Bishop Gorman on the rise; Jameis Winston, Gunner Kiel struggle early

Plenty of other teams jumped into action, and there was plenty of excitement. There were upsets, star performances and dramatic comeback victories. A duo of top recruits struggled. Perhaps most important, Bishop Gorman and Chaparral (Ariz.) -- two Top 20 teams -- took the field Saturday in Phoenix. Though the power rankings aren't updated, know this: The Gaels are certainly on the rise.

Here are several of the top headlines from prep football's first week.

Bishop Gorman is better than we thought. Billed as the consensus national game of the week, Saturday's showdown between the Nevada 4A and Arizona 5A champs was entirely one-sided. Bishop Gorman trounced Chaparral 42-22, winning a contest that was never in doubt.

The Gaels appeared unstoppable. Feature back Shaquille Powell rushed for 300 yards and five touchdowns. The defense surrendered just eight points in the second half. Their success was reflective of Bishop's team-wide dominance: In the third quarter, it outgained Chaparral a lopsided 213 yards to two.

Connor Brewer and Davonte Neal, the Firebirds' highly touted quarterback-receiver tandem, proved largely ineffective. They didn't connect for a touchdown until the game's final two minutes, and by then the deficit was already out of reach. Chaparral's 22 points were a far cry from the nearly 52 per game it averaged in 2010, and it'll need to perform far better to make a run at a third consecutive title.

The result bodes unquestionably well for Bishop Gorman, who now squarely enters the national title discussion. It also heightens anticipation for its follow-up act with Armwood (Fla.). Another win could solidify the Gaels one of the nation's best -- if not the best.

Jameis Winston stars -- and stumbles. During Hueytown's (Ala.) preseason bout with defending 4A champion Thomasville (Ala.), Winston demonstrated the versatility that has Florida State fans drooling. He raced for 117 rushing yards and four touchdowns, leading the Golden Gophers to an inspiring 36-27 comeback win.

He was also frustrating. Winston tossed three interceptions in the first half alone, completing just 10 of 21 passes for 138 yards. He was far from the five-star passer he's been billed to be, and will need to be significantly sharper in contests against Pleasant Grove (Ala.) and McAdory (Ala.) His progress is something to keep an eye on.

But take the game for what it was: A rust-plagued preseason classic. Winston led two crucial scoring drives in the fourth quarter. That certainly counts for something.

The nation's longest winning streak ends. Entering 2011, West Rowan (N.C.) racked up 46 straight victories, the longest active winning streak in the country. Its last loss -- a 35-21 defeat to Davie (N.C) on Aug. 29, 2008 -- occurred before most current Falcons were on the roster. The team seemed almost unbeatable. Following a 21-14 upset loss to Mooresville (N.C.) on Friday, that perception has quickly changed.

The outcome was stunning for a number of reasons. West Rowan led 14-0 at the half. It located the end zone just twice, uncharacteristic for a team that averaged more than 40 points per game in 2010. Most concerning, it allowed Mooresville to score three second half touchdowns. In its previous six meetings with the Blue Devils, it allowed just one.

The road ahead doesn't get any easier: Salisbury (N.C.), West Rowan's opponent on Sept. 2, won its first game 51-0.

Something seems wrong with Gunner Kiel. Labeled by many analysts as the nation's top prep quarterback, Kiel seemed anything but in Columbus East's (Ind.) season-opener against Greenwood (Ind.). He turned in a nightmarish outing, completing just 4 of 17 passes for 44 yards. In the second half, he threw for a meager, and almost unbelievable, five yards.

There was a silver lining. The Olympians still won 28-7, and Kiel contributed 70 yards on 10 carries on the ground. He threw two touchdown passes, and several of his incompletions were the fault of his receiving corps, a primarily green unit with a knack for drops.

But Kiel's accuracy was streaky. He didn't resemble the wunderkind quarterback he's been in games past. If anything, the performance put the nation on alert: Kiel needs to improve. And he'll need to complete far more than four passes to justify his five-star hype.

Mallard Creek claims in-state supremacy. North Carolina's Butler versus Mallard Creek matchup last Friday pitted the state's top two teams against each other, both reloaded after combined 29-1 campaigns in 2010. The game was every bit as good as advertised. Mallard Creek just proved it was better.

Tailback Jela Duncan paved the way with 217 rushing yards, while quarterback Andrew Goodman added two passing touchdowns in the Mavericks' 28-20 victory. Butler signal caller Riley Ferguson countered with three touchdown tosses of his own -- including one to older brother Zach -- but it wasn't enough. The Mallard Creek defense, anchored by linebacker Michael Savage and defensive back Takhare Donalson, surrendered nothing down the stretch.

Expect both squads to resume their winning ways moving forward. Mallard Creek takes on 0-1 Sun Valley (N.C.) on Friday, while Butler faces off with Olympic (N.C.), a team that went just 6-6 in 2010.

South Panola, Warren Central and Trinity flex their muscles. Thought to be three national powers during the preseason, South Panola (Miss.), Warren Central (Ind.) and Trinity (Ky.) took steps to realizing that potential during their season-opening games. The same story played out three times: Domination, from start to finish.

South Panola routed West Point (Miss.) 37-17 behind the backfield platoon of Antonio Connor and Marcus Dixon, a tandem that combined for four touchdowns. Warren Central steamrolled Merrillville (Ind.) 64-13, outgaining the Pirates 612 yards to 197. Trinity dusted off Brentwood Academy (Tenn.) 45-7, a result that -- other than Bishop Gorman's statement win -- may have been the most impressive of the weekend. Brentwood allowed just 17.2 points per game in 2010, making the Shamrocks' 45 all the more striking.

All will look to follow the same script next week, cementing their reputations as national title contenders. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Here are the Top 10 from last week, accompanied by each team's upcoming game.

1. Don Bosco Prep (N.J.)

Record: 0-0

First game: Sept. 10 vs. Mission Viejo (Calif.)

2. De La Salle (Calif.)

Record: 0-0

First game: Sept. 2 vs. Bellarmine (Calif.)

3. Armwood (Fla.)

Record: 0-0

First game: Aug. 26 vs. Bishop Gorman

4. Prattville (Ala.)

Record: 0-0

First game: Aug. 27 vs. St. Thomas Aquinas

5. Allen (Texas)

Record: 0-0

First game: Aug. 27 vs. Cedar Hill (Texas)

6. Bishop Gorman (Nev.)

Record: 1-0

Next game: Aug. 26 vs. Armwood

7. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.)

Record: 0-0

First game: Aug. 27 vs. Prattville

8. Trinity (Texas)

Record: 0-0

First game: Aug. 26 vs. Tyler Lee (Texas)

9. South Panola (Miss.)

Record: 1-0

Next game: Aug. 27 at Hoover (Ala.)

10. Harrison (Mich.)

Record: 0-0

Next game: Aug. 27 at Cass Tech (Mich.)