MaxPreps Top 10 high school football games of the week
Photos by Neil Fonville/Robbie Rakestraw, Graphic by Ryan Escobar
No. 2 Allen will see if it can survive yet again in the Texas playoffs, this time against No. 7 Skyline.
Only two weekends of high school football remain in the 2014 season, but that doesn't mean there's a shortage of big-time matchups to preview in the latest MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week.
This is semifinals weekend in the Texas state playoffs, and a battle of national Top 10 teams headlines the action. No. 2 Allen is zeroing in on a possible third consecutive state title. However, No. 7 Skyline is also playing with plenty of purpose. The Raiders are trying to break a 63-year state-championship drought for teams belonging to the Dallas Independent School District.
Meanwhile, four MaxPreps Xcellent 25 teams will play in state championship games:
- No. 6 Colquitt County takes on upstart Archer for the Georgia 6A crown.
- No. 11 Miami Central (Miami) faces unbeaten Armwood in the Florida 6A final for the third time in four years.
- In Florida, 7A, No. 15 St. Thomas Aquinas looks to add its eighth state title against Osceola (Kissimmee).
- Finally, No. 25 Ocean Lakes battles defending champion Centreville for supremacy in Virginia Class 6A.
A 9-1 record in last week's selections has helped Jamie DeMoney widen his lead in our season-long predictions contest. DeMoney is now 110-50 for the season, four games ahead of Stephen Spiewak and five clear of Mitch Stephens. Fourth place belongs to Leland Gordon (103-57), followed by Kevin Askeland (99-61) and Colin Ward-Henninger (98-62).
Here's a look at this week's Top 10 games along with predictions by MaxPreps staff writers and contributors Mitch Stephens, Stephen Spiewak, Kevin Askeland, Leland Gordon, Colin Ward-Henninger and Jamie DeMoney.
To catch up with what's happening in the playoffs nationwide, view the state champions and brackets nationwide story.
MaxPreps Top 10 Football Games of the Week
Allen (Texas) vs. Skyline (Dallas)
Photo by Neil Fonville
Michael Newsome, Allen
What to watch: The grueling quest to run unscathed through a Texas playoff bracket will end Saturday night for one of these Top 10 teams. This 6A Division I showdown matches the only unbeaten teams left among eight semifinalists in the Division I and II brackets. Allen, the No. 2 team in the latest MaxPreps Xcellent 25, needs two more wins to finish the year with its third straight state title and a 43-game winning streak that would be one of the five longest in the nation. Even though they are the odds-on favorite to win it all, the Eagles (14-0) have had to fight hard to make it this far. It took their third second-half comeback in a row to escape with a 30-27 win over then-No. 25 Trinity (Euless) last week. National Player of the Year candidate Kyler Murray had over 450 combined passing and rushing yards and all four Allen touchdowns. The Texas A&M commit could surpass 10,000 yards passing and 4,000 yards rushing for his career this week. On the other side, this is the second time in four seasons that Skyline has reached the state semifinals sporting a 14-0 record. The seventh-ranked Raiders are loaded with talented skill position players, including senior receiver Carlos Strickland — a 6-foot-5 specimen who caught four passes for 96 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 38-20 win over Klein Oak (Spring) last week. Strickland, rated a four-star prospect by 247Sports, has committed to Texas Tech.
See live scoring updates of this game via Qwixcore
Just the facts: Objectively, Skyline's road to the semifinals has been easier than Allen's. Allen's four playoff opponents had a collective 38-12 record this season, and two of the teams were nationally ranked at some point during the year. Whereas Skyline's four postseason opponents combined for only a 32-19 record. … With two more wins, Skyline would become the first Dallas Independent School District team to be crowned state champion since Dallas Sunset did it in 1950.
Mitch Stephens: Allen 48, Skyline 28
Kevin Askeland: Allen 45, Skyline 25
Jamie DeMoney: Allen 45, Skyline 27
Stephen Spiewak: Allen 45, Skyline 41
Leland Gordon: Allen 52, Skyline 49
Colin Ward-Henninger: Allen 63, Skyline 58
4-Star WR Carlos Strickland (Texas Tech Commit) 2014 Highlights
Grant (Sacramento, Calif.) vs. Folsom (Calif.)
Photo by Ralph Thompson
Grant Pacers
What to watch: Now that Folsom quarterback Jake Browning already owns nearly every state and national passing record within his reach, the senior hopes to end a phenomenal prep career with something he and his teammates have yet to attain: a state championship. For that to happen, the fifth-ranked Bulldogs (14-0) need to win two more games, beginning with Friday's Northern California Division I regional championship against unbeaten Grant. Browning, a Washington commit, threw six touchdown passes in Folsom's 55-7 rout of Tracy in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship game last week. In doing so, he broke the national record for touchdown passes in a career with 220. Meanwhile, Grant (14-0) is having its best season since 2008 when it beat Long Beach Poly in the Open Division state championship and finished the year undefeated. The Pacers survived a hard-fought 21-14 battle with St. Mary's (Stockton) in the Sac-Joaquin Division II final.
See live scoring updates of this game via Qwixcore
Just the facts: Browning broke his own state record with 82 touchdown passes this season. He's 10 touchdown passes away from also owning the single-season national record. … Folsom started 14-0 and won its section crown in each of the last two years but was eliminated by De La Salle (Concord) in the Northern California Open Division regionals. That won't happen this year because De La Salle was placed directly into next week's Open Division championship game, and Folsom is playing this year for the Division I title.
Mitch Stephens: Folsom 28, Grant 27
Kevin Askeland: Folsom 45, Grant 21
Jamie DeMoney: Folsom 35, Grant 28
Stephen Spiewak: Folsom 44, Grant 30
Leland Gordon: Folsom 38, Grant 30
Colin Ward-Henninger: Folsom 48, Grant 35
Jake Browning sets national touchdown record - #MPTopPlay
Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.) vs. Archer (Lawrenceville, Ga.)
Photo by Dennis Carter
Sihiem King, Colquitt County
What to watch: Colquitt County, the sixth-ranked team in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25, stands on the brink of its first state championship and first undefeated season in 20 years. The Packers (15-0) rolled into Saturday's Class 6A championship game at the Georgia Dome with a 57-20 win over preseason Xcellent 25 squad McEachern (Powder Springs) last week. After trailing by one at halftime, Colquitt County exploded to score 41 of the game's final 44 points. Equally as impressive was Archer's 52-7 semifinal win over Etowah (Woodstock), which resulted in the Tigers' first trip to a state championship game in only their sixth season with a varsity football team.
See live scoring updates of this game via Qwixcore
Just the facts: According to Todd Holcomb of AJC.com, Colquitt County and Archer are the first championship-game contestants in state history to both average over 50 points per game during their playoff march. It's also the only time both teams entered the game after winning in the semifinals by more than 35 points. … Also according to Holcomb, if Archer wins a state championship just six years after opening its doors it would not be the quickest a team has achieved a title. That distinction would still belong to Peachtree Ridge (Suwanee), which fielded its first team in 2003 and tied Roswell for the Class 5A crown in 2006.
Mitch Stephens: Colquitt County 28, Archer 24
Kevin Askeland: Colquitt County 34, Archer 24
Jamie DeMoney: Colquitt County 37, Archer 27
Stephen Spiewak: Colquitt County 30, Archer 27
Leland Gordon: Colquitt County 31, Archer 26
Colin Ward-Henninger: Colquitt County 35, Archer 21
Sihiem King (Colquitt County, GA) rushes for nearly 200 yards and 4 TD's vs. McEachern
Armwood (Seffner, Fla.) vs. Central (Miami)
Photo by Stuart Browning
Anthony Jones, Central
What to watch: It's the fifth consecutive trip to a championship game for 11th-ranked Central. The Rockets crushed Armwood, 52-7, in last year's 6A final and also won it all in 2010 and 2012. This is a 13-1 squad that is fresh off one of the best performances of its season, a 31-21 win at previously unbeaten and No. 12-ranked Mainland (Daytona Beach). FIU-committed senior Anthony Jones was Central's top offensive weapon with 159 combined rushing and receiving yards and three touchdowns. This is Armwood's fourth state finals appearance in five seasons but its only win in a title game — in 2011 — was later taken away due to forfeit. The Hawks (14-0) traveled more than 400 miles away from home for their 19-15 semifinal win over Choctawhatchee (Fort Walton Beach) last week. The Armwood defense turned in another stellar performance. Senior defensive end Byron Cowart, rated a five-star prospect by 247Sports, had six tackles — including three for losses — and his team continued a streak of not allowing 20 or more points in any game this season.
See live scoring updates of this game via Qwixcore
Just the facts: In addition to last year's 6A final, Saturday is a rematch of, essentially, a game that never happened. At least according to the record books, it didn't. In 2011, Armwood beat Central on the field (40-31) for the Class 6A championship, but the Florida state association later changed the result to a double forfeit because both teams used ineligible players during the season. … With forfeit losses not factored in, both Armwood (third) and Central (fifth) are ranked in the top five of CalPreps.com Dynasty Rankings for Florida since 2003.
Mitch Stephens: Central 17, Armwood 14
Kevin Askeland: Armwood 21, Central 14
Jamie DeMoney: Central 21, Armwood 14
Stephen Spiewak: Central 17, Armwood 14
Leland Gordon: Central 28, Armwood 21
Colin Ward-Henninger: Armwood 20, Central 17
Byron Cowart - Ultimate Highlights - Armwood (FL)
Osceola (Kissimmee, Fla.) vs. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Photo by Stuart Browning
Chris Hart, St. Thomas Aquinas
What to watch: Despite losing badly to Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) early this season, St. Thomas Aquinas has bounced back to look like the nationally ranked team it was expected to be. The Raiders (13-1), who are No. 15 this week, have outscored their last 11 opponents by a whopping margin of 562-34. That includes an average spread of 43 points in four playoff games. Aquinas dismantled a previously unbeaten East Lake (Tarpon Springs) squad, 45-7, in last week's semifinals, outgaining the Eagles on the ground, 281 to negative-17. On the same night, Osceola (13-1) clobbered a highly respected Niceville squad, 42-14, for its 12th consecutive win. Junior running back Laderrien Wilson led the Kowboys with 122 rushing yards. Wilson has eclipsed the century mark in all but one game this season.
See live scoring updates of this game via Qwixcore
Just the facts: Friday will be the first meeting between these programs since 2007, when St. Thomas Aquinas beat Osceola, 35-20, to win the Class 5A state title. … Aquinas is trying to win its fifth state title in the past eight years and its eighth overall. Osceola has just one state championship in its history, the 5A title in 2008.
Mitch Stephens: St. Thomas Aquinas 42, Osceola 21
Kevin Askeland: St. Thomas Aquinas 42, Osceola 14
Jamie DeMoney: St. Thomas Aquinas 38, Osceola 13
Stephen Spiewak: St. Thomas Aquinas 35, Osceola 21
Leland Gordon: St. Thomas Aquinas 28, Osceola 21
Colin Ward-Henninger: St. Thomas Aquinas 24, Osceola 10
St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) VS Hollywood Hills
Cedar Hill (Texas) vs. Westfield (Houston)
Photo by John Godwin
Dillon Sterling-Cole, Westfield
What to watch: Cedar Hill improved its record to 2-1 against current or former Xcellent 25 teams this season when it steamrolled then-No. 18 Carroll (Southlake), 62-42, in the Class 6A Division II quarterfinals. Cedar Hill (12-2) amassed an incredible 589 rushing yards, including a season-high 294 yards from USC-bound running back Aca'cedric Ware. The Longhorns — who started the season ranked No. 1 and are now 19th — also beat then-No. 6 DeSoto in October and lost to current No. 7 Skyline (Dallas) back in September. Westfield enters Saturday's contest with 13 consecutive wins after opening the year with a loss to once-nationally ranked Manvel. Westfield attained entry to the state semifinals for the first time since 2004 with a 24-19 win over Spring. It was the Mustangs' ninth win in the last 11 meetings over their Spring ISD rival.
See live scoring updates of this game via Qwixcore
Just the facts: Class 6A teams from the Dallas and Houston metro areas have won two games apiece in head-to-head matchups played so far this postseason. … Cedar Hill is trying for its second consecutive state title and third since 2006. Westfield reached the state finals in 2004 but has never won a championship.
Mitch Stephens: Westfield 28, Cedar Hill 27
Kevin Askeland: Cedar Hill 42, Westfield 35
Jamie DeMoney: Cedar Hill 32, Westfield 21
Stephen Spiewak: Cedar Hill 35, Westfield 28
Leland Gordon: Cedar Hill 37, Westfield 35
Colin Ward-Henninger: Cedar Hill 44, Westfield 35
Top Recruit: Damarkus Lodge 3 TD's vs. DeSoto - #MPTopPlay
Ocean Lakes (Virginia Beach, Va.) vs. Centreville (Clifton, Va.)
Photo by Bob Powers
Joe Ferrick, Centreville
What to watch: Centreville aims for its second consecutive Class 6A championship against an Ocean Lakes squad trying to finish off an unbeaten season with its first state title. Centreville began the season in most of the national polls but slipped off the radar when it lost two of the first six games. The Wildcats (12-2) now have an eight-game winning streak after avenging one of their earlier losses with a 21-17 triumph against conference rival Westfield (Chantilly) last week. South Carolina-committed running back A.J. Turner — who did not see his first action of the season until November because of a wrist injury — ran for 140 yards and a touchdown. On the other side, Ocean Lakes wants to go one step further than 2012 when it also had a 14-0 record but lost in the state championship game. The Dolphins landed in this week's Xcellent 25 at No. 25 after overpowering Oscar Smith (Chesapeake), 49-28. Eric Crosby, a 6-2, 260-pound defensive tackle, was Ocean Lakes' secret weapon on offense. The sophomore ran for 132 yards on four touchdowns on only six carries. Prior to last week, Crosby had two pass receptions but hadn't had a rushing attempt all season.
See live scoring updates of this game via Qwixcore
Just the facts: Ocean Lakes wants to become just the fourth team from the Hampton Roads area to win state in Virginia's largest classification the past 11 seasons. The others were Oscar Smith (2008, '11) and Landstown (2004). … A Centerville win on Saturday would make it the first back-to-back champion in Virginia's largest class since Hylton (Woodbridge) did it in 1998-99.
Mitch Stephens: Ocean Lakes 27, Centreville 24
Kevin Askeland: Centreville 35, Ocean Lakes 28
Jamie DeMoney: Centreville 27, Ocean Lakes 24
Stephen Spiewak: Ocean Lakes 24, Centreville 17
Leland Gordon: Centreville 30, Ocean Lakes 28
Colin Ward-Henninger: Centreville 28, Ocean Lakes 24
98yd Pick 6 - A.J. Turner (SC Commit) #MPTopPlay
Edison (Fresno) at Oceanside (Calif.)
Photo by David Dennis
Juwan Murphy, Edison
What to watch: The Southern California Division I regional championship matches the Central Section champion Edison against Oceanside, the top squad in the San Diego area. Edison (12-1) is playing in its first-ever state bowl playoff game because of its hard-fought 21-14 win over Liberty (Bakersfield) for the Central Section Division I crown. Senior Kamron Lewis caught a 63-yard touchdown pass from senior Hunter Swearingen in the fourth quarter for the final margin of victory. Meanwhile, Oceanside (13-0) earned its third state playoff invite on the strength of a 20-13 win over Helix (La Mesa) in the San Diego Section Open Division title game. The Pirates locked up their 15th section title since 1963, but only after they rallied back from 13-3 third-quarter deficit.
See live scoring updates of this game via Qwixcore
Just the facts: Oceanside needs two more wins to capture its third state bowl championship in the last eight years. The Pirates won the Division I crown in 2009 and were Division II champs in 2007. … Edison wants to become just the third Central Section team to win a state bowl championship. The others were Bakersfield in Division I last season and Washington Union (Fresno) in the 2011 Division III championship.
Mitch Stephens: Edison 22, Oceanside 21
Kevin Askeland: Oceanside 40, Edison 21
Jamie DeMoney: Oceanside 21, Edison 19
Stephen Spiewak: Oceanside 30, Edison 24
Leland Gordon: Oceanside 23, Edison 13
Colin Ward-Henninger: Edison 21, Oceanside 20
Jordan Miller (Washington Commit) - CB - Oceanside (CA) 2014 Highlights
Wake Forest (N.C.) vs. Mallard Creek (Charlotte, N.C.)
Photo by Troy Cherry
James Smith, Mallard Creek
What to watch: The North Carolina Class 4AA state championship is a repeat engagement of the same matchup from a year ago. Mallard Creek won that one, 59-21, to claim its first state crown. The Mavericks (14-1) earned the right to defend their title this Saturday by defeating Lake Norman, 48-41, in last week's semifinals. Junior quarterback James Smith rose to the occasion with 409 combined passing and rushing yards with four touchdowns as Mallard Creek won its 13th consecutive game. On the other side of the bracket, senior running back Bryce Love ran for 233 yards and two touchdowns to lift Wake Forest to a 27-13 win over Garner Magnet. Love, rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports, has 2,118 yards and 32 touchdowns on just 178 carries (11.9 average) this year for the Cougars (15-0).
See live scoring updates of this game via Qwixcore
Just the fact: Mallard Creek aims to become the 12th team from the Charlotte metro to win the state title in North Carolina's largest classification since 2000. … Prior to last school year, Wake Forest High School was called Wake Forest-Rolesville High School. But in 2013, a new Rolesville High School was opened and Wake Forest changed its name to Wake Forest High.
Mitch Stephens: Mallard Creek 35, Wake Forest 27
Kevin Askeland: Mallard Creek 35, Wake Forest 34
Jamie DeMoney: Mallard Creek 45, Wake Forest 28
Stephen Spiewak: Mallard Creek 38, Wake Forest 32
Leland Gordon: Mallard Creek 36, Wake Forest 31
Colin Ward-Henninger: Mallard Creek 37, Wake Forest 30
4-Star RB Bryce Love - Wake Forest 2014 Highlights
Pine-Richland (Gibsonia, Pa.) vs. St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia)
Photo by Richard Ta
Benny Walls, St. Joseph's Prep
What to watch: For the second straight season, St. Joseph's Prep will face an undefeated Pittsburgh-area squad for the Class 4A state championship. As was the case heading into their win over Central Catholic (Pittsburgh) last year, Prep (10-3) is a three-loss team matched against a 15-0 opponent. At the start of this season, Prep was nationally ranked but staggered to 1-3 start — with all its losses against non-Pennsylvania opponents. Last week's impressive 37-7 semifinal win over Pennsbury (Fairless Hills) featured 352 rushing yards and five different Prep players running for touchdowns. Meanwhile, Pine-Richland (15-0) achieved its first state finals trip since the 2003 season — when it was in Class 3A — by taking down previously unbeaten Wilson (West Lawn), 28-17. Senior quarterback Ben DiNucci passed for 173 yards and four touchdowns. The Penn commit has thrown for 3,886 yards and 42 touchdowns this season.
See live scoring updates of this game via Qwixcore
Just the facts: Pine-Richland's 2003 state-championship game appearance ended with a double-overtime loss to Manheim Central. Current Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Neil Walker was an all-state wide receiver on that Pine-Richland team. … A St. Joseph's Prep win on Saturday would give the Philadelphia Catholic League its third Class 4A state title since it joined the PIAA's state playoff system in 2008.
Mitch Stephens: Pine-Richland 30, St. Joseph's Prep 28
Kevin Askeland: Pine-Richland 35, St. Joseph's Prep 25
Jamie DeMoney: St. Joseph's Prep 34, Pine-Richland 31
Stephen Spiewak: St. Joseph's Prep 28, Pine-Richland 21
Leland Gordon: St. Joseph's Prep 17, Pine-Richland 10
Colin Ward-Henninger: St. Joseph's Prep 34, Pine-Richland 21
Ben Dinucci - Walking The Line Part IV - #MPTopPlay
Jamie DeMoney has covered high school sports and recruiting for the past 20 seasons. He is a Regional Content Manager and Product Specialist for XOS Digital and compiles the National Prep Poll (PrepNation) for World Features Syndicate.
