By Dave Krider
MaxPreps.com
Indianapolis Warren Central overcame the loss of its best player to upset Indiana's Class 4A defending state champion, East Chicago Central, 79-73, in the marquee match-up of the six-game Circle City Classic Saturday at Butler University. Earlier in the week, the Warriors' 6-foot-3 senior guard, Walter Offutt, was declared lost for the year due to torn ligaments in his left knee from a previous game. In June of 2005 he tore ligaments in his right knee. The Ohio State signee, who averaged 17.6 points as a junior, was a strong candidate to be named Indiana's Mr. Basketball.
Jarrin Forte, a 6-0 senior guard, paced the Warriors with 25 points, including 10-of-13 from the free throw line. Josh Jones, a 6-4 senior, contributed 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while 6-1 senior guard Zach Mulford added 14 points. The losing Cardinals were led by 5-10 senior guard Derrell Connor with 19 points. Angel Garcia, a 6-11 senior, was one of three who scored 11 points. Garcia has signed with the University of Memphis and its head coach, John Calipari, was present to watch his future star.
Another highly-ranked Hoosier team, Marion, rallied to defeat Indianapolis North Central, 64-56, behind 24 points by 6-2 senior guard Julius Mays. Scott Wood, a 6-5 senior wing, added 19 points and ignited the comeback with three consecutive threes in the third quarter. Terone Johnson, an impressive 6-2 sophomore, came off the bench to pace the losers with 18 points.
Indianapolis Lawrence North, by far the state's tallest team, overcame a barrage of 41 three-point shots to defeat Lafayette Jefferson, 79-71. Stephan Van Treese, a 6-9 junior, paced the Wildcats with 22 points and 17 rebounds. Blaine Koger, a 5-10 senior guard, paced the losers with 22 points - including six threes - and 6-1 sophomore Jesse Berry added 21.
Indiana's premier sophomore, 6-7 DeShaun Thomas, had 20 points and 10 rebounds, but shot just 7-of-19 from the field as his team, Fort Wayne Luers, lost to quick Indianapolis Howe, 69-53. Greg Foster, a 6-1 senior paced Howe with 25 points, while 5-9 senior Larry Stone had 24 points and seven assists. Jordan Manuel, a 6-8 sophomore, was impressive with 13 rebounds and four blocks.
In a duel of senior centers, Batesville defeated Brownsburg, 73-59, behind 34 points by 6-6 Alex Grimsley, who drilled 12-of-15 from the field. Brownsburg's 6-8 Julian Mavunga took game honors with 36 points.
Indianapolis Heritage Christian dominated the lone girls game with a pressure defense - which forced 27 turnovers - and a high-octane offense en route to an 85-42 victory over Elizabeth South Central. Kelly Faris, a 5-10 junior, was outstanding with 18 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four steals in 25 minutes. Brittany Schoen, a 5-7 senior, led the losers with 23 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four steals.
Girls Basketball Notes
* Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco, Calif.) stunned the nation's No. 1-ranked team, Long Beach Poly, 74-58, to win the Nike Northwest Invitational in Beaverton, Ore. Tierra Rogers sparked the champs, who have a 5-0 record, with 27 points and was named MVP. Kiki Moore added 18 points for the Irish, who defeated three defending state champions during the tournament.
* The nation's No. 1-ranked player, Elena Delle Donne, needed 33 points to break Delaware's career scoring record and that's exactly what she scored in the season opener as Wilmington Ursuline Academy defeated Archbishop Ryan (Philadelphia, Pa.), 51-28. The 6-5 senior sharpshooter now has 2,415 points.
* Head coaches Tara VanDerveer of Stanford and Gail Goestenkors of Texas were present last week to watch Washington (South Bend, Ind.) defeat Plymouth, 67-32, All eyes were on 5-9 Washington guard Skylar Diggins, who is one of the nation's premier juniors. Diggins scored 21 points as the defending Class 4A state champions raised their winning streak to 35 games.
* Six-foot junior Amanda Burakoski has made a commitment to St. John's University. Last year she averaged 20 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.8 assists to spark Jamaica Mary Louis Academy to the New York State Federation Class A championship.
Boys Basketball Notes
* Highly-regarded senior guard Willie Warren scored 28 points and was named MVP as North Crowley (Fort Worth, Texas) defeated Carroll (Monroe, La.), 69-62, to win the Holiday Hoops Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark. Terrance Henry scored 34 points for Carroll, which suffered its first loss.
* Turning to California, Woodland Hills Taft defeated the host Comets, 67-60, to win the Westchester Tournament in Los Angeles. Senior point guard Larry Drew, a North Carolina recruit, sparked the champs with 12 assists, 10 points and seven rebounds.Richard Bacon recorded his 400th coaching victory as Richland (North Richland Hills, Texas) nipped Tomball, 86-85, in overtime.
* Top-ranked Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) defeated Hales Franciscan (Chicago, Ill.), 83-62, during the Marshall County Hoopfest in Benton, Ky. Brandon Jennings, a 6-1 senior guard, paced unbeaten Oak Hill with 26 points and five assists. For the losers, 5-9 point guard D.J. Cooper also scored 26 points, shooting 6-of-9 on threes.
In another Hoopfest headliner, powerful Chicago Whitney Young was pushed to its limits before edging defending Kentucky state champion Georgetown Scott County, 75-72. Richie Phares took game honors with 21 points for the losers. Junior Marcus Jordan, youngest son of Michael Jordan, scored just 10 points for the winners, but he constantly was besieged by autograph seekers.
* Meanwhile, Louisville's Freedom Hall was the scene of another set of headliner games. The nation's most sought-after, unsigned recruit, Tyreke Evans, poured in 46 points to pace American Christian (Aston, Pa.) to a 114-88 victory over IMG of Bradenton, Fla. The 6-6 superstar also had six steals, five rebounds, four assists and three blocks. Teammate Lamont Jones, a 6-0 junior committed to the University of Louisville, also starred with 34 points. Louisville signee Jarod Swopshire paced the losers with 33 points and 12 rebounds.
* Peyton Siva, a 5-11 junior guard, poured in 45 points as Franklin (Seattle, Wash.) outlasted city foe Rainier Beach, 95-90, in overtime during the Les Schwab Hoop Challenge at Bellevue Community College. He once scored 54 as an eighth grader. Reggie Moore led the losers with 30 points.
Football Notes
* Landry Jones left them cheering in his final high school game as he sparked Artesia to a 58-31 victory over Roswell Goddard in New Mexico's Class 4A state-championship game. All he did was complete 17-of-30 passes for 301 yards and a state title game record seven touchdowns. Next stop: the University of Oklahoma.
* Batesville South Panola ran its winning streak to 75 games by defeating Lucedale George County, 28-21, before a crowd estimated at 18,000 to win its fifth consecutive Mississippi Class 5A state championship. Senior standout Darius "Tig" Barksdale ran for 333 yards and four touchdowns to finish the year with 2,900 yards and 35 touchdowns for the 15-0 Tigers.In Tennessee, Maryville won its 60th consecutive game and fourth consecutive Class 4A state title with a 28-13 triumph against Nashville Maplewood.
* Needless to say, football is huge in Texas, so that's why Jacquizz Rodgers stands tall today. The Rosenberg Lamar Consolidated senior running back scored five touchdowns in a 33-27 triple-overtime victory against previously unbeaten New Braunfels to set a state record with 133 career touchdowns. The record of 128 was set by Robert Strait of Cuero from 1985-88. The Oregon State recruit also is only the second Texas prep ever to rush for more than 8,000 yards.
* He's only a junior, but running back Tavon Austin extended his state record to 92 career touchdowns as Baltimore Dunbar defeated Cumberland Allegany, 58-34, to win its fifth Maryland Class A state title. Austin, who scored three times, wore a special jacket to protect bruised ribs from an earlier game. The Poets dedicated their 14-0 season to former head coach, Ben Eaton, who died on Aug. 27. Dunbar's 58 points tied the state playoff record set in 1977 and its four-game playoff total of 196 points broke the record of 141 set in 1999.
* New Bern finally shed its bridesmaid role by beating Charlotte Independence, 28-17, to win North Carolina's Class 4AA state championship. The Bears had finished second to the Patriots three times while they were rolling up seven consecutive titles. They had won their last 39 playoff games dating to 2000.Dartmouth (South Dartmouth) senior Jordan Todman finished his career with 5,779 rushing yards - second in Massachusetts history. The record is 6,688 by Cedric Washington of Holyoke from 1992-95.
* In only its third season of varsity football, Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep defeated Cottonwood Mingus, 49-32, to win Arizona's Class 4A Division II state championship. Georgia Tech recruit Sean Renfree completed 23-of-33 passes for 411 yards and five touchdowns - four to junior Andy Wilder - as both teams finished with 13-1 records. Wilder finished with 11 catches for 241 yards.
* What's next for the amazing Terrelle Pryor? The 6-6 senior quarterback has been rolling up tremendous offensive statistics while playing little more than half of each game for unbeaten Jeannette, Pa. Last week he added a new dimension - a 100-yard touchdown run with an interception while playing safety during a 41-21 playoff victory over Wilmington (New Wilmington). He also is the first player in WPIAL history to surpass 4,000 yards both rushing and passing.
* A record crowd of 63,210 attended last weekend's two-day state football finals at the Louisiana Superdome. That included Friday's two games, which drew 23,827. The previous Louisiana record of 61,900 was set in 1999.Larry Dupont has retired as coach at West St. John (Edgard, La.) with a 208-87 record and three state titles in 18 years.In Georgia, Powder Springs McEachern coach Jim Dorsey has retired with a 219-66-1 record, but he will remain as athletic director.
* Gateway (Monroeville, Pa.) senior Cam Saddler has given a commitment to the University of Pittsburgh. The 5-7, 165-pound speedster rushed for 1,706 yards this season, while also averaging a superlative 30.7 yards on kick-off returns and 25.1 on punt returns. He returned seven kick-offs for touchdowns - two short of the national record - over the past two years.
* The University of Southern California has received a commitment from Khaled Holmes, a 6-5, 300-pound offensive tackle from Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.).Senior linebacker Stone Pinckney, who had a school-record 161 tackles this year at Hammond (Columbia, S.C.), has made a commitment to Northwestern University over Louisville and North Carolina.
* Blythewood senior quarterback Richard Mounce has been named South Carolina's Mr. Football. He completed 152-of-223 passes for 2,416 yards and rushed for 667 yards while leading his team to a 10-0 record. Probation kept Blythewood from defending its 2006 Class 3A state title. Last year he set a state record with nine touchdown passes in a single game. Ironically, Mounce, who also is a pitcher, will concentrate on baseball when he goes to Clemson University next fall.
* Trinity's Sam Robey (6-5, 255) and Manual's Dave Ulinski (6-6, 280), both senior linemen from Louisville, have been named co-winners of the annual Paul Hornung Award, symbolic of the best player in Kentucky. Robey's father, Rick, was an All-American basketball player at the University of Kentucky and played eight years in the NBA.
Cross Country Notes
* Slightly under the radar, Mike Fout and Ashley Brasovan were surprise winners Saturday during the annual Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships at damp, muddy Balboa Park in San Francisco, Calif.
Fout, a senior from LaPorte, Ind., won the boys title in a career-best time of 14:50. Co-favorite Chris Derrick of Neuqua Valley (Naperville, Ill.) was second in 14:57. He gave Fout his only defeat during the regular season, but lost to him twice afterwards. Brasovan, a junior from Wellington, Fla., won the girls race in 17:20. Favored California junior Jordan Hasay - the 2005 champion - placed third in 17:31, while defending champion Kathy Kroeger, a junior from Tennessee, was second in 17:28.
Three-time Indiana cross country and track state champion Alex Banfich of Culver Girls Academy has made a commitment to Princeton University. Duke and Virginia were the next choices for Banfich, who ranks No. 1 academically in CGA's senior class.
Soccer Notes
* The U.S. under-17 ('92) national team won two of three 2-0 games during the international portion of the Development Academy Nike Friendlies in Bradenton, Fla. The Americans blanked Russia and Brazil before being blanked by Turkey in the finale. Carlos Martinez and Stefan Jerome each scored two goals during the series, while goalie Earl Edwards posted a pair of shutouts.
* South Side (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) was crowned national girls champion by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. The New Yorkers posted a 22-0-0 record while winning their fourth consecutive and 14th overall Class A state title. The Cyclones have won their last 28 post-season games and had recorded 13 straight shutouts until they beat Pittsford Mendon, 4-2, for the title.The national boys champion was Broughton (Raleigh, N.C.), which compiled a 28-0-1 record.
Wrestling Notes
* Graham (St. Paris, Ohio) won its first-ever team championship at the 14th annual Walsh Jesuit Ironman - the nation's premier wrestling tournament - in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The Falcons amassed 247.5 points and had one individual champion, 112-pounder David Taylor. Perennial champion Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.) was second with 207.5 points, while defending champion St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) was third with 157.5.
* The Ironman MVP was freshman Chris Phillips of Monroeville, Ohio, who shocked the nation's No. 1-ranked 171-pounder, Brian Roddy (defending state champion from St. Edward), 7-3, with three takedowns. Monroeville also had two other champions: brothers Hunter (103) and Logan Stieber (119).
Potpourri
* This year's winners of the prestigious Wendy's High School Heisman are Trevor Van Ackeren of Liberty (Bethlehem, Pa.) and Angela Duckworth of Desert Mountain (Scottsdale, Ariz.). Van Ackeren is captain of his cross country, basketball and track teams and is rated No. 2 academically in his senior class. Duckworth, who has signed with Stanford, is one of the nation's premier swimmers in the 500-yard freestyle.
* New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is one of six people who will be inducted into the Kalamazoo Central Hall of Fame on Saturday. As a high school senior at the Michigan school, Jeter batted .508 and was named USA Today National Player of the Year.Brandon Meredith, a senior catcher and outfielder from Montgomery (San Diego, Calif.), has made a commitment to San Diego State University. Last year he batted .413 with eight home runs and 46 RBI.
* Hockey continues to be a big-time sport in Minnesota. Edina posted a 4-3 overtime victory at Burnsville before an overflow crowd of 2,000 - the biggest Burnsville turnout in eight years. Interest was so high that anyone who wasn't there more than an hour early was lucky to find a parking place and definitely did not get a game program. The winning goal was scored by Zach Budish, one of the state's premier juniors.
