Michigan QB Pichiotino accounts for 9 TDs

Two weeks ago, senior Josh Alba ran for 220 yards and five touchdowns on just 10 carries as Bay City Western (Auburn, Mich.) routed Arthur Hill (Saginaw, Mich.), 52-19.

According to Western coach Bruce Mann, that effort set up last week’s spectacular performance by junior quarterback Austin Pichiotino during a 57-27 victory against Saginaw (Mich.).

“The team we played really focused on our tailback (Alba),” Mann pointed out.

The result? The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Pichiotino accounted for nine touchdowns. He completed 12 of 18 passes for 175 yards and five touchdowns and also ran 17 times for 326 yards and four touchdowns.

Pichiotino, who runs 40 yards in 4.55 seconds, led the Warriors in rushing and passing as a sophomore, but Mann noted that last week’s rushing effort was his career high.

* On the flip side, Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs, Colo.) nipped Liberty (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 5-3, with all of its points coming in the fourth quarter. Bret Helton's 72-yard punt pinned Liberty on its 1-yard line, leading to a safety by Jeremy Grooms. Then Ross Thompson won it with a 42-yard field goal.

* Crespi (Encino, Calif.) quarterback Kenneth Stenhouse set a school record by passing for 424 yards during a 34-33 victory over Clovis West (Fresno, Calif.). He completed 35 of 45 passes, three for touchdowns.

* Darmontre Warr (5-9, 181) ran 24 times for 400 yards and three touchdowns as DuPont Manual (Louisville, Ky.) beat Central (Louisville, Ky.), 31-21.

* Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) defeated Tivy (Kerrville, Texas), 37-33, despite another heroic effort by senior quarterback Johnny Manziel, who accounted for 468 yards and four touchdowns. Lake Travis coach Hank Carter told the Austin Statesman that the magical University of Oregon recruit “reminded me of Brett Favre on a motorcycle.”

* Stigler (Okla.) defeated Hartshorne (Okla.), 35-25, as Jarret Radford completed 20 of 26 passes for 408 yards and four touchdowns.

* Christian Academy of Knoxville (Tenn.) was on a “high” following Friday’s 48-45 victory over Loudon (Tenn.). With starting quarterback Quinn Epperly sidelined by a concussion, sophomore Charlie High stepped in admirably, completing 27 of 41 passes for 452 yards, six touchdowns and just one interception.

* Senior running back Dillon Lukehart ran for 353 yards and all seven touchdowns as Eagle (Idaho) nipped Highland (Pocatello, Idaho), 51-50. He also provided the winning margin with a two-point conversion.

* Senior Chance Wallace (5-11, 185) threw a school-record seven touchdown passes as Canton (Texas) whipped Nevada Community (Nevada, Texas), 70-7. He completed 21 of 28 passes for 390 yards, with three of the scoring strikes going to Trent Termin.

* Marist (Atlanta, Ga.) edged Southwest DeKalb (Decatur, Ga.), 17-14, on a 59-yard field goal by Austin Hardin with three seconds left.

* Chugiak (Eagle River, Alaska) kicker Bryan Maley bettered his own state record by one yard when he kicked a 53-yard field goal during a 31-0 victory over East (Anchorage, Alas.).

* Melvin Williams made three interceptions – returning two of them 70 and 20 yards for touchdowns – as Mandarin (Jacksonville, Fla.) defeated Parker (Jacksonville, Fla.), 35-12. He also scored on a 90-yard kickoff return.

* Brazilian exchange student Talles Cardoso has been a welcome addition to the football team at Thomson (Thomson, Ga.). During a recent 10-9 victory over Lakeside (Atlanta, Ga.), the first-time kicker provided the winning 20-yard field goal with 16 seconds left.

* Bob Hyland of St. Mary's Springs (Fond du Lac, Wis.) became Wisconsin’s winningest football coach with a 30-6 victory over Clintonville (Wis.). His 351st victory broke the record held by retired Dick Basham of Marquette (Milwaukee, Wis.). Hyland actually held the record a few years ago, but a couple losing seasons yielded the record to Basham.

* Coach Waldon Tucker won an Alabama state-record 303rd game as Fayette County (Fayette, Ala.) defeated Haleyville (Ala.), 35-7.

* Ken Netherland tied Tennessee’s career coaching record with his 355th victory as St. George's (Collierville, Tenn.) defeated University (Jackson, Tenn.), 20-17.

* Cardinal Spellman (Brockton, Mass.) defeated Norwell (Mass.), 42-22, to give Ron St. George his 200th coaching victory.

Cross country: Neer has no peer
Culver Girls Academy (Culver, Ind.) senior distance star Waverly Neer ran away from the field Saturday to win the Class AAA girls 5,000-meter race in 18:26.1 during the annual New Prairie Invitational at New Carlisle (Ind.). It was the fifth-fastest time ever recorded by a girl at Indiana’s largest athletic event.

In the boys Class AAA race, James Martin of Carroll (Fort Wayne, Ind.) won in 15:22.8, which was the second-fastest time ever posted on the storied New Prairie course.

* Carmel (Ind.) star Chris Walden continues to look like a strong contender for national honors after winning the Valkyrie Invitational in Louisville, Ky., with a time of 14:57.79. The girls title went to Sacred Heart (Louisville, Ky.) senior Emma Brink, a nine-time state champion in track and cross country, who won in 18:01.84. Earlier in the week, she committed to the University of North Carolina.

Basketball: Pierce’s number to be retired
Inglewood (Calif.) is going to retire the uniform number once worn by current Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce during a special performance on Tuesday, according to the Los Angeles Times.

* Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.) senior Samuel Thompson has made a commitment to Ohio State University, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The 6-8 Thompson averaged 10 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists as a junior.

Potpourri
Blue Valley North (Overland Park, Kan.) senior Jack Sock defeated Denis Kudla, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, to win the U.S. Open Junior boys tennis championship in New York (N.Y.). He is the first American to win the junior title since Andy Roddick in 2000.

* The volleyball season already has been memorable for Notre Dame Prep (Pontiac, Mich.) coach Betty Wroubel, who recently recorded her 1,000th victory and was inducted into the Michigan High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

* The Shattuck-St. Mary's (Faribault, Minn.) girls hockey team includes the daughters of Pittsburgh Penguins co-owner Mario Lemieux (Stephanie Lemieux) and Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (Taylor Crosby).