We close out September with the best slate of high school football games so far in this crazy season. The two largest classifications in Texas getting underway, led by a huge showdown between No. 2 North Shore (Houston) and No. 17 Shadow Creek (Pearland).
It features the back-to-back 6A Division 1 state champs against the defending 5A Division 1 champions.
Dematrius Davis Jr., a 2021 Auburn commit, has led the Mustangs to a 31-1 record and accounted for nearly 8,000 yards of total offense and 103 touchdowns over the last two years. 2021 Baylor commit Kyron Drones had led the Sharks to a 16-0 record as a junior racking up over 4,000 yards of total offense and 64 touchdowns.
Another Top 50 matchup in the Lone Star State features No. 22 Denton Ryan and No. 45 Arlington Martin in a big-time game at AT&T Stadium.
Rush Propst makes his return to Colquitt County in a prime time Georgia contest as No. 33 Valdosta travels to Moultrie to face the Packers, who check in at No. 35. 2021 USC commit Jake Garcia sat out last week but the Wildcats still rolled to a 45-7 win over Bainbridge to improve to 2-0. The Packers won their season opener after having to sit out the first two weeks and cruised to a 51-0 victory against Banneker (College Park).
No. 1 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) has its first out-of-state contest, traveling to Tennessee to face Ravenwood (Brentwood) on ESPNU. The Ascenders have outscored their first two opponents 97-20.
Other states included in this week's Top 10 games feature Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio and Utah.
Kyron Drones, Shadow Creek
File photo by Robbie Rakestraw
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This is one of the biggest games on the 2020 calendar, featuring two programs who won state titles in 2019. The Sharks are now in 6A after winning the 5A Division 1 state championship last year.
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The winner will be trending in the right direction to jump in the MaxPreps Top 25. Valdosta got a huge win to start its season against Warner Robins and faces another big-time program from Georgia on Friday. Garcia sat out last week with a hamstring injury and will be a game-time decision.
Friday, 8 p.m. - ESPNU
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IMG Academy has looked like the No. 1 team in the country through its first two games. Ravenwood will be a huge underdog on Friday and looks to erase a two-game losing streak. This game is loaded with future Power 5 players so expect fireworks on national television.
Friday, 4 p.m. - AT&T Stadium (Arlington)
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Denton Ryan has been really close to winning a state title the last four years. The Raiders have made the semifinals in each of those years and lost to Shadow Creek (Pearland) in the 5A Division 1 title game last season. They will be in the mix again with one of the most talented teams in Texas. They face a very good Arlington Martin squad at AT&T Stadium to start.
Friday, 8 p.m.
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The No. 9 team in the country faces its biggest test of the season so far against a 2-0 Lee County team having outscored their first two opponents 110-0. Lowndes has its mind on one thing — getting back to the 7A state championship game after losing to Marietta last season. The Vikings have outscored their first three opponents 117-44.
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Both teams have showed why they're two of the Beehive State's best. Corner Canyon has won 32 straight dating back to 2018 and has outscored its first six opponents this season 292-67. Lone Peak has been dominant on defense and hasn't allowed more than eight points in any game. These two played twice last season with the Chargers winning both meetings.
*Game rescheduled for Oct. 2
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You can throw out the records for one of the best rivalries in high school football. The Shamrocks have looked like the top team in the state, cruising to back-to-back dominant wins while the Tigers dropped their season opener. This will be the 28th meeting between the two since 2004 and Trinity has won 19 of the previous 27 including eight of the last nine.
Friday, 7 p.m.
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The last of the two out-of-state matchups features one of the best from Indiana taking on Cincinnati power La Salle. The Fighting Irish are 5-0 this season and one of the first five teams out of the MaxPreps Top 50, so a win over the defending Ohio Division 2 state champs would go a long way. The Lancers have bounced back since a 24-10 loss against St. Xavier (Cincinnati) and have won their last two. This will be the first meeting between the two since 2007 — a 7-6 Cathedral win.
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Mill Creek got its season underway last week after having to cancel its first two games because of COVID-19. The Hawks beat Dacula, 20-14, and draw one of the Peach State's most talented programs next. The Broncos needed four overtimes to knock off Dacula in its season opener and answered that with a 43-32 victory over Walton (Marietta) last week.
Friday, 7 p.m.
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Starkville is off to a 3-0 start and has the talent to win its first state title since 2015 this year. The Tigers also roll in 3-0 while outscoring opponents 97-33. This is the 12th meeting between the two since 2004. The Yellowjackets have won the last two but South Panola won the previous nine.
