By Dave Krider
MaxPreps.com
Western Pennsylvania has produced many football immortals - Joe Namath and Joe Montana to name a couple - and now we must add Terrelle Pryor to the illustrious list.
The 6-6, 225-pound senior quarterback completed one of the state's most storied careers Saturday while leading Jeannette to a 49-21 victory over Dunmore to win the Class AA state championship. The Jayhawks finished the year with a state-record 860 points during a 16-0 campaign. They were so powerful that they put the mercy rule into effect in 14 games.
The amazing Pryor, who also has Division I basketball talent, ran 12 times for 209 yards and three touchdowns, passed for one touchdown and - showing his incredible versatility - even caught a 28-yard scoring pass over two defenders. Already a legend, he finished his career as the first Pennsylvania player to amass over 4,000 yards rushing (4,250) and passing (4,249) in his career.
Pryor sat out the final 8:44, spending his time on the sidelines autographing a few footballs, then throwing them into the stands to the delight of the crowd, which responded with a long standing ovation for him and his talented teammates. Terrelle Pryor won't soon be forgotten!
Football Notes
* Talent-laden Miami Northwestern routed Orlando Boone, 41-0, before a crowd of 22,752 to win its second consecutive Florida Class 6A state title, 30th straight game and state its case for being crowned national champion. Senior tackle Marcus Forston, who had eight tackles and three sacks, was named MVP. Super senior quarterback Jacory Harris had completed 17-of-32 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns when he was sidelined by a knee injury with 11:41 left in the fourth quarter. His 49 touchdown passes were two short of the state record.
* Turning to Texas, Rosenberg Lamar Consolidated defeated Copperas Cove, 20-14, to win its first Class 4A, Division I state championship. Senior running back Jacquizz Rodgers ran 31 times for 240 yards and three touchdowns to finish his prep career with an amazing 8,246 yards and a state-record 135 touchdowns. He has committed to Oregon State.
* Michael Thatcher has blossomed during the playoffs while leading Dallas Highland Park to Saturday's Class 4A, Division II state title game against Austin Lake Travis. The grandson of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, he grew up in Cape Town, South Africa - starring in cricket and field hockey - before his family moved to the United States when he was in seventh grade. It took him a full season to figure out what a first down was, he told a Dallas writer.
However, the 5-11, 170-pound senior running back scored four touchdowns last Saturday to spark a 42-13 victory over Everman in the state semifinals, leaving little doubt that he has mastered football, too.This week Lake Travis will counter Thatcher's ground game with the strong right arm of junior quarterback Garrett Gilbert, who completed 23 consecutive passes during a 49-13 semifinal rout of Dayton. He finished with a blistering 33-of-40 for 482 yards and four touchdowns and ran for a fifth score. The Dayton defense had not allowed a single touchdown pass in four previous playoff games.
* Californian Matt Barkley is the first junior to be named Gatorade National Football Player of the Year. The 6-3, 220-pound quarterback from Santa Ana Mater Dei completed 213-of-340 passes (63 percent) this year for an Orange County-record 3,560 yards and 35 touchdowns. He threw only nine interceptions in 11 games against big-time competition and has started for three years. He has a 3.9 GPA and helps to raise money for families of deceased and wounded members of the 1st Marine Division.
* Emmitt Smith has been named Florida's Player of the Century in conjunction with its 100th year of prep football. Smith sparked Pensacola Escambia to state titles in 1984 and 1985 and ran for a state-record 8,804 yards in his career. It wasn't a fluke, obviously, because he later set an NFL career record of 18,355 yards and led the Dallas Cowboys to three Super Bowl titles.Florida's Coach of the Century is Bill Castle, who has guided Lakeland to a 308-74 record and six state titles in 32 years.
* Milton Knox of Birmingham (Lake Balboa, Calif.) has been named Los Angeles City Section Player of the Year for the second straight season. The senior running back scored 103 touchdowns in his four-year career. Knox, who has committed to UCLA, sparked the Patriots to their fourth city title in the past six years.Jim Rattay has resigned as head coach at Phoenix Christian (Ariz.). Rattay won five state titles (two in Ohio) during his career, which started in 1976.
* Coach Steve Specht calls Danny Milligan "the most COMPLETE football player I think we've ever had" at St. Xavier in Cincinnati, Ohio. The 5-9, 163-pound senior scored 176 points as a wide receiver and kicker. He set a state record with 40 career field goals.Brandon Wegher is a junior who showed that type of versatility at Bishop Heelan in Sioux City, Iowa. The 5-11, 187-pounder rushed for 2,334 yards (8.6 average), caught 19 passes for 279 yards, scored 34 touchdowns, kicked 48 extra points and six field goals.
Football Recruiting Notes
* The University of Pittsburgh hit the jackpot last week with commitments from three outstanding Pennsylvania preps. Tino Sunseri (6-2, 200), who led Pittsburgh Central Catholic to a 16-0 record and the Class AAAA state title, earlier had committed to Louisville. He'll have a pair of standouts to throw to: 6-5, 210-pound Mike Shanahan and 6-6, 225-pound Jonathan Baldwin. Shanahan caught 37 passes for 731 yards this year at Norwin, while Baldwin snared 41 for 613 at Aliquippa.
* Despite a 3-9 season, Notre Dame continues to reel in blue chippers. The latest is premier offensive lineman Trevor Robinson (6-5, 300) of Elkhorn, Neb.Walton (Marietta, Ga.) defensive lineman Chase Thomas has made a commitment to Stanford. The 6-4, 210-pound senior made a school-record 17 sacks this year.
* Washington has received a commitment from Redlands East Valley (Redlands, Calif.) running back/receiver Chris Polk, who previously had committed to Southern California. He plans to enroll in January. The Huskies also have received a commitment from another California quarterback, Kevin Prince of Encino Crespi.
Boys Basketball Notes
* Los Angeles Westchester (8-1) routed North Hollywood Campbell Hall, 73-48, to win the 36th Ocean ViewTournament of Champions at Huntington Beach, Calif. Senior guard Jared Bubois, who scored just seven points but had a strong overall tournament, was named MVP. Oscar Bellfield paced the champs with 19 points. The Comets held 6-4 Campbell Hall star Jrue Holiday to 18 points on 6-of-15 shooting and forced him into eight turnovers.
Earlier in the tourney, Holiday exploded for 32 points and 13 rebounds during an 84-70 victory over talented Compton High. Compton star Demar DeRozan, who is committed to Southern California, scored 29 points in one of the state's most highly-anticipated individual duels of the year. The UCLA-bound Holiday also scored a driving layup with 2.4 seconds left to nip Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita), 61-59, in the semifinals.
* North Carolina signee Tyler Zeller (7-0, 220) poured in 47 points on near-perfect 20-of-23 shooting as Washington, Ind., defeated Evansville Bosse, 72-61.Derrick Favors (6-9, 228), one of the nation's most outstanding juniors, had 23 points and 23 rebounds as South Atlanta (Atlanta, Ga.) rolled past Decatur Towers, 98-47.Oregon City, Ore., senior guard Brad Tinsley pumped in 40 points during a 74-55 victory over Canby.
* The legend of Ronnie Daniels continues to grow in Albuquerque, N.M. The La Cueva freshman has moved from football to basketball and is a starting point guard. During the closing seconds, he converted a driving lay-up into a three-point play to nip Albuquerque Academy, 64-63. Academy coach Mike Brown told James Staley of the Albuquerque Tribune, "We couldn't contain him. We put four different guys on him and he still took it to us."
* Nationally-ranked St. Edward of Lakewood, Ohio, has been decimated by injuries and he season barely has started. The biggest blow was a a knee injury suffered by 6-8, 220-pound Michigan State signee Delvon Roe. He is expected to have surgery this week and could be sidelined anywhere from six weeks to six months. Guard Alex Sterba also has a knee injury and is lost for the season. Roe and Sterba both were injured during a nationally-televised victory over Campbell Hall from North Hollywood, Calif. Another senior starter, guard Conor Tilow, has mononucleosis.
* Former NBA standout Mychal Thompson, who now is a radio analyst for the Los Angeles Lakers, has a pair of sons on the Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) team. Klay, a 6-6, 190-pound senior guard who will attend Washington State, leads the team with a 22-point scoring average. Younger son Trayce's No. 1 sport is baseball.Vanderbilt has received a commitment from an outstanding junior guard, 6-4 John Jenkins of Station Camp (Gallatin, Tenn.). He is averaging 29.8 points this year and averaged 21.4 as a sophomore.
Basketball Coaching Notes
* Gene Pingatore, who coached Isiah Thomas at St. Joseph's in Westchester, Ill., posted his 800th victory with a 56-40 win over Mundelein Carmel. The 71-year-old legend, now in his 39th year of coaching, is only the third in Illinois history to reach 800 victories.Dennis Seddon recorded his 500th victory as Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) nipped Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.), 63-61.
* In New York, 61-year-old Dick O'Neill posted his 400th victory as Monticello defeated Western Wayne (Lake Ariel, Pa.), 39-34.George Mardigan retired abruptly after getting off to a 2-0 start at Watervliet, N.Y. He compiled a 546-158 record - with no losing seasons - and is a member of the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame.John O'Connell picked up his 400th victory as St. Andrew's (Boca Raton, Fla.) defeated Coconut Creek North Broward Prep, 70-64, in overtime.
Girls Basketball Notes
* Veteran recruiting analyst Rick Bolus of Shepherdsville, Ky., is raving about the all-around talents of Monique Reid, a 6-1 senior at Fern Creek, Ky. The Louisville signee was the leading scorer and rebounder in Kentucky as a junior and she picked right up this season, averaging a whopping 38 points and 18 rebounds in the first few games.
Here's what Bolus says about the strong candidate for Kentucky's Miss Basketball: "Literally a jack-of-all trades and a master-of-all is the best summary of this swing player who plays like Magic Johnson. The state's leading scorer last season averaged 29 points, 16 rebounds, eight assists and four steals. She is unstoppable on offense and possesses downtown range."
* Alexandria T.C. Williams defeated city foe Edison, 58-48, in a showdown of northern Virginia powers before an overflow crowd, which included such big-name coaches as C. Vivian Stringer of Rutgers, Debbie Ryan of Virginia and Joanne P. McCallie of Duke. The winner's junior star, 5-10 Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, put on a show for the distinguished audience with 20 points, 14 rebounds and six steals.
* Turning to Minnesota, senior guard Becca Friestleben poured in a school-record (boys and girls) 43 points as Victoria Holy Family raced past Belle Plaine, 82-55. She drilled seven three-pointers and 9-of-12 from two-point range, in addition to making six steals.Rosemount outlasted Apple Valley, in a four-overtime thriller, 98-90, as seniors Megan Eul and Michelle Hugeden scored 27 and 26 points, respectively.
Wrestling Notes
* Though it's a Division II school in Ohio, St. Paris Graham is ranked No. 1 in the nation and proved it by beating Division I powerhouse Lakewood St. Edward by a shocking 47-13 margin to win the St. Edward Super 8 Duals Tournament. Graham has won seven consecutive Ohio Division II state titles, while St. Edward has won 11 consecutive Division I crowns.
Though Graham won 11 of the 14 matches, the key victory was posted by freshman Matt Stephens - a junior high state champion last year - at 140 pounds. Stephens trailed St. Edward senior Neil Birt, 8-3, entering the third period. He then staged a miraculous rally with a reversal and three takedowns to force overtime before his takedown in overtime led to a 14-12 victory. The inspired Falcons then captured the next five matches to win their first-ever dual meet against St. Edward. It also marked the Eagles' first loss to an Ohio team since 1997.
* Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.) won the Beast of the East Tournament at the University of Delaware with 234 points. The champs had two individual winners: junior Sean Boyle at 112 pounds and sophomore Chris Villalonga at 125. Central Dauphin (Harrisburg, Pa.) was second with 214.5 points and its 135-pound freshman, Kenny Courts, was named Most Outstanding Wrestler.
Courts, who was seeded No. 5, won his weight class with three technical falls, two major decisions and one pin. "He just destroyed the field," according to Jason Bryant, lead writer for Intermatwrestle.com. Bryant also noted that unbeaten Scott Winston of Jackson Memorial (Jackson Township, N.J.) won the 160-pound title and now holds the New Jersey record with 106 consecutive victories.
Volleyball Note
* Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) completed the 2007 volleyball season with a 37-0 record and was crowned national champion for the second straight year by PrepVolleyball.com. Mira Costa also has won four consecutive Division I California state titles. Amarillo, Texas finished second in the nation with a 46-1 record.
