MaxPreps Top 10 High School Football Games of the Week

Video: MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week
No. 1 St. John Bosco meets No. 2 Mater Dei for the 17th time since 2004.

For the eighth time in the MaxPreps era, No. 1 and No. 2 meet on the field.

To make it even better, Friday's showdown features one of the best rivalries in high school football — St. John Bosco vs. Mater Dei. There will be over 40 players with Power 5 college offers, including the top two quarterbacks from the Class of 2020: DJ Uiagalelei and Bryce Young.

This will be the 17th meeting between the two Trinity League powers since 2004 and the Monarchs have won nine of the previous 16, including both of last year's games.

This isn't the only Trinity League game featured in our Top 10 Games of the Week as JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) takes on Ryan Hilinski and Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) in big-time Southern California matchup.

In total, three SoCal games are featured. No. 9 Corona Centennial (Corona, Calif.) takes on a very talented Norco (Calif.) team. Corona is looking to improve to 7-1 and show they belong with the elite teams from the Golden State.

Two big-time WCAC matchups are also on tap this week. No. 4 St. John's (Washington, D.C.) puts its 13-game win streak on the line against a legit Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) squad. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) has won four straight since dropping its season opener against No. 14 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and the Stags take on Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.), a team looking to rebound since suffering its lone loss of the year last week.

A couple of huge Lone Star State games make the list as No. 3 Allen (Texas) looks to extend its regular season winning streak to 62 against a 5-0 Plano East (Plano, Texas) team and No. 8 Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) takes on Westlake (Austin, Texas) in one of the best rivalries in high school football.

Two teams from the Peach State who will be in contention for the 7A Georgia state title square off on ESPN2 on Thursday night — Archer (Lawrenceville, Ga.) and Grayson (Loganville, Ga.).

The last two games feature Pennsylvania and Ohio — No. 19 St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia) vs. Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) and Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati) vs. St. Ignatius (Cleveland).
MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week

No. 1 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) @ No. 2 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Friday, 7:30 p.m. (All times local)

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Top Players

St. John Bosco: QB DJ Uiagalelei (6-4, 240), CB Chris Steele (6-1.5, 190), WR Kris Hutson (5-10.5, 155), CB Trent McDuffie (5-10.5, 185), RB George Holani (6-0, 195)

Mater Dei: ATH Bru McCoy (6-2.5, 215), QB Bryce Young (6-0, 175), CB Elias Ricks (6-2, 180), OT Myles Murao (6-3, 270), DT Keyon Ware-Hudson (6-2, 305)

It's always a big-time matchup when these two Southern California powers square off, but this will be the first time they face each other when they are Nos. 1 and 2 in the country. The game is loaded with some of the best players in high school football and there are 47 players rated as at least 3-stars or higher.

Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) @ No. 4 St. John's (Washington, D.C.)
Friday, 7 p.m.

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Top Players

Good Counsel: ATH Cam Hart (6-3, 190), LB Julio Ayamel (6-1, 215), OT Mason Lunsford (6-5, 305), LB Jalen Green (6-2, 220), RB Latrele Palmer (5-11, 210)

St. John's: WR Rakim Jarrett (6-0, 180), RB Keilan Robinson (5-9, 185), QB Sol-Jay Maiava (6-0.5, 185), DT Tre’ Williams (6-1.5, 310), CB Luke Hill (5-11, 180)

St. John's is on the short list of teams who can finish the year at No. 1 and the Cadets face one of their biggest tests Friday on ESPN2 against Good Counsel. The Falcons handed Gonzaga its first loss of the season and they are looking to do the same thing to the Cadets. The winner of this game will be the favorite to win the WCAC regular season title.

Plano East (Plano, Texas) @ No. 3 Allen (Texas)
Friday, 7 p.m.

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Top Players

Plano East: S Tyler Owens (6-2, 200), LB Josh Blagowsky (6-2, 200), CB Zachary Nwachukwu (5-9, 180), QB Brandon Mallory (6-3, 195), WR Braylon Henderson (5-10, 160)

Allen: WR Theo Wease (6-3, 200), QB Grant Tisdale (6-1, 205), OG EJ Ndoma-Ogar (6-3.5, 330), DT Jayden Jernigan (6-1, 280), OG Certaidrian Brooks (6-3, 330)

Plano East fans chanted "We want Allen" after they handed Prosper (Texas) its first loss of the season. Well, the fans get what they asked for this Friday. The Eagles roll into this one winners of 21 straight games and are winning by an average margin of 33.6 points per game — a margin would be way higher if their starters played in the second half.

No. 8 Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) @ Westlake (Austin, Texas)
Friday, 7:30 p.m.

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Top Players

Lake Travis: WR Garrett Wilson (6-0.5, 180), QB Hudson Card (6-2, 170), ATH Kyle Eaves (5-11, 160), LB Nick Villarreal (5-11, 190), LB Mauricio Trevino (5-11, 190)

Austin Westlake: QB Taylor Anderson (5-11, 175),  S Sage Luther (5-10, 175), RB Tripp Graham (6-0, 200), WR Penny Baker (5-10, 175), LB Jake Ehlinger (6-0, 205)

Austin Westlake finally got over the Lake Travis hump last year snapping the Cavaliers' 10-game winning streak against them. Increasing that streak to two is going to be tough this season because Lake Travis has one of the most talented teams in high school football. Card and Wilson are as good as any duo in the nation and they are averaging more than 45 points per game in 2018.

Archer (Lawrenceville, Ga.) @ Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)
Thursday, 7:30 p.m.

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Top Players

Archer: CB Andrew Booth (6-1, 190), S Jalyn Phillips (6-0, 200), DE Colby Wooden (6-4, 230), WR Braylen Weems (5-11, 170), QB Carter Peevy (6-3, 205)

Grayson: LB Owen Pappoe (6-0.5, 210), OT Wanya Morris (6-5.5, 310), DE Kevin Harris (6-4, 230), S Kenyatta Watson II (6-2, 190), WR Kenyon Jackson (6-5.5, 195)

This game will be on ESPN2 for a reason — it's loaded with a ton of future FBS players. Grayson has been looking forward to this game since 2017, when Archer handed the Rams their first loss last season. The winner inches closer to jumping back in the Top 25.

No. 9 Centennial (Corona, Calif.) @ Norco (Calif.)
Friday, 7 p.m.

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Top Players

Centennial: WR Gary Bryant (5-10, 160), DE Drake Jackson (6-4, 260), CB Isaiah Young (5-10, 160), WR Reggie Retzlaff (6-2, 195), LB Tuasivi Nomura (6-1, 195)

Norco: QB Shane Illingworth (6-6, 235), ATH Jaden Navarrette (6-3, 235), LB Blake Beecher (5-10, 205), RB Jaydn Ott (5-11, 170), LB Xavion Smith (6-1, 205)

If St. John Bosco and Mater Dei don't play again in November it'll likely be because of Corona Centennial. Everyone might be penciling in a Mater Dei vs. St. John Bosco D-I CIF Southern Section championship showdown, but don't count out the Inland Empire power. As usual, the Huskies have one of the most explosive offenses in the country, but the scary thing is the defense matches the offense this year. They are averaging 53 points per game and only allowing 12 points per contest.

No. 19 St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia) @ Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.)
Saturday, 1 p.m.

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St. Joseph's Prep: WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (6-3.5, 175), QB Kyle McCord (6-3, 195), RB Kolbe Burrell (5-7, 180), LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (5-11, 190), ATH Marques Mason (5-7, 165)

Archbishop Wood: RB Tom Santiago (5-11, 190), C Luke Stengel (6-4, 250), QB/WR Jake Ross (6-2, 190), OT Connor Bishop (6-3, 260), FB Leroy Pendleton (5-11, 230)

St. Joseph's Prep is going to be good for a very long time. The Hawks are loaded with some of the best talent from the Class of 2020 and 2021 led by Harrison Jr., McCord and Burrell. They have proven they can hang with some of the top teams in the country this season. St. Joseph's was in a one-score game against No. 7 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore) before the game got cancelled because of lightning and the Hawks knocked off St. Peter's Prep (Jersey City, N.J.) and Good Counsel in back-to-back weeks in September.

Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) @ JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
Friday, 7 p.m.

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Top Players

Orange Lutheran: QB Ryan Hilinski (6-4, 235), WR Logan Loya (5-11.5, 170), WR JoJo Hawkins (5-9, 160), LB Jackson Cloyd (6-3, 200), CB KJ Trujillo (6-1, 170)

JSerra Catholic: WR Tarik Luckett (6-2.5, 185), WR Munir McClain (6-4, 210), RB Chris Street (5-8, 190), QB Caden Bell (6-0, 185), LB Jaden Genova (6-0, 200)

The Trinity League is the SEC of high school football for a reason. JSerra Catholic proved it can hang with anyone as the Lions took St. John Bosco down to the wire a couple weeks ago. They are a couple wins away from jumping into the Top 25 and they face a very talented Orange Lutheran team who has one of the top quarterbacks in the country — 2019 South Carolina commit Ryan Hilinski.

Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) @ DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)
Friday, 7 p.m.

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Top Players

Gonzaga: DE Joseph Weté (6-4, 220), QB Caleb Williams (6-0, 190), LB Hunter Stewart (6-3, 225), CB Dean Engram (5-9.5, 165), TE Justin Ball (6-6, 230)

DeMatha: S Nick Cross (6-0.5, 205), ATH DeMarcco Hellams (6-1, 200), WR Jermaine Johnson (5-10, 165), DT Coziah Izzard (6-3, 265), OT Andrew Allmond (6-6, 320)

If it wasn't for the Trinity League, the WCAC would be the toughest in the nation. It's loaded with the best teams from the DMV area and two square off Friday. DeMatha has been rolling since a season opening loss to Florida power St. Thomas Aquinas. Gonzaga suffered its first loss of the year against Good Counsel and don't want to start WCAC action 0-2.

Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati) @ St. Ignatius (Cleveland)
Saturday, 2 p.m.

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Top Players

Archbishop Moeller: OG Zach Carpenter (6-5, 310), QB Mitch McKenzie (6-3, 190), OG Alex Merritt (6-3, 260), WR RJ Khayo (5-9, 165), RB Chystopher Watkins (6-0, 225) 

St. Ignatius: LB Thommy Eichenberg (6-3, 225), CB Jett Elad (6-0, 180), TE Aidan Wells (6-5, 260), QB Patrick Delahunty (6-0, 200), ATH Jack Kennedy (6-0, 175)

These two Ohio powers square off for the fifth consecutive year, having split the past four meetings. These two schools have combined for 20 state championships and will both be in contention to add to that list in 2018.