Friday’s top 5 high school football games to watch

All games at 7 p.m. Friday unless otherwise noted:

East St. Louis (Illinois) at Bishop Gorman

The Gaels are coming off last week’s bizarre victory in which they led Lone Peak (Utah) 35-14 before a third-quarter incident that resulted in a 2-0 Gorman win by forfeit.

Gorman (3-0), ranked third nationally by MaxPreps, will need a strong defensive performance against perennial national power East St. Louis (0-1), ranked 16th nationally after going 13-1 last season to win Illinois’ Class 6A state title.

Wide receiver Kortez Rupert, an Indiana commit, is part of an explosive Flyers offense that will make the Gaels pay for defensive lapses. But Gaels quarterback Maika Eugenio has thrown for 622 yards and seven touchdowns, meaning the team’s defense could probably withstand some minor mistakes.

Gorman’s biggest threat in this game could be California’s Mater Dei. The Gaels have a showdown against the nation’s top-ranked team next week and must be careful not to overlook East St. Louis, which lost its opener last week to Bergen Catholic (New Jersey) 22-21.

Desert Pines at Liberty

After a tough 2024 season that produced a losing record, the second-ranked Patriots (2-1) appear to be back in top form. Since opening the season with a loss to Skyridge (Utah), they have defeated two quality opponents in Kailua (Hawaii) and Casteel (Arizona).

Liberty’s offense is led by quarterback Selby Griego and wide receiver Kellen Iwamuro, who connected twice last week for 72 yards and a touchdown.

No. 8 Desert Pines has played a less challenging schedule, but will attempt to ride the momentum gained with last week’s 35-29 victory over Mojave. The Jaguars are averaging 37 points behind running back Marcus Williams.

Arbor View at Centennial

After finishing 2024 as the Class 5A Division I runner up, the fourth-ranked Aggies have struggled to an 0-3 record against top-level competition in nonleague play this year. They have been held to 19 points per game.

Utah commit Thaddeus Thatcher is among the top quarterbacks in Southern Nevada and is capable of exploding for Arbor View. But he will face a Bulldogs defense that has allowed just 16 points per game in its past two outings. Either Thatcher or Centennial’s defense is likely to determine the outcome.

Sixth-ranked Centennial (2-1) is coming off a 14-12 win over North (California). Wide receiver Jayden Thomas sealed that victory with an acrobatic 65-yard touchdown catch with three minutes remaining.

Canyon Springs at Shadow Ridge, 6 p.m.

Third-ranked Shadow Ridge has rolled to a 2-1 record against quality out-of-state opponents and is coming off last week’s win over California’s Quartz Hill.

The Mustangs do their offensive damage on the ground. Quarterback Isaiah Ruiz rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown last week, and his go-ahead, 15-yard score in the fourth quarter put the Mustangs over the top.

Canyon Springs (1-2) has struggled to score, with its only double-digit output coming in a 47-6 victory over Clark. Safety Seven Thomas leads the defense, but someone must step up offensively for the Pioneers.

Legacy at Foothill, 6 p.m.

Foothill (2-1) has a better record, but one of its wins was originally a loss to Millikan (California) that was overturned by forfeit after the Rams were penalized for using an ineligible player. They are coming off a 35-14 loss to Sloan Canyon.

Foothill quarterback Ryder Dobbs has shown moments of effectiveness and could be the key to a winning night.

Legacy (1-2) needs some offensive production, which is possible against a Foothill team that is giving up 30 points per game. The Longhorns have scored a total of 17 points in their past two games. They will need big games from quarterback JaeLynn Love-Carter and running back Zaione Henderson.