Fultondale (Ala.) sophomore wrestler Macon Edwards completed a perfect season that is ranked among the best ever.
Edwards beat Zach Clayton (Dora) by a 6-3 decision in the 106-pound state final at the Alabama Class 1A-5A championship meet to finish 90-0. (Clayton finished with a 56-5 mark.)
The 90 victories in a season are one short of the record of 91, according to the National Federation of State High School Athletic Associations that covers schools who are members of affiliated state associations. Colton Palmer was 91-0 for Durham Riverside in North Carolina in 2006-07.
Edwards set the AHSAA single-season mark for wins in the North Super Section championship match last week. The previous record, according to the AHSAA record book, was set by Scottsboro’s Brandon Womack in 2012 with 85. According to AL.com, Womack also finished 77-0, 74-1 and 74-0 in the seasons of his prep career.
“I thought, ‘That’d be cool if I could ever do something like that,’ ” he said. “It’s been a goal.”
A year ago, Edwards was 54-9 in the 106-pound class for Hayden High but did not place at the state tournament. Amazingly, at 5-3, his actual weight was 92 pounds last season so he was outweighed substantially in every bout.
The game Friday between Oldsmar (Fla.) Christian and Potters House Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.) featured two elite big men: Oldmsar’s 6-11 Dontay Bassett and Potters House’s 6-11 Udoka Azubuike.
Bassett is Florida signee; Azubuike is a Kansas commit who is ranked as the No. 3 center in the nation by 247Sports.
At least at this moment, Bassett got the better of this battle with this dunk in the video below.
Sparked by the dunk, Oldsmar got the better of Potters House in a 60-55 victory in a Sunshine Independent Athletic Association state semifinal. Oldsmar would fall in the state final Saturday.
The Opening began its 20th year of regional events Sunday in Orlando with seven players getting invitations to the final in July at Nike World Headquarters in July.
Six of those seven players are from IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) — two linebackers, two defensive backs and two offensive linemen. The other invitation went to Richard LeCounte from Liberty County, Ga. He is a five-star safety who is committed to Georgia.
Among the IMG players are two Ohio State commits: Isaiah Pryor, ranked as the No. 3 outside linebacker in the Class of 207 by the 247Sports Composite, and Marcus Williamson, ranked as the No. 10 cornerback in the nation and No. 2 player in the state of Florida.
The other four IMG players remain uncommitted. Will Ignont is ranked as the No. 5 inside linebacker in the nation, Cesar Ruiz is ranked as the No. 1 center, and Jordan Anthony is ranked as the No. 1 running back. Robert Hainsey is ranked among the top 30 offensive linemen and was named the event’s Offensive Line MVP.
No specific number of players are invited at each regional, although officials intend to extend invites to 166 players total by the time the 14 regionals are completed. The regionals continue next Sunday in the Los Angeles area.
Here are the MVPs at each position from the event:
All-American Josh Jackson, considered among the top three players in the Class of 2016, led Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) to three wins over the weekend.
Along the way, he put on a show for the fans. Among the highlights was this crazy between the legs dunk.
Three highly regarded Football Bowl Subdivision signees were among those who took home state wrestling championships over the weekend — and one secured a prom date in the process.
In Kentucky, Wildcats offensive line signee Landon Young capped an abbreviated wrestling season with the state title at 285 pounds. He wrestled just 19 matches this season, winning them all.
The start of the wrestling season was delayed because Lafayette High (Lexington) reached the 6A state football finals and then Young took part in the U.S. Army All-American Game, as did King.
Young is ranked as the No. 1 football recruit in the state of Kentucky by the 247Sports Composite and the No. 6 offensive tackle in the nation overall.
“6 years I have been trying to do it, and I finally did. I am a state champ,” Young tweeted.
He also took the bold step of securing a prom date with his girlfriend in the stands from the mat after the championship.
Young later confirmed that his girlfriend, Savannah Freeman, did accept his invitation.
Michigan State signee Josh King repeats in Illinois
In Illinois, Hinsdale South strong-side defensive end Josh King is ranked as the No. 1 football recruit in the state of Illinois by 247Sports and the No. 6 player at his position in the nation.
King, the state’s top-ranked 2A wrestler at 285 pounds, won the state title Saturday to become the first two-time state wrestling champion in school history. King was the 3A champion at 220 pounds.
He put on weight for football and is listed at 245, meaning he was giving up weight to some of his opponents this season.
Among those who sent congratulations: Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio.
Congrats to @JoshuaKing_12 on his state championship! Expecting big things from you this year #GOGREEN#CHAMP
In a bit of a twist, the move to 2A meant that King would not face future Michigan State football teammate Matt Allen. Allen, who attends Hinsdale Central — about four miles away from Hinsdale South — won the state title in 3A.
Allens become the 5th family to have 3 brothers win the state championship
The creativity of student sections always impresses us.
Credit the students at Carterville High in Illinois for going full “ESPN College GameDay” for a recent game against Herrin (Ill.).
Tucked within the stands were three students — junior Mason Basler, senior Ashton DeRousse and junior Alex Haake. They were wearing jackets and ties and had the headsets on. They were beyond a table labeled College GameDay — even with the sponsor’s logo underneath.
They even had the fans behind them posing with foam fingers. Carterville won the game 58-54.
Cartersville (Ill.) students from left to right: junior Mason Basler, senior Ashton DeRousse and junior Alex Haake.
Chicago Bulls leading scorer Jimmy Butler is sidelined with a strained left knee.
So while he’s rehabbing, he took in some high school basketball. Butler was in the front row at the Chicago Catholic League championship game on the DePaul campus on Sunday.
Mike Smith had 27 points as Fenwick (Oak Park) beat St. Joseph 73-51. Butler complimented Smith during a TV interview at halftime and the two posed for photos after the game. Butler posted a message for Smith on Instagram, including the line: “my guy got serious game. And damn sure wears 21 better than I do.”
Antioch (Calif.) running back Najee Harris, an Alabama commit, moved up to No. 2 and wide receiver Trevon Grimes (St. Thomas Aquinas; Fort Lauderdale) is now No. 3. They pushed back IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) defensive end Josh Kaindo and Poly Prep (Brooklyn, N.Y.). offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson.
Tyler Shelvin, a defensive tackle from Lafayette (La.) Notre Dame is No. 6. The LSU commit is also one of four players to add a fifth star.
Dylan Moses will be among the most sought-after prospects in the 2017 class. (Photo: 247 Sports)
He is followed by IMG Academy linebacker Dylan Moses, Clairton (Pa.) defensive back Lamont Wade, South Grand Prairie (Texas) defensive back Jeffrey Okudah and Miamisburg (Ohio) offensive lineman Josh Myers. Myers is an Ohio State commit.
“Marvin Wilson remains on top but things are getting tight up there,” Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell. “This class, to me, is much more talented at the top of the list than 2016. I really like this class quite a bit. We have two elite defensive tackles (Wilson and Tyler Shelvin) in the top 10, arguably the most talented running back I’ve seen in years in Najee Harris, a freaky talent at defensive end (Josh Kaindoh) and one of the best athletes around in Dylan Moses. Trevon Grimes, Isaiah Wilson, Lamont Wade and Jeffrey Okudah are all rare talents at their positions as well.”
The other new five-star are wide receivers Donovan Peoples-Jones from Detroit Cass Tech and Joseph Lewis (Augustus Hawkins, Los Angeles) and weakside defensive end Jarez Parks from Sebastian River (Fla.).
The lone player to lose the fifth star was cornerback William Poole III from Hapeville Charter in Atlanta.
The reason, another bucket by Centennial would push the margin to more than 49 points and end the game based on the Nevada mercy rule that was implemented in 2011. Nevada goes to a running clock once the margin reaches 40.
The rule says if a team wins by more than 49 three times in a season the coach is suspended.
The rule has led to some ugly games with Centennial – and other Nevada girls basketball powers – playing keepaway or not shooting in the second half or intentionally missing shots. (The rule also applies to boys basketball, but it does not come into play as often.) To some, the result is a mockery of the game with frustration for both the winning and losing teams. ESPN suggested that the rule is ruining high school basketball in the state.
The state association could revise the rule at a meeting in April.
According a survey by the National Federation of State High School Athletic Associations in 2013, more than 20 states had some provisions for a running clock, generally when the differential reaches 35 or 40 points. Some states start the running clock in the second half, others only in the fourth quarter. Georgia allows teams to play six-minute quarters in the second half under regular timing when the halftime margin is at least 40.
A federation spokesman said there was “no specific state adoption option” in the national rulebook for a rule similar to Nevada’s that calls for a basketball game to be stopped. That is not the case with some other sports.
Mercy rules in baseball and softball in some states call for stoppages usually when one team is ahead by 10 runs after five innings or later, or 4 1/2 innings if the home team is ahead. In ice hockey, a number of states have implemented mandatory stoppages. In Michigan, the game is stopped if the goal differential reaches eight goals at the end of the second period or at any point in the third period.
“In a way (stopping the game) can be as embarrassing as putting another 20 points on a team,” Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association executive director Bart Thompson told ESPN. “With rotating starters in a different way or rotating other kids in to play with those starters that can take place early in the game without ever getting to the end of the game and be threatened by some type of points limit or having to play keepaway.”
Weitz said the rule often prevents her team and others from getting to the point where she can play her five starters or her usual rotation in advance of the playoffs when Centennial — ranked No. 4 in the Super 25 — will face the state’s top teams.
Nevada coaches used to have to write letters to explain why their team went over the 50-point limit and the mercy rule was used. They no longer have to do that, but Thompson said it is good that coaches are aware.
“There is some belief among some people in our state that we need to start asking for those letters again,” Thompson said. “That Centennial is concerned about it is a good thing because now they are conscious of what is perceived out there in many instances as being unsportsmtanlike.”
And as chronicled in the ESPN report, playing basketball this way is just no fun.
A game in Kentucky ended 86-7 last week. In New York State, a playoff game last week had a final score of 76-11. A coach at a top program in Westchester County (N.Y.) said he would have his team take shot-clock violations to avoid scoring given the lopsided margins. He stopped doing that when other coaches complained that he was embarrassing them.
The examples are everywhere, but what’s the solution?
“As long as the other coach you’re playing is respectful, I think you have to have your kids play,” said White Plains (N.Y.) coach Tara Flaherty. “The only time I would get upset is if a team was still pressing in the third or fourth quarter when we are clearly down by 20-ish points and we’ve got one kid that can dribble up the court. That kind of makes me mad.”
Defending Super 25 girls basketball national champion Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) had its 53-game winning streak snapped Monday night by arch-rival Archbishop Wood in the Philadelphia Catholic League title game at the iconic Palestra.
Neumann-Goretti, ranked No. 3 in the Super 25 this season entering the week, had not lost since March 2014 and had not lose to a league opponent since February 2013. The Saints entered the game at 23-0.
Neumann-Goretti’s 36 points were a season low.
Bailey Greenberg had 16 points and Cassie Sebold had 10 for Archbishop Wood.
“They are a team that you can get up by 20 and they will come back,” Sebold told Philly.com.. “We just knew we had to keep possessions and get good shots, we couldn’t rush. The more time we had with the ball, the less time they had to score.”
The season is not over for the Saints, as both will take part in the district playoffs that feed into the PIAA state tournament.
Unbeaten Atascocita (Humble, Texas) is No. 4 and leads the Texas contingent. DeSoto, led by All-American Marques Bolden, is No. 13, Lancaster is No. 16, Shoemaker (Killeen) is No. 20, Tascosa (Amarillo) is No. 22, followed by Sam Houston Math Science & Technology (Houston) at No. 23 and Elkins (Missouri City) at No. 24.
The California teams are led by No. 2 Chino Hills, which is No. 1 in the Super 25 Expert Rankings. Bishop Montgomery (Torrance) is No. 6 and Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) is No. 9. Mater Dei (Santa Ana) checks in at No. 15 with Foothills Christian (El Cajon), led by All-American TJ Leaf.
Overall, the top five are No. 1 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), Chino Hills, Montverde (Fla.) Academy, Atascocita and Apple Valley (Minn.).
A boys basketball coach in Florida says he was fired because his “academic standards were too high,” according to The Orlando Sentinel.
Zach Anspach said he was let go after his first season at Tavares High with an 8-18 record because, “I was asking them [players] to get at least a C. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.”
According to the Florida High School Athletic Association, athletes must have a 2.0 cumulative grade point average in order to play, essentially a C average. Anspach’s policy was that a student with a D or and F in any class on weekly progress reports could not play until his grade increased so a player could have a 2.0 average overall but not meet Anspach’s bar.
Two varsity players sat out a week before the returned with improved grades, he said. The JV season was canceled when too many players failed to meet the standards; the three JV players who did were elevated to varsity.
A school district spokeswoman told The Sentinel that Anspach was let go for not adhering to policy.
Anspach told The Sentinel that he had told the hiring committee of his plans and made the requirements clear to the parents and players before the season. He developed his academic system while working at Florida State in academic advising as a student. He previously had two stops as a JV coach at two schools in the area.
“It’s my understanding that in an effort to raise the bar and support his students, he had laid out some specific guidelines and was working with administrators to provide tutors and mentors for these young men,” Lake County School Board Chairman Bill Mathias told The Sentinel. “I believe what he was doing was in the right spirit — but he was too aggressive.”
Wakeland has won 11 consecutive games since an early season 2-2 tie with Hebron heading into Tuesday’s showdown with Frisco Centennial (9-1).
Cathedral College Prep (Los Angeles) is No. 3 as it continues in postseason play. No. 4 Ponte Vedra (Fla.) has completed its season as the Florida 3A state champion with a 25-0 mark.
St. Paul’s School (Covington, La.) is No. 5 and takes a 23-1-3 record into the state final against Acadiana.
Seven states play soccer in the winter season: Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
Each week USA TODAY High School Sports and National Soccer Coaches Association of America will release Super 25 Regional Boys Winter Soccer Rankings. Rankings are based on results from the 2015 season, quality of players and strength of schedule. Regions are determined by the NCSAA.
The two newcomers are Sasche (Texas) at No. 7 and Mountain View (Calif.) at No. 10. Sasche remains undefeated as the regular season is starting to head to its conclusion in Texas. Mountain View is 17-0-2 and the top seed in CIF Central Coast Section Open postseason tournament. It faces Saint Francis (Mountain View) in the quarterfinals Saturday.
Byron Nelson (Trophy Club, Texas) remains No. 1 followed by Aliso Niguel (Aliso Viejo, Calif.). American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), the Florida 3A state champion, moved from No. 5 to No. 3.
Each week USA TODAY High School Sports and National Soccer Coaches Association of America will release Super 25 Regional Boys Winter Soccer Rankings. Rankings are based on results from the 2015 season, quality of players and strength of schedule. Regions are determined by the NCSAA.
Kylee Shook of Mesa Ridge has set the Colorado state record for career rebounds — and did so on her Senior Night.
The 6-4 Shook had 18 rebounds in a 79-32 victory against Harrison to give her 1,248 rebounds, which eclipses the state record of 1,247 set by Tyler Chrisman of Sterling, according to The Denver Post.
The Louisville-bound Shook is ranked as the No. 18 player overall in the Class of 2016 by ESPNw’s HoopGurlz rankings.
A McDonald’s All-American, she had 13 more rebounds in the regular-season finale and will add more to her total when Mesa Ridge opens the postseason Friday. She lead Colorado 4A with 13.9 rebounds per game to go with her state-best 27.3 points per game.
She set the state career record for blocks as a junior and has 607.
