The 2024 high school football season has just begun, but the fireworks have already begun and are sure to continue this week, with plenty of intriguing matchups scheduled across the board, including a game between two of the top contenders for the national football championship.
Let's take a look at the top five college football games to watch this week.
Mater Dei v. Bishop Gorman
Perhaps the biggest matchup of the entire high school football season will take place this weekend at Santa Ana Stadium, as No. 1 Mater Dei (1-0) takes on No. 2 Bishop Gorman (2-0).
With 38 recruits at least three stars participating, the game is generating a lot of hype and could potentially determine the 2024 championship team, according to 247Sports.
Bishop Gorman will likely enter this game as an underdog, but has already beaten top teams in Hawaii and Florida and will face its biggest test on the road Friday night against powerhouse Mater Dei.
Both teams will be fresh off their bye weeks and looking to take each other's undefeated record after both teams were undefeated in 2023, sparking debate as to who should be crowned national champion.
The last time these two teams met in 2022, Mater Dei won, so it should be another entertaining match.
North Crowley vs. DeSoto
You can't talk about the top matchups in high school football without mentioning Texas, and this week we have a matchup between powerhouses North Crowley (1-0) and DeSoto (1-0), both of which are ranked in the top five in the state.
North Crowley has a big challenge here, scheduling DeSoto as a non-district game and looking to garner attention against one of the best teams in the country.
This game will be a big sign for the Panthers, who will be huge underdogs going into this one, but it will provide a clear picture of where they stand in Texas football history.
DeSoto is coming off a strong first win last week, beating Georgia 5A state champion Creekside 70-0, and will look to carry that momentum into one of the best matchups of the week against North Crowley.
Atascocita vs. Katie
A rematch of last year's heated contest will take place this weekend in Texas, featuring two Top 25 programs in Atascocita (1-0) and Katy (1-0).
Atascocita opened its season with a commanding 35-7 win over Lamar, led by four-star recruits Cardi Mack and Tory Blaylock.
Meanwhile, Katy won in a much different way, going on the road to beat Dickinson in a close game, 41-37. Thanks to a stellar performance from running back Tremaine Hill, who threw for 123 yards and four touchdowns on the day, Katy pulled out the win.
Katy has had the advantage in recent head-to-head meetings, but the tides turned last season with Atascocita winning 42-34.
This game should be a tough non-district battle between two Texas teams, with the ground game likely to be a big factor.
Cocoa vs. IMG
In Florida, one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the year will take place on Friday night between back-to-back state champions Cocoa (2-0) and powerhouse IMG (1-1).
Both teams are ranked in the top five in the state and feature high-end offenses led by four-star quarterbacks.
Brady Hart, a University of Michigan commit in the class of 2026, rushed for 270 yards and three touchdowns in the team's season opener before rushing for 331 yards and four touchdowns in a 51-0 win over Mainland last week.
SMU commit Ty Hawkins, a Class of 2025 enrollment student, has eight touchdowns in the two games so far, four of them passing and four more on the ground.
IMG opened the season with a 35-34 loss to Canyon Corner but bounced back with a 27-14 win over Bergen Catholic on the road last week and will look to beat Cocoa in a powerhouse showdown this weekend.
North Gwinnett vs. Mill Creek
Georgia has two top-five teams facing off this weekend, North Gwinnett (2-0) and Mill Creek (3-0).
North Gwinnett defeated McEachern in the season opener and then solidified its status as the top team in the state with a 14-3 victory on the road against Colquitt County last week.
Mill Creek has played well through the first three weeks of its schedule, winning on the road against Lambert and Norcross before beating Archer 48-14 last week.
They'll host North Gwinnett on Friday night in one of the state's top matchups, and Buford vs. Roswell is also scheduled as a featured matchup between Georgia's top 10 teams.
