Throughout the country there are five games this week that will feature inner-Top 100 matchups.
Last week No. 2 IMG Academy (Florida) proved they were deserving of their ranking after rallying from behind to take down fellow Florida powerhouse, No. 14 Miami Central (Florida). This Saturday night the Ascenders face another in-state competitor as they play No. 44 Northwestern (Florida) in Bradenton. The Bulls head into the weekend with some momentum of their own after defeating rival No. 74 Booker T. Washington 14-7. It was Northwestern’s defense that shined in that last matchup, but the game this week will pit them against an explosive IMG offense that includes red-hot running back and Alabama-commit Trey Sanders whose 65-yard rushing touchdown sealed the win in last week’s game. Each of these teams will be hoping to keep a zero in the loss column of their records.
Heading up North to Kentucky, No. 8 Trinity and No. 78 St. Xavier will battle. Trinity has won 12 of the past 13 matchups between these two rivals, but this game marks the first since 2008 that both squads enter undefeated. St. Xavier’s standout offensive line will have to hold off a Trinity defense that has been playing lights out all year, only allowing opponents to score more than seven points in just two of the team’s six games this season.
Two of the top teams in Oklahoma will also look to claim the power in their state as No. 29 Union gets home field advantage against a No. 67 Owasso team. A pair of high-powered offenses will be on full display Friday night as Owasso is averaging 54 points per game and Union is averaging 39. In a game where there is sure to be plenty of local college recruiters in attendance, both teams are looking to hand their opponent it’s first loss of the season.
Back on the east coast there are two of the inner-Top 100 matchups that feature a pair of teams from the New Jersey Super Football Conference United Red Division. The first pits No. 28 St. Peter’s Prep against No. 51 Paramus Catholic, who is looking to avoid starting league play 0-2 after losing to No. 45 Bergen Catholic in their last game. It will be a tall task against St. Peter’s, whose only loss this season comes from their game against No. 13 St. Joseph’s Prep out of Philadelphia 28-21
The second Jersey game in what is arguably the toughest league in the country has No. 31 St. Joseph’s Regional (Montvale) traveling to No. 45 Bergen Catholic. Senior quarterback Nick Patti led St. Joseph’s in a blowout win over Delbarton (NJ) in the team’s previous game, but their competition this Saturday won’t be so easy. After suffering back-to-back losses, Bergen Catholic began the quest to mend its season by cruising past Paramus Catholic in a 31-14 victory last Friday and will be looking to keep that win streak alive come this weekend. Since not one team in the United Red League remains unbeaten, the top spot is still up for the taking.
Where the Top 100 Play
No. 1 Mater Dei (California) – Idle
No. 2 IMG Academy (Florida) vs. No.44 Northwestern (Florida), Saturday
No. 3 Allen (Texas) vs. Boyd (Texas), Friday
No. 4 Grayson (Georgia) at Ramsay (Alabama), Friday
No. 5 St. Thomas Aquanis (Florida) at Centennial (Arizona), Friday
No. 6 St. John Bosco (California) – Idle
No. 7 DeSoto (Texas) vs. Cedar Hill (Texas), Friday
No. 8 Trinity (Kentucky) vs. No. 78 St. Xavier (Kentucky), Friday
No.9 St. Xavier (Ohio) vs. Elder (Ohio), Friday
No. 10 South Pointe (South Carolina) at Ridge View (South Carolina), Friday
No. 11 St. Ignatius (Ohio) vs. Clarkson Football North (Canada), Saturday
No. 12 American Heritage (Florida) – Idle
No. 13 St. Joseph’s Prep (Pennsylvania) – Idle
No. 14 Miami Central (Florida) vs. Norland (Florida), Thursday
No. 15 Bishop Gorman (Nevada) vs. Spring Valley (Nevada), Thursday
No. 16 De La Salle (California) vs. Bishop O’Dowd (California), Friday
No. 17 DeMatha (Maryland) – Idle
No. 18 Ben Davis (Indiana) vs. Carmel (Indiana), Friday
No. 19 Corona Centennial (California) – Idle
No. 20 Brentwood Academy (Tennessee) vs. Baylor (Tennessee), Friday
No. 21 St. Edward (Ohio) at Naperville Central (Illinois), Saturday
No. 22 Hoover (Alabama) – Idle
No. 23 Bingham (Utah) vs. Lone Peak (Utah), Friday
No. 24 Katy (Texas) at Katy Taylor (Texas), Saturday
No. 25 Mission Viejo (California) vs. El Toro (California), Friday
No. 26 St. Frances Academy (Maryland) at Loyola Blakefield (Maryland), Friday
No. 27 St. John’s College HS (Washington, DC) – Idle
No. 28 St. Peter’s Prep (New Jersey) vs. No. 51 Paramus Catholic (New Jersey), Friday
No. 29 Union (Oklahoma) vs. No. 67 Owasso (Oklahoma), Friday
No. 30 Fort Dorchester (South Carolina) vs. Stratford (South Carolina), Friday
No. 31 St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, New Jersey) at No. 45 Bergen Catholic, Saturday
No. 32 Denton Ryan (Texas) at Denton (Texas), Thursday
No. 33 John Curtis (Louisiana) vs. Easton (Louisiana), Friday
No. 34Judson (Texas) vs. Cibolo Steele (Texas), Friday
No. 35 Pine-Richland (Pennsylvania) vs. Pittsburgh Central Catholic (Pennsylvania), Friday
No. 36 Cocoa (Florida) vs. International School of Broward (Florida), Friday
No. 37 Chaminade (California) vs. Serra (California), Thursday
No. 38 Aledo (Texas) vs. Chisholm Trail (Texas), Friday
No. 39 East (Utah) at Copper Hills (Utah), Friday
No. 40 Byrnes (South Carolina) vs. Spartanburg (South Carolina), Friday
No. 41 Lake Travis (Texas) vs. Hays (Texas), Friday
No. 42 Mountain Pointe (Arizona) at Desert Vista (Arizona), Thursday
No. 43 Chandler (Arizona) at Basha (Arizona), Thursday
No. 44 Northwestern (Florida) vs. No. 2 IMG Academy (Florida), Saturday
No. 45 Bergen Catholic vs. No. 31 St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, New Jersey), Saturday
No. 46 DePaul Catholic (New Jersey) vs. Hudson Catholic (New Jersey), Friday
No. 47 Archbishop Wood (Pennsylvania) vs. Archbishop Ryan (Pennsylvania), Friday
No. 48 Erie Cathedral Prep (Pennsylvania) vs. St. Francis (New York), Friday
No. 49 Long Beach Poly (California) vs. Long Beach Wilson (California), Friday
No. 50 Armwood (Florida) vs. Blake (Florida), Friday
No. 51 Paramus Catholic (New Jersey) at No. 29 St. Peter’s Prep (New Jersey), Friday
No. 52 Trinity Christian Academy (Florida) at Columbus (Florida), Friday
No. 53 Dutch Fork (South Carolina) at Blythewood (South Carolina), Friday
No. 54 Cartersville (Georgia) at Central (Georgia), Friday
No. 55 The Woodlands (Texas) – Idle
No. 56 Hewitt-Trussville (Alabama) vs. Center Point (Alabama), Friday
No. 57 Evangel Christian (Louisiana) vs. Haughton (Louisiana), Friday
No. 58 Wake Forest (North Carolina) – Idle
No. 59 West Point (Mississippi) vs. Center Hill (Mississippi), Friday
No. 60 East St. Louis (Illinois) at Belleville West (Illinois), Saturday
No. 61 Buford (Georgia) vs. Clarke Central (Georgia), Friday
No. 62 Central (Alabama) vs. Opelika (Alabama), Friday
No. 63 Westlake (Texas) vs. Vandegrift (Texas), Friday
No. 64 Lowndes (Georgia) at Ware County (Georgia), Friday
No. 65 Manvel (Texas) vs. Willowridge (Texas), Friday
No. 66 Valor Christian (Colorado) vs. Cherry Creek (Colorado), Friday
No. 67 Owasso (Oklahoma) at. No. 29 Union (Oklahoma), Friday
No. 68 Colquitt County (Georgia) vs. Bishop Sullivan (Virginia), Saturday
No. 69 Trotwood-Madison (Ohio) at West Carrolton (Ohio), Friday
No. 70 Klein Collins (Texas) at Houston Memorial (Texas), Thursday
No. 71 Pulaski Academy (Arkansas) at Beebe (Arizona), Friday
No. 72 Pearl (Mississippi) vs. Meridian (Mississippi), Friday
No. 73 Pickerington Central (Ohio) at Lincoln (Ohio), Friday
No. 74 Booker T. Washington (Florida) at Edison (Florida), Wednesday
No. 75 Cass Tech (Michigan) vs. Cody (Michigan), Friday
No. 76 Starkville (Mississippi) vs. Northwest Rankin (Mississippi), Friday
No. 77 Prairie Ridge (Illinois) at McHenry (Illinois), Friday
No. 78 St. Xavier (Kentucky) at No. 8 Trinity (Kentucky), Friday
No. 79 Plant (Florida) vs. Sickles (Florida), Thursday
No. 80 Dudley (North Carolina) vs. Southwest Guilford (North Carolina), Friday
No. 81 Liberty (Nevada) at Green Valley (Nevada), Thursday
No. 82 Venice (Florida) at Braden River (Florida), Thursday
No. 83 Kahuku (Hawaii) at Campbell (Hawaii), Friday
No. 84 Midway (Texas) at Copperas Cove (Texas), Friday
No. 85 Montgomery Bell Academy (Tennessee) vs. White Station (Tennessee), Thursday
No. 86 Lincoln-Way East (Illinois) at Homewood-Flossmoor (Illinois), Friday
No. 87 Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) vs. Hershey (Pennsylvania), Saturday
No. 88 Duncanville (Texas) vs. Irving (Texas), Thursday
No. 89 Saint Louis (Hawaii) vs. Kamehameha (Hawaii), Friday
No. 90 McDonogh (Maryland) at Archbishop Spaulding (Maryland), Friday
No. 91 Lamar (Texas) – Idle
No. 92 Lawrence Central (Indiana) at North Central (Indiana), Friday
No. 93 Deerfield Beach (Florida) vs. Taravella (Florida), Thursday
No. 94 Carol City (Florida) vs. Hialeah-Miami Lakes (Florida), Wednesday
No. 95 Saguaro (Arizona) at Marcos de Niza (Arizona), Thursday
No. 96 Warren Central (Indiana) at Lawrence North (Indiana), Friday
No. 97 Maine South (Illinois) at Niles North (Illinois), Friday
No. 98 Oakland (Tennessee) vs. Coffee County Central (Tennessee), Friday
No. 99 Archbishop Hoban (Ohio) at Lake Catholic (Ohio), Saturday
No. 100 Narbonne (California) – Idle
by Kathryn Gallo
High School Football America Writer
Follow @KathrynTGallo
