A matchup of crosstown rivals who are battling toward the top of the California Bowl Game rankings kicks off the latest edition of the MaxPreps Top 10 Games of the Week.
Bragging rights in Elk Grove, Calif., and – in all likelihood – the outright championship of the Delta Valley League are at stake when Franklin takes on Elk Grove High Friday night. Franklin is rated third in the latest MaxPreps California North Division I Bowl Game Rankings while Elk Grove is No. 5. The winner could end up representing Northern California in a regional game that leads to the state championship game at Home Depot Center in December.
The rest of this week's slate of top games includes four matchups involving
MaxPreps Xcellent 25 teams. No. 4 St. Ignatius (Cleveland) travels to Cincinnati to play a St. Xavier team desperate for a win to improve its playoff chances. No. 10 Ensworth (Nashville, Tenn.) is on upset alert against a talented squad from Brentwood Academy. No. 16 Goose Creek (S.C.) is playing a fellow unbeaten conference opponent in Wando (Mount Pleasant), as is No. 19 Colerain (Cincinnati), which hosts Lakota West (West Chester).
After correctly picking the winner in only four of last week's 10 games, Jamie DeMoney's lead in our season-long predictions contest has narrowed to a single game. At 59-21 overall (.737 percent) for the season, Jamie is only one game in front of Leland Gordon and just three games clear of Mitch Stephens. Stephen Spiewak sits in fourth place, a mere four games off the pace while Steve Montoya and Kevin Askeland currently reside in the cellar but are only five games behind the leader.
Here's a look at this week's top 10 games of the week along with predictions by MaxPreps staff writers and contributors Mitch Stephens, Steve Montoya, Stephen Spiewak, Kevin Askeland, Leland Gordon and Jamie DeMoney.
MaxPreps Top 10 Football Games of the Week
Elk Grove and Franklin will duke it out in a crosstown tussle this week, and the victor will grab the inside track for better playoff seeding ahead of the new California Regional Bowl Games.
Photos by Chris Trim/Graphic by Ryan Escobar
Franklin improved to 7-0 on the year with a dominating 72-7 win over Davis last week. Senior running back
Christian Fonbuena led the way with a season-high 123 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. The Wildcats are looking for their fourth win against Elk Grove in the last five years.
Look for a call-in update from this game on the Friday Night Live show, powered by American Family InsuranceElk Grove (7-0) wants to add to its regular-season winning streak that reached 17 games with a 24-0 shutout of perennial power Grant (Sacramento) last week.
Robert Frazier, a 5-foot-8, 180-pound senior running back, eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the second-straight season, running for 159 yards and one touchdown against Grant.
Mitch Stephens: Franklin 22, Elk Grove 21
Steve Montoya: Franklin 21, Elk Grove 20
Stephen Spiewak: Elk Grove 35, Franklin 28
Kevin Askeland: Franklin 65, Elk Grove 14
Leland Gordon: Elk Grove 35, Franklin 32
Jamie DeMoney: Elk Grove 28, Franklin 24
