National High School Football Predictions: Aug. 21-23

The start of the high school football season in states like California, Florida and Pennsylvania has teams traveling across America this week for high-profile games with top programs.

Ten high school football games in particular stand out to us this week, with most of them taking place on the East Coast from Pennsylvania down to Florida. Earlier this week, we shared predictions based on the Massey Ratings for the 10 biggest games of the weekend. Today, Rivals national high school sports reporter Andy Villamarzo makes his picks:

No. 11 Corner Canyon (Utah) vs. West Broward (Fla.)

When: Friday, Aug. 22 at 4 p.m. ET
Where: Otis Gray Jr. Memorial Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The No. 11-ranked Corner Canyon Chargers are coming off a dominating 45-0 victory over Bingham to start the season and now head down to the Sunshine State to take on a talented West Broward squad. The Chargers have the ultimate X-Factor player in senior four-star quarterback Helaman Casuga (Texas A&M commitment), so we like Corner Canyon to upend West Broward on Friday evening.

Prediction: Corner Canyon 35, West Broward 26

No. 17 American Heritage (Fla.) vs. No. 15 St. Joseph’s Prep (Pa.)

When: Friday, Aug. 22 at 6 p.m. ET
Where: Brian Piccolo Memorial Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

American Heritage is coming off winning last year’s Florida Class 4A state championship, but the Patriots started the 2024 season losing to Milton (Ga.). The Patriots host a Hawks team that’s making their return to the Broward County Classic High School Football Showcase for the first time since 2022.  St. Joseph’s Prep lost to St. Thomas Aquinas, 48-37 in 2022, so both programs have something to prove in the prestigious classic.

Prediction: American Heritage 27, St. Joseph’s Prep 19

No. 7 Buford (Ga.) vs. Benedictine Military School (Ga.)

When: Friday, Aug. 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Memorial Stadium, Savannah, Ga.

Can it get any bigger than the debut of the $62-million Phillip Beard Stadium last week on national television for Buford? The Wolves will have to turn the page from their 20-13 win over Milton quickly as they face a Benedictine Military School program that’s still fuming from a 27-24 loss to Colquitt County last week. If you don’t think the Cadets can stay toe-to-toe with the Wolves, you better think again on this one.

Prediction: Buford 19, Benedictine Military School 14

Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (Ga.) vs. No. 10 Grayson (Ga.)

When: Friday, Aug. 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Grayson Ram Stadium, Loganville, Ga.

With the way No. 19 Grayson took rival Collins Hill to the woodshed in last week’s 51-3 thrashing, it’s pretty difficult seeing anyone beating this Rams’ group right now. North Carolina commitment Travis Burgess started the season off red hot with 229 all-purpose yards and four total touchdowns in the rout of the Eagles. Rabun Gap-Nacoochee is just kicking its season off this week against arguably the top team in the Peach State.

Prediction: Grayson 41, Rabun Gap-Nacoochee 13

No. 6 IMG Academy (Fla.) vs. Hoover (Ala.)

When: Friday, Aug. 22 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, Hoover, Ala.

Big games over at The Met brings back MTV series Two-A-Day vibes for when Hoover hosted Nease (Fla.), featuring quarterback Tim Tebow, back in 2005. The Buccaneers won that day 50-29 over the Panthers, but this isn’t the same Hoover program of 20 years ago. Last time Hoover played on national television was in 2014, as the Bucs lost to Miami Central, 24-21, on ESPN. Over a decade later Hoover is back in primetime against the No. 15-ranked IMG Academy Ascenders, who are coming off a 41-6 kickoff classic whooping of The First Academy.

Prediction: IMG Academy 38, Hoover 21

Saraland (Ala.) vs. Jackson (Ala.)

When: Friday, Aug. 22 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: Legion Field, Jackson, Ala.

The bombshell news dropped late Wednesday night that Jackson senior four-star running back Ezavier Crowell (Alabama commit) is out for the regular season opener against the state’s No. 6 team in Saraland. That definitely makes this tougher for the Aggies. With Crowell out, Jackson will have to lean on a pair of four-star talents in quarterback Landon Duckworth (South Carolina) and fleet-footed wide receiver Keeyun Chapman (North Carolina). In what will be the biggest high school football game of the night in the state, how will the Aggies respond to being without Crowell for one week?

Prediction: Jackson 29, Saraland 24

La Salle College (Pa.) at Central Catholic (Pa.)

When: Friday, Aug. 22 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: The Wolvarena, Turtle Creek, Pa.

All we can think about in this one is offense, offense and probably a little bit of defense. When you have the kind of offensive talent that both teams possesses, it would seemingly speak to a boatload of points being run up on the scoreboard at the historic Wolvarena. The player to keep your eye on closely in this Pennsylvania clash is La Salle‘s 2026 three-star senior quarterback Gavin Sidwar (Missouri commit), who threw for 2,747 yards and 31 touchdowns last fall. Central Catholic features one of the top offensive lines in the Keystone State, anchored by junior four-star Jimmy Kalis.

Prediction: La Salle College 48, Central Catholic 42

No. 1 Mater Dei (Calif.) at No. 14 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.)

When: Saturday, Aug. 23 at 3:30 p.m. ET
Where: Brian Piccolo Memorial Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Mater Dei is making its first-ever trip to the Sunshine State for a high school football game and comes in as the No. 1-ranked team in the country. The Monarchs will take on St. Thomas Aquinas, a 16-time state champion. Talking heads will say the South Florida heat might get to Mater Dei, but if that was the case, ask Bishop Gorman and St. John Bosco how much that’s actually bothered them.

Prediction: Mater Dei 35, St. Thomas Aquinas 17

Orange Lutheran (Calif.) at Miami Northwestern (Fla.)

When: Saturday, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Traz Powell Stadium, Miami, Fla.

If the rallying cry to play for former Miami Northwestern head coach Teddy Bridgewater wasn’t heard before, the Bulls’ players are making sure they send the message loud and clear on the field. Last week’s 40-3 thrashing of nine-time state champion Lakeland in a preseason exhibition was a statement sent to the rest of the Sunshine State that the Bulls are still very capable of defending their title. Miami Northwestern’s first test comes against one of California’s top high school football programs in Orange Lutheran.

Prediction: Miami Northwestern 40, Orange Lutheran 14

No. 4 St. Frances Academy (Md.) vs. No. 12 Chaminade-Madonna (Fla.)

When: Saturday, Aug. 23 at 8 p.m.
Where: Brian Piccolo Memorial Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

All that’s on the minds of every player and coach at St. Frances Academy is avenging the 35-14 loss handed to them by Chaminade-Madonna in the 2023 Broward County Classic. That Chaminade-Madonna team had superstar Jeremiah Smith, who is now starring for Ohio State. If Panthers’ head coach Messay Hailemariam and his bunch get rolling against the Lions, it could be a long night for the nine-time state champions of Florida’s Class 1A.

Prediction: St. Frances Academy 35, Chaminade-Madonna 14

How to Follow National High School Football

For 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 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 High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the gridiron excitement across the country.