Just two weeks after their epic showdown, Don Bosco Prep and De La Salle are in the spotlight again.
Don Bosco Prep, which handily defeated De La Salle 30-6 earlier this month, travels to Alabama for its second game of the season and faces 6A state champion Prattville. Meanwhile, the Spartans host one of the best teams in Florida over the past two decades in the Lakeland Dreadnaughts.
Another big matchup finds a pair of MaxPreps Xcellent 25 nationally ranked teams, St. Xavier and Highlands, meeting in an interstate battle in Kentucky.
MaxPreps Projections takes over first place in the prediction challenge after going 7-3 last week. MaxPreps Projections is 26-14, followed by Mitch Stephens, Stephen Spiewak and Kevin Askeland, all tied at 24-16.
Top 10 Games of the Week
St. Xavier (Cincinnati, Ohio) at Highlands (Fort Thomas, Ky.)
It would be no exaggeration to say that St. Xavier plays the toughest schedule in the entire country. Besides playing in the always-tough Greater Catholic South with the likes of Elder, La Salle and Archbishop Moeller, the Bombers have a hard-hitting nonleague skein that includes Colerain, Indianapolis Cathedral, St. Xavier, Trinity of Louisville and St. Ignatius of Cleveland. This week’s opponent is no slouch either, as St. Xavier travels to play Highlands in Fort Thomas, Kent.This game will be televised live on CBS College Sports.
The Bluebirds are off to a 5-0 start, including last week’s 36-14 win over Boone County. That win was significant due to the fact that Highland won without All-American candidate Austin Collinsworth. The son of NFL broadcaster Chris Collinsworth, Austin has been spectacular this year, rushing for 536 yards on just 47 carries with 10 touchodwns. The Bombers were stung last week by the death of a schoolmate, but still managed to rout Trinity 43-14. The defense limited Trinity to just 37 yards of total offense and three first downs.
Mitch Stephens: St. Xavier 21, Highlands 14
Steve Spiewak: St. Xavier 28, Highlands 17
Kevin Askeland: St. Xavier 30, Highlands 18
MaxPreps Projection: St. Xavier 31, Highlands 3
Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) at Prattville (Ala.)
The Ironmen have just one game to their credit, but it was a big one. Don Bosco Prep handed De La Salle of Concord, Calif. one of the school’s worst losses in the past 25 years in a 30-6 victory on Sept. 12. The Ironmen defense jumped on the Spartans early and allowed Don Bosco Prep to stake a 16-6 lead in the first quarter. Gary Nova came up big at quarterback, as he completed 11-of-20 passes for 159 yards and a score. Tony Jones added 91 yards rushing on 21 carries with three touchdowns.
Prattville, meanwhile, is playing its sixth game of the season and has won three in a row since falling to North Gwinnett 14-11 on Aug. 29. The Lions have used a multi-faced running attack with Corey Shelton, Sam Gibson, Will Jones and Kamario Davis all gaining over 100 yards on the season. Gibson has also been steady at quarterback, passing for 604 yards and five touchdowns. Cory Lee (53 tackles) and Qushaun Lee (63) have been bruisers on defense for the Lions.
Mitch Stephens: Don Bosco Prep 24, Prattville 7
Steve Spiewak: Don Bosco Prep 24, Prattville 7
Kevin Askeland: Don Bosco Prep 30, Prattville 21
MaxPreps Projection: Don Bosco Prep 31, Prattville 21
Lakeland (Fla.) at De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)
This matchup lost a little bit of its luster when De La Salle was soundly defeated, but Florida-California matchups are rare, and this game features two of the premier programs in the country over the past two decades. Lakeland is 2-0 and has not allowed a point in outscoring opponents 88-0. The Dreadnaughts won 60-0 last week over Tenoroc. The Spartans did not play last week and are 1-1, including a 14-7 win over Serra of San Mateo.
Mitch Stephens: Lakeland 14, De La Salle 10
Steve Spiewak: Lakeland 24, De La Salle 13
Kevin Askeland: De La Salle 24, Lakeland 18
MaxPreps Projection: Lakeland 21, De La Salle 20
LaSalle (Wyndmoor, Pa.) at St. Joseph’s (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Two of the top teams in the Philadelphia area clash in a Philadelphia Catholic AAAA league matchup this week when LaSalle takes on St. Joseph’s Prep. LaSalle is ranked No. 2 in the metro area while St. Joseph’s is No. 4. The Explorers squeaked out a 16-14 win over West Catholic last week and suffered through a rash of injuries to some of the team’s top linemen. LaSalle also played without running back Jamel Abdur-Rahmen because of an injury. Abdur-Rahmen, who gained 316 yards through the first two games of the season, is expected to play this week. The Hawks are coming off a 28-14 loss to North Penn, the No. 1-ranked team in Philadelphia.
Mitch Stephens: La Salle 31, St. Joseph 28
Steve Spiewak: St. Joseph 28, La Salle 27
Kevin Askeland: La Salle 30, St. Joseph 24
MaxPreps Projection: LaSalle 34, St. Joseph’s 19
Tommy Avers, Southlake Carroll
Photo by Harvey Dunn
Carroll (Southlake, Texas) at North Shore (Houston, Texas)
A pair of 5A powerhouses with some impressive win streaks in their team history meet when Carroll heads to Houston to take on North Shore. The Dragons won 49 consecutive games from 2004 to 2007 before losing to Northwestern of Miami. Meanwhile, North Shore had a 78-game regular season win streak come to an end early this year with a loss to Katy. Carroll is currently ranked No. 3 in the Texas 5A division with a 4-0 mark, while North Shore is No. 9 with a 3-1 record. The Dragons’ two-headed quarterback tandem of Kyle Williamson and David Piland has worked well, with Williamson throwing for 530 yards and Piland gaining 792 yards. Ryan Gentry has been the big-play threat at receiver, along with Sean Landers. Tommy Avers is averaging close to 10 yards per carry with 600 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. The Mustangs have won three straight since the loss to Katy. Tim Cornett has been superb carrying the ball for North Shore, gaining 629 yards on just 47 carries.
Mitch Stephens: Carroll 35, North Shore 21
Steve Spiewak: Carroll 28, North Shore 21
Kevin Askeland: Carroll 36, North Shore 28
MaxPreps Projection: Carroll 38, Northshore 27
Isadore Newman (New Orleans, La.) at Curtis (River Ridge, La.)
Curtis has played just two games so far this year but is ranked No. 11 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 national rankings. It takes on a Newman team that is 3-0 with big wins over Bogalusa, King and Northlake Christian. Torrey Pierce has been the leading ground gainer for the Patriots, rushing for 237 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries. Newman will look to avenge a 61-14 defeat at the hands of the Patriots from last season.
Mitch Stephens: Curtis 30, Isadore Newman 21
Steve Spiewak: Curtis 28, Isadore Newman 17
Kevin Askeland: Curtis 40, Isadore Newman 14
MaxPreps Projection: Curts 48, Isadore Newman 12
Daingerfield (Texas) at Gilmer (Texas)
Two of the top small-school teams in Texas clash with plenty of offensive fireworks expected. The Tigers are 4-0 and have outscored opponents 135-27. Tyler Boyd has been a force rushing and passing the ball for Daingerfield, as he has thrown for 742 yards and 10 touchdowns, and has also run for 205 yards and two scores. Koko Smith has also helped out on the ground, with 241 yards on 45 carries with five touchdowns. Gilmer, meanwhile has scored at least 70 points twice this year in building a 4-0 mark. Darian Godfrey runs the spread to perfection for the Buckeyes, as he has thrown for 1,176 yards in four games with 12 touchdowns and just one interception. He has also run for 166 yards and eight touchdowns, while Vance Green adds 291 yards and three touchdowns.
Mitch Stephens: Gilmer 42, Daingerfield 28
Steve Spiewak: Gilmer 35, Daingerfield 28
Kevin Askeland: Gilmer 60, Daingerfield 42
MaxPreps Projection: Gilmer 35, Daingerfield 28
Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) at Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif.)
The Friars have risen to the top of the section, state and national MaxPreps computer rankings after three big wins to start the season. Servite bounced Long Beach Poly in its season opener and then routed defending Central Section champion Clovis West 47-13. A 38-28 win over Pac-5 rival Crespi has established Servite as the team to beat in the Pac-5 this year. A win over Edison of Huntington Beach will only further solidify that ranking. The Chargers have raced to a 3-0 record on the arm of quarterback Matt Viles, who has thrown for 833 yards and five touchdowns. Viles came up big last week, throwing for 485 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-17 win over Dana Hills.
Mitch Stephens: Edison 28, Servite 27
Steve Spiewak: Servite 38, Edison 28
Kevin Askeland: Servite 32, Edison 14
MaxPreps Projection: Servite 28, Edison 17
Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) at Killeen (Texas)
Despite losing MaxPreps National Player of the Year Garrett Gilbert to graduation, the two-time Texas 4A state champion Lake Travis Cavaliers haven’t missed a beat in starting the season 4-0. Lake Travis has outscored opponents 203-69 and has scored over 50 points in three of the wins. Junior quarterback Michael Brewer is a big reason why the transition has been a seamless one. He has thrown for 1,318 yards and 11 touchdowns in four games and has also rushed for seven touchdowns. Killeen has won three straight and has shown it can score. The Kangaroos have scored at least 38 points in each of their last three outings.
Mitch Stephens: Lake Travis 42, Killeen 28
Steve Spiewak: Lake Travis 42, Killeen 27
Kevin Askeland: Lake Travis 50, Killeen 21
MaxPreps Projection: Lake Travis 48, Killeen 19
Ankeny (Iowa) at Dowling (West Des Moines, Iowa)
Ankeny and Dowling have been the top two teams in the Central Conference for most of the decade, as they have combined to win every league title since 2000. Ankeny has started the season 4-0 and is ranked No. 3 in the state by MaxPreps. The Hawks have averaged 40 points a game with a high of 49 in a win over Jefferson of Council Bluffs. Dowling ranks No. 1 in the state and has been a wrecking crew in building a 4-0 mark. The Maroons have 194 points in just four games. Dowling won last year’s matchup 31-21.
Mitch Stephens: Ankeny 14, Dowling 13
Steve Spiewak: Dowling 20, Ankeny 17
Kevin Askeland: Dowling 40, Ankeny 30
MaxPreps Projection: Dowling 35, Ankeny 31
