By Dave Krider
MaxPreps.com
A pair of four-overtime football thrillers were won in contrasting fashion during the past week.
In Florida, perennial power Belle Glade Glades Central eked out a 6-0 victory over Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer in the fourth extra period as Leron Thomas hit James Best for the lone touchdown in a third-and-goal situation from the 17-yard line. Senior lineman Artavious Dowdell, who made 17 tackles, stripped running back Matthew Elam and fell on the ball in the mud to give the struggle a dramatic ending. A steady downpour resulted in 10 fumbles and the game was played at a neutral site due to two recent shootings involving players in Belle Glade.
In Illinois, Naperville Neuqua Valley had to out-score St. Charles East, 49-42, to achieve its hard-earned homecoming victory. Alex Lincoln set the pace by completing 18-of-42 passes for 255 yards and seven touchdowns. Wide receiver Joshua Schaffer snared eight passes for 157 yards and four touchdowns. In a losing effort, Wes Allen carried 38 times for 265 yards and six touchdowns.
Other Football Notes
* Believe it or not, this headliner lasted just four quarters: Denison 65, McKinney 64. It was the fourth highest-scoring game in Texas history. Junior D.J. Jones led the winners with 432 yards on 30 rushes and eight touchdowns (one on a pass), earning him honors as the MaxPreps National Player of the Week. McKinney junior Zach Lee accounted for 440 yards passing and six touchdowns. ..Bear Creek Phillips routed Vina, 82-44, to produce the fifth-highest scoring game in Alabama history.
* Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, long a California power, amassed a school-record total offense of 693 yards during a 52-28 victory over Saugus. Ryan Kasdorf, a 6-2 junior quarterback, had a hand in 519 of those yards and fired touchdown passes of 83, 78, 68 and 67 yards…In another California contest, Canyon Country Canyon set two school records during a 35-21 victory against West Hills Chaminade – Jordan Adamczyk passed for 401 yards and Chris Rivas had 301 receiving yards (on 13 catches).
* Turning to Arizona, Avondale La Joya senior quarterback Jeremiah Cornist set an Arizona Class 5A state rushing record with 380 yards during a 42-41 victory against Surprise Valley Vista. He also scored five touchdowns – including the tying one as time elapsed – and passed for a sixth touchdown…Junior Brooks Estarfaa set a Western New York rushing record with 461 yards on 20 carries as Maryvale routed Medina, 63-31. He also scored seven touchdowns.
* In Missouri, Ronnie Wingo (6-3, 204) broke several school records while sparking St. Louis University High to a 63-42 victory over St. Louis Vianney. He carried 32 times for 403 yards and six touchdowns and added a seventh touchdown on a pass reception…Shaking off the rustiness from a 28-day layoff, Galena Park North Shore defeated Lufkin, 28-21, for its 73rd consecutive regular-season victory – a Texas state record. The victory also snapped Lufkin’s 27-game home winning streak dating to 2002…Provo Timpview defeated Toelle, 40-7, for a Utah state-record 29th consecutive victory.
* Switching to Colorado, Dorian Brown ran 28 times for 439 yards (No. 6 in state history) and five touchdowns, but his Loveland Thompson Valley squad suffered a tough 54-50 loss to Fort Collins Fossil Ridge…In Oregon, Malcolm Johnson rushed for 458 yards and five touchdowns on 36 carries as Gresham Barlow whipped Centennial, 46-19…St. Peter’s Prep (Jersey City, N.J.) two-way back Nyshier Oliver has switched his commitment from Tennessee to Notre Dame.
* In Oklahoma, senior defensive back Trevor Montgomery made five interceptions to spark Salina to a 22-6 victory over Ketchum…Sophomore free safety Rico Cole had four interceptions – returning two for touchdowns – as Central (Detroit, Mich.) blanked city foe Pershing, 29-0…Reigning Gatorade National Player of the Year Matt Barkley (Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif.) has thrown 11 interceptions in five games. He had only 10 during his entire junior year.
* A miraculous rally was staged in St. Paul, Minn., as Central scored twice in the final five seconds of the fourth quarter, then defeated Johnson, 25-18, in overtime. LeDarian Horton fired a 32-yard touchdown pass to 6-3 Jordan Larson. Then Central recovered an onside kick at the two-second mark, allowing Horton to connect with Larson for a 49-yard score as time elapsed. The overtime was anticlimactic.
Cross Country Notes
* The Nike South meet produced some great individual times at The Woodlands (Texas). In the girls division, The Woodlands junior Sarah Andrews won the elite title with a 17:07 clocking, with defending state champion Lauren Smith of Clute Brazoswood far back in sixth place. In the boys elite division, Marcus (Flower Mound, Texas) sophomore Craig Lutz defeated a strong field in 15:13.
* Moving to New Jersey, outstanding times also were recorded during the 32nd Shore Coaches Invitational at Holmdel Park. Chelsea Ley, a junior from Kingsway (N.J.), won the girls A Division with a 17:44 effort – the third-fastest time ever run on the state championship course and No. 2 in meet history. The meet record is 17:40…In the boys division, sophomore Joe Rosa (West Windsor-Plainsboro North) stole the show with a sizzling 15:38 clocking – No. 2 in meet history - to win the B race.
* Defending Foot Locker National Champion Ashley Brasovan (Wellington, Fla.) ran the third-fastest time in her career (16:46.66) to win the girls race of champions during the fl runners.com Invitational in Titusville, Fla…Kodiak senior Trevor Dunbar and Juneau-Douglas junior Leah Francis each won their third Alaska Class 4A state championships at Palmer High. Dunbar set a course record with a superb 15:07.8. Francis captured the girls crown easily with a time of 18:41.3.
Basketball Notes
* Loyola Marymount staged a major coups when it received a commitment from talented Terrell Vinson. The 6-6 senior, who transferred this fall from Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.) to Baltimore St. Frances Academy, had been highly recruited by major colleges…St. Benedict’s (Newark, N.J.) senior shooting guard Tamir Jackson has pledged to Rice University. He averaged 14 points last year on a very balanced team…Rodney Williams, a 6-7 senior from Robbinsdale Cooper (New Hope, Minn.), has chosen the University of Minnesota.
* The University of Pittsburgh has received a commitment from an impact big-man, Talib Zanna. The 6-9, 220-pound native of Nigeria averaged an impressive 16 points, 14 rebounds and 3.5 blocks as a junior at Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.)…Leeds (Birmingham, Ala.) shooting guard David Murray (6-3) has chosen Middle Tennessee State. He averaged 24 points and 14 rebounds as a junior… Roosevelt (Sioux Falls, S.D.) senior Cody Larson (6-8, 200) has made a commitment to the University of Iowa…Arizona State has received a commitment from a sophomore, 6-0 point guard Josiah Turner, of Sacramento (Calif.) High…Windward (Los Angeles, Calif.) senior Anthony Stover (6-9) has made a commitment to UCLA.
* Boston College has received a commitment from 6-2 senior Mary Nwachukwu, who led the state of Massachusetts in scoring as a junior. She averaged an impressive 30 points, 18 rebounds and six blocks for North Dighton Dighton-Rehoboth Regional…Jasmine Green, a 6-3 senior, from Bob Jones (Madison, Ala.) has committed to the University of Alabama-Birmingham…Stanford has received a pledge from 6-3 senior Mikaela Ruef of Beavercreek (Ohio)…Upper Darby (Pa.) senior Diamon Beckford (5-10) has pledged to the University of New Hampshire. She averaged 17 points and eight rebounds as a junior.
Soccer Notes
* Twenty-nine teams from 13 states competed in the Gateway City Soccer Classic – formerly known as the Quincy Soccer Classic – in the St. Louis, Mo., area. During Saturday Showcase games, Grandview (Aurora, Colo.) nipped Providence Day (Charlotte, N.C.), 2-1; and Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.) edged Davis (Calif.), 2-1, in a penalty-kick shootout to give Mike Gauvain his 400th coaching victory.
* Christian Brothers College (St. Louis, Mo.) won the Victor Arbelaez Memorial bracket with a 3-0 victory over Marquette Jesuit (Milwaukee, Wis.) as junior goalie Drew Duncan posted his eighth shutout this fall. …St. Thomas Aquinas (Overland Park, Kan.) edged Glendale (Springfield, Mo.) 2-1 to capture the Taigen Rose Finley Memorial bracket…Reitz Memorial (Evansville, Ind.) claimed the John Strodtman Memorial bracket with a 2-0 victory against St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio).
* Kurt Virgin recorded his 400th victory as a soccer coach when Eagan defeated Apple Valley Eastview, 3-0. He also has over 400 wins in basketball and is believed to be Minnesota’s only coach to surpass 400 wins in two sports.
Golf Notes
* Richmond sophomore Trisha Witherby set an Indiana state finals and girls course record with a sizzling 6-under-par 66 during the first round of the state finals at the Legends of Indiana Golf Club in Franklin. She closed with a 77 to take medalist honors at 143…Fishers Hamilton Southeastern – state runner-up the past two years - overcame a 10-shot deficit on the final day to capture the team title with a score of 627.
* In Tennessee, Payne Denman, a junior who is committed to Auburn University, shot 5-under-par 139 to win the Class A/AA title – the first state championship of any kind for Knoxville Doyle County. Chattanooga Notre Dame senior Shelby Gilbert won her second straight girls crown with 2-under-par 142. Shelby, who is committed to Miami, is the daughter of pro golfer Gibby Gilbert III and granddaughter of another pro, Gibby Gilbert II.
Potpourri
* Assumption (Louisville, Ky.) defeated St. James (Kansas City, Kan.), 25-14, 25-12, to win the Gold Division of the prestigious Nike Challenge in Chicago, Ill. Joliet Catholic (Ill.) won the Silver Division with a 22-25, 25-16, 25-19 victory over Pius X (Milwaukee, Wis.).
* Southport (Indianapolis, Ind.) senior third baseman Cameron Perkins has made a baseball commitment to Purdue University. Last year he batted a state-record .723 with nine home runs and 56 runs batted in. He also scored 37 runs and stole 19 bases…Neuqua Valley (Naperville, Ill.) left-handed pitcher Ian Krol has chosen the University of Arizona. As a junior he posted a 9-1 record with a 0.98 earned run average.
* Huntington, N.Y., wrestling legend Lou Giani is stepping down as head coach and will serve as an assistant this year. The three-time National Coach of the Year has an outstanding career record of 426-36-1 in dual meets, 28 undefeated seasons and he has coached 23 state champions. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003.
* For the first time in history, the United States boys and girls both won International Tennis Federation titles in Mexico. The U.S. girls won the Junior Fed Cup for the first time in the 24-year history of the event, while the boys captured the Junior Davis Cup.
* East (Denver, Colo.) honored 2000 graduate David Oliver, who won a bronze medal in the 110-meter hurdles during the recent Olympic Games, with a packed auditorium, cheerleaders and a video of him performing in track and football at East.