MaxPreps Top 10 Football Games of the Week

Phoebus (Hampton, Va.) has the nation’s second-longest winning streak at 37 games, but that status should only fuel the fire of rival Hampton (Va.), whose effort to upset the nation's No. 10-ranked team leads this week’s MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week.

Hampton is 7-0 and appears to be playing at the same level as Phoebus this season. Legendary coach Mike Smith’s team hopes to break a four-game losing streak to the Phantoms, who beat the Crabbers 17-0 last year.

Elsewhere, one of the nation’s oldest rivalries renews for the second time this season as Rome Free Academy (Rome, N.Y.) takes on Proctor (Utica, N.Y.) in the first round of the Section III playoffs. In the Midwest, the Chicago Catholic League Blue crown is on the line as Loyola Academy (Wilmette, Ill.) travels to unbeaten St. Rita (Chicago). Another key conference battle takes place in the Bay Area when fellow unbeatens Bellarmine (San Jose, Calif.) takes on Valley Christian (San Jose, Calif.).

After going 7-3 last week, Stephen Spiewak (64-26) maintained his four-game lead in the Top 10 Games of the Week season-long prediction contest. With nine wins and only one loss last week, the MaxPreps Projections moved into a tie for second place with Jamie DeMoney. 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:

Hampton (Va.) at Phoebus (Hampton, Va.)
Already one of the top rivalries in the state, this year’s Hampton-Phoebus game has added significance because both teams are undefeated. Hampton (7-0) has won 29 of 40 games played in this series but is zero for its last four. The Crabbers are on a roll, beating their last six opponents by a combined score of 323-19. The offensive leaders are senior quarterback David Watford, a Virginia commit, and junior tailback Kavon Bellamy, who ran for 183 yards and three touchdowns last week in a 63-7 rout of Bethel (Hampton, Va.).

Phoebus, whose 37-game win streak is second-longest nationally, has won all seven games this year by 38 or more points. North Carolina-committed end Daquan Romero and Virginia-bound linebacker Caleb Taylor are the heart and soul of a defense that’s allowed only two offensive scores. Offensively, senior tailback Tyree Lee is already over the 1,000-yard rushing mark this year and is on pace to become the Phantoms’ sixth 2,000-yard man since 2000.

Mitch Stephens: Hampton 24, Phoebus 21
Steve Montoya: Phoebus 41, Hampton 28
Stephen Spiewak: Phoebus 28, Hampton 7
Kevin Askeland: Phoebus 40, Hampton 20
Jamie DeMoney: Hampton 17, Phoebus 10
MaxPreps Projection: Phoebus 26, Hampton 19

Rome Free Academy (N.Y.) at Proctor (Utica, N.Y.)
The seventh-oldest rivalry in high school football kicks off for the second time this season and 119th overall. This is a Section III Class AA opening-round playoff game and a chance at redemption for RFA, which lost 24-21 to Proctor in week two. The Black Knights matched their season-high scoring output in a 34-12 defeat of Nottingham (Syracuse, N.Y.) last week to improve to 4-3.

Proctor (6-1) is in the playoffs for the first time since 2006 and riding high after a 22-20 win over state-ranked Corcoran (Syracuse, N.Y.) last week. Sophomore quarterback Jordan Treen has been outstanding, throwing for 1,486 yards and 16 touchdowns already this season.

Mitch Stephens: Rome Free Academy 21, Proctor 20
Steve Montoya: Proctor 21, Rome Free Academy 10
Stephen Spiewak: Proctor 30, Rome Free Academy 24
Kevin Askeland: Proctor 35, Rome Free Academy 24
Jamie DeMoney: Rome Free Academy 27, Proctor 21
MaxPreps Projection: Proctor 28, Rome Free Academy 20

Montgomery Bell Academy (Nashville, Tenn.) at Brentwood Academy (Tenn.)
MBA has won six of its last eight games against Brentwood Academy, including a 42-41 outcome in last year’s Division II AA state semifinals. The Big Red (7-1) has relied on Tyler Franks to carry the load of late. The senior tailback had 56 carries for 401 yards in the last two games.

Brentwood Academy has dropped its last two after starting the season with six straight wins. Its offense, led by seniors Matthew Hamby at quarterback and Victor Caro at running back, averaged 50 points per game in the six victories but only 17 in the two defeats. Last week, Baylor (Chattanooga, Tenn.) beat the Eagles, 21-20, for the first time since 1981.

Mitch Stephens: Montgomery Bell Academy 27, Brentwood Academy 20
Steve Montoya: Montgomery Bell Academy, 28, Brentwood Academy 21
Stephen Spiewak: Montgomery Bell Academy 33, Brentwood Academy 30
Kevin Askeland: Montgomery Bell Academy 33, Brentwood Academy 30
Jamie DeMoney: Brentwood Academy 34, Montgomery Bell Academy 31
MaxPreps Projection: Brentwood Academy 31, Montgomery Bell Academy 27

Loyola Academy (Wilmette, Ill.) at St. Rita (Chicago)
Loyola is 7-1 and can grab a share of the Catholic League Blue championship with a win at first-place and undefeated St. Rita. The Ramblers’ only loss was by seven points to Mount Carmel (Chicago), a team St. Rita beat by 21. In Malcolm Weaver, Loyola has one of Illinois’ top underclassman signal callers. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound junior has thrown for 1,570 yards and 23 yards this season.

St. Rita can wrap up a perfect 9-0 regular season and win the Catholic Blue title outright with a win against Loyola. The Mustangs have an outstanding senior tailback in 5-7, 190-pounder Jahwon Akui, who has 1,105 yards and 14 touchdowns this season. He ran for 186 yards and three touchdowns and St. Rita’s defense pitched a shutout in a 37-0 win against St. Ignatius (Chicago) last week.

Mitch Stephens: St. Rita 35, Loyola Academy 21
Steve Montoya: St. Rita 42, Loyola Academy 20
Stephen Spiewak: St. Rita 28, Loyola Academy 17
Kevin Askeland: St. Rita 40, Loyola Academy 14
Jamie DeMoney: St. Rita 29, Loyola Academy 15
MaxPreps Projection: St. Rita 21, Loyola Academy 20

St. Charles Catholic (LaPlace, La.) at Curtis (River Ridge, La.)
These teams have met six times since 2005 – three in the regular season and three deep in the playoffs – and Curtis has won each time, including a 27-0 shutout in last year’s 2A state semifinals. This season, St. Charles is 7-0 and averaging 43 points per game.

Curtis is 6-1 with only a seven-point loss to state-ranked Salmen (Slidell, La.) earlier this season. Both these rivals are undefeated in district play, which was also the case last season when Curtis nudged out a 19-18 triumph over St. Charles. The Patriots' smash-mouth veer attack has already produced nearly 2,000 rushing yards this season.

Mitch Stephens: Curtis 28, St. Charles Catholic 21
Steve Montoya: Curtis 17, St. Charles Catholic 14
Stephen Spiewak: Curtis 35, St. Charles Catholic 21
Kevin Askeland: Curtis 28, St. Charles Catholic 14
Jamie DeMoney: Curtis 28, St. Charles Catholic 6
MaxPreps Projection: Curtis 34, St. Charles Catholic 21

Marcus (Flower Mound, Texas) at Allen (Texas)
A share of first place in District 8-5A is on the line when Marcus (7-1) travels to unbeaten Allen. The Marauders feature a dominant run game and have one of the top scoring offenses in the Dallas Metroplex averaging 40 points per game. Senior tailback Rufus Mason has 1,233 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on 156 carries. The starting quarterback is junior Deion Sanders Jr., son of the former NFL great by the same name.

While it hasn’t blown many opponents out, a rather young and inexperienced Allen squad is off to only its fifth 7-0 start in school history. With a win, the Eagles will clinch their 12th consecutive playoff berth. First-year starting quarterback Alec Morris has been stellar. The junior has completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,485 yards and 11 touchdowns this season.

Mitch Stephens: Allen 35, Marcus 28
Steve Montoya: Allen 28, Marcus 21
Stephen Spiewak: Allen 35, Marcus 28
Kevin Askeland: Marcus 32, Allen 30
Jamie DeMoney: Allen 28, Marcus 24
MaxPreps Projection: Allen 30, Marcus 28

Burke (Omaha, Neb.) at Millard West (Omaha, Neb.)
A win against 7-1 Millard West to close the regular season would be huge for Burke, which has lost 10 of its last 11 games against the three schools from the Millard School District. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 4 in the state by the Omaha World-Herald and are No. 8 in the MaxPreps Freeman Rankings. Their only loss came to Millard North, 21-10, in week two. Third-year starting quarterback Jimmie Forsythe averages more than 150 rushing yards per game.

Millard West has six consecutive wins since its 36-17 loss to defending state champion Millard South in week two. The Wildcats own the No. 1 state ranking in the World-Herald and are No. 3 according to MaxPreps. Devin Reaves leads a strong rushing attack. The senior has run for nine touchdowns in the last four games.

Mitch Stephens: Burke 27, Millard West 24
Steve Montoya: Millard West 27, Burke 20
Stephen Spiewak: Millard West 28, Burke 10
Kevin Askeland: Burke 21, Millard West 20
Jamie DeMoney: Millard West 27, Burke 21
MaxPreps Projection: Millard West 31, Burke 22

Bellarmine (San Jose, Calif.) at Valley Christian (San Jose, Calif.)
West Catholic Athletic League supremacy is on the line when two of the Bay Area’s top teams square off in a crosstown battle. Bellarmine owns back-to-back Central Coast Section Open Division titles and has beaten Valley Christian four consecutive times. The Bells (6-0) have won every game this season by at least 14 points. Senior Kristoffer Olugbode is the go-to guy in a tough, physical running game that averages 233 yards on the ground per game. Individually, Olugbode has 686 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season.

Junior standout Byron Marshall leads the Valley Christian charges. The 5-10, 188-pound tailback has already eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark this season and found the end zone 17 times. He is on pace to have more than 3,000 career rushing yards by season's end. With a win, the Warriors will have their first 7-0 start since 2004. See Mitch Stephens feature on Marshall.

Mitch Stephens: Bellarmine 21, Valley Christian 20
Steve Montoya: Valley Christian 35, Bellarmine 20
Stephen Spiewak: Valley Christian 28, Bellarmine 27
Kevin Askeland: Valley Christian 32, Bellarmine 28
Jamie DeMoney: Valley Christian 27, Bellarmine 24
MaxPreps Projection: Valley Christian 35, Bellarmine 19
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Alemany (Mission Hills, Calif.) at Crespi (Encino, Calif.)
Alemany is one of the Southern Section’s surprise teams of the season. The Warriors opened the year with what was considered a 23-20 upset of Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) and now are 6-0 and in strong position to challenge for a championship in their first season in the Serra League. Senior Akeem Gonzales leads a veteran offensive line.

After losing last week to Bishop Amat (LaPuente, Calif.), Crespi needs to hold serve at home in order to keep its league title hopes alive. Led by senior quarterback Kenneth Stenhouse – who has nearly 2,000 passing yards already – the Celts have been great on offense. But their defense has allowed 31 or more points on four occasions and could struggle against Alemany's strong running game.

Mitch Stephens: Crespi 28, Alemany 24
Steve Montoya: Crespi 30, Alemany 21
Stephen Spiewak: Alemany 21, Crespi 10
Kevin Askeland: Crespi 28, Alemany 21
Jamie DeMoney: Crespi 27, Alemany 22
MaxPreps Projection: Alemany 34, Crespi 27
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St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) at Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati)
It’s amazing how much improvement can take place from one season to the next. Case in point, St. Edward, which went 4-6 last year and now is 8-0 and playing as well as any team in Ohio. The Eagles are ranked No. 1 in the Buckeye State by MaxPreps, a testament to their dominant performances against one of the state’s toughest schedules. They have beaten every team by at least 10 points and their first-string defense hasn’t allowed a touchdown in the last six games. With a win Saturday, St. Edward would finish 3-0 against Cincinnati Greater Catholic League-South competition this season.

Moeller (6-2) has dropped two of its last three games and needs a victory to help shore up its computer ranking to quality for the postseason. The Crusaders expected to have one of the state’s top defenses but have allowed four or more touchdowns to half their opponents. Offensively, the rock has been senior tailback Tucker Skove. He ran for 153 yards and three touchdowns on 35 carries in a 31-21 loss to La Salle (Cincinnati) last week.

Mitch Stephens: Moeller 14, St. Edward 10
Steve Montoya: Moeller 10, St. Edward 7
Stephen Spiewak: St. Edward 31, Moeller 17
Kevin Askeland: Moeller 32, St. Edward 14
Jamie DeMoney: Moeller 20, St. Edward 17
MaxPreps Projection: St. Edward 35, Moeller 26

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.