National High 5: St. X Completes Mission

Compiled by Mitch Stephens

MaxPreps.com

1. Let it snow. Neither rain, nor sleet nor doom of Mentor High could deter top-ranked St. Xavier (Cincinnati) from winning its second Division I Ohio State title in three years, this one with a 27-0 win under a flurry of snow in Canton on Saturday. Darius Ashley, who has committed to Louisville, rushed for a Division I title-game record of 271 yards and two touchdowns. The defense allowed just 197 yards and held Ohio State Player of the Year Bart Tanski to 19 completions in 38 attempts for 179 yards. St. Xavier deserves major props for playing arguably the country's top schedule yet finishing 15-0. The Bombers beat six former state champions, four from Ohio, one each from Kentucky (Trinity) and Indiana (Chatard). They also knocked off Maryland power DeMatha.

2. Jenks wins the gold. Jenks avenged its only loss and won the state's most coveted prize, a gold football, and the Oklahoma 6A championship for the second straight year with a 42-24 over top-ranked and previously unbeaten Union. Before 16,723 fans, a familiar duo, quarterback Mark Ginther (202 yards, three touchdowns) and running back Chris Adkins (229 yards rushing, two TDs) led Jenks to victory. Union beat Jenks 43-42 in one of the nation's most memorable games this season on Sept. 7. Read this report by our own Scott Hansen.

3. Texas Two-Step. The same day Trinity (Euless) avenged a loss with nationally-ranked, recognized and previously unbeaten Permian (Odessa) in a big way, 38-14, Abilene shocked Southlake Carroll 22-21 handing the three-time defending 5A champions its first defeat since a 16-15 loss to Katy in the 2003 Class 5A title game. That is a pair of major heavyweights going down in a heavyweight state.

4. Ironmen go the distance. Again. Don Bosco (New Jersey), as usual, waited until the second half to unleash its fury on previously unbeaten St. Peter's Prep with a 42-14 victory in the non-public Group 4 state championship game. It was second straight state title and 24^th consecutive win overall for the Ironmen - great nickname for the all-male school. It also secured Don Bosco's hold as the No. 2 team in the country, according to MaxPreps. Tony Jones and Dillon Romaine each rushed for more than 100 yards for the winners, who scored 28 unanswered points in the third quarter.

5. Safety squeeze. Few games ever finish 2-0. In football anyway, so few if any could recall a Southern Section semifinal playoff game in California ever ending with such a score. What makes it particularly odd is it involved two of the nation's top teams, Long Beach Poly, the victor, and Orange Lutheran, which twice had first-and-goal from the 1 but came away empty, including in the final moments. Truly one of the stranger games and final sequences one could imagine.