NationalHSFootball.com

Hutchinson in search of new coach

2013-12-13T20:43:48Z

– Dallas Jackson, NationalHSFootball.com

Randy Dreiling is moving on.

After pushing Hutchinson (Kan.) High onto the national scene during his 17 season tenure the head coach has announced his resignation.

According to multiple reports Dreiling will take over as the new coach at Overland Park (Kan.) St. Thomas Aquinas.

Dreiling screams during a play/
Chris Neal / The Wichita Eagle

Dreiling had taken over a program that was in the midst of a 26-game losing streak and helped bring it to a No. 18 finish in the HSFB100 for the 2009 season.

His legacy at Hutchinson includes seven state titles in a nine year stretch, 13 consecutive trips to the playoffs, and transforming a program from a bottom feeder into a model of success.

He told Joanna Chadwick of The Wichita Eagle that it was the new opportunity that intrigued him.

“The more I thought about it, (I realized) that I had probably done about all we could probably do here,” he said. “It might just be time for a new challenge, not that it’s the challenge to the depth of what it was when I got here.”

Hutchinson won six straight titles from 2004-09 and was nationally ranked multiple times.

The search for his replacement will begin immediately but finding a coach ready to step into the long shadow that was cast will be difficult.

Click to read more from Chadwick and her report on VarsityKansas.com.

MORE: Major rule change in Tennessee | Long Beach Poly coach resigns

Three HSFB100 teams win titles Thursday

2013-12-13T20:44:12Z

– Dallas Jackson, NationalHSFootball.com

Three HSFB100-ranked football teams claimed state championships on Thursday.

No. 20 Jenks (Okla.) High and No. 52 River Ridge (La.) John Curtis left little doubt while No. 86 Metairie (La.) Archbishop Rummel fought back to win by a single point.

Each of the three teams sealed their place in school history as well as cemented a spot in the final HSFB100 rankings.

NationalHSFootball.com recaps each of the contests and sums up the effect on the rankings.

Jenks downs Union to win Class 6A title

For the last two decades the state of Oklahoma has belonged to either Jenks or Tulsa Union and Thursday night — for the 14th time — it was the Jenks Trojans that hoisted a state title.

The No. 20-ranked program in the HSFB100 was more dominant than the 38-22 final indicated and the separation was wider than the rankings entering the game.

Union was the No. 63 team in the HSFB100 and entered the contest appearing to have momentum on its side but it was quickly turned away as the night belonged to its archrival.

Jenks eludes Union for the win/
Steve Exendine/OwassoReporter.com

Union came out of the gates quickly. The Redskins scored on its fourth offensive play as quarterback Mason Farquhar rushed 56 yards for a score beating Jenks defenders on a zone-read play.

From there Jenks struck with touchdowns on its next three possessions and took to a 21-7 lead in the first quarter.

The Trojans were led by sophomore quarterback Cooper Nunley, senior running back Cameron Booty, and senior athlete Steven Parker.

Nunley completed 11-of-15 passes for 188 yards and two scores in the contest.

Booty totaled 170 yards on the ground with two scores.

Parker hauled in five receptions for 147 yards and one score.

A turning point in the game was in the first quarter. Jenks lead 14-7 and Union faced a fourth and one from its own 29. The teams traded timeouts before Union elected to attempt to convert the play instead of punt.

Jenks defender Luke Thompson snuffed out the play in the backfield and two plays later the lead grew to 21-7.

While Union would fight back its second turnover of the half was an early nail in the coffin.

The Redskins appeared to be heading for a game-tying score when Farquhar was unable to handle a snap inside the redzone. It was recovered by Chris Lilly and it resulted in points for Jenks.

The swing was too much for Union to overcome as the halfime score was an insurmountable, 31-14.

Jenks scored early in the third quarter and Union responded with a touchdown of its own to start the fourth but it was never able to mount a serious threat from there.

Parker intercepted a pass with just over three minutes remaining to officially quell any thoughts of a comeback by Union and the final second wound out a 38-22 victory for Jenks.

The win will cement Jenks as a Top 25 team for the remaining two weeks and provide separation between the two teams in the final polls.

Union will slide back from the mid-60s to a placement, most likely, in the mid-80s.

Broken Arrow (Okla.) will remain the No. 3 team in the state and will be a fringe team for the final rankings. It is currently No. 93.

Read more from the OwassoReporter.com

Curtis clamps down on U-Lab in DII title win

In typical John Curtis fashion its defense rose to the occasion and its run-first offense ground an opponent down.

The 32-0 victory over Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab was not expected as U-Lab entered the Select Division II finals undefeated and boasting a roster nearly as talented as Curtis’.

Kenny Young and crew hit Manny Miles often/
Michael DeMocker, Nola.com

The Patriots finished with 352 yards on the ground — 401 total in the game — and held the opposition to just 215 total yards.

It was the third straight state championship for Curtis; the 26th overall for the school. Remarkably this was its 18th straight trip to the finals.

Head coach J.T. Curtis told NOLA.com that what seems like a rite of passage for his team is a culmination of a lot of hard work.

“People have such a high expectation when we play, and they think that winning is automatic. It’s not,” he said.

“(This whole season) took leadership of the players and the coaches to keep it together. The result culminated today.”

Playing without receiver Malachi Dupre — the teams highest-rated prospect — two other stars shined bright.

Four-star linebacker Kenny Young finished with 10.5 tackles and a sack was named the Most Outstanding Player.

Two-star running back Raekwon James finished with 97 yards rushing and a touchdown.

Curtis was able to shut down U-Lab quarterback Manny Miles — son of LSU coach Les Miles — as well as class of 2015 running back Nick Brousette and contain the impact of super freshman Dylan Moses.

The win caps an up-and-down season for Curtis. The team lost to Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas and New Orleans (La.) St. Augustine. It lost a teammate and had a coach battling cancer.

It will be in a position to contend for a Top 50 ranking but may likely stay just outside of the top half of the HSFB100.

U-Lab was on the fringe of the HSFB100 rankings entering the contest but will not break in after being shut out.

Read more from Kelly Morris at NOLA.com

Rummel wins state title by one point

The margin did not matter so much as the fact that it won.

Rummel trailed for the majority of the first three quarters of the Select Division I state finals contest against Shreveport (La.) Byrd but it took a 23-22 lead early in the fourth and held on for the victory.

The championship gave the team back-to-back state titles.

Rummel quarterback Chase Fourcade gave an honest assessment of the performance to NOLA.com.

“I love the feeling,” he said. “I’m so proud of my teammates. We didn’t execute at times, but we got it done when we needed to.”

Steven Dunbar races for a Rummel score/
Michael DeMocker, Nola.com

Fourcade completed 11 of 16 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown with one interception to earn Outstanding Player honors.

The team trailed 19-10 at halftime but it was timely in the second half and its defense was stout and it was able to earn the comeback championship.

On the second play of the second half, Fourcade hit receiver Steven Dunbar for an 86-yard touchdown to close the gap to 19-16.

Byrd answered with a field goal to extend its lead to 22-16 entering the fourth quarter.

Set up by a fumble recovery by the defense, Ivan Phillips ripped off a 22-yard touchdown to tie the contest with just over eight minutes to play in the game.

Justin Mourain kicked the decisive point after. His previous attempt had been blocked which made the final attempt all the more interesting.

Rummel totaled 408 yards in the game while its defense held Byrd to just 238 — with only 57 coming in the second half.

Phillips led the way for Rummel with 98 yards and the deciding touchdown on the ground while Dunbar finished with 144 yards on six catches.

Had Byrd held on it would have ended a 51-year title drought for that program as well.

Rummel was the No. 5 seed in the LHSAA playoffs and despite being nationally ranked in the HSFB100 was the perceived underdog entering the contest.

The team was ranked No. 86 in the HSFB100 while Byrd was unranked. Each will likely finish in that same situation.

Read more from NOLA.com writer Mike Strom by clicking here.

NATIONALHSFOOTBALL.COM RANKINGS HSFB100 | Media Compilation Top 25

Tennessee amends its rules after controversy

2013-12-13T00:02:32Z

– Dallas Jackson, NationalHSFootball.com

The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association took action in closing a loophole in its rules Thursday.

Weeks following an embarrassing interpretation that went in favor of Nasvhille (Tenn.) Ensworth head coach Ricky Bowers and his assistant Paul Wade, the TSSAA Legislative Counsel ensured it would never have to deal with a similar incident again.

The council voted unanimously to approve a bylaw that changes the timeframe for which game officials’ have authority, extending it from the final whistle to the final moment they are on the premises.

Ricky Bowers walks off the field/
George Walker IV / THE TENNESSEAN

According to National Federation of State High School Association, an officials’ jurisdiction “extends through the referee’s declaration of the end of the fourth quarter or overtime.”

The TSSAA added Article IV, Section 17 which changes that timeframe to begin “upon the arrival of one official within the visual confines of the field or court and ends when the last official leaves the premises at the conclusion of the game.”

Additionally the state amended Article I, Section 8 to read that “the host school is responsible for the safe passage of the game official upon arrival and exiting the facility.”

One final change was to Article IV, Section 7 that grants TSSAA bylaws as they relate to unsportsmanlike behavior and officials’ jurisdiction to supersede the rules of the NFHS.

The impetus for the changes stemmed from the ejection and subsequent suspension of Bowers and Wade after the final whistle in a semifinal contest with Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy.

The ejection occurred following an incident as time expired of the Tigers semifinal victory over Brentwood Academy.

[Watch the video: See the incident for yourself.]

Running towards the sideline to end the game, Ensworth quarterback Coleman Goodwin was shoved into the bench by Brentwood Academy defensive lineman Derek Barnett.

The coaches went onto the field and according to referee Michael Lloyd each were ejected for swearing — conduct Bowers denied.

The initial ruling would have made Bowers and Wade ineligible to coach the state championship game but it was overturned after reviewing game footage and determining that Bowers and Wade were ejected from after the official had indicated the game was over by waiving ball in the air. From that point the ejection was not within the power of the official to hand out nor the suspension valid.

Executive director of the TSSAA told the Daily News Journal that the move was made to ensure that going forward conduct would not be unbecoming because the officials were, technically, powerless.

“We do not want to get anything started that coaches, fans or anybody can feel they have a free shot at the officials,” Childress said.

MORE IN THE TENNESSEEAN: Thompson is Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year

Breaking down the best

2013-12-12T14:00:47Z

– Dallas Jackson, NationalHSFootball.com

Two respected polls have already named Miami (Fla.) Booker T. Washington its 2013 high school football National Champions.

While four others have the team in the top spot entering the weekend, three have acknowledged that there is no certainty the Tornadoes remain there for the duration of the season.

The two teams with the best chance to knock Booker T. Washington from the top line are Allen (Texas) High and Bellflower (Cali.) St. John Bosco.

The greatest advantage that Booker T. Washington has is that it is the leader in the clubhouse. The team neatly wrapped its season last week claiming a Florida Class 4A state title over Jacksonville (Fla.) Bolles.

The best chance Allen has to make a jump is this week if it can win a consensus Top 10 showdown on Saturday with HSFB100 No. 9 DeSoto (Texas) High in the Texas 5A Division I semifinals.

With a win its opposition in the finals will be either HSFB100 Pearland (Texas) High or San Antonio (Texas) Madison; while both are relevant teams neither would figure to give a boost over Allen if it doesn’t ascend to the top spot with a victory on Saturday.

St. John Bosco will play HSFB100 No. 31 Corona (Cali.) Centennial this weekend but its best chance to claim the top spot will be in the last week of the season.

If seeding holds it would pit St. John Bosco against consensus Top 10 program, Concord (Cali.) De La Salle. A decisive victory in the finals could prompt pollsters to make the switch as St. John Bosco has been on a historic run in California.

To dig further into the claims of each team, NationalHSFootball.com will break down each program relative to one another.

OFFENSIVE ANALYSIS

Quarterback: HA! Go ahead and try to split hairs in this group — we won’t. Booker T. Washington has the only senior of the trio as four-star Treon Harris has made the Tornadoes go. The dual-threat player is committed to Florida State and has exceptional command of the offense. Allen counters with a near mirror image in Kyler Murray. In his second year leading the team he may win another state title and has already been named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Texas. Murray is a four-star as well and is almost the identical size as Harris. The two share a similar skill set as well. Josh Rosen may get the slide edge in the discussion but it isn’t enough to claim a victor. Rosen leads St. John Bosco and is a protype for quarterback. He is 6-foot-4, 200 pounds and has a rocket for an arm. He is ranked as a five-star prospect and was named by Rivals.com as the No. 2 overall player in the class of 2015. Rosen led the way with 69-percent completions followed by Murray at 65 and Harris at 62 but because of the dual-threat ability of those two players the official scorecard here reads: DRAW.

Treon Harris may have BTW winning a National Title/
Follow him on Twitter.

Rushing Attack: This is another interesting debate as St. John Bosco is the only team to rely solely on its running backs and not account for the signal caller to run. The Braves have a pro-style quarterback so the stats for the position may look different than the other two. St. John Bosco could get the edge if this were an actual position debate by being able to rotate in Manasseh Anesi and sophomore Sean McGrew but it may not mean that the team actually rushes the ball better than the other two. Washington has a talented sophomore of its own as Mark Walton is already committed to the University of Miami and is a player that needs accounted for. His talent was clear and combined with Samford commit Krondis Larry and the ability for Harris to run the ball makes a tough trio. Allen has impressive balance as Murray is the teams leading rusher but he is balanced by Jaelen Barlow who nearly cracked 1,000 yards himself. The two players are only separated by a hundred yards total. To rank these three teams would be extremely difficult as well but we cannot just keep handing out ties, and so the scoreboard will read Allen, Washington, and St. John Bosco third.

Passing Attack: A combination of the quarterback and receiver grouping continues the comparison for the teams. With all due respect to the passing game at Allen its receivers are not on the level of St. John Bosco nor Booker T. Washington and this becomes a two team debate. At the top of the talent totem pole is St. John Bosco with Shay Fields and Jaleel Wadood. While the margin is very small — and there is nearly nothing in terms of measurables that could make one stand over the next — Fields and Wadood gets the edge here. Fields is a USC commitment while Wadood pledged to UCLA. The pair combined for nearly 150 receptions, over 2500 yards, and 35 touchdowns with potentially two games to play. Booker T. Washington features West Virginia-bound Lamar Parker and Appalachian State commitment Deltron Hopkins but as a team the Tornadoes barely had more completions or passing yards than just the headliners for St. John Bosco. The edge here is clear: St. John Bosco, Washington, and Allen third.

Offensive line While it becomes somewhat of a moot point at the end of the year Booker T. Washington returned zero starters from its offensive line last year, Allen only one. St. John Bosco had four players back and it used that edge to dominate in the trenches. The group is lead by Damien Mama at 6-foot-6, 350-pounds on the inside of the line. Mama is a finalist for the Lombardi Award and ranked as the No. 2 player at his position in the country. Next to him is 6-foot-3, 305 pound, four-star junior Zack Robertson and 6-foot-4, 290-pound Matt Katnik. After 14-plus games all the players for all three teams have plenty of experience and proved they can get the job done the advantage still goes to the Braves. The other two programs will be close for second but the list goes St. John Bosco, Allen, and Washington third.

DEFENSIVE ANALYSIS

Defensive line: Much like the passing attack, this is a spot where Allen goes to the back of the line quickly and the debate is between Booker T. Washington and St. John Bosco. Unlike the passing attack this is where Washington has the decided advantage. There are few front sevens in the country that are in the same breath with Washington and it starts up front. Having Chad Thomas and Demetrius Jackson makes the defense very tough to contend with as the bookends on the defensive line can rush the passer as well as have the footwork and skill to drop back into coverage. Thomas is a five-star player with Jackson rated as four-star player. Both are Miami commitments and in the range of 6-foot-5, between 225-to-230 pounds. St. John Bosco and Allen each have some namebrand players as well as strong overall line play but it isn’t what Washington has. The scoreboard here is Washington, St. John Bosco, and Allen third.

Can Christian Sam keep Allen moving to a National Title?/
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Linebackers: Allen quickly comes back to the front of the pack as its linebacking group is very strong. It was this position that likely cost the team a state and national title two years ago as it was slow and not aggressive but the Eagles have become much improved. Christian Sam and Tay Evans are committed to Arizona State and Oklahoma, respectively, and make a lot of tackles ranging sideline to sideline. Each has the size to play on the inside at the next level with the speed to stay outside. The difference between St. John Bosco and Booker T. Washington at this position is power versus speed. Chandler Leniu will lay hits for the Braves while Washington may not have ideal size players at the position they will fly to the ball. With Allen as the clear top dog at linebacker the other two aren’t separated by much and in a ranking of positions, linebacker is going to be towards the bottom. Rank it as Allen, St. John Bosco, and Washington third.

Secondary: It would be only fitting for the three groupings on defense to have a clear top team of the three. St. John Bosco gets the nod in this breakdown. The team features three, senior FBS-level players in the secondary and that is too impressive to argue with. Wadood starts on offense and is a lockdown cornerback which is a tipping point for the group. The Braves also have Naijiel Hale headed to Arizona and Chandler Hawkins opting for Air Force. The weakness may be that none are over six-feet but the receivers it would be lined up against if these teams had a round-robin tournament wouldn’t take advantage of it. As is the custom in South Florida the defensive backs for Washington are very good and can run with anyone in the nation. The ranking of this position group may be the easiest to figure from top to bottom. St. John Bosco, Washington, and Allen third.

OTHER CATEGORIES TO CONSIDER

Special teams: The edge on kicking goes to St. John Bosco with Allen in second. This is a major weakness for Washington when comparing the three teams. St. John Bosco has a real weapon in Reid Budrovich who has blasted almost all of his kickoffs for touchbacks to eliminate the opponents return game. He has good range in field goals as well and have made double-digit attempts this year. Count this as St. John Bosco, Allen, and Washington a distant third.

Jason Negro has hoisted one title can he make it three this year?

Coaching: Good luck here. Almost as close as quarterbacks is the coaching of these teams. Booker T. Washington has a master motivator in ‘Ice’ Harris who is very good on gameday and getting his kids ready to play. Allen counters with Tom Westerberg who is as cerebral a coach as there is in Texas and one of the best nationally. St. John Bosco is lead by Jason Negro who has only been at the school for three seasons but was successful at his previous stop and have helped elevate this team to new heights. Ranking these three is not going to happen.

Schedule: This is ever the wildcard and can be debated to no end. However, with the teams being so close in other evaluation points that it may become a deciding factor.

As previously noted Washington is at an amazing advantage as the team is already in the clubhouse with a completed resume while Allen and St. John Bosco each have losable games still to play.

For the sake of this analysis we will assume that all three teams finish unbeaten and both Allen and St. John Bosco finish with the highest possible combination of remaining schedule.

The baseline for comparison will be teams that are ranked in the HSFB100 as well as those considered nationally relevant. Wins not considered nationally relevant are ignored.

Booker T. Washington made a jump to the top spot by beating Norcross (Ga.) High into submission and edging Miami (Fla.) Central in the first two weeks of the season. From there it has been on relative cruise control. It has added wins over HSFB100 programs Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman and Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) University while also beating nationally relevant teams Miami (Fla.) Northwestern, Cocoa (Fla.) High, and Bolles.

Gorman has won a state title in Nevada while Central and Norcross are playing for state championships this weekend.

Current No. 2-ranked Allen has no out-of-state wins to claim but has been a Top 5 team all year. It has beaten HSFB100 teams in Southlake Carroll, Cedar Hill, Coppell, DeSoto and Pearland. It will have added wins over nationally relevant opponents The Woodlands and Houston Westfield, too.

The only other team that is still alive for a state title is Cedar Hill in 5A Division II.

St. John Bosco is currently No. 3 in the rankings but it may have the most difficult schedule when the season is over.

It has wins over HSFB100 teams Santa Ana (Cali.) Mater Dei — which it beat twice, Mission Hills (Cali.) Alemany, Corona (Cali.) Centennial, and Concord (Cali.) De La Salle.

The Braves would also boast nationally relevant wins against Chandler (Ariz.) High, Orange (Cali.) Lutheran, and Anaheim (Cali.) Servite. As a point of reference it also has a cross-over victory with Bishop Gorman on Washington’s schedule. St. John Bosco soundly beat Rancho Santa Margarita (Cali.) Santa Margarita while Bishop Gorman won an extremely controversial decision over Santa Margarita in which many point to the referees making multiple poor calls to push Gorman to victory.

When all is said and done there is no telling what team will finish at the top spot. What is clear is that with two weeks left in the season there are hardly any points of separation that would allow any poll to have decided to claim one of the teams superior to the others.

HSFB winners announced for Lombardi Award

2013-12-12T01:41:50Z

– Dallas Jackson, NationalHSFootball.com

In association with the Rotary Club of Houston and the Rotary Lombardi Award, the “Chip Off the Old Block” winners were announced Wednesday.

The finalists were divided into seven geographic regions from the Northeast, Midwest, South, and West as well as an individual state winners from California, Florida, and Texas.

Claiming the awards for the Class of 2014 were the following players.

Damien Mama, an offensive guard from Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco; offensive tackle KC McDermott of Wellington (Fla.) Palm Beach Central; Chatham (Ill.) Glenwood tight end Daniel Helm; Woodbridge (Va.) Senior High defensive end Da’Shawn Hand; Nashville (Tenn.) Montgomery Bell Academy offensive tackle Alex Bars; Ft. Worth (Texas) All Saints Episcopal offensive tackle Demetrius Knox, and Portland (Ore.) Central Catholic defensive end Connor Humprheys.

As an homage to the Seven Blocks of Granite offensive line that Vince Lombardi was a member during the 1936 season at Fordham University these high school finalists are dubbed Chips Off the Old Block.

The second annual Chip Off the Old Block award is for those players that best represent the same traits as expected of their collegiate counterparts and it was the belief of the selection partners that each projects to be tremendous collegiate athlete as well as being identified early as potential, future Lombardi Award candidates.

Inaugural winners included Robert Nkemdiche (Ole Miss) from the South and Eddie Vanderdoes (UCLA) representing California as well as Joey Bosa (Ohio State), Steve Elmer (Notre Dame), Patrick Kugler (Michigan), Scott Pagano (Clemson), and Kent Perkins (Texas) in Florida, Midwest, Northeast, West, and Texas, respectively.

Below are further comments on the winners. All photos are courtesy of Rivals.com.

California winner: Damien Mama, OG, Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco

Mama is one of the largest prospects nationally. The 6-foot-5, 360 pound players also has one of the biggest hearts. He is part of many extracurricular activities as well as a member of a nationally ranked high school football program. His service hours are easily met each semester and he is a leader on campus and in the locker room.

Runners up: Jamadre Cobb, LB, Los Angeles (Cali.) Salesian. Matt Dickerson, DE, San Mateo (Calif.) Serra

Florida winner: KC McDermott, OT, Wellington (Fla.) Palm Beach Central

Not only is KC a force on the field he is very active in his c community and on campus. He is part of the Safe School Ambassador program and carries a 3.4 grade point average. Ranked as one of the top prospects in his state by Rivals.com, KC is scheduled to graduate early and attend the University of Miami.

Runners up: Dillon Bates, LB, Ponte Vedra (Fla.) High. Demarcus Christmas, DT, Bradenton (Fla.) Manatee

Midwest winner: Daniel Helm, TE, Chatham (Ill.) Glenwood

An All-American football player and an all-around great person, Helm is active in his Fellowship of Christian Athletes on campus and a leader on the football team. He is No. 2 in his class and is already committed to the University of Tennessee. He is quiet and humble but when he talks people take notice and his leadership skills are clearly present.

Runners up: Braden Smith, OT, Olathe (Kan.) South. Dante Booker, LB, Akron (Ohio) St. Vincent-St. Mary.

Northeast winner: Da’Shawn Hand, DE, Woodbridge (Va.) Senior High

When one of the highest rated prospects in the country is also the hardest working member of the team it is a special thing to see and be a part of. Hand has been in the spotlight since his sophomore year and has never backed down from working hard and being a role model. His attitude off the field is as humble as his play is dominant and he has become an example for everyone on campus.

Runners up: Damian Prince, OT, Forestville (MD.) Bishop McNamara. Quenton Nelson, OT, Red Bank (N.J.) Catholic.

South winner: Alex Bars, OT, Nashville (Tenn.) Montgomery Bell Academy

Bars is a three-sport athlete that maintains a 90-plus average across the board in his classes as one of the toughest private schools in the state. He is part of the Priviledged List on campus and is looked at as a leader in the community. He makes time to stay well rounded by not only playing football, basketball, and throwing on the track team but plays his saxophone in the band.

Runners up: Cameron Robinson, OT, West Monroe (La.) High. Tre Williams, LB, Mobile (Ala.) St. Paul’s

Texas winner: Demetrius Knox, OT, Ft. Worth (Texas) All Saints Episcopal

As part of a school that sends 100 percent of its graduates on to college, Knox shines. He is one of the best football players in the state of Texas and has committed to the Ohio State University. He is part of his church as well as his school’s drama club. His service hours within the community are counted in the hundreds as he is an example of what the Lombardi Awards is about.

Runners up: Solomon Thomas, DE, Coppell (Texas) High. Zach Whitley, LB, Galena Park (Texas) North Shore

West winner: Conner Humphreys, DE, Portland (Ore.) Central Catholic

A motivator in the locker room as well as in the classroom, Humphreys maintains solid grades as well as stellar performance on the field. He completes over 20 hours of community service per semester and was called the most polite student in class by several of his teachers. He was asked to be part of an on-campus video with the school president to help raise money and awareness for several causes.

Runners up: Casey Tucker, OT, Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton. Dalton Schultz, TE, South Jordan (Utah) Bingham

About the Rotary Lombardi Award:
Established in 1970, the Rotary Lombardi Award has raised millions of dollars to help support cancer research, public education and direct services to cancer patients. The tradition of service about self – the Rotary motto – continues this year. The 43rd Rotary Lombardi Award show will be held December 11, 2013, at the Wortham Center in Houston, Texas and will again be hosted by CBS Sports Network analyst Spencer Tillman.

For more information on the schedule of events and ticket opportunities, please visit www.rotarylombardiaward.org and follow the March to Gridiron Greatness on Twitter at @RotaryLombardiAward.

National College Football Awards Association:
The Rotary Lombardi Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. For more information, visit the association’s official website, www.NCFAA.org.

Media Compilation Top 25 update

2013-12-11T21:23:03Z

– Dallas Jackson, NationalHSFootball.com

There is confusion among the human polls in the Media Compilation Top 25 as to when the high school football season ends.

Both the StudentSports Fab50 and the Scout.com Top 50 have named Miami (Fla.) Booker T. Washington its National Champion despite having multiple weeks of play left across the country.

NationalHSFootball.com HSFB100, the USAToday Super 25, MaxPreps Excellent 25, and PrepNation.com Top 25 all have Booker T. Washington in the pole position but each noted that there are teams that can make a move.

The two most likely threats are Allen (Texas) High and Bellflower (Cali.) St. John Bosco as the pair No. 2 and No. 3 in three of the remaining polls and each has a game against another consensus Top 10 team. Allen will be playing Desoto (Texas) this week while St. John Bosco projects to play Concord (Cali.) De La Salle next week.

A trend that has continued this week is the movement — or lack thereof — across the polls.

The Fab50, Scout.com Top 50, and USAToday Super 25 only made moves based on losses and did apparently did not consider the actual performance on the field of the teams.

Student Sports waited until Wednesday to put out its poll due to the weather pushing games back in Texas but seemingly the pollsters were only waiting to check the boxes. The only moves it made in the Top 25 was to drop Gardena (Cali.) Serra out from No. 14 and slide all of the teams up behind it one spot as nothing changed from No. 1 to No. 13. The other move was based on the loss of Euless (Texas) Trinity at the bottom of its last Top 25 as it pushed up several teams into the bottom of this update. Cincinnati (Ohio) Moeller was the lone team to make a move based on performance as it was boosted four placed inside the poll.

The Scout poll kept its top nine teams the same and dropped Serra out. It slid the rest of the teams up a spot and made a major move putting Pittsburgh (Pa.) Central Catholic into the Top 25. Outside of those two teams there was no change to its poll. Several of its teams had blowout wins against ranked teams while some escaped against unranked foes but nothing moved the needle in the poll.

Similarly the USAToday poll dropped Serra and Mentor (Ohio) High due to losses this weekend and added Moeller and Central Catholic to the bottom of its list. Its top nine did not change either and only the loss of Serra effected its most meaningful ranking slots.

The HSFB100, PrepNation Top25, MaxPreps Xcellent 25 and the Freeman Computer model all made adjustments due to play on the field. While the polls did not agree on all of the moves it was important to note that the panelists are still paying attention to how the results were attained and not just keeping teams that won in its previous placement.

The lone computer model maintained its stereotypical moves as well.

It was most generous to California and Ohio. It was the most harsh on Florida and NorCal teams. It also gave the benefit to dominant teams in states that are not considered among the top 15 states in the nation as opposed to programs that have a better strength of schedule but not the margin of victory that the algorithm favors.

With two weeks of play left there is still movement to be made — except for in two polls which have declared the showdown games immaterial and named its national champion.

1 (1) Booker T. Washington Miami FL 273

Washington is currently the top team in all human polls and is brought down to a one-point overall leader because of its placement barely inside the Top 10 of the computer rankings. The season is over for Washington and the only thing that can happen now is for humans to jump it. Based on the history of pollsters involved only two polls are likely to make that move but it may be enough to coast an overall national title.

2 (2) Allen Allen TX 272

The ranking of Allen didn’t change in any poll with its impressive victory this week but the gap was closed by a single point as Washington dropped back down in the computer ranking. If there was a week that was primed for Allen to make a move in the human polls it is this one as it will play Media Compilation No. 4 DeSoto.

3 (3) St. John Bosco Bellflower CA 260

The top California team in the compilation has positioned itself just outside the top two teams but within striking distance of a national title. The Braves are marching through the PAC5 playoffs and if it is able to defeat Corona (Cali.) Centennial and then Concord (Cali.) De La Salle there may be no more impressive December resume to be found.

4 (4) DeSoto DeSoto TX 248

The Eagles kept the No. 4 position but lost several points as two human polls dropped it down — most notably the HSFB100 which slid the team from No. 5 to No. 10. The rankings for DeSoto were all moot points until this week against Allen which will do a lot to determine the national title picture.

5 (5) Central Miami FL 243

Miami Central has been a comfy team at the No. 5 position as it continues to rest just outside of the teams competing for a national title. It also closed its gap on the No. 4 spot which it may overtake this week depending on how the Allen game goes with DeSoto.

6 (6) De La Salle Concord CA 240

De La Salle gained four points versus last week despite not playing a nationally relevant team. The Spartans will face a test this week going against Compilation Poll No. 20 Folsom (Cali.) High. Whether it has what it takes to jump into the Top 5 will be dependent on its game with St. John Bosco.

7 (7) Mountain Pointe Phoenix AZ 229

Mountain Pointe won the state championship by crushing a quality Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton to complete a stellar year. It was unchanged in its placement.

8 (8) Northwestern Rock Hill SC 223

Northwestern has been on a major climb recently and added eight more points this week — largely due to sliding up with the loss of Serra. the Trojans season is over but its 38 points gained in the final two weeks of the poll likely locks in a Top 10 finish.

9 (9) Katy Katy TX 206

Katy was moved to the No. 2 team in Texas by the HSFB100 but it did not effect its overall placement in the Media Compilation Poll. The Tigers were impressive this week and it was not recognized by any other poll.

10 (13) Moeller Cincinnati OH 188*

More impressive than the run for Northwestern has to be that of Moeller. The team went from No. 21 two week ago to a Top 10 team with wins over Hilliard Davidson and Mentor to claim consecutive state titles. It won a tiebreaker for this position over Bellevue because it has the highest ranking in a singular poll after each were unanimously ranked across the board.

11 (15) Bellevue Bellevue WA 188

12 (11) Hoover Hoover AL 182

13 (12) Jenks Jenks OK 160

14 (14) Blue Springs Blue Springs MO 156

15 (19) St. Joseph Regional Montvale NJ 149

16 (17) Mallard Creek Charlotte NC 144

17 (20) Central Catholic Pittsburgh PA 140

18 (16) Brother Rice Birmingham MI 130*

19 (22) Oscar Smith Chesapeake VA 130

20 (23) Folsom Folsom CA 125

21 (24) Dwyer West Palm Beach FL 114

22 (21) Bingham South Jordan UT 111

23 (25) Punahou Honolulu HI 72

24 (18) Mentor Mentor OH 66

25 (NR) Bishop Gorman Las Vegas NV 62

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: St. Edward (47); Edna Karr (42); Valor Christian (41); Lee’s Summit West (39); North Gwinnett (38); Maryville (34); Mater Dei (32); St. Vincent-St. Mary (27); Apopka (25); John Curtis (24); American Heritage (23); Oak Grove (21); Mt. Carmel (20); DeMatha (20); Buford (19); Coppell (18); Corona Centennial (18); Eden Prairie (18); Colerain (17); Norcross (17); Portland Central Catholic (17); Armwood (16); and Miramar (16).

PREVIOUSLY RANKED: No. 10 Gardena (Cali.) Serra.

LINKS TO ALL POLLS: NationalHSFootball.com HSFB100; StudentSports Fab50; Scout Top 50; USAToday Super 25; MaxPreps Xcellent25; PrepNation Top 25; and Freeman Computer Top 25

Andrew Brown named Gatorade Player of the Year

2013-12-11T15:52:15Z

– Dallas Jackson, NationalHSFootball.com

Chesapeake (Vir.) Oscar Smith defensive tackle Andrew Brown was named the 2013-14 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year.

The 6-foot-3, 298-pound prospect has helped the Tigers to a 14-0 record — good for the No. 13 ranking in the HSFB100 entering this weekend — and a berth in the Division 6 state final against HSFB100 No. 95 Centreville on Saturday.

Brown from the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge./View his profile.
Brown has totaled 93 tackles entering the state title game. He has added 18 sacks, 31 tackles for loss, eight forced fumbles and six fumbles-recovered. He also starts as the left tackle for the team.

He is committed to the University of Virginia and plans to enroll early. He is ranked as the No. 8 overall prospect in the country by Rivals.com.

With the new NCAA rules allowing prospects to sign their academic package early, Cavalier coach Mike London was able to give comment on his soon-to-be-star.

“Andrew is a dynamic player on the defensive side,” London told Rivals.com. “He’s the No. 1 defensive tackle in the country. I know that his ability, his accomplishments, his work ethic, I mean there’s so many different things about him that he brings to the table that makes your football team a better team.

“He’s a big young man, can play inside, can play outside, he’s athletic. I think he’s an immediate pass rushing threat. He’s a run stopper. You don’t want to anoint a high school guy as being ‘the guy.’ He’s still got to go against college-aged offensive linemen but you do look at a skill level and a skill set that this young man possesses that you can see why he’s as good as advertised. And then more than anything else, he’s a great young man. I mean, just character wise, just a great young man. That’s always number one in my book.”

Brown has maintained a weighted GPA of 3.64 in the classroom, is a devoted member of his church community, and he has volunteered locally on behalf of youth football camps.

His impact was noticed by opposing coaches as well.

Suffolk (Vir.) King’s Fork coach Joe Jones spoke glowingly of Brown when he was announced as the state player of the year.

“Andrew Brown makes a big impression,” Jones said. “It’s not often that you see someone that big move that fast. He’s tough, he moves well laterally and he demands double teams. They’ve got a great defense, but he really stands out.”

The Gatorade Player of the Year award recognizes outstanding athletic excellence as well as high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field.

Brown is now a finalist for the Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year award.

MORE AWARDS: Lombardi Award to name high school recipient tonight

1 (1)	Booker T. Washington	Miami	FL	273
	Washington is currently the top team in all human polls and is brought down to a one-point overall leader because of its placement barely inside the Top 10 of the computer rankings. The season is over for Washington and the only thing that can happen now is for humans to jump it. Based on the history of pollsters involved only two polls are likely to make that move but it may be enough to coast an overall national title.
2 (2)	Allen	Allen	TX	272
	The ranking of Allen didn’t change in any poll with its impressive victory this week but the gap was closed by a single point as Washington dropped back down in the computer ranking. If there was a week that was primed for Allen to make a move in the human polls it is this one as it will play Media Compilation No. 4 DeSoto.
3 (3)	St. John Bosco	Bellflower	CA	260
	The top California team in the compilation has positioned itself just outside the top two teams but within striking distance of a national title. The Braves are marching through the PAC5 playoffs and if it is able to defeat Corona (Cali.) Centennial and then Concord (Cali.) De La Salle there may be no more impressive December resume to be found.
4 (4)	DeSoto	DeSoto	TX	248
	The Eagles kept the No. 4 position but lost several points as two human polls dropped it down — most notably the HSFB100 which slid the team from No. 5 to No. 10. The rankings for DeSoto were all moot points until this week against Allen which will do a lot to determine the national title picture.
5 (5)	Central	Miami	FL	243
	Miami Central has been a comfy team at the No. 5 position as it continues to rest just outside of the teams competing for a national title. It also closed its gap on the No. 4 spot which it may overtake this week depending on how the Allen game goes with DeSoto.
6 (6)	De La Salle	Concord	CA	240
	De La Salle gained four points versus last week despite not playing a nationally relevant team. The Spartans will face a test this week going against Compilation Poll No. 20 Folsom (Cali.) High. Whether it has what it takes to jump into the Top 5 will be dependent on its game with St. John Bosco.
7 (7)	Mountain Pointe	Phoenix	AZ	229
	Mountain Pointe won the state championship by crushing a quality Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton to complete a stellar year. It was unchanged in its placement.
8 (8)	Northwestern	Rock Hill	SC	223
	Northwestern has been on a major climb recently and added eight more points this week — largely due to sliding up with the loss of Serra. the Trojans season is over but its 38 points gained in the final two weeks of the poll likely locks in a Top 10 finish.
9 (9)	Katy	Katy	TX	206
	Katy was moved to the No. 2 team in Texas by the HSFB100 but it did not effect its overall placement in the Media Compilation Poll. The Tigers were impressive this week and it was not recognized by any other poll.
10 (13)	Moeller	Cincinnati	OH	188*
	More impressive than the run for Northwestern has to be that of Moeller. The team went from No. 21 two week ago to a Top 10 team with wins over Hilliard Davidson and Mentor to claim consecutive state titles. It won a tiebreaker for this position over Bellevue because it has the highest ranking in a singular poll after each were unanimously ranked across the board.
11 (15)	Bellevue	Bellevue	WA	188
12 (11)	Hoover	Hoover	AL	182
13 (12)	Jenks	Jenks	OK	160
14 (14)	Blue Springs	Blue Springs	MO	156
15 (19)	St. Joseph Regional	Montvale	NJ	149
16 (17)	Mallard Creek	Charlotte	NC	144
17 (20)	Central Catholic	Pittsburgh	PA	140
18 (16)	Brother Rice	Birmingham	MI	130*
19 (22)	Oscar Smith	Chesapeake	VA	130
20 (23)	Folsom	Folsom	CA	125
21 (24)	Dwyer	West Palm Beach	FL	114
22 (21)	Bingham	South Jordan	UT	111
23 (25)	Punahou	Honolulu	HI	72
24 (18)	Mentor	Mentor	OH	66
25 (NR)	Bishop Gorman	Las Vegas	NV	62