High school football schedule: Top 10 games of the week led by St. Edward vs. Massillon Washington

Buckeye State opens action with seven teams featured in our slate of contests.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Zack Poff
By
Aug 28, 2020, 2:30pm
High school football is back in 10 more states, led by an Ohio slate that features seven teams playing in our initial Top 10 Games of the Week. In addition to Ohio, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Wyoming kick off starting as early as Thursday.

Texas is scheduled to get going with teams in classes 1A through 4A set to play, though Hurricane Laura already has postponed a number of contests. The state's large schools — 5A and 6A — begin Sept. 24.

High school sports restart: Updates from all 50 states

Eight different states are represented in this week's Top 10 games, led by a marquee showdown in Ohio between St. Edward (Lakewood) and Massillon Washington.

Four of the 10 games selected will be featured in the GEICO ESPN High School Football Kickoff that runs Friday through Sunday.

MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week

Friday, 7:30 p.m. (All times local)

Top players

St. Edward: DE Trey Bixby (6-5, 245), LB CJ Hankins (5-11, 220), OL Thomas Aiden (6-2, 285), QB Christian Ramos (6-2, 190), RB Malachi Watkins (5-10, 200)

Washington: WR Jayden Ballard (6-2, 175), WR Andrew Wilson-Lamp (6-3, 175), RB Kyree Young (6-1, 200), OL Terrence Rankl (6-6, 280), ATH Martavien Johnson (5-9, 170)

Two of the state's top teams had to shuffle schedules and it resulted in the Ohio powers facing off in the season opener. St. Edward has won four state titles since 2010 and the Tigers are the winningest program in state history.
Washington (Masssillon) opens the season against St. Edward.
Washington (Masssillon) opens the season against St. Edward.
File photo by Jeff Harwell
No. 14 Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah) at Bingham (South Jordan, Utah)
Friday, 8 p.m.

Top players

Corner Canyon: OL Jackson Light (6-3, 285), QB Jaxson Dart (6-3, 210), WR Noah Kjar (6-0, 180), RB Austin Bell (5-9, 185), WR Cody Hagen (6-0, 175)

Bingham: DE Viliami Pouha (6-2, 230), OL George Maile (6-3, 270), DE Tupou Maile (6-3, 230), QB Troy Mehn (6-0, 175), OL Weylin Lapuaho (6-4, 270)

The back-to-back state champs have won 28 consecutive games and the Chargers have outscored their first two opponents 105-20. Bingham looks to bounce back after a 35-7 season-opening loss to Skyridge (Lehi, Utah). Corner Canyon's 3-star quarterback Dart has accounted for nearly 1,000 yards total offense and 11 touchdowns in the first two games.

Friday, 7 p.m.

Top players

Warren Central: DB Terez Reid (5-10, 180), WR Mikal Clarke (6-4, 210), QB Prince Powell (6-0, 190), LB Andrew Nelson (5-10, 200), DT Jaden Perkins (5-10, 275)

Center Grove: DT Caden Curry (6-5, 250), RB Carson Steele (6-0, 200), QB Tayven Jackson (6-5, 185), DE Austin Booker (6-5, 235), OL Carter Degraaf (6-6, 315) 

One of the game's best rivalries kicks off a week late as Warren Central had to quarantine last week because of COVID-19 concerns. The Warriors got through the quarantine phase and fans will now be treated to a monster matchup. Center Grove rolled to a one-sided 56-14 win over Decatur Central (Indianapolis) in its season opener.

Friday, 7 p.m.

Top players

La Salle: CB Devonta Smith (6-0, 185), S Jaylen Johnson (6-1, 200), RB Gi'Bran Payne (5-10, 190), CB Jaymar Mundy (6-0, 170), CB Iesa Jarmon (6-1, 180)

Elder: LB Joey Stemler (6-2, 220), TE David Larkins (6-5, 225), OL Drew Beckenhaupt (6-4, 290), S Austin Wandstrat (6-1, 180), QB Drew Ramsey (6-1, 185)

Ramsey takes over at quarterback for last year's Division I runner-up and faces one of the country's best secondaries right off the bat. La Salle won the Division II state title in 2019 and is a favorite to repeat.

Sunday, noon

Top players

Pickerington Central: WR Lorenzo Styles Jr. (6-1, 170), RB Nick Mosley (6-1, 195), ATH Garner Wallace (6-5, 185), DT CJ Doggette (6-2, 275), S AJ Sanders (6-0, 190)

Pickerington North: DE Elijah Hawk (6-4, 235), RB Idris Lawrence (5-10, 180), LB Cole Johnson (6-0, 205), LB Marcus Ray II (6-1, 210), QB Jared Knight (6-2, 185)

Pickerington Central is the defending Ohio Division I state champ and has dominated the head-to-head matchup, winning 13 of the 16 meetings including eight in a row. Wallace, a 3-star committed to Northwestern as a safety, takes over under center for Jay Sharrett this season. This game is the finale for the GEICO ESPN showcase. The Panthers will be without 5-star defensive end Jack Sawyer, who decided to opt out of his senior season.

Saturday, 6 p.m.

Top players

St. Xavier: WR Liam Clifford (6-1, 195), DT Gio Albanese (6-0, 285), LB Matthew Devine (6-0, 220), DB Gabriel DuBois (5-10, 165), QB Brogan McCaughey (6-2, 195)

Brownsburg: OL Joshua Sales (6-6, 285), WR Preston Terrell (6-3, 180), QB Ben Easters (6-3, 195), OL Pete Nygra (6-4, 260), CB Chris Williamson (5-10, 160)

The seventh Ohio school featured in the Top 10 Games of the Week is also one of two out-of-state matchups. St. X begins the year ranked in the Top 5 of the state rankings and Brownsburg moved up to No. 1 in Indiana after an impressive 38-7 season opening win over Ben Davis (Indianapolis).

Friday, 7 p.m.

Top players

Union: ATH A.J. Green (5-11, 195), QB Rovaughn Banks Jr. (5-11, 195), TE Da'Monn Sanders (6-3, 205), DE Marlee Forsberg (6-2, 240), LB Gabriel Ford (6-0, 215)

Bixby: QB Mason Williams (6-0, 185), RB Braylin Presley (5-8, 170), OL Caleb Townsend (6-2, 270), WR Preston Solomon (6-3, 175), S Tanner Doyle (6-0, 165)

Bixby enters with the state's longest winning streak at 25 games. The Spartans won their second consecutive state title last season while Union seeks for its first since 2016.

Friday, 7 p.m.

Top players

Orem: OL Kingsley Suamataia (6-5, 280), LB Jayden Ah You (6-2, 215), QB Micah Fe'a (6-4, 190), LB Paxton Skipps (6-0, 210), DT Joshua Singh (6-1, 270)

Skyridge: QB McCae Hillstead (5-11, 175), DT Stone Mulitalo (6-3, 280), WR James Palmer (6-2, 190), RB Jeter Fenton (5-11, 195), S Jackson Lambert (5-10, 175)

Both teams are 2-0 in 2020 and the three-time defending state champs have outscored opponents 75-14. Skyridge is coming off an impressive 35-7 win over Bingham (South Jordan, Utah).


Saturday, noon

Top players

Trinity Christian: QB Shedeur Sanders (6-1, 200), WR Robert Williams (6-1, 170), S Marvin Martin (6-0, 185), WR Jordyn Williams (6-1, 180), CB Cameron Wilson (5-9, 165)

Knoxville Catholic: WR Tommy Winton (5-10, 190), QB Kaden Martin (6-0, 200), RB Keondre Jarmon (5-10, 190), OL Maximus Vanderhoofven (6-2, 280), OL Hayden Todd (6-4, 310)

Trinity Christian announced before the season it was leaving TAPPS to play a national schedule this year. The Tigers opened with a 27-26 loss against Madison-Ridgeland Academy (Madison, Miss.) and look to bounce back against the Fighting Irish, who opened the season with a 42-0 win over Chuckey-Doak (Afton, Tenn.).

Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

Top players

Benton: QB Garrett Brown (6-2, 180), RB Casey Johnson (6-0, 190), S Cain Simmons (5-9, 175), WR Andre Lane (5-10, 185), WR Jordan Parham (6-1, 195)

Bryant: QB Austin Ledbetter (6-2, 200), TE Hayden Schrader (6-2, 195), RB Tanner Anderson (5-10, 205), LB Myles Aldridge (6-2, 240), S Austin Schroeder (5-11, 170)

Bryant is the back-to-back 7A state champs and has been the best team in Arkansas the last two seasons. The Hornets now try to become the first school since 1995 to three-peat in the largest classification, becoming the third team in 51 years to claim that honor with a title. Arkansas baseball commit Ledbetter threw for 3,300-plus yards and 43 touchdowns as a junior.

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