National High School Football Games of the Week: Sept. 19-21

There have already been plenty of elite matchups between some of the nation’s top high school football programs this season, and another impressive slate is on deck this week.

While no national top-25 game is scheduled, there are still nine bouts in the cards that will feature a pair of national top-100 teams, per the On3 Massey Ratings. Big-time games are set to go down across Arizona, California, Florida, Arkansas and Texas.

Below are the key matchups to watch across the nation this weekend:

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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Basha (Ariz.) vs. #11 Mission Viejo (Calif.) — Friday, Sept. 20
No. 11 Mission Viejo (4-0) has emerged as the clear No. 3 team in the state of California this season behind a quartet of impressive outings on both offense and defense. The Diablos have outscored opponents 185-20 thus far. Star junior wideout Vance Spafford already has six touchdown receptions. Basha (3-0) will head to the Golden State as the No. 2 team in Arizona following a booming start to the season on offense. The Bears won their last game 50-0. The On3 Massey Ratings predict Mission Viejo to win 40-21.

Cocoa (Fla.) vs. #25 Venice (Fla.) — Friday, Sept. 20
Defense will likely be optional when Cocoa (3-1) and No. 25 Venice (4-0) square off on Friday evening. Now the No. 25 team in the nation, Venice is averaging over 57 points per game so far, led by James Madison RB commit Jamarice Wilder, who already has over 700 total rushing yards. Cocoa’s lone blemish thus far is a respectable loss at nationally ranked IMG Academy. In the Tigers’ three victories, they’re averaging 44 points. Junior Michigan QB commit Brady Hart has already thrown for nearly 1,200 yards and 11 TDs. The Massey Ratings predict a 40-34 victory for Venice.

#19 Westlake (Texas) vs. Steele (Texas) — Friday, Sept. 20
The No. 19 Chaps (2-1) took their first loss of the season on Friday night to No. 4 Atascocita, breaking a 44-game regular season winning streak dating back to 2018. Cibolo Steele, meanwhile, comes in 3-0 after putting up 49, 62 and 56 points in each of its first three games of the season. The Knights’ roster is dotted with Division I talent, but there’s no bigger piece to the puzzle than 2026 four-star running back and Oklahoma commit Jonathan Hatton Jr. After running for more than 1,200 yards and 21 touchdowns as a sophomore, he’s already off to another hot start in 2024.

Centennial (Calif.) vs. #23 Liberty (Ariz.) — Saturday, Sept. 21
Centennial (2-2) looks to be back on track after an 0-2 start that was propelled in-part by an injury to star quarterback and Texas A&M commit Husan Longstreet. The Huskies have rallied for back-to-back wins over top-five teams in Utah and will now head to Peoria and take a swing at the top-ranked program in Arizona. Liberty (3-0) has quietly been in the national top 25 all season thus far and has dominated the early in-state competition, opening the year with back-to-back shutouts. The Massey Ratings are backing the road team, predicting a 37-34 upset win for Centennial.

Orange Lutheran (Calif.) vs. Sierra Canyon (Calif.) — Saturday, Sept. 21
A pair of top-10 programs in California will throw down this weekend when Orange Lutheran (3-1) heads to Chatsworth to take on Sierra Canyon (2-2). The Lancers felt defeat for the first time last week, as national powerhouse Bishop Gorman put up 55 points for a convincing win in Las Vegas. Despite the loss, Lutheran still holds as a top-40 team in the country. Both of Sierra Canyon’s losses have come to top-five teams in the state, though the Trailblazers gave No. 2 St. John Bosco a run for its money in a 10-point loss last time out. With both teams looking to avoid losing streaks, the Massey Ratings predict Sierra Canyon to hold serve at home and win 34-26.

Other National Top-100 Games This Week

#8 North Crowley (Texas) vs. Rockwall (Texas)
College Station (Texas) vs. A&M Consolidated (Texas)
Texas High (Texas) vs. Fayetteville (Ark.)
Norland (Fla.) vs. Chaminade-Madonna (Fla.)