It will be the first home game of the season for St. Frances Academy after nine road or neutral site contests.
Between the two powerhouse programs, 44 players that are rated as a three-star recruits or higher are expected to take the field.
This will be the fifth meeting between IMG Academy and St. Frances Academy since 2019 with the series tied 2-2. Some notable players to play in this rivalry include
Blake Corum,
J.C. Latham,
Chris Braswell,
Tyler Booker,
Carnell Tate,
Jordan Seaton,
Daylen Everette,
Kaytron Allen,
Ellis Robinson IV,
Francis Mauigoa,
Jerrick Gibson,
Michael Van Buren and
Da'Shawn Womack.
A couple of huge showdowns in Georgia are also featured in this week's slate.
Julian Lewis and No. 6
Carrollton close out the regular season against
Douglas County (Douglasville). The winner claims the AAAAAA Region 2 title. Lewis enters Friday's matchup with 2,259 yards passing and 34 touchdowns while completing 76.1 percent of his passes.
Milton moved up to No. 2 in the MaxPreps Top 25 after St. John Bosco's loss and looks to add another quality win to its resume on Friday against a
Roswell squad carrying a lot of momentum. The Hornets are coming off their best win of the season after beating
Gainesville 48-45. The winner Friday claims the AAAAA Region 7 crown.
Hawaii rivals Kahuku and Mililani are set to meet for the second time this season, this time in the playoffs. Mililani won the first contest 14-10 back on Sept. 28. (Photo: Brian Bautista)
MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week
Friday, 7 p.m. (All times local)
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IMG Academy escaped with a 14-13 win over
East St. Louis (Ill.) in overtime thanks to a 10-yard touchdown on fourth down from Hawkins to McFarland. It was IMG's sixth-straight win. St. Frances Academy is playing its best football of the season heading into Friday's showdown riding a four-game win streak. The Panthers' only losses came against No. 1 Mater Dei, No. 3
Duncanville (Texas) and No. 15 Orange Lutheran by a combined 17 points.
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The Trojans have played great football this season and are hitting their stride with the AAAAAA playoffs right around the corner. They have won every game by double digits and are outscoring opponents by an average margin of 33.8 points per game. Lewis has done nothing but win during his career, going 34-3 through his first 37 starts. The Tigers have won four in a row since suffering their only loss of the season against No. 12
Buford. They are currently ranked just outside the MaxPreps Top 25 at No. 28 in our expanded top 100, so a win Friday will get them back in the national rankings.
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Last year's AAAAAAA state champs are on the short list of teams that have a legitimate shot at claiming the MaxPreps National Championship. The Eagles look to add another quality win to their resume before the playoffs get underway. They have won 19 games in a row dating back to last season. The Hornets have won six consecutive games after suffering their only loss of the season against No. 12 Buford, 52-17. This will be the 13th meeting since 2010 and Milton holds an 8-4 edge.
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The Braves look to bounce back after suffering their worst loss under head coach Jason Negro. It was the first time an opponent put a running clock on them when Mater Dei rolled to a 59-14 win. The good news for St. John Bosco is they have never lost to JSerra Catholic, sporting an 18-0 record against the Lions. JSerra snapped a three-game losing skid with a 35-33 win over Santa Margarita last week.
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The Mission League title is up for grabs Friday. Both teams have gone 4-0 in league action. Sierra Canyon's three losses have come against Trinity League opponents — JSerra Catholic, St. John Bosco and Orange Lutheran. Serra has won five in a row after a 13-6 loss against
Oaks Christian (Westlake Village). This will be the fourth meeting between the two since 2022 and the Trailblazers have won the previous three.
Friday, 7:30 p.m.
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Buford has won eight in a row after dropping its season opener against Milton. Notable wins include Roswell, Douglas County and
Collins Hill (Suwanee). They are winning by an average margin of 30.5 points per game during the win streak. The Hawks only two losses came against
North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.) and Collins Hill by a combined four points. Josh Lovelady has led Mill Creek to a 44-6 record since 2021 and the school's only state title in 2022 when they won the AAAAAAA crown. This will be the third meeting over the last three years and it is split one apiece.
Saturday, 1 p.m.
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DePaul Catholic dropped its first game of the season last week with a 52-51 overtime loss against
Delbarton (Morristown). The Green Wave erased a 45-31 deficit in the final minute to force overtime. The Green Knights are coming off a 28-17 loss against No. 21
Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.). These are two of the best programs in the state this season and St. Joseph Regional has won four of the last five meetings.
Friday, 7:30 p.m.
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Fuiava transferred from St. John Bosco to Kahuku two weeks ago and now Mililani has added a key transfer for the playoffs.
Rob DeMello of KHON2 News reported earlier this week that
Brandon Gaea transferred from Bishop Gorman. He led the fourth-ranked Gaels in receptions (27), receiving yards (555) and receiving touchdowns (8). Fuiava made his Red Raider debut in a 21-13 loss against
Campbell (Ewa Beach, Hawaii) and threw for 174 yards and a touchdown. These two played in late September and the Trojans won 14-10.
Friday, 7:30 p.m.
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Both teams only loss came against an undefeated
Lee County (Leesburg, Ga.) squad. Coffee has won two in a row since a 48-14 loss to the Trojans. Thomas County Central has reeled off three straight wins. Justin Rogers has led the Yellow Jackets to a 34-2 record since taking over as head coach and led them to their first state title since 1997 last season. Mike Coe has done a tremendous job since taking over as a head coach for Coffee and has led the Trojans to a 32-4 record. He led them to the school's first state title last season bringing home the AAAAA championship.