The elite programs of high school football were finally able to be let loose this past weekend, and did they ever put on a show.

With players looking to prove themselves in front of college scouts, the blue-chip prospect-laden rosters of some of the prep level’s top teams broke out in full force as the 2022 season went into full swing.

As many of the country’s best programs still look to test themselves against faraway foes before focusing later on in-state competition, there will be sure to be more top-recruit showdowns in the mix—possibly providing a preview of some future college football Saturday matchups ahead for years to come.

Here’s a look at three of the high school football matchups across America to keep an eye on over the Labor Day Weekend, all available live on FloFootball:

Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) Vs. Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.)

Bergen Catholic already made a spot on the Games of the Week last week, and the Crusaders’ 49-14 dismantling of North Carolina’s Cardinal Gibbons was very impressive for a unit that’s widely-expected to be at the forefront of the New Jersey prep football scene.

Bergen Catholic dominates the entire game and comes away with a 49-14 win over Cardinal Gibbons!@BergenCathFBall @football_cghsnc pic.twitter.com/e4mJQ8EUsB

— FloFootball (@FloFootball) August 27, 2022

Texas D-line commit Sydir Mitchell showed off why he had plenty of high-major suitors in recruitment with a fumble recovery touchdown against Cardinal Gibbons, while Bergen Catholic’s loaded defense featuring the likes of him, Maryland commit D.J. Samuels and reigning leading tackler Malachi Mercer held their opponent to just 63 rushing yards this past week.

But Saguaro, which scored at least 40 points on eight occasions this past season as it romped to a 12-1 record and an AIA Open Division state title, is almost certainly going to present an attack that Bergen Catholic needs to be cognizant of, especially with temperatures expected to hover around 100 degrees at kickoff in the Arizona desert.

Saguaro’s senior quarterback, Devon Dampier, is uncommitted but has plenty of Division I offers to choose from, and with 2024 tailback Jaedon Matthews in the backfield as the bell-cow back—and offers from the likes of Arizona, Arizona State and Cal in his bag—the Sabercats should have a dynamic offense that they’ll hope will give the Crusaders some fits.

Saguaro’s choice of out-of-state opponent will be of interest, too, as the Sabercats’ usual opponents hailing from outside Arizona hail from neighboring states like California and Nevada. With an East Coast school coming to town in Saguaro’s season-opener — and, thus, a school that the prep powers of the region aren’t accustomed to—it’ll make for a unique high school football matchup Friday night in suburban Phoenix.

IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) Vs. De Smet Jesuit (St. Louis, Mo.)

If you’ve followed elite high school football for quite some time now, you probably don’t need an explanation of what IMG Academy is all about. But if you do, the simplest way to explain the school’s influence on the prep recruitment scene is just by looking at its all-time list of athletic alumni—it's long, it’s accomplished and features numerous names that even casual sports fans probably recognize.

Considering all of the blue-chip recruits that the Ascenders have in their ranks right now, there are probably more names like those to come. IMG Academy takes up 12 spots by itself in the 247Sports 2023 top-100 recruiting rankings in football-mad Florida, with some of the top names likely set to compete for starting roles at high-major programs from the moment they step on campus next year.

Five-star offensive tackle and Miami commit Francis Mauioga currently holds the crown as the program’s top senior and No. 11 overall prospect in America. As for skill positions, many of his teammates—like Ohio State receiver commit Carnell Tate and Miami tight end pledge Riley Williams—aren’t far behind.

But even with all that talent on the IMG side, it would be foolish to count out the always-competitive De Smet, one of Missouri’s top prep football programs. De Smet has a pair of four-star 2023 prospects committed to big-time college programs in cornerback Christian Gray (Notre Dame) and tight end Mac Markway (LSU).

The Spartans host the game, but travel is nothing new to IMG Academy, who usually plays a schedule almost entirely of out-of-state opponents—and even in some cases, like later this season against Canada’s West Toronto Prep, against teams from beyond American borders.

The Ascenders are looking for a return to the win column after they lost their season-opening game to in-state foe Miami Central. Central took IMG down in a 20-14 dogfight.

Regis Jesuit (Aurora, Colo.) vs. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.)

If you’re on the East Coast for this matchup, you'll need to get the caffeine ready for this late start—but once these teams kick off, they should provide all the jolt you’ll need.

Oaks Christian, the alma mater of recent No. 5 overall NFL Draft pick Kayvon Thibodeaux and current Indianapolis Colts wideout Michael Pittman Jr., had a bit of a down year a season ago while playing in California’s brutal Marmonte League. However, Oaks Christian hasn’t stopped high-major college recruiters from stopping by to check out and offer several talents on the roster: Among them, three-star offensive tackle Luke Baklenko (a Stanford commit) and the tailback he blocks for most of the time, three-star prospect Johnny Thompson (929 yards, nine touchdowns on the ground in 2021).

Regis Jesuit, meanwhile, is still trying to return to the heights it reached in 2019 when it went 12-1 and lost in the quarterfinals of the Colorado Class 5A state tournament. Following a big win to start its 2022 season over powerhouse prep program Valor Christian, it could be the spark that the Raiders needed to put down their stamp as a top team in Colorado following their 8-4 finish last season.

Jesuit has a few top-tier players to watch, as well—Colorado tight end commit Andrew Metzger has a college-ready frame at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, while Nebraska linebacker pledge Hayden Moore made 111 tackles in 2021 as an anchor of the Raiders’ defense.

It’ll be Jesuit’s first time playing a team outside of Colorado since August 2018, however, which could be a factor.