It’s officially playoff season for high school football and there are plenty of Top 25 matchups to catch.
It’s officially playoff season for high school football, as this week’s slate of games involves a number of Top 25 teams and some intriguing matchups across the country, with teams looking to make a push for a state title.
Let’s break down the top five matchups of the week, with the top pair coming from the CIF Division in California.
A five-star quarterback against the No. 1 team in the country? Sign me up.
That’s what we’re getting when five-star Husan Longstreet and Centennial take on powerhouse Mater Dei at home, looking to avenge their 42-25 loss in the season opener.
However, Centennial played that game without Longstreet, who could be the difference-maker in helping the Huskies pull off the upset over Mater Dei. A recent USC commit, Longstreet has thrown for 1,641 yards, 19 touchdowns and four interceptions this season, while leading the Huskies to a 9-1 record as a start, only losing his season debut.
Since then, Centennial has thrived, being seen as a Top 25 team in the country, with Longstreet likely looking three-star wide receiver Cory Butler’s way for much of the night.
Mater Dei has been the best team in the country this year and is led by Michigan four-star commit Jordon Davison at running back. Davison has been electric this year, rushing for 875 yards and 13 touchdowns, leading the charge for Mater Dei’s offense.
Mater Dei has won every game by double digits this year, with six of their 10 wins coming by at least 21 points. They’ll look to extend the streak when they travel to face Centennial on Friday night, with kickoff at 7:00 p.m.
In another battle between Top 25 teams in California, Orange Lutheran takes on St. John Bosco on Friday night, with kickoff at 7:00 p.m.
Led by Nebraska four-star quarterback commit T.J. Lateef, Orange Lutheran has gone 8-3 this year, with blowout losses to Mater Dei and Bishop Gorman, as well as a 28-24 defeat to St. John Bosco in the regular season.
A dual-threat quarterback, Lateef threw for 207 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 78 yards on 10 carries in the first game, but it wasn’t enough for Orange Lutheran, who will be looking for revenge.
St. John Bosco has gone 10-1, with their lone loss being a 59-14 defeat at the hands of Mater Dei. They’re led by the duo of freshman quarterback Koa Malau’ulu and wide receiver Madden Williams. Malau’uluwith has thrown for 1,308 yards, 17 touchdowns, and five interceptions this season, while Williams has caught 44 passes for 773 yards and 12 touchdowns thus far.
Malau’ulu performed very well in the regular season matchup with Orange Lutheran, throwing for a career-high 272 yards and four touchdowns, while completing 75 percent of his passes. With the focus on Williams in that one, Malau’ulu connected with junior wideout Carson Clark for 11 catches, 121 yards and a score in the win.
Both teams were ultra-competitive in the first matchup between the schools, and that should be the case again on Friday.
In a matchup between two 10-1 Georgia teams, a spot in the quarterfinals is in the air on Friday night when Lowndes takes on Buford, marking the first meeting between the two top programs.
Lowndes only has a 38-35 loss to Colquitt County on their record, winning all of their remaining games, while scoring at least 30 points in nine of those games.
Quarterback Jayce Johnson has thrown for 1,676 yards, 16 touchdowns and two interceptions this season, while also rushing for 308 yards and three scores on the ground.
He’s looked to connect mainly with top wideout Jaylin Carter, who averages over 75 receiving yards per game, while running back Marvis Parrish has provided a significant threat on the ground with 906 rushing yards and 24 total touchdowns on the year.
Buford is led by Tennessee running back commit Justin Baker, who has 784 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the year. Quarterbacking the team is Dayton Raiola, a three-star Nebraska commit and the brother of Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola. The younger Dayton has tossed for 1,595 yards, 17 touchdowns and only three interceptions this year for Buford.
It’ll be a tough matchup on both sides, as Buford’s lone loss came to Milton in the season opener in a close 13-10 game. Which side can prevail on Friday?
We’re heading to the state of Ohio for our next matchup of the week, as Walsh Jesuit and Archbishop Hoban are set for a rematch of their close 19-14 regular season matchup, which went in favor of the former, with a spot in the Division II semifinals on the line.
Walsh Jesuit has been a perfect 13-0 to start the year, with eight of those wins coming by at least 26 points, thanks to a high-octane offense led by senior quarterback Kellen Moten and junior wide receiver Milan Parris.
Archbishop Hoban, on the other hand, has gone 11-2, losing 19-14 to Walsh Jesuit and 28-14 to 12-0 Archbishop Spalding in the season opener. They have a feisty defense, as no team has scored over 28 points on them all season long.
They’re led by a pair of Ohio State commits, four-star defensive back Elbert Hill and three-star linebacker Eli Hill, on that side of the ball. Both should contribute to what could be another slugfest on Friday night.
Going back to the Peach State, we have a battle between Douglas County and North Cobb for a spot in the 6A quarterfinals on Friday night.
Douglas County stands at 9-2, with their two losses coming against Top 25 opponents: Buford and Carrolton. Apart from that, they’ve cruised through, most recently beating Mill Creek to open the playoffs 27-18 last week.
They’re led by Texas A&M four-star receiver commit Aaron Gregory, who has 777 receiving yards and seven touchdowns this season, while four-star junior wideout Devin Carter isn’t far behind with 590 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
North Cobb, standing at 11-0, has beaten every opponent by double-digits while blowing out their fair share of teams. Freshman running back Zach Belyeu has exploded on the scene, rushing for over 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns on the year, while quarterback Nick Grimstead has done a good job of protecting the football.
In what could be an explosive game between two strong offenses, a quarterfinal spot awaits for the winner on Friday night, where kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
