RivalsHigh 100 Week Six | Game of the Week For Week Seven | High School Network

Dallas Jackson
Rivals High

As the calendar turns to October many of the top teams are seperating themselves from the pack, this weekend may be the best for figuring out eh contenders from pretenders. Football fans will need to keep an eye these games in the seventh week for Weekend Watch 2009.

In Florida, the RivalsHigh Game of the Week, No. 1 team Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas is set to defend their national title and state reputation against No. 4 Duncan (S.C) Byrnes. Both teams are loaded with talent and have had a few games to tune up for this clash. The winner has the inside track for a national title.

In Mississippi two of the state power players are also set to collide in an annual rivalry game. No. 74 Batesville (Miss.) South Panola will collide with Olive Branch (Miss.) on Friday night. Many think this is the season the Conquistadors get over the hump against the Tigers.

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Weekend Watch No. 74 South Panola v. Olive Branch

WHEN: Friday 10/2, 7:00 PM LAST MEETING: 10/3/08, South Panola won 21-13. KEEP AN EYE ON: Both squads are loaded with talent. Keep an eye on how the younger South Panola defensive line holds up against one of the nations biggest and most physical offensive lines. Both teams love to run the ball and have big power backs to get the job done. No fancy spread offenses in this one. This is old school smash mouth football at it's best. This is one of the most intense rivalries in the South. STAR POWER: Both teams are loaded with talent. For Olive Branch it starts up front with the offensive line. Offensive tackle Damian Robinson (6-foot-8, 330-pounds) is the state's top prospect in the state and he's got plenty of help up front from Shon Coleman (6-foot-7, 285-pounds) and Eric Lawson (6-foot-6, 320-pounds). They clear the road for running back Keyshun Shipp. South Panola is a little younger on offense but feature four-star running back Nicholas Parker. The Tiger defense is lead by defensive end Devin Clark. BEST MATCHUP: Can Olive Branch get their running game going against a swarming defense from South Panola. Neither team is going to throw the ball much, so the defense will be keying on each team's power runner. Shipp is 5-foot-11, 220-pounds while Parker tips the scale at 6-foot-2, 210-pounds. PREDICTION: Over the past decade Olive Branch was one of the top programs in the South that nobody ever talked about, the reason that they've not gotten any love is because they're in the same region as South Panola. South Panola had a run of 89 consecutive wins and Olive Branch often gave them the toughest games they played during that time. Both teams have dropped close games to Tennessee's top team Memphis-University, but on Friday Night that won't matter. These two teams flat out don't like each other., and in a rivalry this intense anything can happen. This is the year that Olive Branch gets the monkey off their back and hand South Panola a loss. Olive Branch 21 South Panola 17. -- for the best Mississippi high school coverage visit MagnoliaPreps.com.

Weekend Watch No. 2 Elder v. No. 31 St. Xavier

WHEN: Friday 10/2, 7:00 pm LAST MEETING: 9/26/08, Elder won 33-15. KEEP AN EYE ON: How well the Elder offensive line responds to the loss of starting left tackle Pete Bachman, who suffered a broken leg is last week's win over St. Edward. The 6-foot-5, 260-pound Indiana commit has been integral part of the Panthers rebuilding their offensive line. St. Xavier will look to exploit the area of weakness early and often with the pass rushing skills of senior defensive end Nigel Muhammad and junior Steven Daniels, who tied for the GCL lead with 3.5 sacks. PLAYER'S TO WATCH: Two of the Tri-state's top quarterbacks will showcase their talent on Friday night. Elder quarterback Mark Miller, the reigning Ohio Division I Co-Offensive Player of the Year, is averaging over 200 yards passing per game and has passed for 11 touchdowns. His opposite number, Cincinnati-bound Luke Massa, has 726 total passing yards and eight touchdowns. BEST MATCHUP: It will be fun to watch Elder's prolific playmakers in the passing game line-up against St. Xavier's talented secondary. With four-star tight end Alex Welch likely to stay into block more with Bachman out, senior wideouts Tim O'Conner, an Indiana commit, and Selby Chidemo will need to step up. They will face a great challenge from the Bombers' senior leaders, Will Carroll and Nick Westin, both who stand at 6-foot-2 and have the size to cause havoc. PREDICTION: St. Xavier is coming off a tough road loss at the hands of Highlands and will benefit greatly from some home cooking. The Bombers have the pieces in place to make a run at a Division I title, but they must dethrone the reigning GCL South champs if they are going to get there. In the end, Elder has a bit more overall talent on both sides of the ball and one of the state's best place kickers in Tony Miliano, who's leg could be the difference in this one. Elder 20, St. Xavier 16 -- for more on Cincinnati area sports coverage visit QueenCityHigh.com.

Weekend Watch No. 6 N'western v. No. 71 Washington

WHEN: Saturday 10/3, 7:30 pm LAST SEASON: The Tornadoes had a chance to derail the Bulls and end their win streak but came up short 31-29. KEEP AN EYE ON: Both quarterbacks love to air it out. Last week, Bulls QB Teddy Bridgewater threw for a county record 7 touchdowns (19 of 24, 327 passing yards) while Jeremiah Hay three four touchdown passes (19-of-28 passes for 306 yards). PLAYERS TO WATCH: South Florida produces some of the best talent in the country and these two teams prove that. Northwestern's roster reads more like an all-star team. With four-stars DT Todd Chandler (Miami), WR Michaelee Harris, and OL Torrian Wilson (Stanford). The Tornadoes have four-star running back Eduardo Clements, WR Quinton Dunbar and DE Lynden Trail. BEST MATCH-UP: The Bulls secondary versus the receivers of Booker T. Washington. While a lot of the game may be determined up front with Todd Chandler, if he is nutralized it will be on the Bulls to lock down some very athletic Washington recievers. The athletic ability of both teams is very impressive and the back seven may have their hands full. PREDICTION Anytime Miami Northwestern clashes with Booker T. Washington you know two things coming in. First, tons of division one prospects, and secondly but most importantly it's easily one of the more intense games around the state. That's certainly no different this year with both teams coming in undefeated. The Bulls are coming off a record setting night for junior QB Teddy Bridgewater who exploded for 7 touchdowns (New Dade county record), and the Tornadoes will counter with their own star skill guy in Eduardo Clements. Last year the Bulls escaped with a 31-29 win scoring in the final minute. Much like last season this should be a very high scoring affair but the Bulls just have a few more weapons than the Tornadoes as they pull away from their neighbors just down the road. Northwestern 42, Washington 27 -- for more Florida coverage visit FlaVarsity.com.

Weekend Watch Other Predictions (2009: 28-16)

Game of the Week: No. 1 Aquinas (Florida) 38 def. No. 4 Byrnes (South Carolina) 24 No. 3 Lowndes (Georgia) 31 def Northside Warner Robins (Georgia) 14 No. 50 Edison (California) 26 def Mater Dei (California) 10 No. 44 Dywer (Florida) 41 def Atlantic (Florida) 27 **Email Request** No. 57 Lutcher (Louisiana) 36 def Destrehan 24 **Email Request** Midland (Michigan) 24 def Northern (Michigan) 13 **Email Request** Liberty (Washington) 38 def Juanita (Washington) 10**Email Request** Have your game picked next week: Email Dallas Jackson