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Highlights for Children poll: 60% from ages 6 to 12 in favor of participation trophies

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James Harrison’s Instagram post about returning his 6- and 8-year-old sports participation trophies because they didn’t earn them has had social media buzzing and youth sports advocates speaking out the value of those types of prizes.

Super Bowl winning quarterback Kurt Warner, now a high school offensive coordinator in Arizona, posted tweets in support of Harrison.

A veteran Washington, D.C., news anchor went so far as to say giving participation trophies was a form of “child abuse.”

But what do kids think?

Highlights for Children is releasing its annual “State of the Kid” report in mid-October and among the topics covered was competition.

Highlights provided the results to USA TODAY High School Sports and here are some of the findings from a survey of 1,754 kids ages 6 to 12:

  • 60 percent of respondents say everyone — even the non-winners — should receive trophies.
  • Among 11- and 12-year-olds, only 46 percent say everyone should get a trophy, down from 68 percent among 9- and 10-year-olds.
  • Girls are more likely to say everyone should get a trophy with 66 percent of girl respondents saying everyone should get a trophy compared to 53 percent among boy respondents.

In terms of the reasoning, according to Highlights (the participants were given anonymity):

For participation trophies:

“Because  everyone  participated  and  they  tried  their  hardest.”    –  Boy,  age 8

“Because  kids  have  to  learn  that  they  can’t  always  win  and  they  have  to  learn  how  to  be  polite  when  they  lose.”  –  Boy,  age 11

Against participation trophies:

“Because  if  everyone  gets  one  then  some  people  may  not  try  their  hardest  because  they  will  get  a  prize  either  way.”– Girl,  age  8

“We’re  a  team  and  everybody  does  their  best  just  cause  one  team  wins  don’t  make  them  better  than  other  teams. Everybody  has  feelings.”   –  Girl,  age 7

Super 25 computer regional football rankings: Midwest

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The Super 25 computer rankings are back on USATODAYHSS.com and here are where teams stand divided by region.

The regions mirror those used in our Super 25 Expert rankings, which can be found here: Northeast, South, Midwest, Frontier and Pacific.

RELATED: Complete computer rankings

RELATED: Super 25 football computer rankings – who’s No. 1 in each state?

RELATED: Previews of Super 25 team in our Expert Rankings

Here are the preseason rankings for the Midwest Region, which is composed of Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

The number at the end of each line is where the school stands in the national rankings.

  1. St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) – 3
  2. Webb City (Mo.) – 15
  3. La Salle (Cincinnati) – 17
  4. Dowling Catholic (West Des Moines, Iowa) — 19
  5. St. Xavier (Cincinnati) – 28
  6. Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati) — 29
  7. Kimberly (Wis.) — 32
  8. Providence Catholic (New Lenox, Ill.) – 43
  9. Ben Davis (Indianapolis) – 45
  10. Sacred Heart-Griffin (Springfield, Ill.) – 46
  11. Marion Local (Maria Stein, Ohio) – 51
  12. Carmel (Ind.) – 52
  13. Stevenson (Lincolnshire, Ill.) – 54
  14. Trinity High for Boys (Louisville, Ky.) – 56
  15. St. Ignatius (Cleveland) – 57
  16. Hudson (Ohio) – 58
  17. Warren Central (Indianapolis) – 60
  18. Wayne (Huber Heights, Ohio) – 62
  19. De La Salle Collegiate (Warren, Mich.) – 65
  20. Loyola Academy (Wilmette, Ill.) – 68
  21. Coldwater (Ohio) – 69
  22. Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills, Texas) – 73
  23. Glenbard West (Glen Elyn, Ill.) – 79
  24. Wukee (Iowa) – 84
  25. Rockhurst (Kansas City, Mo.) – 85

MORE: Northeast Region computer rankings

MORE: South Region computer rankings

MORE: Frontier Region computer rankings

MORE: Pacific Region computer rankings

Coach of Wash. Little League softball team alleged to have thrown game lashes out

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The Central Iowa Little League team. (Photo: Photo courtesy Little League Softball World Series)

The Central Iowa Little League team.
(Photo: Photo courtesy Little League Softball World Series)

A national debate exploded around the outcome of a game in the Little League Softball World Series in Portland and the coach of the South Snohomish (Wash.) team that was accused of throwing a game has spoken out on Facebook, saying the run ratio rule system that helps determine teams that advance is “flawed and I did what was in the best interest of my team.

Coach Fred Miller said that his players were harassed with notes left on their hotel room doors, calling them cheaters. He said one of the team’s assistant coaches slept in the hotel hallway to protect the players from harassment.

“They have been called cheaters and that is total (excuse my French) crap. My girls fought their butts off til the final out today and I am super proud of them.”

South Snohomish, which had been 3-0, lost to a North Carolina team and was no-hit in the process. Believing Washington lost the game on purpose to keep an Iowa team from advancing into the bracket portion of the tournament, the Iowans filed a protest. Little League Softball World Series officials did not overturn the outcome of the controversial game. So the Iowans appealed to the governing body, Little League International, which ruled that a special tiebreaker game took place.

In the tiebreaker, Iowa erased a 2-1 deficit and won 3-2 to advance and eliminate Snohomish.

In a statement, South Snohomish Little League president Jeff Taylor seemed pointed the blame squarely at Miller. “Our coach was faced with a decision that, in the bubble of intense competition, appeared to him to be in the best interest of our team. In hindsight, it is very likely he would have made a different choice. Though the decision that coach (Fred) Miller made did not violate the letter of the rules, I can see abundant evidence that it was not in line with the spirit of the game. … Finally, we hope that everyone remembers that the decisions that have placed our team under scrutiny were decisions made by the coach. Our young ladies had no role in that.”

In a lengthy post shared on his wife’s Facebook page, Fred Miller explained his version of the events and how the rulings were communicated to him.

“Little League promotes playing all your kids and because I played my reserves my team got screwed. I played my 4 reserves the whole game and little league tells me that because I did that my team would not get the 2 seed. What is that telling the kids and the community? That I must play my starters every game and if I don’t, I will be penalized! That is wrong!

 

Read Miller’s full statement, with details on the system, further explanation of what happened and his suggestions for changing the system.

 

 

Super 25 computer regional football rankings: South

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The Super 25 computer rankings are back on USATODAYHSS.com and here are where teams stand divided by region.

The regions mirror those used in our Super 25 Expert rankings, which can be found here: Northeast, South, Midwest, Frontier and Pacific.

RELATED: Complete computer rankings

RELATED: Super 25 football computer rankings – who’s No. 1 in each state?

Here are the preseason rankings for the South Region, which is composed ofVirginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana and Arkansas.

The number at the end of each line is where the school stands in the national rankings.

  1. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) – 9
  2. Starkville (Miss.) – 22
  3. Maryville (Tenn.) – 31
  4. Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.) – 34
  5. South Panola (Batesville, Miss.) – 36
  6. Buford (Ga.) – 37
  7. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) – 40
  8. Hoover (Ala.) – 41
  9. Clay-Chalkville (Pinson, Ala.) – 50
  10. Miami Central (Miami) – 66
  11. Archbishop Rummel (Metairie, La.) – 75
  12. Booker T. Washington (Miami) – 80
  13. Bentonville (Ark.) – 87
  14. Oakland (Mufreesboro, Tenn.) – 88
  15. Mallard Creek (Charlotte, N.C.) – 90
  16. Ensworth (Nashville, Tenn.) – 96
  17. Jesuit (New Orleans) – 97
  18. Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, Tenn.) – 112
  19. Archer (Lawrenceville, Ga.) – 113
  20. Brandon (Miss.) – 123
  21. Trinity Christian (Jackonsville, Fla.) – 125
  22. Fulton (Knoxville, Tenn.) – 129
  23. Blackman (Mufreesboro, Tenn.) – 132
  24. Oak Grove (Hattiesburg, Miss.) – 134
  25. Ocean Lakes (Virginia Beach, Va.) – 138

MORE: Northeast Region computer rankings

MORE: Midwest Region computer rankings

MORE: Frontier Region computer rankings

MORE: Pacific Region computer rankings

PODCAST: Mallard Creek (N.C.) on the rise, LeBron James' gift to Akron team

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HSFA

In collaboration with our partners at High School Football America, here is the latest edition of the USA TODAY High School Sports’ Two Minute Drill podcast with Jeff Fisher, the founder and editor in chief of HSFBA.

In this edition, Jeff talks to Mallard Creek (Charlotte, N.C.) coach Mike Palmieri about the program’s hopes to rise to national prominence and LeBron James Foundation’s gift of new uniforms for Kenmore High in Akron, Ohio.

An extended interview with Palmieri is part of this week’s High School Football America Radio Show on Thursday. To listen to recent shows, click here

 

 

SCORES: Super 25 Football, Week 1

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Each week USA TODAY High School Sports will highlight the scores of the Super 25 Football teams. Rankings are compiled weekly throughout the season by USA TODAY High School Sports reporter, Jim Halley.

Scores are provided by our friends at ScoreStream. All times are Eastern

Super 25 computer regional football rankings: Frontier

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The Super 25 computer rankings are back on USATODAYHSS.com and here are where teams stand divided by region.

The regions mirror those used in our Super 25 Expert rankings, which can be found here: Northeast, South, Midwest, Frontier and Pacific.

RELATED: Complete computer rankings

RELATED: Super 25 football computer rankings – who’s No. 1 in each state?

Here are the preseason rankings for the Frontier Region, which is composed of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.

The number at the end of each line is where the school stands in the national rankings.

  1. Bingham (South Jordan, Utah) — 8
  2. Allen (Texas) — 10
  3. DeSoto (Texas) – 20
  4. Tulsa Union (Tulsa, Okla.) — 24
  5. Jenks (Okla.) — 25
  6. Cedar Hill (Texas) – 38
  7. Katy (Texas) – 49
  8. Bishop Carroll Catholic (Wichita, Kan.) — 55
  9. Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas) — 63
  10. Timpview (Provo, Utah) — 72
  11. Trinity (Euless, Texas)
  12. Skyline (Dallas) — 81
  13. Highland (Pocatello, Idaho) – 94
  14. Guyer (Denton, Texas) – 99
  15. Martin (Arlington, Texas) – 100
  16. American Fork (Utah) – 101
  17. Gilmer (Texas) – 107
  18. Westfield (Houston) – 108
  19. Broken Arrow (Okla.) – 110
  20. Aledo (Texas) – 122
  21. Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Colo.) – 124
  22. Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) – 127
  23. Steele (Cibolo, Texas) – 133
  24. Klein Collins (Spring, Texas) – 144
  25. Herriman (Utah) – 150

MORE: Midwest Region computer rankings

MORE: South Region computer rankings

MORE: Northeast Region computer rankings

MORE: Pacific Region computer rankings


New Albany gets trip to Little League World Series a year later after scandal

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New Albany, Ind. Little League manager Josh Biven slaps hands with players Josh Castleman, left, and Andrew Ricketts after scoring the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the first inning on a bases-loaded hit by Drew Fifer in their Little league Baseball Central Regional Championship game against Jackie Robinson West Little League of Chicago at the Ruben F. Glick Little League Baseball Center in Lawrence, Ind. on Saturday, August 9, 2014. New Albany went out to a 5-0 lead, but lost 12-7. (Photo: Charlie Nye/The Star)

New Albany, Ind. Little League manager Josh Biven slaps hands with players Josh Castleman, left, and Andrew Ricketts after scoring the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the first inning on a bases-loaded hit by Drew Fifer in their Little league Baseball Central Regional Championship game against Jackie Robinson West Little League of Chicago at the Ruben F. Glick Little League Baseball Center in Lawrence, Ind. on Saturday, August 9, 2014. New Albany went out to a 5-0 lead, but lost 12-7.
(Photo: Charlie Nye/The Star)

The New Albany Little League team is going to Williamsport, Pa., for the Little League World Series, just a year later than it had hoped.

New Albany lost the Great Lakes championship to Jackie Robinson West of Chicago last year in the regional final. Jackie Robinson West would go on to win the U.S. championship and then lose in the final for the world title.

But months later after questions about the geographic boundaries that Jackie Robinson West had used to select players, Little League stripped JRW in February of the U.S. title and the regional title. District administrator Michael Kelly was removed from his position and team manager Darold Butler was suspended.

“We asked the boys, and all of them want to go,” New Albany manager Josh Biven told the Indianapolis Star. “As soon as the news came out (in February), they were all over their Instagram with Great Lakes champ and their numbers. They feel like they did kind of get screwed out of their opportunity to play.”

“They deserve this recognition. Just to see it will be neat. I’ve never been there. My son has never been there. Just to get there, walk around a little bit and hang out will be really cool.”

RELATED: Little League strips Chicago team of title

For the Mountain West Little League in Nevada, it received the U.S. title banner and already had the experience of going to Williamsport.

For New Albany, the players and coaches were honored as Great Lakes champion with a ceremony in their town but didn’t get to experience the trip to Pennsylvania until now, thanks to Little League. The team bus leaves Tuesday and they will arrive Wednesday.

“Little League will bring the 2014 New Albany Little League Baseball team to attend this year’s Little League Baseball World Series,” Little League spokesman Brian McClintock said. “While nothing can replace the experience of playing in Williamsport, every Region Champion should have the opportunity to participate in the fun, exciting activities surrounding the World Series.”

While they won’t be able to play, of course, the team’s agenda will be full.

“The team from New Albany will be a part of the Grand Slam Parade, our Opening Ceremonies, receive the jerseys, hats, and medals that all World Series participants receive, and be welcomed at all other World Series events during their stay in Williamsport,” McClintock said. 

RELATED: Lawyer for Jackie Robinson West says ‘story isn’t over’

They also will get to throw out the first pitch for the opening game by the Great Lakes’ champion.

As for Jackie Robinson West, attorneys for the team filed a motion last week to drop its planned lawsuit. In its response before JRW announced its intention to drop the suit, Little League said eight of the 13 players were from outside the boundary and that JRW had orchestrated a “fraud and cover-up” that included two false maps.

Additional details were uncovered in a Outside The Lines report that aired Sunday, although neither Little League nor anyone associated with JRW would speak to ESPN.

New Albany gets trip to Little League World Series a year later after scandal

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New Albany, Ind. Little League manager Josh Biven slaps hands with players Josh Castleman, left, and Andrew Ricketts after scoring the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the first inning on a bases-loaded hit by Drew Fifer in their Little league Baseball Central Regional Championship game against Jackie Robinson West Little League of Chicago at the Ruben F. Glick Little League Baseball Center in Lawrence, Ind. on Saturday, August 9, 2014. New Albany went out to a 5-0 lead, but lost 12-7. (Photo: Charlie Nye/The Star)

New Albany, Ind. Little League manager Josh Biven slaps hands with players Josh Castleman, left, and Andrew Ricketts after scoring the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the first inning on a bases-loaded hit by Drew Fifer in their Little league Baseball Central Regional Championship game against Jackie Robinson West Little League of Chicago at the Ruben F. Glick Little League Baseball Center in Lawrence, Ind. on Saturday, August 9, 2014. New Albany went out to a 5-0 lead, but lost 12-7.
(Photo: Charlie Nye/The Star)

The New Albany Little League team is going to Williamsport for the Little League World Series, just a year later than it had hoped.

New Albany lost the Great Lakes championship to Jackie Robinson West of Chicago last year in the regional final. Jackie Robinson West would go on to win the U.S. championship and then lose in the final for the world title.

But months later after questions about the geographic boundaries that Jackie Robinson West had used to select players, Little League stripped JRW in February of the U.S. title and the regional title. District administrator Michael Kelly was removed from his position and team manager Darold Butler was suspended.

“We asked the boys, and all of them want to go,” New Albany manager Josh Biven told the Indianapolis Star. “As soon as the news came out (in February), they were all over their Instagram with Great Lakes champ and their numbers. They feel like they did kind of get screwed out of their opportunity to play.”

“They deserve this recognition. Just to see it will be neat. I’ve never been there. My son has never been there. Just to get there, walk around a little bit and hang out will be really cool.”

RELATED: Little League strips Chicago team of title

For the Mountain West Little League in Nevada, it received the U.S. title banner and already had the experience of going to Williamsport.

For New Albany, the players and coaches were honored as Great Lakes champion with a ceremony in their town but didn’t get to experience the trip to Pennsylvania until now, thanks to Little League. The team bus leaves Tuesday and they will arrive Wednesday.

“Little League will bring the 2014 New Albany Little League Baseball team to attend this year’s Little League Baseball World Series,” Little League spokesman Brian McClintock said. “While nothing can replace the experience of playing in Williamsport, every Region Champion should have the opportunity to participate in the fun, exciting activities surrounding the World Series.”

While they won’t be able to play, of course, the team’s agenda will be full.

“The team from New Albany will be a part of the Grand Slam Parade, our Opening Ceremonies, receive the jerseys, hats, and medals that all World Series participants receive, and be welcomed at all other World Series events during their stay in Williamsport,” McClintock said. 

RELATED: Lawyer for Jackie Robinson West says ‘story isn’t over’

They also will get to throw out the first pitch for the opening game by the Great Lakes’ champion.

As for Jackie Robinson West, attorneys for the team filed a motion last week to drop its planned lawsuit. In its response before JRW announced its intention to drop the suit, Little League said eight of the 13 players were from outside the boundary and that JRW had orchestrated a “fraud and cover-up” that included two false maps.

Additional details were uncovered in a Outside The Lines report that aired Sunday, although neither Little League nor anyone associated with JRW would speak to ESPN.

Super 25 computer regional football rankings: Pacific

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The Super 25 computer rankings are back on USATODAYHSS.com and here are where teams stand divided by region.

The regions mirror those used in our Super 25 Expert rankings, which can be found here: Northeast, South, Midwest, Frontier and Pacific.

RELATED: Complete computer rankings

RELATED: Super 25 football computer rankings – who’s No. 1 in each state?

Here are the preseason rankings for the Pacific Region, which is composed of California, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Hawaii, Oregon and Alaska.

The number at the end of each line is where the school stands in the national rankings.

  1. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) — 1
  2. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) — 2
  3. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) — 4
  4. Chandler (Ariz.) — 5
  5. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) — 6
  6. Bishop Amat (La Puente, Calif.) – 12
  7. Centennial (Corona, Calif.) – 13
  8. JSerra (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) — 14
  9. Folsom (Calif.) — 21
  10. Crespi Carmelite (Encino, Calif.) — 23
  11. Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.) – 27
  12. Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) — 30
  13. Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) — 33
  14. Junipero Serra (Gardena, Calif.) — 35
  15. Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) – 39
  16. Bothell (Wash.) – 42
  17. Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.) — 47
  18. Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) – 53
  19. Oceanside (Calif.) – 59
  20. Central Catholic (Portland, Ore.) – 64
  21. Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.) – 67
  22. Mountain Pointe (Phoenix) – 70
  23. Grant Union (Sacramento, Calif.) — 76
  24. Alemany (Mission Hills, Calif.) – 82
  25. Bellevue (Wash.) – 83

MORE: Midwest Region computer rankings

MORE: South Region computer rankings

MORE: Northeast Region computer rankings

MORE: Frontier Region computer rankings

Super 25 Score Predictor: Week 1

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The Score Predictor is back again this year. We are featuring the top games on the Super 25 schedule. This week there are six Super 25 teams that count in the regular season schedule.

Here is how Score Predictor seems them and be sure to click on the Score Predictor link to see what it has to say for your school.

Thursday, Aug. 20

Chandler-vs.-Pinnacle
Carthage-vs.-Webb-City

Friday, Aug. 21

Timberview-vs.-Cedar-Hill

Saturday, Aug. 22

CoulquitCounty-vs.-NorthGwinnett

Clay-vs-Blackman

Sunday, Aug. 23

South-Panola-vs-Clinton

SCORES: Live in-game football scores from around the nation as they happen

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Our searchable national scoreboard returns our friends at ScoreStream.

Enter the school you are looking to find into the search box or click the state and then city of a school to get the latest scores as they happen.

RELATED: Super 25 scoreboard

Color of concussions?: Penn researchers develop crystal that changes color, could help diagnosis

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Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania say they have developed a color-changing polymer that can detect the amount of force sustained and hope to implement the material into football helmets to help provide a visual aid to diagnose concussions.

The researchers presented their findings at the National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society in Boston this week, according to Science Daily. Researcher Shu Yang says a patch on helmets that changes color and is force responsive would help athletic trainers, coaches and players.

“If the force was large enough, and you could easily tell that, then you could immediately seek medical attention,” she says.

Yan says the material is lightweight and does not require a power source, making it attractive for equipment at some point in the future. The material is made of polymer crystals that were heated to form a mold in the desired pattern.

“We were able to change the color consistently with certain forces,” Yang says. She cited adding the force of an 80 mph car running into a brick wall turned the crystals from red to green. A speeding truck hitting the same wall turned the crystal to purple.

“This force is right in the range of a blast injury or a concussion,” Yang told Science Daily.

The next step is to develop materials to determine how quickly the force is applied, a key step in helping to determine concussions.

Redskins' Trent Williams donates $25,000 to high school alma mater for EKG screening

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Washington Redskins offensive tackle Trent Williams has donated $25,000 to his high school alma mater in Longview, Texas, to help fund EKG screening for every member of the football program, according to the Tyler Morning Telgraph. The tests cost $15 apiece.

With Williams at training camp, his mother, Veronica, came to the school to make the presentation.

“This is home,” she told the Telegraph. “Trent loves giving back to the community here. He’s a Lobo. He’s going to die a Lobo. When it’s involving children, that’s his first love.”

In the spring, a bill was moving through the Texas legislature that would make the Lone Star State the first to mandate EKG testing for all high school athletes. The bill passed the House before it went over to the Senate.

The UIL had previously considered the mandatory tests as recently as two years ago but the organization’s Legislative Council voted against it.

Redskins offensive tackle Trent Williams (71) is giving back to his high school to help fund EKG screening. (Photo: Brad Mills, USA TODAY Sports)

Redskins offensive tackle Trent Williams (71) is giving back to his high school to help fund EKG screening. (Photo: Brad Mills, USA TODAY Sports)


VIDEO: Alabama prep receiver hurdles defender, makes SportsCenter's Top Plays

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Edgewood Academy in Alabama extended the nation’s longest 11-man football winning streak to 59 games with a 33-21 victory against Escambia, but the lasting image belongs to junior Jackson Tate.

Tate hurdled a defender on the way to the end zone. The play was named No. 1 on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays on Thursday night.

Here’s the play and Tate describing it, courtesy of AL.com.

Tate had five catches for 58 yards, two rushes for 22 yards and is also the team’s primary kick returners.

As for the result, Edgewood isn’t used to close games in its current run.  A fourth-quarter fumble recovery followed by a touchdown sealed the victory.

“We were nervous, a little bit,” running back Tyler Price told Gannett partner The Montgomery Advertiser. “We just had to play through it and play our ball — Edgewood ball.”

Here’s how Tate’s play looked on ESPN.

Clemson lands defensive tackle Nyles Pinckney, among top players in South Carolina

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The third-ranked football recruit in South Carolina for 2016 according to Rivals.com will remain in state for college.

Nyles Pinckney, a four-star defensive tackle who is No. 14 nationally at his position, committed to Clemson on Friday.

He chose Clemson over South Carolina, Georgia and GeorgiaTech among others.

Pinckney from Whale Branch High in Seabrook, S.C., had 98 tackles with 27 for loss, nine sacks, forced 10 fumbles, recovered eight fumbles and blocked three kicks, according to The Island Packet in Hilton Head, S.C.

LIVE VIDEO: Carthage at No. 21 Webb City (Mo.)

Summerville (S.C.) loses heartbreaker in first game of post-John McKissick era

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John McKissick was in the stands instead of on the sideline at the field that bears his name in Summerville, S.C., on Friday night.

The winningest football coach at any level with 621 victories, McKissick, 88, retired in July after 63 years and 10 state titles. Joe Call, one of three of McKissick’s grandsons to play for him, was named interim coach for this season shortly after his grandfather stepped down.

Call’s first game turned out to be a tough loss, 10-9 to Providence (Charlotte, N.C.) in what might be among the bigger wins in school history.

Summerville drove 48 yards in 54 seconds for a 26-yard touchdown on a pretty Hunter Thomas TD pass with six seconds left in the game but missed the extra point.

About three minutes earlier and trailing 10-3, Summerville was stopped on fourth-and-goal at the 10.

Summerville had beaten Providence 30-9 in North Carolina when the teams met last season in the opener. Summerville finished 8-5 and lost in the 4A Division I quarterfinals in McKissick’s last season.

Friday night, Summerville scored a field goal in the first quarter and the team remained scoreless through the rest of the first half. Providence then scored 10 unanswered points in the third quarter, with a 48-yard field goal and a 30-yard TD pass, setting up the drama in the final minutes.

 

VIDEO: Watch Josh Jackson win the Under Armour Elite 24 dunk contest

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The last time Josh Jackson was in the New York area, he scored 50 points in the Big Strick Classic.

Friday night in Brooklyn, Jackson hit 50 again — twice — as he won the Elite 24 slam dunk contest with perfect scores in the semifinal and final rounds.

Jackson, who plays for Prolific Prep in California and is ranked as the No. 3 player in the Class of 2016 by ESPN, also figures to be the star Saturday’s 10th annual Elite 24 showcase.

Jackson beat Baylor commit Mark Vital in the final. His 50 came when he tossed the ball off the backboard, caught it with his left hand, went between the legs and powered home the windmill with his right.

“I was a little nervous,” Jackson said on ESPNU. “I know a lot of the guys participating can jump a lot higher than me iso I just had to execute my dunks.”

Vital, who plays for Prime Prep in Dallas, was unable to complete the dazzling dunk he attempted several times and was forced to a more conservative dunk as time expired. Vital had Terrance Ferguson hold the ball behind his neck a few feet from the basket and Vital attempted to snatch the ball as he went by and throw it down.

In the semifinals, Jackson jumped over a teammate for a dunk that garnered a 50. Vital also got a 50 by jumping over three players and throwing it down with his right hand.

Earlier in the night, Ferguson won the three-point contest. A noted dunker, he did not advance to the finals in the dunk contest after posting a score of zero by not completing any of his attempts.

As for Saturday, Jackson was prodded by ESPNU’s Jay Williams as to whether he was aiming to post 50 points again.

“No clue,” Jackson said when asked what he had in mind. “Maybe 55, ..

“I’ll try,” he said smiling.

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