Blake Corum rushes for two touchdowns and St. Frances Academy rolls from the start in a surprisingly lopsided win over IMG Academy.
Video: Top recruits from IMG Academy vs. St. Frances Academy
Forty-seven athletes from this game have secured FBS offers.
In a game full of stars,
Blake Corum clearly stood out the brightest.
The win avenged a 38-0 loss to IMG Academy in 2016, the only other time the powerhouse programs played.
This one featured almost 50 players with FBS college offers, but Corum definitely was the standout right from the start, leading to a surprisingly lopsided victory over a program that had won 50 of 51 coming in.
The lopsided score is one the Ascenders are accustomed to applying to other teams, but the Panthers were more physical up front and faster to the ball throughout. The speedy 5-foot-11, 205-pound senior, ranked the 19th best tailback in the country by 247Sports, led St. Frances Academy's speed brigade from the outset.
He opened the scoring with a 37-yard burst around right end midway through the first quarter, setting the tone for a dominating win by the Panthers (7-1).
Michigan-bound Blake Corum races for one of his two touchdowns.
Photo by Michael Smith
A pair of big Corum bursts set up the second score before the end of the first quarter, a 3-yard touchdown pass from
John Griffith to Jahmal Banks.
IMG Academy (7-1) closed to with 14-7 just before halftime on a beautiful 82-yard drive capped with an 8-yard touchdown pass from
DJ Boney to
Corey Palmer. But that was most of IMG's offense for the night as SFA's fast and physical defense held their opponent to less than 200 yards.
When Griffith found
Denylon Morrissette with a 40-yard completion and Corum finished off the third-quarter drive with a 5-yard touchdown run, the Panthers were back in control, up 21-7.
Kevin Thompson added a 27-yard touchdown run to make it 28-7 in the fourth quarter before Corum added another 54-yard scamper, setting up the game's final touchdown, a 3-yard run by
Cameron Kodua.
The Panthers came in winners of 29 of their previous 30, the one loss coming to the nation's No. 1 team Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) earlier this season in Southern California. SFA would love another shot at the Monarchs, but that won't happen. Instead, the Panthers will be satisfied with a very thorough victory over one of the top five programs in the country annually.
"That wasn't just a win, it was a dominant win," SFA co-coach Biff Poggi told the
Baltimore Sun. "It puts us right back in the hunt for the national championship."
John Griffith, St. Frances Academy quarter.
Photo by Michael Smith
D.J. Boney (12), IMG Academy
Photo by Michael Smith
Michigan commit Blake Corum often got the edge but also ran strong inside for St. Frances Academy during its 35-7 win over IMG Academy on Friday.
Photo by Michael Smith
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