Compiled by Mitch Stephens
MaxPreps.com
1) A Salute to Service
The first state football championships are in the books and Service (Anchorage, Ak), getting a long-distance pep talk from an assistant coach, upset Juneau-Douglas 22-14. Appropriately, the assistant coach, Fenumiai Ilalio Jr., is a true man of service, an Alaskan Army National Guard member who is preparing for deployment to Afghanistan in Kansas. As expected, Soldotna won its third straight Alaska small-school title and 29th consecutive game overall with 28-6 triumph over Kodiak. Really good reads in the Anchorage Daily News. Make sure to click on the video link for the championship to get a real flavor of Alaska football.
2) One Streak Continues
Though all signs pointed to Servite (Anaheim), Mater Dei (Santa Ana) continued its dominance over its Trinity League rival with a 42-21 victory as its running game and not Matt Barkley proved to be the difference. In this 5 Days to Friday special, the Monarchs ran for 279 yards which helped the USC-bound Barkley shred the Servite secondary by completing 21 of 25 for 212 and two TDs. The offensive linemen of Mater Dei were truly the stars, helping the Monarchs reach 20 straight seasons without losing to Servite.
3) Another Streak Ends
A 35-yard touchdown run down the left sideline by CerDerrick Tyson will be go down as one of the biggest plays in Louisiana football folklore as it led Evangel Christian (Shreveport) to a 28-22 win over Bastrop on Friday. The run and victory halted Bastrop’s win streak at 49 games. It also had streaks of 40 games at home and 36 contests during the regular season snapped. Bastrop hadn’t lost since 2004. Bastrop (5-1) came in ranked No. 3 in the state and perennial power Evangel (6-1) entered No. 21.
4) No. 1 Nears Perfection
Picking out the best team in the land is much like the proverbial needle in the haystack, but indeed MaxPreps’ No. 1 squad St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) sure made its case with a 65-10 destruction of previously unbeaten Deerfield Beach. In a CBS College Sports televised contest, the defending state 5A champs scored on all eight of their possessions and quarterback Ryan Becker accounted for three touchdowns in the surprisingly lopsided victory over a team that gave defending 6A champion Northwestern (Miami) it’s toughest game last season, losing 19-14.
5) South Carolina Here We Come
The much anticipated South Carolina, now turned national, showdown between No. 3 Byrnes (Duncan) and 10th-ranked Dorman (Roebuck) is at a fever pitch after each won on Friday. Byrnes breezed past Hillcrest 48-7, holding a 453-121 edge in yards, while Dorman survived a downpour and Boiling Springs 14-0, holding its opponent 157 yards below its season average. Both superb game reports courtesy of the Spartanburg Herald-Journal. Not only are these nationally ranked teams from South Carolina, but so are Rock Hills rivals, No. 5 South Pointe and No. 22 Northwestern. Only California had four teams ranked among the top 25 last week and No. 17 Mission Viejo will no doubt drop out after a decisive 31-14 defeat to Tesora (Rancho Santa Margarita). This week, we’re Jet Bluing it to the Palmetto State to investigate why and how South Carolina has turned into such a gridiron hotbed. Look for reports all week, including a live report from Friday’s Brynes-Dorman showdown.
National High 5 is a regular MaxPreps feature highlighting the top stories and reads on the web. Please e-mail Mitch Stephens (mstephens@maxpreps.com) or Steve Spiewak (sspiewak@maxpreps.com) with more good high school items you’ve read.
