National notes: Alaska football title games set records as polar opposites

Alaska’s state-championship football games both were record-setters, but in extremely opposite ways, according to the Anchorage Daily News.

In Saturday’s large-school finale, West (Anchorage) nipped city foe Service (Anchorage), 6-0, on a 7-yard pass from Conor Feckley to J'vonte Buster on third-and-goal with 3:01 left in the game. The victory, achieved before an overflow crowd, marked the lowest-scoring finale and West's first state title since the playoffs started in 1983.

Earlier, however, Soldotna overpowered defending champion Kenai Central, 77-42, to win the small-school title during the highest-scoring finale in state history. Soldotna finished with an 11-0 record while winning its fourth state title in the last five years.

The scoring avalanche inspired sports writer Doyle Woody to comment, "The scoring summary from the game is longer than some relationships and the score resembled something from the Arena Football League or six-man football."

Junior Auston Tennis led the champs with 15 carries for 281 yards and four touchdowns while adding a fifth score on a 78-yard kickoff return. Phil Bennett carried just 12 times, but amassed 208 yards and scored twice.
Kenai was led by Colton Hayes, who passed for 300 yards and four touchdowns. A.J. Hull caught nine passes for 164 yards and three touchdowns.

* To neutralize potential long punt returns, Bloomington South (Ind.) coach Kirk Kennedy ordered Drew Barlow to attempt all field goals over the last three quarters. He missed from distances of 31, 92, 67, 44, 66 and 21 yards and his 95-yard attempt was blocked. However, South edged North (Columbus, Ind.), 13-9 without the aid of a field goal.

* Sophomore Christine Hardin kicked a 34-yard field goal as Elizabethton (Tenn.) defeated Johnson County (Mountain City, Tenn.), 44-15.

* Harlan (Iowa) kicker Trent Wendt has established an Iowa state record with 172 extra points.

* Carter (Dallas) had 15 sacks for a loss of 99 yards during a 14-0 victory over Kimball (Dallas).
 
* Concord (Mich.) senior Zach Brigham tied the state record with five interceptions – returning three for touchdowns of 70, 52 and 25 yards - during a 55-20 victory over Athens (Mich.).

* Steven Manfro rushed for a school-record 418 yards and scored five touchdowns as Valencia (Calif.) defeated West Ranch (Valencia, Calif.), 55-28.

* Senior Sam O'Shea completed 15 of 18 passes for 353 yards and eight touchdowns as Wheeler (Valparaiso, Ind.) routed Calumet (Gary, Ind.), 66-6.

* Despite playing with a broken hand, Holy Cross (New Orleans) defensive back Ed Eagan intercepted five passes during a 58-6 victory over Clark (New Orleans).

* Seventh grader Ivan Arenas kicked a 22-yard field goal with 18 seconds left to give Dade Christian (Miami) a 31-28 victory over Westminster Christian (Miami).
 
* Senior Shane Anane set school records by rushing for 311 yards and seven touchdowns as Hartford Public (Conn.) rolled past Rockville (Vernon, Conn.). The state record is eight touchdowns.

* Folsom (Calif.) quarterback Dano Graves completed 25 of 33 passes for 383 yards and seven touchdowns during a 55-13 rout of Sheldon (Calif.).

* Marcus Cody rushed 28 times for 423 yards and five touchdowns as Excelsior Springs (Mo.) defeated Liberty North (Mo.), 34-28.

* Nicholas St. Germain kicked field goals of 54 and 52 yards as McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) outscored Hillgrove (Powder Springs, Ga.), 64-48.

* Eastern (Pekin, Ind.) lost six fumbles but intercepted seven passes en route to an easy 52-16 victory over Eastern Greene (Bloomfield, Ind.).

Baseball: USA wins gold medal
The USA rallied from an early 3-0 deficit to defeat Mexico, 11-4, on Sunday and win the gold medal during the COPABE Pan Am “AA” 16-Under Youth Baseball Championships in Lagos De Moreno, Mexico. It was the fifth consecutive title for the Americans, who finished with a 9-0 record and 40 straight victories since 2005.

Alex Bregman, a junior infielder from Albuquerque Academy (N.M.), was named MVP. He was the tournament leader in batting average (.564) and runs scored (17). He also hit two home runs and drove in 17 runs.

Gulliver Prep (Miami) junior left-hander Ivan Pelaez settled down after allowing three runs in the first inning and threw three scoreless innings. Fairmont Prep (Anaheim, Calif.) junior Felipe Perez got the victory, yielding just one unearned run and striking out five in three innings.

Closer Troy Conyers, a 6-4, 230-pound junior from El Capitan (Lakeside, Calif.), pitched the final two innings. He pitched five innings over four games and did not allow a run.
 
* Marucci Elite, based in Baton Rouge, La., nipped the Georgia-based East Cobb Braves, 2-0, to win the 10th annual World Wood Bat Association Underclass Baseball Championship in Fort Myers, Fla. Marucci won all eight games to best a nationwide field of 122 teams. The champs, who have players from nine states, allowed only one run over the final games.

MVP honors went to speedy leadoff hitter Andrew Velazquez, a junior at Fordham Prep (Bronx, N.Y.). He came through with the key hit during victories in the last three games and played outstanding defense in center field.
The most valuable pitcher was Hunter Devall, a junior from Centerville Academy (Clinton, La.) who won the title game with four shutout innings of relief.

Golf: Park, Spieth sparkle
Kristen Park shot five-under-par 211 to win the girls division during the fifth annual Ping Invitational in Stillwater, Okla. A senior at Sunny Hills (Fullerton, Calif.), Park also tied the Karsten Creek course record with a final-round 67. The field included the AJGA’s top 24 players.

In the boys division senior Jordan Spieth of Dallas Jesuit shot 8-under-par 208 to notch his second Ping title in three years. He was the only player to beat par during the week.

Basketball: Hurley honored again
The legend of St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) boys basketball coach Bob Hurley continues to grow. His latest honor is having a street near the school named "Bob Hurley Sr. Way." Already enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the 63-year-old Hurley told the Newark Star-Ledger it is an especially great honor “because I’m alive to see it.”

Potpourri
* Viktorija Dimaite, a 6-4 senior center from Rock (Gainesville, Fla.), has made a commitment to the University of Florida women’s basketball team, according to the Gainesville Sun. She averaged 14.5 points and 9.3 rebounds last year for the 30-2 Class 1A state champions.

* Though she hasn't played a varsity softball game yet, Valencia (Calif.) freshman catcher Madeline Jelenicki already has scholarship offers from Arizona and UCLA, according to the Los Angeles Times.