There are some pretty good matchups in high school football across the city this weekend. The contest between Central and Frankford should attract a lot of interest. Central (4-1) will host Frankford (4-2) on Friday afternoon, Oct. 12 at 3 p.m. These are two of the top teams in the Public League.

Central is led by quarterback Jonathan Henderson, running backs Hakeem Ellis and Jesse Gillis and wide receiver Walter Pegues. Henderson has completed 17-of-37 passes for 283 yards and five touchdown passes and three rushing TDs. Gillis leads the team in rushing with 318 yards on 60 carries with three rushing TDs. Ellis has 34 carries for 227 yards and one rushing TD. Pegues has six receptions for 102 yards while scoring seven TDs overall.

“Central has a good football team,” said Will Doggett, Frankford head coach. “They only have one loss. (Rich) Drayton (Central High head coach) is a really good coach. He has turned that program around. He’s been the guy who has been the key to that team. They run the ball effectively. They throw when they need to. They’re line play is really good. Defensively, they’re pretty tough up front.”

Frankford has been very impressive this season. The Pioneers have some great players such as quarterback Tim DiGiorgio, running back Damion Samuels and wide receiver Wydell Compton. DiGiorgio has completed 49-of-107 passes for 860 yards and five touchdown passes. Samuels leads the team in rushing with 351 yards on 81 carries while scoring 11 TDs. Compton has 18 receptions for 230 yards and four TDs.

“It’s going to be a big challenge for us,” Drayton said. “We’re probably going to have to play mistake free football for it to be close and have a chance to win. We’re going to try not to give up the big plays.”

Another big matchup features Bok (6-0) and Gratz (6-0) on Friday. The contest will be played at Marcus Foster Stadium, Germantown and Hunting Park Avenues, at 6 p.m. Larry Pelzer, Bok’s outstanding running back, has gained 688 yards on 112 carries. Pelzer is one of the best backs in the city. Antoine Whitney knows how to get open. Whitney has 12 catches for 283 yards and five TDs.

On the other side of the ledger, Gratz has an exciting quarterback in Davone Cornish who has connected on 34-of-95 for 720 yards and 11 TD passes. Running back Daqwan Freeman and wide receiver Cornelius Middleton are a big part of the Bulldogs offense. Freeman has 82 carries for 428 yards and three rushing TDs. Middleton has 11 receptions for 267 yards and eight TDs overall.

Contact staff writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .