National High School Football Games of the Week: Oct. 2-4

As the national high school football scene continues to shuffle the deck when it comes to upsets and surprising results, we take a look around the country for some of the top games taking place.

The latest surprise when it came to shaking up the national ranks was when Don Bosco Prep defeated previous No. 9 Bergen Catholic in a 14-9 defensive battle. Here’s a look at the 10 biggest national high school football games you won’t want to miss from Oct. 2-4.

Lone Peak (Utah) at Skyridge (Utah)

When: Thursday, Oct. 2, 10 p.m. ET
Where: The Nest, Lehi, Utah

There could be an excess of 80 points scored in this Thursday night matchup before it’s all said and done. After picking up what looked like a groundbreaking program win, Lone Peak had a setback last week when they fell to American Fork, 31-28. The Knights look to bounce back against Skyridge, which is coming off a 49-14 loss to Corner Canyon. The Falcons (5-2) features three-star quarterback  Kaneal Sweetwyne, who has been terrific throwing the rock this fall. Sweetwyne has thrown for 1,973 yards and 23 touchdowns for Skyridge.

Massey Prediction: Lone Peak 36, Skyridge 34

No. 25 Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) at DePaul Catholic (N.J.)

When: Friday, Oct. 3, 6 p.m. ET
Where: Alumni Field, Wayne, N.J.

Coming fresh off one of the biggest wins of the last couple of seasons, Don Bosco Prep (4-0) looks to keep the good vibes going as they take to the road to face a very good DePaul Catholic (4-1) group, the No. 6 team out of New Jersey. The Ironmen played a defensive slugfest against Bergen Catholic last week, coming away with a thrilling 14-9 win. Now newly included into the latest set of Rivals High School Football Composite Rankings, Don Bosco Prep will look to make sure to that last week was no fluke whatsoever.

Massey Prediction: Don Bosco Prep 28, DePaul Catholic 20

Varina (Va.) at No. 21 Grimsley (N.C.)

When: Friday, Oct. 3, 7 p.m. ET
Where: Jamieson Stadium, Greensboro, North Carolina

North Carolina’s top team in Grimsley (5-0) has won 21 straight games and look to add to their longstanding win streak when they welcome Varina, the No. 6 ranked team out of Virginia, into Greensboro. The Whirlies have won their first five games and the last two weeks haven’t been close, with Grimsley winning by a combined 131-6 score. Varina (4-1) heads in with a potent offense led by West Virginia commit SirPaul Cheeks and Hampton pledge Michael Farley at running back.

Massey prediction: Grimsley 40, Varina 19

No. 2 IMG Academy (Fla.) at Venice (Fla.)

When: Friday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Powell Davis Stadium, Venice, Fla.

IMG Academy has seemingly played everywhere but near Bradenton, but that all changes this week when they travel about an hour down south to face off against Venice (3-2). Head coach Greg Studrawa has this IMG Academy team playing very balanced offense football behind the right arm of sophomore sensation Jayden Wade, who completed all 11 of his passes for 350 yards and four touchdowns in the 49-14 win over Phenix City Central (Ala.). The Indians counter with Howard commit Darryon Jones (446 yards, three touchdowns) at quarterback.

Massey Prediction: IMG Academy 45, Venice 13

Baylor School (Tenn.) at McCallie School (Tenn.)

When: Friday, Oct. 3 at 7:45 p.m. ET
Where: Hatch Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

It’s hard to ignore the level of play both the Baylor School (6-0) and  McCallie School (5-1) have been playing at this season, running through any team that has come in their path. The Red Raiders and Blue Tornadoes square off in what should be the game of the year in the Volunteer State as both programs feature high-powered offenses. Baylor features Louisville four-star quarterback commit Briggs Cherry, who guides an offense that’s averaging 45 points per game. McCallie’s defense has proven to be one of the best in the state, only giving up 13.3 points per contest.

Massey Prediction: Baylor School 32, McCallie School 28

Thompson (Ala.) at Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.)

When: Friday, Oct. 3, 8 p.m. ET
Where: Warrior Stadium, Alabaster, Ala.

The top Alabama high school football game on Friday night is between the visiting Thompson Warriors (3-2) and undefeated Hewitt-Trussville Huskies (5-0), with the former being Alabama’s defending Class 7A state champions. Thompson junior quarterback Trent Seaborn has been the steady hand behind center for the Warriors as the passer has already thrown for over 1,500 yards and 16 touchdowns this season. The Huskies will look to avenge last season’s 15-10 loss to the Warriors.

Massey Prediction: Thompson 28, Hewitt-Trussville 18

St. Augustine (La.) at No. 11 Edna Karr (La.)

When: Friday, Oct. 3, 8 p.m. ET
Where: Morris F.X. Jeff Stadium, New Orleans, La.

Other than an overtime thriller with Florida’s American Heritage, a 24-17 win, in the second game of the season, everything has been pretty smooth sailing for Edna Karr thus far. The Cougars (4-0) will face their toughest in-state test to date when they take on an also undefeated St. Augustine squad. The Purple Knights through four games have looked near unstoppable on offense, averaging a ridiculous 56.7 points per game. Edna Karr has only yielded 20 points altogether through four games so this will be a battle of strength versus strength.

Massey Prediction: Edna Karr 42, St. Augustine 20

Brother Rice (Ill.) at Chicago Mount Carmel (Ill.)

When: Friday, Oct. 3, 8:30 p.m. ET
Where: Barda-Dowling Stadium, Chicago, Illinois

A couple of the top high school football teams in Illinois clash in Chicago on Friday night, with both programs heading into this tilt with 5-0 records. The Caravan have blown by opponents, with the latest example being a 48-0 rout of Benet Academy last week. Mount Carmel will look to slow down a Brother Rice team that’s playing their best football of the season, averaging 38 points per game behind the play of quarterback CJ Gray, who has totaled 1,123 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Massey prediction: Mount Carmel 35, Brother Rice 21

No. 23 De La Salle (Calif.) at Cathedral Catholic (Calif.)

When: Friday, Oct. 3, 10 p.m. ET
Where: Manchester Stadium, San Diego, Ca.

One of California’s most storied high school football programs in De La Salle (5-0), who finished as the state’s Open Division runner-up to Mater Dei in 2024, heads down to Southern Cal to face off against the state’s No. 11 ranked Cathedral Catholic (5-0). The Dons’ defense will focus on stopping De La Salle junior running back Duece Jones-Drew (341 yards, six touchdowns), son of former NFL’er Maurice Jones Drew. The Dons on offense boast Cal quarterback commit Brady Palmer, who has thrown for 885 yards and nine touchdowns this fall.

Massey Prediction: De La Salle 28, Cathedral Catholic 14

Miami Central (Fla.) at Miami Northwestern (Fla.)

When: Saturday, Oct. 4 at 4:30 p.m. ET
Where: Traz Powell Stadium, Miami, Fla.

Anytime these two programs meet each other down at Traz Powell Stadium, you can almost expect pure cinema out on the field. Oh, and plenty of trash talking between the two teams and they make it be known pretty quickly their distaste for the other club as it’s a battle for the best high school football program in Miami.

Last year’s meeting was a victory for Miami Central (3-0) until the FHSAA came down with sanctions for the Rockets, which included forfeiture of the game, awarding the win to the Bulls. Other than a loss to Orange Lutheran (Calif.) to start the season, Miami Northwestern has plugged along without four-star wide receiver Calvin Russell (Syracuse commit).

Massey Prediction: Miami Northwestern 28, Miami Central 26

How to Follow National High School Football

For national high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals National High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the state, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals National High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the gridiron excitement across the country.