California High School Football Games of the Week: September 12-14
California high school football is in full swing and week four of the 2024 season is bringing another big slate of games.
No. 4 Orange Lutheran and No. 6 Centennial are gearing up for major out-of-state opponents, while No. 2 St. John Bosco vs. No. 11 Junipero Serra San Mateo headlines the action inside the Golden State.
Below are the games to watch this weekend in the state of California.
The On3 Massey Ratings — which were officially used during the BCS era and have generated college high school sports team rankings since 1995 — rank sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule and margin of victory.
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Top High School Football Games in California
#4 Orange Lutheran vs. Bishop Gorman (Nev.) — Friday, Sept. 13
Previous Meeting: N/A
Two battle-tested programs with severely-tough schedules will cross paths in Las Vegas this Friday when Orange Lutheran (3-0) heads to Bishop Gorman (2-1). The national No. 6 Gaels were no match for No. 1 Mater Dei last week and will look to wipe away that taste of defeat by taking down another impressive Golden State program. LSU WR commit Derek Meadows and the Gorman offense will look to break out against a Lutheran defense that hasn’t allowed more than 14 points in a game yet this season. Led by Nebraska QB commit TJ Lateef, the national No. 19 Lancers slugged their way to a 15-13 win over Baltimore St. Frances Academy last week. Gorman is predicted to win 38-14 via the Massey Ratings.
#5 J Serra Catholic vs. #17 Lincoln — Friday, Sept. 13
Previous Meeting: N/A
J Serra Catholic (3-0) has been nothing short of dominant thus far, scoring 35 points in each of its three victories while holding its opponents to 7, 7 and 6 points, highlighted by a big season-opening win over Sierra Canyon. Now No. 22 nationally, the Lions look like they have the chops to compete with the best in the nation. As for Lincoln (2-1), the Hornets have looked potent offensively, scoring 40 or more points in each of their first three outings. They fell 45-44 in their season-opener to Arbor View (Nev.) but are coming off a road win over Coronado (Nev.) last week. Oregon QB commit Akili Smith Jr. has thrown for 827 yards and six touchdowns to four interceptions thus far. The Massey Ratings give J Serra Catholic a 75% win probability.
#15 Oaks Christian vs. #7 Santa Margarita Catholic — Friday, Sept. 13
Previous Meeting: N/A
Oaks Christian (2-1) will look to elevate itself into the next tier of top teams in California with an upset win on the road at Santa Margarita Catholic (2-1) this Friday. The No. 15 Lions suffered a 25-point loss at Sierra Canyon at the end of August, but rebounded with a 48-0 shutout of Eleanor Roosevelt last week. Santa Margarita lost to No. 3 Mission Viejo to begin the season but now has a big road win over No. 6 Centennial under its belt. The Eagles boast a top-10 offense and defense in the state and are favored to make it three wins in a row by the Massey Ratings.
#2 St. John Bosco vs. #11 Junipero Serra San Mateo — Saturday, Sept. 14
Previous Meeting: St. John Bosco 45, Serra San Mateo 0 (2022)
To no surprise, St. John Bosco (3-0) has established itself as a top-three program nationally once again. The Braves already have a pair of impressive road wins and have the No. 2 offense and defense in the state, per the Massey Ratings. Saturday will be a tall task for the No. 11 Padres (1-1), who are reeling from a 29-point loss on the road to No. 9 De La Salle last week. Junior WR Madden Williams has 473 receiving yards and four touchdowns for Bosco so far this season. The Braves are predicted to win by 34 points via the Massey Ratings.
Lone Peak (Utah) vs. #6 Centennial — Saturday, Sept. 14
Previous Meeting: N/A
Nationally-ranked Corner Canyon has been the one making headlines out of Utah this season, but it was Lone Peak (4-0) that upset the Chargers at the end of August. The Knights are now the No. 26 team in the nation and will look to make another statement when they head to Corona to take on No. 6 Centennial (1-2) this weekend. The Huskies finally got in the win column last week as star Texas A&M QB commit Husan Longstreet continues to get comfortable after beginning his senior season with an injury. Longstreet and Co. took down Timpview (Utah) 56-20 and will look for another win over the Beehive State on Saturday. The Massey Ratings predict a 42-19 win for the Huskies.