Top 10 Southern California high school football games to watch this week (Oct. 6-8): Mater Dei vs. St. John Bosco headlines biggest week of 2022

Are you ready for the biggest week of the 2022 regular season? If you're reading this, the answer is almost certainly yes.

Not only does the eighth week of this season include the high school football regular season version of the Super Bowl – St. John Bosco vs. Mater Dei – but it also features a litany of other colossal league games. Particularly in, but certainly not limited to, the Southern Section.

So, here are the top 10 games to watch this week (Oct. 6-8) in Southern California high school football.

FULL SECTION SCHEDULES: SOUTHERN | LA CITY | SAN DIEGO

TOP 10 SOCAL FOOTBALL GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK:

(Games are 7 p.m. Friday unless noted otherwise.)

10. Helix at Mission Viejo

It may be the last big out-of-section clash in SoCal for the regular season, so it gets a mention even though Helix is a heavy underdog. 

The Highlanders face a steep task to push Mission, but their only loss came by one point to Cathedral Catholic, and they have a handful of quality wins. As for the Diablos, this game is their last tuneup before South Coast League play – which starts next week with the title game against arch rival San Clemente.

9. Oaks Christian at Bishop Diego

The Cardinals came up one point short against St. Bonaventure last week, but their Marmonte League title chances aren't dead yet. If they can win out from here – a long shot, but far from impossible – all they need is one team to knock the Seraphs off, and they're in great shape. However, there's no time for them to regather, as the top-ranked team in the league is coming to town this week. 

Meanwhile, Oaks Christian may well be starting a league title run, but with the Marmonte League having a strong year, every week will be a test. The Lions didn't finish as strongly as they started last week against Calabasas, but did more than enough to get the win. And their track record is impossible to argue with through their 4-2 start. They may have to play one of their better games yet to secure the win this week though.

8. Granada Hills Charter at Birmingham

While El Camino Real could prove to be a factor, this week likely brings the league title game in the West Valley League. 

Birmingham is not only the two-time reigning City Section champion but it's also swept its conference four years in a row. But the Patriots have had trouble launching this year, starting 0-4 before getting in the wins column against overmatched competition. Granada, looking sharp at 5-1, gives them another chance at a win that would move the needle. The Highlanders also pose a major threat to beat Birmingham for the first time since 2013.

7. Madison at Cathedral Catholic

The Warhawks are off to a tremendous 6-0 start, and most of their victories have come in statement fashion. This could very well be they get back on top of Cathedral in the Western League for the first time since 2017. And their last four losses have all come by more than 40 points, so victory would be especially sweet, and it's safe to expect them to come out fired up.

Despite losing to Lincoln last week, Cathedral Catholic could still be playing for a league title on Friday. Even if the Dons beat Madison, Madison will be a threat to knock off Lincoln in the last week of the season. A loss wouldn't be the end of the world, and would possibly put them in good position to win another ring as it might secure them in Division 1. But it would be their fifth loss of the year, and flirting with a losing record isn't something Cathedral is accustomed to, even in reloading years.

6. Norco at Murrieta Valley

Ready for a shootout? Norco put up 69 points last week on Vista Murrieta, and is averaging 45 points a game on the season. And Murrieta Valley is unmoved by that statistic – it's averaging over 50.

While the Cougars enter as the clear favorite, don't expect them to let Murrieta Valley sneak up on them. Last year, when Norco was the overwhelming favorite, the Nighthawks came to their house and nearly shocked them, with Norco eking out a 35-34 win. That sets the stage on Friday in an exciting way, and to make things better, this time it's a league battle between two teams hungry for the first ever Big West - Upper title.

5. JSerra at Santa Margarita

If individual games had stock, this would be the biggest stock-riser of last week. After Santa Margarita fell in a light upset to Orange Lutheran and JSerra came out of nowhere to give Mater Dei a run for its money, what the heck can one expect this week? There's just no telling.

4. Bishop Amat at Serra (Gardena)

It's a wild time for Mission League football fans. While both teams are full-fledged conference title contenders, neither enter on this match on their strongest footing. 

With head coach Steve Hagerty suspended for a game, the Lancers nearly fell to a struggling Sierra Canyon squad last week, but finished on a 17-0 run to win in double overtime. Meanwhile, Serra's offense continues to be shaky despite its outstanding defense play, as the Cavs eked out a 13-7 win against Notre Dame last week. While both teams have a lot to prove with Chaminade looming for both, expecting a strong defensive battle and great game that may decide the league title.

Finally, here's a development that it makes it all the more confusing, and makes a win even more important for Serra: the Cavaliers just forfeited last week's win due to using an ineligible player. 

3. Valencia (Valencia) at West Ranch

Arguably the biggest surprise team in the CIFSS among its projected top few divisions? West Ranch. The Wildcats are now one of the only 7-0 teams in California, and can unofficially lock up sole possession of the Foothill League title if they can beat Valencia this week. The Vikings fell to Saugus in a close one to open league play, but have rebounded with strong wins over Castaic and Golden Valley. West Ranch nearly got shocked by Hart last week in a 6-point win, so if the team is for some reason more vulnerable than usual right now, this week presents a great opportunity for Valencia to force a tie at the top.

2. Cajon at Citrus Valley

With the stranglehold on the Citrus Belt League that Cajon has had from 2017 onward, this looks to be the most exciting battle in the conference in upwards of five years. 

Citrus Valley has been nipping at the Cowboys' heels for some of that time, but hasn't broken through. After years of getting blown out by Cajon, the Blackhawks played them to 26-20 in 2019, 22-19 in the spring season, and 31-21 last fall. One can't call a team with the Cowboys' pedigree and recent history an underdog in this matchup, but Citrus Valley actually enters as the higher-ranked team for a change, all the way up to 17th in the section to the Cowboys' 25th. Fasten your seatbelts as this should be their best matchup yet.

1. St. John Bosco at Mater Dei – 7:30 p.m.

If there's one regular season game that needs no introduction, this is the one. So, we often skip breaking down for the casual fan why it's such a big game. This year we'll take it from the top for those who could use the full run down.

Not only are St. John Bosco and Mater Dei the two top-ranked teams in the country in 2022, but they enter their yearly Trinity League title match as the top-ranked teams in the country pretty much every season. At worst, they're always top five, with one almost always in the top spot. Every year since 2017, one of these teams has won the national championship. Even in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, Mater Dei got the natty vote from CalPreps and Massey Ratings simply for winning the Trinity League title.

While they just about always run it back in the Southern Section Division 1 finals – which is as close to an official national championship game as it gets – this matchup at minimum has a league title in the toughest, most high-profile league in the country.

This year, St. John Bosco enters as a light favorite in the eyes of most, but it should be a chess match as usual. The Monarchs haven't lost a game since 2019 when Bosco pulled off the comeback of the century in the Southern Section finals. And they've won four of their last five and six of their last eight against Bosco. Finally, for all the dynamics at play – which would take several pages to fully fill in the casual fan on – it simply should be as good as any high school football game in America this regular season.

MORE GAMES TO WATCH:

In any given week of California high school football, there are dozens of great games to watch between top programs. Here are some other exciting SoCal matchups happening this week:

St. Bonaventure at Westlake

Alemany at Sierra Canyon

Los Alamitos at Corona del Mar

Morse at Point Loma

Rancho Cucamonga at Etiwanda

Apple Valley at Sultana

Narbonne at Carson

Edison at Newport Harbor

Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) at Chaminade

Servite at Orange Lutheran

El Modena at Foothill (Santa Ana)

Chino Hills at Damien

St. Francis (La Cañada) at Cathedral

Chaparral at Vista Murrieta

Saugus at Hart

El Camino at Torrey Pines

Camarillo at Thousand Oaks

Tesoro at Trabuco Hills

Millikan at Lakewood

Orange Vista at Elsinore

Mira Costa at Palos Verdes

Calabasas at Simi Valley

Canyon (Anaheim) at Villa Park

Silverado at Granite Hills (Apple Valley)

El Cajon Christian at Granite Hills (El Cajon)

Huntington Beach at Fountain Valley

Oxnard at Rio Mesa

Murrieta Valley at Temecula Valley

Mission Hills at Rancho Bernardo

La Mirada at Mayfair

Westchester at Venice

Grand Terrace at Eisenhower (Rialto)

Redondo Union at Culver City

Gardena at San Pedro

San Marcos at Carlsbad

San Juan Hills at El Toro

Lincoln (San Diego) at St. Augustine

Mt. Carmel at Del Norte (San Diego)

North (Torrance) at South (Torrance)

San Pasqual at Rancho Buena Vista