MaxPreps Top 10 Football Games of the Week

The first weekend in November offers a fantastic slate of Top 10 Games of the Week, with regular season championships or advancement in the playoffs up for grabs throughout every region of the country.

On Friday, the eyes of Texas will be on Lake Travis and its quest to win an eighth consecutive district title. The Cavaliers must hold off undefeated Cedar Park in order to do so. The next day, a district crown and braggin' rights in the Houston suburb of Katy will be decided when nationally ranked Katy battles fellow unbeaten Cinco Ranch. While spread offenses have permeated much of Lone Star State football, these two squads prefer an old-fashioned, slobber-knocker style and have two of the top rushing attacks in Texas.

In the Midwest, state playoffs are already underway. An interesting first-round matchup in Ohio pits undefeated St. Edward against Mentor in a rematch of a game played the opening week of the season.

With a perfect 10-0 record last week, Stephen Spiewak (81-29) widened his lead in our season-long prediction contest. Even with 9-1 marks, the MaxPreps Projections and Jamie DeMoney lost ground and fell behind by four and eight games back, respectively. 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:

Goose Creek (S.C.) at Beaufort, Thursday
Goose Creek lineman Brandon Shell made national news with his commitment to South Carolina this past week. The 6-7, 290-pound senior is a great nephew of Hall of Fame lineman Art Shell and is the sixth-ranked prospect in the nation according to MaxPreps' recruiting analyst Tom Lemming.

Shell and his teammates have a chance to finish the regular season a perfect 11-0 with a win at Beaufort, a team the Gators have beaten four straight times. Beaufort is 9-1 and locked up a share of the Region 8-AAAA championship with a 31-28 win against Summerville last week. Junior Kyle Clark kicked the game-winning field goal from 18 yards out with less than 10 seconds left to play. It was only the second region loss in six seasons for Summerville.

Click here to view MaxPreps' South Carolina football playoff brackets.

Mitch Stephens: Goose Creek 28, Beaufort 21
Steve Montoya: Goose Creek 24, Beaufort 17
Stephen Spiewak: Goose Creek 28, Beaufort 14
Kevin Askeland: Goose Creek 30, Beaufort 24
Jamie DeMoney: Goose Creek 30, Beaufort 27
MaxPreps Projection: Goose Creek 31, Beaufort 24

Cedar Park (Texas) at Lake Travis (Austin, Texas), Friday
Cedar Park (9-0) can win the District 25-4A title and make a major statement with a win at powerhouse Lake Travis (8-1). The Timberwolves, who moved down in classification to 4A this season, average 45 points per game while their defense – led by Texas-bound linebacker Chet Moss – has allowed only one opponent to score in double digits.

With a win Friday, Lake Travis can capture its eighth consecutive district title. The Cavaliers' 48-game winning streak was snapped in week three by Aledo when star quarterback Michael Brewer was injured, but they have rolled ever since. Brewer, a Texas Tech recruit, has completed better than 70 percent of his passes since returning and the Cavs have won by an average of 46 points.

Click here to view MaxPreps' Texas football playoff brackets.

Mitch Stephens: Cedar Park 28, Lake Travis 27
Steve Montoya: Lake Travis 41, Cedar Park 34
Stephen Spiewak: Lake Travis 24, Cedar Park 21
Kevin Askeland: Lake Travis 40, Cedar Park 35
Jamie DeMoney: Lake Travis 31, Cedar Park 14
MaxPreps Projection: Lake Travis 27, Cedar Park 26

Bentonville (Ark.) at Har-Ber (Springdale, Ark.), Friday
The 7A-West championship and a top seed and bye next week in the state playoffs are up for grabs as undefeated Bentonville, the top-ranked team in the MaxPreps' Arkansas rankings, travels to No. 3 Har-Ber (8-1). These teams have met only four times (Har-Ber's first season was 2006) and the all-time series is tied 2-2.

If this game is to be won in the trenches, both teams appear equally equipped. A pair of Arkansas commits are featured in this matchup with Bentonville's 6-5, 315-pounder Marcus Danenhauer and Har-Ber's 6-7, 315-pound blue chip tackle Brey Cook. Expect plenty of offense in this one. Both teams are averaging 47 points per game this season.

Mitch Stephens: Har-Ber 27, Bentonville 24
Steve Montoya: Har-Ber 27, Bentonville 20
Stephen Spiewak: Bentonville 35, Har-Ber 28
Kevin Askeland: Bentonville 28, Har-Ber 14
Jamie DeMoney: Har-Ber 34, Bentonville 27
MaxPreps Projection: Bentonville 38, Har-Ber 28

Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) at Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.), Friday
Servite, the No. 20 team in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 national rankings presented by the Army National Guard, can add to its run of recent championships with a win against one-loss Santa Margarita. A victory gives Servite (8-0) at least a share of a fifth straight Trinity League title to go along with last year's Pac-5 section and Division II state championships.

Servite isn't playing as well defensively as it did early on in the season, but the Friars' offense has continually improved under first-year starting quarterback Cody Pittman. Malik Felton, a senior receiver, was moved to the backfield in last week's 21-14 win over Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) and responded with 188 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Santa Margarita (7-1) is a hearty bunch playing inspired football for legendary coach Harry Welch, who is battling prostate cancer. In their first year under Welch, the Eagles have made incredible improvement after going only 3-7 last season. They erased a 20-0 deficit to beat St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), 42-41, in overtime last week.

Mitch Stephens: Santa Margarita 28, Servite 27
Steve Montoya: Servite 21, Santa Margarita 10
Stephen Spiewak: Servite 17, Santa Margarita 10
Kevin Askeland: Servite 18, Santa Margarita 14
Jamie DeMoney: Santa Margarita 26, Servite 23
MaxPreps Projection: Servite 28, Santa Margarita 27

St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.) at Westlake (Westlake Village, Calif.), Friday
Nationally ranked Westlake can clinch a share of its second straight Marmonte League title and add to its resume for a possible state bowl berth with a win over state-ranked St. Bonaventure. The No. 9 Warriors, who own a 22-game winning streak, beat the Seraphs 17-7 in the CIF-Southern Section Northern Division semifinals last season.

St. Bonaventure has been on the rise since its 33-32 week-two loss to Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.). The Seraphs have won six in a row and haven't allowed a point the last two games. Meanwhile, Westlake has barely been tested all season. A 31-12 win against Oaks Christian five weeks ago was its only game decided by less than 20 points. Senior quarterback Nick Isham has been impeccable, completing 74 percent of his passes for 1,391 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Mitch Stephens: St. Bonaventure 29, Westlake 28
Steve Montoya: Westlake 35, St. Bonaventure 24
Stephen Spiewak: Westlake 35, St. Bonaventure 21
Kevin Askeland: Westlake 40, St. Bonaventure 21
Jamie DeMoney: Westlake 24, St. Bonaventure 14
MaxPreps Projection: Westlake 27, St. Bonaventure 21

Cinco Ranch (Katy, Texas) vs. Katy (Texas), Saturday
This enormous crosstown battle will settle the District 19-5A title and send one team into the state playoffs with a perfect 10-0 record. No. 14 Katy has won five of the previous six games in the series, including a 21-20 nailbiter last season. A win Saturday would result in the Tigers' fifth undefeated regular season since 2000.

To say these teams get it done on the ground would be an understatement. Both rely on electrifying senior-sophomore running back tandems. Cinco Ranch features senior KC Nlemchi (an SMU commit) and sophomore Jamel James. The two have combined for more than 2,000 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns. Katy senior Donovan Young has 1,516 yards with 26 touchdowns and 11 yards-per-carry average. His understudy Adam Taylor has 884 yards, 12 scores and a nearly 10 yards-per-carry average. As a team, the Tigers rushed for 428 in a 56-14 rout of Taylor (Katy, Texas) last week.

Mitch Stephens: Katy 35, Cinco Ranch 28
Steve Montoya: Katy 30, Cinco Ranch 27
Stephen Spiewak: Katy 28, Cinco Ranch 27
Kevin Askeland: Katy 50, Cinco Ranch 35
Jamie DeMoney: Katy 30, Cinco Ranch 17
MaxPreps Projection: Katy 42, Cinco Ranch 27

Mentor (Ohio) at St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio), Saturday
The Division I playoffs open with a rematch of a week-one battle won by St. Edward, 35-28. Mentor went on to lose two of its next three games before righting the ship and finishing the regular season 7-3. Meanwhile, St. Edward completed one of the best turnaround seasons in state history, going from 4-6 a year ago to a perfect 10-0 against one of the state's toughest schedules.

Mentor was the only Ohio squad to score more than 10 points against St. Edward this season. To repeat that offensive success and have a chance to pull the upset, the Cardinals will need another big game from running back Mike Korecz. The senior has more than 1,000 rushing yards this season and went for 131 with three touchdowns against St. Edward in the first meeting. To march on, St. Edward probably needn't do anything fancier than its typical ball-control and turnover-free football. Led by Ohio State-bound junior Kyle Kalis, the Eagles have one of the biggest and most dominant offensive lines in the state.

Click here to view MaxPreps' Ohio football playoff brackets.

Mitch Stephens: St. Edward 31, Mentor 20
Steve Montoya: St. Edward 20, Mentor 10
Stephen Spiewak: St. Edward 35, Mentor 10
Kevin Askeland: St. Edward 21, Mentor 20
Jamie DeMoney: St. Edward 34, Mentor 31
MaxPreps Projection: St. Edward 35, Mentor 20

Wayne Hills (Wayne, N.J.) at St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.), Saturday
Saturday's regular season finale is the second tough road game in as many weeks for the Patriots, who have only two losses since 2005 and won impressively at rival Ramapo (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) last Friday. Running back Brian Dowling again was the star for the Patriots (8-0). The senior carried it a whopping 46 times for 324 yards and three touchdowns.

On the other side, the Green Knights enter this game with a 5-2 record, including a week-five loss to Ramapo. They broke a two-game losing streak with a 49-17 rout of Pascack Valley (Hillsdale, N.J.) last week. Open-field wiz Presley Beauvais, a 5-foot-5 senior running back, had his best game of the season, rushing for 187 yards and two touchdowns on only 15 carries.

Mitch Stephens: Wayne Hills 28, St. Joseph Regional 24
Steve Montoya: Wayne Hills 14, St. Joseph Regional 10
Stephen Spiewak: Wayne Hills 28, St. Joseph Regional 21
Kevin Askeland: Wayne Hills 35, St. Joseph Regional 21
Jamie DeMoney: Wayne Hills 28, St. Joseph Regional 21
MaxPreps Projection: Wayne Hills 24, St. Joseph Regional 22

Simeon (Chicago) at Schaumburg (Ill.), Saturday
One of the most intriguing games in the second round of the Illinois Class 7A playoffs pits Schaumburg (8-2) at undefeated and city No. 2-ranked Simeon. It's a matchup of one of Chicagoland's top running backs against one of its top dual-threat quarterbacks.

Running back Shepard Little has been a star for Schaumburg. The senior sat out his junior year but has made up for lost time with more than 1,750 rushing yards this season. He had 224 yards in the Saxons' 38-21 first-round win against Elk Grove, which avenged a loss from earlier this season. For Simeon, signal caller Robert Gregory is the engine that makes the Wolverines' offense go. The junior had 257 total yards – including 100 on the ground – in a 47-0 round-one blowout of St. Ignatius (Chicago, Ill.).

Click here to view MaxPreps' Illinois football playoff brackets.

Mitch Stephens: Simeon 21, Shaumburg 13
Steve Montoya: Simeon 13, Schaumburg 10
Stephen Spiewak: Simeon 28, Schaumburg 14
Kevin Askeland: Simeon 30, Schaumburg 28
Jamie DeMoney: Simeon 27, Schaumburg 20
MaxPreps Projection: Simeon 35, Schaumburg 34

Cedar Falls (Iowa) at Iowa City (Iowa), Saturday
One of the four remaining undefeated 4A teams in Iowa will be eliminated after this state quarterfinal matchup. Both squads play in the Mississippi Valley Conference, but are in separate divisions and did not meet during the regular season.

Led by standout junior running back Barkley Hill, Cedar Falls (11-0) has one of the top offenses in the state with a 40 points-per-game average. Hill ran for 333 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-21 second-round win over Muscatine. He has 24 touchdowns and 1,673 yards this season. Under 300-win coach Pat Mitchell, the Tigers have made the playoffs 21 times but their only championship came in 1986. City High (11-0) is the defending champ and has four titles overall the last 16 seasons. The Little Hawks' attack is engineered by senior quarterback Andrew McNulty, who has 1,171 passing yards and 997 rushing yards with 21 total touchdowns.

Click here to view MaxPreps' Iowa football playoff brackets.

Mitch Stephens: Cedar Falls 31, City High 28
Steve Montoya: City High 21, Cedar Falls 10
Stephen Spiewak: City High 35, Cedar Falls 28
Kevin Askeland: Cedar Falls 42, City High 40
Jamie DeMoney: City High 28, Cedar Falls 27
MaxPreps Projection: City High 28, Cedar Falls 21

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.