Each week, Josh Thomson will give his predictions on every high school football game in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam Counties. That will include highlighting the five games of the week. Leave your thoughts on this week’s games in the comments, e-mail Josh at jthomson@lohud.com, or reach Josh on Twitter @lohudinsider.
Week 2: 87th playing of Rye-Harrison tops Week 2 predictions
Week 2: Coach of the Week
Week 2: Player of the Week
Week 2 rewind: High school football scoreboard, Sept. 9-12
The Week 3 high school football schedule

Somers beat Yorktown 38-21 on Sept. 25, 2015 at Somers High School. The teams renew their rivalry on Friday, Sept. 16, 2006.
Week 3 Games of the Week —
Friday, Sept. 16
Mahopac (1-1) at Carmel (0-2), 6 p.m. — Records can be deceiving and Carmel may be a team that proves exactly that. Yes, the Rams are 0-2, but they lost their two games by a combined 12 points to Arlington and John Jay, both of which appear to be pretty darn good. Mahopac bounced back from its Week 1 loss at Ketcham to beat Greeley last week, but this is a step up in competition. This should be a classic, old fashioned Carmel-Mahopac game. The pick: Carmel 21, Mahopac 16.
Somers (2-0) at Yorktown (2-0), 7 p.m. — You can’t quite whittle the list of Class A contenders down to three quite yet, but Somers and Yorktown both need to be on your list no matter how long you make it. Both teams can be dynamic and have plenty of depth. Somers shocked Yorktown in the midst of a tough season last year. I think the Tuskers have a little more balance and Messiah Horne should be rested and ready after leaving last week’s game early. The pick: Somers 28, Yorktown 20.
Brewster (2-0) at Hen Hud (2-0), 7 p.m. — This is a fun game. Both teams have scored a ton of points so far. On a larger level, it would be a lot for either program to start the season 3-0. While Hen Hud’s offense has been impressive, it still hasn’t faced a good defense that will present a true challenge. Brewster will be that team. The pick: Brewster 27, Hen Hud 14
New Rochelle (2-0) at Scarsdale (2-0), 7 p.m. — The last time Scarsdale had New Rochelle on its home field, it resulted in a major upset. But that was three years ago, and New Ro is a different team. The Huguenots can score and they are fast on defense. Does Scarsdale have the passing game to beat New Ro with big plays? That’s the best way to score, and I’m not sure the Raiders are built that way. The pick: New Rochelle 27, Scarsdale 7.
Saturday, Sept. 17
Stepinac (1-0) at Iona Prep (0-1), 1:30 p.m. — Prior to last week, I wasn’t entirely sure Iona Prep would compete with Stepinac here, but last week changed my mind. Not only did the Gaels look good enough to compete, they escaped the game healthy. Still, I’m not sure Iona will be good enough defensively and on special teams to stop Stepinac. For all of the Crusaders’ relative inexperience at quarterback and on the offensive line, they have playmakers galore. I just don’t think Iona can stop the Stepinac running game and may be challenged to stop the Crusaders’ return game as well. They also have more speed and quality depth on defense than Brunswick had. Those factors will combine for a double-digit win, but it will be competitive. The pick: Stepinac 31, Iona Prep 21.
Other Week 3 games:
Friday, Sept. 16
John Jay-East Fishkill at Arlington, 6 p.m.
Putnam Valley at Pleasantville, 7 p.m.
Rye at Lourdes, 7 p.m.
Beacon at Harrison, 7 p.m.
Tappan Zee at Panas, 7 p.m.
Yonkers at Pelham, 7 p.m.
Spring Valley at Ossining, 7 p.m.
Mamaroneck at Clarkstown North, 7 p.m.
Suffern at Clarkstown South, 7 p.m.
Woodlands at Hackley, 7:30 p.m.
Lakeland at Nyack at MacCalman Field, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 17
Nazareth at Kennedy, 12 p.m.
Rye Neck at Dobbs Ferry, 1 p.m.
Bronxville at Haldane, 1 p.m.
Albertus Magnus at Nanuet, 1:30 p.m.
Blind Brook at Ardsley, 1:30 p.m.
Valhalla at Westlake, 1:30 p.m.
Irvington at Yonkers Montessori Academy, 1:30 p.m.
Edgemont at Hastings, 1:30 p.m.
Briarcliff at Croton-Harmon, 1:30 p.m.
Peekskill at Eastchester, 1:30 p.m.
Lincoln at Byram Hills, 1:30 p.m.
John Jay at Sleepy Hollow, 1:30 p.m.
Port Washington at Pearl River, 1:30 p.m.
Roosevelt at Gorton, 1:30 p.m.
Saunders at Riverside at Roosevelt HS, 1:30 p.m.
Port Chester at Ketcham, 1:30 p.m.
White Plains at Mount Vernon, 1:30 p.m.
Ramapo at North Rockland, 1:30 p.m.
Palisade Prep at Pawling, 1:30 p.m.
Fox Lane at Greeley, 2 p.m.
Long Island Lutheran at Rye Country Day, 3 p.m.
Twitter: @lohudinsider