High school football: No. 1 IMG Academy makes national statement in 41-14 blowout win over No. 6 Duncanville

In the biggest high school football game of the season, the nation's No. 1 team made a statement heard from Texas to Florida and beyond. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) scored 31 straight points Saturday and flipped an early 7-3 deficit into a 41-14 blowout of No. 6 Duncanville (Texas) in the Ascenders' first trip to the Lone Star State in five seasons.

IMG Academy got two first-half touchdown passes from Michigan-bound quarterback J.J. McCarthy, but used Panther miscues early in the second half to turn what looked to be a close game into a lopsided affair.

With the running backs having trouble with footing on the Globe Life Park turf, the IMG senior spread the ball to five different receivers in the first half. McCarthy's fifth pass found Shawn Miller, who turned the pitch and catch into a 61-yard score and a 10-7 lead. The IMG quarterback's second scoring strike was a 14-yard dart that found Jacorey Brooks on a slant and gave the Ascenders a 17-7 lead heading into intermission. And then, in a game featuring 49 players with FBS offers, the Ascenders' defense pounced.

IMG needed nine plays and less than five minutes to score 10 points off the two Duncanville turnovers as the lead ballooned to 27-7. In the opening half, McCarthy and his receiving corps set the tone for the nation's No. 1 squad, but the IMG defense teed it up for the offense in the second half.

The Ascenders forced a Da'Myrion Coleman fumbled on the Panthers opening possession of the half and turned that into a 22-yard field goal four plays later. Then, on Duncanville's ensuing possession, Omar Burroughs intercepted Grayson James near midfield as the IMG safety was playing a zone center field in the former Major League Baseball park. Five plays later, freshman Stacy Gage found pay dirt on his first carry of the season.

McCarthy added a third TD pass early in the fourth quarter, hitting Ari Allen on a 16-yard swing pass for a 34-7 IMG lead. McCarthy finished with 256 yards on 19-of-28 passing and three touchdowns. Allen caught seven balls for 90 yards and a score. Gage finished with two scores on two carries and three yards.

Duncanville (1-1) looked rusty at times while playing a team in its fifth contest of the season. The Panthers were held to 86 yards rushing on 30 carries. James was 17-of-27 passing for 215 yards, two scores and an interception.