California High School Football Games of the Week: Centennial vs. Mater Dei headlines

The 2024 high school football season in California will soon get underway, as over 400 games are on the slate from Thursday through Saturday.

Plenty of the Golden State’s finest are set to square off, too. Five games between teams ranked inside the On3 Massey Ratings California top 25 headline the week, beginning with a Thursday-night battle between No. 1 Mater Dei and No. 3 Centennial.

The chase for state championships is on. Below are the top games of the week in the state of California.

The On3 Massey Ratings, officially used during the BCS era, is a model that ranks sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule and margin of victory.

California Games of the Week

#1 Mater Dei vs. #3 Centennial — Thursday, Aug. 22
Centennial star quarterback and Texas A&M five-star commit Husan Longstreet is reportedly a game-time decision for the humongous season-opener on Thursday due to a lingering foot injury. It’ll be a steep climb for the No. 12 team in the nation if he’s unable to go. Mater Dei, the No. 1 team in California and the nation, will once begin be a headache for opponents, bringing a stocked roster to the field that features the likes of Alabama four-star cornerback commit Chuck McDonald, Oregon four-star running back commit Jordon Davison and 2026 Ohio State Five-Star Plus+ wide receiver commit Chris Henry Jr., the Monarchs are once again heavy favorites to land another state title.

#4 Sierra Canyon vs. #6 J Serra Catholic — Friday, Aug. 23
Now the No. 18 team in the nation following its 30-7 win in Hawaii over Punahou, Sierra Canyon will remain on the road this week, heading to face J Serra Catholic in San Juan Capistrano on Friday night. Junior USC commit Madden Riordan collected three interceptions in the Trailblazers’ win last week. J Serra is also set to bring a stout defense to the field, led by the nation’s No. 8 linebacker Madden Faraimo, as well as Arizona State three-star quarterback commit Michael Tollefson leading the offense.

#11 Santa Margarita Catholic vs. #5 Mission Viejo — Saturday, Aug. 24
Checking in at No. 26 nationally this week, Mission Viejo cruised past Kamehameha (Hi.) 41-7 last week. Star junior wide receiver Vance Spafford collected over 100 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. Santa Margarita will bring a much bigger challenge to the Diablos this weekend, led by junior wideouts Trent Mosley and Jonah Smith.

#8 Orange Lutheran vs. #14 Gardena Junipero Serra — Friday, Aug. 23
Orange Lutheran enters the season inside the top 10, propelled by a wave of blue-chip prospects in the 2025 and 2026 cycles. Headlined by Nebraska quarterback commit TJ Lateef and Arizona State tight end pledge AJ Ia, the Lancers will head to Gardena to take on Junipero Serra — which will feature cornerback Duvay Williams, On3’s No. 9 overall sophomore prospect.

#24 Long Beach Poly vs. #12 Folsom — Friday, Aug. 23
Spearheaded by Texas defensive lineman commit Josiah Sharma and junior star quarterback Ryder Lyons, 2023 state champion Folsom is set to open its season at home on Friday night against Long Beach Poly — which won 10 games a season ago. Folsom is projected to win by 21 points.

#2 St. John Bosco vs. Chaminade-Madonna (Fla.) — Saturday, Aug. 24
St. John Bosco won’t take on an in-state program until next week, as a big trip to Florida awaits this weekend. The Braves, ranked No. 5 nationally, are taking part in the ESPN High School Football Kickoff at St. Thomas Aquinas, where they’ll take on No. 16 Chaminade-Madonna Prep out of Hollywood. The Braves have once again reloaded and will be led by the likes of 2026 four-star athlete Madden Williams and 2026 USC three-star ATH commit Joshua Holland, while the Lions boast elite 2026 prospects Derrek Cooper and Jabari Brady, along with Miami-bound four-star cornerback Chris Ewald.