The latest MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week is once again a virtual cavalcade of sure-to-be-entertaining matchups involving nationally ranked teams.

At least one member of the latest MaxPreps Xcellent 25 competes in nine of this week's 10 games. But no other contest should match the potential national-title implications of No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) versus No. 12 Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.). Saturday's game pits two programs that each have won a pair of national championships within the last seven seasons.

Elsewhere in this week's primer, we'll preview the nation's current No. 1 team, Cedar Hill (Texas), taking on state-ranked Skyline (Dallas), and look at No. 5 St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) hosting New Jersey power St. Joseph Regional (Montvale).

With 23 winning selections in 30 games so far, Jamie DeMoney has a two-game lead in our season-long predictions contest. There's a three-way tie for second place between Stephen Spiewak, Kevin Askeland and Leland Gordon.

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.


St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) vs. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.)



What to watch: Historic Michie Stadium in West Point, N.Y., hosts a Saturday showdown between No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas and No. 12 Don Bosco Prep. St. Thomas Aquinas shoots for its second consecutive win against a ranked opponent. The Raiders (1-0) blew out then-No. 5 American Heritage (Plantation), 38-7, on Aug. 29. Miami-committed running back Jordan Scarlett, a transfer from University (Fort Lauderdale), scored three touchdowns in his STA debut. Don Bosco Prep was also dominant in its opener last Saturday against then-No. 15 St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia). The Ironmen held a commanding 35-7 lead over the Hawks when the game was called due to lightning in the second quarter. Junior running back Malik Bakker and senior quarterback Wesley McKoy combined to run for all five Don Bosco touchdowns.

Just the facts: This is a rematch of a 2012 game won by Don Bosco Prep (20-10) on St. Thomas Aquinas' home field. Overall, the Ironmen are 2-1 against Florida teams since 2011. Their only loss was against Central (Miami) last season. … St. Thomas Aquinas will try to improve an already impressive 8-1 record against out-of-state teams since 2008. Don Bosco Prep was the only non-Florida team to defeat the Raiders.

Mitch Stephens: Don Bosco Prep 21, St. Thomas Aquinas 20
Kevin Askeland: St. Thomas Aquinas 35, Don Bosco Prep 21
Jamie DeMoney: St. Thomas Aquinas 28, Don Bosco Prep 17
Stephen Spiewak: St. Thomas Aquinas 17, Don Bosco Prep 14
Leland Gordon: St. Thomas Aquinas 14, Don Bosco Prep 13
Colin Ward-Henninger: St. Thomas Aquinas 28, Don Bosco Prep 21
Cedar Hill (Texas) at Skyline (Dallas)



What to watch: It's another stern test against a high-powered offense for top-ranked Cedar Hill. Although the Longhorns averaged 52 points their first two games, they surrendered 30 or more points to both opponents. Their defense could be tested again Friday against a Skyline squad that beat Martin (Arlington), 53-48, last week. Skyline senior receiver Savon Rollison had 236 receiving yards and three touchdowns — including the game-winning score with under a minute left in the game. The player to watch for Cedar Hill is running back Aca'cedric Ware. The USC-committed senior has run for 335 yards and six touchdowns.

Just the facts: In addition to Ware, Cedar Hill has four other seniors currently committed to "power-five" colleges. … Skyline has won 46 games since 2010. South Oak Cliff (40) is the only other Dallas ISD program to average 10 wins per season during the same period.

Mitch Stephens: Cedar Hill 35, Skyline 28
Kevin Askeland: Skyline 35, Cedar Hill 28
Jamie DeMoney: Cedar Hill 42, Skyline 31
Stephen Spiewak: Cedar Hill 50, Skyline 30
Leland Gordon: Cedar Hill 55, Skyline 52
Colin Ward-Henninger: Cedar Hill 48, Skyline 35
St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.) at St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio)



What to watch: St. Edward could improve its standing in the national-championship picture with a win Saturday. The Eagles (2-0) are fifth in this week's Xcellent 25 and landed in second place in the MaxPreps Top 25 Composite Rankings. Senior quarterback Brett Kean (a South Florida commit) broke St. Edward's all-time record for touchdown passes in a 47-7 blowout of Glenville (Cleveland) last week. Kean had three in the game to up his career total to 35. In its first game with Augie Hoffman as head coach, St. Joseph Regional picked up a 31-18 road win against defending Maryland Independent Athletic Association champion McDonogh (Owings Mills). Junior running back John Giles-Harris led the Green Knights with 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Just the facts: SJR's win against McDonogh was its second versus a Maryland opponent in as many seasons. The Green Knights hammered DeMatha (Hyattsville), 42-14, in 2013. … This is the first of two games St. Edward has scheduled against New Jersey opponents this year. The Eagles will travel to Palisades Park to take on Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) in two weeks.

Mitch Stephens: St. Edward 35, St. Joseph Regional 28
Kevin Askeland: St. Edward 28, St. Joseph Regional 14
Jamie DeMoney: St. Edward 30, St. Joseph Regional 17
Stephen Spiewak: St. Joseph Regional 21, St. Edward 20
Leland Gordon: St. Edward 35, St. Joseph Regional 21
Colin Ward-Henninger: St. Edward 21, St. Joseph Regional 17
Central Catholic (Portland, Ore.) at St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)



What to watch: Friday night offers a chance for Central Catholic to make a statement against a Top 10 opponent. The Rams are Oregon's defending 6A champion and have 15 straight wins, but have yet to make a strong impression on national pollsters. That would change if they pull the upset against No. 6 St. John Bosco. Central Catholic scored 14 unanswered in the fourth quarter to knock off archrival Jesuit (Portland) last week. Senior running back Cameron Scarlett, rated three stars by 247Sports, contributed to the winning effort with a 28-yard touchdown run. On the other side, five-star quarterback Josh Rosen has been predictably terrific through the first two games of his senior season. The UCLA commit has completed 68 percent of his passes for 616 yards, six touchdowns and zero interceptions in St. John Bosco's two blowout wins.

Just the facts: Central Catholic's state championship last season was its first since winning back-to-back crowns in 1952-53. … St. John Bosco has an 18-game winning streak, the third-longest currently in California. During their run, the Braves have defeated all but one opponent by two touchdowns or more.

Mitch Stephens: St. John Bosco 48, Central Catholic 25
Kevin Askeland: St. John Bosco 45, Central Catholic 21
Jamie DeMoney: St. John Bosco 35, Central Catholic 14
Stephen Spiewak: St. John Bosco 30, Central Catholic 20
Leland Gordon: St. John Bosco 35, Central Catholic 14
Colin Ward-Henninger: St. John Bosco 48, Central Catholic 20
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) at Centennial (Corona, Calif.)



What to watch: Friday will be the fourth of six consecutive out-of-state matchups to open the year for No. 7 Bishop Gorman, and the second time in three weeks it will travel to Southern California. The Gaels (3-0) beat then-No. 12 Servite (Anaheim, Calif.), 48-27, two weeks ago then barely scraped past current No. 24 Bingham (South Jordan, Utah), 23-20 in OT, at home last Friday. Tate Martell seized the starting quarterback spot from senior Danny Hong after leading a second-half explosion for Bishop Gorman against Servite. The sophomore has completed 19-of-35 passes for 322 yards and five touchdowns in just over six quarters of action. Centennial bounced back from its opening 38-18 loss to No. 14 Mater Dei (Santa Ana) with a thrilling 52-49 win against Orange Lutheran. Junior scatback J.J. Taylor led the way with 266 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Just the facts: This is the second of four games against California teams on Bishop Gorman's non-league schedule. Dates with Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita) and No. 6 St. John Bosco (Bellflower) are up next. Overall, the Gaels are 9-2 against the Golden State since 2004. … Conversely, Centennial has battled only one non-California team in the previous 10 seasons. The Huskies won a 60-42 shootout against Liberty (Henderson, Nev.) last year.

Mitch Stephens: Bishop Gorman 48, Centennial 45
Kevin Askeland: Centennial 35, Bishop Gorman 30
Jamie DeMoney: Bishop Gorman 37, Centennial 31
Stephen Spiewak: Bishop Gorman 42, Centennial 35
Leland Gordon: Centennial 28, Bishop Gorman 27
Colin Ward-Henninger: Bishop Gorman 35, Centennial 34
Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) at De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)



What to watch: No. 8 De La Salle wants to continue its fast start with a nationally televised win over South Carolina stalwart Byrnes Friday night. The Spartans exploded to a 63-0 win over Jesuit (Carmichael) on opening weekend then clobbered state-ranked Serra (San Mateo), 49-13, last Friday. Senior athlete Je'Vari Anderson — rated three stars by 247Sports — has three rushing touchdowns and another score via a 98-yard kickoff return. Byrnes (2-0) took a week off to prepare for De La Salle following a 50-0 rout of Hanna (Anderson) on Aug. 29. The Rebels have gotten solid play from first-year starting quarterback Micah Young. The 6-foot, 180-pound junior has completed just under 60 percent of his throws for 544 yards and six touchdowns.

Just the facts: These two programs have combined to win nine of their states' largest-class championships in the last seven seasons. … Including its well-documented 2004 streak-ending loss to Bellevue (Wash.), De La Salle has found itself on the losing end of more out-of-state games than not recently The Spartans are only 3-5 against non-California teams in the last decade.

Mitch Stephens: De La Salle 35, Byrnes 21
Kevin Askeland: De La Salle 65, Byrnes 40
Jamie DeMoney: De La Salle 35, Byrnes 20
Stephen Spiewak: De La Salle 42, Byrnes 34
Leland Gordon: De La Salle 35, Byrnes 34
Colin Ward-Henninger: De La Salle 28, Byrnes 21
Shades Valley (Birmingham, Ala.) at Acadiana (Lafayette, La.)



What to watch: Acadiana jumped three spots to No. 17 in this week's Xcellent 25 after beginning defense of its Class 5A state title with a dominant 55-6 win at Northside (Lafayette, La.). Senior running back Malik Eugene (a Tulane commit) stood out with three rushing touchdowns and another score on a 76-yard kickoff return. Shades Valley (3-0) bolstered its No. 2 spot in the MaxPreps Alabama Computer Rankings with a 27-0 shutout over Center Point (Birmingham). Mississippi State-bound running back Keith Mixon sparked the Mounties with two first-quarter touchdown runs.

Just the facts: According to CalPreps.com, Louisiana held a 6-3 advantage in games versus Alabama opponents dating back to 2003. … Saturday will be the first game for either team against an out-of-state opponent in at least a decade.

Mitch Stephens: Acadiana 28, Shades Valley 17
Kevin Askeland: Acadiana 35, Shades Valley 13
Jamie DeMoney: Acadiana 27, Shades Valley 14
Stephen Spiewak: Acadiana 44, Shades Valley 28
Leland Gordon: Acadiana 35, Shades Valley 28
Colin Ward-Henninger: Shades Valley 28, Acadiana 27
Westlake (Westlake Village, Calif.) at Long Beach Poly (Calif.)



What to watch: It's an intriguing non-conference collision of teams that could meet again in the Pac-5 Division playoffs. Westlake is an experienced team that improved to 2-0 with a 34-27 road win against Red Mountain (Mesa, Ariz.) last Friday. Junior Chase Jasmin buoyed the Warriors with 121 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Despite committing 16 penalties, No. 23 Long Beach Poly (2-0) prevailed with a hard-fought 34-21 win over Narbonne (Harbor City). Senior defensive end Joseph Wicker ignited Long Beach Poly's defense with four sacks. The four-star prospect already has 10 sacks this season.

Just the facts: Antonio Pierce is in his first season as Long Beach Poly's head coach. Pierce was a member of the Super Bowl XLII champion New York Giants and is a former NFL analyst for ESPN. … Conversely, Westlake is led by Jim Benkert, one of the longest-tenured head coaches in the CIF Southern Section. Now in his 26th season at the school, Benkert has led the Warriors to 220 wins and 21 CIF playoff appearances.

Mitch Stephens: Long Beach Poly 28, Westlake 27
Kevin Askeland: Long Beach Poly 21, Westlake 20
Jamie DeMoney: Long Beach Poly 27, Westlake 23
Stephen Spiewak: Long Beach Poly 20, Westlake 17
Leland Gordon: Lon Beach Poly 35, Westlake 31
Colin Ward-Henninger: Long Beach Poly 21, Westlake 20
Jenks (Okla.) vs. Union (Tulsa, Okla.)



What to watch: Yet another chapter will be written in one of America's top rivalries Friday night in Tulsa's Chapman Stadium. What makes the "Backyard Brawl" series unique is the utter dominance the two programs have had over the rest of their state. Since 1996, every single Oklahoma Class 6A state championship trophy has gone to one of these two neighboring schools. Jenks has a 1-0 record after hammering Bixby, 66-20, last Friday. Junior quarterback Cooper Nunley passed for 331 yards and four touchdowns as the Trojans extended their winning streak to 27 games. Although it lost to Carroll (Southlake, Texas), 42-41 in overtime at AT&T Stadium, Union put on an impressive offensive performance. Leading the way was running back Tyler Adkins, who started his junior season with 181 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

Just the facts: Jenks has won back-to-back state titles and 11 crowns overall since 1996. Union has seven championships since 2002, including the four in a row from 2008-11. … Jenks defeated Union twice last season to extend its lead in the all-time series to 33-19 since 1949. Union had won five in a row against the Trojans between 2010-12 and still has a 10-9 edge in games played since 2004.

Mitch Stephens: Union 42, Jenks 41
Kevin Askeland: Union 35, Jenks 34
Jamie DeMoney: Jenks 40, Union 37
Stephen Spiewak: Jenks 44, Union 41
Leland Gordon: Union 30, Jenks 27
Colin Ward-Henninger: Jenks 28, Union 27
Chandler (Ariz.) at Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.)



What to watch: The No. 1 teams in Arizona and Colorado's media polls will square off in suburban Denver Friday night. Not surprisingly, senior quarterback Bryce Perkins has played a major role in both of Chandler's wins to start the season. The Arizona State recruit leads the Wolves in total yards (276) and has four passing and one rushing touchdown. Valor Christian (3-0) already had a 21-0 lead over East (Salt Lake City) barely four minutes into their game last Friday. Filling in for injured sophomore Dylan McCaffrey at quarterback, senior Parker Courier passed for 160 yards and two touchdowns.

Just the facts: Valor Christian is trying to win its fourth game out of six against out-of-state schools since 2012. This is its first-ever meeting versus an Arizona opponent. … Chandler has faced only one other non-Arizona team in the last decade. The Wolves were beaten by nationally ranked St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), 52-31, last season.

Mitch Stephens: Valor Christian 27, Chandler 21
Kevin Askeland: Valor Christian 35, Chandler 27
Jamie DeMoney: Chandler 28, Valor Christian 24
Stephen Spiewak: Chandler 20, Valor Christian 10
Leland Gordon: Chandler 35, Valor Christian 28
Colin Ward-Henninger: Valor Christian 27, Chandler 14


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.