ESPN RISE

St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 4, Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) 1.

No, that's not a baseball score. It's the breakdown of how many ESPN RISE FAB 50 football panelists chose the top-ranked Raiders and which one went with the Rebels in Friday's No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (8 p.m. ET, ESPNU).

The Predictions

No. 1 vs. No. 2

The top teams in the ESPN RISE FAB 50 play Friday. No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) hosts Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) at 8 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

• Predictions   • Football Friday Primer

• Codrington: Nothing new for Aquinas

• Loveday: Byrnes faithful will be there

• Shurburtt: Star power on both sides

• Scouting Report   • FAB 50 Rankings

• Corbin: No. 1 vs. No. 2 ... off the field

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Mark Tennis, ESPN RISE deputy editor and director of the ESPN RISE FAB 50 rankings
St. Thomas Aquinas 28, Byrnes 17: The Rebels haven't traveled well in the past, as shown by narrow wins over Moeller (Cincinnati) and Centerville (Ohio) -- not exactly Ohio powerhouses -- in trips to the Kirk Herbstreit Varsity Football Series in 2006 and 2007. Byrnes beat a pair of Florida schools last year, including Pahokee (Fla.), but both games were at home. One of the keys Friday will be whether Byrnes' defensive line duo of Corey Miller and Brandon Willis can be disruptive. If so, it could be a long night for the hosts. But if All-American Brandon Linder and the rest of the Aquinas line can handle Miller and Willis, it's the Rebels who will most likely be singing the blues. The Byrnes offensive line must create space against a quick Raiders defense so that All-America running back Marcus Lattimore can do what he does best. In the end, playing at home and having more depth wins it for Aquinas.

Doug Huff, ESPN RISE senior editor and member of the National Federation Hall of Fame
St. Thomas Aquinas 24, Byrnes 21: Aquinas has the edge in team speed and coaching experience, and the Raiders are at home. Byrnes gets the nod at quarterback and running back. And both teams have rock-solid defenses. The fans in the stands and the TV audience are in for a treat of the best of the best in high school football.

Jon Mahoney, ESPN RISE Magazine senior writer
Byrnes 28, St. Thomas Aquinas 27: Aquinas has the lockdown corners -- Lamarcus Joyner and Cody Riggs -- but the Raiders don't have an answer for Byrnes senior running back Marcus Lattimore, arguably the top all-around offensive weapon in the country. If Joyner and Riggs shut down the outside, Byrnes senior quarterback Chas Dodd can find Lattimore in the flat or simply hand it off to the big back, who can cause damage between the tackles. And while Aquinas has a superb rushing attack with seniors Giovanni Bernard and James White, Byrnes can counter with Tennessee-bound defensive linemen Brandon Willis and Corey Miller. Add it all up and you've got a Byrnes victory on the road and a new ESPN FAB 50 No. 1.

Brian Stumpf, director of the Nike Football Training Camps and ESPNRISE.com football blog
St. Thomas Aquinas 27, Byrnes 24: This one goes four quarters and is close the whole way. Both teams lean heavily on the run game, with Byrnes led by Marcus Lattimore and Aquinas relying on the two-headed monster of Giovanni Bernard and James White. But the key matchup is Rebels senior QB Chas Dodd, a Rutgers recruit, versus the Raiders' tremendous secondary. I give a slight advantage to the Aquinas secondary. Also, the Raiders will benefit from playing in their home state, and that tips the scales ever so slightly in their favor in a game that will live up to the hype.

Sheldon Shealer, ESPN RISE senior editor and East Region football editor
St. Thomas Aquinas 31, Byrnes 21: When it comes to No. 1 versus No. 2 meetings, history is on No. 1's side. And Aquinas is used to the national stage. But both teams have big-time offensive game-breakers. However, the edge rests with Aquinas' defense. Byrnes is too explosive to be shut down or out, yet QB Chas Dodd has never thrown into a secondary like this -- with a quartet of top recruits in Keion Payne, Lamarcus Joyner, Brian Robinson and Cody Riggs. This will be the tipping point. And if the game is close, Aquinas sports one of the nation's top place-kicker prospects in Michael Palardy.