Schedules are heating up around the country as league play is beginning for more and more teams.
Some questions to be had: Is No. 8 Gonzaga as good as it has seemed so far? Can the top team in Utah be supplanted? Could there be a challenger for the premier Trinity League team?
We’ll start in Texas with a pair of undefeated teams.
MATCHUP
Independence (Frisco, Texas) (5-0)
at
Lone Star (Frisco, Texas) (5-0)
When: 10/10, 8 p.m. ET
Tale of the Tape: Lone Star is rolling. With at least 55 points in four of five games, the Rangers have been unstoppable. But Independence is right there with them, scoring 49 or more in all five outings. Braylon Braxton will need to continue his outrageous season of 339 yards per game with 25 touchdowns and two interceptions for Independence to keep up in this showdown.
MATCHUP
No. 17 Chandler (Arizona) (6-0)
at
Brophy Prep (Phoenix) (7-0)
When: 10/11, 10 p.m. ET
Tale of the Tape: Last week, Brophy Prep took down then-undefeated Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.), which boosted the team into the final spot of the Open Division rankings. They 7-0 Broncos will fight to prove they belong in that conversation with a home game against three-time defending champion Chandler, who just posted 84 points against the team they faced in the last two title games. Maybe Brophy, which has only allowed double-digit points in one game this year, can slow down the machine.
MATCHUP
No. 15 Highland Springs (Virginia) (6-0)
at
Manchester (Midlothian, Virginia) (5-0)
When: 10/11, 7 p.m. ET
Tale of the Tape: If there’s something that can slow down this Highland team, it has yet to be discovered. The team averages 38.5 points per game and only allows 7.8. But Manchester has been dominant the last three seasons, going 37-4 over that span with an undefeated 2018 and a 5-0 start to 2019. Maybe that experience can help take down the Springers.
MATCHUP
Skyridge (Lehi, Utah) (6-1)
at
Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah) (8-0)
When: 10/11, 7 p.m. ET
Tale of the Tape: Corner Canyon has meticulously discarded the Utah challengers this season. The Chargers have taken down five of MaxPreps’ top nine Utah teams, and will try to make it 6-for-6 against No. 3 Skyridge in a rematch of last year’s championship game. Skyridge, meanwhile, has soared over the last two years, first beating Corner Canyon in the 2017 semifinals before falling last year. But the Falcons still have yet to win the championship; securing a No. 1 seed, which it might be able to do with a win over Corner Canyon, would go a long way.
MATCHUP
Good Counsel (Olney, Maryland) (5-1)
at
No. 8 Gonzaga (Washington, District of Columbia) (6-0)
When: 10/11, 7 p.m. ET
Tale of the Tape: Gonzaga has jumped up the Super 25, but this is where the schedule begins to get difficult. Good Counsel is 5-1 with its sole loss coming to No. 3 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, California). The defense has been stellar this year — only Bosco has scored more than 21 points, and the defense was even better that game than the score would indicate. But Gonzaga has now put up more than 40 points in three straight games. The offense is dynamic. The team can prove that this week.
MATCHUP
O’Dea (Seattle, Washington) (5-0)
at
No. 14 Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Washington) (5-0)
When: 10/11, 10 p.m. ET
Tale of the Tape: In two games against Washington teams this season, Eastside Catholic has outscored opponents 85-27. O’Dea, ranked the No. 6 team in the state by MaxPreps, hopes to buck that trend. The Fighting Irish have contained Eastside Catholic reasonably well the last three years, winning in 2016 and holding the Crusaders to 21 points in 2017. But last year, Eastside Catholic broke out with 31 points. The undefeated Fighting Irish have only scored more than 30 points once this season, and there’s a good chance they’ll have to do so again if they hope to win.
MATCHUP
Hillgrove (Powder Springs, Georgia) (5-0)
at
McEachern (Powder Springs, Georgia) (5-0)
When: 10/11, 7:30 p.m. ET
Tale of the Tape: A pair of undefeated rivals go at it this weekend in Powder Springs, Georgia. McEachern has blasted opponents this year, scoring more than 45 points in three of five games, and holding all five teams to 15 points or less. Star defensive end Myles Murphy will have to play phenomenal ball to hold back the McEachern attack.
MATCHUP
Servite (Anaheim, California) (4-2)
at
No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, California) (6-0)
When: 10/11, 10:30 p.m. ET
Tale of the Tape: Servite very nearly beat St. John Bosco last week. Now, they play the only California team who has proven themselves at Bosco’s level: Mater Dei. This game can answer questions about Servite, Mater Dei and Bosco alike — and also pose more. If Servite can win or even keep this close, they’re for real, and it would give sophomore quarterback Noah Fifita credibility and confidence moving forward. If Mater Dei blows them out, does that mean Bosco isn’t as good as everyone thinks? Or would it just mean that Servite game was a wake-up call to the Trinity League?
MATCHUP
No. 3 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, California) (6-0)
at
JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, California) (5-1)
When: 10/11, 10 p.m. ET
Tale of the Tape: It’s far too early to worry about St. John Bosco after a one-point win over Servite. Last year, the Braves also pulled out a one-possession win in the Trinity League opener before going on to win the division. But that opener was against JSerra, who plays Bosco this week. Can the Lions pose another challenge to the Braves? They’ve been good this year, but struggled to score against two out-of-state opponents. They’ll need a complete game to match up with the Braves — and if they do, Bosco might have some questions.
MATCHUP
La Salle (Cincinnati) (6-0)
at
Covington Catholic (Park Hills, Kentucky) (8-0)
When: 10/11, 7 p.m. ET
Tale of the Tape: With eight wins already, Covington Catholic is eying a continuation of its 29-1 combined last two seasons. Maybe La Salle at 6-0 can be the one to challenge the Colonels. Only one opponent has scored even 20 points against the Lancers this season. But Covington Catholic’s defense has been even more dominant, allowing a total of nine points over the last four weeks. La Salle will be hard-pressed, but a win would be an exclamation point on a bounce-back season from the program.
MATCHUP
Thompson (Alabaster, Alabama) (6-0)
at
Vestavia Hills (Alabama) (6-1)
When: 10/11, 8:30 p.m. ET
Tale of the Tape: It seems all Sawyer Pate does is throw touchdowns. The quarterback of Thompson had thrown one on more than 17% of his pass attempts and 22% of his completions. The team has flourished, scoring 40 or more points in every game. But Vestavia Hills, with just one loss to its name, has yet to allow 20 points this season. These top-tier Alabama teams will face off in what has ended in a one-possession outcome two of the last three years.
MATCHUP
Mililani (Hawaii) (7-2)
vs.
Punahou (Honolulu) (9-1)
When: 10/12, 1:30 a.m. ET
Tale of the Tape: In the final game of the regular season, these two teams are vying to secure the spot as second-best in Hawaii. Both have lost to St. Louis (Honolulu), and Mililani also fell to St. John Bosco. But both those teams are in the top-10 nationally. Mililani and Punahou have proven themselves as very strong teams. Last year, Mililani beat Punahou 43-21; will it be the same this year?
MATCHUP
St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, New Jersey) (4-1)
at
Bergen Catholic (Oradell, New Jersey) (3-1)
When: 10/12, 1 p.m. ET
Tale of the Tape: Bergen Catholic has played a difficult New Jersey schedule this season, beating Don Bosco but falling to St. Peter’s Prep. Now, all that’s left to do is to play the top team in the state, St. Joseph Regional. It’ll be a rematch of last year’s championship game, when the second-seeded Green Knights shut out first-seeded Bergen Catholic 13-10. The Crusaders are out for revenge — and looking to make a statement before the regular season ends.
MATCHUP
Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, New Jersey) (2-3)
at
St. Peter’s Prep (Jersey City, New Jersey) (5-0)
When: 10/12, 4 p.m. ET
Tale of the Tape: Another pair of top-five New Jersey teams meet up with pretty equal history over the last few seasons, as each team has beaten the other twice over the last three years. Last year it was an overtime Don Bosco victory, but the Ironmen may still be smarming over 2017, when St. Peter’s beat them twice, including in the playoffs. There’s added pressure for Don Bosco, which is 2-3. Two losses to nationally-ranked top-10 teams, but three losses is three losses. It’ll be an important game come playoff seeding time.
MATCHUP
St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) (5-1)
vs.
St. Ignatius (Cleveland) (3-3)
When: 10/12, 7 p.m. ET
Tale of the Tape: Last year, these two Cleveland area rivals faced twice in two weeks. St. Edward won the regular season closer, and then St. Ignatius knocked them out of the playoffs in a two-point game the following week. Two years prior, St. Edward won the championship game in an overtime affair. This regular season matchup isn’t the one these rivals wait for when they could meet up in the playoffs… but winning in the regular season is a whole lot better than losing in it. St. Ignatius is much better than its 3-3 record indicates, and St. Edward would look good with this win on its ledger.
