Friday’s top high school football games

No. 3 Anaheim Servite (7-0, 2-0) vs. No. 21 Santa Ana Mater Dei (5-2, 2-0) at Angel Stadium, 7:30 p.m. — It took a once-in-a-generation quarterback for Servite to break its 20-year hex against Mater Dei last season with a 30-20 victory. Unfortunately for the Friars, Cody Fajardo is now throwing passes for Nevada. His replacement, Cody Pittman, has been solid in leading Servite to seven consecutive victories. But a rigid defense that gave up an average of six points in its first six games appeared malleable last week during the Friars’ 32-24 victory over Bellflower St. John Bosco. Mater Dei, led by the USC-bound duo of quarterback Max Wittek and receiver Victor Blackwell, has gotten stronger since opening the season with consecutive losses. The return of tailback Corbin Anderson last week from a knee injury made the Monarchs’ offense even more dynamic. The pick: Mater Dei.

No. 4 Corona Centennial (7-0, 4-0) at No. 13 Norco (6-1, 3-1), 7 p.m. — When Norco edged Centennial, 29-28, last season, it ran the ball on all 56 offensive plays. Norco might sprinkle in a pass or two this time but doesn’t need to throw much because it has Stanford-bound tailback Kelsey Young, who has rushed for 502 yards and nine touchdowns in the last two weeks. After a 10-3 season that qualified as a rebuilding year by its standards, Centennial is back in a big way. The Huskies averaged 59 points in their four Big VIII League games behind quarterback Michael Eubank, who has completed 70.5% of his passes this season for 1,256 yards and 11 touchdowns with one interception. The pick: Centennial.

No. 1 Mission Viejo (7-0, 1-0) at No. 17 San Clemente (7-1, 2-0), 7 p.m. — Mission Viejo has dominated this series over the last decade, winning the last 10 games and routing its South Coast League rival, 55-7, last season. The Diablos might be even more formidable with quarterback-linebacker Tre Madden possibly returning from a foot injury that has sidelined him the last four games. Madden practiced this week, and Coach Bob Johnson said his availability would be a game-time decision. Mission Viejo has won its games by an average of 28 points — its closest call coming in a 42-21 victory over Carson. San Clemente is led by running back Mike Elespuru. The pick: Mission Viejo.

Harbor City Narbonne (4-3, 2-0) at Carson (5-2, 2-0), 7 p.m. — Each team has crushed its first two Marine League opponents on the heels of a punishing nonleague schedule that yielded Carson a signature victory over Mater Dei. Narbonne Coach Manuel Douglas is familiar with Carson counterpart Elijah Asante, having guided the Gauchos to a 33-0 victory over Asante’s Los Angeles Jordan team in the first round of the playoffs last season. Narbonne went on to beat Carson, 42-38, in a semifinal in which the Gauchos made a late fourth-down conversion deep in Colts territory. “They remember that feeling, so they definitely have motivation,” Douglas said. The pick: Carson.

ben.bolch@latimes.com