Michael Gilchrist, St. Patrick
File photo by Todd Shurtleff
A right knee strain suffered by superstar Michael Gilchrist could have a major bearing on which team will win this year’s national high school basketball championship.
The 6-foot-7 junior was injured in the second quarter last Tuesday as St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) - ranked No. 1 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 - defeated Union.
“He got a pass on a fast break, drove the baseline and went down in a lot of pain," St. Patrick head coach Kevin Boyle said.
Following MRI results, which were negative, Boyle hesitated to pinpoint an exact date for his return.
“It’s my understanding that he just has to rehab it now It’s a little gray area," Boyle said. "I would not be shocked if he’s back in 10 days, but it could be two to three weeks.”
The catch is that the Celtics will play defending national champion Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) at the HoopHall Classic in Springfield, Mass., on Jan. 18 and a victory would be hard to come by without their leading rebounder. Unbeaten Yates (Houston, Texas) and Northland (Columbus, Ohio) are hungrily waiting in the wings to take over the No. 1 ranking.
“Trying to win a national championship, that obviously is a huge game,” Boyle stressed. “Even if he comes back, it will be hard for him to be in shape.”
* Indiana’s favorite for Mr. Basketball honors, 6-7 Deshaun Thomas, had a career-high 52 points (20 of 27 from the field), 14 rebounds, nine assists and five blocks as Fort Wayne Luers outlasted Muncie Southside, 110-94.
* One of the nation’s top juniors, 6-8 LaQuinton Ross, has left Murrah (Jackson, Miss.) and reportedly may transfer to a prep school in the east, according to the Jackson Clarion Ledger.
* Six-foot senior guard Paul Garnica has established a San Antonio (Texas) city career scoring record with 2,770 points. He is averaging 30.4 points for the 25-2 Volunteers.
* Richaud Pack, a 6-4 senior guard, poured in a school-record 56 points (20 of 27 from the floor) as Seaholm (Birmingham, Mich.) defeated Troy, 95-71.
* One of the nation’s premier football quarterbacks, Blake Bell, can play a little basketball, too. The 6-6 senior muscled his way to 27 points – 16 points in the paint – as Bishop Carroll (Wichita, Kan.) defeated Wichita West, 62-53.
* Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) senior forward Roscoe Smith has made a commitment to the University of Connecticut, according to the Baltimore Sun. The 6-8 standout also strongly considered Duke and Georgetown.
* Horizon Christian (Tualatin, Ore.) coach Dave Brown posted his 600th career victory, 84-50, over Willamina.
* Recording their 300th career coaching victories were David Gaines of Christ School (Asheville, N.C.) and Dave Scheidegger of Eisenhower (New Berlin, Wis.).
Ronald Powell committed to Florida.
Photo by Jim Redman
Ronald Powell was named MVP as the West defeated the East, 30-14, before a crowd of 34,126 in the 10th U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.
The 6-5, 230-pound defensive end from Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley, Calif.) had five tackles, one sack and forced one fumble. In addition, he caught a 23-yard touchdown pass and returned a blocked PAT for two points during a brief stint at tight end. He also made a commitment to the University of Florida.
Mission Viejo (Calif.) coach Bob Johnson, who helped coach Powell in the game, told MaxPreps, “He’s fantastic. That dude is going to play on Sundays (in the NFL).”
* Mission Bay (San Diego, Calif.) quarterback Dillon Baxter received the Ken Hall Trophy as the 2010 U.S. Army National Player of the Year. Seantrel Henderson (Cretin-Derham Hall, St. Paul, Minn.) received the first annual Anthony Munoz Award as the premier lineman in the nation. Mike Hull (Canon McMillan, Canonsburg, Pa.) and C.J. Mosley (Theodore, Ala.) received the Blanchard and Davis Awards for community service, education and athletic distinction.
* Pennsylvania’s all-time leading passer, Kyle Smith of Lancaster Catholic, was not chosen for the Big-33 team which will challenge Ohio’s best in the annual all-star game on June 19. The team is chosen by the Pennsylvania State Football Coaches Association. Last year the coaches did not choose Steelton-Highspire’s Jeremiah Young, who set the state record for career rushing.
* Senior running back James White has made a commitment to the University of Wisconsin, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The 5-10, 200-pounder, who is the eighth player to choose a Division I-A college from powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), led the Raiders in rushing with 1,145 yards and 15 touchdowns.
* Oregon’s Class 6A Offensive Player of the Year, quarterback Jordan Johnson of Eugene Sheldon, has committed to the University of Montana, according to the Oregonian. In three years, The 6-1, 185-pounder passed for 94 touchdowns and ran for another 45. The Irish twice won the Class 5A state title during his tenure.
* Tommy Knotts has been named athletic director and head football coach at Dutch Fork (Irmo, S.C.), according to the Charlotte Observer. The 53-year-old Knotts, who had his greatest success at Independence (Charlotte, N.C.), has a 26-year record of 296-60 with seven state championships.
* Conrad Nix, who compiled a career record of 300-105 with two state titles in 41 years, has retired as head football coach at Northside (Warner Robins, Ga.), according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Girls staff is fired
San Gabriel (Calif.) fired three girls basketball coaches recently, according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Because 21-year-old freshman coach Janine Han allegedly played in a December JV game against El Monte, she was fired along with JV coach Mark Ho and varsity coach Manny Flores.
* Shannon Denney, a 5-11 senior, scored 42 points (20 of 23 from the field) and grabbed 15 rebounds as La Canada (Calif.) rolled past San Marino, 76-33.
* Dave Shea posted his 600th career coaching victory (boys and girls) as Bacon Academy (Colchester, Conn.) routed SMSA, 71-39. Still going strong at age 75, Shea got plenty of support from his granddaughter, junior guard Katie Mahoney, who was high scorer with 18 points.
* Wayne Burnette of Williamsburg Bruton is the eighth Virginia girls coach to reach 400 victories.
Apple Valley wins The Clash
Apple Valley (Minn.) went undefeated to win The Clash championship in Rochester, Minn. The Clash is the No. 1 dual-meet tournament in the country, according to Bob Preusse of Amateur Wrestling News.
It marked the second straight title and third overall for Apple Valley, which is ranked No. 2 in the nation behind New Jersey powerhouse Blair Academy.
* St. Mark’s (Wilmington, Del.) defeated Nazareth (Pa.), 39-27, to win the strong National Division championship during the Virginia Duals in Hampton, Va. Ben Dorsey of Cox (Virginia Beach, Va.) won the 145-pound class and was named the division’s Most Outstanding Wrestler. Grundy (Va.) defeated Haddonfield (N.J.), 48-23, to win the American Division.
* Baton Rouge St. Michael senior Ben Willeford set a Louisiana State record with his 128th pin. He has a 39-0 record this year at 119 pounds.
* San Clemente (Calif.) wrestling coach Mark Calentino notched his 300th victory, 39-24, against Dana Hills.
U.S. wins 2 hockey titles
The U.S. National Junior hockey team defeated Canada, 6-5, before a crowd of 15,171 to win the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championships in Saskatoon, Sask.
John Carlson (Colonia, N.J.) scored two goals, including the winner in overtime. Goalie Jack Campbell (Port Huron, Mich.) stopped 32 of 34 shots in just over 40 minutes after taking over in the second period.
* The U.S. National Under-17 team defeated two-time defending champion Canada-Ontario, 2-1, to capture the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Timmins, Ont. Goalie John Gibson (Pittsburgh, Pa.) stopped 38 of 39 shots and Tyler Biggs (Cincinnati, Ohio) scored both goals. Rocco Grimaldi (Rossmoor, Calif.) was high scorer in the tourney with 14 points as the USA team posted a 6-0 record.
Johnson to carry torch
World-class gymnast Shawn Johnson will celebrate her 18th birthday on Jan. 19 by carrying the Winter Olympics torch in Calgary, Canada, according to her mother, Teri Johnson. She then will attend the Olympic Games in Vancouver.
Johnson, who lives in West Des Moines, Iowa, is completing her senior year of high school with a private tutor. She carries a straight-A average and is considering Harvard, Duke, Vanderbilt and Stanford. Though she can’t compete because she is a professional, she may consider some coaching while attending college.
Winning Dancing With the Stars has made a big impact on Shawn’s life, according to her mother, who still stresses, “What’s so great is that nothing has changed. She’s genuinely just out there having fun.”
Potpourri
Morristown (N.J.) strongman Nick Vena continues to smash shot put records. Last week he set a national junior-class indoor record with a heave of 70-5 ¼, but two days later he erased his own mark with an effort of 70-10 ½.
* Rivers Lynch of Myrtle Beach (S.C.) has been named 2009 National Tennis Coach of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations. He won eight state titles with girls and three with boys teams.
