Every weekend in the fall, thousands of high school football teams line up and take their shot at prep glory. The morning Prep Tracker is your final stop for the names, numbers and scores that mattered to Ohio State's recruiting efforts.
A HOT STOVE-R
When Lexington (Ohio) linebacker Cade Stover committed to the Buckeyes, he did so as a linebacker. But before he arrives in Columbus, his high school team will continue to hand him the football in the backfield ... and for good reason.
In a 44-16 win over Mansfield, Stover rushed the ball 16 times for 228 yards and a pair of touchdowns. And yes, he also made an impact on the defensive side of the ball.
From the Richland Source:
Stover might have had a third touchdown and an additional 12 rushing yards were it not for leg cramps late in the third quarter. Instead, he settled for a 66 yard gain down to the Tygers’ 12-yard line.
“Both hamstrings and both calves grabbed and I bit it,” the affable Stover said with a laugh afterward. “Otherwise, I don’t they would have caught me.”
In addition to his career rushing night, Stover was seemingly in on every tackle on the defensive side of the ball.
“Everybody in the nation knows how good he is,” Lex coach Taylor Gerhardt said. “He just decided we were going to win this tonight.”
ALL THEY DO IS WIN
Stover was far from the only future Buckeye to help his team pick up a win Friday. In fact, out of the 15 members of the 2019 recruiting class, 12 earned victories.
Five-star wide receiver Garrett Wilson caught an 18-yard touchdown pass in yet another blowout win as Lake Travis rolled past Austin, improving to 5-0. And, just in case you forgot, Wilson is really good. For example ...
.@GarrettWilson_V: One of the best wide receivers to ever come out of the state of Texas
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisTOC) September 29, 2018
Ohio State is getting a good one pic.twitter.com/tPNOE7yiNP
Elsewhere, DePaul Catholic (N.J.) athlete Ronnie Hickman reach the end zone twice, one score coming on a 55-yard reception, in a 16-13 upset of St. Peter's Prep. Offensive linemen Harry Miller (Buford, Ga.) and Doug Nester (Huntington, W. Va.) aided their teams to 49-0, 49-10 and 21-13 wins, respectively.
Avon (Ind.) running back Sampson James rushed for 121 yards on 26 carries with a score in a 20-13 win. James has now accumulated 912 yards and 10 touchdowns on 152 attempts.
Bryson Shaw, a safety from the Bullis School (Md.) needed just two receptions to gain 108 yards and score twice while making a pair of tackles on the defensive side of the ball while Wayne (Ind.) athlete Craig Young had two catches for 13 yards and two tackles in a win.
Oh yeah, you remember the newest Ohio State commit, right? Mr. Jameson Williams of Cardinal Ritter Prep (Mo.) did nothing to disappoint in his first game as a future Buckeye. In a 41-19 victory, Williams caught six passes for 85 yards with a trip to the house.
Mentor (Ohio) teammates Ryan Jacoby and Noah Potter beat Medina 49-10, Oak Park (Mich.) quarterback Dwan Mathis willed his Knights to their seventh straight win by a 26-9 final, and Whitehaven (Tenn.) tight end Cormontae Hamilton helped in a 35-0 shutout win.
Blessed Trinity Catholic (Ga.) running back Steele Chambers and St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) safety Jordan Battle had the week off.
A CHANCE TO BOUNCE BACK
While Ohio State's 2019 recruiting class had a great week in most aspects, the 2020 class wasn't as fortunate as three took losses and one was forced to leave with an injury.
Lejond Cavazos, a safety at IMG Academy (Fla.), was taken off the field on a stretcher during his Ascenders' 34-7 win over Northwestern Miami. The good news: Cavazos says that he'll be OK. As more details begin to emerge, we'll make sure to keep you up to date.
Meanwhile, St. Xavier's Paris Johnson Jr. and Chaparral (Az.) teammates Jack Miller and Darvon Hubbard all suffered losses. Johnson and the Bombers fell 51-26 while Miller and Hubbard's Firebirds were edged out in a closely contested 47-44 contest.
As Jake Wray and Marietta (Ga.) had the week off, St. Joseph Regional (N.J.) offensive lineman Luke Wypler helped his team rack up 358 total yards in a 56-14 win.
(Ronnie Hickman photo viaMichael Karas/NorthJersey.com)
| NAME | POS | HIGH SCHOOL | OPPONENT | SCORE | stats/news |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GARRETT WILSON | WR | LAKE TRAVIS (AUSTIN, TX) | AUSTIN (AUSTIN, TX) | Won 66-21. | 18-yard TD catch |
| STEELE CHAMBERS | RB | BLESSED TRINITY CATHOLIC (ROSWELL, GA) | BYE | N/A | N/A |
| HARRY MILLER | OL | BUFORD (BUFORD, GA) | JOHNSON (GAINSVILLE, GA) | Won 49-0. | Aided offense to 403 total yards |
| DOUG NESTER | OL | SPRING VALLEY (HUNTINGTON, WV) | CAPITAL (CHARLESTON, WV) | Won 21-13. | Helped team post total of 309 rushing yards |
| JORDAN BATTLE | S | ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (FORT LAUDERDALE, FL) | BYE | N/A | N/A |
| RONNIE HICKMAN | ATH | DEPAUL CATHOLIC (WAYNE, NJ) | ST. PETER'S PREP (JERSEY CITY, NJ) | Won 16-13. | 2 TD receptions, 1 of 55 yards |
| CADE STOVER | OLB | LEXINGTON (MANSFIELD, OH) | MANSFIELD (MANSFIELD, OH) | Won 44-16. | 16 carries, 228 yards, 2 TD |
| SAMPSON JAMES | RB | AVON (AVON, IN) | WESTFIELD (WESTFIELD, IND) | Won 20-13. | 26 carries, 125 yards, TD |
| DWAN MATHIS | QB | OAK PARK (OAK PARK, MI) | TROY (TROY, MI) | Won 26-9. | N/A |
| RYAN JACOBY | OT | MENTOR (MENTOR, OH) | MEDINA (MEDINA, OH) | Won 49-10. | Helped offense rack up 476 yards of total offense |
| NOAH POTTER | DE | MENTOR (MENTOR, OH) | MEDINA (MEDINA, OH) | Won 49-10. | Led a defense that gave up just 147 total yards |
| CRAIG YOUNG | ATH | WAYNE (FORT WAYNE, IN) | CONCORDIA LUTHERAN (FORT WAYNE, IN) | Won 27-20. | 2 catches, 13 yards, 2 tackles |
| CORMONTAE HAMILTON | TE | WHITEHAVEN (MEMPHIS, TN) | TREZEVANT (MEMPHIS, TN) | Won 35-0. | N/A |
| BRYSON SHAW | S | THE BULLIS SCHOOL (POTOMAC, MD) | ST. MARY'S RYKEN (LEONARDTOWN, MD) | Lost 34-33. | 2 catches, 108 yards, TD, 2 tackles, 1/2 TFL |
| JAMESON WILLIAMS | WR | CARDINAL RITTER PREP (ST. LOUIS, MO) | ST. MARY'S (ST. LOUIS, MO) | Won 41-19. | 6 catches, 85 yards, TD |
| NAME | POS | HIGH SCHOOL | OPPONENT | SCORE | stats/news |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JACK MILLER | QB | CHAPARRAL (SCOTTSDALE, AZ) | BOULDER CREEK (ANTHEM, AZ) | Lost 47-44. | N/A |
| DARVON HUBBARD | RB | CHAPARRAL (SCOTTSDALE, AZ) | BOULDER CREEK (ANTHEM, AZ) | Lost 47-44. | N/A |
| PARIS JOHNSON JR. | OL | ST. XAVIER (CINCINNATI, OH) | ELDER (CINCINNATI, OH) | Lost 51-26. | The Bombers have now dropped three straight. |
| LUKE WYPLER | OL | ST. JOSEPH REGIONAL (MONTVALE, NJ) | PARAMUS CATHOLIC (PARAMUS, NJ) | Won 56-14. | Anchored offensive line as Green Knights rack up 358 total yards. |
| JAKE WRAY | OL | MARIETTA (MARIETTA, GA) | BYE | N/A | N/A |
| LEJOND CAVAZOS | S | IMG ACADEMY (BRADENTON, FL) | NORTHWESTERN (MIAMI, FL) | Won 34-7. | Was taken off the field on a stretcher after to injury. Says he'll be OK. |
