Playoff football is in full swing across the country meaning many teams are getting the chance for a rematch against opponents they are all too familiar with.
Meeting for the second time this season is No. 13 Northwestern and No. 14 Miami Central who will battle it out this Friday in Florida’s 6A region semifinals. Central remembers this Bulls team vividly as it was Northwestern that put an end to the Rockets four-year title run last season when they beat Central in a 45-44 double overtime win. If that didn’t leave enough of a sour taste for Central, it was Northwestern again who got the better of the two rivals when the teams met earlier this year where the Bulls pulled off an impressive 21-7 victory. It’s been that shutout defense that has shined all season for Northwestern, as they are giving up just 7.3 points per game, but with the Rockets strong run game led by senior James Cook will be a test. The winner of this game will likely go on to face the reigning 6A District champions Carol City – a team both squads have already beaten.
In the title game for Utah’s Class 6A Championship, No. 17 Bingham and No. 31 East will also face off for the second time this year. The Miners will be looking for their second consecutive perfect season with a win this Friday, as they have not dropped a game since their playoff loss in 2015. One of the many wins in that streak came this past August at the hands of the Leopards, who fell to the state’s top team 48-17 in Week 2. However, its been almost three months since these teams last met, and East is hoping that enough has changed in that time to ensure the outcome this weekend ends in its favor.
For the first time in six years, No. 91 Gonzaga are playing for the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship. On Saturday, the Eagles will be facing-off against No. 22 St. John’s College High School for the title. It’s been an unexpected run for the Eagles, who managed to earn the third seed in playoff seating after finishing with a 3-2 conference record with freshman Caleb Williams at quarterback. Gonzaga got revenge last week against Good Counsel, beating the same Falcons team that took them down just weeks ago and they will look to do the same thing this week as they try to knock off a Cadets team that beat the Eagles 32-14 in the final game of the regular season. St. John’s also ended the first round on a high note, beating the same DeMatha team who defeated the Cadets in the 2016 title game. In their second consecutive championship appearance, St. John’s hopes to leave this time around with the win.
Set to meet for the first time this season in Alabama is No. 43 Hewitt-Trussville and No. 86 Hoover in the state’s class 7A quarterfinals. The last time these two teams met was in a 2015 regular season game, where Hoover dominated in a 38-0 blowout over a Huskies squad who are certainly a much different team now in 2017. Hewitt-Trussville has won 22 of its last 23 games and has done so with a high-powered offense highlighted by quarterback Paul Tyson. The Buccaneers will be looking to shut down Tyson and the rest of the Huskies star power as they try to defend their 2016 state title and move on to the semifinal round.
Facing each other for third time in the past 13 months is No. 72 Lincoln-Way East and No. 77 Maine South, who will match up in Illinois’s Class 8A semifinals. In route to its state title last year, Maine South knocked the Griffins out of the playoffs in a quarterfinal game that ended 34-31 in the Hawks favor thanks to a late drive and a game-winning field goal. But, Lincoln-Way East got its revenge earlier this season when it took down the Hawks in a close Week 2 game when it beat the Hawks 28-26. Maine South looks to flip the fortune back on its side this week, while Lincoln-Way East is hoping to remain undefeated and go for that perfect season.
Two familiar faces in the state of Hawaii also find themselves reuniting as No. 73 Kahuku takes on No.76 Saint Louis in the Division I Open Championship for the third consecutive year. It was Saint Louis that got the job done last season and took home the state title, but Kahuku is primed for the rematch. The Red Raiders have only lost one game this year to No. 17 Bingham (Utah), but they have been blowing-out the rest of their opponents all season long. Aside from giving-up 31 points to Mililani, Kahuku has kept the rest of their competition from scoring more than seven points in each game. Saint Louis has continued its dominance since winning the title last year and sits at a perfect 9-0 entering Saturday’s matchup.
We round out this week’s top 100 matchups right where we started back in the state of Florida where No. 82 Viera will take on No. 85 Plant in the Class 7A regional semifinals.
It’s a rematch of last year’s playoff game where Plant handedly took care of Viera, ending the Hawks season with a 35-7 victory. However, each of the Brevard County teams enters this week’s showdown looking about evenly matched. Each team has just one loss on their record this season, both of which came against ranked opponents. Both teams are also coming off blowout wins in the opening round of the postseason as Viera defeated Gaither 56-0 and Plant took down East River 43-0, thanks to both squads stacked defenses. With things looking equally set on both sides, the game this weekend is likely to be a close one.
Where the Top 100 Plays This Week
No. 1 Mater Dei (California) vs. No. Long Beach Poly (California), Friday
No. 2 IMG Academy – Season Completed
No. 3 Allen (Texas) vs. Hebron (Texas), Friday
No. 4 Trinity (Kentucky) vs. Simon Kenton (Kentucky), Friday
No. 5 South Pointe (South Carolina) vs. Eastside (South Carolina), Friday
No. 6 American Heritage (Florida) vs. Bishop Moore (Florida), Friday
No. 7 St. Joseph’s Prep (Pennsylvania) at Northeast (Pennsylvania), Saturday
No. 8 Ben Davis (Indiana) vs. Avon (Ohio), Friday
No. 9 Corona Centennial (California) vs. Murrieta Valley (California), Friday
No. 10 St. Ignatius (Ohio) vs. Mentor (Ohio), Friday
No. 11 St. Frances Academy (Maryland) vs. Gilman (Maryland), Sunday
No. 12 Brentwood Academy (Tennessee) vs. McCallie (Tennessee), Friday
No. 13 Northwestern (Florida) vs. No. 14 Miami Central (Florida), Friday
No. 14 Miami Central (Florida) vs. No. 13 Northwestern (Florida), Friday
No. 15 Bishop Gorman (Nevada) vs. Arbor View (Nevada), Friday
No. 16 De La Salle (California) vs. Charter Valley (California), Friday
No. 17 Bingham (Utah) vs. No. 31 East (Utah), Friday
No. 18 Katy (Texas) vs. Fort Bend Travis (Texas), Friday
No. 19 Union (Oklahoma) vs. Broken Arrow (Oklahoma), Saturday
No. 20 St. John Bosco (California) vs. Rancho Cucamonga (California), Friday
No. 21 Mission Viejo (California) vs. Orange Lutheran (California), Friday
No. 22 St. John’s College HS (Washington, DC) vs. No. 91 Gonzaga (Washington, DC), Saturday
No. 23 Fort Dorchester (South Carolina) vs. Spring Valley (South Carolina), Friday
No. 24 St Xavier (Ohio) vs. Colerain (Ohio), Friday
No. 25 Bergen Catholic (New Jersey) vs. Delbarton (New Jersey), Friday
No. 26 Grayson (Georgia) vs. North Gwinnett (Georgia), Friday
No. 27 Denton Ryan (Texas) vs. Brewer (Texas), Thursday
No. 28 John Curtis (Louisiana) vs. St. Paul’s (Louisiana), Friday
No. 29 St Peter’s Prep (New Jersey) vs. Paramus Catholic (New Jersey), Friday
No. 30 Pine-Richland (Pennsylvania) vs. Pittsburgh Central Catholic (Pennsylvania), Saturday
No 31 East (Utah) No. 17 vs. Bingham (Utah), Friday
No. 32 Archer (Georgia) vs. Mill Creek (Georgia), Friday
No. 33 St. Joseph’s Regional (New Jersey) at Pope John XXIII (New Jersey), Saturday
No. 34 St. Thomas Aquinas (Florida) vs. West Broward (Florida), Friday
No. 35 Erie Cathedral Prep (Pennsylvania) – Idle
No. 36 Armwood (Florida) vs. Hillsborough (Florida), Friday
No 37 Aledo (Texas) vs. Rider (Texas), Thursday
No. 38 Archbishop Wood (Pennsylvania) vs. Simon Gratz (Pennsylvania), Saturday
No. 39 Duncanville (Texas) vs. Ellison (Texas), Friday
No. 40 DePaul Catholic (New Jersey) vs. St John-Vianney (New Jersey), Friday
No. 41 Westlake (Texas) vs. San Antonio MacArthur (Texas), Friday
No. 42 Cartersville (Georgia) vs. Blessed Trinity (Georgia), Friday
No. 43 Hewitt-Trussville (Alabama) vs. No. 86 Hoover (Alabama), Friday
No. 44 Mountain Pointe (Arizona) vs. Perry (Arizona), Friday
No. 45 Chandler (Arizona) vs. Red Mountain (Arizona), Friday
No. 46 DeSoto (Texas) vs. Copperas Cove (Texas), Friday
No. 47 Dutch Fork (South Carolina) vs. Summerville (South Carolina), Friday
No. 48 Judson (Texas) vs. Warren (Texas), Friday
No. 49 Lake Travis (Texas) vs. San Antonia Madison (Texas), Friday
No. 50 Owasso (Oklahoma) vs. Jenks (Oklahoma), Saturday
No. 51 The Woodlands (Texas) vs. Rockwall (Texas), Saturday
No. 52 Evangel Christian (Louisiana) vs. Archbishop Rummel (Louisiana), Friday
No. 53 Wake Forest (North Carolina) vs. Millbrook (North Carolina), Friday
No. 54 St. Edward (Ohio) – Season Completed
No. 55 West Point (Mississippi) vs. Grenada (Mississippi), Friday
No. 56 Buford (Georgia) vs. Jackson (Georgia), Friday
No. 57 Lowndes (Georgia) vs. McEachern (Georgia), Friday
No. 58 Trotwood-Madison (Ohio) vs. Chaminade-Julienne (Ohio), Friday
No. 59 Central (Phenix City, Alabama) vs. Lee (Alabama), Friday
No. 60 Cocoa (Florida) vs. Avon Park (Florida), Friday
No. 61 Chaminade (California) – Season Completed
No. 62 Manvel (Texas) vs. Houston Madison (Texas), Thursday
No. 63 Valor Christian (Colorado) vs. Grandview (Colorado), Friday
No. 64 Klein Collins (Texas) vs. Dekaney (Texas), Friday
No. 65 Pulaski Academy (Arkansas) vs. Harrison (Arkansas), Friday
No. 66 Pearl (Mississippi) vs. Hancock (Mississippi), Friday
No. 67 Pickerington Central (Ohio) vs. Pickerington North (Ohio), Friday
No. 68 Carol City (Florida) vs. Mainland (Florida), Friday
No. 69 Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) vs. Governor Mifflin (Pennsylvania), Saturday
No. 70 Prairie Ridge (Illinois) vs. Hoffman Estates (Illinois), Saturday
No. 71 Liberty (Nevada) vs. Green Valley (Nevada), Friday
No. 72 Lincoln-Way East (Illinois) vs. No. 77 Maine South (Illinois), Saturday
No. 73 Kahuku (Hawaii) vs. No. 76 Saint Louis (Hawaii), Saturday
No. 74 Archbishop Hoban (Ohio) vs. Barberton (Ohio), Friday
No. 75 Midway (Texas) vs. Grand Prairie (Texas), Friday
No. 76 Saint Louis (Hawaii) vs. No. 73 Kahuku (Hawaii), Saturday
No. 77 Maine South (Illinois) vs. No. 72 Lincoln-Way East (Illinois), Saturday
No. 78 Oakland (Tennessee) vs. Cookeville (Tennessee), Friday
No. 79 Thompson (Alabama) vs. Mountain Brook (Alabama), Friday
No. 80 Centennial (Arizona) vs. Liberty (Arizona), Friday
No. 81 Venice (Florida) vs. Braden River (Florida), Friday
No. 82 Viera (Florida) vs. No.85 Plant (Florida), Friday
No. 83 Lamar (Houston, Texas) vs. Cypress Falls (Texas), Friday
No. 84 Saguaro (Arizona) vs. Higley (Arizona), Friday
No. 85 Plant (Florida) vs. No. 82 Viera (Florida), Friday
No. 86 Hoover (Alabama) vs. No. 43 Hewitt-Trussville (Alabama), Friday
No. 87 Narbonne (California) vs. San Pedro (California), Friday
No. 88 Cardinal Gibbons (Florida) vs. Rockledge (Florida), Friday
No. 89 Columbus (Florida) vs. South Dade (Florida), Thursday
No. 90 Folsom (California) vs. Tracy (California), Friday
No. 91 Gonzaga (Washington, DC) vs. No. 22 St. John’s College HS (Washington, DC), Saturday
No. 92 Good Counsel (Maryland) – Season Completed
No. 93 North Little Rock (Arkansas) vs. Northside (Arkansas), Friday
No. 94 Mallard Creek (North Carolina) vs. North Mecklenburg (North Carolina), Friday
No. 95 Phillips Academy (Illinois) vs. Sterling (Illinois), Saturday
No. 96 Mission Hills (California) vs. Grossmont (California), Friday
No. 97 Eastside Catholic (Washington) vs. Garfield (Washington), Friday
No. 98 Winton Woods (Ohio) vs. La Salle (Ohio), Friday
No. 99 Miramar (Florida) – Season Completed
No. 100 Deerfield Beach (Florida) – Season Completed
