It’s Week 5 of high school football in Kansas City, and the top teams in the city are starting to separate themselves from the pack. But this week’s schedule is chalk full of marquee games that pit some of the best of the best against each other.

Here’s a look at nine games to watch this week.

Staley at Lee’s Summit West
No. 3 vs. No. 4. Defending champs vs. past champs. Explosive offense vs. tough-as-nails defense. The Falcons-Titans’ matchup has all the makings of the best game we’ve seen so far in Missouri. Vinny Careswell at West loves the makeup of his squad, and consistent quarterback play from Ben Kobel has allowed this team to take major strides forward this season. Kobel is going to play at that same high level against a Falcons defense that has given up just 27 points this season. Staley’s defense loves to create turnovers, and quarterback Loa Grace has been consistent all season. Both coaches preach to their teams to minimize mistakes, and that’ll be paramount in a game where the difference in talent is razor-thin.

Blue Valley at Rockhurst
When talking about the top high school programs in Kansas City, everybody almost always starts with the Tigers and Hawklets – and for good reason. Rockhurst has won nine Missouri state titles, and Blue Valley owns six Kansas titles. Rockhurst rebounded from a season-opening loss to Rock Bridge with three solid wins over quality opponents in impressive fashion and looks to have righted the ship, especially on defense. That defense will be tested by a diverse Blue Valley offense that can pound the ball on the ground, but the Tigers do have big play weapons at receiver. This has all the makings of one of the best interstate battles we’ve had in a while, but Rockhurst is always tough to beat at home.

North Kansas City at Belton
The Hornets are making believers out of a lot of folks, especially after last week’s 19-18 victory over a quality Fort Osage squad. NKC can solidify itself as a top-10 team in the metro with a win over Belton Friday night.

Lee’s Summit North at Liberty
A week after everybody in the city was patting the Broncos on the back after beating Blue Springs, Lee’s Summit North fell 24-14 to Park Hill. Now, Lee’s Summit North must turn to its talented skill players to figure out a way to get back on track with rival Lee’s Summit West on the schedule next week. Liberty is also trying to get back on track. The Blue Jays fell to rival Liberty North 21-17 last week and are 2-2 on the season. The Jays were exposed by North’s speed, and they’ll have to play more assignment sound this week against an athletic Bronco squad.

Louisburg at Piper
Two 3-0 teams battle in one of the top games so far this season in Kansas Class 4A. Louisburg has won playing with a steady offense and an outstanding defense that has given up only 14 points in the last two games. Louisburg will be tested by a Piper squad that has put up 51 and 56 points the last two weeks. The winner of this game has the inside track in the Frontier League.

Mill Valley at St. Thomas Aquinas
Mill Valley’s schedule is arguably the toughest in the city with a stretch that has the Jaguars facing St. James, No. 1 Bishop Miege and No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas. The Jaguars couldn’t keep up with the speed and power of Miege last week, and they’ll likely have a tough time against the Saints, who have the top running attack in Kansas City. STA’s defense is also playing lights out, and Mill Valley has struggled at times this season on offense. That’s likely not going to change this Friday night.

Olathe East at Gardner-Edgerton
First-year GE coach Ryan Cornelson has the Trailblazers on the verge of something that hasn’t been done since the Bubba Starling days – start a season 4-0. Many thought Gardner-Edgerton was a fluke when they beat Shawnee Mission East in Week 1, but wins over Olathe West and Lawrence showed they’re legit. Olathe East is better than its 1-2 record indicates, but if the Trailblazers get past the Hawks, they have a great shot at going undefeated in the regular season.

Olathe North vs. Littleton (Colorado) Columbine
Give Olathe North coach Chris McCartney credit. He’s got the Eagles on the right track after struggles the past few seasons. North is crushing opponents with its powerful offense that is putting up 55 points a game and harking back to the glory days when North was winning state championships. The Eagles hit the road – literally – this week to face an undefeated Columbine squad in Denver. It should be a great test for North, as the Rebels are 4-0 and rolling over opponents.

SM East vs. SM Northwest
Most would assume it’s East that enters as the undefeated squad with all of the Lancers’ recent success. But this year, Northwest coach Bo Black has his squad playing quality football. The Cougars have good wins over SM West and Olathe South, and they’ve been doing it with defense that is only giving up 15 points a game. East coach Justin Hoover is known as an offensive guru, and the Lancers have figured things out after a Week 1 loss to Gardner-Edgerton. He’ll need his offense to come up big against the stout Cougars’ defense. The winner of this game will be in contention with Free State and North for top billing in the Sunflower League.