MaxPreps Top 10 Football Games of the Week

The first state champions of the 2010 season will be crowned this weekend in Alaska, where the large-schools championship game is included in the MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week.

The large-schools title game features Service (Anchorage), a four-time state champion, facing off against top-ranked West (Anchorage), which has never won the title. It's a rematch of a thrilling week-one meeting, won 38-35 by West. In the small-schools final, Soldotna is going for its fourth championship in five seasons when it plays Kenai Central.

Meanwhile, in the Midwest, two of Ohio's surprise teams hope to remain unbeaten. La Salle (Cincinnati) can clinch a share of its first Greater Catholic League title with a win against Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati), and St. Edward (Lakewood) can make another major statement with a win against St. Xavier (Cincinnati), which has beaten the Eagles four straight years. In South Florida, there are two marquee matchups with nationally ranked St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) hosting defending 6A champion Miramar, and Northwestern (Miami) traveling to undefeated Columbus (Miami). Down in Texas, unbeaten Coppell hosts Carroll (Southlake) in what figures to be an entertaining offensive show.

Despite going only 6-4 last week, Top 10 Games of the Week author Jamie DeMoney narrowed the gap to four games on season-long prediction leader and National Football Editor Stephen Spiewak (57-23 overall). Two-time defending predictions champion MaxPreps Projections went 4-6 last week and remains in third place, six games behind the leader. At nine games back and in fourth place is Steve Montoya, followed by Kevin Askeland and Mitch Stephens, who are each one game behind one another in fifth and sixth place, respectively. 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:

Wayne (Huber Heights, Ohio) at Centerville (Ohio), Thursday
This is the third nationally televised game this season for Wayne (4-3), which features MaxPreps' top-rated combo passer Braxton Miller. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Ohio State recruit is a four-year starter for the Warriors. Miller ran for 156 yards in a win against Centerville last season.

Centerville might have been caught looking ahead when it lost to Northmont last week. The Elks' defense was terrific in six straight wins before giving up 24 points to the Thunderbolts in a three-point loss. Like Wayne, Centerville has an Ohio State recruit on its roster in 6-3, 275-pound lineman Michael Bennett. He is a national Top-100 prospect, according to MaxPreps Recruiting Analyst Tom Lemming.

Mitch Stephens: Centerville 35, Wayne 28
Steve Montoya:  Centerville 21, Wayne 17
Stephen Spiewak: Centerville 30, Wayne 20
Kevin Askeland: Wayne 35, Centerville 21
Jamie DeMoney: Centerville 35, Wayne 27
MaxPreps Projection: Centerville 27, Wayne 14

Northwestern (Miami) at Columbus (Miami), Friday
Northwestern must move on from a disappointing 25-22 loss to rival Miami Central to face a hungry and undefeated Columbus team in this nationally televised contest. Senior quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (a Miami recruit) had 261 passing yards with three total touchdowns against Central but was unable to complete a potential game-winning drive in the final minutes of the game.

This could be one of those program-building games for Columbus, which has annually been a winning program but lost the last seven meetings against Northwestern. The undefeated Explorers play great defense with a unit led by Notre Dame-bound end Anthony Rabasa and top-notch junior safety Dion Bush. They have allowed 33 points all season and shut out Coral Gables last week, 37-0.

Mitch Stephens: Northwestern 28, Columbus 21
Steve Montoya:  Northwestern 28, Columbus 17
Stephen Spiewak: Northwestern 28, Columbus 21
Kevin Askeland: Northwestern 40, Columbus 28
Jamie DeMoney: Columbus 30, Northwestern 18
MaxPreps Projection: Columbus 28, Northwestern 20

St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) at Miramar (Fla.), Friday
St. Thomas Aquinas is ranked No. 4 in the nation in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 Rankings presented by the Army National Guard. The Raiders have won 29 consecutive regular-season games. They are led by senior quarterback Jacob Rudock, an Iowa commit who has completed 68 percent of his passes for 1,158 yards and 13 touchdowns. He has two outstanding receiving targets in Rashad Greene (Florida State) and Phillip Dorsett (Miami). If the team has an Achilles heel, it is up front on defense. The unit allowed Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.) to run for 376 yards two weeks ago.

Defending 6A state champion Miramar is 3-2 this season with the two losses coming by a combined three points. Only a 31-6 setback to St. Thomas Aquinas this same week last season kept the Patriots from going undefeated. Last week, senior tailback Shaquille Kearse exploded for 223 rushing yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries in a 49-13 win against South Plantation.

Mitch Stephens: St. Thomas Aquinas 42, Miramar 28
Steve Montoya: St. Thomas Aquinas 34, Miramar 31
Stephen Spiewak: St. Thomas Aquinas 42, Miramar 17
Kevin Askeland: St. Thomas Aquinas 38, Miramar 35
Jamie DeMoney: St. Thomas Aquinas 31, Miramar 20
MaxPreps Projection: St. Thomas Aquinas 35, Miramar 12

Gateway (Monroeville) at Central Catholic (Pittsburgh), Friday
Gateway is hitting its stride after a disappointing 0-2 start. The Gators have four consecutive wins by an average margin of 33 points. A pair of sophomores trigger their offensive attack. Quarterback Thomas Woodson is an outstanding young quarterback and Darin Franklin is the team's leading rusher. On defense, the key players are senior linebacker Armstead Williams and Sascha Craig.

This rare mid-year, non-conference matchup is the first meeting between these programs since the 2007 WPIAL championship game, won 35-34 by Central Catholic. This season, Central Catholic has been dominant in all but one half of its games. The Vikings (6-0) trailed by 20 in the third quarter two weeks ago against Penn Hills, but scored five consecutive touchdowns to win the game, 35-20. Like Gateway, they are talented but young in the offensive backfield with juniors Perry Hill under center and Damien Jones-Moore at running back.

Mitch Stephens: Central Catholic 21, Gateway 20
Steve Montoya: Central Catholic 28, Gateway 21
Stephen Spiewak: Central Catholic 35, Gateway 28
Kevin Askeland: Gateway 28, Central Catholic 21
Jamie DeMoney: Central Catholic 32, Gateway 16
MaxPreps Projection: Central Catholic 26, Gateway 10

Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati) at La Salle (Cincinnati), Friday
With a win, Moeller will clinch its 24th Greater Catholic League championship but first since 1999. The Crusaders improved to 2-0 in conference play with a come-from-behind 26-20 win over Elder last week. Junior quarterback/receiver Monty Madaris emerged as a star, totaling more than 250 yards of total offense with three touchdowns on the 12 plays he touched the ball.

Never in its 50-year history has a La Salle team been undefeated this deep into the season. The Lancers' dream season would culminate in their first-ever GCL-South championship with wins over St. Xavier and Moeller in consecutive weeks. Senior quarterback Drew Kummer – a 6-3, 207-pound Miami of Ohio commit – threw for 273 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-24 win a week ago against St. Xavier.

Mitch Stephens: La Salle 17, Moeller 14
Steve Montoya: La Salle 21, Moeller 14
Stephen Spiewak: La Salle 17, Moeller 14
Kevin Askeland: Moeller 28, La Salle 14
Jamie DeMoney: Moeller 20, La Salle 17
MaxPreps Projection: La Salle 28, Moeller 27

Carroll (Southlake, Texas) at Coppell (Texas), Friday
After a rare lopsided loss in its season opener, Carroll has won five consecutive games and appears to have some of its offensive mojo back. The Dragons have gotten excellent play of late from sophomore quarterback Kenny Hill, whose father Ken Hill played pro baseball for the Texas Rangers and six other teams. Defensively, one of the stars has been cornerback Shaun Hoagland, who returned an interception and a punt for touchdowns last week in a 55-21 blowout of Northwest (Justin).

Carroll had never lost a district game at the 5A level before tasting defeat against Coppell in 2008. The Cowboys have built on the momentum of that momentous victory and are now one of the top teams in the Dallas Metroplex. They are 6-0 and average nearly 500 yards of offense per game. Senior Cam McDaniel has rushed for 827 yards and 12 touchdowns. Defensively, the Cowboys haven't allowed a first-half touchdown in the last three games.

Mitch Stephens: Coppell 24, Carroll 21
Steve Montoya: Carroll 28, Coppell 21
Stephen Spiewak: Coppell 35, Carroll 24
Kevin Askeland: Carroll 45, Coppell 20
Jamie DeMoney: Coppell 34, Carroll 17
MaxPreps Projection: Coppell 35, Carroll 13

Crespi (Encino, Calif.) at Bishop Amat (La Puente, Calif.), Friday
Crespi lost its opening game but now is 5-1 under first-year head coach Jon Mack, who previously led St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.) to seven CIF titles. A major reason for the Celts' five-game winning streak is the emergence of quarterback Kenneth Stenhouse. The senior has broken the school record for passing touchdowns in back-to-back games and has completed 75 percent of his throws for 1,722 yards this season. Senior receiver Devin Lucien is his top target, with 780 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.

Bishop Amat hopes to avenge its only regular-season loss from last season in this Serra League opener. The Lancers' offense is led by junior Rio Ruiz, an early USC baseball commit who has passed for 998 yards and nine touchdowns in six victories to start the season. Junior running back Jalen Moore has eclipsed the 100-yard mark in each of the last five games and has scored 10 touchdowns.

Mitch Stephens: Crespi 28, Bishop Amat 21
Steve Montoya: Crespi 20, Bishop Amat 10
Stephen Spiewak: Bishop Amat 28, Crespi 20
Kevin Askeland: Bishop Amat 28, Crespi 27
Jamie DeMoney: Bishop Amat 28, Crespi 24
MaxPreps Projection: Bishop Amat 34, Crespi 31

Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) at St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.), Saturday
Two of north Jersey's traditional powers meet with each team sporting a 4-1 record. They have split the last six meetings in the series. This season, Bergen Catholic's only setback came Oct. 2 to nationally ranked Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey. N.J.). Last week, the Crusaders' offense looked explosive when it opened a 42-7 halftime lead then cruised to a 49-7 win over Fair Lawn. Converted receiver Tanner McEvoy had his best game under center, completing 11 of 14 passes for 205 yards with three touchdowns.

St. Joseph Regional was 4-0 and owned a win against once-nationally ranked St. Peter's Prep (Jersey City) before losing last week to Ramapo (Franklin Lakes, N.J.), 35-28. It was the first time the Green Knights lost to a public school since 2006.

Mitch Stephens: Bergen Catholic 28, St. Joseph Regional 27
Steve Montoya: Bergen Catholic 17, St. Joseph Regional 10
Stephen Spiewak: Bergen Catholic 31, St. Joseph Regional 24
Kevin Askeland: Bergen Catholic 35, St. Joseph Regional 30
Jamie DeMoney: Bergen Catholic 27, St. Joseph Regional 21
MaxPreps Projection: Bergen Catholic 31, St. Joseph Regional 22

St. Xavier (Cincinnati, Ohio) at St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio), Saturday
St. Xavier's murderous schedule continues with a trip to the west side of Cleveland to face undefeated St. Edward. The Bombers (4-3) have only one game left after this one and might need to win both in order to gain enough ratings points to secure a berth in the playoffs. They have beaten the Eagles four straight years, including a low-scoring 3-2 decision last season.

St. Edward has its first 7-0 start since 2005. It's a major turnaround for the Eagles, who went 4-6 last year. After a seven-point win against Mentor in the season-opener, they have been dominant, winning every game by at least 17 points – including last week's 62-0 laugher against the Division III state runner-up St. Francis De Sales (Columbus, Ohio). It's a physical team offensively up front, with Ohio State recruit Kyle Kalis and Northwestern pledge Geoff Mogus leading the way. Pittsburgh commit Deonte Gibson is a great edge rusher on a defense whose first string that hasn't allowed a touchdown the last five games.

Mitch Stephens: St. Edward 24, St. Xavier 17
Steve Montoya:  St. Xavier 24, St. Edward 10
Stephen Spiewak: St. Edward 20, St. Xavier 10
Kevin Askeland: St. Edward 20, St. Xavier 18
Jamie DeMoney: St. Edward 21, St. Xavier 6
MaxPreps Projection: St. Edward 28, St. Xavier 19

West (Anchorage, Alaska) vs. Service (Anchorage, Alaska), Saturday
West has ridden the arm of sophomore standout Conor Feckley to a perfect 10-0 record and its first state championship game since 2004. Feckley has just less than 2,000 passing yards this season with 18 touchdowns, including two in the second half of a come-from-behind 21-18 win against Juneau in last week's semifinals. It was a gritty effort for the opportunistic Eagles, who survived and advanced despite being outgained by nearly 300 yards.

Service, whose only loss was a 38-35 week-one shootout against West, is seeking revenge as well as its second large-schools state title in three years and fifth overall. Unlike West, the Cougars' offense was outstanding in their semifinal win, a 54-26 blowout of Colony. Senior Michael McCrae accounted for 207 of the team's 390 rushing yards and scored four touchdowns. Rain and snow showers are in the forecast for Saturday's game, which could favor Service's strong rushing attack.

Mitch Stephens: West 14, Service 13
Steve Montoya: West 21, Service 20
Stephen Spiewak: Service 31, West 28
Kevin Askeland: Service 40, West 25
Jamie DeMoney: Service 20, West 7
MaxPreps Projection: West 28, Service 27

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.