High school football playoffs: Top 5 matchups of the week

Here are the top-five games on the schedule.

This week, several other Super 25 teams will be lining up across from each other, setting the stage for more playoff drama. Here are the top-five games on the schedule.

(Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

California: No. 1 St. John Bosco vs. No. 19 Serra

St. John Bosco (12-1)

To get here the Braves beat out the Monarchs in dramatic fashion last Friday night, winning 24-22 after holding off a late rally by Mater Dei. In the end, it was quality line play that won the day for Bosco. On defense, they stood tall in the red zone with several successful goal line stands. Their offensive line also played a key role in crunch time.

Serra (13-0)

Still undefeated on the season, Serra hasn’t really been challenged since back in Week 2, when they defeated De La Salle (Calif.) by a field goal. The Padres have beaten every team they’ve faced since by at least 12 points, including a 41-14 route of Archbishop Mitty (Calif.) last week.

Watch live or on-demand on the NFHS Network

(PAUL RYAN / CORRESPONDENT)

Florida: No. 4 Central vs. No. 13 American Heritage (12/16)

Central (13-0)

The Rockets began their 2022 campaign with a 20-14 win over IMG Academy (Fla.), getting their journey off on the right foot. That was about as tough as it’s gotten for Central this year. All together, they have beaten seven of their opponents by 30 points or more. Last week they took out Lakewood (Fla.) 39-21 to advance.

American Heritage (13-1)

(USA TODAY Network)

Texas: No. 8 Westlake vs. No. 10 North Shore

Westlake (14-0)

They have some strong competition for the title, but Westlake might be the most-dominant high school football team in the nation this year. Their season began with a 30-point blowout over Ridge Point (Texas) and they haven’t looked back. Along the way, they’ve posted several lopsided wins by scores of 73-7, 66-17, 70-0, 45-0, 70-10 and 58-10. They did it again last week against Brennan (Texas), winning 47-7 on the road.

North Shore (14-0)

While not quite as dominant as Westlake, the Mustangs are also undefeated on the season. They have done it by running up the score on their opponents. They have put up at least 38 points in 12 different games this season. Last week they put up 38 again vs. Atascocita (Texas) in a 31-point landslide.

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(Fiel)

Georgia: No. 20 Carrollton vs. No. 24 Mill Creek

Carrollton (14-0)

If you get to this point in the schedule and you still haven’t lose a game, you’re doing something right. The Trojans won their first game this year against Gadsden City (Ala.) 69-7, setting the tone for a dominant campaign. Carrollton boasts one of the top defenses in the country, holding eight opponents to 14 points or less. They beat Colquitt County (Ga.) on Friday, 35-27.

Mill Creek (13-1)

With the exception of a close call Week 1 against Walton (Ga.) and a 12-point loss to Buford (Ga.) in mid-October, Mill Creek has been rolling over their competition all year. They won their next two games by a combined score of 99-0 and have blown out every other opponent by at least 24 points. Last week they beat Milton (Ga.) 48-14.

Watch live or on-demand on the NFHS Network

(USA TODAY Network)

Arizona: No. 18 Basha vs. Saguaro

Basha (11-1)

The only team that’s beaten Basha this season is Liberty (Ariz.), a 35-7 blowout back in early October. Since that point their defense has tightened up considerably, not allowing more than 25 points in a single game. It’s getting better with time, too. To get here Basha pitched a shut out against Chandler (Ariz.) in a 13-0 playoff win last weekend.

Saguaro (9-3)

The Sabercats had a shaky start to their 2022 season, losing their first game and three of their first five matchups overall. However, since then they have gone on a tear, winning seven straight games, including a one-point road victory over Liberty on Saturday, 43-42. That avenged a 26-17 loss to Liberty on September 30, which was the last time Saguaro lost a game.

Watch live or on-demand on the NFHS Network

Super 25 high school football Week 5 recap: American Heritage beats Cardinal Gibbons

A look at the Super 25 scores from last week

Most of the Super 25 teams had a strong week, with Central (Fla.), Bishop Gorman (Nev.), North Shore (Texas) and Guyer (Texas) all notching dominant wins. In one of the more interesting matchups, No. 15 ranked American Heritage (Fla.) almost shutout No. 23 Cardinal Gibbons (Fla.).

Here’s how the top 25 high school teams in the country fared this past week.

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Florida high school football rankings: 6 teams appear in latest Super 25

Six schools from the state are in the latest USA TODAY Super 25 rankings.

Talent can be found all around the country if you know where to look, but the truth is that much of the elite football prospects are concentrated in a few places.

In Texas high school football is more of a religion than a hobby, and they usually have several of the best teams in the nation.

Florida is also a hotbed of high-quality recruits and teams, though. Six schools from the state are in the latest USA TODAY Super 25 rankings. Here’s who they are and where they rank compared to the competition.

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Florida high school football on the NFHS Network

High school football heavyweights to battle in 2022 ESPN GEICO Kickoff

The 2022 high school football season is starting with a bang with the 2022 ESPN GEICO Kickoff.

The 2022 high school football season is starting with a bang with the 2022 ESPN GEICO Kickoff.

ESPN announced its doozy of a Kickoff field on Tuesday, with a doubleheader of St. Joseph’s Prep (Pa.) vs. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) followed by Los Alamitos (Calif.) vs. American Heritage (Fla.) on Aug. 27.

St. Thomas Aquinas finished ninth in the 2021 USA TODAY High School Sports Super 25 rankings following a 14-1 season that resulted in a state championship. St. Joseph’s Prep returns a talented team in 2022, headlined by West Virginia linebacker commit Josiah Trotter.

American Heritage’s meeting with Los Alamitos might be the juiciest matchup of the Kickoff. Los Alamitos is led by five-star USC quarterback commit Malachi Nelson — the No. 2 recruit in the class of 2023 — and five-star athlete Makai Lemon, who is also committed to the Trojans. Los Alamitos also has four-star wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr., three-star athlete Ethan O’Connor, three-star defensive end Sinn Brennan and three-star running back Nygel Osborne.

American Heritage welcomes a new head coach in Mike Smith after Patrick Surtain joined the Miami Dolphins’ coaching staff. Smith was previously the program’s strength and conditioning coach and takes over after a stretch that featured a 111-18 record since 2012 and state championships in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2020.

There are also a pair of heavyweight matchups outside of the Kickoff during the first weekend of the 2022 season. Defending national champion Mater Dei (Calif.) travels to Las Vegas to take on Nevada 5A champion Bishop Gorman, while St. John Bosco heads to Texas for a date with Allen.

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Miami Dolphins hire former American Heritage coach Patrick Surtain

Patrick Surtain, who won three championships as the American Heritage head coach, has been hired by his former NFL team, the Miami Dolphins.

After six years and three championships as a coach at the high school level, former NFL player Patrick Surtain has been scooped up by an NFL team.

Surtain will be returning to the Miami Dolphins, the team in which he had the most success as a player over his 11-year career. As a cornerback for the Dolphins from 1998-2004, he made three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams.

He will be joining the Dolphins as a defensive assistant, according to NBC Sports.

Surtain showed his chops as a coach after getting hired by American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) in 2016. Over six seasons at the helm, he led the team to a 65-10 record and won championships in 2016, 2017 and 2020, according to MaxPreps.

Six players who had previously played for American Heritage were selected in the 2021 Draft, according to MaxPreps. One of these players is Surtain’s son, Patrick Surtain Jr., who was picked in the first round by the Denver Broncos and recorded four interceptions and 14 passes defended.

The Dolphins have now added both Surtain and his former teammate, Sam Madison, who made four Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams as he manned the secondary with Surtain in the late-1990s and early-2000s. Former Dolphin Wes Welker has also joined the coaching staff.

Miami, which had back-to-back seasons with records above .500 for the first time since Surtain and Madison were the cornerbacks, is looking to continue its upward trajectory under new head coach Mike McDaniel.

Get more Dolphins news at Dolphins Wire.

Georgia football offers 4-star WR Santana Fleming

The Georgia Bulldogs have offered a scholarship to class of 2023 wide receiver recruit Santana Fleming

The Georgia Bulldogs have offered a scholarship to class of 2023 wide receiver recruit Santana Fleming. According to Fleming, Georgia is the 28th school to offer the four-star wide receiver prospect a scholarship.

FSU, USC, Ole Miss, Florida and Oregon are among the schools that have offered Fleming a football scholarship.

Fleming is a rising junior at American Heritage in Plantation, Florida. American Heritage has been home to numerous elite college football recruits.

The University of Georgia has recruited American Heritage quite well over the years. Sony Michel, Tyson Campbell and Isaiah McKenzie all attended American Heritage. Will Fleming be the next talented recruit to come to Athens from their program?

Fleming is ranked as the No. 14 wide receiver and No. 92 prospect in his class according to the 247Sports composite ranking. Fleming, who is 5 feet, 11 inches and 160 pounds, additionally plays cornerback.

Georgia Bulldogs running back coach Dell McGee offered Fleming the scholarship. The four-star wide receiver announced his latest offer via his Twitter account:

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