National High 5: Nov. 7

MaxPreps.com

1. Checking In: With basketball season approaching rapidly, it's a good time to check in on MaxPreps National Players of the Year from a year ago, Kevin Love, now at UCLA (via Lake Oswego, Ore.) and Maya Moore, now at Connecticut (via Collins Hill, Ga.). Love made his unofficial collegiate debut Monday night in a 93-55 exhibition victory over Chico State, and promptly delivered a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Moore was similarly impressive in her first taste of action with the Huskies, a 119-58 exhibition blowout of Southern Connecticut. The 6-foot forward hit 10 of 14 field goal attempts en route to 21 points, five rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals. Both will play pivotal roles on teams expected to compete for national titles.
2. Ground McNair: Steve McNair of the Baltimore Ravens isn't experiencing the best season of his NFL career, but nephew Jason McNair of Mississippi's Mt. Olive High School is making sure the family still has plenty to celebrate. The senior running back is three touchdowns away from breaking the state mark for career touchdowns. McNair currently stands at 116 while leader Dicenzo Miller of Weir racked up 118 from 1994-1997. He is also helping the Pirates in the "W" column, leading the school to a 9-1 record and playoff date with Bogue Chitto Friday. For more on this McNair, check out Rod Walker's story in the Clarion-Ledger.
3. The Gauntlet: A year ago, I called Ohio's Division I state playoffs the most competitive postseason football tournament in the country. That sentiment hasn't changed in 2007. Looking at the MaxPreps National Rankings, the remaining 16-team bracket features nine of the top 200 high school football teams in America. The Region 4 lineup is especially brutal with all four squads coming in at No. 140 or better nationally. No. 1 St. Xavier faces No. 140 Centerville in one game, while No. 18 Colerain locks horns with No. 126 Archbishop Moeller in the other. Rounding out the list of top 200 teams is No. 35 Cleveland Glenville, No. 44 Hilliard Darby, No. 93 Dublin Coffman, No. 159 Mentor, No. 165 and Pickerington Central. Five unbeaten and two one-loss teams are still alive in their quest for the title. Good luck.
4. Charlotte Gone Mad: Things got flat-out crazy in Charlotte, N.C., last Friday. To start with, Butler knocked off Independence, 21-20, to end the Patriots' 114-game win streak against state opponents (See story from the Charlotte Observer). Then, this happened during Hopewell High School's 27-21 win over North Mecklenburg.
5. Scoring at Will: It must be basketball season in Washington as Lummi drilled Crescent 118-72 on the state's Olympic Peninsula last Saturday. Wrong. Basketball in the Evergreen State doesn't begin until later this month. Lummi and Crescent's 190 combined points came in an eight-man football game and is believed to be the highest-scoring game in state history. Lummi (10-1) is averaging slightly over 60 points per game this season. Craig Smith of the Seattle Times reports that there were no hard feelings surrounding the 46-point margin and, in fact, both teams thoroughly enjoyed the shootout.