By Dave Krider
MaxPreps.com
Unbeaten Newark, N.J., powerhouse St. Benedict's had been disposing of one highly-ranked opponent after another en route to the nation's No. 1 ranking - until last week when it was shocked by an unknown, Academy of New Church (Bryn Athyn, Pa.), 53-50.
Junior guard Tamir Jackson paced St. Benedict's with 22 points and 6-foot-9 Samardo Samuels added 17. Facing a zone defense, the Gray Bees shot just 4-of-19 from three-point range. Adding to their woes, they shot only 6-of-16 from the free throw line.
Coach Kevin Givens can thank his own son, Shannon, for sparking the huge upset with a team-high 17 points. Shannon and his brother, Sam, have attended the small school since they were in kindergarten. Warren Gillis added 12 points and 6-7 Larry Lochery 11. Academy of New Church never trailed after taking a 17-10 first-quarter lead.
The Gray Bees did rebound, however, by beating New York City power Rice, 55-52, during the Nike Super Six at Madison Square Garden. Samuels - who did not play in the first quarter for disciplinary reasons - had 14 points and 13 rebounds, while 6-9 Greg Echenique produced 15 points and 11 rebounds and Jackson also had 15 points.
In other Super Six games, St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) defeated St. Raymond's (Bronx, N.Y.), 64-56, and Mount Vernon (N.Y.) defeated Paterson Catholic (N.J.), 66-60. Quintrell Thomas, a 6-7 Kansas signee, paced St. Patrick with 25 points and 13 rebounds. Mount Vernon, which overcame a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter, received 25 points and 18 rebounds from 6-8 West Virginia recruit Kevin Jones.
Ironically, the biggest news was provided by Dexter Strickland, St. Patrick's standout 6-3 junior guard, who committed to the University of North Carolina with Tar Heel coach Roy Williams among the spectators. Earlier in the week, the Tar Heels received a commitment from the No. 1 sophomore in North Carolina, 6-6 Reggie Bullock of Kinston. With a trio of 6-10 juniors committing one week earlier, Williams could be excused if he goes fishing for the next two years.
Boys Basketball Notes
* Stuart Harvey, a 5-10 senior guard, had a phenomenal game in a losing effort. Averaging just 13.2 points this year, Harvey pumped in a school-record 54 points, but his Shorewood (Shoreline, Wash.) team was nipped by Mill Creek Jackson, 95-93, in double overtime. He drilled 23-of-32 from the field - with no three-pointers - and 8-of-11 from the free throw line. He can dunk with both hands and also was able to grab nine rebounds.
* Senior guard Nate Bohy pumped in 47 points, but his Desert Ridge (Mesa, Ariz.) team suffered a 91-78 loss to Phoenix Pinnacle.Claremore Verdigris senior guard Rotnei Clarke is the fourth Oklahoma player to score 3,000 points in his career. The Arkansas recruit passed the magic barrier with 38 during a 78-46 rout of Centennial. He received the game ball and a big ovation from the appreciative crowd.
* Turning to Connecticut, Portland outlasted Coginchaug-Durham (Durham), 93-91, in a four-overtime thriller full of clutch plays. Nick LaMalfa fired in a three-pointer from the right corner with 1.8 seconds left to give Portland its second victory. Rich Brewer paced the Highlanders with 36 points, including a three-pointer at the end of regulation to knot the score at 58. The Blue Devils trailed by four points with under one second remaining in the second overtime. Matt Biesak, who finished with 38 points, was fouled on a three-point shot. He hit his first two free throws, purposely missed the final one and then Eric Hewitt came through with a spectacular tip-in to force the third overtime.
* Two of the nation's top big men matched up Saturday at Ohio State University with Cincinnati Withrow edging Canal Winchester, 58-57, on a tip-in with two seconds left by a guard, Anthony McBride. University of Cincinnati recruit Yancy Gates (6-8, 250) paced Withrow with 25 points and 12 rebounds. B.J. Mullens, a 7-0, 260-pounder bound for Ohio State, led the losers with 16 points and 19 rebounds.
* Pine Crest (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) guard Brandon Knight, one of the nation's premier sophomores, missed the first 14 games of the season due to a back injury. In his third game back in the lineup, he scored 13 points and dished out a school-record 16 assists during a 73-46 rout of Boca Raton.Ross (East Hampton, N.Y.) slipped past Shelter Island, 82-80, in double overtime as junior Jasper Creegan scored a school-record 46 points - including the winning jump shot with seven seconds remaining.
* MaxPreps All-American tight end Kyle Rudolph can play a little basketball, too. The 6-7 Notre Dame recruit broke a 27-year-old record when he became the career leader in rebounds (568) at Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio).Opponents can't help but look up to Heritage Hall (Oklahoma City, Okla.), which boasts a lineup which includes seniors P.J. Roberson (7-0) and Cort Hoge (6-11), not to mention 6-6 Cole Hooper.
* One of Kentucky's leading sophomores, Aaron Cosby, has transferred from Louisville Manual to Jeffersontown. The 6-2 guard, who already has committed to the University of Massachusetts, will be ineligible until next year.San Diego (Calif.) High has a superb 1-2 punch in 7-0 sophomore Jeremy Tyler and 6-2 senior point guard Patrick McCollum, who transferred from Mt. Tahoma (Tacoma, Wash.). McCollum scored 10, 29 and 22 points and averaged over 10 rebounds in his first three games after becoming eligible.
* American Christian (Aston, Pa.) star Tyreke Evans escaped serious injury during the Martin Luther King Jr. Basketball Classic at Old Dominion University. The 6-6 senior guard fell, landed on his head and was unconscious briefly during a game against Collegiate (Norfolk, Va.). After four hours of hospital tests, he was diagnosed with a slight concussion and is expected to be back in the lineup this week, coach Tony Bergeron told MaxPreps.
* Undefeated Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) has lost 6-10 junior Travis Wear for a month due to a torn muscle in his left shin. Nevertheless, the Monarchs (18-0) mowed down highly-regarded Santa Margarita, 74-61, with twin brother David Wear and sophomore guard Gary Franklin each scoring 21 points. Franklin has undergone four surgeries on his left arm since he was 13 years old.
* Shawn Kemp Jr. is a promising 6-9 junior at Cherokee in Canton, Ga., The son of former NBA star Shawn Kemp, he has 7-2 growth potential and already is hearing from such colleges as Kentucky, Florida, Washington and Nebraska.Jesuit (Portland, Ore.) has a budding star in 6-7 « freshman Kyle Wiltjer. As an eighth grader, he once scored 40 points in a half and made seven consecutive three-pointers.
* UCLA has received a commitment from Californian Reeves Nelson, a standout 6-7 junior from Modesto Christian. He is averaging 25 points and 18 rebounds and exploded for 52 points and 19 rebounds in a recent overtime game.Murphy Holloway, a 6-7, 217-pound senior who is averaging 34 points for Dutch Fork (Irmo, S.C.), has made a commitment to the University of Mississippi.
Basketball Coaching Milestones
* Steve Smith posted his 700th victory as head coach at Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) with a 72-53 triumph over Roanoke William Fleming behind 38 points by senior guard Brandon Jennings. Prior to the game, an Oak Hill van carrying five players and driven by an assistant coach crashed and was totaled. Smith's best gift on that day proved to be no serious injuries.
* Phoenix Carl Hayden coach Argie Rhymes recently became the fourth Arizona coach to record 600 victories. He won Class 4A state titles in 1986 and 1987 when his son, Dinky, and nephews, Byron and Marlin, were standouts under his tutelage. Now he is coaching great nephews Byron Jr., a sophomore, and freshman twins Bryan and Ryan, who all are starting guards. They are sons of Byron Sr., a Phoenix corrections officer who still has eight- and nine-year-old sons hoping to follow in their brothers' footsteps.Others recently reaching major victory milestones include Bill Robertson, Putnam City North (Oklahoma City, Okla.), No. 400; and Ed Young, Nansemond River (Suffolk, Va.), No. 300.
Girls Basketball Notes
* What a difference three days can make. On Wednesday Indiana's No. 1 team, South Bend Washington, routed Mishawaka Penn, 71-48, as brilliant junior guard Skylar Diggins scored 28 points before a packed house. It gave the Panthers a 15-0 record and 43-game winning streak. Penn, which had won its last 13 games, received 22 points and 12 rebounds from blue-chip 6-1 junior Lily Svete, but junior point guard Kelsey Reynolds, who was averaging a team-high 18.6 points, was held to seven points. The Kingsmen shot just 15-of-47 from the field and missed 17 free throws.
Fast forward to Saturday. Washington's two-year winning streak went down the drain with a 73-60 loss in Kentucky to Lexington Catholic. Diggins was her usual superb self with 40 points and 13 rebounds, but her teammates shot a combined 15 percent from the field. Notre Dame recruit Natalie Novosel paced the Kentuckians with 32 points, including 18-of-21 from the free throw line.At the same time Penn upset highly-ranked Chicago power Whitney Young, 78-74, as Reynolds poured in 25 points.
* Red Wing (Minn.) attempted a national-record 74 free throws (making only 36) en route to an 80-74 victory over Richfield Holy Angels. The national record had been 67 by Rivercrest of Wilson, Ark., in 1996. The losers were charged with 50 fouls and five players fouled out.Parkers Prairie sophomore guard Sari Noga set a Minnesota state record by drilling 13 three-point baskets during a 97-35 rout of Rothsay. The 5-10 Noga missed only two three-point shots and finished with 53 points to increase her 31-point season average. The team also made a state-record 18 threes (in 26 attempts).
* Regis Jesuit (Aurora, Colo.), ranked high nationally, is getting good production from Kamile Nacickaite, a 5-11 senior who played on the Lithuanian national team before coming to the USA as an exchange student. The team has five Division I juniors, so she comes off the bench and averages about eight points per game. She already has signed with Drexel.Grant (Portland, Ore.) has a freshman to watch, 6-4 Krystal Forthan, who is averaging 14.5 points, 11.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks while shooting 51 percent from the field. She has had eight double-doubles. She can grab the rim with both hands and runs the sprints in track.
* Former Nevada-Las Vegas coach Jerry Tarkanian and basketball are synonymous, so it's probably not unexpected that he has a grand daughter who is making a name in his favorite sport. She is Dannielle Diamant, offspring of Jerry's daughter, Jodie. The most surprising thing is that the junior center stands 6-4. Danielle is averaging 13.7 points for Las Vegas Bishop Gorman and also is a strong volleyball player. Her 3.9 GPA is another reason that she is able to consider such colleges as Duke, USC, Northwestern, Cal, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Nobody could be prouder than grandpa Jerry!
* Thunderbird (Phoenix, Ariz.) coach Steve Burke recently posted his 400th victory, while Mike Megyese bagged No. 200 at St. Joseph's (South Bend, Ind.).Waukon's Gene Klinge, Iowa's No. 2 winner with a 907-205 record in 46 years, has undergone heart bypass surgery and will be replaced on an interim basis by assistant Andrew Sires.Westview (Topeka, Ind.) senior Tiffany Fisher had a record night during a 74-43 victory over Hamilton. She set two school records with 42 points and 1,334 for her career. She also had 15 rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Football Notes
* Ed Pilcher has left a very successful job at Thomas County Central (Thomasville, Ga.) to take the reins at Bainbridge, Ga. During 17 years at Thomas County Central, Pilcher won 169 games and five Class AAA state titles. His career record over 22 years is 211-71-1. Pilcher replaces Ricky Woods, who went to Northwest Mississippi Community College. Woods was at Bainbridge just one year after dominating Mississippi for many years at Batesville South Panola.
* A major move in Illinois was made by Tim Dougherty, who switched from Edwardsville to Lincoln-Way Central. In 16 years at Edwardsville, the 51-year-old Dougherty compiled a 132-38 record with two state runner-up finishes.In California, George Hurley, age 59, retired from Newbury Park after 19 years as head coach with a 130-81 record.Jerry Alexander, also age 59, retired as coach at Moss Point, Miss. He compiled a 167-55 record with four Class 5A state titles in 17 years.
* Rick Houchens is the new head coach at Archbishop Carroll in Washington, D.C. Houchens built a powerhouse at Eleanor Roosevelt in Greenbelt, Md., where he put together an 80-32 record with one state championship.With the resignation of Greg Critchett, Colorado's largest high school - Englewood Cherry Creek - is looking for a new head coach. Critchett had a 41-17 record with one state runner-up finish.
* MaxPreps Offensive Player of the Year Terrelle Pryor continues to make news in a variety of ways. For example, if it hasn't been snapped up yet, eBay is selling a wristband worn and autographed by Pryor, with bidding starting at $347.Pryor told Post-Gazette sports writer Mike White that he is taking Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch (whose brother dates Pryor's aunt) on recruiting trips to Michigan, Penn State and Florida. He already has visited Ohio State and also has Oregon in the mix. He especially likes Michigan now that Rich Rodriguez is the head coach.
* Kamehameha (Honolulu, Haw.) offensive tackle Mykenna Ikehara (6-3, 275) has made a commitment to the University of Washington.A cerebral Illinois quarterback, Harrison Daniels of Naperville Central, has made a commitment to Princeton. Running a no-huddle offense, he completed 61 percent of his passes for 2,184 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior. He threw just four interceptions.D.J. Fluker, a 6-7, 325-pound junior defensive tackle, has transferred from Biloxi, Miss., to Foley, Ala. Already committed to the University of Alabama, he had 79 tackles and seven sacks last fall.
Track Notes
* Nick Vena of Morristown, N.J., continues to rock the shot put world. During the 34th Morris County Relays in Madison, N.J., the young strongman set a national freshman record with a heave of 61-01.50. The record of 60-0 by Kevin Bookout of Stroud, Okla., had stood since 1999.
* Southeast Raleigh (Raleigh, N.C.) star Wayne Davis just missed the national record for a junior when he won the 60-meter high hurdles in a sizzling 7.63 seconds during the Arkansas High School Invitational in Fayetteville. He was a mere .01 seconds off the mark, which he probably will surpass some time this winter.
Hockey Notes
* The U.S. defeated Canada, 5-2, to win the gold medal in the first annual International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's Under-18 Championships in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Alyssa Grogan (Eagan, Minn.) made 26 saves and five different players scored for the U.S., which posted a perfect 5-0 record in the tournament. The team was coached by Harvard University's Katey Stone. Grogran was named best goaltender in the tourney. Amanda Kessel (Madison, Wis.) led the champs in scoring.
In the semifinals, the U.S. blanked the Czech Republic, 8-0, as Kate Bacon (Chanhassen, Minn.) and Brooke Ammerman (River Vale, N.J.) each scored a pair of goals.NHL scouts are flocking to Minnetonka, Minn., to check out senior defenseman Jake Gardiner, who has made a commitment to the University of Wisconsin. He is projected as a possible first- or second-round draft selection.
Wrestling Notes
* Perennial powerhouse Christianburg, Va., defeated Eastern Regional, 34-20, to win the National Division of the Virginia Duals at the Hampton Coliseum. The American Division crown went to Grundy, Va., with a 34-25 triumph over Canon-McMillan (Canonsburg, Pa.). In the Black & Blue Division, Western Branch (Chesapeake, Va.) earned the title with a 41-21 victory over Hampton.
* Dennis Smith posted his 500th coaching victory for Delran, N.J., which places him No. 7 all-time in the nation. In his 33rd season, he now can shoot for the state record of 601 wins by Ralph Ross. The national record is 755.Riverdale (Fort Myers, Fla.) senior 130-pounder Scott Sentes won his 200th match recently and will be shooting for his fourth state title this winter. He has lost just three times since making the varsity as an eighth grader.
Tennis Notes
* Two unseeded players battled it out for the girls 18-and-under title during the Copper Bowl Tournament in Tucson, Ariz. Breanne Smutko (Alpharetta, Ga.) claimed the crown by defeating Petra Padalikova (Lake Forest, Calif.), 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.
In the boys 18-and-under division, a pair of Californians reached the finals. Irvine's John Huang defeated Redlands' Joe Young, 6-3, 6-1, to take home the trophy. Young had edged Huang, 6-4, 7-6, one week earlier in the Winter Nationals.
Potpourri
* PrepVolleyball.com has named Laurie LaRusso of Darien, Conn., its National Coach of the Year. LaRusso's team, which has won its last 139 matches, posted a perfect 25-0 record last season - winning every match by a minimum 3-0 margin.Mary Ording, a 6-3 junior at Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.), has made a commitment to the University of Wisconsin. The standout middle blocker had 219 kills and 128 blocks last fall for the 33-3 Irish.
* The U.S. National Junior Swim Team won eight gold, 17 silver and 13 bronze medals during the Victorian Championships in Melbourne, Australia. Madeline Dirado (Santa Rosa, Calif.) won the 400-meter individual medley in 4:50.07. Delaware standout Andrew Gemmell captured the 1500-meter freestyle in 15:38.91. Dagny Knutson (Minot, N.D.) won the 200-meter individual medley in 2:14.90.
* Rolex Junior Player of the Year Peter Uihlein (Bradenton, Fla.) took second place in the Junior Orange Bowl International Golf Championship. He and Sean Einhaus (Borken, Germany) tied in regulation play with 274 (six under par). However, Uihlein missed a three-foot par putt on the first playoff hole to give the victory to his future Oklahoma State University teammate.
* The Roseville gymnastics team posted a score of 153.95 - second best in state history - during the Minnesota Girls Gymnastics Officials Association Invitational. The state record is 154.05 and it also belongs to Roseville. Junior Anna Gleason won all-around with a score of 39.05 for the champs.
