St. Frances (MD) vs. Mater Dei (CA) lead the 5 must-watch high school football games this week

We break down the most important games of the week across the country.

Another week, another loaded slate of high school football games await us, as a number of teams are finishing off their non-conference slate this weekend.

A slew of top-25 teams will face off against each other, while undefeated records lay in the balance ahead of a competitive week of high school football, with key matchups in several states taking place.

Let’s break down the top fives games of the weekend and the top talents to follow in each of those contests.

Centennial (CA) vs. Liberty (AZ)

One of the top programs in California will be facing off against a nationally-ranked team from Arizona this weekend when Centennial takes on Liberty on Saturday. Centennial will be looking to make some noise with an upset.

It’s been an interesting start for the California powerhouse as they’ve started the season 2-2, facing an injury to star quarterback Husan Longstreet, a five-star quarterback according to 247Sports and a Texas A&M commit.

Centennial had losses to No. 1 Mater Dei and Santa Margarita, but have bounced back with two straight wins with Longstreet starring in both games. He tossed for 180 yards on 10 of 13 passing in Centennial’s 56-20 win over Timpview, while also rushing for 44 yards and a touchdown on six carries.

Then, in a 49-35 win over Lone Peak last weekend, Longstreet had a monster game, completing 12 of 17 passes for 186 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, while rushing for 146 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

Longstreet will need to be more consistent, as he goes against one of the better teams in the country with Liberty, who have blown out two opponents and scored 40+ points twice.

Liberty quarterback Hayden Fletcher just set a single-game school record with 450 passing yards and six touchdowns this past week. He’ll look to lead the charge in what should be a tightly-contested game on Friday.

St. Frances (MD) vs. Mater Dei (CA)

In a battle between two top-25 teams, Mater Dei versus St. Frances on Friday could end up being the most interesting game of the week.

Mater Dei has already faced off against some tough opponents to begin the year, as they’re 3-0 with wins over Centennial and Bishop Gorman. They’re looking to close the door on their non-conference schedule with another major victory against St. Frances.

Meanwhile, St. Frances is 2-2, but they’ve faced two tough opponents in the last two weeks, losing while on the road to 15-13 to nationally-ranked Orange Lutheran and 28-24 to elite powerhouse Duncanville. They’ve been competitive in both games, raising some eyes, and now get a big challenge this weekend on the road once again.

Led by Michigan commit and running back Jordon Davison, who has 243 yards and three touchdowns through three games, Mater Dei will look to push the ball on the ground in hopes for a fourth consecutive victory to start the season.

St. Frances, on the other hand, could rely on their stout defense, with defensive backs Blake Woodby and Raylaun Henry both being four-stars and some of the top players in the state of Maryland.

While Mater Dei are probably considerable favorites heading into the weekend, this one should be a competitive one nonetheless.

American Heritage (FL) vs. Central (FL)

In one of the top battles between Florida teams this week, American Heritage takes on Central on Friday night, with a number of talented players on both sides of this matchup.

American Heritage, led by 2026 five-star quarterback Dia Bell and 2025 four-star running back Byron Louis, has a high-octane offense, and has started the season 2-2, with close losses to Chaminade (48-45) and Georgia powerhouse Milton (37-28).

Bell has started the season strong, throwing for 300 yards twice, while totaling 1,075 passing yards through the first four games, as well as 185 rushing yards. Bell has also tossed for 13 touchdown passes, including nine over a two-game stretch, but had a three-interception outing against Naples last week.

His top target thus far has been four-star wideout Malachi Toney, who has 417 receiving yards and a whopping seven touchdowns through four games already, nearly totaling his touchdown number from a season ago (8).

Louis has started off hot as well, rushing for 466 yards and four touchdowns, while even having one major receiving game in the mix as well.

On the other side, Central has won three straight after losing their season opener to Lakeland 16-8, winning those victories by a margin of 176-32.

They have a number of talented skill position guys, as well as stout defensive players to create a well-rounded team, setting up for a sweet Florida Friday night battle in Miami.

Orange Lutheran (CA) vs. Sierra Canyon (CA)

Two of the top 10 teams in California are set to battle against each other this week, with nationally-ranked Orange Lutheran taking on Sierra Canyon on the road on Saturday night.

Orange Lutheran has been tested well early, beating Serra and narrowly edging past St. Frances, leading to a 3-0 start. However, the Lancers fell short in a 55-28 loss to Bishop Gorman last week, keeping their record at 3-1 heading into this matchup.

Sierra Canyon has lost matchups to JSerra Catholic and St. John Bosco, leaving them at 2-2 heading into the week.

Four-star Nebraska commit T.J. Lateef and four-star Utah commit Wyatt Becker lead a strong quarterback competition for Orange Lutheran and Sierra Canyon, respectively, and they’ll have some high expectations as both teams are coming off losses, not looking to extend those streaks in an in-state matchup.

A lot of eyes will be fixed on this showdown, where a good amount of top talent will clash in what could end up being a fairly high-scoring battle.

Basha (AZ) vs. Mission Viejo (CA)

Two undefeated teams clash this week when Basha (3-0) takes on Mission Viejo (4-0) in an interstate contest, looking to take each other’s streaks away.

Basha started the year with a 39-25 win over Millard South and has since outscored opponents 97-3 ahead of their first road game of the season.

Mission Viejo, on the other hand, has won all four of their matchups by at least 28 points, outscoring opponents 185-20 to start the year.

Both teams have talented skill position players, with Basha led by 2027 running back Noah Roberts, who has 304 rushing yards and six total touchdowns on over 10 yards per carry through the first three games. Mission Viejo has a pair of four-star receivers with Phillip Bell and Vance Spafford leading the way, while their defense is spearheaded by five-star defensive back Dijon Lee.

This one should be a competitive contest, with Mission Viejo being a ranked team heading into this one, as both sides will look to remain undefeated on Friday.