With a victory in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference final against rival DeMatha, the Our Lady of Good Counsel Falcons make their first appearance in the Xcellent 25 National High School Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard.
Good Counsel exacted revenge for its only loss this season, a 24-21 October setback at the hands of DeMatha. This time around, the Falcons used big plays on both sides of the ball from star senior Louis Young to end the Stags’ streak of six consecutive WCAC titles.
Our Lady of Good Counsel's Louis Young celebrates with fans after upsetting DeMatha in the WCAC final.
Photo by Michael Starghill Jr.
Young scored the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter, a 20-yard catch with just over 10 minutes remaining. He also intercepted two passes, including one deep in Good Counsel territory as the third quarter came to a close. Good Counsel’s other score came from sophomore running back Wes Brown, who is already a college prospect with Division I offers.
Stags playmaker Marcus Coker was only able to gain 43 yards against a dominant Good Counsel defense. The Falcons, who lost Jelani Jenkins and Caleb Porzel due to graduation in the offseason, simply reloaded in 2009, and enjoyed a stellar season that began with a victory in California against Valhalla and came to a close with Saturday’s win.
Elsewhere around the rankings, Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.) dropped to No. 25 after struggling mightily this week while Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio) climbed higher after an impressive playoff win.
MaxPreps Xcellent 25
1. Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 11-0. Last Week: 1. The Raiders moved to 11-0 with a 66-8 pounding over Coral Springs to open the 5A playoffs. James White and Jacob Rudock each had three touchdowns for Aquinas, which continues to make its push for a second straight national championship.
2. Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.), 12-1. Last Week: 2. For the second time this year, Byrnes blasted Mauldin, this time eliminating the Mavericks from the 4A-I playoffs. Chas Dodd had another big game, compiling five passing scores, while Marcus Lattimore added three total TDs for the Rebels.
3. Cedar Hill (Texas), 12-0. Last Week: 3. Cedar Hill enjoyed an easier game in round two of the 5A-II playoffs than it did in round one, routing Marcus 41-17. Mason Hayes and Ben Malena led a ground attack that accounted for 284 yards and three scores for the Longhorns.
4. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), 10-0. Last Week: 4. Don Bosco Prep easily handled Seton Hall Prep in the semifinals of the non-public Group IV playoffs, winning 54-7. Tony Jones continued his phenomenal season with three rushing scores for the Ironmen.
5. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.), 10-0. Last Week: 5. Malcolm Jones scored the game’s first three touchdowns — all rushes of more than 50 yards — as Oaks Christian beat Santa Ynez 70-14. Nick Montana threw for three scores and rushed for another in a dominant effort by the Lions.
6. Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.), 13-0. Last Week: 6. Four touchdowns from Anthony Hughes was more than Centennial needed to overwhelm Westview 42-0. The Coyotes defense blanketed a Westview offense that scored 35 points last week against Boulder Creek.
7. Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif), 11-0. Last Week: 7. The top-seeded Chargers opened the Pac-5 playoffs with a convincing 58-14 win over Millikan. Matt Viles threw for three touchdowns and Jordan Zumwalt had an interception and a fumble recovery to power Edison’s defense.
8. Madison Central (Madison, Miss.), 13-0. Last Week: 9. After trailing Olive Branch 15-2, Madison Central kicked its offense into high gear en route to a 54-23 victory. Tobias Singleton had a 55-yard touchdown grab and a 64-yard reverse for a score to help set up a highly anticipated matchup with 12-1 South Panola next week.
9. Skyline (Dallas, Texas), 12-0. Last Week: 10. Skyline survived a major scare from DeSoto, winning 41-36. LSU-bound Mike Davis had the performance of a lifetime, hauling in four touchdown grabs and intercepting two passes for the Raiders, who will face Cypress Woods next Saturday.
10. Butler (Matthews, N.C.), 12-0. Last Week: 13. Butler is rolling right now, putting up 63 points in the first half against West Forsyth. The Bulldogs led 21-0 after just three minutes of play. Led by junior quarterback Christian LeMay, Butler will take on East Mecklenburg next week in the 4AA playoffs.
11. Grayson (Loganville, Ga.), 12-0. Last Week: 12. Newnan is up next for Grayson after the Rams disposed of Roswell 24-14. Ean Pemberton’s 155 rushing yards and superb special teams play made the different for Grayson.
12. Bishop McDevitt (Harrisburg, Pa.), 11-0. Last Week: 14. Salath Williams caught three touchdown passes from Matt Johnson in Bishop McDevitt’s 49-7 victory over Governor Mifflin. The Crusaders have scored over 40 points in all but one game this season.
13. Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio), 12-1. Last Week: 16. The Tarblooders notched their second key win in as many weeks, downing Solon 28-27. Cardale Jones tossed three TD passes, two of them to Shane Wynn, to help Ted Ginn Sr.’s squad earn a berth in the Division 1 semifinals, where Glenville will face Massillon.
14. Jenks (Tulsa, Okla.), 12-0. Last Week: 17. Jenks continued its march toward a 6A crown with a 28-14 victory over Edmond Memorial. Zach Lander had 320 totals yards for the Trojans, who used two fourth-quarter scores to come away victorious.
15. Curtis (River Ridge, La.), 11-0. Last Week: 15. A 26-point outburst in the second quarter allowed Curtis to pull away from Opelousas Catholic, eventually winning 47-0. Quarterback Bryce Jenkins threw a touchdown pass to Darian Allen and ran another in himself to lead the Patriots.
16. Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.), 11-1. Last Week: NR. Our Lady of Good Counsel stormed into the Xcellent 25 by ending DeMatha’s stranglehold over the WCAC. The Falcons had lost five consecutive title games to the Stags, before Louis Young’s touchdown and two interceptions gave them a 14-7 victory on Saturday. The talent-laden Falcons held DeMatha to a mere 143 yards of offense.
17. Grant (Sacramento, Calif.), 11-0. Last Week: 18. Grant’s defense pitched another shutout in a 65-0 win against Tokay. Star running back Devontae Butler ran for 178 yards and two touchdowns on just 15 carries for the Pacers, who have outscored opponents 530-35 this season.
18. Memphis University (Memphis, Tenn.), 12-0. Last Week: 21. A 23-15 win over Father Ryan gave Memphis University its 25th consecutive win. The victory advances the Owls into the Division II final against Montgomery Bell Academy. Memphis University is still the only team to have beaten Mississippi power South Panola this season.
19. Highlands (Fort Thomas, Ky.), 13-0. Last Week: 19. Highlands advanced to Kentucky’s 5A semifinals with a 21-21 victory against Johnson Central. Austin Collinsworth scored three touchdowns for the Bluebirds, who are hoping to a third straight state title.
20. North Penn (Lansdale, Pa.), 12-0. Last Week: 20. Five turnovers doomed Neshaminy against North Penn, as the Knights cruised to a 35-22 victory in the second round of the AAAA playoffs. Craig Needhammer, continuing his outstanding senior campaign, rushed for all five of North Penn’s touchdowns.
21. North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.), 12-0. Last Week: 25. Despite the team’s high-powered offense, it was the defense that stole the show against Woodstock, as North Gwinnett won 24-0. The Bulldogs forced two fumbles and added an interception to totally shut down Woodstock. After winning a coin toss on Saturday morning, North Gwinnett will next host traditional state power Camden County in one of several upcoming showdowns in the Peach State.
22. Hutchinson (Kan.), 12-0. Last Week: 22. It was business as usual for the mighty Hutchinson offense. Josh Smith ran for five scores as Hutchinson blasted previously unbeaten Carroll 42-21.
23. Crenshaw (Los Angeles), 11-0. Last Week: 23. In Thursday night action, Crenshaw opened up the playoffs with a convincing 42-6 win over Birmingham. Junior sensation De’Anthony Thomas rushed for 106 yards and a score for the Cougars, who are still on a quest to become the first City Section team to earn a Bowl Game bid.
24. Lakeland (Fla.), 11-0. Last Week: 24. Lakeland enjoyed a laugher in the opening round of the 5A playoffs, overwhelming Winter Springs 41-7. Jarred Higgins had three total scores for the Dreadnaughts, who are likely on a collision course with No. 1 Aquinas.
25. Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.), 12-0. Last Week: 8. For the second time this year, Smith needed a late rally to defeat Grassfield. While the Tigers are still the favorites in 6A, they are clearly a notch below last year’s squad, which was dominant nearly every step of the way.
Dropped out:
DeMatha (Hyattsville,Md.): Lost to Our Lady of Good Counsel
