By Dave Krider
MaxPreps.com
Senior quarterback Reid McCollum shattered the South Carolina state record with nine touchdown passes - one short of the national record - as Summerville (12-1) outlasted Fort Dorchester, 78-47, before a crowd of 9,000 in a state playoff game. The University of South Carolina recruit fired five scoring strikes in the third period as the Green Wave overcame a 40-36 halftime deficit.
Senior Marcus Morris caught 10 passes for 242 yards and five touchdowns as the Green Wave eclipsed their school record of 75 points and gave veteran coach John McKissick his 555th career victory. LaQuan Gilliard also had 10 catches, good for 141 yards. Ironically, Summerville's 6-4 All-American receiver, A.J. Green, had just six catches for 80 yards, but he did score three times.
More Football Notes
* In West Virginia, senior quarterback Jordan Roberts set Class AA playoff records for most rushing yards (405) and rushing touchdowns (8) during Madison Scott's 54-20 victory over Berkeley Springs. He also set a state record with 3,676 yards this year. The previous record was 3,587 by Nitro's Josh Culbertson. The 5-foot-11, 210-pounder, who has run for 52 touchdowns this fall, also plays a little linebacker. His bone-jarring hits have put a star tailback on the sidelines in each of the last two games. He sat out most of the fourth quarter.
* They finally turned Terrelle Pryor loose and let him play a full game on Friday. The result was the highest-scoring game in Western Pennsylvania playoff history as Jeannette raced past Aliquippa, 70-48, in the WPIAL Class AA semifinals. The previous playoff record for combined points was 94.
Despite his 6-6 height, Pryor is an outstanding runner. He proved it again with 22 carries for 331 yards and five touchdowns. For good measure he completed 4-of-6 passes for 90 yards and two more touchdowns. A strong candidate for National Player of the Year, Pryor also played enough defense to force two fumbles.
Aliquippa coach Mike Zmijanac told Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sports writer Mike White, "I was a creative writing teacher for years and I can't think of any more superlatives for him (Pryor)." Jeannette coach Ray Reitz said simply, "That was a phenomenal performance. I don't know if you can describe it."
* Records tumbled in Iowa, too, where it was The Year of The Quarterback. Keokuk senior James Vandenberg set state records for passing yards in a season (3,729) and a career (7,701) as well as touchdown passes in a season (49) and career (93). Marshalltown's Tyler Peschong wasn't too shabby, either, as he passed for 3,117 yards this year and 7,259 in his career.
* Kingsbury's Gabriel Hunter set a Memphis, Tenn., area single-season rushing record with 2,679 yards, but it was bittersweet because his final game ended in a 24-6 loss to city foe Melrose.In Ohio Youngstown Cardinal Mooney extended its winning streak to 28 while snapping Steubenville's winning streak at 42 with a 35-20 playoff victory.No. 1-ranked Cincinnati St. Xavier drew a crowd of 20,108 for its 29-14 Division I regional victory over previously unbeaten city foe Colerain.
* Powerful Provo Timpview (13-0) extended its winning streak to 23 games with a surprising 50-7 rout of previously undefeated St. George Pine View to win Utah's Class 4A state championship. It was the biggest margin of victory in a state-title game since 1919 for the Thunderbirds, who set a finals record with 611 total yards.
* Indianapolis Pike (14-0), an Indiana basketball power over the years, will be playing for its first Class 5A state football championship when it takes on Carmel (12-2) Saturday at the RCA Dome. The Red Devils defeated Columbus North, 20-14, in the semistate even though they trailed, 14-0, late in the third quarter.
The winning touchdown pass would be the climax to a great movie. Starting quarterback Josh Carpenter suffered a leg injury and seldom-used junior Dakotah Tyler took over in a third-and-32 situation with the score deadlocked at 14. All he did was heave a 38-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Turner to win the game. It was his first completion of the year!
* Paraclete (Lancaster, Calif.) senior David Green has made 11 interceptions in 11 games this year. He picked off three during Friday's 52-7 rout of Baldwin Park Sierra Vista.Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio) is looking for a new head football coach after firing Bob Crable, one of its greatest players. The 48-year-old Crable, who will continue to teach religion at his alma mater, posted a 48-30 record in seven years.
* How valuable is Riley Dodge? Well, with star running back Tre Newton and receiver Blake Cantu sidelined by injuries, the senior quarterback accounted for 573 yards and five touchdowns as Carroll (Southlake, Texas) defeated Flower Mound, 35-24, in the Class 5A-Division II district playoffs.
* The third-ranked team in Texas, Allen, was shocked by Rowlett, 37-32, in the Class 5A-Division I district playoffs. Dexter Imade ran 41 times for 271 yards and three touchdowns for Rowlett (6-5), which rolled up a 30-0 lead and then held off a furious rally by the previously unbeaten Eagles. Rowlett had lost its previous three meetings with Allen by a combined margin of 118-50.
Football Recruiting Notes
* LSU is reaping the fruits of its No. 1 national ranking. The Tigers recently received commitments from Destrehan (La.) senior quarterback Jordan Jefferson, a 6-4, 210-pounder; and Karnell Hatcher, a 6-2, 195-pound senior safety from Atlantic (Delray Beach, Fla.).
* Evergreen (Seattle, Wash.) senior quarterback Luther Leonard has made a commitment to the University of Washington. The 6-2, 190-pounder completed 94-of-155 passes for 1,709 yards and 20 touchdowns, with just five interceptions this season.
* The University of Alabama has received a commitment from Dont'a Hightower, a senior linebacker from Marshall County (Lewisburg, Tenn.). The 6-3, 248-pounder made 114 tackles this year, with 14 sacks, five forced fumbles and five interceptions. He is among the top candidates for Tennessee's Class 3A Mr. Football Lineman award.
Volleyball Notes
* Amarillo (46-1) won the rubber match against Austin Westlake, 25-19, 25-17, 25-19, to capture Texas' Class 5A state championship for the second year in a row. Repeat MVP Brianne Barker sparked the champs with 30 assists, eight kills and six digs, while Kelsey Black had 10 kills and Elly Barrett had 27 assists. Westlake finished 42-2 with both losses to Amarillo.
In the state semifinals, Amarillo swept talented Cy-Fair (Cypress), 28-26, 25-16, 25-15, despite 16 kills by 6-3 middle blocker Nneka Ogwumike, who also is one of the nation's finest basketball players. Cy-Fair finished 37-3 with two losses to Amarillo.
* Manhattan Beach Mira Costa continues to march relentlessly toward its second consecutive California Division I state and national championship. The Mustangs (32-0) defeated talented Redondo (Redondo Beach), 25-19, 25-18, 25-22, in the Southern Section Division 1-AA finals as 6-4 sophomore Falyn Fonoimoana dominated with 17 kills.
* Jenison defeated Bloomfield Hills Marian, 25-23, 25-19, 25-22, to win its first Michigan Class A state championship and finish with a spectacular 66-6 record. Megan Hendrickson, a 6-0 junior, paced the champs with 16 kills and 13 digs, while 6-0 senior Ashlee Crowder had 15 kills and setter Lindy Melville had 42 assists. Marian, which beat Jenison earlier in the season, will return all but two players next year.
* Kyndra Abron, a 6-3 senior from Livonia Churchill, was named Michigan's Miss Volleyball. The Michigan State recruit, who sparked Churchill to the Class A state title as a junior, had 800 kills this year and 2,020 in her career (No. 8 in state history).
* Hyannis Barnstable defeated Milford, 25-11, 25-13, 25-16, to notch its fifth consecutive Massachusetts Division I state title. The Red Raiders, who have won the championship in 11 of the last 15 years, have compiled a dominating 325-10 record since 1995.
* Providence LaSalle Academy completed an unbeaten season to capture its first Division I state title, but it wasn't easy. The Rams lost the first two games to East Providence, 25-20 and 26-24, before staging a miraculous rally to win three straight: 25-20, 25-16, 15-13. LaSalle had beaten East Providence twice during the regular season, but had been taken to five games once and four on the other occasion. LaSalle's Janet Pressler was named MVP.
Swimming Notes
* Emily Kelly, a sophomore from Hempstead Sacred Heart Academy, set a New York state record with a clocking of 1:47.90 in the 200-yard freestyle during the state meet. She also won the 500-yard freestyle in 4:48.48, just two seconds off the state record. She won the same events as a freshman. Kelly is a member of the USA Junior National team which will compete in Melbourne, Australia, in December and a member of the Long Island Aquatic Club, which will compete in the Olympic tryouts next summer in Omaha, Neb.
* The Ann Arbor Pioneer girls extended their own Michigan state record by winning their eighth consecutive state title with 340 points. Junior Ashley Cohagen led the champs with victories in the 100-yard butterfly (57.04) and the 100-yard backstroke (57.34). Canton senior Allison Schmitt was named Swimmer of the Meet by repeating as state champion in the 200-yard freestyle (1:46.25) and 500-yard freestyle (4:47.46) - both state records.
* Turning to Illinois, Winnetka New Trier senior Emily Dominski, who is headed to Yale, just missed a pair of state records. She won the state 50-yard freestyle in 22.81 (.03 off the record) and the 100-yard backstroke in 55.02 (.05 shy of the record).
* Waterbury Sacred Heart sophomore Lauren Solernou set a Connecticut state-meet record by winning the 100-yard backstroke in 56.65 during the Class S finals. Later she set a State Open record with a 56.84 clocking at Yale University.
* In Louisiana, New Orleans Jesuit won its 33rd Division I boys state championship with 358 points. The Blue Jays were led by John Tortorich, who won the 100-yard butterfly in 49.63 to break a 26-year-old record. He also won the 50-yard freestyle in 20.67.
In Louisiana's Division III girls meet, Ville Platte Sacred Heart senior Meggie Schmidt won the 200-yard individual medley (2:14.12) and the 100-yard butterfly (59.75) to finish her career with six state championships in swimming. One day earlier the University of Maryland-bound standout had captured her third Class 3A state cross country crown.
* Maple Grove pulled off an unusual feat by capturing its first Minnesota Class 2A girls state championship without winning a single individual event. St. Paul Cretin-Derham Hall junior Lauren Weis set state records in the 200-yard freestyle (1:49.20) and the 500-yard freestyle (4:52.85). All 10 individual events were won by underclassmen.
Soccer Notes
* Gloucester Catholic (Gloucester City) stunned Immaculate Heart Academy (Washington Township), 3-0, in New Jersey's Non-Public A girls state championship match. Immaculate Heart had compiled a 21-0 record and been ranked No. 1 in the nation by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Gloucester Catholic (21-1-1) used great team speed to post its 16th shutout and sophomore Chelsea Duffy supplied the offense with two goals and an assist.
* Turning to North Carolina, Raleigh Broughton's boys nipped Greensboro Grimsley, 3-2, in double overtime to become the Tar Heel state's first back-to-back Class 4A state champs in 18 years. Junior Brandon Haynes lit the spark with two goals in the overtime sessions and was rewarded with MVP honors. Broughton finished with a 28-0-1 record.
* In Massachusetts, the Acton-Boxboro (Acton) girls nipped Shrewsbury, 1-0, to win their first Division I state championship. Junior forward Ceci Jensen scored an unassisted goal in the first half and freshman goalie Jessie Wiggins made 10 saves. The unbeaten (one tie) champs, who allowed just five goals in 24 games, set school records with 23 victories and 19 shutouts.In Division I boys, Shrewsbury St. John's edged Framingham, 3-2, in a shootout as sophomore goalie Chris Perkins came off the bench to stop three of five Framingham penalty kicks.
Basketball Notes
* Two of the nation's top 25 players made their college choices during NCAA signing week. Willie Warren, a 6-3 guard from North Crowley (Fort Worth, Texas), chose the University of Oklahoma, while 6-9 senior Chris Singleton of Dunwoody (Ga.) signed with Florida State.Another talented late signee was 6-7 Kevin Jones of Mount Vernon (N.Y.), who signed with West Virginia.
* One of the nation's premier players, 6-4 Tyreke Evans of American Christian (Aston, Pa.), bruised his shin in a collision during a weekend tournament and probably will miss at least one game this week, coach Tony Bergeron told MaxPreps.
* On the girls side, 5-3 senior guard Briana Bass of North Central (Indianapolis, Ind.) proved you don't have to be big to earn a Division I scholarship when she signed with defending NCAA champion Tennessee. She had 26 points and seven assists during a recent 68-62 victory over Evansville Harrison.Tennessee, by the way, has the nation's No. 1 recruiting class, according to Mike Flynn of the Blue Star Camps. He ranks LSU No. 2, Rutgers No. 3, Connecticut No. 4 and North Carolina No. 5.
Cross Country Notes
* LaPorte, Ind., senior Mike Fout won the annual Mideast Meet of Champions Saturday in Kettering, Ohio, with a course-record time of 14:59. The previous standard of 15:07.9 was set by future Olympian Bob Kennedy. The girls title went to Claire Durkin of Kilbourne (Worthington, Ohio), who also set a course record in 17:22. The previous record of 17:35 had stood since 1996. Michigan edged Ohio, 40-43, to win the team title. Other entries came from Illinois, Pennsylvania and Kentucky.
* Woodbridge (Irvine, Calif.) senior Christine Babcock won the Southern Section Division II title in 16:38, tying the third-fastest time ever run on the 2.91-mile Mt. San Antonio College course. She will seek her second consecutive Division II state title (she also has a pair of 1600-meter track titles) on Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno. Elias Gedyon of Los Angeles Loyola set a freshman course record with a clocking of 15:14 while placing fourth in Division II.
Field Hockey Notes
* Summit Oak Knoll stunned Vorhees Eastern, 3-2, in overtime in the opening round of New Jersey's Tournament of Champions. It marked Eastern's first loss to a New Jersey team in 208 games (204-0-4), which includes 162 shutouts.
* The Acton-Boxboro (Action) girls defeated Shrewsbury, 6-4, to win the Massachusetts Division I state championship on the same day that its girls soccer team also won a state title. Sophomore Alexa Sikalis and senior Devin Agule each scored a pair of goals.