Coach Greg Toal and his Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) Ironmen are No. 5 after their defeat of then-No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) on Saturday.
It was a big week for New Jersey teams and West Coast teams in the Super 25 high school football rankings. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), propelled by its 24-7 defeat of then-No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) on Saturday, jumped from No. 21 to No. 5.
St. Peter’s Prep (Jersey City) was another big gainer as the Marauders defeated Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) 49-20 on Thursday and climbed from No. 12 to No. 7.
Bellevue, Wash., jumped from No. 24 to No. 14 after it defeated Alta (Sandy, Utah) 45-0 on Saturday. The Wolverines are 2-0 with both victories coming against solid out-of-state opponents.
Another big gainer was De La Salle (Concord, Calif.), which improved from No. 20 to No. 13 with its 56-28 defeat of Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) on Friday. The Spartans are 3-0 and averaging 53.4 points a game.
Two highly ranked Texas teams, No. 6 Katy and No. 10 Cedar Hill, and No. 13 Jenks, Okla., lost, opening the door for three new teams: No. 23 John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.); No. 24 Cy-Fair (Cypress, Texas); and No. 25 West (Lee’s Summit, Mo.).
Welcome to Weekend Rewind, where we take a look back at all the biggest action from teams in the USA Today Super 25.
There are weeks where no one in the Super 25 falls flat, and then there are weeks where the upsets come fast and furious. Week 4 of the 2014 season falls somewhere in between those poles, but it still had a profound impact on the poll (the Super 25, that is). Here’s everything that went down:
21) Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) 24, 2) St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) 7: This goes right to the old adage about there being a reason why you play the games. Aquinas entered this nationally-ranked face-off as distinct favorites despite the game being played in Don Bosco’s metaphorical back yard in West Point, N.Y. The game was tight through two quarters, with Don Bosco clinging to a 10-7 edge, until a big, 59-yard touchdown catch by the Ironmen’s R.J. Trimble-Edwards padded Don Bosco’s lead and gave them a heaping dose of momentum, which it carried to the finish line.
3) Bishop Gorman (Nev.) 43, at Centennial (Calif.) 42: The 2014 Bishop Gorman squad is either comprised of vampires or cats with nine lives, because opponents just can’t quite seem to kill them off. This time the Gaels racked up 15 points in the final 5 minutes, in part because of a late two-point conversion, to escape with a one-point victory against California power Centennial.
The Woodlands (Texas) 24, 6) Katy (Texas) 7: When it comes to regular season winning streaks, few have been more impressive than the one authored by the Katy Tigers. That is no more, thanks to resilient defense and an opportunistic offensive showing put in by The Woodlands. Fun trivia fact: The last team to beat Katy in the regular season was The Woodlands, so perhaps this loss was a bit fitting …
Skyline (Texas) 40, 10) Cedar Hill (Texas) 30: So much for the strength in depth among Texas teams in the top-10. Skyline’s pressing defense shut down Cedar Hill quarterback Justin McMillan, holding him to just three completions in the upset loss. Cedar Hill’s defense played well, but was steadily worn down by a Skyline squad that refused to go away.
11) Gonzaga Prep (D.C.) 38, Georgetown Prep (Md.) 3: On paper this was always destined to be a one-sided contest, but Gonzaga wasn’t about to discount its arch rival. Perhaps this time the Eagles could have. The Little Hoyas struggled to keep possession or limit Gonzaga’s explosive offense as the D.C. squad sprinted to a 38-0 halftime lead and then played out the string in the second half.
12) St. Peter’s Prep (N.J.) 49, Bergen Catholic (N.J.) 20: In past years this scoreline easily could have been reversed, but on a nationally televised Thursday night face off in 2014, this one was all St. Peter’s Prep. Brandon Wimbush was impeccable again for the Marauders, who had a 21-0 lead after the first quarter and never looked back. He finished with 330 yards and five touchdowns through the air, and is starting to make Penn State fans very, very excited.
Union (Okla.) 24, 13) Jenks (Okla.) 13: Well, we didn’t see this one coming. Of course, Jenks quarterback Cooper Nunley never saw Union defensive back Tre Brown coming, either, with the sophomore converted running back intercepting not one, not two, but three Nunley passes to help Union seal a memorable Backyard Bowl victory.
15) Archbishop Rummel (La.) 37, Hahnville (La.) 31: It took three overtimes, but Rummel eventually escaped with a second-straight narrow victory. It may be hard to build much momentum when you’re constantly scraping through against area rivals, but the longer Rummel sticks around, the more it has a chance to slide up the rankings heading into the Louisiana postseason.
18) Bingham (Utah) 42, Hunter (Utah) 0: This is how you respond to a devastating overtime loss to the nation’s top-ranked team, folks. Bingham used a heavy dose of (excellently named, but unrelated) running back Cameron Smith to tip the scales early then never looked back.
23) Long Beach Poly (Calif.) 34, Westlake (Calif.) 24: Here’s another game in which the heavy favorites took an awful long time to put things together. Eventually the Jackrabbits did just that, with Poly’s overwhelming talent advantage and senior quarterback Josh Love proving the difference in another key, early season non-league victory.
25) Eden Prairie (Minn.) 41, Osseo (Minn.) 14: This game was even more one-sided than the scoreline suggests, with Eden Prairie dominant from the opening kickoff. Osseo entered the game coming off a tough loss and never appeared to gain its confidence until it was too late, leaving Eden Prairie with little obstacle to holding on to its spot in the rankings for at least another week.
Each week USA TODAY High School Sports will highlight the Super 25 games of the week. Rankings are compiled weekly throughout the football season by Jim Halley.
The top game in Arizona this week is No. 12 Mountain Pointe (Phoenix) vs. No. 30 Chandler. Photo: Tom Tingle/azcentral sports)
Mountain Pointe (Phoenix, Ariz.) coach Norris Vaughan acknowledges that Friday’s game with Chandler will be his team’s first real test this season, but says that cuts both ways.
“We haven’t played a team like Chandler and they haven’t played a team like Mountain Pointe,” he said.
Mountain Pointe (4-0) is the No. 12 team in the Super 25 football rankings. The Pride opened the season with a 66-13 rout of Reed (Sparks, Nev.), followed by a 64-0 defeat of North (Phoenix), a 48-6 defeat of Cesar Chavez (Laveen) and a 73-0 defeat of Maryvale (Phoenix).
“Reed (which was the Nevada Division I runner-up in 2013) was a decent team, but they didn’t have the skill to hang with us and the game got away from them,” Vaughan said. “The other teams we played were not that good, but we can’t control that. We couldn’t get anybody else to play us. We had conversations about playing De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) and a few other good out-of-state teams, but because we are only allowed one out-of-state game and we were already playing Reed in the Sollenberger Classic, we couldn’t do it. Now, the problem is our starters have not had to play in the fourth quarter or much past the third quarter.”
Chandler is No. 30 in the Super 25 but the Arizona Republic’s rankings have the Wolves being the No. 1 team to No. 2 for defending Division I state champion Mountain Pointe, which beat Chandler 35-14 last season. The Wolves are coming off a 22-7 defeat of five-time defending Colorado champion Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch). They also defeated Centennial (Peoria) 28-24 and Buena 56-10.
“Our kids have gone through a little adversity with the traveling,” said Chandler coach Shaun Aguano, who coached alongside Vaughan and Bishop Gorman coach Tony Sanchez on the West team at the U.S. Army All-America Bowl in January. “Our kids are up for this game. With the kids they have coming back, they’re going to be a solid football team, but they haven’t played a full game yet.”
Between 8,000 and 10,000 fans are expected Friday at Mountain Pointe and the teams’ last three meetings have all been interesting. Mountain Pointe had to come from behind last year and needed overtime to win 28-27 in 2012. In 2011, Chandler came away with a 35-24 victory.
“We’ve always had the talent, but in the last couple of years, our offensive and defensive lines have caught up,” Aguano said. “Now, we have to just take care of the ball.”
While Mountain Pointe has one of the fastest running backs in the country in Paul Lucas and two other capable backs in Brandyn Leonard and Tyrek Cross, Chandler has more Division I talent, led by quarterback Bryce Perkins, who has said he will sign with Arizona State, all-purpose junior running back Chase Lucas and by defensive end Caleb Peart, who has committed to Vanderbilt. Perkins also has two standout tall receivers in 6-4 junior N’Keal Harry and 6-3 senior Justin Jan.
“Chandler is very talented,” Vaughan said. “They have eight or nine division one players. Paul and a couple of our linemen are Division I players, but we have a lot of good players. We are a physical team. They have a lot of fast kids. They are probably the fastest defense we’ve seen all year. But that’s not new. I am more concerned about how we play. If we don’t turn the ball over and give up cheap plays, we should be OK. They remind me of a basketball team. If they hit all of their three-pointers, there’s not much you can do to stop them.”
Other Super 25 games of note this week:
No. 2 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) vs. Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.), Friday: The Gaels are 4-0 and Santa Margarita is 3-0. Gorman had to go to two overtimes to defeat the Eagles 34-31 last season and has shown a penchant for close games this season.
No. 18 Ben Davis (Indianapolis) at No. 37 Warren Central (Indianapolis), Friday: Both teams are 4-0. Ben Davis, led by quarterback Kyle Castner (1,375 yards passing and 12 touchdowns), has a high-powered offense, averaging 45.5 points a game. Warren Central has been more defensive minded, allowing only 12 points a game.
No. 16 Rummel (Metairie, La.) vs. Acadiana (Lafayette, La.), Saturday: Rummel won the state Division I title last season but its only loss was 42-28 to eventual 5A champion Acadiana during the regular season. Rummel is 2-0 after a scary 37-31 triple-overtime defeat of Hahnville (Boutte) last week. Acadiana (2-1) will be looking to bounce back after suffering its first loss since last September last week, falling 39-21 to Shades Valley (Birmingham).
DeSoto made the biggest jump in this week’s Super 25 football rankings after holding on to defeat Steele (Cibolo) 29-24. Rita Bell Photography
DeSoto, Texas, is the big mover in this week’s Super 25 football rankings. The Eagles (4-0) jumped six spots from No. 29 to No. 23 after a 29-24 defeat Thursday of Steele (Cibolo), which was ranked No. 4 in the state and had outscored its three previous opponents 107-3.
Led by quarterback Jaylin Nelson, who passed for three touchdowns and ran for a touchdown, DeSoto jumped to a 29-6 lead and then relied on its defense in the second half, stopping Cibolo (3-1) three times within the Eagles’ 2-yard-line, including a fourth-and-one stop by defensive tackle Bryce English. DeSoto (4-0) has won 24 consecutive regular-season games.
No. 24 Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) is back in the Super 25 rankings after falling out two weeks ago after a season-opening 48-27 loss to then-No. 1 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas). The Friars have won three in a row since, including a 42-21 defeat of Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif.) on Saturday as quarterback Travis Waller passed for 327 yards and four touchdowns.
The third new team in the Super 25 rankings is No. 25 Webb City, Mo., which improved to 5-0 with a 47-7 win at Nixa, Mo. The Cardinals have won 12 state titles since 1989. This season, Webb City is 5-0 after outscoring its opponents 199-58.
Next week could see another shakeup at the top as No. 1 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) travels to No. 2 Bishop Gorman for a game Friday on ESPNU.
St. Edward almost certainly lost its shot at a national crown with its loss to Elder in Cincinnati — St. Edward High School
Welcome to Weekend Rewind, where we take a look back at all the biggest action from teams in the USA Today Super25.
Here’s how things shook out on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And remember to check this week’s Super25 scoreboard when the weekend roles around to keep up to date on all the biggest teams in action with live updates.
THURSDAY
4) Allen (Texas) 42, Plano (Texas) 3: Would it surprise you to hear that Kyler Murray starred in this win, too? Because he did. The Texas A&M commit passed for two touchdowns and ran for two more, part of a comprehensive Allen victory in which the Eagles dominated Plano on both sides of the ball.
9) Miami Central (Fla.) 42, Columbus (Fla.) 14: This was another one-sided rout from another top tier program, with Central proving too talented and too deep for Columbus to keep up. Rockets QB Jerrod Thomas ran the show, dishing out four touchdown passes and running a very efficient offense in the one-sided win.
FRIDAY
2) Bishop Gorman (Nev.) 41, Santa Margarita (Calif.) 10: For once, there was no great, late drama involved in the Gaels’ victory. Just consistent, persistent pressure and another solid performance by transfer QB Tate Martell, who has unlocked the potential of Gorman’s multiple offensive weapons to make the Gaels a top national title threat. Martell finished with three touchdowns in his most comprehensive performance since taking over as the team’s quarterback midway through Week 2. Now we get to see if he can prove as dangerous against the team that supplanted the Gaels atop the Super 25 rankings: St. John Bosco.
6) Booker T. Washington (Fla.) 55, Jackson (Fla.) 7: And the “anything you can do, I can do better,” competition between Miami Central and Booker T. rolls on. A day after the Rockets authored a comprehensive beat-down of a fellow Miami squad, Booker T. did the same, with the Tornadoes leaning on the arm of quarterback Maurice Alexander en route to a whitewash of Jackson.
8) Colquitt County (Ga.) 47, Pelham (Ga.) 7: Colquitt finished off its non-league schedule with a nice, easy victory, using what may be the most efficient offensive output we’ve seen anywhere this season in the first half. Get a load of this statistic: The Packers ran just seven first half plays … and lead 40-0 at halftime. That’s incredible, and the final score could have been much worse if coach Rush Propst hadn’t called off the Colquitt dogs.
10) Gonzaga Prep (D.C.) 51, McKinley Tech (D.C.) 0: This was one of those games where you almost wanted to wave people past before kickoff and tell them “Move along, nothing to see here.” The Eagles led 44-0 at halftime and would have pushed their advantage further if not for a running clock and plenty of substitutions. More stern tests lie ahead for Gonzaga, though if it plays as efficiently as it has in recent weeks it may take something special to get the best of the Eagles.
11) Mater Dei (Calif.) 28, Upland (Calif.) 14: The Monarchs got a true scare from a well-drilled Upland team that came in clearly expecting to win. Upland led 14-7 nearing the end of the first half before Mater Dei scored a tying touchdown and the Monarchs took off from there, using a tightened defensive front and a strong second half performance from quarterback Jake Lowary to escape with a win.
12) Mountain Pointe (Ariz.) 45, Chandler (Ariz.) 42: Whooo boy, the Game of the Week lived up to the billing! Mind you, it didn’t look like it would early, with Mountain Pointe jumping to a 20-7 lead in the first quarter. Then Chandler’s smash mouth football clicked in and this turned into a fascinating contest in which the Pride held on for a track meet-style victory. We’re betting it took everyone involved a good day to catch their breath.
13) De La Salle (Calif.) 52, Del Oro (Calif.) 0: Another week, another De La Salle blowout, another chance for the Spartans to climb in the national rankings. As much as things change, they stay the same. This time De La Salle needed just a half from star running back Antoine Custer — enough time for him to rack up 143 yards and two touchdowns — to cruise past an overmatched Del Oro squad.
14) Bellevue (Wash.) 42, Mercer Island (Wash.) 21: In the first half it appeared that Bellevue’s 55-game winning streak, the second longest in the nation, was in dire threat. Instead, a tough first half only served to awaken the Wolverines’ who shutout Mercer in the second half while flexing their offensive muscle. There will be more tests ahead, but one got the sense that this victory may have significant steeled the Bellevue squad for what is to come.
15) Warren Easton (La.) 55, Carver (La.) 6: It wasn’t enough for Warren Easton to have the lone afternoon kickoff of the Super 25 games; no, the Cajun title contenders had to put away their game early, too. No sweat for Easton, which rolled to a one-sided 55-6 rout in the hot New Orleans sun.
17) Bingham (Utah) 56, Granger (Utah) 0: Bingham came this close to knocking off then-No. 1 Bishop Gorman, and it’s hard not to feel that they’ve been fuming and putting all their aggression into the contests since. This was Bingham’s second-straight shutout against a fellow Utah squad since that Gorman setback, and there’s no telling if anyone in the state will be able to catch up to the Miners at this point. Certainly not if they play the way they have the past couple weeks.
Warren Central (Ind.) 28, 18) Ben Davis (Ind.) 21: In the end, it was the reigning state champions who proved too much for Ben Davis to overcome. Two weeks after the Giants employed a great escape played out across two days to sneak away with a victory, Ben Davis had no answer for the Warriors, with the pink-jerseyed champs scoring the go-ahead touchdown with just less than four minutes remaining, then using a big-time interception to salt away a win in the biggest game of the Indiana regular season.
20) Buford (Ga.) 42, White County (Ga.) 10: Buford got regional play underway in the best, most dominant fashion possible, rolling to leads of 21-0 after the first quarter and 28-3 at halftime against an overmatched White County squad. And to say that the Wolves spread the offensive wealth on homecoming night is an understatement: 13 different Buford players carried the ball in the victory, racking up a total of 185 yards and a whopping five touchdowns on 31 total carries. Evidently the Wolves had plenty of reason to anticipate the homecoming joy you see below.
Centennial (Calif.) 42, 21) Long Beach Polytechnic (Calif.) 34: Centennial proved with this victory that a strong enough early lead can be insurmountable, even when you’re facing off against one of the nation’s best. Centennial jumped out to a 21-0 lead and then matched touchdowns until late in the fourth quarter. A furious Jackrabbits rally came up just short when a late onside kick attempt bounced into Centennial hands, with the Corona school erupting in bedlam about a very famous victory.
22) Eden Prairie (Minn.) 34, Edina (Minn.) 14: A lightning delay couldn’t slow down Eden Prairie’s offense, with running back Will Rains scoring four touchdowns on just 104 yards against a struggling Eagles defense. While the final score looks respectable, this game really wasn’t; Eden Prairie led 34-0 until late in the fourth.
23) John Curtis (La.) 42, East. St. John 13: Sure, it took John Curtis a few weeks to crack the Super 25 outright, but don’t expect the Patriots to go anywhere now that they’ve arrived. Against East St. John, Curtis’ balanced rushing attack had four players combine for five touchdowns on the ground, with quarterback Brock Hebert also adding a short touchdown pass. Consider this win a statement of intent from the Patriots: They like the Super 25, and they don’t want to slip back down anytime soon.
24) Cy-Fair (Texas) 56, Cypress Springs (Texas) 20: All Cy-Fair needs to do is leave it to Jacorey Aleem. He’ll take care of the rest. The Cy-Fair senior scored five touchdowns and totaled 216 yards on 22 carries in newly-ranked Cy-Fair’s rout of area rival Cypress Springs. The Bobcats took control early with dominant, clock-eating offensive drives and an opportunistic defense and never looked back, improving to 3-0 with a chance to reach 4-0 for the first time since the school’s last undefeated state title campaign. Worth noting.
25) Lee’s Summit West (Mo.) 56, Lee’s Summit North (Mo.) 20: Too much of West quarterback Brice Kreikemeier for North to counter. Kreikemeier passed for three touchdowns — and an interception — while completing 11 of 14 passes for 290 yards while running back Brenner Clemons added three touchdowns in tight situations near the goal line.
SATURDAY
Elder (Ohio) 21, 3) St. Edward (Ohio) 14: This was a defensive battle between two traditional Ohio powers at a stadium affectionately called “The Pit.” And despite four interceptions from a talented St. Edward defense, the Eagles couldn’t ever get their offense humming. Of course, neither could Elder until the second half, when it forged ahead of St. Edward and never looked back. Perhaps St. Edward may have been looking ahead to a matchup at Bergen Catholic in New Jersey this weekend. No matter what the reason, at the end of the day, it just wasn’t St. Ed’s day.
7) St. Peter’s Prep (N.J.) 48, Seton Hall Prep (N.J.) 10: The Brandon Wimbush appreciation tour continues at pace, with this magisterial performance against Seton Hall piloting the Marauders to another easy win. Wimbush finished with four total touchdowns — two through the air and two on the ground — en route to a one-sided victory which St. Peter’s led 21-3 at halftime. From there it was practically all academic, with no St. Peter’s letdown in sight. Having a second superstar like Minkah Fitzpatrick never hurts, either.
16) Archbishop Rummel (La.) 34, Acadiana (La.) 9: A game that was expected to serve as one of Rummel’s biggest in-state tests turned into a whitewash, with the Raiders rolling to a 20-3 halftime lead and never looking back. The Rummel defense was the real showstopper, putting the troubles from a triple-OT win against Hanhnville in the past and dominating the line of scrimmage.
19) St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) 20, Miramar (Fla.) 12: A week after a disappointing loss to Don Bosco at West Point, Aquinas bounced back with a playmaking defense and just enough offense to edge its toughest threat in South Florida. The Raiders rallied with both blocked punts — two of them — and a fourth quarter interception that sparked enough cushion to hold on for the win. Considering the fact that Aquinas entered the fourth trailing 12-7 on the road, that speaks volumes about the character in the team’s core.
A year after being named the Super 25 national champions, Booker T Washington of Miami could get a chance to play for a title in a series of bowl games in late December — Miami Dolphins
The answer to the question posed in the headline is still “Maybe.” But now there is more reason to believe that it could happen than we’ve ever had before.
According to Orlando Sentinel high school sports reporter Buddy Collings, conversations to set up a series of “national high school football bowl games” between state champions in Florida and champion challengers from other states are at an advanced stage. Paragon Marketing Group, the organization behind the annual Dick’s National High School Invitational Tournament which has emerged as a de facto basketball national championships, has proposed a series of “between one and three games” that would feature different state champions, ideally undefeated and nationally-ranked, face off against each other.
When reached by USA Today’s Jim Halley for comment about the report, Paragon’s Rashid Ghazi offered the following statement, which falls short of saying that the games will definitely happen … but comes pretty close:
“We are having conversations with multiple state associations, we are also working on sponsor and television angles and it is our intention to have an announcement in the coming weeks.”
It’s assumed that at least one of the state champions, and likely more, would come from Florida, as the games would be played in Florida with the approval of the Florida High School Athletic Association. All games would be televised on ESPNU, with starting times of 12 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. should three games be set up. The most likely date for the event as currently constituted appears to be December 27, according to Collings’ sources.
If you work down the current Super 25 rankings and incorporate one Florida team in each game, since we know that the FHSAA has given clearance for them to compete, that could mean bowl games that could look like this:
No. 6 Miami Booker T. Washington vs. winner of Friday night’s game between No. 1 St. John Bosco (Calif.) or No. 2 Bishop Gorman (Nev.)
No. 8 Miami Central vs. No. 3 Allen (Texas)
No. 17 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) vs. No. 4 Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) in a rematch
If those games sound pretty appetizing, well, don’t get your hopes too high yet. St. John Bosco would have to get permission from the California Interscholastic Federation to participate, and Allen would need the same from Texas’ University Interscholastic League. Those are far from a given.
Nonetheless, the games are a tantalizing possibility, and with Paragon there’s reportedly real money behind them, too. The Sentinel cites FHSAA Executive Director Roger Dearing when discussing the prospective terms of an agreement: Each participating school would receive either $12,500 in cash or $25,000 in team merchandise, or some mix thereof. Meanwhile, the FHSAA would receive $10,000 for agreeing to host the games and a bonus of $40,000 if at least one FHSAA school was picked for the event. It seems almost a foregone conclusion that at least one Florida school would take part with the event hosted in the Sunshine State.
It’s that prospective cash payment that could prove to be a thorn in the side of cooperation from other states. Some state associations have balked at similar agreements with the NHSI basketball tournament and forbade their member schools from participating. That could happen again with the proposed football bowls.
At the end of the day, that doesn’t mean they won’t happen, it just means they might not host the best matchups possible. And that would bring any crowning of a national champion into serious question. For now, the focus is on getting the event to approval stage and seeing where chips fall from there.
“It looks very, very positive that this is going to move forward,” Dearing told the Sentinel. “There are at least two other states that are highly interested in participating. …
“We have asked to host in Florida. Paragon is working on a site.”
Bishop Gorman started the season as the No. 1 team in the Super 25 preseason football rankings. Now it’s ranked No. 2 before hosting top-ranked St. John Bosco — The Associated Press
How do you know when a high school football game has hit the big time? When it’s on primetime on ESPN … not ESPN2 or ESPNU.
If we didn’t have enough proof already that Friday’s faceoff between top-ranked California powerhouse St. John Bosco and No. 2 Bishop Gorman of neighboring Nevada constituted national-grade A1 sports news, well, now we do. The powers that be at ESPN have moved the game from ESPNU, where it was originally scheduled to air, to the ESPN mothership. The Los Angeles Times first reported the network change.
The game will still take place at 9 p.m. EST in Las Vegas at Bishop Gorman’s lavish Fertitta Field. And now far more of the nation will take in the spectacle in all its glory. Another watershed moment for prep football in America? Stay tuned.
St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) quarterback Josh Rosen brings his No. 1 Braves to No. 2 Bishop Gorman for a game Friday.
Jason Negro and Tony Sanchez are friends, but it’s unlikely they’ll hang out after their game Friday night.
Negro, the coach of St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), leads his team, No. 1 in the Super 25 high school football rankings against No. 2 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), coached by Sanchez. It’s only the fifth No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup since USA TODAY’s Super 25 rankings began in 1982 and the game will be televised by ESPN, beginning at 9 (ET).
“I don’t think the guy who loses is going to be any mood to do anything afterward,” Negro said. “We run similar programs, with similar principles. He’s such an open guy who’s willing to help and I’d like to think I’m the same way. We would have rather not played each other except for the TV opportunity.”
Each team is an unbeaten defending state champion. St. John Bosco is 3-0 and averaging 51 points a game but was really untested until last week when Central Catholic (Portland, Ore.) led the Braves early in the second half. Bishop Gorman is 5-0 with wins over No. 24 Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) and No. 16 Bingham (South Jordan, Utah), but has had several close calls.
“Bishop Gorman has already played some good teams,” said ESPN national recruiting analyst Craig Haubert, who is doing color commentary for the game. “Even though St. John Bosco is younger than it was last year, that’s one of those programs where they have had success before. The newer players come in knowing what is expected. That winning attitude bleeds down even to the younger guys.”
Neither side lacks for talent. The Braves’ quarterback is senior Josh Rosen, a preseason American Family Insurance ALL-USA selection, who has thrown six touchdown passes while resting for large parts of his team’s three games.
“He’s got phenomenal feet and a cannon for an arm,” Sanchez said. “He’s seems very calm, cool and collected.”
Rosen has said he plans to sign with UCLA next season, where he could be throwing passes to fellow Bruins recruit Alize Jones, an ALL-USA preseason tight end for Bishop Gorman. Rosen said via a text he was hoping Jones would be one of the captains so the two could talk before the game.
There’s another Southern California connection. Two of Gorman’s top players transferred this year from Poway, Calif.: receiver Tyjon Lindsey and quarterback Tate Martell, a sophomore who took over the starting job two games into the season and has thrown 11 touchdown passes.
“He’s really electrified our offense,” Sanchez said. “He just took it to a different level with his ability to extend the play. He can throw the ball but also make things happen with his feet.”
Other key players include St. John Bosco junior running back Sean McGrew, listed as the No. 3 all-purpose back in the 2016 class in 247Sports.com’s composite rankings, senior Zach Robertson, listed as the No. 14 offensive guard, 2016 No. 39 wide receiver D.J. Morgan and Anselem Umeh, the No. 27 athlete in the 2016 class.
Gorman has plenty of talent as well with rapper Snoop Dogg’s son, Cordell Broadus, the No. 11 senior wide receiver, junior defensive end Michael Geraghty, listed as the No. 31 weak-side defensive end and UFC President Lorenzo Fertitta’s son, Nikko, a hard-hitting defensive back who has committed to Notre Dame.
“I think if you look at both of these teams, (playing a big game) is something they’re used to doing,” Haubert said. “These are two talented teams who have been at this level for a while. There’s certainly an excitement level that comes with this game because it’s No. 1 vs. No. 2. This has all the makings of being one of those back-and-forth battles.”
Each week USA TODAY High School Sports will highlight the Super 25 games of the week. Rankings are compiled weekly throughout the football season by Jim Halley.
In the first report about these potential games, published by the Orlando Sentinel, Florida state champions would face off against schools from state federations to be determined, a report which quite naturally stokes curiosity about which states would agree to send their champions into a bowl game in Florida. After reaching out to a number of those federations, we now have a somewhat better idea about which teams might be allowed to come. The long and short of it? Even if there is a bowl game, you’re not going to see a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup. In fact, you’ll be lucky to see a No. 1 vs. No. 5 game, though that could be the most enticing possible matchup.
— Florida: We know that the FHSAA is willing to sanction its teams for competition because they’re hosting the games and they say they will let their state champions compete if they are invited and choose to. No drama here.
In fact, the team that is currently ranked highest from the state of Florida, defending Super 25 champion and current No. 5 Miami Booker T. Washington, would be very interested in playing in a game. Here’s what Booker T. head coach Tim Harris Jr. told USA Today about his team’s potential participation:
“I think it would be an exciting and fun event for the kids,” Harris said. “Our kids get fired up every week that we’re not the top team in the rankings. For an event like this to take place, to have the possibility to have a chance to play a top-ranked team, would mean a lot. … You look at what college football is doing with a new playoff system. It would get the high school kids a little closer to that. I don’t think this would take away from a state championship because you would still have to win a state title to get in.”
— Utah: Here is the statement that Utah High School Activities Association Executive Director Rob Cuff issued to USA Today’s Jim Halley:
“Our board has approved Catholic schools going to postseason events and two years ago, we approved Lone Peak (though it ultimately didn’t play in what has become the Dicks National High School Invitational). Last year, Fremont’s girls played in the event. The football event is smack dab in the middle of school vacation, but for any school that is invited, there will be a plan for how many days they will be allowed to practice. The Dec. 27 event is nearly five weeks after our football season ends and we don’t want it to impact winter sports.”
Translation: Any Utah teams selected to play in the games (likely No. XX Bingham) can play, though it won’t get to spend the entire time between the state title games and any bowl game holding practices. Fair enough.
MAYBE, BUT DON’T COUNT ON IT:
— Washington: The Apple State is home to undefeated Bellevue, No. 13 in the Super 25 and a perennial national power. Would the Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association allow the Wolverines or another school to take part? Maybe, but they have some serious reservations. Here’s executive director Mike Colbrese:
“The association is considering the participation of its member schools and individuals in national events and will have a more thorough response in the month of October.”
Translation: Anything is possible, but we want to hear from a member-committee that we set up to study national tournaments before we make any moves. Additionally, the December 27 date for the game might be problematic because it’s right in the middle of the kickoff phase for winter sports. Stay tuned.
— Georgia: Could it happen? It’s possible, but it would require a much more formal process to get done, much like in Washington. Here’s what Georgia High School Association spokesman Steve Figueroa told USA Today:
“Playing in any postseason event (beyond a state championship) would be against our rules. So, if a Georgia team were to play in this event, it would require a rule change by our 58 executive committee members.”
We’ll see what pressure Colquitt County coach Rush Propst can put on state officials.
— Indiana: The Hoosier state sent the La Lumiere boys basketball team off to the Dick’s National High School Invitational, so could it also approve a bowl game for Warren Central or Ben Davis, both teams just outside the Super 25? It’s entirely possible, but the Indiana High School Athletic Association would have to allow for prep football practices to interfere with the first phase of boys basketball season. And everyone knows that boys basketball is king in Indiana.
It’s also worth noting that La Lumiere doesn’t participate in the full basketball playoffs, so they’re a bit of an outlier from the system as well. All of which is just to say that having the IHSAA acquiesce to sending Ben Davis, Warren Central or anyone else down to Florida for a bowl game is far from a sure thing.
NOT A SNOWBALL’S CHANCE ON A SUNNY DAY:
— New Jersey: The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association is not having it. Here’s executive director Steven Timko:
“NJSIAA rules, developed by members schools, prohibit out-of-season play. Therefore, football teams would be prohibited from playing a game on December 27. Given the prohibition on out-of-season play and agreed upon limits for out-of-state games, NJSIAA member schools could not participate.”
Translation: This is cut and dry. It’s not happening. Sorry Don Bosco.
— Texas: No, this isn’t official, but it doesn’t make sense and, according to one source close to University Interscholastic League officials, there’s no way that the Lone Star State will allow No. 3 Allen, No. 21 Cyfair or any other fast rising team to take part in the bowl games.
This is what Dallas Morning News prep sports writer Corbett Smith had to say about Texas teams competing in the event:
@camsmithsports@USATODAYhss Texas will never approve it. There's absolutely zero interest from its state association, superintendents, ADs.
Translation: Winning a state title in Texas is enough. Be content, Eagles fans.
— California: This is somewhat speculative, but the California Interscholastic League is notoriously strict about relaxing standards for postseason participation and its schedule lines up with Texas’. The math would seem to indicate we won’t see No. 1 St. John Bosco, No. 10 De La Salle or anyone else in Florida in late December.
TRUE MYSTERIES:
— Nevada: Could it happen? Sure. Do we have any insight into whether or not it will happen? Not at all. Still, the best chance for a potential national title-marketable contest for Paragon would seem to be No. 2 Bishop Gorman, out of Las Vegas, against No. 5 Booker T. Washington … provided that the Gaels can sneak past St. John Bosco first.
— D.C.: Could it happen? Maybe, though No. 10 Gonzaga would need to get permission from Washington Catholic Athletic Contest officials, not local public officials. Outreach to Gonzaga athletic director Joe Reyda was not returned.
— Arizona: Could it happen? We honestly don’t have the slightest. It’s hard to read these tea leaves. Something tells us that No. 12 Mountain Pointe probably looks incredibly appealing right now, particularly after the Pride eked past Chandler in what may be the toughest game on its schedule last week.
— Louisiana: This is probably the last major state contender, with both No. 14 Warren Easton and No. 15 Archbishop Rummel potentially in the mix. We have no idea how the Louisiana High School Athletic Association would respond to outreach from Paragon; we’re trying to find out.
So, what does this mean for the bowl games? Who knows. It’s still possible that Paragon could hit it big with a matchup between Bishop Gorman and Booker T. Washington. After that, whoever plays is still anyone’s guess, and that’s before you consider the unpredictability of high school results.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Nomar Garciaparra, right, and his wife, Mia Hamm, attend a soccer clinic and bone marrow drive at St. John Bosco High School in 2006. Associated Press photo
While celebrities such as Snoop Dogg or Dana White surround the program of Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), the Gaels don’t have an alumnus with the stature of Los Angeles Dodgers announcer Nomar Garciaparra, who graduated from St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.).
No. 1 St. John Bosco travels to No. 2 Bishop Gorman tonight in a high school football game on ESPN (9, ET), only the fifth time there’s been a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup since USA TODAY began doing Super 25 rankings in 1982.
Garciaparra, a six-time All-Star who played 15 years in the major leagues, mostly with the Boston Red Sox, was a standout shortstop for St. John Bosco and was the football team’s kicker. One reason he didn’t play another position in football is that he was barely 135 pounds by the time he went to Georgia Tech and likely a few pounds south of that in high school.
“He was a lightweight,” texted St. John Bosco football coach Jason Negro, who played third base alongside Garciaparra in high school and was the Braves’ starting quarterback at the time.
“Nomar and I graduated together and played football and baseball together,” Negro said. “I played third base and he played shortstop. I am responsible for his high school performance. Ha ha. I gobbled up anything hit on the left side of the infield.”
Garciaparra actually starred in three sports in high school, scoring a team-high 17 goals in soccer his junior year, all while graduating with a 4.2 grade-point average. Negro said that Garciaparra’s professionalism is something he uses as a lesson to his players.
“He took anything he did and wanted to be perfect at it and be the best at it,” Negro texted. “There wasn’t a more professional high schooler out there in my opinion. I inspire my players to be as professional as Nomar.”
Bishop Gorman wide receiver Tyjon Lyndsey smiles as he scores a touchdown during his team’s 34-31 defeat of St. John Bosco on Friday. Associated Press photo by Isaac Brekken
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the Super 25 football rankings it lost a few weeks ago, defeating then-No. 1 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 34-31 on Friday in a game televised on ESPN as Gaels quarterback Tate Martell passed for two touchdowns and ran for a touchdown.
Bishop Gorman started the season as the No. 1 team, but fell to No. 2 after a 23-20 overtime defeat of Bingham (South Jordan. Utah) on Sept. 5. Bishop Gorman (5-0) has not always looked as dominant as a No. 1 team, but it already has three wins over Super 25 ranked teams.
De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) made one of the biggest jumps, going from No. 10 to No. 5 in the Super 25, with its 47-24 defeat of then-No. 24 Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) on Saturday. Servite (3-2) led early in the game and trailed only 20-17 in the third quarter before the Spartans rolled in the fourth quarter. Running back Antoine Custer finished the game with 257 yards and three touchdowns. De La Salle is 5-0 and like the Gaels, may not be tested again until the playoffs.
Bingham, buoyed by Bishop Gorman’s win and its own 24-0 defeat Friday of Brighton (Cottonwood Heights), also gained five spots from No. 16 to No. 11. Miners quarterback Kyle Gearig has thrown nine touchdown passes with only one interception this season.
There were several upsets, leading to the biggest change week-over-week this season, with six new teams, led by No. 18 Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.), which went from No. 34 to No. 18 by knocking off then-No. 12 Mountain Pointe (Phoenix) 30-10 on Friday. The other new teams: No. 21 Starkville, Miss.; No. 22 Carmel, Ind.; No. 23 Ocean Lakes, Virginia Beach, Va.; No. 24 Folsom, Calif., and No. 25 Warren Central (Indianapolis).
No. 9 St. John Bosco was the only Super 25 team to lose and remain in the rankings. The Braves (3-1) trailed Bishop Gorman 34-10 before making a game of it, thanks to 21 unanswered points, including two late touchdown throws by UCLA signee Josh Rosen.
The Super 25 teams that fell out, with their former rankings: No. 6 St. Peter’s Prep (Jersey City); No. 9 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.); No. 12 Mountain Pointe (Phoenix); No. 14 Warren Easton (New Orleans); No. 24 Servite (Anaheim, Calif.); and No. 22 West, Lee’s Summit, Mo.
Bishop Gorman celebrates its victory against top-ranked St. John Bosco — USA Today Sports Images
Welcome to Weekend Rewind, where we take a look back at all the biggest action from teams in the USA Today Super25.
After six weekends of games we’re getting serious structure in the Super 25, particularly now that the whole St. John Bosco-Gorman face-off has worked itself out.
Here’s how things shook out on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And remember to check this week’s Super25 scoreboard when the weekend roles around to keep up to date on all the biggest teams in action with live updates.
FRIDAY
2) Bishop Gorman (Nevada) 34, 1) St. John Bosco (Calif.) 31: By now you’ve certainly read all about this matchup, with Gorman’s early dominance and Bosco’s furious rally late in the fourth. If you haven’t, by all means stop right now and go read this. In the end, this game mostly lived up to the hype, while also setting Gorman on a course where each week will now be a national title decider.
3) Allen (Texas) 35, Marcus (Texas) 24: This game was closer than the scoreline looks, and it took some more Kyler Murray magic to ensure that Allen survived and would move into the on-deck circle for the poll’s number 1 spot. While there are no published highlights from the game (beyond these) as of yet, there is a terrific highlight of Texas A&M’s recruiting swagcopter touching down in Flower Mound. Let’s all be honest: We all want to see the swagcopter in action, don’t we?
4) Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) 41, Fort Pierce (Fla.) 14: Another week, another easy blowout for the Ironmen, who went on the road and thoroughly trampled an overmatched Fort Pierce squad. Don Bosco ran for more than 325 yards to control the ground game and tempo in its latest signature victory.
5) Booker T. Washington (Fla.) 51, Monsignor Pace (Fla.) 6: A week after a relatively tight contest for the Tornadoes, this one was no contest. Booker T. dominated from the outset and never looked back. The real question now is whether anyone in Florida can keep them from an undefeated season and a spot on the edge of the national title talk … particularly if bowl games do come to Florida.
IMG Academy (Fla.) 36, 6) St. Peter’s Prep (N.J.) 20: No one, truly no one, saw this result coming. In the end, a blazing IMG hot streak saw the Ascenders score 23 consecutive points to push past St. Peter’s, which played like an outside contender for a national title right up until last week.
11) Mater Dei (Calif.) 34, Edison (Calif.) 12: Edison held with the Monarchs for as long as it could, but eventually Mater Dei cobbled together enough good plays — a late first half touchdown, a series of defensive stops in the third quarter — to earn a comfortable victory and a ticket up the rankings.
Hamilton (Az.) 30, 12) Mountain Pointe (Az.) 10: If the St. Peter’s Prep loss was a surprise, this was a full-fledged stunner. After surviving a tough test against Chandler last week, Mountain Pointe clearly took its foot off the gas, with the Huskies taking full advantage. The loss ended a 19-game winning streak for the Pride, and provided Mountain Pointe’s first game without scoring points in the second half since 2011. Really.
13) Bellevue (Wash.) 42, Sammamish (Wash.) 6: Unlike Mountain Pointe and others, Bellevue clearly learned a lesson from being wrapped in a tight contest a week before. This time the Wolverines had little trouble with an overmatched Sammamish squad and cruised to a victory. No drama here.
Woodlawn (La.) 28, No. 14 Warren Easton (La.) 21: Another game, another massive upset from a team that had struggled with run of the mill opponents, let alone national-caliber world beaters. Woodlawn scored late in this one and Warren Easton simply didn’t have enough time to match the Panthers, handing the Baton Rouge squad one of the biggest wins in the program’s recent history.
15) Archbishop Rummel (La.) 17, Catholic (La.) 14: As we mentioned Saturday, the Louisiana games just don’t come easily. Rummel escaped with another grind it out victory by Rummel, which responded to Catholic taking the lead early in the second half with a direct response of its own. From there it was all about defense, with Rummel shutting down the Bears and holding on for the win. The interception you see below by Kristian Fulton iced the win.
16) Bingham (Utah) 24, Brighton (Utah) 0: Of more dramatic interest than Bingham’s latest whitewash victory in Utah is this: Considering the fact that Bingham’s only loss came to Bishop Gorman, and considering how close they came to winning (let’s face it, they probably should have won), could Bingham be pointed towards the top of the rankings in the future? The way Bingham is playing — Brighton was ranked No. 2 in state by most — it sure doesn’t look like losing in state anytime soon …
17) St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) 59, Nova (Fla.) 0: Aquinas keeps proving the power of losing early if a team is going to have to lose eventually. The latest victim on the Raiders crusade was Nova, which watched Aquinas score touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams in the first half alone. Looking for one star from the game? Try Aquinas’ Jawuan Harris, who had a punt block, punt return TD and a kick return TD in the same game. That’s a busy night.
20) John Curtis (La.) 34, Edna Karr (La.) 22: The latest Louisiana addition to the Super 25 will hope to hang around longer than Warren Easton. Curtis ran the ball down the throats of Karr, one of its fiercest rivals, to the tune of 465 yards on the ground in a grind-it-out victory that strengthens the Patriots’ position in the Super 25.
21) Cy-Fair (Texas) 71, Cypress Lake (Texas) 0: Cy-Fair celebrated its spot in the Super 25 with a good old fashioned blowout, rolling past nearby Cypress Lake by more than 10 touchdowns. Nothing more need be said about this, we think.
Lee’s Summit (Mo.) 44, 22) Lee’s Summit West (Mo.) 38: Here’s more proof that you can never count on the result of a piquant rivalry game. Missouri-bound quarterback Drew Lock came through with a big game, scoring two touchdowns on the ground and adding two through the air to lead the Tigers to a narrow victory against their nationally-ranked rivals.
23) Desoto (Texas) 53, Grand Prairie (Texas) 0: Call this a guess, but now that Desoto has cracked the Super 25 one wouldn’t want to bet on them coming up short until the playoffs kick off. The Eagles rolled past Grand Prairie, with the biggest and best news being the return of superstar wide receiver James Porche, a SMU commit who had two big catches for the 5-0 Eagles.
25) Webb City (Mo.) 46, Willard (Mo.) 15: The Cardinals took advantage of a host of lucky breaks to turn a game that should have been a tight matchup into a blowout. Of course, when you score on the game’s first play, success is often not too far behind. The Cardinals have yet to be truly pushed, so it will be worth watching to see if anyone else on the schedule can spring a surprise as the season moves into its second half.
SATURDAY
Good Counsel (Md.) 17, 9) Gonzaga (D.C.) 7: So much for wondering if the WCAC would allow the Eagles to compete in the proposed prep bowl games in Florida … or if they’d even want to. Good Counsel took care of its traditional rival with a heavy dose of Jonathan Lee, who ran for 167 yards and a touchdown to help the Falcons bounce back from a shocking 20-0 loss to Gilman and end Gonzaga’s undefeated season in one fell swoop.
10) De La Salle (Calif.) 47, 24) Servite (Calif.) 24: One of the weekend’s, and month’s, most anticipated matchups never fully materialized. Sure, Servite took a 14-10 lead in the second quarter, the first time this year that anyone has against the Spartans, but De La Salle had far too much power and depth, with the Spartans’ veer offense taking control in the second half and running roughshod over their Southern California foes. Antoine Custer was overpowering as always on the ground, finishing this win with 257 yards and three touchdowns to ensure De La Salle remained undefeated and moved up the rankings.
Colquitt County coach Rush Propst is 2-4 against Lowndes.
Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.) and Valdosta will always be high school football rivals because of proximity and common history. What binds Lowndes to Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.), however, is mutual animosity. Colquitt County (5-0), No. 6 in the Super 25 rankings, plays host to 5-0 Lowndes Friday night.
“There are watch parties where there will be Lowndes fans and Valdosta fans hanging out,” Lowndes Viking Touchdown Club President Darrell Presley said. “There are no watch parties for Colquitt County and Lowndes. Whereas Valdosta-Lowndes is a friendly rivalry, Colquitt-Lowndes is a heated rivalry. I believe this game could be better than the state championship.”
“I believe this game could be better than the state championship.” – Darrell Presley
In 2008, Lowndes welcomed Rush Propst, a five-time state champion coach at Hoover, Ala., and then the new coach of Colquitt County, to the region known as the “Little SEC” with a 51-0 drubbing, still the worst loss for a Propst-coached team. Lowndes won again in 2009 and 2010 to become the first team to beat a Propst-coached team three consecutive years.
In 2011, Colquitt County’s Packers beat the Vikings for the first time since 1999. The next year, Lowndes took a 17-14 victory at Colquitt, but what fans from both schools talk about is what happened after the game. Propst accused fired former assistant Buzz Payne of spying for Lowndes, using binoculars to read his team’s offensive signals and relay them to coaches in Lowndes’ coaching box. Lowndes coach Randy McPherson said his team did nothing wrong and didn’t know Payne. Propst called that a “blatant lie” and at his urging, the Georgia High School Association investigated. The GHSA found no wrongdoing, but “binocular-gate” was like lighter fuel on a camp fire. Last season, Colquitt defeated Lowndes 37-7, McPherson’s worst loss at Lowndes. This season, fans from both sides are planning to wear T-shirts that reference binoculars.
“I think a lot of it adds to the rivalry,” Propst said. “When I was at Hoover, the Vestavia Hills rivalry was similar to this. There were things that went on at pep rallies before the teams played. But, it’s not a rivalry unless you win ballgames and we have done so. This is the first time that we’ve played where we’re both undefeated. The winner puts themselves in a great position where you don’t have to go on the road for the playoffs.”
Even without all that, this would be a big game because it pits two of the best teams in what is arguably the best region in the country. Of the five teams at the top of the Georgia Sports Writers Association AAAAAA rankings, four of them are from 1-AAAAAA: No. 1 Colquitt County; No. 2 Camden County (Kingsland); No. 3 Lowndes; and No. 5 Valdosta. Heading into their first week of region games, the Little SEC’s six teams are a combined 29-0.
The Colquitt-Lowndes rivalry has even filtered down to the youth football level. This past Saturday, the South Georgia Hawgs of Moultrie defeated the Titletown Titans of Valdosta 20-13 in Pop Warner football.
“Whenever those kids over in Valdosta find they’re playing a team from Moultrie, I don’t care if it is the rec level, they’re going to play their hearts out,” said Hawgs coach George Wallace. “It is just a rivalry.”
Titans coach James Gatlin said Propst’s addition is what has changed the dynamic.
“In our Pop Warner League, our players all look forward to trying to beat Moultrie. I played at Valdosta and it has always been like that with Valdosta and Lowndes, but now with Coach Propst at Colquitt, that’s become Lowndes’ big rival.”
Each week USA TODAY High School Sports will highlight the Super 25 games of the week. Rankings are compiled weekly throughout the football season by Jim Halley.
As we head toward the key part of the football season nationwide, USA TODAY High School Sports is again going to highlight our interactive Score Predictor.
Plus, you can see how your school will fare in this week’s game.
Among Super 25 teams, two of the big matchups feature No. 6 Colquitt County (Ga.) vs. Lowndes (Valdosta) and No. 18 Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.) vs. Chandler.
Lowndes has been a traditional powerhouse in Colquitt’s region — known by the locals as “the little SEC.”
Hamilton vs. Chandler is a renewal of the annual rivalry between the schools that are separated by four miles. A crowd of 10,000 is expected. Last year saw Chandler’s first-ever victory over Hamilton, an accomplishment overshadowed by Hamilton’s rematch victory over Chandler in the state semifinals. Hamilton last lost a home game in 2004, a streak of 64 wins.
Stanford-bound wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside had five catches, including three for touchdowns in Dorman’s 54-14 defeat of Mauldin. Photo by Greenville News.
Only two teams moved into the Super 25 football rankings this week: No. 24 Fulton (Knoxville), and No. 25 Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.).
Fulton has won five state titles since 2003 and improved to 7-0 Friday as Domonique Williams had 123 all-purpose yards and scored four touchdowns in three different ways in a 55-6 defeat of Pigeon Forge on Friday. He twice scored on runs from scrimmage, made a diving touchdown catch and returned a punt for a touchdown.
Dorman, buoyed by a big week by Stanford-bound wide receiver, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, moved into the rankings for the first time this season. The Cavaliers’ senior had five catches for 144 yards, including three touchdowns, in a 54-14 defeat of Mauldin on Thursday. Dorman is 7-0 for the first time since 2010, when the Cavaliers were 14-1 and the state 4A runner-up.
Two teams fell out of the rankings. On Saturday, then-No. 16 John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.) lost 15-13 to St. Augustine (New Orleans) to drop out. The Patriots’ last loss was last year to St. Augustine. No. 18 Hamilton (Chandler) dropped out after losing 56-24 to crosstown rival Chandler on Thursday.
Most teams held their ground with easy wins. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) escaped with a 28-27 defeat of Westlake (Westlake Village, Calif.) on Thursday and fell from No. 8 to No. 12. No. 6 Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.) had the most impressive win, knocking off unbeaten Lowndes 45-27 on Friday as running back Sihiem King ran for three touchdowns. However, all the ranked teams above Colquitt County won easily.
Colquitt County held off visiting Georgia rival Lowndes in the Super 25 Game of the Week — Twitter
Welcome to Weekend Rewind, where we take a look back at all the biggest action from teams in the USA Today Super 25. Here’s how the teams ranked in the national standings fared in Week 7, with highlights wherever possible:
THURSDAY
1) Bishop Gorman (Nev.) 56, Shadow Ridge (Nev.) 0: The Tate Martell show continued (220 yards, 4 TDs in the first half alone), and local rival Shadow Ridge couldn’t keep up with the Gaels’ many weapons. Needless to say, there won’t be any letdown in Gorman’s performance as they start to focus on competition from within Nevada as opposed to powers from other states.
8) Mater Dei (Calif.) 28, Westlake (Calif.) 27: All the drama on the West Coast was focused around this LA-area faceoff, with the Monarchs eventually escaping thanks only to a blocked field goal at the buzzer. If the Monarchs run the table and stake a claim at a national title, they can look back to this as a key turning point in the entire season, without question.
11) Bingham (Utah) 35, Alta (Utah) 3: Believe it or not, this one wasn’t even this close for the majority of the game. Bingham rolled to a dominant first quarter lead and never looked back, continuing its run following an early season, last second setback against top-ranked Gorman.
12) St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) 70, South Broward (Fla.) 0: Sure, the Aquinas offense was impressive — quarterback Jake Rizzo tossed three touchdown passes, among other highlights — but how about the defense? The Raiders stonewalled South Broward in the team’s most one-sided victory yet.
15) Eden Prairie (Minn.) 36, Minnetonka 12: The Eagles jumped out to an early 14-0 lead in before Minnetonka stormed back on a stormy night, only to watch Eden Prairie pull away again and maintain a solid footing in the middle of the Super 25.
17) Cy-Fair (Texas) 42, Cy-Ridge (Texas) 7: Cy-Fair has an explosive offense, but it’s the team’s defense that is starting to get serious glances from other Texas coaches. The team has allowed just one touchdown in two games, in this win against Cy-Ridge, as part of a 113-7 aggregate score, with the defense allowing just 27 points all season. That’s a recipe for outright dominance.
Chandler (Ariz.) 56, 18) Hamilton (Ariz.) 24: No sooner than the Huskies land in the Super 25 than they get trounced and sent back to the exits. We may not have a full feel of the Arizona power hierarchy yet, but this performance from Chandler was a dominant one and seems to have established itself as a true title contender. The win snapped Hamilton’s home winning streak dating back all the way to 2004. Big win, big plays and a standard setter in the desert.
23) Ocean Lakes (Va.) 56, Kempsville (Va.) 0: Jaason Lewis continued to dominate on the ground, as the running back racked up 130 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Dolphins to another intrastate rout.
FRIDAY
5) De La Salle (Calif.) 70, San Ramon Valley (Calif.) 14: Nothing to see here. Just another monstrous rout by the Spartans. It wasn’t just the Antoine Custer show this week, with fellow running back Andrew Hernandez pitching in with three touchdowns and 229 yards of his own on the ground.
6) Colquitt County (Ga.) 45, Lowndes (Ga.) 27: Finally, Colquitt County got another test, and the Packers passed it. Perhaps not with colors flying quite as majestically as they might have liked, but still a good grade founded on tough defense, clutch offensive plays an opportunistic turnovers. Sounds like a quality Rush Propst team, doesn’t it?
9) St. John Bosco (Calif.) 65, Crenshaw (Calif.) 7: This is how you bounce back from an emotionally crushing defeat, folks. St. John Bosco quarterback Josh Rosen was dominant, the Braves exploded out of the traps to take an overwhelming early lead and then cruised to the finish line against a Crenshaw team that never really knew what hit it until it was far too late.
10) Bellevue (Wash.) 30, Glacier Peak (Wash.) 0: The Wolverines scored all their points in the first half, then gave the starters a lot of rest in the second as Bellevue cruised to another in-state victory.
13) Archbishop Rummel (La.) 35, Dutchtown (La.) 6: Rummel dominated up front on both sides of the ball and got a balanced passing and rushing mix on offense to thoroughly control this matchup against Dutchtown, from the Baton Rouge area. The Raiders have established themselves as the class of Louisiana so far, and it’ll be a trick for anyone to catch them down the stretch of the season after the confidence they have built in their 5-0 start.
14) Buford (Ga.) 54, Chestatee (Ga.) 7: Win number 30 in a row for Buford was put out of doubt early, with the Georgia powerhouse scoring on its first two offensive plays from scrimmage. That in itself would have been enough to win, but Buford instead kept grinding away on the ground, eventually racking up 384 rushing yards in the victory.
20) Webb City (Mo.) 48, Neosho (Mo.) 0: Ouch. Webb City’s homecoming night was rough on Neosho, with the Cardinals running roughshod over their Central Ozark Conference foes and shutting down Neosho with a “suffocating” defense.
21) Starkville (Miss.) 42, Northwest Rankin (Miss.) 0: Just hours before the Mississippi State Bulldogs sent a shockwave through the SEC-West by knocking off Texas A&M, Starkville High was ruling the town with a major win of its own, albeit one that was more anticipated. The Yellowjackets scored on four of five first half drives, and have yet to trail in a single game in the 2014 season.
22) Carmel (Ind.) 37, Ben Davis (Ind.) 14: The Greyhounds romped past the previously-ranked Giants, racing to a 17-o lead and never looking back to put a stamp of authority on their dominance in the Hoosier state. Isaac James was everywhere for Carmel, running for a 7o-yard touchdown, passing for a score from 19 yards and starring on both defense and special teams. That is one complete performance.
24) Folsom (Calif.) 42, Del Oro (Calif.) 7: Del Oro entered with a goal of slowing Folsom quarterback Jake Browning and the Bulldogs powerful offense. They succeeded in curbing a bit of Browning’s high scoring potential, but the rest of his team’s offense was another matter, as the annual California contender cemented its spot in the Super 25 rankings.
25) Warren Central (Ind.) 31, Lawrence North (Ind.) 7: Lawrence North made this look tight early, but it couldn’t keep up with Warren Central’s depth and athleticism, with the Warriors victory setting up an epic Friday night face off against No. 22 Carmel.
SATURDAY
2) Allen (Texas) 49, Lewisville (Texas) 13: More Kyler Murray fireworks? You guessed it. The Texas A&M commit threw for three scores, ran for one and then took the second half off in Saturday’s matinee rout of area-rival Lewisville.
St. Augustine (La.) 15, No. 16 John Curtis (La.) 13: Another Louisiana powerhouse playing with fire pays the price. The Patriots couldn’t hold off the Knights, with St. Augustine springing the big-time upset for a second-consecutive year, despite a bizarre blackout that briefly halted the primetime face off.
Paramus (N.J.) Catholic’s Rashan Gary, is one of the top defensive tackles in the 2016 class. Photo by Gannett New Jersey.
Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) football coach Greg Toal ranks Paramus Catholic as his No. 3 in-state rival behind Bergen Catholic (Oradell) and St. Joseph Regional (Montvale), but that may change.
Only eight points separated Don Bosco’s Ironmen and Paramus Catholic’s Paladins last season. Don Bosco won 20-13 in the regular season, only to fall 21-20 to the Paladins in the second round of the playoffs. Heading into their game Saturday at Paramus Catholic , the Ironmen (3-0) are No. 3 in the Super 25 football rankings and 5-0 Paramus Catholic is No. 37.
The bigger battle between the two private school football powers may be off the field.
When Paramus Catholic won its second consecutive state Non-Public, Group 4 titlelast season, it did so with two transfers from Don Bosco Prep: ALL-USA defensive back Jabrill Peppers, now at Michigan and running back Keyon Washington, now at Colgate.
“I don’t think we could be in the same room together,” Don Bosco coach Greg Toal said of Paramus Catholic coach Chris Partridge. “You talk about two different worlds. He stole a bunch of my players and has a history of recruiting.”
Toal isn’t the only coach to accuse Paramus Catholic of recruiting in recent years. This year, St. Peter’s Prep (Jersey City) coach Rich Hansen said that the school tried to lure star wide receiver-cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick away in the summer and Scotch Plains-Fanwood (Scotch Plains) made a formal complaint to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association over the transfer of recruit Rashan Gary to the Paladins. Gary, who is 6-5 and 290, is considered the No. 1 defensive tackle in the 2016 class.
The NJSIAA has not found the Paladins guilty of any recruiting infractions and Toal’s remarks amused Partridge.
“I guess that explains the dirty looks he’s been giving me at the league meetings,” Partridge said. .
Both Don Bosco Prep and Paramus Catholic have plenty of good players to go around. Mammoth Ironman tight end Kevin Feder, a 6-9, 305-pound senior, has said he plans to sign with Ohio State. The Ironmen also have Malik Bakker, who has rushed for 357 yards and six touchdowns in just three games. Ironman quarterback Wesley McCoy has passed for 180 yards and run for 148 and Don Bosco cornerback Daivon Ellison is a Syracuse commit.
Gary had six sacks in the Paladins’ 44-7 victory against Bergen Catholic (Oradell) on Saturday. Another top Paladins defender is senior linebacker Saleem Brightwell, who is uncommitted. On offense, Paramus Catholic has elite recruits in wide receiver Najee Clayton, an Iowa commit, senior quarterback Willy Hansen (601 yards and six touchdowns passing and 329 yards and five touchdowns rushing) and junior running back Ahmad Thomas, who has rushed for seven touchdowns this season.
“They’re a very athletic team and have a lot of team speed,” Toal said. “Hopefully, we can continue to get better. I think it is going to be a hell of a football game. There’s no doubt we’re going to be challenged.”
Partridge said the pressure may be greater for Don Bosco Prep.
“They’re extremely athletic and a hard-nosed team,” he said. “They’re the ones thinking about a national championship. We’re just worried about winning the Big North United Division title.”
