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VIDEO: Watch as St. Thomas Aquinas players learn they are facing Bishop Gorman

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Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), the two-time defending Super 25 champion, had already locked in its game against St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) when coach Kenny Sanchez spoke to USA TODAY High School Sports on March 10.

On Tuesday, St. Thomas Aquinas made its announcement with coach Roger Harriott and athletic director George Smith announcing the Sept. 30 game to the team.

Aquinas, the two-time defending Florida state 7A champion champion, could be will be the Gaels’ most likely competition for the No. 1 spot in the preseason rankings.

The Gorman-Aquinas game in Las Vegas will be televised by one of the ESPN networks.

“I think this is an exceptional opportunity presented to us,” Harriott told The Sun-Sentinel. “We feel blessed and grateful to represent St. Thomas Aquinas, Broward County and the state of Florida.”

Gorman quarterback Tate Martell, a Texas A&M recruit, tweeted this past winter that Aquinas was one of the five teams he wanted to play in 2016. He ended his tweet with the words: “Tell your coaches.”

That drew the ire of Aquinas’ Trevon Grimes, who is the No. 1 receiver in the nation, according to Rivals.com.

Grimes’ tweet: “No! Tell YOUR coaches to call. South Florida football is something you don’t want to call out.”

The game pits two of the nation’s top quarterbacks in Martell and Florida-bound Jake Allen. Both already have earned invitations to the Elite 11 finals.


Northwestern beats out Texas powers for four-star defensive tackle Earnest Brown

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It doesn’t happen often, but the college football powers in Texas let one get away.

Earnest Brown, a four-star defensive tackle from Ryan (Denton, Tex.) High School, told 247Sports.com that he has committed to Northwestern.

“I really wanted to go to Northwestern and I didn’t want to lose a great opportunity,” Brown said.

Brown held offers from Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma.

Take a look at his highlights from his junior year.

Billy Donovan III named head coach at St. Francis (Fla.) Catholic Academy

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Billy Donovan III, who played college basketball under his father at Florida, is following in the current Oklahoma City Thunder coach’s footsteps as he was named head coach at his alma mater, St. Francis Catholic Academy (Fla.) in Gainesville.

“St. Francis has been a special place for me,” Donovan told the Gainesville Sun. “I have wanted to be a teacher and coach there. I’m excited about coming back.”

Donovan spent last season as an assistant at Ocala (Fla.) Trinity Catholic, his first job since graduating from Florida in 2014.

VIDEO: Watch Jayson Tatum's emotional reaction to winning the state championship

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Duke-bound Jayson Tatum, one of the top-ranked players in the class of 2016, scored 40 points to lead Chaminade (St. Louis) Prep to the Missouri Class 5A state championship.

Afterwards, he got a bit emotional reflecting on his team’s accomplishment.

(See more from the game at KSDK-TV)

VIDEO: See why Terrance Ferguson is considered one of 2016's top unsigned players

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Terrance Ferguson, a 6-6 wing out of Advanced Prep in Dallas, has yet to make his final college decision. He’s received numerous offers from the likes of Baylor, Texas, Arizona, Kansas, North Carolina, and Louisville—among many others.

Here is a look at Ferguson’s highlights from our friends at Courtside Films.

DeMatha Catholic football to open with Oxbridge Academy (Fla.), Bishop McDevitt (Pa.)

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DeMatha quarterback Beau English (Photo: Derik Hamilton, USA Today Sports).

DeMatha quarterback Beau English (Photo: Derik Hamilton, USA Today Sports).

DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) planned to open its football season against Virginia power Oscar Smith (Chesapeake). When Richard Morgan, who won two state titles in his 14 years at Smith, left for a school in Georgia, the contract fell through.

DeMatha instead will host Oxbridge Academy (West Palm Beach, Fla.) on Aug. 26 in the season opener then face Bishop McDevitt (Harrisburg) on Sept. 6. That will be McDevitt’s opener.

DeMatha won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship, finished 11-1 and was ranked No. 12 in the final Super 25 rankings. The Stags return quarterback Beau English but lose nearly a half-dozen four-star recruits such as Penn State-bound defensive end Shane Simmons and a trio headed for Maryland — offensive guard Terrance Davis, wide receiver/athlete D.J. Turner and wide receiver Tino Ellis.

Oxbridge went 9-3 last season — after a 10-1 season in 2014 as an independent — and lost in the Florida 3A state regional finals to American Heritage (Delray Beach, Fla.)

PHOTOS: Erin Boley named Gatorade National Girls Basketball POY

Villanova signee Omari Spellman receives Jordan Brand Classic banner

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Omari Spellman (Photo: Jordan Brand Classic)

Omari Spellman (Photo: Jordan Brand Classic)

Before every game, Omari Spellman makes sure to tell each of his teammates something positive before he starts his own warmup routine.

So it seemed only fitting that his teammates were there to hear the adulation that Spellman received Wednesday when he received a banner for his selection to the Jordan Brand Classic during the St. Thomas More School (Oakdale, Conn.) winter awards event. The presentation was part of the Jordan Brand Classic Senior Night presented by American Family Insurance.

The Jordan Brand Classic is April 15 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Spellman played his senior season at St. Thomas More after transferring from the MacDuffie School in Granby, Mass. He is originally from suburban Cleveland and played the first years of his high school career in Ohio.

Spellman, who has signed with Villanova, is the No. 5 power forward in the nation and is ranked as No. 16 overall by ESPN. He is 6-9 and 275 pounds but is athletic and can play in transition, which should make him a good fit at Villanova.

“I feel the reason a lot of people don’t accomplish their dreams is because they write them off, and they say, ‘I can’t do that,’ ” he said. “When you say things like that, you limit your ability to be great,” says Omari. “Look at dreams as goals, and contribute every inch of your being to achieving that goal and that dream, and you can do it.”


Gorman high jumper Vashti Cunningham turns pro, signs with Nike

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Vashti Cunningham poses with the flag after winning the women's high jump during the 2016 IAAF World Championships. (Photo: Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)

Vashti Cunningham poses with the flag after winning the women’s high jump during the 2016 IAAF World Championships. (Photo: Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)

After winning becoming the youngest woman to win an IAAF world indoor title in any event, Bishop Gorman senior high jumper Vashti Cunningham said in a television interview Sunday that she expected to turn pro. In a meeting with news reporters afterward, she said she was “pretty sure” that she was going pro.

Cunningham made it official this week when she signed a contract with Nike. Terms were not disclosed but her father and coach, former NFL quarterback Randall Cunningham, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the deal was “very lucrative.”

The contract means she is no longer eligible to compete for Gorman and will not be able to compete in college.

“I’ve been thinking about turning pro since the Pan-American Junior Games (in August),” Cunningham told the Review-Journal. “I didn’t really want to at first because I was thinking, ‘Oh, college is right around the corner. I just want to go to college, have fun and be on a team like that.’

“But now that it got closer to it, I’ve kind of realized this would be a changing decision for me and that I should probably go this way.”

Cunningham, 18, is a top contender for the Summer Olympics in Rio in the high jump. The Olympic Trials are July 1-10 in Oregon.

She won the world indoor title in Portland with a jump of 6 feet, 5 inches (1.96). That was a week after she won the USA Track and Field Indoor Championship by clearing 6-6 1/4 to break her own national high school record and set the world junior mark.

 

 

Middle school softball pitcher commits to Arizona; hasn't chosen high school yet

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Jessie Fontes, a 13-year-old softball pitcher from Fillmore, Calif., is still deciding on where she’ll attend high school next year.

But she already has her college choice. The eighth-grader committed to Arizona a few weeks ago, according to her father.

“Jessie committed to Arizona on the night of March 9th,” Jeff Fontes told FloSoftball.com. “The coaches had been watching her last summer and this winter.”

Fontes visited the school a few weeks back, and she and her family were swayed by the softball facilities, as well as the academic opportunities that await her—in five years.

But first: where will she go to high school?

VIDEO: Tee baller reaches first, gets bored, dances like nobody's watching

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What do you do when you’re three-years-old, on first base in your tee-ball game, and the batter is taking too long?

This, obviously.

Let this little guy be an inspiration to us all. Life would be just a little bit more enjoyable if we all just stopped, ignored conventions, and busted a move.

Opelika (Ala.) four-star quarterback Jake Bentley picks South Carolina

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Jake Bentley, a four-star quarterback out of Alabama, announced Thursday on Twitter that he’s headed to Columbia to play for Will Muschamp and the Gamecocks.

Bentley, who is entering his senior year, held offers from in-state powers Alabama and Auburn, as well as Stanford, Georgia, Louisville, LSU, Arkansas and Nebraska. He threw for 2,834 yards, 28 touchdowns and just eight interceptions as a junior.

It should be noted that Bentley is the son of South Carolina running backs coach Bobby Bentley, who also coached on Gus Malzahn’s staff with Muschamp at Auburn.

Check out his highlights below.

Curry (Ala.) takes over No. 1, 11 new teams in Super 25 softball rankings

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With a month having elapsed since the USA TODAY High School Sports/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Preseason Super 25, 11 new teams are in the first rankings of the regular season.

The Super 25 also has a new No. 1 as Curry (Jasper, Ala.) has moved up from its preseason spot at No. 8. The Lady Jackets are off to a 14-0 start in games through Monday.

RELATED: Super 25 Softball rankings

Curry had a close call last week when Corner (Warrior, Ala.) pushed Curry to 11 innings.  Taylor Rowe delivered a three-run double to give Curry the 3-0 victory.

After losses to Flower Mound (Texas) and Deer Park (Texas), Preseason No. 1, Pearland (Texas) fell out of the Super 25.  While both losses were later avenged, Preseason No. 2 Mission Viejo (Calif.) fell to Los Alamitos (Calif.) and new No. 25 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) and dropped to No. 12 in this week’s poll.

The newcomers are led by three teams in the Top 5: No. 2 Etiwanda (Calif.), No. 4 Oakleaf (Orange Park, Fla.) and No. 5 LaGrange (Texas).

Also new to the Super 25 are No. 9 McCracken County (Paducah, Ky.), No. 14 Davidson (North Lexington, N.C.), No. 18 Bald Knob (Ark.), No. 21 North Fort Myers (Fla.), No. 22 American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), No. 23 Salpointe Catholic (Tucson) and No. 25 Mater Dei.

No. 3, Crown Point (Ind.), No. 13, Bishop Carroll (Wichita, Kan.), No. 15, Parkland (Allentown, Pa.), and No. 17, Keystone (La Grange, Ohio) begin competition later this month.  No. 24 Mount St. Dominic Academy (Caldwell, N.J.) opens on April 1.

The USA TODAY HSS/NFCA Super 25 will be released every Thursday through June 9.

GALLERY: Last 10 ALL-USA Boys Basketball Players of the Year

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The American Family Insurance ALL-USA Boys Basketball Team for the 2015-16 season will be unveiled next week. The player of the year will join an illustrious group.

Scroll through the gallery to see the winners for the last 10 seasons. (It’s actually 11 because Greg Oden repeated as player of the year in 2005 and 2006.)

Thon Maker, DeAndre Ayton highlight World Select Team roster for Nike Hoop Summit

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Athlete Institute forward Thon Maker (Photo: Christopher Hanewinckel, USA TODAY Sports)

Athlete Institute forward Thon Maker (Photo: Christopher Hanewinckel, USA TODAY Sports)

Big men Thon Maker and DeAndre Ayton will lead the World Select Team against USA Basketball Junior National Select Team on April 9 at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland. The World team roster was announced Thursday.

The World team features players from 10 countries. Maker plays for Orangeville Prep in Canada but is from the Sudan by way of Australia. He started in last year’s Hoops Summit.

Ayton, ranked as the No. 1 player in the Class of 2017, plays for Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix and is from the Bahamas.

Two other players currently in North America are on the roster: Andres Feliz of West Oaks Academy, Fla., who is from the Dominican Republic, and Justin Jackson, a Canadian who plays at Hill Academy. Feliz, a South Florida signee, was the leading scorer last summer at the FIBA U19 World Championship in Greece. Jackson has signed with UNLV.

The remainder of the roster: Edin Atic (AEK Athens, Greece/Bosnia & Herzegovina); Isaia Cordinier (Denain ASC Voltaire/France); Harry Froling (Australian Institute of Sports/Australia); Lauri Markkanen (HBA-Marsky Helsinki/Finland); William McDowell-White (Ignatius Park College/Australia), Wesley “Mogi” Silva (Paulistano/Unimed Sao Paolo/Brazil); Martynas Varnas (Zalgiris Kaunas II/Lithuania); and Ziming Fan (Foshan Long Lions/China). Froling has signed with UNLV.

Team USA will face a height disadvantage as Maker, Froling, Ayton, Markkanen and Ziming are all 6-11 or taller.

The World team is attempting to win its fourth Hoop Summit in the last five years. The World team, led by current Kentucky freshman Jamal Murray, won 103-101 last year.

 

 


Top 20 linebacker Ellis Brooks commits to Duke over Notre Dame, others

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Ellis Brooks, a four-star linebacker according to several recruiting services and among the best in the country, committed to Duke Thursday.

“I have a great relationship with the coaches and players,” Brooks told Scout.com. “It’s also a great school academically. And I was their top target and they wanted me more than anyone else. It just feels like home and I feel the most comfortable there.

“I’m very excited about my decision. The recruiting process is fun and I’m thankful for all the opportunities, but it can be stressful. Now, I can just focus on football and winning another state championship.”

Brooks also announced his commitment on Twitter.

“My commitment is 100 percent and I don’t plan on visiting any other schools,” Brooks told Scout. “When you commit, you stay committed.”

Brooks chose the Blue Devils over offers from Notre Dame, Louisville, Michigan, South Carolina, and others.

Here are Brooks’ highlights from his junior season.

Four-star QB Hendon Hooker commits to Virginia Tech

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Virginia Tech and new coach Justin Fuente has added another quarterback with the commitment of junior Hendon Hooker from Dudley High (Greensboro, N.C.).

Hooker is rated as a four-star prospect by Scout.com and is a three-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals.

His decision comes after a campus visit last weekend. He chose the Hokies over North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Missouri and Pittsburgh, among other offers.

“When we set foot on the big stage, on that game field, it just felt right,” he told ESPN Triad.

Hooker, the third commit in the Class of 2017 for the Hokies, passed for 2,234 yards and 17 touchdowns last fall and ran for 1,217 yards and 15 touchdowns.

His addition gives Virginia Tech a group of four quarterbacks on scholarship for the 2017 season: Jerod Evans, Dwayne Lawson, Joshua Jackson and Hooker.

 

John Wall buys senior prom tuxedos for D.C.-area high school students

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Washington Wizards star John Wall has made it a point to embed himself in the DMV community since being drafted No. 1 overall out of Kentucky in 2010. He continued that tradition Thursday, when he teamed up with Sean John to provide tuxedos for area high school kids for the second year in a row.

Clearly it was quite the thrill for the students.

Three-star quarterback Jack Coan picks Wisconsin over Michigan, others

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Jack Coan, a three-star quarterback from Sayville (N.Y.) High School, committed Thursday to Wisconsin.

Coan held offers from Michigan, Miami, Northwestern, Louisville, Nebraska, and others.

“I really liked the visit,” Coan told 247sports.com after his visit to Madison earlier this month. “I thought the campus was beautiful. The coaches were really great people. The facilities were all really, really nice. I really liked it.

“I was really impressed. I didn’t know a lot about Wisconsin going into it. I was definitely really amazed by how beautiful the city was and how great the football facilities were. Definitely very impressed.”

According to 247sports, Coan is the nation’s 16th-best pro-style quarterback in the class of 2017. Check out the highlights from his junior year below.

Somerset Academy (Fla.) wins prestigious IMG National Classic baseball tournament

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Somerset Academy (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) defeated Memphis’ Christian Brothers High School 6-4 Thursday night to win the IMG National Classic Championship.

Derek Cartaya got the win for Somerset after going six innings, giving up three runs and striking out five. Jose Varela homered and had three RBI.

For his efforts, Cartaya was named tournament MVP.

Somerset Academy is now 16-3 on the season.

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