By Jason Hickman
MaxPreps.com
OH-IO
Excluding the current condition of the NFL's Cleveland Browns, the state of Ohio is currently experiencing a "Golden Age" in football at all levels.
The Cincinnati Bengals are coming off an appearance in the 2005 NFL postseason and the team's best regular season record in 17 years.
At the college level, the Ohio State Buckeyes are No. 1 in every poll at the moment, and have accumulated a record of 50-8 dating back to the start of the 2002 National Championship season.
But perhaps the best illustration of the state's football frenzy may be at the high school level. With apologies to Texas and California, Ohio features more nationally-competitive programs than any other state.
Want proof?
Start this weekend with Archbishop Moeller's 26-0 shutout of Pennsylvania buzzsaw Harrisburg. The Keystone State Cougars entered the game ranked No. 12 nationally by MaxPreps, and had outscored six previous in-state opponents 259-21.
Moeller's 2006 resume also features a one-point loss to national No. 6, Byrnes, S.C. The Fighting Crusaders were No. 2 in MaxPreps' Ohio rankings last week, but are just one of at least six Buckeye State programs that are legitimate threats to wind in the final MaxPreps National Top 25;
- St. Xavier (No. 1 Ohio, No. 10 Nationally): The Bombers are Ohio's defending Division I state champions, sporting a record of 31-3 over the past three seasons. That mark includes seven wins over out-of-state opponents and a close loss to MaxPreps No. 8 Lakeland, Fla.
- Archbishop Moeller (No. 2 Ohio, No. 47 Nationally): The Fighting Crusaders are in the midst of fighting through the nation's toughest schedule. In addition to Harrisburg, Pa., Lakota West (6-2), Massillon Washington (4-4), Byrnes, S.C. (8-0), and Elder (4-4) dotted five of the team's first seven slots on the schedule. But it only gets tougher from here for Moeller with St. Edward and St. Xavier on the schedule for the next two weeks.
- Colerain (No. 3 Ohio, No. 61 Nationally): Head coach Kerry Coombs' club features one of the nation's best defenses, pitching five shutouts in eight games this year. The Cardinals are 8-0 with a 28-0 shutout win over Cardinal O'Hara, Pa., earlier this season at the Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge. Colerain humbled a proud Tyler Lee, Texas, squad a year ago, 27-12.
- Canton McKinley (No. 4 Ohio, No. 73 Nationally): The Bulldogs have as much tradition and history as any program in Ohio, but they aren't resting on past accomplishments. McKinley is 31-5 over the past three seasons with wins over programs from Washington, D.C., and Ontario, Canada.
- Hilliard Davidson (No. 5 Ohio, No. 76 Nationally): Another program on a roll, Davidson sports a 32-3 record over its last 35 games. The Wildcats edged a talented St. Joseph's, Pa., program at the Ohio vs. USA event in September.
- St. Edward (No. 15 Ohio, No. 188 Nationally): St. Edward will move way up from No. 188 nationally this week after defeating a team that would have been on this list a week ago, St. Ignatius. The Eagles' lone loss came to St. Xavier in the third week of the season. Since then, St. Ed's has pounded teams from Arkansas and New York, and defeated a Chaminade-Madonna, Fla., team loaded with Division I-A prospects. The Lakewood school finishes the season in two weeks with yet another out-of-state opponent in Chichester, Pa.
Team of the Week: Independence, N.C.
Props to Archbishop Moeller (Ohio) and St. Rita (Ill.), who posted a pair of victories over teams ranked in the top 12 of the MaxPreps National Rankings, but nobody in the country won a game with more significance attached to it than the Patriots of Independence High in Charlotte, N.C.
With a 54-22 win against East Mecklenburg Friday, Independence won its 100th-straight game, joining De La Salle, Calif., as the only high school programs to reach the century mark for consecutive wins.
De La Salle eventually ran its streak to 151 games, a number the Patriots could reach during the playoffs in 2009 if they continue to string together 15-0 seasons.
In the win over East Mecklenburg, senior quarterback Darryl McFadden threw for over 200 yards and rushed for 84 more all in the first three quarters. McFadden will follow former Independence quarterbacks C.J. Leak (Wake Forest/Tennessee), Chris Leak (Florida), and Joe Cox (Georgia) into the Division I-A ranks next season, taking his game to East Carolina.
Tom Knotts' Patriots moved to 8-0 on the year with the victory and will begin the hunt for their seventh-straight state title later this month. And for those hoping that the streak will dissolve sometime in the near future - don't hold your breath. The Patriot junior varsity team hasn't lost in five years.
Max Performer of the Week: Bubba Philpot, Running Back, Sallisaw High (Okla.)
We love his name, and his game. Despite a 27-21 loss to Poteau, Sallisaw (Okla.) High's Bubba Philpot emerged as this week's Max Performer after racking up 346 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries Friday night.
Philpot has been carrying the load for Sallisaw all season, accumulating 2,179 yards and 24 touchdowns through seven games. The senior running back hasn't been held under 200 yards yet, and has topped 300 yards four times, including each of the Black Diamonds' last three contests.
Philpot's signature performance came Sept. 29 in a 43-37 win over Stillwell, as he exploded for 402 yards and four touchdowns on 35 carries.
Sallisaw is 5-2 on the season, including 2-2 in 4A District 4 play.
Looking Ahead
The Valdosta (Ga.) Wildcats haven't experienced a season like this one in a long time.
1974, to be exact.
The nation's all-time winningest program hasn't suffered a sub-.500 record since going 3-7 in 1974. But at 1-6 entering Friday's MaxPreps USA Football Tour Game of the Week with rival Lowndes, the Wildcats' run of 31-straight winning seasons will come to an end.
"I've never seen anything like this," Valdosta head coach Rick Tomberlin told the Valdosta Daily Times after last week's 21-17 loss to Warner Robins. "But we're going to keep fighting. We're not going to quit, and the players aren't ready to quit. We're going to go back and work our tails off. We've got at least three games left, and we're going to try and win all three of them."
Valdosta's fight has been apparent throughout its nightmarish season. The six-time national champions and 23-time Georgia state champions' six losses have come by a combined total of 22 points, including two-point setbacks to Brookwood and Colquitt County, and three-point defeats to Lincoln, Fla., and Tift County.
A win against two-time defending state AAAAA champion Lowndes - experiencing a slide of its own with losses in two of the last three weeks - would put a positive spin on an otherwise disappointing 2006 for Valdosta fans.
The Wildcats have lost the last two in the heated series, but own a 33-11 all-time mark against the Vikings dating back to 1968.
Valdosta will host the game at historic Cleveland Field at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium, one of high school football's most tradition-rich venues.
Bulletin Board
- Independence head coach Tom Knotts to the Charlotte Observer on winning 100-straight:
"Really, 100 isn't that much different than 99 or 95. The 152 will be special. That's the coaches' goal. The players just want to play and have fun. Our goal is to win a state championship."
Photo: St. Xavier (Ohio) running back Darius Ashley. (By Jim Owens)