National Top 25 Recaps

MaxPreps.com

MaxPreps Top 25 Recaps

Deerfield Beach (Fla.) - 10

No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) - 65

In a nationally televised encounter that grabbed Sunshine State headlines leading up to Friday night, St. Thomas Aquinas proved why it is the top ranked team in the MaxPreps National Top 25. The Raiders stormed to a 44-3 lead at halftime en route to the 55-point blowout. St. Thomas Aquinas – which lost 43-41 to Deerfield Beach last season – got a 7-yard touchdown run from Ronnie Kennedy to kick start the scoring spree. Ryan Becker followed it up with a 65-yard touchdown strike to Duron Carter as the Raiders claimed a 14-0 lead after one quarter of play.

St. Thomas Aquinas broke out for 30 points in the second quarter. Following a safety just 13 seconds into the second quarter, junior Giovanni Bernard returned a kickoff 73 yards for a touchdown. Becker, James White, and Bernard capped off drives with short touchdown runs to held lead the Raiders to its halftime lead.

Becker would add a second half touchdown strike and finish 9-of-11 through the air for 182 yards. Beau Bucci led the Raiders with 74 yards and a touchdown, while White chipped in with 63 yards and two scores on the ground. After punting in its initial possession, the Raiders scored touchdowns on its next nine possessions.

St. Amant (La.) - 0

No. 2 Destrehan (La.) - 24

Unbeaten and second ranked Destrehan was in a for first half dogfight against winless St. Amant as the teams went into the locker room waged in a scoreless tie. Destrehan busted out with all its points in the second half to turn away the challenge. Quarterback Wynrick Smothers led Destrehan to its 21st straight win with 223 yards passing. Myron Smith, Marshall Charles, and Smothers all scored second half touchdown runs to lead the Wildcats.

Hillcrest (Simpsonville, S.C.) - 7

No. 3 Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) - 48

Byrnes didn’t overlook Hillcrest prior to next week’s showdown against No. 10 Dorman. The Rebels got a 41-yard touchdown pass from Chas Dodd to Ricco Sanders on the first offensive play and never looked back. Marcus Lattimore – the junior that is already Byrnes’ all-time leading ground gainer – added 120 yards and two scores on just seven carries. Nick Jones had a 70-yard punt return for a score and a 13-yard touchdown run for the Rebels. Dodd was efficient, nailing 10-of-12 through the air for 212 yards, completing touchdowns to three different receivers.

Ridge View (Columbia, S.C.) - 0

No. 5 South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C.) - 42

South Pointe took advantage of four Ridge View turnovers en route to the comfortable win. Quinten Darby rushed for a pair of touchdowns as South Pointe stormed to a 35-0 halftime advantage. Safety DeVonte Holloman – who recently back out of his verbal to Clemson – returned an interception 65 yards for a touchdown. South Pointe gave up just 24 total yards and one first down. Stephen Gilmore, a recent commitment to South Carolina, opened the scoring on an 18-yard touchdown scamper and finished with a team-high 80 rushing yards on nine carries.

Milliken (Long Beach, Calif.) - 7

No. 6 Long Beach Poly (Calif.) - 50

After running out to a 7-0 lead after the first quarter, the Jackrabbits exploded for 30 points in the second quarter to capture full control. Melvin Richardson scored on a 1-yard run to give Long Beach Poly the early lead. Then following a safety, Richardson added another from 24 yards out to give the Jackrabbits a 16-0 lead. Markes Jackson and Corey Westbrook scurried for touchdowns before Morgan Fennell hit Kaelin Clay on an 80-yard bomb to pace Long Beach Poly to its comfortable halftime advantage.

Keller Central (Texas) - 7

No. 7 Euless Trinity (Texas) - 49

Denarius McGhee completed 16-of-21 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns as Euless Trinity won in emphatic fashion. Trailing 7-0 early on, McGhee went to work by finding Tyree Tucker on a 29-yard touchdown pass to bring the Trojans to a 7-7 tie at the end of one quarter. McGhee hit Stetson Smith on a 9-yard touchdown pass to start a 21-point second quarter. Dontrayveous Robinson scored the first of his two touchdowns on a 1-yard plunge following the McGhee-to-Smith hook-up. Damien Hart scored on a 10-yard run before the break and finished with a game-high 95 rushing yards for Trinity.

Quitman (Miss.) - 13

No. 8 Wayne County (Waynesboro, Miss.) - 55

In a battle of unbeatens, it was business as usual for Wayne County. Tracey Lampley rushed for 156 yards and three first half touchdowns to lead the War Eagles to a convincing victory. Lampley – who missed last week’s victory over Northeast Jones – scored on a 1-yard run to open his account for the night and would later add runs of 45 and 2 yards to pace the War Eagles to a 35-7 halftime advantage. Wayne County’s defense gave up 149 total yards in the victory, including just 13 on the ground.

King (Riverside, Calif.) - 8

No. 9 Centennial (Corona, Calif.) - 38

Arthur Burns rushed for 119 yards and two scores, while quarterback Taylor Martinez added a pair of touchdown strikes to Ricky Marvray. Centennial built a 28-0 lead in the first half. Burns opened the scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run before Marvray and Martinez hooked up on a 45-yard touchdown pass. Martinez found Marvray on a 1-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-0, which was set up by a 45-yard punt return by Marvray.

No. 10 Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.) - 14

Boiling Springs (Spartanburg, S.C.) - 0

A soggy turf didn’t detour Dorman from setting up a huge matchup with Byrnes next week. Dorman’s defense stuffed the Boiling Springs rushing attack by holding it to 91 yards, over 170 yards below its average. Ash Butler rushed for 119 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown run. Johnny Foster added a 36-yard scoring jaunt to pace the Cavaliers.

No. 11 Longview (Texas) - 50

Marshall (Texas) - 21

For awhile, it looked as if Marshall would present a serious challenge to Longview for district honors in 13-4A. The Lobos broke away from a 21 all tie with 29 straight second half points to pick up the victory. With 3:11 remaining in the third quarter and the score still knotted at 21, Jonathan Oliver scored the go-ahead touchdown from 1-yard out. Tyler McCray, who led the Lobos with 88 rushing yards on 17 carries, then added another 1-yard run to give Longview a 35-21 lead after Marshall muffed the ensuing kickoff following Oliver’s touchdown.

Benedictine (Cleveland, Ohio) - 14

No. 12 Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio) - 48

On Saturday, heavily-favored Elder wasted no time in disposing of Benedictine. Mark Miller threw for three touchdown passes, two of them going to Michael Del Prince from 41 and 30 yards. The Panthers sprinted out to a 28-0 halftime lead behind two Miller touchdown strikes, an interception return by junior linebacker Corey Mason, and a 5-yard touchdown run from Josh Jones. Sophomore Ben Coffaro added two second half touchdown runs to pace Elder.

No. 13 Phoebus (Hampton, Va.) - 63

Menchville (Newport News, Va.) - 0

It was typical Phoebus. Quarterback Tahj Boyd – who just decommitted from West Virginia last week – threw for two first quarter touchdown passes to build an early 14-0 lead. The Phantoms scored 28 points in the second quarter. Shawne Alston rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown, while Boyd would finish with three touchdown passes. Phoebus recorded its fifth shutout of the season in eight games and held Menchville to minus-42 total yards.

Glenbard East (Lombardi, Ill.) - 0

No. 14 Wheaton-Warrenville South (Ill.) - 40

Joe Furco completed 8-of-14 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns as Wheaton-Warrenville South set the table for a huge game with Naperville North next week. Julian Banuelos rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown, while Mike Orp added 83 rushing yards and another score for the Tigers. A 2-yard Banuelos touchdown run and a 76-yard touchdown strike from Furco to Steve Kmiotek set the tone as the Tigers led 25-0 at halftime.

Buena (Ventura, Calif.) - 7

No. 15 St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.) - 44

Logan Meyer tossed a pair of touchdowns to go along with 268 yards as St. Bonaventure broke away from a first half challenge. St. Bonaventure led 13-7 in the second quarter and Buena was driving. Troy Hill intercepted a pass in the end zone to turn away Buena. After the momentum swing, Meyer drove his team 80 yards and capped it off with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Drew Gibson. The hook-up between Meyer and Gibson was the second of the game after the two opened the scoring on a 58-yard touchdown in the first quarter to give the Seraphs a 7-0 lead.

Plant City (Fla.) - 0

No. 16 Armwood (Seffner, Fla.) - 35

Armwood’s defense continued its dominant ways, posting its fourth shutout in five games. After a scoreless first quarter, the Hawks tallied 21 second quarter points to seize control. Quarterback Mywan Jackson and Matt Eastman both scored on 2-yard runs in the second quarter before Angelo Hadley returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown. In the second half, Tavari Grant broke free on a 50-yard touchdown run and freshman Matt Jones capped off the scoring with a 1-yard plunge. Armwood has allowed 18 points in seven games this season.

No. 17 Mission Viejo (Calif.) - 14

Tesoro (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) - 31

For the second straight year, Tesoro had its way with Mission Viejo. The sold out stadium witnessed a one-sided affair. Tesoro broke out to a 28-7 lead in the third quarter. Junior Zach Mitchell rushed for 171 yards to lead the Titans, but Tesoro’s defense was relentless against Mission Viejo quarterback Allen Bridgford.  Tesoro picked off the UCLA verbal four times and also recorded four sacks. Preston King picked off two passes, returning one 58 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.

No. 19 Coldwater (Ohio) - 48

Minster (Ohio) - 0

Coldwater quarterback Cory Klenke had another efficient night to lead Coldwater. Klenke completed 12-of-14 passes for 259 yards and three touchdowns for the Cavaliers, two his scoring strikes going to Tony Harlamert. Harlamert caught four passes for 67 yards and also added a rushing touchdown for Coldwater. After throwing two touchdown passes in the first half, Klenke gave Coldwater a 35-0 lead with a 30-yard scoring run in the third quarter. 

Kosciusko (Miss.) - 0

No. 20 Noxubee County (Macon, Miss.) - 55

Noxubee County stormed out to a 41-0 halftime lead and recorded its sixth shutout of the season in seven games. Patreon Hopkins and Temarcus Conner both rushed for two touchdowns for the Tigers. Wide receiver Patrick Patterson had three total touchdowns for Noxubee County.

Ben Davis (Indianapolis, Ind.) - 24

No. 21 Carmel (Ind.) - 17

The 7-time Indiana state champion pulled the upset over No. 21 Carmel, the defending Indiana 5A state champ. Miles Wright led Ben Davis with 90 rushing yards, while junior Donte Asher added 80 yards on seven carries. Asher scored on a 39-yard touchdown run with 5:41 remaining to break the deadlock. Ben Davis took a 17-3 lead in the first half when Phillip Dudley tossed a 46-yard halfback pass for a touchdown to Mike Covington. Carmel and Morgan Newton attempted a second half comeback and scored twice in the third quarter. Newton threw and ran for a score, but the Greyhounds couldn’t get over the hump.

Clover (S.C.) - 13

No. 22 Northwestern (Rock Hill, S.C.) - 17

After opening up a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, Northwestern scored the game-winning touchdown in the third quarter when Cordarrell Patterson latched onto a 27-yard touchdown strike from Justin Worley. It was the first offensive touchdown of the game for Trojans. In the first quarter after a Shawn Ferguson field goal of 32 yards, DeWanney Mills returned a fumble 14 yards for six. Tyron Douglas rushed for two touchdowns to bring Clover in front.  Jarrett Nealy rushed for 91 yards to lead Northwestern, while Patterson caught seven passes for 55 yards for the Trojans.

No. 23 Madison County (Madison, Fla.) - 20

Bartram Trail (Jacksonville, Fla.) - 10

David - in the form of Class 2A Madison County - struck Goliath. Madison County took out 5A Bartram Trail, proving it can play with anybody. Clinging to a 13-10 lead late, Corey Akins busted loose on a 60-yard run to put the game away. The Cowboys moved to 5-0 on the season. Jacobbi McDaniel, one of the top defensive linemen in the country, had eight tackles and four tackles-for-loss for Madison County. Chris Thompson rushed for 87 yards on four carries before being injured.

Crowley (La.) - 6

No. 24 Higgins (Marrero, La.) - 8

In a defensive struggle that produced 265 yards between both teams, No. 24 Higgins had enough to overcome Crowley. Nolan LeBeouf capped off a 10-play, 58-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown run in the third quarter for Higgins. Quarterback Edwin Bernard ran in the two-point conversion, which was all it needed for the win.

Evangel Christian (Shreveport, La.) - 28

No. 25 Bastrop (La.) - 22

Evangel stormed out to a 14-6 halftime lead and withstood a 16-point third quarter by Bastrop and held on to snap Bastrop’s win streak at 49. Dez Duron threw for 207 yards and two touchdowns to lead Evangel. His 17-yard touchdown pass to Hayden Jennings in the second quarter gave the Eagles an 8-point halftime lead.

After Bastrop’s Jevante Watson scored a 1-yard touchdown run to bring the Rams to within two, Bastrop quarterback Rueben Randle ran in the two-point conversion to tie it at 14. Duron responded with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Quinn Giles just 2:02 later to swing the momentum back in Evangel’s favor.

Randle hit Watson on a 48-yard touchdown pass and again ran in a two-point conversion to give Bastrop a 22-21 lead with 38 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Evangel won it with a 35-yard touchdown run from CerDerrick Tyson, who earlier threw an 80-yard touchdown pass on a trick play.

Key Games Outside the Top 25

No. 28 Allen (Texas) - 56

No. 46 Plano (Texas) - 23

Final

No. 31 Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) - 44

Alemany (Mission Hills, Calif.) - 17

Final

No. 42 Muskegon (Mich.) - 34

Rockford (Mich.) - 6

Final

No. 48 Bellarmine Prep (San Jose, Calif.) - 27

Valley Christian (San Jose, Calif.) - 16

Final

Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) - 42

Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) - 21

Final