There are some huge playoff matchups this week and
the two biggest are in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 bracket.
No. 3
hosts No. 19
and No. 21
travels to No. 5
. These are the only two MaxPreps Top 25 matchups this week.
This
is the first meeting since 2019 between Bosco and Centennial. The
Braves have won three in a row and four of six since 2013. This is the first meeting between Mater Dei and Sierra
Canyon.
No. 4
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) wraps up its season Friday hosting a red-hot
St. Frances Academy (Baltimore).
The Panthers have won four in a row after a 1-5 start. Four of those
losses came against MaxPreps Top 25 opponents. The Ascenders are riding a
17-game win streak and winning by 29.2 points per game this season.
The top-two ranked teams in Indiana square off in the Class 6A semifinals as
Center Grove (Greenwood) faces
Ben Davis (Indianapolis).
The Trojans have won the last eight meetings. The Giants are going for their first win against the three-time defending state champs for the first time since
2017.
No. 18
Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah) is playing in its sixth straight state title game and faces
Skyridge (Lehi, Utah)
in the 6A championship on Friday. These two met in last year's 6A
championship and Skyridge won 17-7. It was the school's first state
title. The Chargers are going for their fourth since 2018.
Playoff matchups in Florida, Georgia, Michigan and North Carolina are also featured in this week's action.
MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week
Friday, 7 p.m. (All times local)
Top players
Centennial: RB
Cornell Hatcher, Jr. (6-0, 205), QB
Husan Longstreet (6-2, 195), OL
Wade Helton (6-5, 290), OL
Brent Helton (6-5, 300), DB
Tayten Beyer (5-11, 170)
Corona
Centennial looks to snap a three-game skid against the Braves and
beat them for the first time since 2015. The CIF Southern Section
Division 1 bracket was listed as our
toughest postseason tournament in the country
as it features four MaxPreps Top 25 teams. The Braves are looking to
add to their resume as they try and repeat as MaxPreps National
Champions. The Huskies have won seven in a row and their only two losses
came at No. 1 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) and No. 5 Mater Dei (Santa
Ana).
Friday, 7 p.m.
Top players
The
other CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinal is the only other
MaxPreps Top 25 matchup in the country. Sierra Canyon won its first
Division 1 playoff game last week, 37-20 over Santa Margarita
(Rancho Santa Margarita). The Monarchs rolled to a 38-0 win over JSerra
Catholic (San Juan Capistrano). They have outscored their last three
opponents 128-32 after a 28-0 loss at St. John Bosco (Bellflower).
Friday, 7 p.m.
Top players
This
game will feature 40 players rated as a three-star recruit or higher.
This is the fifth meeting between the two national powers and IMG
Academy evened up the series with a 27-16 win last year. The Panthers
are playing their best football heading into Friday's showdown and this
is the healthiest they have been all season. The Ascenders are looking
to make a statement and build to a resume that includes wins over No. 9
St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia), Ben Davis (Indianapolis), Glenville
(Cleveland) and Lipscomb Academy (Nashville, Tenn.).
Friday, 7 p.m.
Top players
This
is the biggest game in the state all season with the two
best teams in Indiana. The winner clinches a spot in the Class
6A state championship and faces either Westfield or Crown Point at
Lucas Oil Stadium on Nov. 25. The Trojans have won 11 in a row after a
season-opening 27-10 loss against No. 23 St. Edward (Lakewood). The
Giants have reeled off eight straight wins after a 34-14 loss vs. No. 4
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.).
Friday, 2:30 p.m. at Rice-Eccles Stadium
Top players
After
winning three straight state titles from 2018 to 2020 the Chargers
have finished as the state runner-up the last two years. Lone Peak
(Highland) won in 2021 and Skyridge (Lehi) took home its first state
title last season. Corner Canyon has dominated against
in-state competition going 12-0 winning by an average
margin of 34.8 points per game. Skyirdge avenged both regular season
losses beating Pleasant Grove and American Fork to clinch a spot in the
6A state championship.
Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Top players
These
two played in September and the Rockets pulled out a 38-28 win.
The Tornadoes have won eight of nine since with the only blemish being a
20-19 loss against No. 13 Norland (Miami). The Rockets' three losses have
come against No. 1 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), No. 2 Chaminade-Madonna
(Hollywood) and No. 13 Norland (Miami) by a combined 10 points. The
winner advances to the quarterfinals of the 2M bracket with a potential
matchup against Norland looming. Miami Central has won the last eight
meetings as Booker T. is looking to beat the Rockets for the first time
since 2014.
Friday, 7 p.m.
Top players
Providence
Day's only loss came nearly a month ago against the Eagles, 42-27. The
back-to-back NCISA Division I state champs are looking for revenge on
Friday to claim their third straight state title. Rabun Gap has
dominated this season winning by an average margin of 28 points per
game. These two met in the 2021 state championship and the Chargers won
14-9.
Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Top players
Grimsley has won every game by at least 23 points and are winning by an average margin of 41.6 points. Hough has won 11 in a row since a season-opening 24-9 loss against James F. Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.). The winner advances to the 4A quarterfinals awaiting either Weddington or Charlotte Catholic (Charlotte). These two met in last year's 4A quarterfinals and Grimsley won 40-37 in triple overtime.
Top players
The defending AAAAAA state champs are getting hot at the right time and have won six in a row since a 30-27 loss against Douglas County (Douglasville). Rome heads into Friday's showdown riding an eight-game win streak and has outscored opponents 456-36. This game features two of the most prolific passers in state history. Noland became the 10th player in Georgia to surpass the 10,000-yard mark in last week's 41-7 win over North Forsyth (Cumming). Fountain is just shy of 9,000 yards passing.
Saturday, 1 p.m. at Novi High School
Top players
A spot in the Division 1 state title game is on the line when these two 12-0 teams square off. Belleville is riding a 37-game win streak and are the back-to-back Division 1 champs. Davison is winning by an average margin of 26.1 points per game. The winner faces either West Bloomfield or Southfield A&T (Southfield) in the Division 1 state championship at Ford Field on Nov. 26.