Before descending upon Columbus, the members of Select '17 have one final shot at glory under the Friday night lights.
BY AIR AND BY LAND
The looming depth chart battle between Archbishop Hoban's Danny Clark and Las Vegas, Nevada, Bishop Gorman's Tate Martell is certainly going to be entertaining for fans, as they both bring a unique set of skills and the desire to win to the quarterback position. But before they ever get to Columbus, the pair must remain focused on their senior campaigns.
Archbishop Hoban began its state championship defense against Canton McKinley on Friday night. The 6-foot-4, 223-pound Clark accounted for five touchdowns (two passing and three rushing) and former Ohio State commit Todd Sibley rushed for 175 yards and a touchdown, as the Knights easily dispatched the Bulldogs, 42-14.
Danny Clark to Garrett Houser for a 52 yd TD. Archbishop Hoban leads Canton McKinley 21-7 w 540 left 2Q #NEOVarsity pic.twitter.com/Bm6dXU4t4w
— Ryan (@Isley23) August 26, 2016
Hoban, which has won 15 of Clark's 16 starts since he transferred from Massillon, plays reigning Division I state champion Lakewood St. Edward next week.
Third-ranked Bishop Gorman, meanwhile, won its 40th-consecutive game under the direction of Martell. He had touchdown runs of 13, 34 and 49 yards as the Gaels opened a 41-14 lead over No. 5 Cedar Hill, Texas.
Tate Martell #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/3grlTa1fOm
— Buckeye Videos+ (@BuckeyeVideos) August 28, 2016
The two-time defending USA TODAY Sports Super 25 Champions, Gorman looks once again take over the top spot in the rankings, as No. 1 Fort Lauderdale, Florida, St. Thomas Aquinas and No. 2 Grayson, Georgia, fell over the weekend.
A FIGHT FOR EVERY YARD
With 14 state championships between the two programs, it's no surprise that Friday night's game between top-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas and No. 6 Miami, Florida, Booker T. Washington was one for the history books.
A back-and-forth affair throughout, an 18-yard touchdown pass put the Tornadoes ahead, 27-23, with just over two minutes remaining in the contest. Following a 40-minute lightning delay, the Raiders had one final shot to win the game.
Facing a third-and-26, Florida quarterback commit Jake Allen found Ohio State wide receiver pledge Trevon Grimes for 22 yards to set up a fourth-and-manageable opportunity. After converting, Aquinas drove to the Booker T. 19-yard line, from where Allen thought he hit Grimes for a game-winning touchdown.
Somehow this wasn't a touchdown. Jake Allen intercepted the next play. STA in trouble. pic.twitter.com/MSQQA7RYTk
— Andrew Ivins (@Andrew_Ivins) August 27, 2016
Here's another angle:
At the 1 pic.twitter.com/uFbNkYn33X
— Josh Darrow (@joshdarrow) August 27, 2016
Officials marked the 6-foot-3, 180-pounder down at the 1-yard line, and Allen was intercepted on the very next play.
The game-sealing interception in the end zone for Booker T. Picked off Jake Allen with 23 seconds left. pic.twitter.com/zoqxaIkjvI
— Matthew DeFranks (@MDeFranks) August 27, 2016
Kevin Dyson knows your pain, Trevon.
IMAGES OF THE 2007 BCS CHAMPIONSHIP DANCE IN MY HEAD
La Grange, Texas, running back J.K. Dobbins' senior season got off to a rough start on Friday Night against Liberty Hill. The Ohio State commit gained 12 yards on the first play from scrimmage, but twisted his right ankle while being tackled near the sideline.
“J.K.'s distraught rigt now,” La Grange head coach Matt Kates told The Austin American-Statesman after the game. “He doesn't want to talk to anybody right now.”
Bad news. La Grange RB JK Dobbins hurt on 1st play at Liberty Hill. @spillmanphoto @statesman #centexpreps pic.twitter.com/yI2SqpifvO
— Rick Cantu (@Rickyprep) August 27, 2016
Though the 5-foot-10, 199-pounder left the field on crutches, he took to Twitter following the game to share that it was just a sprain.
Thanks man. just a minor setback https://t.co/XkRlsvrCTV
— Jk dobbins (@Jkdobbins22) August 27, 2016
The Leopards capped that drive with a touchdown, but repeated lightning sightings ultimately forced officials to cancel the game. It is considered no contest, and no makeup date is expected to be announced.
| NAME | POS | HIGH SCHOOL | OPPONENT | SCORE | STATS/NEWS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOSH MYERS | OT | MIAMISBURG (OH) | at WEST CARROLLTON (OH) | Won 44-0 | The Vikings rushed for four touchdowns in the win. |
| WYATT DAVIS | OG | ST. JOHN BOSCO (CA) | at ST. XAVIER (OH) | Won 34-0 | The Braves had 492 yards of total offense against one of Ohio's best defenses. |
| TREVON GRIMES | WR | ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (FL) | at BOOKER T. WASHINGTON (FL) | Lost 27-23 | Nine catches for 161 yards and what should have been the game-winning touchdown. |
| SHAUN WADE | CB | TRINITY CHRISTIAN (FL) | at COCOA (FL) | 2 p.m. | Final game of GEICO ESPN High School Football Kickoff. Watch Sunday on ESPN2. |
| CHASE YOUNG | WDE | DeMATHA CATHOLIC (MD) | OSCAR SMITH (VA) | Won 42-7 | Held the second-best team in Hampton Roads to their lowest point total in nearly three years (35-6 VHSL Championship loss to Centreville). |
| TYJON LINDSEY | WR | BISHOP GORMAN (NV) | at CEDAR HILL (TX) | Won 44-14 | DNP |
| J.K. DOBBINS | APB | LA GRANGE (TX) | at LIBERTY HILL (TX) | NO CONTEST | Injured his ankle on first play of the game, which was cancelled due to inclement weather in the first quarter. |
| ISAIAH PRYOR | DB | IMG ACADEMY (FL) | GRAYSON (GA) | Won 26-7 | Ascenders held the Rams to 37 rushing and 115 passing yards. |
| TATE MARTELL | DUAL | BISHOP GORMAN (NV) | at CEDAR HILL (TX) | Won 44-14 | Martell was 10 of 22 for 135 yards passing and rushed 148 yards and three touchdowns in the battle of top-five teams. |
| HASKELL GARRETT | DT | BISHOP GORMAN (NV) | at CEDAR HILL (TX) | Won 44-14 | The Gaels held Cedar Hill to 250 total yards and only eight first downs, frustrating the Longhorns all night. |
| JAKE MORETTI | OL | POMONA (CO) | at CHATFIELD (CO) | Won 35-13 | Tore ACL during offseason camp. Out for season. |
| BRENDAN WHITE | ATH | OLENTANGY LIBERTY (OH) | at North Allegheny | Won 30-29 | White threw for 160 yards and rushed for 126 more, but his 1-yard touchdown run with 25 seconds left gave the Patriots the come-from-behind win. |
| AMIR RIEP | CB | COLERAIN (OH) | WARREN CENTRAL (IN) | Won 31-28 | Riep's 45-yard punt return set up the Cardinals' game-winning touchdown in the final minute. |
| JERRON CAGE | DT | WINTON WOODS (OH) | at NORTHMONT (OH) | Lost 32-23 | |
| MARCUS WILLIAMSON | DB | IMG ACADEMY (FL) | GRAYSON (GA) | Won 26-7 | After Grayson’s first-quarter score, Williamson and the IMG defense only allowed 71 yards of offense the rest of the game. |
| ANTJUAN SIMMONS | OLB | PIONEER (MI) | MUSKEGON (MI) | Lost 51-14 | Simmons was neutrilized for most of the game, as Muskegon used to opposite side of the field. His muffed punt led to score, but this game was never close. |
| DANNY CLARK | QB | ARCHBISHOP HOBAN (OH) | at CANTON McKINLEY (OH) | Won 42-14 | Threw a pair of passing touchdowns and rushed for three more in the win. |
| BLAKE HAUBEIL | K | CANISIUS (NY) | OPEN | OPEN |
| NAME | POS | HIGH SCHOOL | OPPONENT | SCORE | STATS/NEWS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EMORY JONES | QB | HEARD COUNTY (GA) | GREENVILLE (GA) | Won 47-6 | Jones threw two touchdown passes for the Braves, and made one viscous tackle from the safety position. |
| BRIAN SNEAD | RB | ARMWOOD (FL) | at PLANT CITY (FL) | Won 36-16 | Left game in the second half with injured back. |
| CLASS | RECORD | WIN % | POINTS | AVG. SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 12–3 | .800 | 502-257 | 33-17 |
| 2018 | 2–0 | 1.000 | 83-22 | 42-11 |
| COMBINED | 14–3 | .824 | 585-279 | 34-16 |
| CLASS | RECORD | WIN % | POINTS | AVG. SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 12–3 | .800 | 502-257 | 33-17 |
| 2018 | 2–0 | 1.000 | 83-22 | 42-11 |
| COMBINED | 14-3 | .824 | 585-279 | 34-16 |
