by clicking here.

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

MAXPREPS TOP 10 FOOTBALL GAMES OF THE WEEK

Hoover (Ala.) vs. Prattville (Ala.)

Reaching the Class 6A title game is nothing new to either of these teams. Hoover is playing for the championship for the fourth straight year and 10th time since 2001. Prattville is in the state title game for the sixth time in eight years. It's the fifth time since 2004 these teams have met in the final round. They split the four previous meetings, with Hoover winning in 2004 and 2009 and Prattville capturing the title in 2006 and 2008.

Hoover (13-1) overcame an early 9-0 deficit to beat Oxford in last week's semifinals, 33-22. Senior Dakota Daniel led the Bucs with 157 rushing yards and two touchdowns, according to the Birmingham News. Prattville, which started the year nationally ranked before it lost two of its first five games, was an easy 45-12 winner over Central (Phenix City) in the semifinals. Alabama recruit Justin Thomas had more than 200 combined passing and rushing yards and a touchdown.

Mitch Stephens: Prattville 38, Hoover 31
Steve Montoya: Prattville 20, Hoover 13
Stephen Spiewak: Prattville 28, Hoover 24
Kevin Askeland: Prattville 38, Hoover 31
Jamie DeMoney: Hoover 27, Prattville 20