It's officially playoff season for high school football, and this week's games will feature a number of Top 25 teams in interesting matchups for state titles across the country.
Let's break down this week's top five matchups. The top pair comes from California's CIF division.
Mater Dei (California) vs Centennial (California)
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We're seeing that as five-star Husan Longstreet and Centennial play powerhouse Mater Dei at home to avenge a 42-25 loss in the season opener.
However, Centennial played that game without Longstreet, who could be the difference-maker in the Huskies pulling off the upset over Mater Dei. Longstreet, who recently committed to USC, threw for 1,641 yards, 19 touchdowns and four interceptions this season, leading the Huskies to a 9-1 start, only losing in his season debut.
Since then, Centennial has grown to be considered a top-25 team in the country, and Longstreet likely spent most of the night watching the way three-star wide receiver Corey Butler was doing.
Mater Dei are the best team in the country this year, Michigan four-star player Jordan Davison Running back. Davison has been strong this year, leading Mater Dei's offense with 875 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns.
Mater Dei has won every game by double digits this year, with six of the 10 wins coming by at least 21 points. They will look to extend their winning streak on Friday night when they travel to play Centennial, which kicks off at 7 p.m.
Orange Lutheran (California) vs. St. John Bosco (California)
In another battle between California's top 25 teams, Orange Lutheran will take on St. John Bosco on Friday night with kickoff at 7 p.m.
Orange Lutheran, led by four-star Nebraska quarterback TJ Lateef, fell to 8-3 this year with blowout losses to Mater Dei and Bishop Gorman and a 28-24 loss to St. John Bosco in the regular season. It became.
Lateef, a dual-threat quarterback, gained 207 yards and two touchdowns in Game 1, rushing for 78 yards on 10 carries, but that wasn't enough for Orange Lutheran looking for revenge. It wasn't.
St. John Bosco improved to 10-1, with its only loss coming to Mater Dei 59-14. They are led by the duo of freshman quarterback Koa Marauulu and wide receiver Madden Williams. Marauuluwis 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.
Marauulu performed extremely well in the regular season matchup against Orange Lutheran, throwing for a career-high 272 yards and four touchdowns, completing 75 percent of his passes. The game focused on Williams, and Marauulu connected with junior wideout Carson Clark, who had 11 catches and 121 yards in the win.
Both teams were very competitive in the first matchup between the two schools, and Friday should be no different.
Lowndes (Georgia) vs. Buford (Georgia)
In a matchup between 10-1 Georgia teams, Lowndes will face Buford on Friday night with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line. This match will be the first meeting between the top two teams.
Lowndes only lost 38-35 to Colquitt County, winning all of its remaining games and scoring at least 30 points in nine of those games.
Quarterback Jace Johnson threw for 1,676 yards, 16 touchdowns, and two interceptions this season, and had 308 yards rushing and three scores on the ground.
He's primarily looking to connect with top wideout Jaylin Carter, who averages over 75 receiving yards per game, while running back Marvis Parrish has 906 rushing yards and 24 total touchdowns on the year. He is a big threat on the ground.
Buford is led by Tennessee running back commit Justin Baker, who has 784 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the year. The team's quarterback is Dayton Raiola, a three-star recruit from Nebraska and the younger brother of Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola. The young Dayton has tossed Buford for 1,595 yards and 17 touchdowns this year, with just three interceptions.
This game will be a tough matchup for both sides, as Buford's only loss was a close 13-10 loss to Milton in the season opener. Who will win on Friday?
Walsh Jesuit (Ohio) vs. Archbishop Hoban (Ohio)
We'll be heading to Ohio State for our next matchup this week, as Walsh Jesuit and Archbishop Hoban are scheduled for a rematch of a close 19-14 regular season game, with the former winning and earning a spot. The Division II semifinals are on the line.
Walsh Jesuit has a perfect 13-0 record this year, with eight of those wins coming by at least 26 points, led by a dynamic team led by senior quarterback Kellen Moten and junior wide receiver Milan Paris. Thanks to this offense.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Hoban lost to Walsh Jesuit, 19-14, and Archbishop Spalding, 28-14, 12-0 in the opening games, making it 11-2. They have an energetic defense as no team has scored more than 28 points all season.
Two people lead them ohio commit, 4-star defensive back Elbert Hill And on that side of the ball is three-star linebacker Eli Hill. Both should contribute to what could be another slugfest Friday night.
Douglas County (GA) vs. North Cobb (GA)
Back to the Peach State, Friday night will see a battle between Douglas County and North Cobb for a spot in the 6A quarterfinals.
Douglas County is 9-2 with two losses to top-25 opponents Buford and Carrollton. Aside from that, they have been on a winning streak, most recently beating Mill Creek last week to open the playoffs 27-18.
Leading them is Texas A&M Four-star receiver Aaron Gregory has 777 receiving yards and seven touchdowns this season, and four-star junior wideout Devin Carter is also unbeaten with 590 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
North Cobb went 11-0, winning every opponent by double digits while outbursts for the team's fair share. Freshman running back Zach Bellew flourished, rushing for over 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns on the year, and quarterback Nick Grimstead did a great job of protecting the football.
In what could be an explosive matchup between two high-powered offenses, kickoff is set for Friday night at 7:30 p.m., with the winner earning a spot in the quarterfinals.
