As fun as the first 11 weeks of the high school football season were, the most important time of the year has arrived as postseason play is starting or about to start in every state in the country.

That means matchups are bigger than at any other point in the year, giving us bigger and better showdowns over the next few weeks.

This week is no exception, even if several of the nation's top programs are off. That doesn't mean there aren't massive matchups, and we found 10 of the best to watch.

USA TODAY High School Sports Staff prediction standings after Week 11

• 1. Alex Martin: 77-33

• 2. Joe Spears: 74-36

• 3. Ansley Gavlak: 70-40

• 4. Ehsan Kassim: 69-41

• T5. Alyce Brown and Logan Newman: 67-43

Game of the Week: Chandler (AZ) at Hamilton (Chandler, AZ)

Last year the Wolves and the Huskies played twice with Hamilton winning a 55-41 shootout in the regular season and Chandler getting payback in the semifinals with a 30-17 win.

Now two of the best teams in the state are set to square off against each other once again. How will round three go?

Both teams enter this matchup with one loss though they came at different times of the year. Chandler bounced back from its season-opening loss to Basha (AZ) with eight consecutive wins. Hamilton suffered its first loss two weeks ago to Centennial by crushing Cactus Canyon (AZ) 50-0.

Arrowhead (Hartland, WI) at Hamilton (Sussex, WI)

Last year, these two teams played twice, with Arrowhead winning the regular-season meeting by one and the state quarterfinals matchup by 10.

Unlike last year's meetings, Hamilton comes into this matchup unbeaten. The Chargers have been dominant this season, winning all but two of their games by double figures.

Arrowhead has been equally impressive, but the Warhawks suffered a two-point overtime loss to Muskego on Oct. 2. They went on to close out the year with four straight wins, three of which were by 21 or more points.

Boise (ID) at Coeur d’Alene (ID)

The road to the Milk Bowl has begun, and Coeur d’Alene entered the postseason as Idaho's top-ranked program. After having last week off, the Vikings will take on a Boise team that opened the postseason with a dramatic win.

Hosting Kuna (ID), the Brave scored with 19 seconds remaining and converted on a two-point conversion to open the playoffs with a 22-21 win. It was their first postseason win since 1992.

Things go up a notch for Boise this week, though. Led by senior quarterback Tannar Stern (2,302 yards, 28 touchdowns), Coeur d’Alene has been dominant this year, winning all but one game by multiple touchdowns. The Vikings outscored their opponents 363-89 in the regular season.

Boone Central (Albion, NE) at Cedar Catholic (Hartington, NE) 

It's been over a year since Boone Central and Cedar Catholic last squared off on the gridiron. That game came on August 29, 2025, and saw Cedar Catholic walk away with a 21-14 win.

Now both teams are 10-0, and both have limited their opponents to 100 total points on the year. Boone Central outscored teams 432-95, while Cedar Catholic posted similar numbers, outscoring its 10 opponents 501-63.

This game pits two of the state's best quarterbacks against each other. Boone Central senior Kade Hudson completed 70% of his passes for 2,370 yards and 35 touchdowns. Cedar Catholic junior was 106-for-146 passing for 1,966 yards and 31 touchdowns.

Hot Springs County (Thermopolis, WY) at Big Horn (WY)

After both Hot Springs County and Big Horn opened postseason play with blowout wins, they now square off with a trip to the Class 2A championship game on the line.

Hot Springs County has continually made its case as one of the state's top programs this year, as its lone loss came by one point to Cokeville (WY) on Sept. 18. That loss led to five straight wins, only two of which were decided by less than a touchdown.

Many consider Big Horn the favorite in this year's Class 2A field, and for good reason. The Rams are 9-0 and have dominantly compiled that record. They've won every game by more than 40 points and outscored their opponents 581-73.

Jackson Prep (MS) at Jackson Academy (MS)

The crown for the best private school football team in Jackson, Mississippi, goes down Friday night as the Raiders host the Patriots in a rematch of the regular-season game Jackson Prep won 35-24.

Historically, Jackson Prep has dominated this rivalry. The Patriots lead the series 45-16; however, Jackson Academy won last year's regular-season meeting by nine.

Prep's lone loss came by three to Madison-Ridgeland Academy (MS) on Sept. 18. Academy also lost to Madison-Ridgeland Academy a month later. That game was also close, ending 28-24.

Liberty (Peoria, AZ) at Centennial (Peoria, AZ)

Like the other Arizona matchup listed above, this game features the two other top teams in the state expected to play a major role in this year's open division playoffs.

Liberty suffered an eight-point loss to Basha on Sept. 18, but it seemed to awaken what is now considered Arizona's best team, with five straight wins by 29 or more points. Sophomore quarterback Jason Haines has been a revelation, throwing for 2,145 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Centennial has similarly rolled through most of its schedule but did suffer a four-point loss on the road to Chandler. Junior Torrin Hill will be the key to their success against a stout Liberty defense. This year, he has 43 receptions for 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns.

New Palestine (IN) at Cathedral (Indianapolis, IN)

Winning state championships is all these two programs have done in the Hoosier State for a long time. New Palestine is the defending Class 5A champion and won the Class 4A championship the year before.

The Dragons won their first state championship in football in 2014 and have won five total since then. Cathedral is historically one of Indiana's winningest programs with 14 state titles but has not won one since 2021.

Like last year, they open up the postseason against one another, and once again, the Fighting Irish will host. That didn't matter last year, as New Palestine kicked off its championship run with a 20-15 win over Cathedral.

Oxford (MI) at Catholic Central (Novi, MI)

Postseason play has arrived in Michigan, and Catholic Central has one goal: win yet another state championship. The Shamrocks' path to the title doesn't start with an easy matchup.

Aside from an ugly loss to Romeo (MI) on Oct. 23, Oxford has been one of Michigan's top programs in 2026, winning a few close games but mostly rolling in every other matchup. Their other lone loss came to Clarkston (MI) by three.

An overtime loss to Brother Rice (MI) is all that's keeping Catholic from entering the postseason with an unbeaten record. They bounced back a week later with a dominant 43-6 win over Lake Orion (MI) to close out the regular season.

St. Thomas Aquinas (Overland Park, KS) at Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, KS)

When Miege hosted Aquinas on Sept. 11, it wasn't much of a game as the top-ranked Stags rolled to a 34-7 win. Will the matchup with No. 2 produce similar results, or will it be any closer?

Bishop Miege has established itself as the team to beat in Kansas this season. The Stags are 9-0, averaging 27.9 points and playing only one game decided by a single possession.

While St. Thomas Aquinas is a typical powerhouse in the state, the Saints do have three losses this year. They started off the season with back-to-back losses before closing out the year winning six of their last seven games. After their final loss by one to Blue Valley Northwest (KS) on Oct. 9, they went on to win three straight to close out the regular season.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: High school football Week 12: 10 must-watch games, predictions

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