DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) secured its third consecutive victory with a 20-14 triumph over No. 25 Massillon (Ohio) on Friday. The Stags built an early 10-0 lead in the second quarter, highlighted by a fourth-down touchdown run from Elijah Lee.
Massillon narrowed the gap to 10-7 just before halftime with a 23-yard fourth-down touchdown run by Jalen Slaughter.
In the third quarter, DeMatha extended its lead by outscoring the Tigers 10-0. Bud Coombs scored on a 12-yard run to make it 20-7, capitalizing on strong field position set up by a long punt return from Lavar Keys. Keys, a 2026 Penn State commit, sealed the win with a crucial third-down reception after Massillon closed the deficit to 20-14 late in the fourth quarter.
On Thursday, No. 8 North Shore (Houston) and No. 24 Atascocita (Humble, Texas) were the only MaxPreps Top 25 teams in action.
North Shore improved to 4-0 with a commanding 42-0 victory over Humble (Texas), having outscored their opponents 155-16 this season. Atascocita, led by Oklahoma-bound running back Tory Blaylock, also moved to 4-0 with a 54-7 win over King (Houston). Blaylock rushed for over 200 yards and scored six touchdowns.
Meanwhile, five-star Alabama commit Keelon Russell continued his strong senior season, completing 27 of 32 passes for 474 yards and six touchdowns in a 63-14 win over Skyline (Dallas). Three Panthers receivers surpassed 100 yards: Ayson Theus (8 catches, 153 yards, 3 touchdowns), Dakorien Moore (7 catches, 129 yards), and Zach Turner (7 catches, 118 yards, 3 touchdowns).
No. 10 Mission Viejo (Calif.) won its sixth straight game with a 51-10 victory over Chaparral (Temecula, Calif.). Junior wide receiver Vance Spafford had a standout first half with five receptions for 186 yards and four touchdowns. Senior edge rusher Jaden Williams added three sacks, bringing his season total to 16.5.
No. 9 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) earned its fifth straight win, defeating Bishop Moore (Orlando, Fla.) 50-15, handing them their first loss. The Raiders dominated, going into halftime with a 43-8 lead.
No. 22 Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) is set to play Saturday against Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) in the 80th meeting of one of the nation’s top rivalries. The Ironmen lead the all-time series 41-36-2, but the Crusaders have won four of the last five matchups.
No. 3 Milton (Ga.) had its game postponed to Monday due to Hurricane Helene. They will face Seckinger (Buford, Ga.), which recently suffered its first loss of the season against Roswell (Ga.).
Several top teams, including No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), No. 2 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), and No. 6 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), are idle this week. IMG’s scheduled game against No. 15 Central (Phenix City, Ala.) was canceled on Wednesday due to Hurricane Helene.
News source: MaxPreps
