Mississippi High School Football Games of the Week — Oct. 10-12

Another loaded slate of high school football games is on deck for the state of Mississippi this weekend as we enter the second week of October.

Madison Central and Tupelo square off in a clash of two of the best in the Magnolia State. Hartfield and Madison-Ridgeland feature in yet another top-10 matchup; while Brandon, Starkville and Oak Grove each face ranked opponents.

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.

CLICK HERE to watch high school games on NFHS Network now!

Below are the Mississippi high school football games of the week.

Top high school football games in Mississippi

No. 3 Madison Central at No. 1 Tupelo — Friday, Oct. 11
Madison Central tumbled out of the No. 1 spot this weekend after sitting idle off of a win over No. 15 Warren Central on Sept. 27. The Jags have the No. 10 offense and best defense in the state. Tupelo took over the No. 1 spot in Mississippi after beating West Point 35-14. The Golden Wave earned the crown for the first time this year just in time to take on No. 3 Madison Central at home on Friday in the Magnolia State game of the week. These two squads split their series last season. Tupelo won the regular season game 14-12, while Madison Central got its revenge in the postseason also by a 14-12 score. The On3 Massey Ratings project a 23-21 Tupelo victory.

No. 2 Brandon at No. 22 Petal — Friday. Oct. 11
Brandon held steady at No. 2 after sitting at home over the weekend. The Bulldogs had the chance to rest after smashing a ranked Gulfport 42-0 two weeks ago. Petal is 4-2 on the year with a top-25 offense and defense in Mississippi. The Panthers have lost to No. 13 Picayune and No. 10 Hattiesburg but will get another crack at a statement win this week. Brandon blew out Petal 54-17 last year and once again are massive favorites — projected to win 42-18.

No. 14 Germantown at No. 4 Starkville — Friday, Oct. 11
Germantown is 5-1, its only loss coming early in the year to No. 15 Warren Central. The Mavericks have picked up notable wins against No. 19 Northwest Rankin and Pearl. Starkville improved to 5-1 over the weekend with a 35-0 win over Greenwood. The Yellowjackets’ lone loss of the year came in a 42-41 thriller on the road at No. 11 Louisville in late September. Germantown eeked out a 34-33 win against Starkville last year at home, but the Yellowjackets are 22-point favorites this time around.

No. 7 Hartfield Academy at No. 8 Madison-Ridgeland Academy — Friday, Oct. 11
Hartfield beat Oak Forest 56-6 over the weekend to improve to 7-0 on the year ahead of its major clash with No. 8 Madison-Ridgeland this Friday. A win would be the Hawks’ first against a ranked opponent this season. Madison-Ridgeland hammered East Rankin last Friday by a 44-14 score. The Patriots are 5-1, their lone loss coming to Pulaski Academy (Ark.) on Sept. 6. They bounced back from that loss with a 51-13 blowout win against No. 9 Oak Grove. Hartfield won this game last year in a 63-56 shootout. This year, the On3 Massey Ratings project a 35-34 Hartfield win once again.

No. 24 Meridian at No. 9 Oak Grove — Friday, Oct. 11
Coming in with a top-20 defense in the state, Meridian has picked up wins over Biloxi and Laurel while hanging close with No. 4 Starkville in September. Oak Grove was idle last week after bouncing back against Laurel 45-7 the week prior. The Warriors have lost to No. 10 Hattiesburg and No. 8 Madison-Ridgeland this season while picking up wins over No. 23 Ocean Springs, No. 5 Grenada and Laurel. Oak Grove beat Meridian twice last year — 45-35 in the regular season and 35-0 in the playoffs. The On3 Massey Ratings project a 42-14 Oak Grove win.