High School Football Update: USC QB Recruit Max Wittek Struggles in Loss
There is currently an abundance of exciting happenings taking place in the world of high school football. National powerhouse schools are battling it out in interstate matchups, while superstar recruits are out performing for potential suitors.
Many of the top high school football teams in the nation have already come up with a season-defining win or felt the heartbreak of a crushing early-season loss.
We're still in the very early part of the season, but there's already a lot of action to catch up on. Here's a look at some of the most important events in the world of high school football over the last week.
RB Qyen Griffin Leads South Panola
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South Panola’s running back Qyen Griffin has been a force this season.
After rushing for 6 TDs and 286 yards in a rout over Colquitt County, Griffen followed things up with a 230 yard, three TD performance in a 39-2 win over Memphis University.
Panola, located in Batesville, Mississippi, is currently ranked as the No. 2 team in the country, and they have Griffen to thank for a large part of their early success.
Griffen has yet to receive offers from any major programs, but if he keeps on performing at this pace, expect SEC schools like Ole Miss and Mississippi State to take notice.
DeAnthony Thomas' Cramps Kill Crenshaw
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Another Georgia team that earned itself some national respect this past week was North Gwinnett.
Gwinnett gave up two long touchdown plays to Crenshaw running back DeAnthony Thomas, a USC commit, in the first half. Thomas is only 5'9 165 lbs. but he's one of the best athletes in the country.
Sadly for Crenshaw, there superstar was forced to sit out almost the entire second half with cramps.
Thomas would finish with a total of 137 yards and 2 TDs, all of which came in the first half.
After trailing 12-7 at halftime, Gwinnett stiffened up and managed to come away with the 17-12 victory against a Crenshaw team that desperately needed the help of Thomas.
Trinity Blows Out Shiloh Christian 80-26
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Trinity High School out of Euless,Texas showed exactly why they deserve to be ranked as the No. 1 team in the country this past Monday.
In the first game of the Kirk Herbstreit National Kickoff Classic, the Trojans showed no mercy by dismantling Arkansas' Shiloh Christian, a team that many felt was one of the best in the south.
The Trojans scored 11 touchdowns and had over 700 yards of total offense in the 80-26 victory.
Tevin Williams, one of the best running back recruits in Texas, was one of three Trinity players to rush for over 100 yards. Scout.com ranks Williams as the #62 best running back prospect in the country. He has been offered by UTEP and Utah, and has shown an interest in bigger schools from the Big 12 and the Pac 10.
Trinity wide receiver Brandon Carter, an Oklahoma commit, surprisingly failed to find the end zone, but he was used on a few trick plays before things got out of hand.
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Brett Hundley Commits To UCLA
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The best uncommitted quarterback in the nation has finally announced his intentions.
Chandler’s Brett Hundley, considered to be one of the elite prospects in the state of Arizona, officially gave his verbal commitment to Rick Neuheisel and his UCLA football program.
Hundley, last year’s Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year, is 6‘4, 210 pounds and has the type of arm and athleticism to be a quality starting quarterback at the collegiate level.
Camden County Beats Miami Central In Thriller
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Miami Central came into this game as the No. 2 ranked team in the USA Today Super 25 while Camden County entered unranked. Once the whistle blew—the rankings were thrown out the window.
Camden County used their rushing attack—backs Kenny Hutchinson and Carrington Wright combined for 205 yards on the ground, while Miami Central went to the air— quarterback Rakeem Cato, an FIU commit, finished 19 out of 29 for 334 yards and four touchdowns.
Both strategies worked.
With the game knotted at 42 all, Camden Country drove 81 yards to set up kicker Matt Ehasz’s game-winning 19-yard field goal.
There were at least 20 FBS recruits on the field for this one. Some of the big names for Miami Central that played well include RB Devonta Freeman (Committed to Florida State), OL Marquis Lucas (Rutgers), DL Miles Pace (Central Florida), CB Thomas Finnie (South Carolina), and LB Oliver Vigille (Syracuse).
The name to watch from Camden County going forward could be WR Jalen Simmons, who has a solid frame at 6'3 180 lb., but rarely gets to use it in the passing game because Camden is primarily a running team.
Gilman's Darius Jennings Shines
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Good Counsel went from being the No. 9 ranked team in the country a week ago to now sitting with a 1-1 record after they lost to Gilman School of Baltimore in the I-95 Kickoff Classic at Towson University.
Good Counsel was without running back Wes Brown for the game and his absence was certainly felt as the team struggled offensively and only managed one touchdown in the 28-7 loss.
The star of the show for Gilman was quarterback Darius Jennings, who rushed for 142 yards and scored two TDs. Jennings is one of the top prospects in the country and is being primarily recruited as a wide receiver.
Jennings, Scout's 15th best WR prospect, has been offered by schools such as Ohio State, Penn State, UCLA, Boston College, and Pittsburgh, but he has yet to name any favorites.
Nick O'Leary Suspended After Loss
7 of 11Glenville, an Ohio powerhouse from Cleveland, took home a controversial 26-22 win over Dwyer from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida on Labor Day. The Tarblooders came up with a goal line stand from the half yard line in the main event game of Kirk Herbstreit's Kickoff Classic.
Dwyer, who was up 22-6 at one point, appeared to get in the end zone on three separate occasions to take the lead, but all the calls ended up going against them.
The scene turned ugly afterward when upset Dywer players refused a post-game handshake.
The big news to come out of this game is the two game suspension of Nick O'Leary, the grandson of Jack Nickalaus, for making an obscene gesture that was caught by ESPN cameras.
O'Leary, ranked as one of the top five tight ends in the nation, has offers from schools like Alabama, Miami, Florida, and Ohio State.
Max Wittek And Victor Blackwell Falter
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The Carson defense never allowed quarterback Max Wittek, a USC commit, and the rest of the Mater Dei offense to cross the goal line in their 14-10 victory.
Mater Dei scored on a field goal and an interception return, but it was not enough for the Monarchs to pull out the win.
The duo of Max Wittek and Victor Blackwell were supposed to produce big results, but it failed to materialize. The teammates are both commited to USC, and are considered to be elite recruits at their respective positions. Wittek is Scout's fourteenth ranked quarterback, and Blackwell is their twelfth ranked wide receiver.
This is the second year in a row Carson has shocked Mater Dei.
Hoover Still Dominating Alabama
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After a low scoring output to start the season against a tough Byrnes defense, Hoover's offense finally got going in their second game of the year against Spain Bark of Birmingham.
The Pirates won the contest 44-0 behind the strong play of quarterback Ryan Carter, who threw for 232 yards and two TDs.
Carter was an all state performer a year ago, but he has yet to receive any substantial offers from any college programs.
Hoover looks to be on their way to contend for another Alabama state championship this year.
De La Salle Starts Off With a Win
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Bob Ladouceur’s De La Salle Spartans started off the 2010 season in strong fashion with an impressive 45-7 victory over Serra of San Mateo, California.
Running Back Lucas Dunne, who rushed for 166 and two TDs, was the big story on offense while Boise State commit, linebacker Blake Renaud, was the key player on defense with nine tackles.
Lookahead Game: Don Bosco Vs. Gilman
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After a great performance against Good Counsel last week, the Gilman School of Baltimore will try and match that effort when it hosts New Jersey power Don Bosco Prep on Friday night at Morgan State.
Don Bosco has lost some key players from last year’s team that finished no. 1 in the country, but the Ironmen still have quarterback Gary Nova, who has been offered scholarships from the likes of Pitt, Rutgers and Boston College.
The player to watch for Gilman is quarterback Darius Jennings, who has been offered by programs such as Ohio State, Michigan and a host of schools from the northeast. Jennings ran for 142 yards and scored two touchdowns in Gilman’s victory over Good Counsel.
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