For the most part it was a cut-and dry weekend nationally. There were tremendous individual and team performances. Just one team joins the Blue Star Media Go-To 25 high school football rankings. Don’t worry better weekends are ahead.
Triple Option
What we learned
It’s a lonely at the top in Texas’ largest classification (5A). Seems no one wants to wear the crown. So far Southlake Carroll, Skyline (Dallas) and newly promoted (from 4A) Lake Travis (Austin) have hovered around the top of the statewide rankings but all absorbed September losses. Now Allen – who hammered Southlake Carroll, 24-0 – lost and dropped out of the Blue Star Media Go-To 25 national rankings. Go figure.
Joining the Go-To 25 rankings is No. 15 Cibolo Steele, which posted its fifth straight win, following a 42-14 triumph over San Marcos. So where does the early season credit go? Check out No. 12 Katy, which quietly leaped off a bye weekend with a 62-14 bashing of local rivals Morton Ranch. Since the turn of the century, the Tigers have won five of their six overall state titles. Simply put, head coach Gary Joseph is one of the nation’s finest on any level. Katy (4-0) should run the table in the regular season and will emerge as a favorite in Class 5A, Division I.
There are no dominant large school teams in Illinois, either. Regionally ranked Bolingbrook took a beating last weekend and now Maine West (Park Ridge, Ill.), No. 2 in the Midlands Region, ascends to No. 1 in Class 8A. The Midlands has several solid teams, with Ohio leading the way.
No. 2 Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) comes off its by week and head into the meaty portion of the schedule, with Servite, Orange Lutheran, Mater Dei, St. John Bosco and JSerra to close out. Everyone is hoping the Eagles can manage without Nebraska-bound QB Johnny Stanton. According to source, junior Josh Canty, sophomore Kyle Sweet and freshman Kevin Costello have all worked with the first team. Costello might have the most potential. The ideal state title game would be between the Eagles and No. 3 De La Salle (Concord).
A quick check at the Go-To 25 and there are at least 14 teams that will go on to capture state, sectional or conference championships. That total could rise depending on results and which team leave or enter the rankings. It’s not a science but tracking high school teams nationally for nearly three decades you get an idea of winning patterns and a feel for championship squads. We’ll give another update once we usher in the month of November.
So, hope to see you at a game this weekend. Pulcher, Imperfectus, Accuratiorem. – Christopher Lawlor
Game Balls
Derrick Henry of Yulee (Fla.) put on a primetime show Friday. Henry, the fabulous running back who committed to Alabama earlier that day, had a memorable night during a nationally televised game on ESPN, securing Blue Star Media National Player of the Week honors.
Henry rumbled for 362 yards and six touchdowns on 35 carries during a 42-6 hammering of Glades Day (Belle Glade, Fla.). Henry outdueled Florida recruit Kelvin Taylor, who had 223 yards and a score.
Henry finished the game with 9,617 career-rushing yards and surpassed 100 yards rushing for the 39th straight time, tied for No. 1 all-time, according to the National Federation High School Record Book. He could top the mark next week against Fernandina Beach.
Henry was the show, running for scores of 65, 37, 30, 5, 19 and 26 yards. For the season, the future Crimson Tide back averages nearly 350 yards per game.
In South Jersey, a shout-out to senior RB Wesley Hills of Wildwood and Corey Clement of Glassboro had record-setting performances minutes apart.
Hills blasted off for South Jersey single-game record 452 yards and eight TDs on 18 carries in a 61-34 wipe out of Maple Shade. Hills’ rushing total stood for a short period but his TD output tied New Jersey’s single-game mark that stood for 62 years. For the season Hills has amassed 1,067 yards and 17 TDs.
Clement bettered the mark set earlier Friday by Hills, ripping through Gloucester for 476 yards and seven TDs in a 45-23 win. Clement, a 5-foot-11, 200-pound recruit headed to Pittsburgh. He was selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Game in San Antonio, Texas in January.
Well done, men!
Games of Week
So many games being played with so many rivalries. But if you’re looking a true definition of “Games I’d Pay to See” look no further than two that will have national impact and local fervor. Expect these two Fright night gems to rattle the Blue Star Media Go-To 25 rankings as the season cruises into mid-October.
No. 25 North Allegheny (Wexford, Pa.) at Gateway (Monroeville), 7:30 p.m. ET: The two Western Pennsylvania’s teams, both Class AAAA from the Pittsburgh area, look to settle regular season bragging rights. Don’t be surprised when the two meet on Thanksgiving Weekend at Heinz Field for the WPIAL championship and a berth in the state quarterfinals. Senior QB Mack Leftwich has passed for 1,180 yards and 15 TDs in five games.
Meanwhile, regionally ranked Gateway is searching for a signature win and if the Gators pull this one, it’ll be hard to keep them out of the Go-To 25 and Pennsylvania’s Quad A top-spot. In last week’s 41-13 blowout of Hempfield, two-way performer Montae Nicholson accounted for three TDs, including a pair on defense.
Elsewhere, DeMatha (Hyattsville) travels to No. 20 Good Counsel (Olney), 7 p.m. ET: First place is up for grabs in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference when rivals meet. DeMatha (5-0), which has won xx WCAC titles, tuned up for the showdown, beating Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.), 41-10.
Good Counsel (4-1), which has won the last three WCAC crowns, has played a national schedule and will be prepared with a bevy of high-major players. Here’s another case where these teams will meet for a second time on Nov. 18 for the WCAC Championship at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md. Before the 2009 final, DeMatha had won six straight titles but none since legendary coach Bill McGregor retired and resurfaced as an assistant at Gilman School (Baltimore).
Blue Star Media Go-To 25 rankings
1. Manatee, Bradenton, Fla. (4-0)
Previous rank: 1.
Recap: Defeated Southeast (Bradenton), 52-13. Mississippi State-bound QB Cord Sandberg accounted for four TDs, throwing for strikes of 8 and 25 yards, and running for two more in the local rivalry. Up next: Friday at Braden River (Bradenton).
2. Santa Margarita, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. (5-0)
Previous: 2.
Recap: Idle. Up next: Friday vs. Servite (Anaheim) at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo.
3. De La Salle, Concord, Calif. (5-0)
Previous: 3.
Recap: Defeated Livermore, 57-0. The Spartans stingy defense blanked their first opponent this week while conceding only 53 total yards. Up next: Senior RB Tiapepe Vitale ran for four TDs and Kyle Mouton rushed for 130 yards and peeled off a 43-yard TD jaunt. Up next: Friday vs. Footbill (Pleasanton).
4. John Curtis Christian, River Ridge, La. (5-0)
Previous: 4.
Recap: Defeated Riverside (Reserve), 59-0. QB Patrick Martin fired three TDs, including two to WR Malachi Dupree. Richard Allen returned a second-quarter punt 41 yards for a score. Up next: Friday at Carver (New Orleans).
5. Camden County, Kingsland, Ga. (5-0)
Previous: 5.
Recap: Defeated Valdosta, 43-6. Up next: Friday vs. Coffee County (Douglas).
6. Vista Murietta, Murietta, Calif. (4-0)
Previous: 6.
Recap: Defeated Palisades (Pacific Palisades), 42-6. Up next: Friday vs. Temecula Valley (Temecula).
7. Butler, Matthews, N.C. (6-0)
Previous: 7.
Recap: Defeated East Mecklenburg (Charlotte), 60-0. Senior RB Josh Glisson caught six balls for 115 yards and two TDs and rushed for two more. QB Zach Gross threw for 189 yards and two scores. Up next: Friday at Ardrey Kell (Charlotte).
8. Trinity, Louisville, Ky. (6-0)
Previous: 8.
Recap: Defeated archrivals St. Xavier (Louisville), 34-7. QB Travis Wright was 22 of 29 for 283 yards and two TDs as the Shamrocks won for the 31st straight time and fifth straight over their crosstown rivals before 30,434 at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. Up next: Oct. 12 vs. Male (Louisville).
9. Hoover, Ala. (4-0)
Previous: 9.
Recap: Defeated Vestavia Hills, 35-15. Up next: Friday vs. Bessemer City.
10. Grayson, Loganville, Ga. (4-1)
Previous rank: 10.
Recap: Defeated Shiloh (Snellville), 45-27. The Rams unleashed a punishing ground attack, scoring six TDs, as Wayne Gallman and Aares McCall each scored twice. Up next: Friday vs. Central Gwinnett (Lawrenceville).
11. Ensworth School, Nashville, Tenn. (7-0)
Previous: 11.
Recap: Defeated Pope John II (Hendersonville), 49-0. The Tigers won their 15th straight game and pitched their second shutout of the season. Up next: Friday vs. Montgomery Bell Academy (Nashville).
12. Katy, Texas (4-0)
Previous: 12.
Recap: Defeated Morton Ranch (Katy), 62-14. Three RBs – Adam Taylor (103 yards, three TDs), Ricky Bickham (126 yards, TD) and Alex Fisher (107 yards, two TDs) – combined for 336 yards and six rushing TDs. Up next: Saturday vs. Mayde Creek (Katy).
13. Byrnes, Duncan, S.C. (6-0)
Previous: 13.
Recap: Defeated Spartanburg, 48-7. Up next: Friday vs. Riverside (Greer).
14. Booker T. Washington, Miami (4-1)
Previous: 15.
Recap: Defeated Edison (Miami), 53-0. The Tornadoes took a 39-0 lead at halftime and cruised. Up next: Oct. 12 at Jackson (Miami).
15. Cibolo (Texas) Steele (5-0)
Previous: Not ranked.
Recap: Defeated San Marcos, 42-14. The Knights open District 28-5A action following their bye week. Up next: Oct. 12 at King (Corpus Christi).
16. Skyline, Dallas (3-1)
Previous: 16.
Recap: Defeated Jesuit (Dallas), 56-24. RB Ellis Onic rushed for 153 yards and two TD on 11 carries and Rashaad Samples caught two TDs of 18 and 90 yards. Up next: Friday at Lake Highland (Dallas).
17. Goose Creek, S.C. (6-0)
Previous: 17.
Recap: Defeated Beaufort, 65-14. Up next: Friday vs. Carolina Forest (Myrtle Beach).
18. Bellevue, Wash. (5-0)
Previous: 18.
Recap: Defeated Juanita (Kirkland), 49-0. The Wolverines shut out their last two opponents, outscoring them, 105-0. Up next: Friday at Interlake (Bellevue).
19. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (4-1)
Previous: 19.
Recap: Defeated Legacy (North Las Vegas), 70-0. It was 49-0 at halftime and a running clock for the entire second half. Six different Gaels found the end zone. Up next: Friday at Cimarron-Memorial (Las Vegas).
20. Good Counsel, Olney, Md. (4-1)
Previous: 20.
Recap: Idle. Let rivalry week begin, with Stags visiting. Up next: Friday vs. DeMatha (Hyattsville).
21. Plant, Tampa, Fla. (3-1)
Previous: 21.
Recap: Defeated Tampa Tech, 21-14. The Panthers trailed 14-0 in the second quarter but did not panic. QB Aaron Banks tossed two TD passes before leaving late in the first half with a collarbone injury. Wesley Bullock’s 4-yard TD in the third snapped a 14-14 tie. Up next: Friday at Wharton (Tampa).
22. St. Ignatius, Cleveland (6-0)
Previous: 22.
Recap: Defeated Glenville (Cleveland), 35-7. Buffalo-bound RB Tim McVey rushed for four TDs from 12,9, 13 and 4 yards. Up next: Saturday vs. John Adams (Cleveland).
23. Lake Travis, Austin, Texas (4-1)
Previous: 23.
Recap: Defeated Austin High, 14-7. The Cavaliers bounced back from a rare loss but barely. Up next: Friday vs. Bowie (Austin).
24. Colerain, Cincinnati (6-0)
Previous: 24.
Recap: Defeated Mason, 35-0. RB Detuan Smith rushed for 200 yards and three TDs on 23 carries. Up next: Friday vs. Middletown.
25. North Allegheny, Wexford, Pa. (5-0)
Previous: 25.
Recap: Defeated Butler, 49-0. The closest margin of victory was 25 points but the next two weeks will be stern tests. Up next: Friday at Gateway (Monroeville).
Dropped: No. 14 Allen, Texas lost to Coppell, 27-24, in overtime.
High-Fives by Region
East
1. LaSalle College, Wyndmoor, Pa. (5-0)
2. Gateway, Monroeville, Pa. (5-0)
3. St. Joseph Regional, Montvale, N.J. (3-1)
4. Don Bosco Prep, Ramsey, N.J. (3-1)
5. Bergen Catholic, Oradell, N.J. (3-1)
Geography: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.
Midlands
1. St. Edward, Lakewood, Ohio (6-0)
2. Maine South, Park Ridge, Ill. (6-0)
3. Moeller, Cincinnati (5-1)
4. Christian Brothers College, St. Louis (6-0)
5. Carmel, Ind. (7-0)
Geography: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
South
1. Lassiter, Marietta, Ga. (5-0)
2. DeSoto, Texas (5-0)
3. Allen, Texas (4-1)
4. Southlake (Texas) Carroll (3-1)
5. Fletcher, Neptune Beach, Fla. (5-0)
Geography: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
Far West
1. Skyline, Sammamish, Wash. (5-0)
2. Kahuku, Hawaii (6-0)
3. Elk Grove, Calif. (5-0)
4. Narbonne, Harbor City, Calif. (5-0)
5. Lake Oswego, Ore. (5-0)
Geography: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
About: The Blue Star Media Go-To 25 Football Rankings are released weekly from September until the conclusion of the high school season. Criteria considered are the quality of the team and its players, strength of schedule, tradition and quality of league, conference, region or district. The rankings are compiled by Blue Star Media’s Christopher Lawlor, who consults with a national network of coaches, talent evaluators and prep sports writers.
