Friday’s Featured 20: Texas Heavyweights and Eight Ranked Showdowns
Southlake Carroll–North Crowley, DeSoto–Allen and Mission Viejo–Folsom lead a national slate featuring 28 ranked public-school teams.
Top 25 Public HSFB9/4/202616 min read
T25PS
Friday’s national spotlight starts in Texas. #8 North Crowley gets Southlake Carroll’s comeback-tested offense, while #17 Allen tries to follow its win over Duncanville by beating DeSoto. Out west, #24 Mission Viejo takes an offense averaging 66 points into a road game against #27 Folsom.
Venice–Lakeland, Corner Canyon–Liberty and Gainesville–East St. Louis add three more direct comparisons between ranked programs. Across the full slate, 28 ranked public-school teams are involved, including five in the Top 10 and eight games with ranked teams on both sides.
Rankings are from the T25PS Week 2 Top 100. T25PS ranks public schools; private-school opponents are included in our coverage. Records reflect completed regular-season games.
#22 Southlake Carroll (TX) at #8 North Crowley (TX)
Southlake Carroll 1–0 | North Crowley 1–0
The best place to start is the collision between Carroll’s ability to score in a hurry and a North Crowley defense that just shut out Aledo, 26–0. Both won their openers, but Carroll’s 34–33 escape at Jenks required a comeback from 27 points down. North Crowley can make that kind of early deficit much harder to survive.
Hudson Tomcheck gives the Dragons a quarterback who can change the game through the air and on the ground. He threw for 322 yards and two touchdowns against Jenks and added two rushing scores. His mobility matters here: North Crowley must pressure him without letting a broken passing play become a first down.
Carroll’s protection will tell us a great deal. If Tomcheck has time to work through his options, the Dragons can put sustained pressure on a defense that barely bent last week. If North Crowley repeatedly creates long-yardage situations, Carroll risks spending another night chasing the game. A second strong defensive performance would give the Panthers consecutive wins over Aledo and Carroll, a substantial early foundation for their Top 10 position.
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Prediction: North Crowley 35, Southlake Carroll 20
#39 DeSoto (TX) at #17 Allen (TX)
DeSoto 0–1 | Allen 1–0
Allen’s opener changed the expectations for this game. The Eagles beat Duncanville 26–7, recorded eight sacks and finished with a 14–0 fourth quarter. DeSoto arrives after a 38–14 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas in which it trailed 38–0 at halftime. One team is trying to confirm an impressive first impression; the other needs a much better performance immediately.
The first matchup to watch is DeSoto’s protection against Allen’s defensive front. DeSoto cannot keep asking its offense to recover from negative plays against a defense coming off that kind of pressure. Its problems last week also extended beyond offense: Aquinas scored on an interception return and a punt return, so field position and special teams deserve attention.
Allen showed it could finish a game that remained 12–7 entering the fourth quarter. Quarterback Ty Snell threw two touchdown passes, and Lyndon Spriggs supplied two rushing scores. DeSoto needs to keep Allen from accessing both parts of its offense comfortably. For Allen, another win would establish that the Duncanville performance can hold up against a different opponent with national ambitions.
Prediction: Allen 31, Desoto 13
#24 Mission Viejo (CA) at #27 Folsom (CA)
Mission Viejo 2–0 | Folsom 1–0
Only three spots separate these teams, making this one of the night’s clearest opportunities to settle a close national comparison on the field. Mission Viejo has overwhelmed Chaparral 55–17 and St. Paul 77–12. Folsom had to work through overtime to beat Cardinal Newman 23–17.
The Diablos’ offensive line is central to their scoring surge. All five starters returned, giving sophomore quarterback Brett Burnor an experienced group in front of him. Against St. Paul, senior running back Carson Vandermade opened with a 60-yard touchdown run; a 60-yard touchdown pass followed on Mission Viejo’s next possession. Folsom has to disrupt that blocking before those clean opportunities develop.
That makes the early-down battle especially revealing. If Mission Viejo can run efficiently without sacrificing its downfield passing game, Folsom will have difficult choices about where to commit defenders. The Bulldogs need enough stops to turn this into a game of sustained drives and enough offense to make the visitors feel scoreboard pressure. Their opener provided experience in a tight finish. Mission Viejo’s first two opponents never forced that kind of ending.
Prediction: Mission Viejo 42, Folsom 41
#19 Venice (FL) at #33 Lakeland (FL)
Venice 2–0 | Lakeland 1–0
Venice has scored 106 points in two games, but its offense is still settling an important question: who runs it? Junior Noah Patton and freshman Mason Polley continue to split quarterback snaps. Coach John Peacock’s priority is eliminating mental errors and getting the offense aligned correctly.
That matters against a Lakeland defense led up front by Santana Harvey. Venice’s offensive line is younger and smaller than some of Peacock’s previous groups, and the Dreadnaughts have the personnel to test it. Venice still has dangerous scoring options: freshman receiver Mike Blakely has produced five touchdowns on six touches, while Ira Dale Jr. and Dorien Jones give the Indians an experienced backfield.
Lakeland counters with quarterback Kelin Hendrix, who passed for 22 touchdowns and ran for 12 in 2025. His ability to hurt a defense in two ways makes this a substantial step up from Venice’s 64–8 win last week. The history adds weight: Lakeland beat Venice in the 2022 and 2023 state championship games. Friday brings another chance for the Indians to beat an opponent that has repeatedly stood between them and a major prize.
Prediction: Venice 35, Lakeland 30
#12 Corner Canyon (UT) at #46 Liberty (AZ)
Corner Canyon 3–0 | Liberty 1–0
Corner Canyon brings three games of experience into Arizona, including consecutive wins over Timpview, 40–7, and Fremont, 49–0. Liberty’s season began with a 58–18 victory at Mesa. The Lions have shown they can generate points; now they face a defense that has allowed seven across its last two games.
Quarterback Jaxon Pehrson threw five touchdown passes against Fremont. Jackson Carruth contributed 109 rushing yards and three total touchdowns, giving Corner Canyon production beyond its passing game. Liberty must account for both without allowing routine gains to become explosive scores.
The Chargers’ two-game advantage in experience is relevant, especially when an opponent forces adjustments. Liberty has had fewer live opportunities to diagnose problems and correct them. For the Lions, sustained offensive possessions would also test Corner Canyon’s defensive endurance after two comfortable wins. For the Chargers, a road victory over a ranked Arizona opponent would add something their early Utah results cannot: a direct interstate comparison.
Prediction: Corner Canyon 38, Liberty 17
#31 Gainesville (GA) at #26 East St. Louis (IL)
Gainesville 0–1 | East St. Louis 1–1
East St. Louis has already beaten Mount Carmel 42–23 and taken American Heritage to overtime before losing 35–28. Gainesville’s only result is a 39–19 loss at Buford, followed by a bye. Neither team needs an explanation of what a demanding early schedule looks like.
The Flyers’ passing game helped rescue them from a 21-point deficit against American Heritage. Reece Shanklin’s 42-yard touchdown pass to Ronnie Gomiller tied the game and forced overtime. That connection gives Gainesville something specific to address: East St. Louis can erase a lead quickly if receivers get free downfield.
Gainesville has had extra preparation time, but its return comes against another ranked opponent away from home. The Red Elephants need to turn possessions into points consistently enough that East St. Louis cannot dictate the game through a few scoring bursts. The Flyers, meanwhile, need to pair their demonstrated comeback ability with a better opening stretch. With just five ranking spots between them, this result should carry substantial weight in their next evaluations.
Prediction: East St. Louis 28, Gainesville 21
#100 Ralston Valley (CO) at #13 Cherry Creek (CO)
Ralston Valley 1–0 | Cherry Creek 1–0
Last season’s Colorado 5A championship opponents meet again, but Cherry Creek’s opener showed how much work this edition still has ahead of it. The Bruins graduated 36 seniors and trailed Chatfield 15–14 before pulling away for a 28–15 win.
Their fourth-quarter response came through the running game and timely defensive stops. Elijah Cromwell scored the go-ahead touchdown, and quarterback Bentley Unruh finished a later 70-yard drive with an 11-yard scoring run. Chance Phillips supplied important rushing gains along the way.
Ralston Valley’s task is to prevent Cherry Creek from controlling that same kind of extended stretch. The Bruins showed they could recover from mistakes, but a bad punt snap that produced a safety also showed how they can make a game harder on themselves. Ralston Valley needs to turn those openings into touchdowns. Cherry Creek needs its younger lineup to make fewer of them. The rankings favor the Bruins substantially; the championship rematch gives the Mustangs a direct opportunity to challenge that gap.
Prediction: Ralston Valley 28, Cherry Creek 24
#88 Bryant (AR) at #41 Alexandria (LA)
Bryant 0–1 | Alexandria 0–0
Bryant’s offense built a 42–14 third-quarter lead against Benton. The Hornets still lost 43–42 after allowing the final 29 points, with Benton winning on a two-point conversion after time expired. That leaves a much more specific concern than simply recovering from an opening loss.
Bryant has to prove it can protect a favorable game situation. An early touchdown or even an early two-score lead will not answer that question. The meaningful moments may come when Alexandria puts together consecutive scoring threats and the Hornets must respond with either a defensive stop or a possession that changes field position.
Alexandria is opening its regular season against a ranked team with demonstrated scoring ability. That is an immediate examination of the Trojans’ defense, even with Bryant coming off a defeat. For both programs, Friday should provide a more useful measure than assumptions based on the record: Alexandria has no result yet, and Bryant’s first one contained both offensive success and a severe late breakdown.
Prediction: Alexandria 42, Bryant 31
#3 Basha (AZ) at Orange Lutheran (CA)
Basha 1–0 | Orange Lutheran 1–1
Basha’s 37–26 win over Chandler was driven by a defense that forced five turnovers. Marc Duerson III caused three fumbles, including one returned by Tre Kennard for the touchdown that broke a 20–20 tie. Orange Lutheran cannot treat ball security as a routine detail against that kind of disruption.
The Bears also got three touchdown passes from Jake Rogers, two to Makai Nelson. That combination gives Basha a way to punish extra possessions through the air. Orange Lutheran comes off a 38–24 win over Cathedral Catholic and needs its offense to make Basha defend full drives. For the highest-ranked team on tonight’s featured slate, a California road win would build on an already significant Arizona result.
Prediction: Basha 38, Orange Lutheran 17
#4 Carrollton (GA) at Catholic-Baton Rouge (LA)
Carrollton 2–0 | Catholic-Baton Rouge 0–0
Carrollton has outscored Rome and Columbia 116–13, with C.J. Cypher throwing six touchdown passes in the 61–6 win over Columbia. The Trojans have established an early offensive rhythm before their first trip outside Georgia.
Catholic begins its regular season here. Its 20–0 jamboree result against U-High was useful preparation, but Friday is its first countable test. The Bears need to make Cypher work through contested throws and longer possessions rather than letting Carrollton repeat its early scoring pace.
The difference in game experience adds pressure to Catholic’s opening possessions. Falling behind by multiple scores would put its offense in a difficult position before it has settled into the season. Carrollton can strengthen its Top 5 standing by taking the efficiency it showed at home last week into a demanding road setting.
Prediction: Carrollton 48, Catholic 24
#5 Buford (GA) at Mallard Creek (NC)
Buford 1–0 | Mallard Creek 2–0
Buford returns from a bye after beating Gainesville 39–19. Mallard Creek just won 31–30 at Maury in Virginia, giving the Mavericks a close interstate victory before they host a Top 5 public-school opponent.
The home team has already experienced the pressure of a game decided by one point. Buford’s challenge is to establish enough separation that Mallard Creek cannot draw on that experience in another late possession. The Mavericks need to make Buford’s offense repeatedly earn its way down the field and give their own offense chances to answer.
This also begins a useful comparison with Gainesville’s trip to East St. Louis. Buford already owns a win over Gainesville; Friday can add a victory outside Georgia while that earlier result receives its own fresh context.
Prediction: Buford 56, Mallard Creek 9
#6 North Shore (TX) vs. John Curtis Christian (LA)
North Shore 1–0 | John Curtis Christian 0–0
North Shore opened with a 35–0 shutout of Lancaster. Now the Mustangs meet John Curtis in a Louisiana matchup that asks their defense to prepare for a returning quarterback with experience as both a passer and runner.
London Padgett leads Curtis into its regular-season opener, with Isaac Hrabovsky among the returning options in the backfield. North Shore’s defensive responsibilities extend beyond chasing the ball: letting the quarterback escape or losing track of a second rushing threat can sustain a drive even when the first option is covered.
Curtis needs those possessions to produce points against a defense that has yet to allow any. North Shore can make the Patriots’ opening night considerably harder by creating obvious passing downs. This is an opportunity for the Mustangs to show that their opening shutout reflected repeatable defensive execution against a different offensive challenge.
Prediction: North Shore 21, John Curtis 20
NFL Academy (GB) at #32 Massillon Washington (OH)
NFL Academy 2–0 | Massillon Washington 2–0
NFL Academy has beaten Marietta 44–24 and Archbishop Hoban 28–13, so its trip to Massillon comes with meaningful results already attached. The Tigers won the teams’ 2024 meeting 35–21, but this visit presents a new set of personnel and a substantial test up front.
Massillon’s ground game produced 154 yards from Gary Yeager and 107 from Savior Owens against GlenOak, with Owens scoring four touchdowns in the 54–7 win. NFL Academy counters with an offensive line averaging 6-foot-5 and 298 pounds and a defense with considerable size of its own.
Quarterback Viktor Lachambre’s running ability complicates Massillon’s defensive assignment. Pressure that loses containment can create the escape lane he needs. The Tigers must make him finish plays under control while their own backs test whether the visitors’ defensive front can withstand repeated rushing attempts.
Prediction: NFL Academy 24, Massillon 20
Providence Day (NC) at #23 Hough (NC)
Providence Day 2–0 | Hough 2–0
Hough’s offense made a clear jump between its first two games. After a 15–10 win over Northwestern, quarterback Ethan Royal threw four touchdown passes and ran for another in a 35–10 victory over Cardinal Gibbons.
The Huskies want to make tempo part of Friday’s matchup. Coach DeShawn Baker has identified Providence Day’s players who work on both sides of the ball as a reason to get lined up quickly and keep the offense moving. That gives the Chargers’ substitutions and defensive communication particular importance.
Hough also has work to finish near the goal line, an area Baker singled out after the Gibbons win. Providence Day can blunt the effect of a fast-moving offense by forcing empty red-zone trips. For the Huskies, carrying Royal’s production into another unbeaten matchup would make their offensive improvement more convincing.
Prediction: Hough 31, Providence Day 13
St. Frances Academy (MD) at #89 Vero Beach (FL)
St. Frances Academy 1–0 | Vero Beach 2–0
Vero Beach has shown two different defensive outcomes: a 34–0 shutout of Jensen Beach and a 45–30 win over Atlantic. Against St. Frances, the Indians need their offense to remain productive while cutting down the scoring opportunities they allowed last week.
Quarterback Champ Monds is averaging 295.5 passing yards through Vero’s first two games. That production gives the Indians a credible way to challenge the visitors, provided their protection holds up. Early-down completions could keep Vero from repeatedly asking Monds to solve long-yardage situations.
The home team does not need to abandon what has worked. It needs to sustain it against a more demanding opponent and avoid turning an unsuccessful drive into a quick score the other way. This is a major opportunity for Vero to turn an unbeaten start into a nationally significant win.
Prediction: St. Frances Academy 30, Vero Beach 28
St. John Bosco (CA) at #92 Pittsburg (CA)
St. John Bosco 1–1 | Pittsburg 1–0
Pittsburg opened with a 40–7 win over Monterey Trail behind Javale Jones, who rushed for 168 yards and added 103 passing yards with three touchdown throws. His ability to produce in both phases gives the Pirates more than one way to attack.
Bosco’s 45–25 win over Roman Catholic included 31 second-quarter points. That burst shows how quickly the visitors can turn a competitive game into a recovery mission. Pittsburg needs to avoid a stretch in which short possessions repeatedly send its defense back onto the field.
Jones can help by extending drives with his legs when the first passing option is unavailable. The larger question is whether Pittsburg can sustain that offense once Bosco adjusts. A productive opening quarter matters, but the Pirates need answers that last beyond the opening script.
Prediction: St. John Bosco 28, Pittsburgh 13
#55 Martinsburg (WV) at Bridgeport (WV)
Martinsburg 1–0 | Bridgeport 1–0
West Virginia’s Class 4A Martinsburg and Class 3A Bridgeport each own 11 state championships. Both opened with shutouts: Martinsburg beat Hedgesville 74–0, while Bridgeport defeated Buckhannon-Upshur 68–0.
Bridgeport’s Gabe Martin and Gavin Williams combined for 341 rushing yards and five touchdowns while the starting backfield played only one half. Making that ground game work against Martinsburg is the central test. The Bulldogs won the last two meetings 21–0 in 2021 and 21–3 in 2022, keeping Bridgeport out of the end zone both times.
This is their first regular-season meeting since 1952. Bridgeport gets a chance to measure its productive backfield against a nationally ranked opponent; Martinsburg faces a much different challenge than its opening margin suggests. MetroNews TV is scheduled to carry the game.
Prediction: Martinsburg 48, Bridgeport 28
Lexington Catholic (KY) at #98 Boyle County (KY)
Lexington Catholic 2–0 | Boyle County 2–0
Lexington Catholic has allowed six points across wins over Ballard, 19–6, and Paul Laurence Dunbar, 47–0. Boyle County brings an offense that has scored 90 in two games, beating Owensboro Catholic 55–24 and Bryan Station 35–0.
Those starts set up a useful comparison between Boyle’s scoring production and Lexington Catholic’s defensive consistency. The Knights need to force the Rebels to earn touchdowns through extended possessions rather than allowing a few explosive plays to undo a series of good snaps.
Boyle’s defense also improved markedly in its second game, following 24 points allowed with a shutout. If that continues, Lexington Catholic may need to generate more offense than it required in its opener. Both are unbeaten, but Friday should reveal much more about which early strengths hold up against another successful team.
Prediction: Boyle County 28, Lexington Catholic 13
Lee’s Summit North (MO) at #76 Millard South (NE)
Lee’s Summit North 1–0 | Millard South 1–0
Millard South survived Millard North 35–34 behind Trae Taylor’s 412 total yards and three touchdowns. His production included 311 passing yards and 101 rushing yards, making him a challenge for a defense even when its initial coverage holds.
Lee’s Summit North opened with a 27–7 win over Park Hill South. Its next defensive assignment is keeping Taylor from extending possessions after the designed play breaks down. Committing too aggressively to the quarterback can create opportunities elsewhere; sitting back gives him time to throw.
The Patriots have their own defensive improvement to make after allowing 34 points. Another large offensive total may be necessary if they cannot get more stops. Lee’s Summit North has an opportunity to test that weakness and turn a strong Missouri opener into a ranked interstate win.
Prediction: Lee's Summit North 29, Millard South 28
South Gwinnett (GA) at #61 Brookwood (GA)
Brookwood 2–0
Brookwood has put together a balanced start, beating Cambridge 52–7 and Mill Creek 36–8. The Broncos have scored 88 points while allowing 15, with neither opponent getting into double figures.
South Gwinnett needs to interrupt that pattern by keeping its offense on the field and making Brookwood play through more difficult possessions. A couple of early stops will not be enough if the Broncos’ offense keeps getting the ball back in favorable situations.
For Brookwood, the next step is consistency. Its opening two results show production on both sides of the ball, and another controlled performance would give the Broncos a stronger body of work as they try to move up from #61. The standard Friday is maintaining that two-way effectiveness against a familiar Georgia opponent.
