A fall high school sports season many didn't think would ever get started, let alone finished, is just about complete. Despite soaring COVID-19 cases, a majority of states got to the finish line.
With Georgia and Louisiana scheduled to wrap up the football season Wednesday, 27 of the 31 states that began in the fall will finish by crowning champions.
Four reached the playoff phase but halted play due to the pandemic – Alaska, Minnesota, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Two more states, Texas and Michigan, are scheduled to finish fall football in January.
That in itself — just finishing — is a one of the many highlights to the 2020 fall season around the nation. Here are 10 more memorable moments and performances.
Miracle in Alabama
"Miracle" is a strong and often overused term. But
Thompson (Alabaster), ranked No. 6 nationally by MaxPreps, trailed 28-19 with 30 seconds to play in the Alabama 7A state championship game and its opponent Auburn had the ball. Yet, Thompson prevailed 29-28 in regulation. A punt block returned for a touchdown, a recovered onside kick, two pass interference calls and last-second field goal all occurred in that 30 seconds to secure Thompson's second straight championship, a 14-0 season and one of the most memorable title finishes in state history.
MORE: Story, video of Thompson's state championship win
Utah record setters
A productive three-year starter at Utah's Roy High School,
Jaxson Dart and his family decided in order to truly progress, a move to two-time defending state champion
Corner Canyon (Draper) and quarterback coaching guru Eric Kjar was in order. The result was one of the most prolific seasons in Utah history. He led the nation in passing yards (4,691) — 43 short of a state record — and touchdown passes (67), which obliterated the state mark of 58. He also rushed for 1,195 yards and 12 scores, leading the Chargers to a 14-0 season, No. 8 national ranking and third straight state title. In the championship game —
a 45-7 victory over Lone Peak (Highland) to extend Corner Canyon's win streak to 40 games — Dart accounted for 446 yards and five touchdowns. The icing on the cake: A lightly recruited player before the season, Dart signed a letter of intent to USC on Dec. 16. The coach's son wasn't too bad, either. Senior receiver
Noah Kjar shattered the Utah career
receptions record after leading the nation with 1,918 receiving yards to
go along with 97 catches and 22 touchdowns. He finished with 285 career
receptions for 4,951 yards and 50 touchdowns.
MORE: Dream season at Corner Canyon
Sunshine State stunner
The
Steinbrenner (Lutz, Fla.) girls varsity volleyball team was hit hard by COVID-19 late in the season and forced to quarantine. Rather than forfeit the Class 7A District 13 championship match with Palm Harbor University, Steinbrenner brought up the JV squad that came to the rescue with a wild and highly unlikely five-game victory, 20-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-22, 15-13.
MORE: Florida JV team steps up
Jonathon Brooks had a terrific season in Texas.
File photo by Lester E. Rosebrock
Jonathon Brooks of
Hallettsville (Texas) made his home state proud, signing earlier this month with the Texas Longhorns after a historic season running the football. Brooks rushed for 3,560 yards and 62 touchdowns, both top 10 marks in state history according
to
Nick Harris of 247Sports. The 6-0, 185-pound back's 420 points scored is tied for second in state history with Johnathan Gray and behind
Joseph Sadler (451). He rushed 27 times for 501 yards and
nine touchdowns in a 61-48 third round Class 3A Division 1 playoff win over Lorena.
His team lost in the state finals.
MORE: Watch Brooks run for 501 yards, nine touchdowns in playoff win
Was that even legal?
All that was missing to the finish of the Sept. 11 football game in Alabama between
Hillcrest (Tuscaloosa) and Wetumpka was the Stanford band on the field. Trailing 30-28 at its own 41-yard line with 2.9 seconds remaining, Hillcrest won with a miracle touchdown that will no doubt be questioned by the team on the other sideline for years to come. It featured 10 laterals and a pair of fumbles that led to an eventual touchdown by Hillcrest quarterback
Ethan Crawford – who began the entire sequence with a short completion.
MORE: Another wild finish in Alabama
Walk-off pick six for the titleRegents (Austin, Texas) senior linebacker
Ben Buerkle picked off a pass and raced 67 yards for a touchdown Dec. 19 following a desperation heave to break a 20-20 tie with Dallas Christian on the final play of the TAPPS Division II title game. As breathtaking as the return was, the celebration afterward might have been even better.
MORE: See Buerkle's championship pick six
Inspiration in Iowa Anytime
Trashaun Willis takes the field it's a
monumental accomplishment. Born without a left arm, he's
been a highly productive two-way football player for
Washington
and basketball standout. In a Sept. 18 game — a 41-27 win over Mt.
Pleasant — Willis accounted for 224 yards and six touchdowns. The 6-foot-6, 235-pound senior amassed
1,430 total yards and 25 touchdowns for his 8-1 squad and added 37.5
tackles and a pick six on defense. He holds several NAIA college
football offers and a FCS offer from Lamar.
MORE: Willis goes big against Mt. Pleasant
Stay away from him
Brandon King, a 5-9, 160-pound junior cornerback for
Carthage, intercepted four passes and returned two for touchdowns in the Texas Class 4A Division 2 championship game at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 18. After Carthage fell behind 14-0, King's heroics sparked a landslide 70-14 victory.
MORE: King comes to the rescue
Day after Christmas heroics
Fans of
Trinity (Euless) and
Pioneer (Mission) were treated to some late Christmas presents in the Texas state playoffs Dec. 26. Trinity running back
Ollie Gordon rushed 49 times for 455 yards and six touchdowns as the unranked Trojans outlasted the nation's No. 12 team Allen 49-45 in the Class 6A Division 1 bracket. In Class 5A Division 2 action, Texas-San Antonio signee
Eddie Lee Marburger accounted for 688 yards and 10 touchdowns, leading Pioneer to a 77-64 win over East View. Marburger completed 24 of 37 passes for 444 yards and four scores and rushed 19 times for 244 yards and six TDs.
MORE: Gordon goes off against Allen
