ESPN ESPN RISE Football Blog

Posted by Ben Rohrbach

If you're in the casting business and some young actor walks into your office proclaiming his last name is Pacino, Deniro or Brando, I'm guessing a light bulb might turn on above your head. In the football business, let's just say the names Gholston, Gore and Barry Sanders Jr. sound vaguely familiar. And we'll be hearing them a lot more in the coming years.

William Gholston is the cousin of former Ohio State standout linebacker and New York Jets 2008 first-round draft selection Vernon Gholston. The younger Gholston -- a 6-foot-7, 240-pound Michigan State-bound senior defensive end -- has recorded 123 tackles, 31 sacks and 10 forced fumbles in 11 games this season, leading Detroit Southeastern (Mich.) to a Division 1 state quarterfinal showdown with unbeaten ESPN RISE FAB 50 No. 45 Sterling Heights Stevenson on Saturday.

Jakhari Gore is the cousin of San Francisco 49ers Pro Bowl running back Frank Gore. The 5-foot-9, 175-pound Columbus (Fla.) senior running back is the leading ball-carrier in the Miami-Dade and Broward County area, rushing for 1,471 yards and 24 touchdowns on 129 carries (11.4 yards per carry) in nine games. His team faces ESPN RISE FAB 50 No. 29 Miami Central in the Class 6A regional quarterfinals on Nov. 20.

Barry Sanders Jr. is the son of the Heisman Trophy-winning Hall of Fame running back. Just a sophomore, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Heritage Hall (Okla.) running back has rushed for 1,331 yards and 15 touchdowns on 176 carries in addition to catching 13 passes for 167 yards and three scores in 10 games. His team faces Meeker in the first round of the Class 2A playoffs on Friday.

High school football: Where everybody knows your name.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

It's an deep class of offensive linemen in the West, but it's a class lacking in that one bonafide superstar-type prospect. There's very little separating any of the players in our top five and it would not be a surprise if the top five was listed in reverse order at the end of the year.

Chris Ward plays tackle at the high school level but likely will move to guard in college. He needs to get stronger but is very sound technically and has a high understanding for how to play the game.

Ward is a good athlete who can move well in the box. He finishes his blocks well and has the ability to crash in a whole side of a defensive line at the HS level. Ward has battled injuries since his sophomore year but when healthy, has been a major difference maker for the Monarchs running game.

Nick Rowland has a similar frame as Ward and might play with even more of a mean streak. He's not as polished as Ward but has a similar upside due to his improving athleticism from a year ago.

Rowland is the kind of lineman that plays through the whistle and has the mentality where he wants to physically dominate his man rather than just block him. He's a strong kid and, like Ward, plays tackle at the high school level but projects best as a guard in college.

Giovanni Di Poalo is yet another high school tackle who projects at another position in college. Di Poalo was recruited to play center by the Trojans and has very good athleticism. He has a frame that he can grow in to and just needs to work on his overall strength before he's ready to make an impact at the next level.

Erik Kohler is the one player in our top five who will likely stay at tackle in college. He has a great frame and has worked hard on his body to improve both his strength and athleticism in the last year. His long arms make him look taller than he really is and the lineman does a nice job leading sweeps and he's an advanced pass blocker as well.

Alex Crosthwaite is a road grader of a lineman and is a tremendous run blocker. He's very strong in the lower body and gets great leverage to drive his man down the field. He has a wide frame, broad shoulders and has a chance to be a solid pass protector at the next level. He plays with a mean streak, is a tough kid and has as much upside as anyone on this list.

Top 10:

1. Chris Ward, 6-4, 285, Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei, undecided
When healthy, is one of the most dominant players in the region.

2. Nick Rowland, 6-4, 290, Peoria (Ariz.) Centennial, undecided
Could be the most physical lineman in this group.

3. Giovanni Di Poalo, 6-5, 255, Ventura (Calif.) St. Bonaventure, USC
Athletic tackle who will transition to center in college.

4. Erik Kohler, 6-4, 255, Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian, Washington
Fundamentally sound player who has improved his strength in the last year.

5. Alex Crosthwaite, 6-4, 300, San Diego (Calif.) Cathedral Catholic, Cal
Road grader at guard who plays with a mean streak.

6. Micah Hatchie, 6-5, 290, Wailua (Hawaii), undecided
Top lineman on the Islands has ideal size and good strength as well.

7. Kody Innes, 6-4, 275, Scottsdale (Ariz.) Saguaro, undecided
The latest standout lineman from the strong Arizona program.

8. Sil Ajawara, 6-4, 305, Los Flores (Calif.) Tesoro, undecided
Moves well for a big man and has a nice upside to him.

9. Ben Riva, 6-6, 285, Seattle (Wash.) O'Dea, Washington
Strong run blocker and much more athletic than given credit for.

10. Hroniss Grasu, 6-3, 240, Encino (Calif.) Crespi, Oregon
Versatile lineman who could play on either side of the ball in college.

The Next 15:

(Players listed with height, weight, high school and college commitment in bold, if applicable)

11. Graham Rowley, 6-3, 260, Waialua (Hawaii), BYU
12. Wade Yandall, 6-4, 295, Carson (Calif.)
13. Michael Criste, 6-5, 285, Mission Viejo (Calif.)
14. Colin Porter, 6-4, 300, Bothell (Wash.), Washington
15. Geoff Gibson, 6-4, 325, Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman, California
16. Ben Gottschalk, 6-4, 250, Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Notre Dame
17. Blair Tushaus, 6-3, 275, Scottsdale (Ariz.) Notre Dame Prep, BYU
18. Roman Sapolu, 6-1, 240, Huntington Beach (Calif.) Edison, Oregon State
19. Matthew Jakubiec, 6-8, 275, Anaheim (Calif.) Servite, Arizona
20. David Lefotu, 6-4, 280, Pearl City (Hawaii), Hawaii
2. Manu Mulitalo, 6-3, 305, West Valley City (Utah) Granger, BYU
22. John Fullington, 6-5, 275, Belfair (Wash.) North Mason, Washington State
23. Jordan Black, 6-7, 255, Sandy (Utah) Alta, BYU
24. Avery Poates, 6-4, 310, Moreno Valley (Calif.) Rancho Verde
25. Kaiwi Crabb, 6-5, 250, Honolulu (Hawaii) Punahou

Other Offensive Linemen of Note
(Players listed in alphabetical order with height, weight, high school and college commitment in bold, if applicable.)

Eric Alt, 6-5, 330, Ontario (Calif.) Colony
James Atoe, 6-7, 330, The Dalles (Ore.)
Jay Barlow, 6-2, 260, La Mesa (Calif.) Helix
Spencer Beale, 6-4, 301, Lewiston (Idaho), Idaho
Demetrius Beaver, 6-2, 280, Los Angeles (Calif.) Westchester
Emmanuel Beavers, 6-4, 310, Wilmington (Calif.) Banning
Troy Boyland, 6-2, 290, Palo Alto (Calif.)
Lamar Bratton, 6-1, 260, Riverside (Calif.) North
Corin Brooks, 6-4, 270, Riverside (Calif.) Arlington
Jase Butorac, 6-2, 270, Sammamish (Wash.) Skyline
Ben Cannon, 6-1, 270, Tucson (Ariz.) Tucson
Devin Dashnaw, 6-6, 315, Surprise (Ariz.) Willow Canyon
Daniel Fleischman, 6-6, 270, Issaquah (Wash.)
Joe Frank, 6-3, 285, Moorpark (Calif.), Air Force
Matthew Galas, 6-0, 265, Modesto (Calif.) Central Catholic
Jared Hansen, 6-5, 275, Tacoma (Wash.) Curtis
Kody Hartley, 6-6, 310, Prosser (Wash.)
Chandler Hubbard, 6-4, 260, Salinas (Calif.)
Marques Johnson, 6-1, 340, Los Angeles (Calif.) Westchester
Keli'I Kekuewa, 6-2, 315, Keaau (Hawaii) Kamehameha
Patrick Kim, 6-2, 290, Chino Hills (Calif.) Ayala
Kyle Lillie, 6-2, 270, Surprise (Ariz.) Valley Vista
Ben Loth, 6-5, 275, Encino (Calif.) Crespi
Frank Loyd, 6-3, 260, Honolulu (Hawaii) Moanalua, Hawaii
Dylan Lusk, 6-2, 270, Peoria (Ariz.) Centennial
Braden Lyons, 6-5, 275, Sonoma (Calif.) Sonoma Valley
Mike Marboe, 6-2, 295, Wenatchee (Wash.)
Michael Mitchell, 6-4, 275, Encino (Calif.) Crespi
Shane Moniz, 6-3, 260, Canyon Country (Calif.) Canyon
Daniel Munyer, 6-2, 265, Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Notre Dame
Junior Nieves, 6-4, 290, Peoria (Ariz.) Centennial
Kjelby Oiland, 6-3, 265, Spokane (Wash.) Ferris
Dontrell Onuoha, 6-2, 265, La Quinta (Calif.)
Zach Perron, 6-6, 260, Santa Maria (Calif.) St. Joseph's
David Peterson, 6-4, 255, Redlands (Calif.) East Valley
William Poehls, 6-6, 290, Chandler (Ariz.)
Connor Rains, 6-6, 300, Shingle Springs (Calif.) Ponderosa
Billy Rone, 6-4, 285, Tempe (Ariz.) Marcos de Niza
Brian Roth, 6-5, 275, El Toro (Calif.)
Ty Sambraillo, 6-5, 255, Watsonville (Calif.) St. Francis
B.J. Sonboli, 6-3, 285, Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) Los Osos
Derek Stickney, 6-6, 300, Placentia (Calif.) El Dorado
Tyler Sulka, 6-5, 270, Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Notre Dame
Colin Tanigawa, 6-3, 270, Los Angeles (Calif.) Loyola
David Vieru, 6-3, 275, Gresham (Ore.) Centennial
Bryce Walker, 6-7, 300, Pleasant Grove (Utah), Utah State

Posted by Brian Stumpf

The updated Florida AP state rankings are out, and to no one's surprise, FAB 50 No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) remains No. 1 in Class 5A as the Raiders prep for the showdown with FAB 50 No. 2 Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) on Friday night in South Florida. Another Sunshine State showdown that could be nearly as highly anticipated next Thursday on ESPNU is FAB 50 No. 4 Northwestern (Miami, Fla.) versus FAB 50 No. 12 Central (Miami, Fla.). The Bulls and Rockets currently sit at No. 1 and 2 in the state Class 6A rankings and split two meeting last fall.

Posted by Kynon Codrington

Georgia State Report

1. Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.)

Another Friday night, another dominating performance as Lowndes trounced Tift County (Tifton, Ga.), 50-7. The Viking rushing attack gashed the Blue Devils for 409 yards behind junior RB Troy Braswell's 156 yards and two touchdowns. Senior LB Telvin Smith, a Florida State pledge, collected seven tackles and three for loss. Smith and company look are on the road next week against Northside-Warner Robins.

2. Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)

The Rams topped district foe, Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.), 33-27, on Friday night at the Big Orange Jungle. Grayson jumped out to a 17-0 lead before Parkview tied it at 20-20 late in third quarter. Senior RB Ean Pemberton led the ground game with 103 yards rushing on 23 carries and two TD's. Defensively, the Rams intercepted three passes, two by senior S Kori Gaines, a BYU commit. Grayson will host Shiloh this week.

3. North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.)

North Gwinnett trailed 3-0 early before scoring thirty unanswered points against Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.) in a 30-3 victory. Junior QB CJ Uzomah threw a 50-yard TD pass and added a rushing score for the offense. The 'Dawgs are idle this week.

Florida State Report

1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)

St. Thomas easily handled Cardinal Gibbons on Friday night, 35-7. Aquinas senior RB James White racked up 130 yards of total offense and scored two touchdowns. The win sets up a national showdown with ESPN RISE FAB 50 # 2 Byrnes (Duncan, SC) this week at Lockhart Stadium on ESPNU.

2. Miami Northwestern (Miami, Fla.)

Junior QB Teddy Bridgewater threw for a Miami-Dade County record, seven touchdown passes on 19 of 24 passes for 327 yards in a 54-23 win over Hialeah-Miami Lakes. Bridgewater was able to share the wealth hitting five different receivers for touchdowns. The Bulls square off against Booker T. Washington (Miami, Fla.) in non-district action.

3. Lakeland

The 'Naughts stopped a two-point conversion in overtime to edge De La Salle (Concord, Calif.), 31-30, on ESPN2. Lakeland overcame penalties and turnovers to leave the Sunshine State with a big win. Junior WR Javares McRoy hauled in seven receptions for 102 yards and a pair of touchdowns. McRoy's TD run in overtime gave Lakeland and the defense held on the conversation attempt for the exciting win. The Dreadnaughts look to tackle Plantation (Plantation, Fla.) this week at Bryant Stadium.

4. Miami Central (Miami, Fla.)

The Rockets kept the scoreboard operator busy on Thursday night in a 70-24 thrashing of Miami Springs. Senior QB Jeff Godfrey was almost perfect completing 13 of 16 attempts for 332 yards and six touchdowns. Godfrey also rushed for 103 yards and a score. Central takes on city rival Carol City (Miami, FL) on Thursday at Traz Powell Stadium.

5. Bolles (Jacksonville, Fla.)

Bolles simply overmatched Interlachen in a 70-9 rout in district action. Junior QB Chandler Carr threw two touchdown passes his third straight multi-touchdown game. Next up for Bolles is a road tilt against Fernandina Beach.

ESPN RISE Georgia-Florida Performer of the Week

Northwestern (Miami, Fla.) junior QB Teddy Bridgewater threw for a Miami-Dade County record seven touchdown passes on 19 of 24 passes for 327 yards in a 54-23 win over Hialeah-Miami Lakes. Bridgewater was able to share the wealth hitting five different receivers for touchdowns.

Posted by Kynon Codrington

Georgia State Report

1. Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.)
The showdown of Class 5A powers turned into a lopsided victory as Lowndes trounced 2008 state runner-up, Peachtree Ridge, 51-17, at Martin Stadium. Junior athlete Tyler Hunter took the opening kickoff 96 yards to the house and scooped and scored on a 40-yard fumble recovery within the first minute of the game. The rout was on and senior quarterback Khary Franklin got in on the action in the second half rushing for more than 100 yards and three touchdowns. The Vikings are on the road next week at Ware County.

2. Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)
The Rams blanked Warner Robins, 10-0, at Grayson Community Stadium. Grayson's defense hasn't allowed a touchdown through two games and held the Demons to 40 yards of offense. Junior wide receiver Sean Olukoju rushed for a 34-yard touchdown on a misdirection play in the fourth quarter to preserve the win. Senior running back Ean Pemberton carried 20 times for 79 yards. The undefeated Rams open district play next weekend at Dacula.

3. North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.)
Junior quarterback C.J. Uzomah rushed for 128 yards and passed for another 108 as the Bulldogs trounced Brookwood, 41-13. After the game, North Gwinnett coach Bob Sphire had praise for his young signal-caller, saying, "He can be another Terrelle Pryor."

Florida State Report

1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)
The Raiders were idle this week following their convincing 52-7 win over Upper Arlington of Ohio in Week 0. This week Aquinas will host Boyd Anderson of Lauderdale Lakes and ESPNU 150 member safety Demar Dorsey, a Florida commit.

2. Miami Northwestern (Miami, Fla.)
Junior quarterback Teddy Bridgewater led the Bulls to a 27-6 win over crosstown rival Carol City on Friday at Traz Powell Stadium. Bridgewater accounted for more than 200 yards of total offense and three touchdowns. The Bulls' defense limited the Chiefs rushing attack and senior linebacker Rashad Gaitor recorded two sacks. Northwestern has a bye this week and returns to action Sept. 17.

3. Lakeland (Fla.)
Lakeland enjoyed a bye week. The Dreadnaughts and standout senior linebacker Quayshawn Nealy open their season this Friday at Winter Haven.

4. Dwyer (Palm Beach, Fla.)
Dwyer made the trip to "Muck Territory" and jumped out to a 7-0 lead before being upset by Glades Central, 21-7. ESPNU 150 ATH Matt Elam, a Florida pledge, rushed for a 52-yard touchdown scamper to give the Panthers an early 7-0 lead. However, Elam left the game with cramps in the second half and the offense committed two costly turnovers that lead to Glades Central points. Head coach Jack Daniels said, "Our kids dominated all night. We will get better from it this week against Palm Beach Gardens."

5. Miami Central (Miami, Fla.)
Senior quarterback Jeff Godfrey guided the explosive Rocket offense to a 34-3 blowout win against Mainland of Daytona Beach. Godfrey passed for 182 yards and three touchdowns. The ground game featured senior running back Brandon Gainer, who ran for 126 yards and two scores. The Rockets will face off with Miami Killian on Friday night.

6. Bolles (Jacksonville, Fla.)
The Bulldogs traveled south on I-95 to destroy Archbishop Carroll of Miami, 47-0, in their season opener. Junior quarterback Chandler Carr tossed three touchdowns to senior wide receiver Tray Herndon, who tallied 132 yards receiving on five receptions. Bolles will be on the road again this week against American Heritage in a cross-division Class 2 match-up.

7. Pahokee (Pahokee, Fla.)
It was the wide receiver Chris Dunkley and quarterback De'Joshua Johnson Show as the lethal pass-catch combo connected on two touchdowns to lead the Blue Devils to a 13-6 comeback win over Atlantic of Delray Beach. Johnson finished the night with 224 yards passing and Dunkley racked up 158 yards receiving. Pahokee will be away this week at Inlet Grove.

ESPN RISE Georgia/Florida Performer of the Week

Cape Coral (Fla.) athlete and ESPNU 150 member Jaylen Watkins (6-0, 171) rushed for 233 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-14 win over Mariner. The Florida commit is being recruited as a cornerback, but has big play ability on offense and in the return game. Watkins scrambled for a 55-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

SUNDAY
Pickerington (Ohio) Central 28 (1-0), No. 29 Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) 14 (0-1)

SATURDAY
No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 52 (2-0), Upper Arlington (Ohio) 7 (0-1)
No. 2 Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) 43 (1-0), Central Gwinnett (Lawrenceville, Ga.) 7 (0-1)
No. 3 Elder (Cincinnati) 49 (1-0), No. 23 East St. Louis (Ill.) 28 (0-1)
No. 4 Katy (Texas) 9 (1-0), No. 22 North Shore (Galena, Texas) 7 (0-1)
North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.) (1-0) 14, No. 10 Prattville (Ala.) (0-1) 11
No. 12 Cedar Hill (Texas) 44 (1-0), DeSoto (Texas) 41 (0-1)
No. 37 St. Ignatius (Cleveland) 14 (1-0), No. 19 Glenville (Cleveland) 13 (0-1)
No. 36 De La Salle Collegiate (Warren, Mich.) (0-0) vs. Ford (Detroit) (0-0)
No. 45 Carroll (Southlake, Texas) 49 (1-0), Plano (Texas) West 20 (0-1)
No. 46 Mullen (Denver) 39 (1-0), Eaglecrest (Centennial, Colo.) 7 (0-1)

FRIDAY
No. 17 Longview 28 (1-0), No. 7 Allen 25 (0-1)
No. 8 Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.) 27 (1-0), Venice (Fla.) 13 (0-1)
No. 11 Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.) 75 (1-0), Woodland (Stockbridge, Ga.) 14 (0-1)
Wheaton Warrenville South (Wheaton, Ill.) 34 (1-0), No. 25 Hinsdale (Ill.) Central 26 (0-1)
St. Xavier (Cincinnati) 16 (1-0), No. 30 Colerain (Cincinnati) 0 (0-1)
No. 34 Highlands (Fort Thomas, Ky.) 37 (2-0), Ryle (Union, Ky.) 14 (0-1)
Lawrence North (Indianapolis) 31 (1-1), No. 43 Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) 14 (0-1)

THURSDAY
No. 38 Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.) 73 (1-0), St. Mary's (Phoenix) 15 (0-1)
Zach Bauman ran for two first half scores while Michael Allen chipped in with 131 yards and a TD on the ground as Hamilton crushed St. Mary's, 73-15, in both team's season opener. Stanford commit Devon Carrington led the Hamilton defense with an interception. St. Mary's was missing 14 players due to injuries or suspensions. The Arizona Republic has a complete breakdown of the game.

REGIONAL TOP 20 SCOREBOARDS
East Region Top 20
(Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia)

1. Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.) def. Venice (Fla.), 27-13
2. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) idle
3. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) idle
4. Bishop McDevitt (Harrisburg, Pa.) idle
5. Liberty (Bethlehem, Pa.) idle
6. Linganore (Frederick, Md.) idle
7. Varina (Richmond, Va.) idle
8. Gateway (Monroeville, Pa.) idle
9. St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.) idle
10. Phoebus (Hampton, Va.) idle
11. Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) idle
12. Iona Prep (New Rochelle, N.Y.) idle
13. LaSalle College (Wyndmoor, Pa.) idle
14. Wilson (West Lawn, Pa.) idle
15. Broad Run (Ashburn, Va.) def. Fauqier (Warrenton, Va.), 40-6
16. St. Peter's Prep (Jersey City, N.J.) idle
17. State College (Pa.) idle
18. St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia) idle
19. Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) idle
20. St. Anthony's (Melville, N.Y.) idle

Southeast Region Top 20
(Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee)

1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) def. Upper Arlington (Ohio), 52-7
2. Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) def. Central Gwinnett (Ga.), 43-7
3. Northwestern (Miami, Fla.) idle
4. Prattville (Ala.) lost to North Gwinnett (Ga.), 14-11
5. Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.) def. Woodland (Stockbridge, Ga.), 75-14
6. Lakeland (Fla.) idle
7. Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) idle
8. West Monroe (La.) idle
9. Miami Central (Miami) idle
10. John Curtis (River Ridge, La.) idle
11. Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.) idle
12. Bolles (Jacksonville, Fla.) idle
13. Pahokee (Fla.) idle
14. Hoover (Ala.) def. Gardendale (Ala.), 51-21
15. Oak Grove (Hattiesburg, Miss.) def. Petal (Miss.), 21-18
16. University School (Memphis, Tenn.) def. Memphis Kingsbury, 47-8
17. South Panola (Batesville, Miss.) def. Northwest Rankin, 34-13
18. South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C.) def. J.L. Mann (Greenville, S.C.), 55-7
19. Independence (Charlotte, N.C.) def. Hopewell, 35-6
20. Plant (Tampa, Fla.) idle

Midwest Region Top 20
(Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin)

1. Elder (Cincinnati) def. Midwest No. 3 East St. Louis (Ill.), 49-28
2. Glenville (Cleveland) lost to Midwest No. 8 St. Ignatius (Cleveland), 14-13
3. East St. Louis lost to Midwest No. 1 Elder (Cincinnati), 49-28
4. Hinsdale Central (Hinsdale, Ill.) lost to Wheaton-Warrenville South, 34-26
5. Colerain (Cincinnati) lost to St. Xavier (Cincinnati), 16-0
6. Highlands (Fort Thomas, Ky.) def. Ryle (Union, Ky.), 37-14
7. De La Salle (Warren, Mich.) def. Detroit Ford, 32-0
8. St. Ignatius (Cleveland) def. Midwest No. 2 Glenville (Cleveland), 14-13
9. Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) lost to Lawrence North (Indianapolis), 31-14
10. Arrowhead (Hartland, Wis.) def. Hale, 28-7
11. Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.) idle
12. Warren Central (Indianapolis) lost to Cathedral (Indianapolis), 35-32
13. St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) def. Ballard (Louisville, Ky.), 35-6
14. Bolingbrook (Ill.) def. Downers Grove South, 16-14
15. Stevenson (Sterling Heights, Mich.) def Cousino (Warren, Mich.), 42-6
17. Ben Davis (Indianapolis) lost to Penn (Mishawaka, Ind.), 7-6
18. Valley (West Des Moines, Iowa) def. Sioux City West, 41-7
19. Homestead (Mequon, Wis.) def. D.C. Everest, 28-10
20. Steubenville (Ohio) def. Indian Creek, 43-20

Southwest Region Top 20
(Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas)

1. Katy (Texas) def. Southwest No. 6 North Shore (Galena, Texas), 9-7
2. Allen (Texas) lost to 5. Longview (Texas), 28-25
3. Cedar Hill (Texas) def. Southwest No. 14 DeSoto, 44-41
4. Union (Tulsa, Okla.) idle
5. Longview (Texas) def. 2. Allen, 28-25
6. North Shore (Galena, Texas) lost to Southwest No. 1 Katy, 9-7
7. Stony Point (Round Rock, Texas) def. Alamo Heights, 29-0
8. Jenks (Okla.) idle
9. Carroll (Southlake, Texas) at Plano West, 49-20
10. Skyline (Dallas) idle
11. Shiloh Christian (Springdale, Ark.) idle
12. Trinity (Euless, Texas) idle
13. Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.) idle
14. DeSoto (Texas) lost to Southwest No. 3 Cedar Hill, 44-41
15. Garland (Texas) def. Kimball (Dallas), 60-7
16. Madison (San Antonio) def. O'Connor, 40-0
17. Hightower (Fort Bend, Texas) def. Eisenhower (Aldine, Texas), 21-0
18. Eldorado (Albuquerque, N.M.) def. Albuquerque Valley, 33-14
19. Blue Springs (Mo.) def. Lee's Summit West, 36-35
20. Millard South (Omaha, Neb.) 1-0, def. Lincoln East, 28-0

West Region Top 20
(Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming)

1. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) idle
2. Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.) idle
3. Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.) 1-0, idle
4. St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.) idle
5. Bellevue (Wash.) idle
6. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) idle
7. Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) lost to Pickerington Central (Ohio), 28-14
8. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) idle
9. Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.) 1-0, def. St. Mary's (Phoenix), 73-15
10. Grant (Sacramento, Calif.) idle
11. Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) idle
12. Mullen Prep (Denver) def. Eaglecrest, 39-7
13. Lakewood (Calif.) idle
14. Bingham (Salt Lake City) def. Alta, 38-34
15. Timpview (Provo, Utah) def. Highland (Idaho), 34-28
16. Centennial (Corona, Calif.) idle
17. Oceanside (Calif.) idle
18. Monte Vista (Danville, Calif.) idle
19. Westview (Avondale, Ariz.) def. Willow Canyon, 41-7
20. Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) idle

Posted by Brian Stumpf

The first major weekend of high school action is upon us as nearly half of the ESPN RISE FAB 50 teams are in action throughout the next four days, including four FAB 50 matchups right out of the gate. That means there will be huge shakeups in the first FAB 50 poll that comes out post Labor Day weekend, but a lot of excitement for high school football fans, who will have an opportunity to watch seven games on the ESPN family of networks throughout the weekend, including three with FAB 50 teams involved.

Game of the Week:
No. 7 Allen (Texas) at No. 17 Longview (Texas), Friday
This is the top zero week game and starts the season in Texas. The No. 8 biggest game as rated by ESPN RISE in the nation has the defending Class 5A Division I state champ Eagles taking on a Lobo squad that lost to Lake Travis (Austin) in the Class 4A Division I championship. Both teams are led by talented QBs -- Allen's Matt Brown has committed to Arizona while Longview's Aaron Johnson is bound for Houston -- and they played a hard-fought contest last year that Allen won 21-7 but was actually outgained in total yardage. Allen lost a ton of skill talent, but returns four starters upfront on what could be the nation's top offense line -- including 6-foot-5, 267-pound Cedric Ogbuehi (a Texas A&M commit) and 6-6, 275-pound Luke Burleson (Baylor verbal). The Lobos also have strong trenchmen in 6-1, 230-pound DL Jeremiah Farley, and 6-2, 255-pound OL Bryce Redman, both of whom have also committed to Houston along with Johnson. Lobo RB Tyler McCray could be the x-factor as the top returning skill player on either squad. The 5-11, 185-pounder rushed for 1,727 yards and 26 touchdowns last fall as a junior.

Potential Roadblocks:
No. 30 Colerain (Cincinnati) vs. St. Xavier (Cincinnati), Friday
Casual observers may be writing off St. Xavier before its even played a game after the Bombers went 4-6 last season and were overwhelmed by a tough schedule and some key injuries. Meanwhile Colerain went 11-2 last fall and were ranked for most of the season after knocking off St. X in the opener 13-8. This will be the fifth-straight year these two Cincinnati powers have met, with the teams splitting the last four meetings, so anything can happen and expect a low-scoring, hard-fought contest. The Cardinals will lean on a strong run game, led by QB Greg Tabar and speedy junior RB Tyler Williams to try and avoid the upset. The Cincinnati Enquirer has more on the matchup.

No. 12 Cedar Hill (Texas) vs. De Soto (Texas), Saturday 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
Everyone likes Cedar Hill, and there's a ton to like about the Longhorns, who return 12 starters from a 12-2 team, but they should be tested by DeSoto, who despite going just 6-6 a year ago, begins '09 amongst the Southwest Region Top 20 and just outside the FAB 50. Why are the Eagles so highly-regarded? Well start with two players already verbally committed to Texas in WR Darius Terrell and CB Adrian White and four other players holding Division I offers, including LSU bound OL Evan Washington. DeSoto also returns QB Ryan Polite, and should be a tough first test for Cedar Hill in front of a national TV audience.

FRIDAY
No. 7 Allen (0-0) at No. 17 Longview (0-0)
No. 8 Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.) (0-0) vs. Venice (Fla.) (0-0) -- ESPNU 7p.m. ET
No. 11 Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.) (0-0) vs. Woodland (Stockbridge, Ga.) (0-0)
No. 25 Hinsdale (Ill.) Central ((0-0) at Wheaton-Warrenville South (Wheaton, Ill.) (0-0)
No. 30 Colerain (Cincinnati) (0-0) vs. St. Xavier (Cincinnati) (0-0)
No. 34 Highlands (Fort Thomas, Ky.) (1-0) at Ryle (Union, Ky.) (0-0)
No. 43 Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) (0-0) vs. Lawrence North (Indianapolis) (0-1)
No. 46 Mullen (Denver) (0-0) at Eaglecrest (Centennial, Colo.) (0-0)

SATURDAY
No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) (0-0) at Upper Arlington (Ohio) (0-0) -- ESPN 12 p.m. ET
No. 2 Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) (0-0) at Central Gwinnett (Lawrenceville, Ga.) (0-0)
No. 3 Elder (Cincinnati) (0-0) vs. No. 23 East St. Louis (Ill.) (0-0)
No. 4 Katy (Texas) (0-0) vs. No. 22 North Shore (Galena, Texas) (0-0)
No. 10 Prattville (Ala.) (0-0) at North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.) (0-0)
No. 12 Cedar Hill (Texas) (0-0) vs. DeSoto (Texas) (0-0) -- ESPN 7p.m. ET
No. 19 Glenville (Cleveland) (0-0) at No. 37 St. Ignatius (Cleveland) (0-0)
No. 36 De La Salle Collegiate (Warren, Mich.) (0-0) vs. Ford (Detroit) (0-0)
No. 45 Carroll (Southlake, Texas) (0-0) at Plano (Texas) West (0-0)

SUNDAY
No. 29 Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) (0-0) at Pickerington (Ohio) Central (0-0) -- ESPNU 3:30 p.m. ET

Posted by Michael White

One of the top games in the country this weekend is a battle between two ESPN RISE FAB 50 Teams, as the No. 3 Elder (Cincinnati) Panthers host No. 23 East St. Louis (Ill.) at the University of Cincinnati. Each team is geared up to make another run at their respective state titles, as Elder was the Division I state runner up last season while East St. Louis captured the Illinois 7A state title. It will be an early test for both teams and surely will shake things up in the FAB 50, especially if the Flyers can pull the upset on the road. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch breaks down the Flyers and the challenges that lie ahead in their division. The Cincinnati Enquirer takes a look at Elder and its competition in the Ohio Greater Catholic League.

• Elsewhere in the Buckeye State, an epic battle is on the horizon when Cleveland powers FAB 50 No. 19 Glenville faces No. 37 St. Ignatius face off this weekend. The two teams split two meetings last season with St. Ignatius winning the playoff matchup on its way to the Division I state title. The Cleveland Plain-Dealer previews Glenville and St. Ignatius with video breakdowns of each team.

• Booker T. Washington (Miami) endured a trying offseason; the Tornadoes were shifted into a new classification and then suffered the tragedy of losing linebacker Anthony Smith who was shot and killed at a birthday party on July 6. With the season about to begin, the Miami Herald takes a look at the Tornadoes as they look to return to power in South Florida.

• Football gets underway in Michigan this weekend with the Big Day Prep Showdown, a seven-game football free-for-all that will matchup some of the state's top teams. University of Michigan fans might be interested in the Inkster vs. Pioneer (Ann Arbor) matchup since it will feature two future Wolverines in Inkster QB Devin Gardner and Pioneer WR Ricardo Miller. The Detroit Free Press previews the game.

Inkster has a chance to move into the FAB 50 this fall and getting off to a strong start would help the Vikings' chances. Here's the rest of the schedule for the two days in Michigan:

Friday
Lamphere (Madison Heights) vs. Fitzgerald (Warren), 2 p.m.
King (Detroit) vs. Muskegon, 5 p.m.
Hudsonville vs. Lake Orion, 8 p.m.

Saturday
Adrian vs. Monroe, 11 a.m.
Saline vs. Belleville 2 p.m.
Huron (Ann Arbor) vs. Chelsea, 5p.m.
Inkster vs. Pioneer (Ann Arbor), 8 p.m.

This could be the year of the running back in the west region and for good reason. The talent at the top of the board and the overall depth is the best in the last 10 years.

Just how strong a class is it this year? Last year's top running back in the West, Cierre Wood, would likely rank outside the top five in this year's class.

The player at the top of the board is Malcolm Jones and he has been a dominant force since his freshman season. He's a true between-the-tackle power back with better than average speed and great hands out of the backfield.

Jones is a tough, physical, downhill runner who has the ability to wear down a defense. He has a college body and would be among the top five linebackers in the region if he was being recruited on the defensive side of the ball.

Brennan Clay has the best combination of running back ability and receiving skills in the group. As a junior, he went over the 1,000 yard mark rushing and receiving and put on a show at the SoCal NIKE Camp winning MVP honors. He has a big, thick frame and will have no problem adding weight at the next level.

Jordon James is a game breaker with tremendous upside. He's explosive and a threat to score from anywhere on the field. He catches the ball well and is very strong for his size. His junior year was cut short after breaking his arm but he's healthy now and poised for a big senior year.

Dillon Baxter was the toughest player to rank in this group. Is he a running back or a receiver? He actually plays quarterback at the high school level and worked out with the receivers at the USC Rising Stars Camp. He's a definite playmaker and has good speed and a high football IQ.

D.J. Morgan is another game breaker with elite speed. He'll likely run track as well in college as he is one of the top hurdlers in the nation. He doesn't have the size to be an every down back but with his combination of speed, quickness and ability to make you miss in the open field, he could develop in to a Joe McKnight type for the Trojans.

Top 10:
1. Malcolm Jones, 6-1, 220 / Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.)
Has been one of the state's premier players since he was a freshman.

2. Brennan Clay, 5-11, 195 / Scripps Ranch (San Diego) -- Oklahoma
MVP at the SoCal NIKE Camp.

3. Jordon James, 5-9, 190 / Corona (Calif.)
Legit home run hitter but can also run between the tackles.

4. Dillon Baxter, 5-11, 190 / Mission Bay (San Diego) -- USC
One of the most versatile players in the region, could end up at WR.

5. D.J. Morgan, 5-9, 170 / Taft (Woodland Hills, Calif.) -- USC
Can score from anywhere on the field, big time track prospect as well.

6. Trajuan Briggs, 5-11, 195 / Birmingham (Lake Balboa, Calif.) -- USC
Underrated nationally, powerful running style and catches everything.

7. Deontae Cooper, 6-0, 185 / Citrus Hill (Perris, Calif.)
One of the most explosive players in the region regardless of position.

8. Anthony Wilkerson, 5-11, 215 / Tustin (Calif.) -- Stanford
A big back with speed, has been compare to former Tiller DeShaun Foster.

9. Devontae Booker, 5-10, 185 / Grant (Sacramento, Calif.)
Could break all of Onterrio Smith's Grant rushing records this season.

10. James McConico, 5-11, 185 / Compton (Calif.)
Averaged nearly 20 yards per carry a year ago.

The Next 10: 11. Deantre Lewis, 5-10, 180 / Norco (Calif.) -- Arizona State
12. Ricky Seale, 5-9, 175 / Escondido (Calif.)
13. Cameron Roberson, 6-1, 205 / Newbury Park (Calif.)
14. Joshua Quezada, 5-11, 205 / La Habra (Calif.)
15. Adonis Smith, 5-10, 175 / Serra (San Mateo, Calif.)
16. Kyle Middlebrooks, 5-8, 170 / Fountain Valley (Calif.)
17. David Dash, 5-8, 160 / A.B. Miller (Fontana, Calif.)
18. Stephen Nixon, 5-11, 175 / Cimarron (Las Vegas)
19. Ricky Galvin, 5-7, 160 / Berkeley (Calif.)
20. E.J Schexnayder, 6-0, 205 / J.W North (Riverside, Calif.)

Other Running Backs of Note, Alphabetical Order:
Jordan Allen / Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Samson Anguay, 5-7, 140 / Campbell (Ewa Beach, Hawaii) -- Hawaii
Kenny Bassett, 5-10, 165 / Beverly Hills (Calif.)
Zach Bauman, 5-8, 195 / Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.)
Devon Blackledge, 5-7, 160 / St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.)
Kenny Boggs, 5-6, 155 / Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)
Dionza Bradford / Serrano (Phelan, Calif.) -- UNLV
Antonio Bray, 5-8, 170 / Canyon (Canyon Country, Calif.)
Mario Brown, 5-8, 170 / Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, Calif.)
Bobby Calvin, 5-10, 215 / Goldwater (Phoenix)
Jonathan Diaz, 5-8, 165 / Chaparral (Temecula, Calif.) -- Air Force
Larry Dixon, 6-0, 210 / Olympic (Bremerton, Wash.)
Exavier Edwards, 5-8, 180 / Mission Viejo (Calif.)
Sedale Foster, 5-7, 170 / J.W. North (Riverside, Calif.)
Dwayne Garrett, 6-0, 180 / Chaparral (Scottsdale, Ariz.)
Jamal Hale, 5-9, 160 / Bartlett (Anchorage, Alaska)
Malik Henderson, 5-9, 185 / Stockdale (Bakersfield, Calif.)
Anthony Herrera, 5-8, 170 / Wilcox (Santa Clara, Calif.)
Forrest Hightower, 5-10, 155 / Concord (Calif.)
Anthony Hughes, 5-9, 195 / Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.)
Alfonso Jackson, 6-1, 185 / Bakersfield (Calif.)
Brett Kirschner, 5-9, 195 / Interlake (Bellevue, Wash.)
Michael Lange, 5-11, 185 / Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.)
Max Leonesio, 6-0, 185 / Brophy Prep (Phoenix)
Malcolm Marable, 5-9, 170 / Alemany (Mission Hills, Calif.) -- Oregon State
Marquis Miller, 5-8, 190 / Manteca (Calif.)
Adam Muema, 5-11, 190 / Charter Oak (Covina, Calif.)
A.J. Moore, 5-10, 190 / Murrieta Valley (Murrieta, Calif.) -- BYU
Dominique McGee, 5-9, 165 / Serra (Gardena, Calif.)
Tyree Parker, 5-9, 210 / Paradise Valley (Phoenix)
Jamaal Perkins, 5-10, 175 / Rio Mesa (Oxnard, Calif.)
Cody Peterson, 6-1, 185 / Black Hills (Olympia, Wash.)
Leslie Rogers, 6-1, 180 / Point Loma (Calif.)
Tyler Singleton, 5-10, 195 / Claremont (Calif.)
Derek Stewart, 5-10, 195 / Piedmont Hills (San Jose, Calif.)
Cory Westbrook, 5-11, 200 / Poly (Long Beach, Calif.)

Fullbacks:
Here's a look at five of the top fullback prospects in the West Region. Players in this category are here for their ability to play a true fullback position or be a featured runner in a one back style offense.

1. Melvin Davis, 6-2, 230 / Narbonne (Harbor City, Calif.) -- Washington
Big, physical and tough runner with natural ability.

2. Taylor Walstad, 5-11, 200 / Chandler (Ariz.) -- Arizona State
Quick feet and explosive for a big back, has frame to get a lot bigger.

3. Zach Fogerson, 6-0, 225 / O'Dea (Seattle) -- Washington
A true fullback who loves to hit and runs very hard.

4. Dustin Elisara, 6-2, 225 / Kapolei (Hawaii)
Tough kid who is an impact player at linebacker as well.

5. Algrenon Brown, 6-1, 205 / Skyline (Salt Lake City) -- BYU
A pounding runner who could play multiple positions in college.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

High school football continues this weekend in Alaska and starts in Hawaii while scrimmages, jamborees and other action are starting up in several states. Notable states that will kick off official action next weekend include Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Tennessee and Utah.

• Following up on an item from earlier in the week, Jenks' (Okla.) appeal in the Jarrett Lake eligibility case has been formally rejected, reports the Tulsa World. The Trojan must now forfeit nine games from the 2008 season.

The World is also reporting that Lake, an Oklahoma recruit, will not be transferring to play at another school. Lake will instead live with the family of former Trojan Gabe Lynn and finish his senior year at Jenks.

• Lake Travis (Texas) has been somewhat of an afterthought going into the 2009 season. Much of that due to the departure of Gatorade National Player of the Year QB Garrett Gilbert who is now at Texas. Coach Chad Morris' squad finished undefeated last season and ranked No. 3 in the final ESPN RISE FAB 50 rankings. The Austin American-Statesman takes an in-depth look junior QB Michael Brewer, who takes over for Gilbert, and the chances of Lake Travis building on its 30-game winning streak.

• Staying in the Lone Star State, Schuyler Dixon of The Dallas Morning-News takes a look at the top storylines in Texas. Among them are the return of legendary coach G.A. Moore, the state's all-time winningest coach. Moore is coming out of retirement to lead Aubrey High School where he will build on his 404 career victories. Dixon also looks at Texas-bound Cayuga High RB Traylon Shead who has an outside shot at breaking Kenneth Hall's state career rushing record of 11,232 yards.

• Preseason FAB 50 No. 2 Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) will get its first taste of live action tonight when it faces Shelby (N.C.) at the Border Showcase Classic football jamboree. Brian Peahuff of the Spartanburg Herald-Journal previews the event that pits teams from North Carolina and South Carolina against each other.

"The kids are very excited about being able to go against someone else," Byrnes coach Chris Miller told the Herald-Journal. "And also about being able to turn everything loose and hit live. I want to see how good we are mentally as the game progresses (tonight), and if we can hold our focus. I'm also wanting to see how some of the young ones play and how our special teams do."

Byrnes opens the regular season Sept. 4th against Myrtle Beach and their standout junior quarterback Everett Golson.

• Regionally-ranked Independence (Charlotte, N.C.) looked impressive in a scrimmage against Charlotte Catholic Wednesday. Langston Wertz of the Charlotte Observer recaps the action. The Patriots kick off the regular season next Friday against Mallard Creek.

• Preseason FAB 50 No. 6 Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) is California's top-rated team, but not without some doubters. Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times looks at the Lions and their claims to being the top team in the state. Oak Christian will get a chance to quiet its nay-sayers in a Sept. 18th showdown with FAB 50 No. 9 Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.).

• To stay competitive in Florida's always competitive Class 6A, Miramar High will have to replace Elite 11 QB Eugene Smith who is now at West Virginia. Ryan Williams, a transfer from American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), is looking to fill Smith's large shoes. According to David Quinones of the Miami Herald, it looks like Williams has a shot at putting up some big numbers of his own for the Patriots.

• Underclassmen alert: Wade Hampton (Greenville, S.C.) junior Hakeem Flowers has hit it big on the national recruiting scene before even taking a snap this season. The 6-3, Flowers will likely play safety of receiver at the college level and now has 10 scholarship offers from the likes of N.C. State, Florida State, Nebraska, UNC, Auburn, Maryland and Texas Tech. As a sophomore, Flowers totaled 71 tackles and four picks on defense while accounting for over 1,700 yards and 10 scores on offense.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

ESPN RISE preseason FAB 50 No. 5 Northwestern (Miami) opened practice Monday with most of the Bulls' seniors still thinking about last season's heart-breaking loss to Seminole (Sanford, Fla.) in the Class 6A state title game. Andre Fernandez of the Miami Herald checks in on the Bulls.

Northwestern recently competed at the Nike 7On tournament in Portland, Ore. and its skill personnell was extremely impressive. Led by junior QB Teddy Bridgewater, the Bulls rolled through some superb competition to take the 7On title.

Bridgewater could emerge as one of the nation's top prospects at his position in the Class of 2011 and has a great group of wideouts to throw to led by . Northwestern should be strong up front as well but will face some stiff tests this season, headlined by an Oct. 8th tilt against rival Miami Central on ESPNU. Central is at No. 28 in the preseason FAB 50 and the two teams split two meetings last fall, with the Bulls winning 38-32 in the playoffs.

• Football kicked off in Texas as well on Monday. The Dallas area is home to two of the nation's top teams in preseason FAB 50 No. 7 Allen which is looking to defend its 5A Division I state title and No. 12 Cedar Hill which is led by Texas-bound LB Aaron Benson on defense and future Texas A&M RB Ben Malena on offense. The Dallas Morning News has a complete rundown of the Metroplex's top teams.

• The Herbstreit Challenge in Ohio might be losing some steam with the loss of the Cincinnati powers (Elder, Colerain, St. Xavier) which chose not to participate this year. The Herbstreit Challenge's loss seems to be the gain of another showcase. WISHTV.com is reporting that the Indianapolis Colts will host the inaugural Horseshoe Classic at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sept. 5. The event will be headlined by the St. Xavier (Cincinnati) versus Cathedral (Indianapolis) matchup.

St. Xavier had a tough season last year after losing Cincinnati-bound QB Luke Massa to injury. The Blue Bombers could rebound this year and get back into the national rankings with a talented roster and a schedule that features five preseason FAB 50 teams (Colerain (Cincinnati), Trinity (Louisville, Ky.), Highlands (Fort Thomas, Ky.) Elder (Cincinnati) and St. Ignatius (Cleveland).

The game against Cathedral also features a matchup of two of the region's best QBs with Massa facing Kofi Hughes who's bound for Indiana University.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

High school football gets underway this weekend -- albeit in limited fashion -- as action kicks off in Alaska, so with that in mind, it's time to fire up the ESPN RISE Football Blog and start getting ready for what should be a super year of high school football across the country.

Check out the preseason ESPN RISE FAB 50 Nos. 1-25, Nos. 26-50 and the regional rankings.

With the revealing of the rankings, we can now really focus in on some of the top matchups on tap for the regular season. By our unofficial count, there are 18 games scheduled between preseason FAB 50 ranked teams, and those contests will go a long way in determining the rankings' pecking order before the highly competitive state playoffs start in November.

The race for No. 1 early on centers on a huge showdown Oct. 2 in South Florida, when defending FAB 50 national champion and preseason No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) hosts No. 2 Byrnes (S.C.). Certainly the two teams have to make it through the first five weeks of the season for this showdown to be all it is billed to be, and the winner will have to continue winning the rest of the season, but if both teams are as good as they are forecasted to be, this shapes up to be probably the most highly anticipated high school football game since Miami Northwestern traveled west to face Texas power Southlake Carroll in 2007, in the last No. 1 vs. No. 2 FAB 50 showdown.

Another game I've got circled on the calendar is No. 6 Oaks Christian's trip to the Pacific Northwest to take on two-time defending Washington state champ and No. 9 Skyline. The subplots in this one will be numerous, centering mostly around the matchup of Elite 11 quarterbacks -- Oaks' Nick Montana and Skyline's Jake Heaps. ESPN RISE's Mark Tennis spotlighted the two recently from the Elite 11, documenting the budding friendship between the two star signal callers. Making it even more interesting is that the visitor from the south, Montana, could get a ton of support from local Washington Husky fans, as Montana announced he'd attend UW this June just days after the local son Heaps opted for BYU over the Huskies. Did I mention there were story lines for this one?

Kudos for the toughest scheduling go out to No. 4 Katy (Texas), No. 7 Allen (Texas), No. 12 Cedar Hill (Texas), No. 20 Bellevue (Wash.), No. 22 North Shore (Houston), No. 24 De La Salle (Concord, Calif.), No. 42 Poly (Long Beach, Calif.), No. 43 Trinity (Louisville, Ky.), as well as regionally ranked Trinity (Euless, Texas), Westview (Avondale, Ariz.), Servite (Anaheim, Calif.), St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.), Iona Prep (New Rochelle, N.Y.), St. Peter's Prep (Jersey City, N.J.), St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia) and Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) -- all of these teams play at least two foes that are ranked in the preseason FAB 50 or regional top 20s.

But the nod for the nation's toughest schedule on paper right now probably goes to No. 18 Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.). The Ironmen open the season with a FAB 50 tilts versus No. 24 De La Salle and then at No. 10 Prattville (Ala.) and later play three instate teams all ranked in the East Region Top 20 -- Bergen Catholic, St. Peter's Prep and St. Joseph Regional.

Elder (Cincinnati) can also make a claim for the toughest road to the FAB 50 title. The Panthers start off their '09 slate with an unbelievable three FAB 50 teams in succession -- No. 23 East St. Louis (Ill.) followed by No. 30 Colerain (Cincinnati) and then No. 43 Louisville Trinity. Elder will also face local battled-tested squads in St. Xavier (Cincinnati) and Moeller (Cincinnati) during the regular season that figure to be white-knuckle battles as usual. If Elder survives that gauntlet, it could have a legitimate claim to the No. 1 spot and that's why these schedules are so vital -- to lay claim to being the best in high school football, you need to play the best and it's great to see these top programs putting it on the line against each other in pre-league play matchups.

Below is a look at more of this fall's top games -- all listed either feature FAB 50 matchups or games between FAB 50 ranked teams and regionally top 20 ranked teams. The season kicks off in Alaska this weekend, but will really start in earnest around most of the country on the last weekend in August, when four of the 18 scheduled FAB 50 matchups take place, including a Texas showdown between defending 5A Division I champ Allen and 4A power Longview and the battle for Cleveland-area supremacy between Glenville and St. Ignatius. Stay logged onto ESPNRISE.com all season long for coverage and be sure to mention top games we left out in the comments below.

2009 Games to Watch

8/28 -- No. 7 Allen @ No. 17 Longview
8/29 -- No. 23 East St. Louis (Ill.) @ No. 3 Elder (Ohio)
8/29 -- No. 22 North Shore @ No. 4 Katy
8/29 -- DeSoto (Southwest No. 14) @ No. 12 Cedar Hill
8/29 -- No. 19 Glenville @ No. 37 St. Ignatius

9/3 -- Servite (West No. 20) @ No. 42 Long Beach Poly
9/4 -- No. 38 Hamilton @ Westview (West No. 19)
9/4 -- Memphis University School (Southeast No. 16) @ South Panola (Southeast No. 17)
9/4 -- Charlotte Independence (Southeast No. 19) @ South Pointe (Southeast No. 18)
9/6 -- No. 30 Colerain @ No. 3 Elder
9/7 -- Bingham, Utah (West No. 14) @ Euless Trinity (Southwest No. 12)

9/11 -- No. 43 Trinity (Ky.) @ No. 3 Elder (Ohio)
9/11 -- No. 13 Tulsa Union @ No. 44 Jenks
9/11 -- No. 42 Long Beach Poly @ No. 16 St. Bonaventure
9/11 -- Hoover (Southeast No. 14) @ No. 33 Camden County (Ga.)
9/11 -- Warren Central (Midwest No. 12) @ Ben Davis (Midwest No. 17)
9/12 -- No. 20 Bellevue (Wash.) @ No. 4 Katy (Texas)
9/12 -- No. 12 Cedar Hill @ Euless Trinity (Southwest No. 12)
9/12 -- No. 24 De La Salle (Calif.) @ No. 18 Don Bosco Prep (N.J.)
9/12 -- Iona Prep, N.Y. (East No. 12) @ Bergen Catholic, N.J. (East No. 19)
9/12 -- St. Peter's Prep, N.J. (East No. 16) @ St. Joseph's Prep, Pa. (East No. 18)

9/18 -- No. 6 Oaks Christian (Calif.) @ No. 9 Skyline (Wash.)
9/18 -- No. 7 Allen @ Euless Trinity (Southwest No. 12)
9/18 -- No. 25 Dwyer @ No. 48 Pahokee
9/19 -- No. 41 Sacramento Grant (Calif.) @ No. 20 Bellevue (Wash.)

9/25 -- No. 18 Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) @ No. 10 Prattville (Ala.)
9/25 -- No. 15 Lakeland (Fla.) @ No. 24 De La Salle (Calif.)
9/25 -- No. 42 Long Beach Poly @ Oceanside (West No. 17)
9/26 -- No. 45 Southlake Carroll @ No. 22 North Shore
9/26 -- LaSalle College (East No. 13) @ St. Joseph's Prep (East No. 18)
9/26 -- St. Peter's Prep (East No. 16) @ Bergen Catholic (East No. 19)

10/2 - No. 2 Byrnes (S.C.) @ No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.)
10/3 -- Louisville St. Xavier (Midwest No. 13) vs. No. 43 Trinity

10/8 -- No. 5 Miami Northwestern @ No. 28 Miami Central
10/9 -- No. 21 DeMatha @ Good Counsel (East No. 11)
10/9 -- No. 24 De La Salle @ Monte Vista (West No. 18)
10/9 -- No. 42 Long Beach Poly @ Lakewood (West No. 13)
10/9 -- Iona Prep (East No. 12) @ St. Anthony's (East No. 20)

10/23 -- St. Joseph Regional (East No. 9) @ St. Peter's Prep (East No. 16)
10/24 -- Bergen Catholic (East No. 19) @ No. 18 Don Bosco Prep

10/30 -- No. 14 Peoria Centennial @ Westview (West No. 19)
10/30 -- State College Area (East No. 17) @ No. 35 Bishop McDevitt

11/6 -- St. Peter's Prep (East No. 16) @ No. 18 Don Bosco Prep
11/6 -- Servite (West No. 20) @ No. 29 Orange Lutheran
11/7 -- Bergen Catholic (East No. 19) @ St. Joseph Regional (East No. 9)

11/26 -- No. 18 Don Bosco Prep @ St. Joseph Regional (East No. 9)

ESPN will provide 'round the clock coverage of national signing day. ESPNU will air live coverage from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET. You can watch from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN 360. Here are the links you'll need:

• ESPNU Football Recruiting Index
• ESPN RISE index
• Signing day running blog
• ESPNU 150 / On the Trail
• Recruit Tracker: Schools / Schools
• Recruiting scorecard / College Football Nation

National signing day chat:
Billy Tucker on recruiting, 10 a.m.
Heather Dinich on recruiting, 10:30 a.m.
Valdosta (Ga.) CB Greg Reid, 11 a.m.
Adam Rittenberg on recruiting, 11:15 a.m.
Brian Bennett on recruiting, Noon
Tim Griffin on recruiting, 12:30 p.m.
Dartmouth (Ma.) TE Arthur Lynch, 1 p.m.
Pensacola's (Fl.) T. Richardson, 1:15 p.m.
Graham Watson on recruiting, 1:30 p.m.
Wheaton (Md.) LB Jelani Jenkins, 2 p.m.
Chris Low on recruiting, 2:15 p.m.
Billy Tucker on recruiting, 3:30 p.m.
Scottsdale (Az.) DE Craig Roh, 4 p.m.
Upland (Ca.) QB Josh Nunes, 4:15 p.m.
Agoura (Ca.) OT Kevin Graf, 4:30 p.m.
Ted Miller on recruiting, 4:45 p.m.

Signing day lists by conference
ACC / Big 12 / Big East / Big Ten / C-USA / Independents / MAC / MWC / Pac-10 / SEC / Sun Belt / WAC

Class 6A -- Seminole vs. Miami Northwestern Highlights courtesy of the Orlando Sun-Sentinel.

Watch: Seminole 28, Miami Northwestern 21

Class 5A -- Lakeland vs. St. Thomas Aquinas Video courtesy of the Orlando Sun-Sentinel.

Go All-Access with St. Thomas Aquinas at the state championship game at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando..

Watch: St. Thomas Aquinas 56, Lakeland 7

Class 4A -- Lincoln (Tallahassee) vs. Plant Highlights courtesy of St. Petersburg Times.

Watch: Plant 34, Lincoln 14

Class 3A -- Cocoa vs. Godby Highlights courtesy of the Miami Herald.

Watch: Cocoa 7, Godby 6 (OT)

Posted by Brian Stumpf

FAB 50 scoreboard

Friday
No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas 56 (15-0), No. 10 Lakeland 7 (14-1)
No. 8 Corona Centennial 21 (15-0), No. 19 Concord De La Salle 16 (12-2)

Saturday
No. 37 Sacramento Grant 25 (14-0), No. 2 Long Beach Poly 20 (14-1)
No. 3 Allen 21 (15-1), No. 15 Hightower 14 (13-1)
No. 5 Lake Travis 48 (16-0), No. 48 Longview 23 (13-3)
No. 13 Tampa Plant 34 (14-1), Tallahassee Lincoln 14 (11-4)
No. 27 St. Bonaventure 28 (14-1), Cardinal Newman 6 (13-1)

Regional scoreboard

Southeast Region Top 20
1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 15-0, def. Lakeland, 56-7
2. Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.) 15-0 (2)*
3. Lakeland (Lakeland, Fla.) 14-1, lost to St. Thomas Aquinas, 56-7
4. Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) 14-1 (4)*
5. Plant (Tampa, Fla.) 14-1, def. Tallahassee Lincoln, 34-14
6. Prattville (Prattville, Ala.) 13-1 (6)*
7. John Curtis (River Ridge, La.) 14-1 (7)*
8. South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C) 15-0 (8)*
9. Armwood (Seffner, Fla.) 12-1 (9)*
10. Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.) 13-1 (10)*
11. Bolles School (Jacksonville, Fla.) 14-0 (16)*
12. Destrehan (Destrehan, La.) 14-0 (nr)*
13. Meridian (Meridian, Miss.) 14-1 (12)*
14. Noxubee County (Macon, Miss.) 14-0 (15)*
15. Pine Forest (Pensacola, Fla.) 12-1 (11)*
16. Peachtree Ridge (Suwanee, Ga.) 12-3 (13)*
17. Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) 13-1 (14)*
18. South Panola (Batesville, Miss.) 14-1 (18)*
19. Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.) 12-1 (19)*
20. University School (Memphis, Tenn.) 13-0 (20)*

Southwest Region Top 20
1. Allen (Allen, Texas) 15-1, def. Hightower, 21-14
2. Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) 16-0, def. Longview, 48-23
3. Trinity (Euless, Texas) 13-1 (3)*
4. Hightower (Fort Bend, Texas) 13-1, lost to Allen, 21-14
5. Union (Tulsa, Okla.) 13-1 (5)*
6. Permian (Odessa, Texas) 12-1 (6)*
7. Longview (Longview, Texas) 13-3, lost to Lake Travis, 48-23
8. Jenks (Jenks, Okla.) 12-2 (8)*
9. Wylie (Wylie, Texas) 13-3, lost to Katy, 17-3
10. Pearland (Pearland, Texas) 12-1 (14)*
11. North Shore (Galena, Texas) 9-1 (13)*
12. Plano (Plano, Texas) 10-2 (16)*
13. Stony Point (Round Rock, Texas) 13-2 (9)*
14. Cinco Ranch (Katy, Texas) 11-2 (nr)*
15. Katy (Katy, Texas) 13-3, def. Wylie, 17-3
16. Midwest City (Midwest City, Okla.) 12-1 (15)*
17. Millard West (Omaha, Neb.) 14-0 (17)*
18. Las Cruces (Las Cruces, N.M.) 13-0 (18)*
19. Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.) 13-1 (19)*
20. Copperas Cove (Copperas Cove, Texas) 13-2 (12)*

West Region Top 20
1. Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) 14-1, lost to Grant, 25-20
2. Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 15-0, def. De La Salle, 21-16
3. Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.) 14-0 (3)*
4. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) 12-2, lost to Corona Centennial, 21-16
5. St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.) 14-1, def. Cardinal Newman, 28-6
6. Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.) 14-0 (6)* 7. Bellevue (Bellevue, Wash.) 13-0 (7)*
8. Grant (Sacramento, Calif.) 14-0, def. Long Beach Poly, 25-20
9. Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.) 13-1 (9)*
10. Tesoro (Las Flores, Calif.) 13-1 (8)*
11. Timpview (Provo, Utah) 14-0 (10)*
12. Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 14-0 (12)*
13. Bellarmine Prep (San Jose, Calif.) 12-1 (13)*
14. McQueen (Reno, Nev.) 14-0 (14)*
15. Punahou (Honolulu, Hawaii) 12-1 (15)*
16. Chaparral (Temecula, Calif.) 12-2 (16)*
17. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) 14-0 (17)*
18. Alta (Sandy, Utah) 13-1 (18)*
19. Mullen Prep (Denver, Colo.) 11-2 (19)*
20. Southridge (Beaverton, Ore.) 12-2 (20)*

Posted by Peter Burke

ORLANDO, Fla. -- St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) won its fifth state championship -- and likely its first ESPN RISE FAB 50 mythical national championship -- with a dominating 56-7 victory over Lakeland in the Class 5A title game Friday night at the Florida Citrus Bowl.

Quarterback Ryan Becker attempted only 11 passes all game, but he completed eight of them for 100 yards and three touchdowns.

The game capped a season of firsts for the Raiders. The 2008 team became the first in school history to win back-to-back state titles. St. Thomas Aquinas had never finished a season 15-0, a run that extended its win streak to 24 games. Also, the Raiders had never beaten Lakeland in a state championship game, losing each of their four previous meetings: in 1996 (40-6), 2004 (31-7), 2005 (39-10) and 2006 (45-42 in double overtime).

St. Thomas Aquinas did most of its damage early, taking a 28-0 first-quarter lead. A play-action pass on the Raiders' second play of the game produced a 53-yard touchdown and 7-0 lead. An interception returned for a touchdown made the score 21-0.

A bad snap and fumble by the Dreadnaughts late in the second quarter set the Raiders up in Lakeland territory, and a 13-yard touchdown reception by Dwayne Difton gave St. Thomas Aquinas a 35-0 lead going into the locker room.

St. Thomas Aquinas had 213 passing yards in the first half to Lakeland's 85. The Dreadnaughts were 0-for-9 on third-down conversions in the first half.

Lakeland got the ball to begin the second half and drove down the field to cut the score to 35-7, but St. Thomas Aquinas answered with a long run that set up another touchdown.

An 8-yard touchdown run by the Raiders' Ronnie Kennedy on fourth down in the final quarter was morale-deflating for the Dreadnaughts. By that time, St. Thomas Aquinas had inserted mostly underclassmen into the lineup.

The fourth quarter was played under a running clock -- a Florida High School Athletic Association rule for teams that have a lead of 35 or more points. The exception was for TV timeouts.

Lakeland produced its lowest scoring output of the season and allowed the most points of the season.

St. Thomas Aquinas' wide receivers coach is former NFL standout Cris Carter, whose son, Duron, plays for the Raiders and has committed to Ohio State.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

The final week of the high school football season is upon us, and it will go right down to the wire in the race for the ESPN RISE FAB 50 mythical national title. No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas will have its hands full with 5A rival and FAB 50 No. 10 Lakeland, who was the nation's No. 1 team just two years ago after topping St. Thomas Aquinas 45-42 in double overtime for the 5A title. That was just the latest chapter in the rivalry that has developed recently between these two programs that between them have won the past four 5A titles, with Lakeland defeating the Raiders three straight years from 2004-'06.

Meanwhile No. 2 Long Beach Poly will hope that STA slips up and it is impressive in the CIF Open Division State Bowl versus No. 37 Sacramento Grant. Poly has a strong resume with wins over Florida 6A finalist and defending national champion Miami Northwestern as well as FAB 50 ranked teams from the Golden State in St. Bonaventure and Tesoro.

A lot remains to be sorted out in Texas -- can a one-loss Allen team finish as the state's top-ranked team (or perhaps the nation's) if they can top No. 15 Hightower in the 5A DI title tilt? The No. 3-ranked Eagles have already avenged their one loss by knocking off then No. 1 Euless Trinity in the playoffs, and have also vanquished two other opponents still ranked in Permian and Longview, as well as Plano and Stony Point, who were also FAB 50 ranked at some point this fall.

Meanwhile, 4A DI power Lake Travis has to be wondering what more they can do to possibly be regarded as the Lone Star State's No. 1 team. The Cavaliers, riding a 29-game winning streak, face off against No. 48 Longview in the 4A DI championship on Saturday, with quarterback Garrett Gilbert looking to nail down National Player of the Year honors and needing 361 yards passing to break Graham Harrell's state career passing yardage mark.

Despite only seven FAB 50 games being on the docket in this final weekend of high school football, the storylines are abundant -- Aaron Murray looking to lead Plant to the 4A title in Florida after remarkably returning last week just six weeks after suffering a broken leg, or how about De La Salle and Corona Centennial meeting for the second straight year in a CIF state bowl game? Stay tuned to ESPNRISE.com all weekend long for the latest!

Friday
No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas (14-0) vs. No. 10 Lakeland (14-0) -- Class 5A Final
No. 8 Corona Centennial (14-0) vs. No. 19 Concord De La Salle (12-1) -- CIF D1 Final

Saturday
No. 2 Long Beach Poly (14-0) vs. No. 37 Sacramento Grant (13-0) -- CIF Open Div. Final
No. 3. Allen (14-1) vs. No. 15 Hightower (13-0) -- Class 5A D1 Final
No. 5 Lake Travis (15-0) vs. No. 48 Longview (13-2) -- Class 4A D1 Final
No. 13 Tampa Plant (13-1) vs. Tallahassee Lincoln (11-3) -- Class 4A Final
No. 27 St. Bonaventure (13-1) vs. Cardinal Newman (13-0) -- CIF D3 Final

Season Complete
No. 4 Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.) 15-0
No. 6 Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.) 15-0
No. 7 St. Ignatius (Cleveland) 14-1
No. 9 Phoebus (Hampton, Va.) 15-0
No. 11 Trinity (Euless, Texas) 13-1
No. 12 Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) 14-1
No. 14 Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) 11-1
No. 16 Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.) 14-0
No. 17 John T. Curtis (River Ridge, La.) 14-1
No. 18 Elder (Cincinnati) 13-2
No. 20 Prattville (Ala.) 13-1
No. 21 Maine South (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) 14-0
No. 22 South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C.) 15-0
No. 23 Armwood (Seffner, Fla.) 12-1
No. 24 Liberty (Bethlehem, Pa.) 15-1
No. 25 Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) 14-1
No. 26 Glenville (Cleveland) 11-1
No. 28 Union (Tulsa, Okla.) 13-1
No. 29 Muskegon (Mich.) 14-0
No. 30 Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.) 14-0
No. 31 Bethel Park (Pittsburgh) 15-1
No. 32 Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.) 14-1
No. 33 Bellevue (Wash.) 14-0
No. 34 Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.) 13-1
No. 35 St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) 13-1
No. 36 Bolles (Jacksonville, Fla.) 14-0
No. 38 Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.) 13-0
No. 39 Destrehan (La.) 14-0
No. 40 Permian (Odessa, Texas) 12-1
No. 41 Gateway (Monroeville, Pa.) 12-1
No. 42 East St. Louis (Ill.) 13-1
No. 43 Homestead (Mequon, Wis.) 14-0
No. 44 Meridian (Miss.) 14-1
No. 45 Noxubee County (Macon, Miss.) 14-0
No. 46 Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.) 14-1
No. 47 Tesoro (Las Flores, Calif.) 13-1
No. 49 Pine Forest (Pensacola, Fla.) 13-1
No. 50 Oakton (Vienna, Va.) 13-1

Other notes:
• Texas Stadium is the subject of many a sentimental story this week as the Cowboys prepare to play their final regular season game in the house with a hole in the roof. But the home of the 'Boys has also been a staple of Texas high school football over the years, and Angel Verdejo of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram takes a look back at some of the most memorable prep showdowns here.

• With the California state bowls on tap for this weekend at the Home Depot Center, The Los Angeles Times' Eric Sondheimer rewinds to 2001, when Long Beach Poly and De La Salle met in a game that "redefined the field". Sondheimer says that this titanic matchup between California powerhouses set the stage for the current state of top level high school football which includes premiere out-of-state matchups and televised clashes.

• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Terence Moore looks back fondly on the AAAAA state title game in Georgia, in which FAB 50 No. 4 Camden County defeated Peachtree Ridge 21-14.

• Shame on the L.A. City Section for not having overtime in its championship game between Narbonne and San Pedro that ended 21-21, but as Gene Johnson of The Los Angeles Wave points out, it was great to see City Councilman Tom LaBonge donate $5,000 from his office account to help rent the L.A. Coliseum for the game, continuing a tradition that was in jeopardy because of budget concerns.

• Briar Woods (Ashburn, Va,) DB Jeremy Gray recently wrapped up his senior season with his team finishing 8-3 and losing in the second round to Monticello. After a solid junior season in which Gray totaled 40 receptions for 450 yards and five touchdowns on offense and 30 tackles and 2 INTs on defense, the 5-foot-11, 173 pound senior returned two kick returns for scores and picked off four passes on defense. Gray projects on the defensive side of the ball at the next level and his best football is ahead of him according to his father, Jerry Gray, Secondary/CBs coach for the Washington Redskins. Gray has official visits set up at North Texas and Colorado State in the coming weeks and is hearing from a couple of other schools.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

Friday:
No. 1 St Thomas Aquinas 35 (14-0), Largo 14 (12-2)
No. 9 Centennial 23 (14-0), Chaparral 17 (12-2)
No. 10 Lakeland 22 (14-0), No. 37 Pine Forest 21 (12-1)
No. 13 Plant 33 (13-1), Dwyer 21 (12-2)
No. 18 De La Salle 34 (12-1), Pittsburg 10 (11-2)
No. 20 John T Curtis 35 (14-1), Evangel Christian 14 (13-2)
No. 26 St. Bonaventure 42 (13-1), Moorpark 7 (12-2)
No. 29 Peoria Centennial 20 (14-0), Westview 7 (12-2)
No. 47 Hamilton 17 (13-1), Brophy College Prep 10 (11-4)

Saturday:
No. 2 Long Beach Poly 20 (14-0), No. 34 Tesoro 17 (13-1)
No. 3 Allen 23 (14-1), Stony Point 21 (13-2)
No. 4 Lake Travis 56 (15-0), Friendswood 22 (11-2)
No. 5 Camden County 21 (15-0), No. 44 Peachtree Ridge 14 (12-3)
No. 32 Liberty 28 (15-1), No. 16 Bethel Park 21 (15-1) OT
No. 22 Hightower 28 (13-0), Clark 7 (13-2)
No. 28 Trinity 48 (14-1), Kenton 0 (10-5)
No. 48 Bolles 49 (14-0), Gulliver Prep 20 (12-2)
Destrehan 14 (14-0), No. 49 West Monroe 3 (13-1)

Season Complete: No.6 Oscar Smith (15-0)
No.7 St Ignatius (14-1)
No.8 Phoebus (15-0)
No.11 Trinity (13-1)
No.12 Byrnes (14-1)
No.14 Don Bosco Prep (11-1)
No.15 Skyline (14-0)
No.17 Elder (13-2)
No.19 Prattville (13-1)
No.21 Maine South (14-0)
No.23 South Pointe (15-0)
No.24 Armwood (12-1)
No.25 Glenville (11-1)
No.27 Union (13-1)
No.30 Muskegon (14-0)
No.31 Center Grove (14-1)
No.33 Bellevue (14-0)
No.35 St Xavier (12-1)
No.36 Dorman (13-1)
No.38 Wayzata (13-0)
No.39 Permian (12-1)
No.40 Gateway (12-1)
No.41 Meridian (14-1)
No.42 East St Louis (13-1)
No.43 Homestead (14-0)
No.45 Grayson (13-1)
No.46 Noxubee County (14-0)
No.50 South Panola (14-1)

East Region Top 20
1. Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.) 15-0 (1)*
2. Phoebus (Hampton, Va.) 15-0 (2)*
3. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) 11-1 (3)*
4. Bethel Park (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 15-1 lost to Liberty, 28-21 (OT)
5. Liberty (Bethlehem, Pa.) 15-1 def. Bethel Park, 28-21 (OT)
6. Gateway (Monroeville, Pa.) 12-1 (6)*
7. Oakton (Vienna, Va.) 13-1 (8)*
8. Wilson (West Lawn, Pa.) 14-1 (7)*
9. Iona Prep (New Rochelle, N.Y.) 12-0 (9)*
10. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) 10-2 (10)*
11. North Penn (Lansdale, Pa.) 14-1 (4)*
12. Stone Bridge (Ashburn, Va.) 13-1 (11)*
13. Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) 10-1 (12)*
14. Neshaminy (Langhorne, Pa.) 12-2 (14)*
15. Loyola Blakefield (Towson, Md.) 11-0 (15)*
16. St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.) 11-1 (16)*
17. State College (State College, Pa.) 12-1 (17)*
18. Thomas Jefferson (Jefferson Hills, Pa.) 15-1 def. Archbishop Wood, 34-7
19. Garnet Valley (Glen Mills, Pa.) 12-1 (19)*
20. Orchard Park (Orchard Park, N.Y.) 13-0 (20)*

Southeast Region Top 20
1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 14-0, def. Largo, 35-14
2. Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.) 15-0, def. Peachtree Ridge, 21-14
3. Lakeland (Lakeland, Fla.) 14-0, def. Pine Forest, 22-21
4. Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) 14-1 (7)*
5. Plant (Tampa, Fla.) 13-1, def. Dwyer, 33-21
6. Prattville (Prattville, Ala.) 13-1 (9)*
7. John Curtis (River Ridge, La.) 14-1, def. Evangel Christian, 35-14
8. South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C) 15-0 (13)*
9. Armwood (Seffner, Fla.) 12-1 (2)*
10. Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.) 13-1 (16)*
11. Pine Forest (Pensacola, Fla.) 12-1, lost to Lakeland, 22-21
12. Meridian (Meridian, Miss.) 14-1 (nr)*
13. Peachtree Ridge (Suwanee, Ga.) 12-3, lost to Camden County, 21-14
14. Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) 13-1 (11)*
15. Noxubee County (Macon, Miss.) 14-0 (nr)*
16. Bolles School (Jacksonville, Fla.) 14-0, def. Gulliver Prep, 49-20
17. West Monroe (Monroe, La.) 13-1, lost to Destrehan, 14-3
18. South Panola (Batesville, Miss.) 14-1 (4)*
19. Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.) 12-1 (17)*
20. University School (Memphis, Tenn.) 13-0 (nr)*

Midwest Region Top 20
1. St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio) 14-1*
2. Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio) 13-2*
3. Maine South (Park Ridge, Ill.) 14-0*
4. Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio) 11-1*
5. Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) 14-1, def. Simon Kenton, 48-0
6. Muskegon (Muskegon, Mich.) 14-0*
7. Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.) 14-1*
8. St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) 12-1*
9. Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.) 13-0*
10. Homestead (Mequon, Wis.) 14-0*
11. East St. Louis (East St. Louis, Ill.), 13-1*
12. Valley (West Des Moines, Iowa) 14-0*
13. Rockford (Rockford, Mich.) 13-1*
14. Carmel (Carmel, Ind.) 13-2*
15. Arrowhead (Hartland, Wis.) 13-1*
16. Ursuline (Youngstown, Ohio) 15-0*
17. Southview (Sylvania, Ohio) 15-0*
18. Kimberly (Kimberly, Wis.) 14-0*
19. Sacred Heart-Griffin (Springfield, Ill.) 13-1*
20. Alter (Kettering, Ohio) 13-2**
** Asterisk by record indicates losses by forfeit.

Southwest Region Top 20 1. Allen (Allen, Texas) 14-1, def. Stony Point, 23-21
2. Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) 14-0, def. Friendswood, 56-22
3. Trinity (Euless, Texas) 13-1 (1)*
4. Hightower (Fort Bend, Texas) 13-0, def. San Antonio Clark, 28-7
5. Union (Tulsa, Okla.) 13-1 (5)*
6. Permian (Odessa, Texas) 12-1 (8)*
7. Longview (Longview, Texas) 12-2* (9)
8. Jenks (Jenks, Okla.) 12-2 (6)*
9. Stony Point (Round Rock, Texas) 13-2, lost to Allen, 23-21
10. Everman (Everman, Texas) 14-1, lost to Sulphur Springs, 47-34
11. Smithson Valley (Spring Branch, Texas) 13-2, lost to Katy, 41-19
12. Copperas Cove (Copperas Cove, Texas) 13-2, lost to Wylie, 23-7
13. North Shore (Galena, Texas) 9-1 (16)*
14. Pearland (Pearland, Texas) 12-1 (7)*
15. Midwest City (Midwest City, Okla.) 12-1 (15)*
16. Plano (Plano, Texas) 10-2 (nr)*
17. Millard West (Omaha, Neb.) 14-0 (18)*
18. Las Cruces (Las Cruces, N.M.) 13-0 (nr)*
19. Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.) 13-1 (19)*
20. Wylie (Wylie, Texas) 13-2, def. Copperas Cove, 23-7

West Region Top 20
1. Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) 14-0 def. Tesoro, 20-17
2. Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 14-0 def. Chaparral, 23-17
3. Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.) 14-0*
4. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) 12-1 def. Pittsburg, 34-10
5. St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.) 13-1 def. Moorpark, 42-7
6. Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.) 14-0 def. Westview, 20-7
7. Bellevue (Bellevue, Wash.) 13-0*
8. Tesoro (Las Flores, Calif.) 13-1 loss Poly, 20-17
9. Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.) 13-1 def. Brophy, 17-10
10. Grant (Sacramento, Calif.) 13-0 Idle
11. Timpview (Provo, Utah) 14-0 (10)*
12. Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 14-0*
13. Bellarmine Prep (San Jose, Calif.) 12-1 Idle
14. McQueen (Reno, Nev.) 14-0 (14)*
15. Punahou (Honolulu, Hawaii) 12-1*
16. Chaparral (Temecula, Calif.) 13-2, loss Centennial, 23-17
17. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) 14-0 def. Gardena Serra, 63-28
18. Alta (Sandy, Utah) 13-1*
19. Mullen Prep (Denver, Colo.) 11-2*
20. Southridge (Beaverton, Ore.) 12-2*

Posted by Brian Stumpf

Friday:
No. 1 St Thomas Aquinas 35 (14-0), Largo 14 (12-2)
No. 9 Centennial 23 (14-0), Chaparral 17 (12-2)
No. 10 Lakeland 22 (14-0), No. 37 Pine Forest 21 (12-1)
No. 13 Plant 33 (13-1), Dwyer 21 (12-2)
No. 20 John T Curtis 35 (14-1), Evangel Christian 14 (13-2)
No. 29 Peoria Centennial 20 (14-0), Westview 7 (12-2)
No. 47 Hamilton 17 (13-1), Brophy College Prep 10 (11-4)

Posted by Brian Stumpf

Friday: No. 2 St Thomas Aquinas 56 (13-0), South Fork 14 (9-4)
No. 21 Tampa Plant 17 (12-1), No. 3 Armwood 14 (12-1)
Sophomore Phillip Ely threw for two touchdowns and Plant survived a late rally Friday night to upset Armwood, 17-14, in the Class 4A-Region 3 Final at Dad's Stadium. Armwood drove to the Panthers' 15-yard line before missing a potential game-tying 32-yard field with 8 seconds remaining wide left, reports The Tampa Tribune.
No. 4 Long Beach Poly 20 (13-0), Lakewood 10 (10-3)
No. 47 Trinity 28 (13-1), No. 8 St Xavier 21 (12-1)
Tim Phillips scampered for 182 yards and three touchdowns as Trinity avenged an earlier loss to St. X with a 28-21 win to advance to the 6A state final next week. The Shamrocks (13-1) will try for their fourth consecutive state championship and seventh in eight years when they face Simon Kenton (10-4) next week, reports The Louisville Courier-Journal.
No. 9 Camden County 27 (14-0), No. 31 Newnan 7 (13-1)
Meridian 26 (14-1), No. 10 South Panola 20 (14-1) OT
The nation's longest current active winning streak is done at 89, as South Panola went down Friday night in the Mississippi 5A championship game. After Meridian missed a potential game-winning field goal at the end of regulation, James Barnett scored from two yards out and then the Wildcats' defense held on downs, reports The Sun-Herald. South Panola had not lost a game since falling 21-14 to Wayne County in the 2002 Class 5A title game and the nation's longest active winning streak now belongs to Maryville (Tenn.) High at 74. No. 12 Corona Centennial 38 (13-0), Murrieta Valley 17 (9-4)
No. 13 Lakeland 40 (13-0), Chamberlain 20 (11-2)
No. 14 Skyline 20 (14-0), Issaquah 15 (11-3)
No. 23 Concord De La Salle 42 (11-1), Foothill 7 (9-3)
No. 25 John T Curtis 48 (13-1), Calvary Baptist Academy 0 (13-1)
Peachtree Ridge 13 (12-2), No. 27 Grayson 10 (13-1) 2OT
Bolles 21 (13-0), No. 28 Madison County 7 (11-1)
Led by a stout defensive effort and a breathtaking performance by junior running back Jawan Jamison, Bolles stunned nationally ranked Madison County 21-7 in the 2A state semifinals on Friday, writes Hays Carlyon of The Florida Times-Union. No. 29 South Pointe 35 (15-0), Northwestern 14 (13-2)
No. 32 St Bonaventure 35 (12-1), Saugus 8 (9-4)
No. 33 Peoria Centennial 41 (13-0), Ironwood Ridge 14 (10-3)
No. 34 Tulsa Union 34 (13-1), No. 40 Jenks 20 (12-2)
Jeremy Smith ran for 242 yards and three scores to lead Union to its fifth state title, writes John Ferguson of The Tulsa World.
Richmond 30 (11-3-1), No. 35 Independence 22 (13-1)
Independence won't play for the North Carolina state title for the first time in nine seasons after falling to Richmond in a 4AA semifinal, reports The Charlotte Observer.

Saturday:
No. 19 Allen 34 (13-1), No. 1 Euless Trinity 21 (13-1)
No. 5 Lake Travis 71 (14-0), Killeen 9 (9-5)
No. 6 Oscar Smith 54 (15-0), Osbourn 24 (9-5)
No. 11 Phoebus 37 (15-0), Dinwiddie 13 (12-2)
No. 15 Don Bosco Prep 34 (11-1), Bergen Catholic 13 (9-3)
Hillsboro 10 (13-2), No. 16 Maryville 7 (14-1)
No. 17 Byrnes 31 (14-1), Sumter 21 (12-3)
Liberty 21 (14-1), No. 18 North Penn 14 (14-1)
No. 20 Bethel Park 38 (15-0), No. 50 Wilson 35 (14-1)
No. 24 Prattville 16 (13-1), Hoover 13 (13-2)
No. 36 Hightower 38 (12-0), No.46 Pearland 21 (12-1)
No. 43 Bellevue 35 (14-0), Union 6 (13-1)

Season complete:
No. 7 St Ignatius (14-1)
No. 22 Elder (13-2)
No. 26 Maine South (14-0)
No. 30 Glenville (11-1)
No. 37 Muskegon (14-0)
No. 38 Center Grove (14-1)
No. 39 Dorman (13-1)
No. 41 Lowndes County (12-1)
No. 42 Wayzata (13-0)
No. 44 Gateway (12-1)
No. 45 Homestead (14-0)
No. 48 East St Louis (13-1)
No. 49 Permian (12-1)

Regional scoreboard: East Region Top 20
1. Oscar Smith, (Chesapeake, Va.) 15-0 def. Osbourn, 54-16
2. Phoebus (Hampton, Va.) 15-0 def. Dinwiddie, 37-13
3. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) 11-1 def. Bergen Catholic, 34-13
4. North Penn (Lansdale, Pa.) 14-1 lost to Bethlehem Liberty, 21-14
5. Bethel Park (Pittsburgh) 15-0 def. Wilson, 38-35 (3OT)
6. Gateway (Monroeville, Pa.) 12-1*
7. Wilson (West Lawn, Pa.) 14-1 lost to Bethel Park, 38-35 (3OT)
8. Oakton (Vienna, Va.) 13-1*
9. Iona Prep (New Rochelle, N.Y.) 12-0*
10. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) 10-2*
11. Stone Bridge (Ashburn, Va.) 13-1*
12. Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) 10-1*
13. Liberty (Bethlehem, Pa.) 14-1 def. North Penn, 21-14
14. Neshaminy (Langhorne, Pa.) 12-2*
15. Loyola Blakefield (Towson, Md.) 11-0*
16. St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.) 10-1 def. Immaculata, 27-6
17. State College (Pa.) 12-1*
18. Thomas Jefferson (Jefferson Hills, Pa.) 14-1 def. West York, 49-21
19. Garnet Valley (Glen Mills, Pa.) 12-1*
20. Orchard Park (Orchard Park, N.Y.) 13-0*

Southeast Region Top 20
1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 13-0 def. South Fork, 56-14
2. Armwood (Seffner, Fla.) 12-1 lost to Plant, 17-14
3. Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.) 14-0 def. Newnan, 27-7
4. South Panola (Batesville, Miss.) 14-1 lost to Meridian, 26-20
5. Lakeland (Lakeland, Fla.) 13-0 def. Chamberlain, 40-20
6. Maryville (Tenn.) 14-1 lost to Hillsboro, 10-7
7. Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) 14-1 def. Sumter, 31-21
8. Plant (Tampa, Fla.) 12-1 def. Armwood, 17-14
9. Prattville (Ala.) 13-1 def. Hoover, 16-13
10. John Curtis (River Ridge, La.) 13-1 def. Calvary Baptist Academy, 48-0
11. Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) 13-1 lost Peachtree Ridge, 13-10 2OT
12. Madison County (Madison, Fla.) 11-1 lost to Bolles, 21-7
13. South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C) 15-0 def. Northwestern, 35-14
14. Newnan (Ga.) 13-1 lost to Camden County, 27-7
15. Independence (Charlotte, N.C.) 13-1, lost to Richmond, 30-22
16. Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.) 13-1*
17. Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.) 12-1*
18. Rocky Mount (N.C.) 13-1, lost to West Craven, 22-19
19. Hoover (Ala.) 13-2, lost to Prattville, 16-13
20. Northside (Warner Robins, Ga.) 10-2*

Midwest Region Top 20
1. St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio) 14-1*
2. St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) 12-1 lost to No. 10 Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) 13-1, 28-21
3. Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio) 13-2*
4. Maine South (Park Ridge, Ill.) 14-0*
5. Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio) 11-1*
6. Muskegon (Muskegon, Mich.) 14-0*
7. Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.) 14-1*
8. Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.) 13-0*
9. Homestead (Mequon, Wis.) 14-0*
10. Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) 13-1 def. No. 2 St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) 28-21
11. East St. Louis (East St. Louis, Ill.) 13-1*
12. Valley (West Des Moines, Iowa) 14-0*
13. Rockford (Rockford, Mich.) 13-1*
14. Carmel (Carmel, Ind.) 13-2*
15. Arrowhead (Hartland, Wis.) 13-1*
16. Ursuline (Youngstown, Ohio) 15-0*
17. Southview (Sylvania, Ohio) 15-0*
18. Kimvberly (Kimberly, Wis.) 14-0*
19. Sacred Heart-Griffin (Springfield, Ill.) 13-1*
20. Alter (Kettering, Ohio) 13-2*

Southwest Region Top 20
1. Trinity (Euless, Texas) 13-1, lost to Allen, 34-21
2. Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) 14-0, def. Killeen, 71-9
3. Allen (Texas) 13-1, def. Trinity, 34-21
4. Hightower (Fort Bend, Texas) 12-0, def. Pearland, 38-21
5. Union (Tulsa, Okla.) 13-1, def. Jenks, 34-20
6. Jenks (Okla.) 12-2, lost to Tulsa Union, 34-20
7. Pearland (Texas) 12-1, lost to Hightower, 38-21
8. Permian (Odessa, Texas) 12-1 (3)*
9. Longview (Texas) 12-2, def. Midway, 43-42
10. Stony Point (Round Rock, Texas) 13-1, def. Skyline, 28-14
11. Everman (Texas) 14-0 def. Stephenville, 27-24
12. Smithson Valley (Spring Branch, Texas) 13-1, def. Reagan, 19-14
13. Cedar Hill (Texas) 12-2, lost to Wylie, 31-21
14. Copperas Cove (Texas) 13-1, def. Klein Oak, 45-7
15. Midwest City (Okla.) 12-1 (9)*
16. North Shore (Galena, Texas) 9-1 (16)*
17. Eldorado (Albuquerque, N.M.) 12-1, lost to Las Cruces, 26-21
18. Millard West (Omaha, Neb.) 14-0 (18)*
19. Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.) 13-1, def. Carl Albert, 28-17
20. Carl Albert (Midwest City, Okla.) 12-2, lost to Booker T. Washington, 28-17

West Region Top 20
1. Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) 13-0 def. Lakewood, 20-10
2. Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 13-0 def. Murrieta Valley, 38-17
3. Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.) 14-0 def. Issaquah, 20-15
4. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) 11-1 def. Foothill, 42-7
5. St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.) 12-1 def. Saugus, 35-8
6. Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.) 13-0 def. Ironwood Ridge, 41-14
7. Bellevue (Wash.) 14-0 def. Capital, 28-6 on Monday, def. Union, 35-6 on Saturday
8. Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.) 12-1 def. Red Mountain, 53-28
9. Grant (Sacramento, Calif.) 12-0 def. Burbank, 55-6
10. Timpview (Provo, Utah) 14-0*
11. Lake Oswego (Lake Oswego, Ore.) 12-1 loss Southridge, 35-21
12. Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 14-0 def. Chaparral, 38-0
13. Mountain View (Mesa, Ariz.) 12-1 loss Brophy, 27-16
14. McQueen (Reno, Nev.) 14-0 def. Palo Verde, 13-12
15. Tesoro (Las Flores, Calif.) 13-0 def. Lutheran, 42-14
16. Bellarmine (San Jose, Calif.) 12-1 def. Valley Christian, 21-0
17. Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) 10-3 loss Tesoro, 42-14
18. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) 13-0 def. Morro Bay, 29-7
19. Alta (Sandy, Utah) 13-1*
20. Mullen Prep (Denver, Colo.) 11-2*

* indicates season complete

Posted by Brian Stumpf

Friday:
No. 2 St Thomas Aquinas 56 (13-0), South Fork 14 (9-4)
No. 21 Tampa Plant 17 (12-1), No. 3 Armwood 14 (12-1)

Sophomore Phillip Ely threw for two touchdowns and Plant survived a late rally Friday night to upset Armwood, 17-14, in the Class 4A-Region 3 Final at Dad's Stadium. Armwood drove to the Panthers' 15-yard line before missing a potential game-tying 32-yard field with 8 seconds remaining. The Tampa Tribune has the full recap.

No. 4 Long Beach Poly 20 (13-0), Lakewood 10 (10-3)

No. 47 Trinity 28 (13-1), No. 8 St Xavier 21 (12-1)

Tim Phillips scampered for 182 yards and three touchdowns as Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) avenged an earlier loss to St. X with a 28-21 win to advance to the 6A state final. The Shamrocks (13-1) will try for their fourth consecutive state championship and seventh in eight years when they face Simon Kenton (10-4) next week, reports The Louisville Courier-Journal.

No. 9 Camden County 27 (14-0), No. 31 Newnan 7 (13-1)
Meridian 26 (14-1), No. 10 South Panola 20 (14-1) OT

The nation's longest current active winning streak is done at 89, as South Panola went down Friday night in the Mississippi 5A championship game. After Meridian missed a potential game-winning field goal at the end of regulation, James Barnett scored from two yards out and then the Wildcats' defense held on downs. The Sun-Herald has complete coverage. South Panola had not lost a game since falling 21-14 to Wayne County in the 2002 Class 5A title game and the nation's longest active winning streak now belongs to Maryville (Tenn.) High at 74.

No. 12 Corona Centennial 38 (13-0), Murrieta Valley 17 (9-4)
No. 13 Lakeland 40 (13-0), Chamberlain 20 (11-2)
No. 14 Skyline 20 (14-0), Issaquah 15 (11-3)
No. 23 Concord De La Salle 42 (11-1), Foothill 7 (9-3)
No. 25 John T. Curtis 48 (13-1), Calvary Baptist Academy 0 (13-1)
Peachtree Ridge 13 (12-2), No. 27 Grayson 10 (13-1) 2OT

Bolles 21 (13-0), No. 28 Madison County 7 (11-1)
Led by a stout defensive effort and a breathtaking performance by junior running back Jawan Jamison, Bolles stunned nationally-ranked Madison County 21-7 in the 2A state semifinals on Friday, writes Hays Carlyon of The Florida Times-Union.

No. 29 South Pointe 35 (15-0), Northwestern 14 (13-2)
No. 32 St Bonaventure 35 (12-1), Saugus 8 (9-4)
No. 33 Peoria Centennial 41 (13-0), Ironwood Ridge 14 (10-3)

No. 34 Tulsa Union 34 (13-1), No. 40 Jenks 20 (12-2)
Jeremy Smith ran for 242 yards and three scores to lead Union to its fifth state title, writes John Ferguson of The Tulsa World.

Richmond 30 (11-3-1), No. 35 Independence 22 (13-1)
Independence won't play for the North Carolina state title for the first time in nine seasonsafter falling to Richmond in a 4AA semifinal. The Charlotte Observer has the full recap.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

There are some epic games on the schedule this week … Oh, where to begin?!

FAB 50 Game of the Week:
No. 1 Euless Trinity (13-0) vs. No. 19 Allen (12-1)
Saturday at Texas Stadium -- Class 5A D1 Regional Final
The Trojans and the Eagles hook up for the second time this year in what could be Trinity's toughest test on the way to a 5A title repeat and possible mythical national title.
• It looks like Allen junior Tucker Carter will be filling in at QB for a second week in a row, as Matt Brown is still recovering from a non-throwing shoulder injury suffered two weeks ago in a win over Coppell.
• ESPN RISE's Jeff Miller has a great preview of the matchup here.
• Dallas Morning-News blogger Matt Wixon likes the top-ranked Trojans to win but says overall, these teams are even enough that it could come down to one or two big plays that decide the winner.
• Trinity won the earlier meeting this year, 24-14, as sophomore Tevin Williams carried 30 times for 179 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Trojans.

Other FAB 50 matchups:
No. 3 Armwood (12-0) at No. 21 Tampa Plant (11-1) -- Class 4A Regional Final
Conventional wisdom says Plant has quite a tall order in this one, having already lost to Armwood in the season-opener with Elite 11 QB Aaron Murray healthy, 9-2. Murray has since been lost to injury and now sophomore Phillip Ely -- who has been solid most of the time, but shaky last week against Bradenton Southeast -- must face maybe the nation's most feared defense. Armwood's defense is led by DE Ryne Giddins, who had three sacks in the two teams' first meeting and scored two defensive TDs in last week's win over Tampa Bay Tech.

No. 8 St Xavier (12-0) at No. 47 Trinity (12-1) -- Class 6A Semifinal
This is another rematch from the regular season, one that St. X completed dominated on the way to resounding 30-6 victory, powered by Deuce Finch's 154 yards on the ground and a defense that forced three turnovers in front of 38,872 fans at Louisville's Papa John Stadium. Trinity can take solace from the fact that they also lost to St. X in the regular season a year ago, only to rebound and win the 6A title with a 34-28 OT win over their rivals.

No. 9 Camden County (13-0) at No. 31 Newnan (13-0) -- Class 5A Semifinal
This might be the swan song for Newnan head coach Robert Herring, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, and the Cougars are trying to send him out in style with a AAAAA state title. To do so, Newnan will have to get past Camden County, who comes in averaging over 45 points a game with a powerful Wing-T attack. Newnan's defense meanwhile, has surrendered just 31 points in 13 games, including eight shutouts.

No. 34 Tulsa Union (12-1) vs. No. 40 Jenks (12-1) -- Class 6A Final
In yet another rematch of a regular season game, these two Backyard Brawl rivals hook up for the sixth time in 11 years to decide the Oklahoma Class 6A title. Most in the state feel that Union is simply a better team, but whenever these two teams matchup it's always hard-fought and close.

No. 20 Bethel Park (14-0) vs. No. 50 Wilson (14-0) -- Class 4A Semifinal
Can Bethel Park's amazing run continue? Jeff Metheny's team, which prior to this year had never even won 10 games in a year during Metheny's 15-year tenure, knocked off Gateway two weeks ago and edged another FAB 50 ranked team, State College Area, last week, and will have to make it three in a row this week to advance to the state title. Wilson, on the other hand, has been demolishing the competition with an average margin of victory over 30 points. Typically however teams from the WPIAL such as Bethel Park have fared well against team's coming from Wilson's region.

No. 36 Hightower (11-0) at No.4 6 Pearland (12-0) -- Class 5A D1 Regional Final
Hightower has needed some smoke and mirrors to get by the past two weeks, being outgained in both of their most recent playoff wins, but winning the turnover battle and getting some timely play from Miami-bound QB A.J. Highsmith. Pearland's run-heavy offense, led by Kasey Carrier, could cause some problems for the Canes' defense.

Friday:
No. 2 St Thomas Aquinas (12-0) vs. South Fork (9-3) -- Class 5A Regional Final
No. 3 Armwood (12-0) at No. 21 Tampa Plant (11-1) -- Class 4A Regional Final
No. 4 Long Beach Poly (12-0) at Lakewood (10-2) -- CIF SS PAC-5 Div. Semifinal
No. 8 St Xavier (12-0) at No. 47 Trinity (12-1) -- Class 6A Semifinal
No. 9 Camden County (13-0) at No. 31 Newnan (13-0) -- Class 5A Semifinal
No. 10 South Panola (14-0) at Meridian (13-1)  Class 5A Final
No. 12 Corona Centennial (12-0) vs. Murrieta Valley (9-3) -- CIF SS Inland Div. Semifinal
No. 13 Lakeland (12-0) vs. Chamberlain (11-1) -- Class 5A Regional Final
No. 14 Skyline (13-0) vs. Issaquah (11-2) -- Class 4A Final
No. 23 Concord De La Salle (10-1) vs. Foothill (9-2) -- CIF NCS D1 Semifinal
No. 25 John T Curtis (12-1) vs. Calvary Baptist Academy (12-1) -- Class 2A Semifinal
No. 27 Grayson County (13-0) at Peachtree Ridge (11-2) -- Class 5A Semifinal
No. 28 Madison County (11-0) vs. Bolles (12-0) -- Class 2A Semifinal
No. 29 South Pointe (14-0) vs. Northwestern  Class 4A D2 Final
No. 32 St Bonaventure (11-1) at Saugus (9-3) -- CIF SS Northern Div. Semifinal
No. 33 Peoria Centennial (12-0) at Ironwood Ridge (10-2) -- Class 5A D2 Semifinal
No. 34 Tulsa Union (12-1) vs. No. 40 Jenks (12-1) -- Class 6A Final
No. 35 Independence (13-0) vs. Richmond (10-3-1) -- Class 4-AA Semifinal

Saturday:
No. 1 Euless Trinity (13-0) at No. 19 Allen (12-1) -- Class 5A D1 Regional Final
No. 5 Lake Travis (13-0) at Killeen (9-4) -- Class 4A D1 Regional Final
No. 6 Oscar Smith (14-0) vs. Osbourn (9-4) -- Class 3A D6 Final
No. 11 Phoebus (14-0) vs. Dinwiddie (12-1) -- Class 3A D5 Final
No. 15 Don Bosco Prep (10-1) vs. Bergen Catholic (9-2) -- Non-Public Group 4 Final
No. 16 Maryville (14-0) at Hillsboro (12-2) -- Class 4A Final
No. 17 Byrnes (13-1) at Sumter (12-2) -- Class 4A D1 Final
No. 18 North Penn (14-0) at Liberty (13-1) -- Class 4A Semifinal
No. 20 Bethel Park (14-0) vs. No. 50 Wilson (14-0) -- Class 4A Semifinal
No. 24 Prattville (12-1) at Hoover (13-1) -- Class 6A Final
No. 36 Hightower (11-0) at No.46 Pearland (12-0) -- Class 5A D1 Regional Final
No. 43 Bellevue (13-0) vs. Union (13-0) -- Class 3A Final

Season complete:
No. 7 St Ignatius (14-1)
No. 22 Elder (13-2)
No. 26 Maine South (14-0)
No. 30 Glenville (11-1)
No. 37 Muskegon (14-0)
No. 38 Center Grove (14-1)
No. 39 Dorman (13-1)
No. 41 Lowndes County (12-1)
No. 42 Wayzata (13-0)
No. 44 Gateway (12-1)
No. 45 Homestead (14-0)
No. 48 East St Louis (13-1)
No. 49 Permian (12-1)

Posted by Brian Stumpf

Congrats to Bellevue (Wash.) High, whichreturned to the field three days after a scary bus crash and advanced to the Washington 3A state title game with a 28-6 win over Capital yesterday, reports Tom Wyrwich of The Seattle Times. The Wolverines (13-0) earned a spot in the 3A state championship game against No. 4 Union (13-0) of Vancouver on Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Tacoma Dome. Bellevue is at No. 43 in the latest FAB 50 and ranked second in the state behind 4A power Skyline.

• Keith Farner of The Anderson Independent-Mail breaks down the South Carolina state title games on deck for this weekend. It's a shame that FAB 50 ranked South Pointe and Byrnes don't matchup so we could possibly really know who the top team in the state is, but both teams should be in for dogfights as South Pointe has a rematch with crosstown rival Northwestern in the 4A DII game, while Byrnes clashes with Sumter (12-2) in the 4A DI final.

• Warren Wolf, New Jersey's winningest coach with a record of 361-122-11 in 51 seasons, officially retired Monday during a ceremony at Brick High, reports The Newark Star-Ledger. The 81-year old Wolf registered six state titles, eight undefeated seasons, 31 division titles and remarkably only had three losing seasons in his 51 years. He is the only head coach Brick High has ever has. Wolf's successor has not been named.

• Ballwin (Mo.) Parkway West junior QB Tyler Gabbert, the younger brother of current Missouri freshman and 2007 Elite 11 MVP Blaine Gabbert, is up to three early scholarship offers after being offered by Missouri over Thanksgiving break. The 6-foot-0, 180 pounder, who threw for 1,900 yards and 18 TDs this fall with just five interceptions, is already hearing from schools across the country and now has offers from Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and also FBS (Division I-AA) school Western Carolina. "With the process really beginning for him, he is open at this point and does not have a preference," says Tyler's father Chuck Gabbert. "I am sure we will visit several schools for Junior Day and spring games and it should be fun." Gabbert also looks forward to attending a Nike Camp and EA SPORTS Elite 11 regional camp this coming spring.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Todd Holcomb takes a look at the northern Georgia theme in this weekend's state's semifinal matchups. Newly-ranked Grayson, at No. 27 in the ESPN RISE FAB 50, will battle Peachtree Ridge in one AAAAA semi, while FAB 50 No. 9 Camden County battles No. 31 Newnan in the other.

• Once again it's Jenks-Union for the 6A state title in Oklahoma. Union's defense sacked Jenks quarterback Beau Marsaln on a fourth-down play that gave the Redskins a 24-17 overtime win in the Backyard Bowl in the season's second week. This will be the third straight year and the sixth time in the past 11 years that the two have hooked up with the state title on the line. Current FAB 50 No. 40 Jenks has won the last two titles, but No. 34 Union won this year's regular season game. Barry Lewis of The Tulsa World has more on the clash, as well of the rest of the Oklahoma state title matchups.

• Some deserving recognition for North Atlanta QB Jamal Londry-Jackson, who passed for 1,652 yards and 20 touchdowns this fall under the tutelage of North Atlanta OC and Elite 11 coach Tee Martin. Londry-Jackson attended the EA SPORTS Elite 11 regional camp at Las Vegas in the summer and has all the makings of a Division I signal-caller with a strong arm, good size and mobility.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

Thursday:
No. 18 Don Bosco Prep 57 (10-1), Paramus Catholic 0 (5-5)

Friday:
No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas 49 (12-0), Dillard 8 (9-3)
Grayson 17 (13-0), No. 3 Lowndes 7 (12-1)
The top-ranked team in the Peach State and a top five team nationally all year long is stunned in a 5A state quarterfinal, reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Ean Pemberton, a 5-foot-3, 135-pound running back, rushed for 188 yards and two touchdowns to lead undefeated Grayson to a 17-7 upset victory against Lowndes, pushing the Rams into the state semifinals for the first time in school history.
No. 5 Armwood 50 (12-0), Tampa Bay Tech 20 (10-2)
No. 7 Lake Travis 55 (13-0), Alice 32 (12-1)
No. 8 St. Xavier 53 (12-0), DuPont Manuel 0 (10-3)
No. 9 Camden County 18 (13-0), Woodstock 17 (8-5)
No. 11 South Panola 24 (14-0), Madison Central 21 (12-2)
No. 12 Corona Centennial 41 (12-0), Vista Murrieta 14 (9-3)
No. 13 Lakeland 20 (12-0), Kissimmee-Osceola 16 (8-4)
No. 33 Allen 28 (12-1), No. 17 Permian 22 (12-1)
There was no Mojo Magic for Permian on Friday, as Allen, led by backup QB Tucker Carter, who was filling in for the injured Matt Brown, topped the Panthers, reports The Dallas Morning-News.
No. 19 Maryville 33 (14-0), Greeneville 6 (11-3)
Orange Lutheran 24 (10-2), No. 21 Notre Dame 14 (11-1)
Ryan Kasdorf and Notre Dame entered Friday's game against Lutheran red hot. But the team from Orange took the juice out of the team from Sherman Oaks, writes ESPN RISE's Ronnie Flores.
No. 27 Byrnes 24 (13-1), No. 22 Dorman 13 (13-1)
No. 23 North Penn 28 (14-0), Neshaminy 0 (12-2)
No. 24 Tampa Plant 13 (11-1), Bradenton Southeast 7 (9-3)
No. 25 De La Salle 52 (10-1), Deer Valley 7 (8-4)
No. 26 Prattville 25 (12-1), Davidson 6 (11-3)
No. 28 Bethel Park 17 (14-0), No. 49 State College Area 14 (12-1)
No. 29 John Curtis 36 (12-1), St. Thomas Aquinas 13 (11-1)
No. 30 Madison County 35 (11-0), Pensacola Catholic 28 (8-3)
No. 32 South Pointe 55 (14-0), Laurens 14 (11-3)
No. 35 St. Bonaventure 32 (11-1), Paso Robles 7 (9-3)
No. 37 Hightower 24 (11-0), Cinco Ranch 21 (11-2)
No. 38 Tulsa Union 49 (12-1), Midwest City 17 (12-1)
No. 39 Independence 49 (13-0), Butler 7 (13-2)
No. 40 Newnan 20 (13-0), North Gwinnett 3 (10-3)
No. 41 Muskegon 34 (14-0), De La Salle Collegiate 14 (13-1)
No. 43 Jenks 35 (12-1), Mustang 20 (12-1)
No. 45 Wayzata 27 (13-0), Blaine 7 (11-2)

Saturday:
No. 1 Euless Trinity 48 (13-0), Arlington 14 (8-5)
No. 4 Long Beach Poly 17 (12-0), Esperanza 10 (8-4)
No. 6 Oscar Smith 10 (14-0), No. 50 Oakton 7 (13-1)
Coach Richard Morgan's team advances to the first state title in school history, thanks to a 23-yard field goal by Ryan Trotman with just one minute and 27 seconds remaining, reports The Washington Post.
No. 10 St. Ignatius 28 (14-1), No. 16 Elder 20 (13-2)
No. 14 Phoebus 38 (14-0), No. 20 Stone Bridge 8 (13-1)
The Phantoms made a big statement with a rout of Stone Bridge in the Virginia AAA Division 5 semifinal, overwhelming the defending champs, writes The Washington Post.
No. 15 Skyline 24 (13-0), Ferris 21 (10-2)
No. 31 Maine South 41 (14-0), Hinsdale Central 21 (11-3)
No. 42 Center Grove 36 (14-1), Carmel 33 (13-2)
No. 48 Pearland 35 (12-0), Katy Taylor 7 (8-5)

Monday:
No. 44 Bellevue (12-0) at Capital (9-3)

Idle:
No. 36 Peoria Centennial (12-0) at Ironwood Ridge (10-2)

Season complete:
No. 34 Glenville (11-1)
No. 46 Gateway (12-1)
No. 47 Homestead (14-0)

Regional scoreboard

East Region Top 20
1. Oscar Smith, (Chesapeake, Va.) 14-0, def. Oakton, 10-7
2. Phoebus (Hampton, Va.) 14-0, def. Stone Bridge, 38-8
3. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) 10-1 def. Paramus Catholic, 57-0
4. Stone Bridge (Ashburn, Va.) 13-1 lost to Phoebus, 38-8
5. North Penn (Lansdale, Pa.) 14-0 def. Neshaminy, 28-0
6. Bethel Park (Pittsburgh) 14-0 def. State College, 17-14
7. Gateway (Monroeville, Pa.) 12-1 season complete
8. State College (Pa.) 12-1 lost to Bethel Park, 17-14
9. Oakton (Vienna, Va.) 13-1 lost to Oscar Smith, 10-7
10. Wilson (West Lawn, Pa.) 14-0 def. Cumberland Valley, 35-7
11. Iona Prep (New Rochelle, N.Y.) 12-0 seasion complete.
12. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) 10-2 season complete.
13. Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) 11-1 season complete.
14. Liberty (Bethlehem, Pa.) 13-1 def. George Washington, 30-13
15. Neshaminy (Langhorne, Pa.) 12-2 lost to North Penn, 28-0
16. Loyola Blakefield (Towson, Md.) 11-0 def. Calvert Hall, 35-0
17. St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.) 10-1 def. Bergen Catholic, 42-26
18. Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) 9-2 lost to St. Joseph Regional, 42-26
19. George Washington (Philadelphia, Pa.) 10-1 vs. Bethlehem Liberty, Saturday
20. Garnet Valley (Glen Mills, Pa.) 12-1 season complete

Southeast Region Top 20
1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 12-0 def. Dillard, 49-8
2. Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.) 12-1 lost to Grayson, 17-7
3. Armwood (Seffner, Fla.) 12-0 def. Tampa Bay Tech, 50-20
4. Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.) 13-0 def. Woodstock, 18-17
5. South Panola (Batesville, Miss.) 14-0 def. Madison Central, 24-21
6. Lakeland (Lakeland, Fla.) 12-0 def. Kissimmee-Osceola, 20-16
7. Maryville (Maryville, Tenn.) 14-0 def. Greeneville, 33-6
8. Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.) 13-1 lost to Byrnes, 24-13
9. Plant (Tampa, Fla.) 11-1 def. Bradenton Southeast, 13-7
10. Prattville (Ala.) 12-1 def. Davidson, 25-6
11. Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) 13-1 def. Dorman, 24-13
12. John Curtis (River Ridge, La.) 12-1 def. St. Thomas Aquinas, 36-13
13. Madison County (Madison, Fla.) 11-0 def. Pensacola Catholic, 35-28
14. South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C) 14-0 def. Laurens, 55-14
15. Independence (Charlotte, N.C.) 13-0 def. Butler, 49-7
16. Newnan (Ga.) 13-0 def. North Gwinnett, 20-3
17. Rocky Mount (N.C.) 13-0 def. Eastern Alamance, 42-21
18. Hoover (Hoover, Ala.) 13-1 def. Huntsville, 28-7
19. Mainland (Daytona Beach, Fla.) 11-1 lost to Orange Park, 21-20
20. Northside (Warner Robins, Ga.) 10-2, season complete.

Midwest Region Top 20
1. St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) 12-0 def. DuPont Manuel, 53-0
2. St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio) 14-1 def. No. 3 Elder, 28-20
3. Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio) 13-2 lost to No. 2 St. Ignatius, 28-20
4. Maine South (Park Ridge, Ill.) 14-0 def. Hinsdale Central, 41-21
5. Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio) 11-1 season complete.
6. Muskegon (Muskegon, Mich.) 14-0 def. Warren De La Salle, 34-14
7. Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.) 14-1 def. No. 17 Carmel, 36-33
8. Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.) 13-0 def. No. 19 Blaine, 27-7
9. Homestead (Mequon, Wis.) 14-0 season complete.
10. Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) 12-1 def. Eastern, 63-15
11. East St. Louis (East St. Louis, Ill.) 13-1 def. No. 13 Geneva, 33-14
12. Valley (West Des Moines, Iowa) 14-0 season complete
13. Geneva (Geneva, Ill.) 13-1 lost to No. 11 East St. Louis,. 33-14
14. Steubenville (Steubenville, Ohio) 14-1 lost to Kettering Alter, 21-6
15. Arrowhead (Hartland, Wis.) 13-1 season complete.
16. Rockford (Rockford, Mich.) 13-1 def. Lake Orien, 26-14
17. Carmel (Carmel, Ind.) 13-2 lost to No. 7 Center Grove, 36-33
18. Ursuline (Youngstown, Ohio) 15-0 def. Liberty-Benton, 21-0
19. Blaine (Blaine, Minn.) 11-2 lost to No. 8 Wayzata, 27-7
20. Southview (Sylvania, Ohio) def. Anderson, 29-25

Southwest Region Top 20
1. Trinity (Euless, Texas) 13-0 def. Arlington, 48-14
2. Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) 13-0 def. Alice, 55-32
3. Permian (Odessa, Texas) 12-1 lost to Allen, 28-22
4. Allen (Texas) 12-1 def. Permian, 28-22
5. Hightower (Fort Bend, Texas) 11-0 def. Cinco Ranch, 24-21
6. Union (Tulsa, Okla.) 12-1 def. Midwest City, 49-17
7. Jenks (Okla.) 12-1 def. Mustang, 35-20
8. Pearland (Texas) 12-0 def. Katy Taylor, 35-7
9. Midwest City (Okla.) 12-1 lost to Union, 49-17
10. Longview (Texas) 11-2* def. Dallas Carter, 35-20
11. Stony Point (Round Rock, Texas) 12-1 def. Garland, 38-6
12. Blue Springs South (Blue Springs, Mo.) 11-3 lost to Hazelwood Central, 25-20
13. Everman (Texas) 13-0 def. Big Spring, 55-15
14. Cinco Ranch (Katy, Texas) 11-2 lost to Hightower, 24-21
15. Smithson Valley (Spring Branch, Texas) 12-1 def. Southwest, 30-14
16. North Shore (Galena, Texas) 9-1, season complete.
17. Eldorado (Albuquerque, N.M.) 12-0 def. Clovis, 10-7
18. Millard West (Omaha, Neb.) 13-0 def. Millard South, 21-8
19. Cedar Hill (Cedar Hill, Texas) 12-1 def. Mansfield, 41-35
20. Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.) 12-1 def. El Reno, 28-7

West Region Top 20
1. Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) 12-0 def. Esperanza, 17-10
2. Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 12-0 def. Vista Murrieta (Murrieta), 41-14
3. Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.) 13-0 def. Ferris, 24-21
4. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) 11-1 loss Lutheran (Orange), 24-14
5. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) 10-1 def. Deer Valley, 52-7
6. St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.) 11-1 def. Paso Robles, 32-7
7. Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.) 12-0 Idle
8. Bellevue (Wash.) 12-0 Monday vs. Capital
9. Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.) 11-1 Idle
10. Timpview (Provo, Utah) 14-0 Season Over
11. Lake Oswego (Ore.) 12-0 def. Jesuit, 32-28
12. Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 13-0 def. Peoria, 17-14
13. Mountain View (Mesa, Ariz.) 12-0 Idle
14. McQueen (Reno, Nev.) 13-0 def. Bishop Manogue, 38-0
15. Oak Grove (San Jose, Calif.) 11-1 loss Valley Christian (San Jose), 23-20
16. Grant (Sacramento, Calif.) 12-0 def. Woodcreek, 41-14
17. Tesoro (Las Flores, Calif.) 12-0 def. Mater Dei, 38-35
18. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) 12-0 def. Pioneer Valley, 21-0
19. Alta (Sandy, Utah) 13-1 Season Over
20. Mullen Prep (Denver, Colo.) 11-2, def. Cherry Creek, 20-16

Posted by Brian Stumpf

Thursday:
No. 18 Don Bosco Prep 57 (10-1), Paramus Catholic 0 (5-5)

Friday:
No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas 49 (12-0), Dillard 8 (9-3)
Grayson 17 (13-0), No. 3 Lowndes 7 (12-1)
The top-ranked team in the Peach State and a top five team nationally all year long is stunned in a 5A state quarterfinal, reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Ean Pemberton, a 5-foot-3, 135-pound running back, rushed for 188 yards and two touchdowns to lead undefeated Grayson to a 17-7 upset victory against Lowndes, pushing the Rams into the state semifinals for the first time in school history.
No. 5 Armwood 50 (12-0), Tampa Bay Tech 20 (10-2)
No. 7 Lake Travis 55 (13-0), Alice 32 (12-1)
No. 8 St. Xavier 53 (12-0), DuPont Manuel 0 (10-3)
No. 9 Camden County 18 (13-0), Woodstock 17 (8-5)
No. 11 South Panola 24 (14-0), Madison Central 21 (12-2)
No. 12 Corona Centennial 41 (12-0), Vista Murrieta 14 (9-3)
No. 13 Lakeland 20 (12-0), Kissimmee-Osceola 16 (8-4)
No. 33 Allen 28 (12-1), No. 17 Permian 22 (12-1)
There was no Mojo Magic for Permian on Friday, as Allen, led by backup QB Tucker Carter, who was filling in for the injured Matt Brown, topped the Panthers, reports The Dallas Morning-News.
No. 19 Maryville 33 (14-0), Greeneville 6 (11-3)
Orange Lutheran 24 (10-2), No. 21 Notre Dame 14 (11-1)
Ryan Kasdorf and Notre Dame entered Friday's game against Lutheran red hot. But the team from Orange took the juice out of the team from Sherman Oaks, writes ESPN RISE's Ronnie Flores.
No. 27 Byrnes 24 (13-1), No. 22 Dorman 13 (13-1)
No. 23 North Penn 28 (14-0), Neshaminy 0 (12-2)
No. 24 Tampa Plant 13 (11-1), Bradenton Southeast 7 (9-3)
No. 25 De La Salle 52 (10-1), Deer Valley 7 (8-4)
No. 26 Prattville 25 (12-1), Davidson 6 (11-3)
No. 28 Bethel Park 17 (14-0), No. 49 State College Area 14 (12-1)
No. 29 John Curtis 36 (12-1), St. Thomas Aquinas 13 (11-1)
No. 30 Madison County 35 (11-0), Pensacola Catholic 28 (8-3)
No. 32 South Pointe 55 (14-0), Laurens 14 (11-3)
No. 35 St. Bonaventure 32 (11-1), Paso Robles 7 (9-3)
No. 37 Hightower 24 (11-0), Cinco Ranch 21 (11-2)
No. 38 Tulsa Union 49 (12-1), Midwest City 17 (12-1)
No. 39 Independence 49 (13-0), Butler 7 (13-2)
No. 40 Newnan 20 (13-0), North Gwinnett 3 (10-3)
No. 41 Muskegon 34 (14-0), De La Salle Collegiate 14 (13-1)
No. 43 Jenks 35 (12-1), Mustang 20 (12-1)
No. 45 Wayzata 27 (13-0), Blaine 7 (11-2)

Saturday:
No. 1 Euless Trinity (12-0) vs. Arlington (8-4)
No. 4 Long Beach Poly (11-0) vs. Esperanza (8-3)
No. 6 Oscar Smith (13-0) vs. No. 50 Oakton (13-0)
No. 10 St. Ignatius (13-1) vs. No. 16 Elder (13-1)
No. 14 Phoebus (13-0) vs. No. 20 Stone Bridge (13-0)
No. 15 Skyline (12-0) at Ferris (10-1)
No. 31 Maine South (13-0) at Hinsdale Central (11-2)
No. 42 Center Grove (13-1) vs. Carmel (13-1)
No. 44 Bellevue (12-0) at Capital (9-3)
No. 48 Pearland (11-0) vs. Katy Taylor (8-4)

Idle:
No. 36 Peoria Centennial (12-0) at Ironwood Ridge (10-2)

Season complete:
No. 34 Glenville (11-1)
No. 46 Gateway (12-1)
No. 47 Homestead (14-0)

Posted by Brian Stumpf

Congrats to Jeremiah Young of Steel-High in Steelton, Pa., who broke James Mungro's career state rushing record this weekend in a 49-16 win over Camp Hill. Young needed just 65 yards to top Mungro's total of 8,432 yards. He had more than 100 yards rushing in the first half and finished the contest with 138 yards. Young currently has 8,505 yards for his career.

• Here's a look at the All-Europe high school football team selections courtesy of The Stars and Stripes. These players deserve special mention as the children of the brave men and women that are stationed all over the world honoring and defending our country. A special shout out to Baumholder's Fred Styles, who we actually had the pleasure of hosting at both the Nike Combine in Atlanta and the Ohio State Nike Camp this spring. A speedy 5-foot-9, 160-pound wide receiver/cornerback, Styles can really play and hopefully some college can overlook where he's been playing for the past few years and see what he could be in the next few down the road. Styles put up a 38.7-inch vertical jump at the Atlanta Nike Combine, one of the best marks at the event that had nearly 1,300 participants.

• The New York Times takes a closer look at New Jersey power and FAB 50 No. 18 Don Bosco Prep, whose increased profile on the field has led to increased applications and academic standards.

• A great follow-up story by The Pantagraph on former University High (Bloomington, Ill.) standout Peter Buchignani, who blew up at the '04 Iowa Nike Camp, where he posted the top SPARQ Rating. Buchignani turned down Division I offers and took the road less traveled, heading to Princeton, where he's now a senior and three-year starter.

• A good column by Kevin Cooper of The Natchez Democrat about who high school football is really for. "The game wasn't about the fans; it was about the dozens of football players, cheerleaders and band members who had worked so hard to get there. We stayed until the clock hit zero and cheered the team as they left the field."

• The sad but yet inspiring story of Ricky Gibson, a 15-year old sophomore from Maranacook Community High School in Maine from Ray Routhier of The Portland Press Herald. In September, the 15-year-old player for Maranacook Community High School was diagnosed with a brain stem tumor, and when the Make-A-Wish Foundation came calling, Gibson thought not of himself, but of his teammates and school, choosing to have lights and bleachers installed at his school's home field instead of racing with a NASCAR driver or going to meet his favorite football player. The hope is to get the lights up and running by the end of the month, and Ricky plans to be there to flip the switch.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

FAB 50 scoreboard:
Friday:
No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas 35 (11-0), Coconut Creek 7 (7-4)
No. 3 Lowndes 62 (12-0), Bradwell Institute 21 (8-4)
No. 5 Long Beach Poly 21 (11-0), Bishop Amat 17 (7-4)
No. 6 Armwood 30 (11-0), Winter Haven 14 (7-4)
No. 7 Oscar Smith 28 (13-0), Ocean Lakes 21 (12-1)
No. 8 Lake Travis 38 (12-0), Steele 21 (10-2)
No. 9 St. Xavier 48 (11-0), Pleasure Ridge Park 6 (5-5)
No. 10 Camden County 28 (12-0), No. 44 Northside 20 (10-2)
No. 12 South Panola 21 (13-0), Nortwest Rankin 14 (10-3)
No. 13 Corona Centennial 62 (11-0), Yucaipa 7 (5-6)
No. 14 Phoebus 14 (13-0), Lake Taylor 0 (12-1)
No. 15 Lakeland 48 (11-0), Bloomingdale 6 (7-5)
Hightower 28 (10-0), No. 17 North Shore 21 (9-1)
No. 19 Maryville 28 (13-0), Rhea County 8 (10-3)
No. 20 Don Bosco Prep 38 (9-1), St. Peter's Prep 13 (8-3)
No. 21 Permian 56 (12-0), Burleson 21 (5-7)
No. 22 Stone Bridge 35 (13-0), Edison 6 (12-1)
No. 23 Dorman 38 (13-0), Lexington 14 (9-4)
No. 25 North Penn 51 (13-0), Downingtown West 21 (11-2)
No. 26 Plant 67 (10-1), Lakewood 7 (7-4)
Homestead 13 (14-0), No. 28 Arrowhead 11 (13-1)
No. 29 Prattville 42 (11-1), Auburn 0 (12-1)
No. 30 Byrnes 48 (12-1), Clover 7 (9-4)
No. 31 John T. Curtis 49 (11-1), University Lab 14 (7-4)
No. 33 Notre Dame 42 (11-0), Compton 0 (7-3)
No. 34 Madison County 35 (10-0), Marianna 0 (8-3)
No. 36 South Pointe 48 (13-0), Berkeley 14 (8-5)
No. 37 St. Bonaventure 38 (10-1), Newbury Park 14 (7-4)
No. 39 Peoria Centennial 35 (12-0), Desert Ridge 7 (8-4)
No. 40 Tulsa Union 49 (11-1), Norman North 14 (9-3)
No. 41 Independence 43 (12-0), East Mecklenburg 16 (10-3)
No. 42 Center Grove 49 (13-1), Ben Davis 21 (10-4)
No. 45 Newnan 42 (12-0), Tift County 0 (8-4)
No. 47 Bellevue 35 (12-0), Liberty 7 (9-3)
Miami Northwestern 21 (10-2), No. 50 Miami Columbus 6 (9-1)

Saturday:
No. 1 Trinity 42 (12-0), Plano 35 (10-2)
Bethel 10 (13-0), No. 4 Gateway 6 (12-1)
No. 11 St. Ignatius 34 (13-1), North Canton Hoover 7 (12-2)
No. 16 Skyline 38 (12-0), Auburn 2 (11-1)
No. 18 Elder 24 (13-1), No. 49 Pickerington Central 10 (13-1)
DeMatha 34 (10-2), No. 24 Good Counsel 7 (11-1)
No. 32 Maine South 23 (13-0), Bartlett 6 (12-1)
No. 38 Allen 56 (11-1), Coppell 28 (8-4)
No. 43 Muskegon 38 (13-0), Davison 35 (9-4)
No. 46 Jenks 24 (11-1), Edmond Santa Fe 3 (9-3)

Idle:
No. 27 De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) 9-1
No. 35 Glenville (Cleveland) 11-1* Season Over
No. 48 Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.) 12-0

Regional scoreboard:
East Region Top 20
1. Gateway (Monroeville, Pa.) 12-1 lost to Bethel, 10-6
2. Oscar Smith, Chesapeake, Va.) 13-0 def. Ocean Lakes, 28-21
3. Phoebus (Hampton, Va.) 13-0 def. Lake Taylor, 14-0
4. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) 9-1 def. St. Peter's Prep, 38-13
5. Stone Bridge (Ashburn, Va.) 13-0 def. Edison, 35-6
6. Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) 11-1 lost to DeMatha, 34-7
7. North Penn (Lansdale, Pa.) 13-0 def. No. 20 Downingtown West, 51-21
8. State College (Pa.) 12-0 def. McDowell, 22-10
9. Oakton (Vienna, Va.) 13-0 def. Chantilly, 52-14
10. Garnet Valley (Glen Mills, Pa.) 12-1 lost to No. 15 Neshaminy, 21-14
11. Bethel Park (Pittsburgh) 13-0 def. Gateway, 10-6
12. Wilson (West Lawn, Pa.) 13-0 def. Bishop McDevitt, 48-6
13. Loyola Blakefield (Towson, Md.) 10-0 idle
14. Liberty (Bethlehem, Pa.) 12-1 def. Bethlehem Freedom, 28-14
15. Neshaminy (Langhorne, Pa.) 12-1 def. No. 10 Garnet Valley, 21-14
16. St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.) 9-1 def. Camden Catholic, 35-7
17. Iona Prep (New Rochelle, N.Y.) 12-0 def. St. Anthony's, 48-35
18. Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) 9-1 def. St. Augustine, 42-0
19. La Salle (Wyncote, Pa.) 9-3 lost to George Washington, 23-14
20. Downingtown West (Downington, Pa.) 11-2 lost to No. 7 North Penn, 51-21

Southeast Region Top 20
1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 11-0 def. Coconut Creek, 35-7
2. Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.) 12-0 def. Bradwell Institute, 62-21
3. Armwood (Seffner, Fla.) 11-0 def. Winter Haven, 30-14
4. Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.) 12-0 def. Northside, 28-20
5. South Panola (Batesville, Miss.) 13-0 def. Northwest Rankin, 21-14
6. Lakeland (Fla.) 11-0 def. Bloomingdale, 48-6
7. Maryville (Tenn.) 13-0 def. Rhea County, 28-8
8. Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.) 13-0 def. Lexington, 38-14
9. Plant (Tampa, Fla.) 10-1 def. Lakewood, 67-7
10. Prattville (Prattville, Ala.) 11-1 def. Auburn, 42-0
11. Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) 12-1 def. Clover, 48-7
12. John Curtis (River Ridge, La.) 11-1 def. University Lab, 49-14
13. Madison County (Madison, Fla.) 10-0 def. Marianna, 35-0
14. South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C) 13-0 def. Berkeley, 48-14
15. Independence (Charlotte, N.C.) 12-0 def. East Mecklenburg, 43-16
16. Northside (Warner Robins, Ga.) 10-2 lost at Camden County, 28-20
17. Newnan (Ga.) 12-0 def. Tift County, 42-0
18. Rocky Mount (N.C.) 12-0 def. Webb, 48-14
19. Wayne County (Waynesboro, Miss.) 12-1 lost at West Jones, 10-7
20. Hoover (Ala.) 12-1 def. Mountain Brook, 30-20

Midwest Region Top 20
1. St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) 11-0 def. Pleasure Ridge Park, 48-6
2. St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio) 13-1 def. North Canton Hoover, 34-7
3. Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio) 13-1 def. No. 10 Pickerington Central, 24-10
4. Arrowhead (Hartland, Wis.) 13-1 lost to No. 14 Homestead, 13-11
5. Maine South (Park Ridge, Ill.) 13-0 def. Bartlett, 23-6
6. Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio) 11-1 idle
7. Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.) 13-1 def. Ben Davis, 49-21
8. Muskegon (Muskegon, Mich.) 13-0 def. Davison, 38-35
9. Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.) 12-0 idle
10. Pickerington Central (Pickerington, Ohio) 13-1 lost to No. 3 Elder, 24-10
11. Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) 11-1 def. Ballard, 37-13
12. Valley (West Des Moines, Iowa) 14-0 def. Cedar Falls, 27-8
13. Glenbard West (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) 12-1 lost to East St. Louis, 27-20
14. Homestead (Mequon, Wis.) 14-0 def. No. 3 Arrowhead, 13-11
15. Geneva (Geneva, Ill.) 13-0 def. Crystal Lake South, 25-22
16. Steubenville (Steubenville, Ohio) 14-0 def. New Lexington, 30-6
17. Rockford (Rockford, Mich.) 12-1 def. Livona Stevenson, 27-13
18. Carmel (Carmel, Ind.) 13-1 def. Mishawaka Penn, 38-3
19. Ursuline (Youngstown, Ohio) 14-0 def. Liberty Union, 35-6
20. Blaine (Blaine, Minn.) 11-1 idle

Southwest Region Top 20
1. Trinity (Euless, Texas) 12-0 def. Allen, 42-35
2. Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) 12-0 def. Steele, 38-21
3. North Shore (Galena, Texas) 9-1 lost to Hightower, 28-21
4. Permian (Odessa, Texas) 12-0 def. Burleson, 56-21
5. Allen (Texas) 11-1 def. Coppell, 56-28
6. Union (Tulsa, Okla.) 11-1 def. Norman North, 49-14
7. Jenks (Okla.) 11-1 def. Edmond Santa Fe, 24-3
8. Pearland (Pearland, Texas) 11-0 def. Clear Lake, 34-28
9. Midwest City (Okla.) 12-0 def. Stillwater, 35-28
10. Longview (Texas) 10-2 def. Lancaster, 49-22
11. Blue Springs South (Blue Springs, Mo.) 11-2 def. Jefferson City, 16-10
12. Stony Point (Round Rock, Texas) 11-1 def. The Woodlands, 21-7
13. Everman (Texas) 12-0 def. Aledo, 24-7
14. Broken Arrow (Okla.) 8-3 lost at Mustang, 28-23
15. Hightower (Fort Bend, Texas) 10-0 def. North Shore, 28-21
16. Plano (Texas) 10-2 lost to Euless Trinity, 42-35
17. Eldorado (Albuquerque, N.M.) 11-0 def. Rio Rancho, 34-0
18. Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.) 11-1 def. Guthrie 34-27 3OT
19. Millard West (Omaha, Neb.) 13-0 def. Millard South, 21-8
20. Smithson Valley (Spring Branch, Texas) 11-1 def. O'Connor, 38-14

West Region Top 20
1. Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) 11-0 def. Bishop Amat, 21-17
2. Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 11-0 def. Yucaipa, 62-7
3. Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.) 12-0 def. Auburn, 38-2
4. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) 9-1 Idle
5. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) 11-0 def. Compton, 42-0
6. St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.) 10-1 def. Newbury Park, 38-14
7. Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.) 12-0 def. Desert Ridge, 35-7
8. Bellevue (Wash.) 12-0 def. Liberty, 35-7
9. Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.) 11-1 def. Chandler, 14-0
10. Timpview (Provo, Utah) 14-0 def. Cottonwood, 34-28
11. Lake Oswego (Ore.) 11-0 def. Sheldon, 24-13
12. Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 12-0 def. Glendale Cactus, 28-10
13. Mountain View (Mesa, Ariz.) 12-0 def. Corona del Sol, 29-8
14. McQueen (Reno, Nev.) 12-0 def. Reed, 55-7
15. Oak Grove (San Jose, Calif.) 11-0 def. Palma, 42-19
16. Grant (Sacramento, Calif.) 11-0 def. Granite Bay, 22-19
17. Tesoro (Las Flores, Calif.) 11-0 def. Los Alamitos, 23-7
18. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) 11-0 def. South Torrance, 64-14
19. Alta (Sandy, Utah) 13-1 def Bingham, 21-17
20. Mullen Prep (Denver, Colo.) 10-2 def. Poudre, 48-21

Posted by Paul Muyskens

Friday
No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas 35 (11-0), Coconut creek 7
No. 3 Lowndes 62 (12-0), Bradwell Institute 21
No. 5 Long Beach Poly 21 (11-0), Bishop Amat 17
No. 6 Armwood 30 (11-0), Winter Haven 14
No. 7 Oscar Smith 28 (13-0), Ocean Lakes 21
No. 8 Lake Travis 38 (12-0), Steele 21
No. 9 St. Xavier 48 (11-0), Pleasure Ridge Park 6
No. 10 Camden County 28 (11-0), No. 44 Northside 20
No. 12 South Panola 21 (13-0), Nortwest Rankin 14
No. 13 Centennial 62 (Corona, Calif.) (11-0), Yucaipa 7
No. 14 Phoebus 14 (13-0), Lake Taylor 0
No. 15 Lakeland 48 (11-0), Bloomingdale 6
Hightower 28, No. 17 North Shore (8-1) 21
No. 19 Maryville 28 (13-0), Rhea County 8
No. 20 Don Bosco Prep 38 (9-1), St. Peter's Prep 13
No. 21 Permian 56 (12-0), Burleson 21
No. 22 Stone Bridge 35 (13-0), Edison 6
No. 23 Dorman 38 (13-0), Lexington 14
No. 25 North Penn 51 (13-0), Downingtown West 21
No. 26 Plant 67 (10-1), Lakewood 7
Homestead 13, No. 28 Arrowhead (13-1) 11
No. 29 Prattville 42 (11-1), Auburn 0
No. 30 Byrnes 48 (12-1), Clover 7
No. 31 John T. Curtis 49 (11-1), University Lab 14
No. 33 Notre Dame 42 (11-0), Compton 0
No. 34 Madison County 35 (10-0), Marianna 0
No. 36 South Pointe 48 (13-0), Berkeley 14
No. 37 St. Bonaventure 38 (10-1), Newbury Park 14
No. 39 Centennial 35 (Peoria, Ariz) (12-0), Desert Ridge 7
No. 40 Union 49 (11-1), Norman North 14
No. 41 Independence 43 (12-0), East Mecklenburg 16
No. 42 Center Grove 49 (13-1), Ben Davis 21
Camden County (FAB 50 No. 22) 28, No. 44 Northside 20 (10-2) 20
No. 45 Newnan 42 (12-0), Tift County 0
No. 47 Bellevue 35 (12-0), Liberty 7
Miami Northwestern def. No. 50 Columbus (Miami), 21-6

Saturday
No. 1 Trinity (Euless, Texas) 11-0 vs. Plano
No. 4 Gateway (Monroeville, Pa.) 12-0 vs. Bethel
No. 11 St. Ignatius (Cleveland) 12-1 vs. North Canton Hoover
No. 16 Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.) 11-0 vs. Auburn
No. 18 Elder (Cincinnati) 12-1 vs. No. 49 Pickerington Central (Pinkerington,Ohio)
No. 24 Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) 11-0 vs. Dematha
No. 32 Maine South (Park Ridge, Ill.) 12-0 vs. Bartlett
No. 38 Allen (Allen, Texas) 10-1 vs. Coppell
No. 43 Muskegon (Muskegon, Mich.) 12-0 vs. Davison
No. 46 Jenks (Jenks, Okla.) 10-1 vs. Santa Fe

Idle
No. 27 De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) 9-1
No. 35 Glenville (Cleveland) 11-1 -- Season Over
No. 48 Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.) 12-0

• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution goes in-depth on the FAB 50 clash between No. 10 Camden County and No. 44 Northside tonight in the Peach State. This contest marks the first time two top-five teams have met in the second round in the highest classification since the Georgia state tournament expanded to 16 teams in 1990.

• Here's the full rundown on tonight's state playoff games in Arizona, from The Arizona Republic.

• In Washington, FAB 50-ranked Skyline takes on 11-0 Auburn in 4A, while 3A power Bellevue hosts 9-2 Liberty. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has the full breakdown.

• This is the first all-state team I've come across so far this year, from Wyoming, courtesy of The Jackson Hole Star-Tribune. The state wrapped up its championships last weekend with the following results:

5A: Campbell County (Gillette) 23, Green River 21
Green River's Colter Reed just missed on a game-winning field goal with 12 seconds left. Campbell County was led by running back Logan Pokallis, who carried 32 times for 144 yards.

4A: Douglas 34, Buffalo 21
3A: Glenrock 18, Kemnerer 0
2A: Burns 41, Big Horn 12
1A: Southwest 12, Burlington 0

• As Florida kicks off playoff action tonight, Laurel Pfahler has the story of Vero Beach High's secret weapon at home games -- 65-year-old Perry Morgan and his air horn. Morgan inherited the horns about 10 years ago from their original owner, a man named John, who started bringing them to games sometime in the mid '80s, reports TCPalm.com. The current owner has been attending games since his sons, Stacy and Perry Morgan Jr., played football for the Indians in the mid-80s to early '90s, and he is proud to be a part of the school's tradition. Ah, the simplicity of high-school football.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

Playoffs In Full Swing
• With postseason play underway in every FAB 50 state including California and Florida, who kick off playoff action this week, the FAB 50 teams should be in for tougher games this week than any other week this year. Ten ranked teams battle undefeated opponents, including No. 28 Arrowhead (Wisc.), who hooks up with Homestead for the WIAA Division I state title for a third straight year Friday. The Green Bay Press-Gazette has a full preview.

	ESPN RISE Staff
	Ohio State-bound LB Zach Boren leads No. 49 Pickerington Central against No. 18 Elder.

There are two head-to-head matchups between FAB 50 teams. Todd Holcomb of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution look at a Georgia showdown as No. 44 Northside (Warner Robins) travels to face No. 10 Camden County (Kingsland) on Friday.

Game of the Week: No. 18 Elder (12-1) vs. No.49 Pickerington Central (13-0) -- Ohio D1 State Semifinal
• Pickerington Central is a team that just jumped into the FAB 50 in Week 12, but could be a trap game for Elder, which is coming off a huge double-overtime win over Colerain for the Region IV title and has many in the state looking ahead to a potential Elder vs. St. Ignatius Division I final in two weeks. The Tigers have some big-time talent, particularly on defense, where they are led by Ohio State recruits Zach Boren (DL/LB), Jamie Wood (DB) and Michigan State-bound DB Patrick White. Central's defense has allowed just 100 points in 13 games, and double figure scoring in just four contests. The matchup between Elder's high-flying passing attack that's keyed by junior QB Mark Miller and Cincinnati-bound WR Josh Jones and Central's defense should be fun to watch.

• Tom Groeschen of The Cincinnati Inquirer has more on the matchup, including the recent, close semifinal games between Columbus-area and Cincy-area teams that used to always slant Cincinnati's way.

• Groeschen also profiles Elder's unsung hero Nick Gramke.

• Joe Arnold of The Lancaster Eagle-Gazette looks at the obstacles Pickerington Central has had to overcome to get this far.

• Mark Znider blogs for the Columbus Dispatch that Central won't be scared or nervous on Saturday.

Here's a look at this weekend's full schedule of FAB 50 games:

Friday
No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas (10-0) vs. Coconut Creek (7-3) -- Class 5A Regional Quarterfinal
No. 3 Lowndes (11-0) vs. Bradwell Institute (8-3) -- Class 5A Round 2
No. 5 Long Beach Poly (10-0) vs. Bishop Amat (7-3) -- CIF SS PAC-5 Div. Round 1
No. 6 Armwood (10-0) vs. Winter Haven (7-4) -- Class 4A Regional Quarterfinal
No. 7 Oscar Smith (12-0) vs. Ocean Lakes (12-0) -- D6 Regional Final
No. 8 Lake Travis (11-0) at Steele (10-1) -- Class 4A D1 Round 2
No. 9 St. Xavier (10-0) at Pleasure Ridge Park (5-4) -- Class 6A Round 2
No. 10 Camden County (11-0) at No.44 Northside (10-1) -- Class 5A Round 2
No. 12 South Panola (12-0) at Northwest Rankin (10-2) -- Class 5A Quarterfinal
No. 13 Corona Centennial (10-0) vs. Yucaipa (5-5) -- CIF SS Inland Div. Round 1
No. 14 Phoebus (12-0) at Lake Taylor (12-0) -- D5 Regional Final
No. 15 Lakeland (10-0) vs. Bloomingdale (7-4) -- Class 5A Regional Quarterfinal
No. 17 North Shore (9-0) at Hightower (9-0) -- Class 5A D1 Round 2
No. 19 Maryville (12-0) at Rhea County (10-2) -- Class 4A D1 State Quarterfinal
No. 20 Don Bosco Prep (8-1) vs. St. Peter's Prep (8-2) -- Non-Public Grp.4 Semifinal
No. 21 Permian (11-0) at Burleson (5-6) -- Class 5A D1 Round 2
No. 22 Stone Bridge (12-0) at Edison (12-0) -- D5 Regional Final
No. 23 Dorman (12-0) at Lexington (9-3) -- Class 4A D1 Round 2
No. 25 North Penn (11-0) vs. Downington West (11-1) -- Class 4A Round 1
No. 26 Tampa Plant (9-1) vs. Lakewood (7-3) -- Class 4A Regional Quarterfinal
No. 28 Arrowhead (13-0) at Homestead (13-0) -- D1 State Final
No. 29 Prattville (10-1) at Auburn (12-0) -- Class 6A State Quarterfinal
No. 30 Byrnes (11-1) vs. Clover (9-3) -- Class 4A D1 Round 2
No. 31 John T. Curtis (10-1) vs. University Lab (7-3) -- Class 2A Round 2
No. 32 Maine South (12-0) vs. Bartlett (12-0) -- Class 8A State Semifinal
No. 33 Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (10-0) vs. Compton (7-2) -- CIF SS PAC-5 Div. Round 1
No. 34 Madison County (9-0) vs. Marianna (8-2) -- Class 2A Regional Semifinal
No. 36 South Pointe (12-0) vs. Berkeley (8-4) -- Class 4A D2 State Quarterfinal
No. 37 St. Bonaventure (9-1) vs. Newbury Park (7-3) -- CIF SS Northern Div. Round 1
No. 38 Allen (10-1) vs. Coppell (8-3) -- Class 5A D1 Round 2
No. 39 Peoria Centennial (11-0) at Desert Ridge (8-3) -- Class 5A D2 State Quarterfinal
No. 40 Union (10-1) vs. Norman North (9-2) -- Class 6A State Quarterfinal
No. 41 Independence (11-0) at East Mecklenburg (11-2) -- Class 4-AA Round 2
No. 42 Center Grove (12-1) vs. Davis (10-3) -- Class 5A Semifinal
No. 43 Muskegon (12-0) vs. Davison (9-3) -- D2 State Semifinal
No. 45 Newnan (11-0) at Tift County (8-3) -- Class 5A Round 2
No. 46 Jenks (10-1) vs. Santa Fe (9-2) -- Class 6A State Quarterfinal
No. 47 Bellevue (11-0) vs. Liberty (9-2) -- Class 3A State Quarterfinal
No. 50 Miami Columbus (9-0) at Northwestern (9-2) -- Class 5A Regional Quarterfinal

Saturday
No. 1 Euless Trinity (11-0) at Plano (10-1) -- Class 5A D1 Round 2
No. 4 Gateway (12-0) vs. Bethel Park (12-0) -- Class 4A Round 1
No. 11 St Ignatius (12-1) at Hoover (12-1) -- D1 State Semifinal
No. 16 Skyline (11-0) vs. Auburn (11-0) -- Class 4A State Quarterfinal
No. 18 Elder (12-1) vs. No.49 Pickerington Central (13-0) -- D1 State Semifinal
No. 24 Good Counsel (11-0) vs. DeMatha (9-2) -- WCAC Championship

Idle
No.27 Concord De La Salle (9-1) Next: CIF NSC D1 Quarterfinal
No.48 Wayzata (12-0) vs. Blaine (11-1) -- Class 5A State Final on Nov. 28

Season Complete
No.35 Glenville (11-1)

Other notes:
• Sounds like Edison will be a bit beat up physically when the Eagles host No. 22 Stone Bridge in a clash of undefeated teams Friday night in the Virginia AAA Northern Region Division 5 championship game. This will be the fourth straight season that Edison and Stone Bridge have locked horns in the playoffs, with the Bulldogs winning two of the past three. More on this contest from The Washington Post.

• Sarah McLellan of The Arizona Republic takes a look at the powerhouse that is Hamilton High in Chandler. In 10 short years, the school has won three Class 5A championships to accompany eight Fiesta Region titles. The program has compiled a 126-14 record and this year is again in the thick of another state title hunt when it hosts Chandler on Friday in a quarterfinal matchup.

• The fallout from the Nature Coast Tech-Groveland brawl in Florida a few weeks back has been harsh for both schools, reports The St. Petersburg Times. It was particularly tough for Nature Coast, who was levied fines totaling $10,400, placed on restrictive probation for the remainder of 2008, administrative probation through June of 2010 and forced to forfeit this week's opening round playoff game against Williston, which would have been the school's first playoff game since they began playing football in 2004. Nature Coast head coach Jamie Joyner was suspended for six weeks by the athletic association and suspended with pay by the School Board pending an investigation, after he allegedly threw punches during the bench-clearing melee that followed a power outage at the end of the game.

• Four teens, three of whom played at Meadowcreek High (Norcross, Ga.) this fall and one who played the previous year, are in jail without bond following their arrests on armed robbery charges, reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

With state championships taking place this weekend in Utah, Dan Rasmussen of The Deseret News takes a look at how adversity has helped form a bunch of individuals come together as a team at Bingham. The Miners battle Alta, their archrival who beat them earlier in the year, Friday for the 5A state crown. Meanwhile, as Michael Black reports, Cottonwood will pin its hopes on a sturdy offensive line, led by UnderArmour All-American John Martinez, in the 4A title game versus powerful Timpview.

• The Tulsa World looks ahead to some of the top matchups as the Oklahoma state playoffs move into the second round this weekend. Of note, FAB 50 No. 40 Tulsa Union hosts 9-2 Norman North, while No. 46 Jenks locks up with 9-2 Edmond Santa Fe for the first time since the 2003 6A state championship game.

• Not sure I can ever recall hearing this happen before, but a final score from Friday night was overruled on Tuesday in Mississippi, and Walnut has been reinstated into the state 2A playoffs after a controversial ending in Friday night's game in Leland, reports Rod Walker of The Clarion-Ledger. Leland won the game 24-21, but Tuesday the MHSAA's executive committee reversed a ruling made by the game officials in the waning seconds and handed the victory to Walnut 21-18. "The game should have been over, but they gave them an untimed down," said MHSAA executive director Ennis Proctor. "It was the first time we have ever had to [reverse the outcome of a game]. But it was so flagrant. The executive committee had no choice. It was a violation of the national federation rules." Kudos to the association for getting it right, albeit late, and you have to feel for the kids at Leland, who walked around school on Monday as winners and were getting ready to play another game.

• Class of '10 prospects have their first opportunity to show their stuff to world at the Nike Challenge combine that will be held Dec. 13 at the New Orleans Saints' indoor facility in Metairie, La. The event is free and athletes can register online to attend now. All participants will be measured for height and weight and then be tested in the 40-yard dash (twice), 20-yard shuttle (twice), kneeling power ball throw and vertical jump. Participants will also participate in a short SPARQ Training clinic following testing and we'll look forward to having tons of post-event coverage on all the top performers.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

The Ohio Division I playoffs move into the semifinals this weekend, and should be hard-fought as three of the four participants -- St. Ignatius, Elder and Pickerington Central -- are all ranked in the latest ESPN RISE FAB 50. But what about the fourth team? That would be 12-1 North Canton Hoover, which takes on St. Ignatius this Saturday. The Vikings are led by standout junior running back Erick Howard, and the 14-0 win over GlenOak last week advanced coach Don Hertler's team to its first state semifinal appearance since 1986. Mike Popovich of The Canton Repository has more on the Vikings.

• Colorado's top team, Grandview High of Aurora, had its 22-game winning streak snapped this past weekend in a 26-20, double-overtime loss at the hands of Englewood Cherry Creek. The star was junior quarterback Kain Colter, who completed 18-of-22 passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing 26 times for 120 yards rushing and two more touchdowns, including the game-winning 36-yard run, reports The Denver Post. Cherry Creek, which avenged an earlier 27-10 loss to Grandview during the regular season, moves on to face Columbine this weekend in a Class 5A semifinal.

• Led by Cal commit Dasarte Yarnway and highly-recruited DE Kevin Greene, Sacred Heart Cathedral of San Francisco has ended a 40-year playoff drought this year. After 40 seasons of no playoffs, the Fightin' Irish still had to wait a few days after their last game to find out if they would have another game this season. It took a "tails" call from head coach John Lee to earn his team a berth in the NCS California Playoffs, reports The San Francisco Chronicle.

• Congratulations to Edina (Minn.) standout Anders Lee, who was named The Minneapolis Star-Tribune's Metro Player of the Year. But as Michael Rand reports, football probably isn't even the 6-3, 215 pounders' top sport.

• Cody Muller, a 6-3, 225-pound senior defensive end out of Souderton Area (Souderton, Pa.), e-mailed earlier today with a recruiting update. Muller, who totaled 80 tackles and eight sacks this fall on defense while also grabbing 27 passes for 407 yards and three scores as a tight end, currently has offers from Akron, New Hampshire and Monmouth. He's checked out games at Pitt, UConn, New Hampshire, Delaware, Villanova, William and Mary and Temple this fall and is hoping a few more offers come his way before he makes his decision.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

The playoffs are now underway in pretty much every state, and that means much more competitive games and FAB 50 teams going down. This week's updated rankings feature four new teams, after Abilene, Rockhurst and Cretin-Derham Hall all fell out following losses and Oceanside also dropped out after tying Ramona 33-33 in its regular season finale.

Muskegon (Mich.) is the highest-debuting team this week, coming in at No. 43 after destroying Lowell in a battle of unbeaten, regionally ranked teams in a Michigan Division 2 state quarterfinal game, 49-14. RB Jason Hannett, a 5-foot-7, 195-pound senior, led the rout, rumbling for 183 yards and also dominating from his linebacker position.

Other newbies in this week's FAB 50 include Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.), the alma mater of both Cowboys RB Marion Barber and current Ohio State star LB James Laurinaitis. The Trojans are now the consensus state No. 1 after Cretin-Derham Hall went down this past week, and they take on 11-1 Blaine, who vanquished CDH and also defending state champ Eden Prairie in the 5A state title game this weekend. Pickerington Central (Pickerington, Ohio) also leaps in at 13-0, and if they are still ranked next week it will be much higher because that means they will have survived the Division I state semifinal clash with FAB 50 No. 18 Elder scheduled this weekend. Columbus (Miami), southern Florida's No. 2 team according to local papers, jumps in at No. 50 this week. The Explorers are led by star junior RB Jakhari Gore, as well as ESPNU 150 DT Antwan Lowery and Purdue-bound WR Gary Bush.

My FAB 50 ballot:
1. Trinity (Euless, Texas)
2. St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)
3. Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.)
4. Gateway (Monroeville, Pa.)
5. Armwood (Seffner, Fla.)
6. Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.)
7. Poly (Long Beach, Calif.)
8. Lake Travis (Austin, Texas)
9. South Panola (Batesville, Miss.)
10. St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.)
11. Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.)
12. Centennial (Corona, Calif.)
13. Phoebus (Hampton, Va.)
14. St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio)
15. Lakeland (Lakeland, Fla.)
16. Stone Bridge (Ashburn, Va.)
17. Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio)
18. North Shore (Houston, Texas)
19. Maryville (Maryville, Tenn.)
20. Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.)
21. Permian (Odessa, Texas)
22. Plant (Tampa, Fla.)
23. Good Counsel (Olney, Md.)
24. Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.)
25. Glenville (Cleveland)
26. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.)
27. North Penn (Lansdale, Pa.)
28. South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C.)
29. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)
30. Madison County (Madison, Fla.)
31. Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.)
32. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)
33. Prattville (Prattville, Ala.)
34. Arrowhead (Hartland, Wis.)
35. St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.)
36. Maine South (Park Ridge, Ill.)
37. John Curtis (River Ridge, La.)
38. Allen (Allen, Texas)
39. Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.)
40. Muskegon (Muskegon, Mich.)
41. Independence (Charlotte, N.C.)
42. Northside (Warner Robins, Ga.)
43. Union (Tulsa, Okla.)
44. Christopher Columbus (Miami)
45. Newnan (Newnan, Ga.)
46. Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.)
47. Jenks (Jenks, Okla.)
48. Bellevue (Bellevue, Wash.)
49. Pearland (Pearland, Texas)
50. Pickerington Central (Pickerington, Ohio)

• The Georgia state playoffs move to the round of 16 this weekend, and offers some terrific matchups, including a clash of FAB 50 teams Camden County and Northside in 5A, reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Northside beat Camden in 1992 and 1999, the only times they've played. Friday's game will be played at Camden. The complete 5A bracket can be found here, courtesy of gasports.com.

• State playoff action kicks off in the Sunshine State this week, and the action should be particularly fierce in the 5A and 4A brackets. 6A kicks off with a bang this Friday as newly FAB 50 ranked Columbus (Miami) battles defending FAB 50 national champion Northwestern (Miami). Meanwhile, 5A seems to be set up for another St. Thomas Aquinas-Lakeland showdown in the finals, while in 4A, Armwood will have to navigate a loaded half of the bracket that includes Aaron Murray-less Tampa Plant, always feisty Booker T. Washington and a sneaky good Dwyer team.

• The Illinois state playoffs move into the semifinal round this weekend, with FAB 50 No. 32 Maine South continuing to march through the 8A bracket. Bartlett (12-0) should be more of a test this weekend, however. Meanwhile in 7A, East St. Louis got a huge game from WR/DB Terry Hawthorne, who scored four times, including a return for a score on one of his two interceptions as the Flyers edged Chicago power St. Rita 35-28. The 7A pairings can be found here.

• A quick follow-up on Jeff Miller's piece on emerging Texas 4A power Rockwall-Heath and their new coach Mickey Moss: Kendial Lawrence rumbled for 242 yards and five TDs this week -- in the first half! -- as the Hawks crushed Frisco Centennial 49-14 to move onto the second round of the playoffs. Lawrence's latest highlights can be seen here -- special thanks to Coach Moss for sending these our way. Lawrence has now rushed for 21 TDs in the past five games alone and is up to 2,310 yards and 40 TDs for the 11-0 Hawks.

• Ohio State-bound LB/RB Dorian Bell garners much of the headlines for FAB 50 No. 4 Gateway and rightfully so, but senior defensive end B.J. Stevens is a star in his own right, pens Mike White of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Stevens posted two sacks in Gateway's win over Penn Hills Friday night, and the Miami-Ohio recruit is now at 21 for the year. White also has some other great nuggets in his column, including notable achievements by running back Zach Barket of Schuylkill Haven, who set a state single-season record for touchdowns with 56 this past week and is 310 yards away from the single-season rushing yards mark as well. Also, Steelton-Highspire's Jeremiah Young is 65 yards away from the state career rushing record of 8,432, set by former Syracuse standout James Mungro.

• Tragic news at Chapel Hill High (Chapel Hill, N.C.), where senior defensive lineman Rodney Torain was killed in a hit-and-run wreck early Sunday, reports WRAL. ESPN RISE sends its best wishes out to coach Issac Marsh and the entire Chapel Hill High community, which was still mourning the loss of another senior, Atlas Fraley, who died of unknown causes hours after a football scrimmage Aug. 12.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

Friday
No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas 49 (10-0), Miramar 2 (8-2)
No. 3 Lowndes 41 (11-0), Luella 13 (7-4)*
No. 4 Gateway 38 (12-0), Penn Hills 23 (8-4)*
No. 5 Long Beach Poly 29 (10-0), Long Beach Jordan 13 (7-3)
No. 7 Oscar Smith 35 (12-0), Bethel 6 (8-4)*
No. 8 Lake Travis 55 (11-0), Austin Johnson 14 (6-5)*
No. 9 St. Xavier 72 (10-0), Nelson County 7 (4-7)*
No. 10 Camden County 49 (11-0), Creekside 0 (7-4)*
No. 12 South Panola 20 (12-0), Provine 8 (6-6)*
No. 13 Corona Centennial 31 (10-0), Norco 7 (6-4)
No. 14 Phoebus 47 (12-0), Green Run 0 (11-2)*
No. 15 Lakeland 30 (10-0), Kathleen 0 (5-5)
No. 16 Skyline 49 (11-0), Federal Way 6 (8-3)*
No. 17 North Shore 30 (9-0), Deer Park 10 (8-2)*
No. 19 Maryville 28 (12-0), Knoxville West 6 (5-7)*
No. 20 Don Bosco Prep 65 (9-1), Paul VI 6 (6-3)*
No. 21 Permian 62 (11-0), El Dorado 14 (6-5)*
No. 22 Stone Bridge 42 (12-0), Mount Vernon 0 (9-3)*
No. 24 North Penn 42 (11-0), Abington 14 (9-3)*
No. 25 Good Counsel 45 (11-0), Bishop McNamara 6 (5-6)*
No. 26 De La Salle 21 (9-1), California 14 (6-4)
No. 27 Plant 42 (9-1), Robinson 0 (2-8)
No. 29 Prattville 44 (10-1), Opelika 11 (8-3)*
Mansfield 20 (7-4), No. 30 Abilene 14 (10-1)*
A first round shocker in the Class 5A Division II bracket, as Abilene, the top ranked team in the entire field, was knocked off by a Mansfield team that finished in a three-way tie for second in its own district. Stepfan Taylor, a fine senior running back who's on his way to Stanford, led the charge for the Tigers, rushing 33 times for 195 yards and two TDs, including the game-winner from 14 yards out with just under four minutes remaining, reports The Dallas Morning-News.
No. 31 Byrnes 34 (11-1), Spartanburg 0 (5-7)*
No. 32 John T Curtis 54 (10-1), Ferriday 6 (5-6)*
No. 35 Madison County 62 (9-0), Wakulla 11 (5-4)
No. 36 Oceanside 33 (9-0-1), Ramona 33 (8-1-1)
No. 37 St Bonaventure 50 (9-1), San Marcos 0 (3-7)
No. 38 South Pointe 37 (12-0), West Florence 6 (7-4)*
No. 39 Allen 27 (10-1), South Grand Prairie 14 (7-4)*
Blue Springs South 14 (10-2), No. 40 Rockhurst 9 (10-2)*
Blue Springs South exacted revenge from a season-opening beating suffered at the hands of Rockhurst in a game televised on ESPN, scoring two first quarter touchdowns and then holding on for the upset win. Senior Darrion Thomas, the son of the late, great Kansas City Chief Derrick Thomas, led the South defense reports The Kansas City Star.
No. 41 Peoria Centennial 49 (11-0), Kofa 6 (5-6)*
Blaine 28 (11-1), No. 42 Cretin-Derham Hall 27 (12-1) OT*
Minnesota's top-ranked team goes down in overtime as Blaine stopped the Raiders' two-point attempt to win it reports The Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Blaine QB James Peterson led the way, completing 14 of 29 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown and also rushing 22 times for 87 yards and a score.
No. 43 Union 70 (10-1), Sand Springs 21 (6-5)*
No. 44 Northside 24 (10-1), Union Grove 7 (7-3)*
No. 46 Center Grove 49 (12-1), Castle 7 (10-3)*
No. 47 Notre Dame 56 (10-0), Bishop Amat 21 (7-3)
No. 48 Jenks 45 (10-1), Enid 28 (7-4)*
No. 49 Bellevue 35 (11-0), Lindbergh 6 (8-3)*
No. 50 Newnan 55 (11-0), Savannah Johnson 0 (5-6)*

Saturday
No. 1 Trinity 24 (11-0), Flower Mound Marcus 10 (5-6)*
No. 11 St Ignatius 37 (12-1), Strongsville 0 (11-2)*
No. 18 Elder 27 (12-1), Colerain 20 (11-2) 2OT*
The Cincinnati Enquirer has a recap and video of an instant classic from Cincinnati. Elder will face undefeated Pickerington Central in a state semifinal next weekend.
No. 23 Dorman 31 (12-0), Wando 7 (3-9)*
No. 28 Arrowhead 49 (13-0), Stevens Point 21 (10-3)*
No. 33 Maine South 42 (12-0), Barrington 0 (9-3)*
No. 45 Independence 41 (11-0), West Mecklenburg 18 (5-7)*

Idle No. 6 Armwood (10-0) Next: 4A Playoffs Rd.1
No. 34 Glenville (11-1) -- season complete

Regional Rankings

East Region Top 20
1. Gateway (Monroeville, Pa.) 12-0 def. Penn Hills, 38-23
2. Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.) 12-0 def. Bethel, 35-6
3. Phoebus (Hampton, Va.) 12-0 def. Green Run, 47-0
4. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) 8-1 def. Paul VI, 65-6
5. Stone Bridge (Ashburn, Va.) 12-0 def. Mount Vernon, 42-0
6. North Penn (Lansdale, Pa.) 12-0 def. Abington, 42-14
7. Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) 11-0 def. Bishop McNamara, 45-6
8. State College (State College, Pa.) 11-0 def. Central Mountain, 23-0
9. Oakton (Vienna, Va.) 12-0 def. West Sptingfield, 49-43
10. Garnet Valley (Glen Mills, Pa.) 12-0 def. Pennsbury, 14-12
11. Bethel Park (Pittsburgh) 12-0 def. No. 19 McKeesport, 20-13
12. Wilson (West Lawn, Pa.) 12-0 def. Muhlenberg, 46-0
13. Loyola Blakefield (Towson, Md.) 10-0 idle
14. Liberty (Bethlehem, Pa.) 11-1 def. Emmaus, 26-20
15. Neshaminy (Langhorne, Pa.) 11-1 def. Ridley, 31-3
16. St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.) 8-1 def. Delbarton, 36-6
17. Iona Prep (New Rochelle, N.Y.) 11-0 def. Xaverian, 42-27
18. Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) 8-1 def. Seton Hall Prep, 36-14
19. McKeesport (McKeesport, Pa.) 9-3 lost to No. 11 Bethel Park, 20-13
20. La Salle (Wyncote, Pa.) 9-2 def. Father Judge, 28-20

Southeast Region Top 20
1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 10-0 def. Miramar, 49-2
2. Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.) 11-0 def. Luella, 41-13
3. Armwood (Seffner, Fla.) 10-0 idle
4. Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.) 11-0 def. Creekside, 49-0
5. South Panola (Batesville, Miss.) 12-0 def. Provine, 20-8
6. Lakeland (Lakeland, Fla.) 10-0 def. Kathleen, 30-0
7. Maryville (Maryville, Tenn.) 12-0 def. Knoxville West, 28-6
8. Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.) 12-0 def. Wando, 31-7
9. Plant (Tampa, Fla.) 9-1 def. Robinson, 42-0
10. Prattville (Prattville, Ala.) 10-1 def. Opelika, 44-11
11. Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) 11-1 def. Spartanburg, 34-0
12. John Curtis (River Ridge, La.) 10-1 def. Ferriday, 54-6
13. Madison County (Madison, Fla.) 9-0 def. Wakulla, 62-11
14. South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C) 12-0 def. West Florence, 37-6
15. Northside (Warner Robins, Ga.) 10-1 def. Union Grove, 24-7
16. Independence (Charlotte, N.C.) 11-0 def. West Mecklenburg, 41-18
17. Newnan (Newnan, Ga.) 11-0 def. Savannah Johnson, 55-0
18. Rocky Mount (Rocky Mount, N.C.) 11-0 def. Jacksonville, 42-7
19. Wayne County (Waynesboro, Miss.) 12-0 def. Picayune, 27-20
20. Hoover (Hoover, Ala.) 11-1 def. Minor, 16-8

Midwest Region Top 20
1. St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) 10-0 def. Nelson County, 72-7
2. St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio) 12-1 def. Strongsville, 37-0
3. Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio) 12-1 def. No. 20 Colerain, 27-20, 2OT
4. Arrowhead (Hartland, Wis.) 13-0 def. Stevens Point, 49-21
5. Maine South (Park Ridge, Ill.) 12-0 def. Barrington, 42-0
6. Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio) 11-1 idle
7. Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul) 12-1 lost to Blaine, 28-27, OT
8. Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.) 12-1 def. Castle, 49-7
9. Lowell (Lowell, Mich.) 11-1 lost to No. 13 Muskegon, 49-14
10. Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.) 12-0 def. Rosemount, 34-10
11. Pickerington Central (Pickerington, Ohio) 13-0 def. Hilliard Davidson, 7-3
12. Valley (West Des Moines, Iowa) 13-0 def. Ankeny, 21-14.
13. Muskegon (Muskegon, Mich.) 12-0 def. to No. 9 Lowell, 49-14
14. Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) 10-1 def. Graves County, 59-3
15. Coldwater (Coldwater, Ohio) 12-1 lost to Kettering Alter, 31-21
16. Glenbard West (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) 12-0 def. Downers Grove North, 35-7
17. Homestead (Mequon, Wis.) 13-0 def. Middleton, 35-21
18. Geneva (Geneva, Ill.) 12-0 def. Carmel, 35-21
19. Steubenville (Steubenville, Ohio) 13-0 def. Massillon Perry, 35-17
20. Colerain (Cincinnati, Ohio) 11-2 lost to No. 3 Elder, 27-20, 2OT

Southwest Region Top 20
1. Trinity (Euless, Texas) 11-0 def. Marcus, 24-10
2. Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) 11-0 def. Austin LBJ, 55-14
3. North Shore (Galena, Texas) 9-0 def. Deer Park, 30-10
4. Permian (Odessa, Texas) 11-0 def. El Dorado, 62-14
5. Abilene (Abilene, Texas) 10-1 lost to Mansfield, 20-14
6. Allen (Allen, Texas) 10-1 def. South Grand Prairie, 27-14
7. Rockhurst (Kansas City, Mo.) 10-2 lost to Blue Springs South, 14-9
8. Union (Tulsa, Okla.) 10-1 def. Sand Springs, 70-21
9. Jenks (Jenks, Okla.) 10-1 def. Enid, 45-28
10. Pearland (Pearland, Texas) 10-0 def. Baytown Sterling, 39-15
11. Midwest City (Midwest City, Okla.) 11-0 def. Putnam North, 41-13
12. Creighton Prep (Omaha, Neb.) 11-1 lost to Millard South, 24-0
13. Longview (Longview, Texas) 9-2* def. Jacksonville, 61-14
14. Stony Point (Round Rock, Texas) 10-1 def. Langham Creek, 34-7
15. Everman (Everman, Texas) 11-0 def. Eastern Hills, 59-14
16. Broken Arrow (Broken Arrow, Okla.) 9-2 def. Owasso, 32-0
17. Hightower (Fort Bend, Texas) 9-0 def. Clear Creek, 59-17
18. Eldorado (Albuquerque, N.M.) 10-0 (19) idle
19. Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.) 10-1 def. Ada, 46-14
20. Smithson Valley (Spring Branch, Texas) 10-1 def. Pflugerville, 14-7

West Region Top 20
1. Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) 10-0 def. Jordan, 29-13
2. Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 10-0 def. Norco, 31-7
3. Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.) 11-0 def. Federal Way, 49-6
4. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) 9-1 def. California, 21-14
5. Oceanside (Oceanside, Calif.) 9-0-1 tied Ramona, 33-33
6. St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.) 9-1 def. San Marcos, 50-0
7. Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.) 11-0 def. Yuma Kofa, 49-6
8. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) 10-0 def. Bishop Amat, 56-21
9. Bellevue (Bellevue, Wash.) 11-0 def. Lindbergh, 35-6
10. Timpview (Provo, Utah) 13-0 def. Mountain Crest, 37-35
11. Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.) 10-1 def. NOrth Canyon, 49-0
12. Lake Oswego (Lake Oswego, Ore.) 10-0 def. Grant, 41-7
13. Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 11-0 def. Lake Havasu, 59-14
14. Grandview (Aurora, Colo.) 11-1 lost Cherry Creek, 26-20 (2 OT)
15. Mountain View (Mesa, Ariz.) 11-0 def. Tucson, 43-6
16. McQueen (Reno, Nev.) 11-0 def. Galena, 56-16
17. Oak Grove (San Jose, Calif.) 10-0 def. Westmont, 56-0
18. Grant (Sacramento, Calif.) 10-0 def. Burbank, 35-13
19. Tesoro (Las Flores, Calif.) 10-0 def. Dana Hills, 56-26
20. Rocky Mountain (Fort Collins, Colo.) 11-1 loss Mullen, 38-21

* -- denotes playoff game

Posted by Brian Stumpf

Friday
No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas 49 (10-0), Miramar 2 (8-2)
No. 3 Lowndes 41 (11-0), Luella 13 (7-4)*
No. 4 Gateway 38 (12-0), Penn Hills 23 (8-4)*
No. 5 Long Beach Poly 29 (10-0), Long Beach Jordan 13 (7-3)
No. 7 Oscar Smith 35 (12-0), Bethel 6 (8-4)*
No. 8 Lake Travis 55 (11-0), Austin Johnson 14 (6-5)*
No. 9 St. Xavier 72 (10-0), Nelson County 7 (4-7)*
No. 10 Camden County 49 (11-0), Creekside 0 (7-4)*
No. 12 South Panola 20 (12-0), Provine 8 (6-6)*
No. 13 Corona Centennial 31 (10-0), Norco 7 (6-4)
No. 14 Phoebus 47 (12-0), Green Run 0 (11-2)*
No. 15 Lakeland 30 (10-0), Kathleen 0 (5-5)
No. 16 Skyline 49 (11-0), Federal Way 6 (8-3)*
No. 17 North Shore 30 (9-0), Deer Park 10 (8-2)*
No. 19 Maryville 28 (12-0), Knoxville West 6 (5-7)*
No. 20 Don Bosco Prep 65 (9-1), Paul VI 6 (6-3)*
No. 21 Permian 62 (11-0), El Dorado 14 (6-5)*
No. 22 Stone Bridge 42 (12-0), Mount Vernon 0 (9-3)*
No. 24 North Penn 42 (11-0), Abington 14 (9-3)*
No. 25 Good Counsel 45 (11-0), Bishop McNamara 6 (5-6)*
No. 26 De La Salle 21 (9-1), California 14 (6-4)
No. 27 Plant 42 (9-1), Robinson 0 (2-8)
No. 29 Prattville 44 (10-1), Opelika 11 (8-3)*

Mansfield 20 (7-4), No. 30 Abilene 14 (10-1)* -- a first-round shocker in the Class 5A Division II bracket, as Abilene, the top-ranked team in the entire field, was knocked off by a Mansfield team that finished in a three-way tie for second in its own district. Stepfan Taylor, a fine senior running back who's on his way to Stanford, led the charge for the Tigers, rushing 33 times for 195 yards and two TDs, including the game-winner from 14 yards out with just under four minutes remaining. The Dallas Morning News has the full recap.

No. 31 Byrnes 34 (11-1), Spartanburg 0 (5-7)*
No. 32 John T. Curtis 54 (10-1), Ferriday 6 (5-6)*
No. 35 Madison County 62 (9-0), Wakulla 11 (5-4)
No. 36 Oceanside 33 (9-0-1), Ramona 33 (8-1-1)
No. 37 St Bonaventure 50 (9-1), San Marcos 0 (3-7)
No. 38 South Pointe 37 (12-0), West Florence 6 (7-4)*
No. 39 Allen 27 (10-1), South Grand Prairie 14 (7-4)*

Blue Springs South 14 (10-2), No. 40 Rockhurst 9 (10-2)* -- Blue Springs South exacted revenge from a season-opening beating suffered at the hands of Rockhurst, scoring two first-quarter touchdowns and then holding on for the upset win. Senior Darrion Thomas, the son of the late, great Kansas City Chief Derrick Thomas, led the South defense, the Kansas City Star reports.

No. 41 Peoria Centennial 49 (11-0), Kofa 6 (5-6)*

Blaine 28 (11-1), No. 42 Cretin-Derham Hall 27 (12-1) OT* -- Minnesota's top-ranked team went down in overtime as Blaine stopped the Raiders' two-point attempt to win it, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Blaine QB James Peterson led the way, completing 14 of 29 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown and also rushing 22 times for 87 yards and a score.

No. 43 Union 70 (10-1), Sand Springs 21 (6-5)*
No. 44 Northside 24 (10-1), Union Grove 7 (7-3)*
No. 46 Center Grove 49 (12-1), Castle 7 (10-3)*
No. 47 Notre Dame 56 (10-0), Bishop Amat 21 (7-3)
No. 48 Jenks 45 (10-1), Enid 28 (7-4)*
No. 49 Bellevue 35 (11-0), Lindbergh 6 (8-3)*
No. 50 Newnan 55 (11-0), Savannah Johnson 0 (5-6)*

* -- denotes playoff game

Posted by Brian Stumpf

• It wasn't a game involving FAB 50 teams (those start Friday), but Orange Lutheran scored a key 24-21 win over Mater Dei Thursday in a battle of two of Orange County's (California) top programs, reports Steve Fryer of The Orange County Register. The outcome made it three straight seasons that the three power schools in the highly-competitive Trinity League, have all beat each other to finish in a three-way tie. Mater Dei beat Servite, Servite beat Orange Lutheran and Orange Lutheran beat Mater Dei -- amazingly that scenario has now played out in three consecutive years. Also of note from the game, USC-bound QB Matt Barkley completed 7 of 16 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown, ending the night with 9,095 career passing yards, only 87 yards behind the Orange County record of 9,182 held by Todd Marinovich, who was in attendance.

	Tom Hauck
	Matt Barkley is only 87 yards off the Orange County passing yards record held by Todd Marinovich.

•The Arizona Republic has a complete high school football playoff preview. FAB 50 No. 41 Peoria Centennial is looking to repeat as 5A Division II state champs.

• Michael McLaughlin of The Seattle Post-Intelligencer takes a look ahead to some of the playoff action on tap this weekend in Washington, including FAB 50 No. 16 Skyline's clash with Federal Way, who's led by WSU recruit Andre Barrington.

• The L.A. Times has a great look at the Garfield-Roosevelt rivalry game that should draw around 25,000 fans tonight at East L.A. College. As Roosevelt grad and Heisman winner Mike Garrett notes, "The teams might both be great or they might both be down, but it's always a big game and extremely important to the fans of each team. That game is like a season within a season."

• Tournament of Champions, Inc. has released the selections for the 12th Annual Nike South Florida All-Star Football Game (Dade vs. Broward) January 16, 2009 at Miami Dade Community College North Campus-Traz Powell Stadium Stadium. The nationally recognized event features the top senior players in Dade and Broward Counties. Miami Dade leads 6-5 in this series and former game MVPs include Jonathan Vilma, Roscoe Parrish, Asante Samuels and Chris Gamble. Here's a look at the rosters for this game -- which ESPN RISE will have coverage of -- with college commitments included as well as ESPNU 150 recruits noted:

Dade County All-Stars
Quarterbacks
Nico Flores -- North Miami Beach
Terrance Moise -- Booker T. Washington
Ricky Rowe -- KIllian

Running Backs
Daquan Hargrett -- Northwestern (West Virginia commit)
Brandon Oliver -- Southridge
Lamar Miller -- Killian (Miami commit -- ESPNU 150)
Tyrese Jones -- Northwestern

Receivers
Gary Bush -- Columbus (Purdue commit)
Jairus Williams -- Central (Florida International commit)
Erik Lora -- Columbus
Ken Whittaker -- Columbus
Lazaro Diaz -- Central
Kamal Ishmael -- North Miami Beach
Xavier Rhodes -- Norland (Florida State commit)
Sterling Griffin -- Pace
Rodney Smith -- Archbishop Carroll (Florida State commit)
Jamal Flemmings -- Central
Roderick Blood -- Carol City
Keith Dupree -- Killian

Offensive Linemen
Tom Maguire -- Columbus
Rick Perez -- South Dade
Giancarlo Revilla -- Killian (Florida International commit)
David Martin -- Jackson
Derrick Jean -- Central
Jordan Miller -- Central
Renato Cunha -- Jackson (UCF commit)
Vincent Brown -- Pace
Daniel Palacio -- Archbishop Carroll

Defensive Linemen
Kevin Pamphile -- Central
Antwan Lowery -- Columbus (ESPNU 150)
Cory Henry -- Carol City
Robert Brown -- Killian
Caesar Rodriguez -- Columbus
Brandon Taylor-Krop -- Purdue commit

Linebackers
Kerneen Frazier -- Booker T. Washington
Jeff Moise -- Central
Tourek Williams -- Norland
Kenneth Dillard -- Northwestern
Quan Fletcher -- Krop
Rashad Bryant -- Edison

Defensive Backs
Nat Turner-Harris -- Booker T. Washington
Corey Clarke -- Central
Charles Sawyer -- Coral Reef
Keith Reaser -- Killian
Corey Ammons -- Archbishop Carroll (UCF commit)
Tevin McCaskill -- Northwestern
Kayvon Webster -- Pace (Miami commit)
Terrance Taylor -- Archbishop Carroll (Rutgers commit)

Kicker/Punter
Kevin Karpiak -- Palmetto
Salvador Hernandez -- Homestead

Broward County All-Stars
Quarterbacks
Denard Robinson -- Deerfield Beach (ESPNU 150)
Eugene Smith -- Miramar (West Virginia commit -- ESPNU 150)

Running Backs
Jason Douglas -- Cypress Bay (Pittsburgh commit)
Trabis Ward -- Dillard
Damion Fortner -- Everglades
Korvic Naet -- Hallandale (Florida International commit)
Victor Marc -- Hallandale (South Florida commit -- ESPNU 150)

Wide Receivers
Travis Reynolds -- Boyd Anderson
Josh Shannon -- Dillard
Rodney Rumph -- Everglades
Stedman Bailey -- Miramar (West Virginia commit)

Tight End Patrick Frawley -- Monarch

Offensive Linemen
Jared Wheeler -- Heritage
Derrick Vilasaint -- Boyd Anderson
Joe St Thomas -- Cardinal Gibbons
Leslie Tripp -- Cypress Bay
Ralph Roberson -- Deerfield Beach
Raymond Newton -- Deerfield Beach
Demerick Goolsby -- Hallandale
Robert Hernandez -- Hallandale
Vincent Westcarr -- Miramar
Ashley Bullock -- South Broward
Steven Jacques -- South Broward (Auburn commit)

Defensive Linemen
Marquis Aiken -- Boyd Anderson
George Narisse -- Coconut Creek
Phil Walker -- Cypress Bay
Johnny Seays -- Deerfield Beach
Jovan Gopie -- Everglades
Morrel Pierre -- Miramar
Kenneth Bishop -- Piper

Linebackers
Malcolm Ricks -- Ely
Shane Gordon -- Cypress Bay
Austin Gamble -- Cypress Bay (Duke commit)
Greg Beauduy -- Deerfield Beach
Devon Butler -- Everglades
Antwon Higgs -- Pompano Beach
Ryan Mintz -- Taravella

Defensive Backs
Michael Carter-Ely
Josh Smith -- Cypress Bay
Ricardo Dixon -- Hallandale (USF commit)
Brandon McGee -- Plantation (Miami commit -- ESPNU 150)
Josh Robinson -- Plantation
Brent Singleton -- American Heritage (South Carolina commit)
Adrian Witty -- Deerfield Beach

Kicker
Carlos Romero -- Coral Springs

Posted by Brian Stumpf

The blog has been away for a couple of days, but nothing like playoff football to get back at it with vigor as the weekend approaches. Every state with a FAB 50 team save California and Florida are into postseason play, so the games for the nation's top 50-ranked programs should get progressively more competitive each week from here on out.

Game of the Week:
No. 18 Elder (11-1) vs. Colerain (11-1), Saturday, 8 pm ET
The two top teams in Cincinnati this year meet in a Division I regional final that should be a classic, with the winner a favorite to land a spot in the DI state title game down the road. Elder's lone loss this year was against FAB 50 No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas at the Herbstreit Challenge, while Colerain was as high as No. 8 in the FAB 50 before being upset by Middletown the first week of October. The series is tied 4-4. The teams last met in '04, when Colerain won both meetings on the way to the state title.

Potential Roadblocks:
No. 2 St Thomas Aquinas (9-0) at Miramar (8-1) -- If anybody in Broward County can hang with the Raiders, it could be one-loss Miramar, who has a slew of DI talent of its own. The Patriots are led by Elite 11 QB Eugene Smith and his deep receiving core that features West Virginia-bound Stedman Bailey as well as star junior Ivan McCartney. St. Thomas Aquinas dominated last year's meeting 38-6, but a year wiser and more experienced, Smith will hope to find holes against the Raiders' secondary and pull off the upset.

No. 40 Rockhurst (10-1) at Blue Springs South (9-2)* -- This is a rematch of the nationally televised season-opener for both teams that quickly turned into a laugher, as Rockhurst pounded BSS on Labor Day weekend. South was able to regroup a few weeks later and have now reeled off eight straight wins behind Missouri-bound senior QB Blaine Dalton, including a 42-15 rout of Blue Springs four weeks back, the lone team to beat Rockhurst. Of course the Rockhurst avenged that loss to Blue Springs last week with a 48-0 rout in the first round of the playoffs.

No. 11 St. Ignatius (11-1) at Strongsville (11-1)* -- Many in Ohio have the Wildcats ticketed all the way to the state finals after surviving Glenville last week, but Strongsville hopes to spring the upset in this Region I final. The Mustangs have won 11 straight since falling by one point to St. Edward in their season opener. Ignatius topped St. Edward twice this fall, 34-12 in the regular season finale and 37-0 in the first round of the playoffs. Ignatius won the last meeting between the schools, 48-21, in the opening round of the 2004 playoffs.

Friday
No. 2 St Thomas Aquinas (9-0) at Miramar (8-1)
No. 3 Lowndes (10-0) vs. Luella (7-3)*
No. 4 Gateway (11-0) vs. Penn Hills (8-3)*
No. 5 Long Beach Poly (9-0) at Jordan (7-2)
No. 7 Oscar Smith (11-0) vs. Bethel (8-3)*
No. 8 Lake Travis (10-0) Austin Johnson (6-4)*
No. 9 St Xavier (9-0) vs. Nelson County (4-6)*
No. 10 Camden County (10-0) vs. Creekside (7-3)*
No. 12 South Panola (11-0) vs. Provine (6-5)*
No. 13 Corona Centennial (9-0) at Norco (6-3)
No. 14 Phoebus (11-0) vs. Green Run (11-1)*
No. 15 Lakeland (9-0) at Kathleen (5-4)
No. 16 Skyline (10-0) vs. Federal Way (8-2)*
No. 17 North Shore (8-0) vs. Deer Park (8-1)*
No. 19 Maryville (11-0) at Knoxville West (5-6)*
No. 20 Don Bosco Prep (8-1) vs. Paul VI (6-2)*
No. 21 Permian (10-0) vs. El Dorado (6-4)*
No. 22 Stone Bridge (11-0) vs. Mount Vernon (9-2)*
No. 23 Dorman (11-0) vs. Wando (3-8)*
No. 24 North Penn (10-0) vs. Abington (9-2)*
No. 25 Good Counsel (10-0) vs. Bishop McNamara (5-5)*
No. 26 De La Salle (8-1) at California (6-3)
No. 27 Plant (8-1) at Robinson (2-7)
No. 29 Prattville (9-1) vs. Opelika (8-2)*
No. 30 Abilene (10-0) vs. Mansfield (6-4)*
No. 31 Byrnes (10-1) vs. Spartanburg (5-6)*
No. 32 John T Curtis (9-1) vs. Ferriday (5-5)*
No. 35 Madison County (8-0) vs. Wakulla (5-3)
No. 36 Oceanside (9-0) at Ramona (8-1)
No. 37 St Bonaventure (8-1) vs. San Marcos (3-6)
No. 38 South Pointe (11-0) vs. West Florence (7-4)*
No. 39 Allen (9-1) vs. South Grand Prairie (7-3)*
No. 40 Rockhurst (10-1) at Blue Springs South (9-2)*
No. 41 Peoria Centennial (10-0) vs. Kofa (5-5)*
No. 42 Cretin-Derham Hall (12-0) at Blaine (10-1)*
No. 43 Union (9-1) vs. Page (6-4)*
No. 44 Northside (9-1) vs. Union Grove (7-2)*
No. 45 Independence (10-0) vs. West Mecklenburg (5-6)*
No. 46 Center Grove (11-1) at Castle (10-2)*
No. 47 Notre Dame (9-0) vs. Bishop Amat (7-2)
No. 48 Jenks (9-1) vs. Enid (7-3)*
No. 49 Bellevue (10-0) vs. Lindbergh (8-2)*
No. 50 Newnan (10-0) Savannah Johnson (5-5)*

Saturday
No. 1 Trinity (10-0) vs. Flower Mound Marcus (5-5)*
No. 11 St Ignatius (11-1) at Strongsville (11-1)*
No. 18 Elder (11-1) vs. Colerain (11-1)*
No. 28 Arrowhead (12-0) vs. Stevens Point (10-2)*
No. 33 Maine South (11-0) at Barrington (9-2)*

Idle
No. 6 Armwood (10-0) Next: 4A Playoffs Rd.1
No. 34 Glenville (11-1) - season complete

* - indicates playoff game

Other notes:
• Scary news from Jacksonville, where star Ribault High junior WR Javon Bell was shot in the thigh on Sunday, News 4 Jacksonville is reporting. Bell was a Class 2A all-state selection in '07 as a sophomore, catching 32 passes for 903 yards and 10 TDs, and was enjoying a similarly outstanding season this fall. The 5-11, 170 pounder also starred at the Florida Nike Camp this past April. He should be able to return to the gridiron as a senior next fall.

• North Carolina High School Football Huddle has the state playoff pairings.

• Ever wonder what college football coaches look for in an offensive line recruit? It's more than just finding huge kids or guys that can bench press a lot of weight. Eric Sondheimer of The L.A Times talked to three prominent college offensive line coaches to see what is most important to them.

• University of Miami QB Jacory Harris attended his alma mater, Miami Northwestern's game over the weekend. Harris not only saw his team win but watched junior QB Teddy Bridgewater break his single-game school passing record with 404 yards in the Bulls' 50-22 victory over Hialeah, reports The Miami Herald.

• There isn't a more intense rivalry in Orange County (Calif.) than when Fountain Valley and Edison meet up in the the Battle of the Bell. This year, the Chargers were playing for more than just the bell, they were playing for teammate Luke Gane who had to sit out the entire season after being diagnosed with aplastic anemia, writes Dan Albano of The Orange County Register.

• Art Kabelowsky of The Milwaukee Jounal-Sentinel writes that it's no mystery why certain teams are state contenders in Wisconsin every year -- coaching is the key to yearly success.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

There weren't many changes in this week's updated FAB 50, with just one team falling out and one new squad jumping in. RISE Magazine's Jon Mahoney stops by the blog this week to talk about the rankings and his latest ballot:

No. 4 Gateway is the team that has impressed me the most this season. Heading into the year, the Gators were faced with the prospect of replacing a pair of stud gridiron standouts in linebacker Shayne Hale and running back Cameron Saddler, who are both now playing at Pitt. Gateway not only has been able to fill the void -- it's also a better team than it was last year. That's thanks in large part to the Ohio State-bound duo of linebacker Dorian Bell and wide receiver/defensive back Corey Brown. This past weekend, the Gators earned their second shutout in as many games in the WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs with a 24-0 blanking of Shaler in the quarterfinals. Gateway plays Penn Hills in the semifinals Friday.

Meanwhile, an underrated team to me is Good Counsel, which I have at No. 23 in this week's poll. The Falcons finished the regular season 10-0 and feature senior linebacker Jelani Jenkins, who's rated the nation's No. 9 overall recruit in the ESPNU 150. Lightning-quick senior running back Caleb Porzel is another stellar performer for this well-rounded squad.

The Ohio playoffs forced me to shift my vote around this week as No. 8 Glenville was edged by No. 18 St. Ignatius, 8-7, in the Division I regional semifinals. Despite the loss, I still kept in Glenville at No. 50 because I don't think a 1-point loss to the nation's No. 18 team in the playoffs should make the Tarblooders fall out of the rankings entirely. However, I did move Pickerington Central ahead of Glenville among Ohio teams.

My team to keep an eye on is No. 44 Newnan, which improved to 10-0 with a 12-0 shutout of East Coweta. Newnan, which plays in Georgia's highest classification, has a streak of four consecutive shutout wins and has blanked six of its 10 opponents this season.

There are a plethora of top games next weekend, like No. 21 Elder vs. Colerain in the Ohio Division I regional finals. But the game I'm most interested in is No. 39 Rockhurst vs. rival Blue Springs South in the Class 6 state quarterfinals on Friday. Rockhurst upended Blue Springs South in the season opener, 42-14, in a game televised on ESPN, but Blue Springs South has played very well since then. Meanwhile, Rockhurst avenged its only loss of the season by crushing Blue Springs, 48-0, in the first round.

Jon Mahoney's ballot:
1. Trinity
2. St. Thomas Aquinas
3. Lowndes
4. Gateway
5. Long Beach Poly
6. Armwood
7. Oscar Smith
8. Lake Travis
9. St. Xavier (Ky.)
10. Camden County
11. South Panola
12. Corona Centennial
13. Skyline
14. St. Ignatius
15. Lakeland
16. Phoebus
17. North Shore
18. Don Bosco Prep
19. Dorman
20. Maryville
21. Elder
22. Permian
23. Good Counsel
24. Stone Bridge
25. North Penn
26. Prattville
27. Arrowhead
28. John Curtis
29. Byrnes
30. De La Salle
31. Plant
32. Abilene
33. Allen
34. Maine South
35. Oceanside
36. Madison County
37. St. Bonaventure
38. Cretin-Derham Hall
39. Rockhurst
40. Union
41. South Pointe
42. Centennial (Peoria)
43. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks)
44. Newnan (Ga.)
45. Center Grove
46. Independence
47. Jenks
48. Pickerington Central
49. Lowell
50. Glenville

Other notes:
• It would be an understatement to say Chris LaPierre is an outstanding athlete on any field. The Shawnee High (N.J.) standout has been running through and around defenders since his sophomore year when he surpassed 1,000 yards rushing and has done so every year since. Despite these accomplishments on the football gridiron, LaPierre will be playing lacrosse at the University of Virginia next year.

• Georgia is now ready to go full speed ahead with the playoffs after the seedings were set over the weekend. The Class 5A bracket easily looks to the most competitive and intriguing, as this class has four teams in the ESPN RISE FAB 50: No. 3 Lowndes, No. 10 Camden County, No. 44 Northside and No. 50 Newnan.

• The Houston Chronicle takes a look at some of the best individual performances from last weekend as well the latest rankings in Houston. It is no surprise that Russell Shepard was at the top of his game again but it was the pass catch duo from Friendswood Jacob Karam and Andre Gautreaux that stole the show. Karam got help from his WR to tossing seven TDs (four to Gautreaux), a school record that he has now done in back to back weeks.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

FAB 50 scoreboard:
Thursday:
No. 1 Trinity 30 (10-0), L.D. Bell 20 (7-3)
No. 26 De La Salle 44 (8-1), San Ramon Valley 7 (6-3)
No. 33 John T. Curtis 61 (9-1), Newman 14 (7-2)

Friday:
No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas 51 (9-0), Western 3 (4-6)
No. 3 Lowndes 35 (10-0), Warner Robins 14 (5-5)
No. 4 Gateway 24 (11-0), Shaler Area 0 (8-3)*
No. 5 Long Beach Poly 40 (9-0), Compton 13 (7-1)
No. 6 Armwood 48 (10-0), Middleton 3 (2-7)
No. 7 Oscar Smith 34 (11-0), Woodside 17 (6-5)*
No. 9 Lake Travis 54 (10-0), Marble Falls 14 (4-6)
No. 11 Camden County 31 (10-0), Bradwell Institute 0 (7-3)
No. 12 South Panola 55 (11-0), DeSoto Central 0 (4-7)*
No. 13 Corona Centennial 42 (9-0), Santiago 30 (5-4)
No. 14 Lakeland 21 (9-0), Osceola 14 (6-3)
No. 15 Phoebus 63 (11-0), Churchland 6 (6-5)*
No. 19 Maryville 35 (11-0) vs. Cleveland 12 (7-4)*
No. 20 North Shore 42 (8-0), West Brook 13 (6-1)
No. 21 Don Bosco Prep 35 (8-1), St. Joseph Regional 6 (7-1)
No. 22 Permian 28 (10-0), Midland 21 (7-3)
No. 23 Stone Bridge 58 (11-0), Jefferson 7 (4-7)*
No. 24 Dorman 28 (11-0), Spartanburg 3 (5-6)*
No. 25 North Penn 35 (11-0), Souderton 7 (5-6)*
No. 29 Plant 30 (8-1), Jefferson 7 (5-4)
No. 30 Prattville 55 (9-1), Smiths Station 19 (6-5)*
No. 31 Abilene 20 (10-0), North Crowley 10 (4-6)
No. 32 Byrnes 42 (10-1), Boiling Springs 6 (8-3)*
No. 35 Allen 31 (9-1), Wylie 28 (7-3)
No. 36 Madison County 54 (8-0), Dixie County 0 (3-7)
No. 37 Oceanside 49 (9-0), Valley Center 21 (7-2)
No. 38 St. Bonaventure 56 (8-1), Dos Pueblos 9 (2-7)
No. 39 South Pointe 31 (11-0), Rock Hill 10 (9-2)*
No. 40 Cretin-Derham Hall 49 (12-0), Lakeville South 7 (8-4)*
No. 41 Peoria Centennial 44 (10-0), Ironwood 0 (3-7)
No. 42 Tulsa Union 40 (9-1), Enid 6 (7-3)
No. 43 Northside 31 (9-1), Colquitt County 7 (4-6)
No. 44 Rockhurst 48 (10-1), Blue Springs 0 (9-2)*
No. 45 Independence 42 (10-0), Butler 31 (10-1)*
No. 46 Center Grove 55 (11-1), Bloomington North 16 (6-6)*
Marist 28 (9-2), No. 47 Naperville North 25 (10-1)*
No. 48 Jenks 56 (9-1), Sand Springs Page 28 (6-4)

Saturday:
No. 17 St. Ignatius 8 (11-1), No. 8 Glenville 7 (11-1)*
No. 10 St. Xavier 56 (9-0), Covington Catholic 0 (4-6)
No. 16 Skyline 30 (10-0), Graham-Kapowsin 7 (7-4)
No. 18 Elder 13 (11-1), Northmont 10 (10-2)*
No. 27 Arrowhead 35 (12-0), Hartford 0 (10-2)*
No. 28 Good Counsel, Md. 44 (10-0), Archbishop Carroll, DC 0 (1-9)
No. 34 Maine South 26 (11-0), Loyola Academy 7 (8-3)*
No. 49 Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 34 (9-0), Los Angeles Loyola 0 (5-4)
No. 50 Bellevue 48 (10-0), Sedro-Woolley 10 (6-5)

Regional scoreboard:
East Region Top 20
1. Gateway (Monroeville, Pa.) 11-0 def. Shaler, 24-7
2. Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.) 11-0 def. Woodside, 34-17
3. Phoebus (Hampton, Va.) 11-0 def. Churchland, 63-6
4. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) 8-1 def. St. Joseph Regional, 35-6
5. Stone Bridge (Ashburn, Va.) 11-0 def. Thomas Jefferson, 58-7
6. North Penn (Lansdale, Pa.) 11-0 def. Souderton, 35-7
7. Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) 10-0 def. Archbishop Carroll (D.C.), 44-0
8. St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.) 7-1 lost to Don Bosco Prep, 35-6
9. State College (State College, Pa.) 10-0 idle
10. Oakton (Vienna, Va.) 11-0 def. South County, 30-13
11. Garnet Valley (Glen Mills, Pa.) 11-0 def. Pennridge, 21-7
12. St. Joseph Prep (Philadelphia) 8-3 lost to LaSalle, 31-28
13. Bethel Park (Pittsburgh) 11-0 def. North Allegheny, 42-21
14. Wilson (West Lawn, Pa.) 11-0 def. Elizabethtown, 35-14
15. Loyola Blakefield (Towson, Md.) 10-0 def. Georgetown Prep, 35-7
16. Liberty (Bethlehem, Pa.) 10-1 def. Parkland, 19-0
17. Neshaminy (Langhorne, Pa.) 10-1 def. Downingtown East, 24-6
18. Iona Prep (New Rochelle, N.Y.) 9-0 idle
19. Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) 7-1 def. Clifton, 21-7
20. McKeesport (McKeesport, Pa.) 9-2 def. Pittsburgh Central Catholic, 28-6

Southeast Region Top 20
1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 8-0 (1)
2. Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.) 10-0 def. Warner Robins, 35-14
3. Armwood (Seffner, Fla.) 9-0 def. Middleton, 48-3
4. Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.) 10-0 def. Bradwell Institute, 31-0
5. South Panola (Batesville, Miss.) 11-0 def. DeSoto Central, 55-0
6. Lakeland (Lakeland, Fla.) 9-0 def. Osceola, 21-14
7. Maryville (Maryville, Tenn.) 11-0 def. Cleveland, 35-12
8. Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.) 11-0 def. Spartanburg, 28-3
9. Plant (Tampa, Fla.) 8-1 def. Jefferson, 30-7
10. Prattville (Prattville, Ala.) 9-1 def. Smiths Station, 55-19
11. Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) 10-1 def. Boiling Springs, 42-6
12. John Curtis (River Ridge, La.) 9-1 def. Newman, 61-14
13. Madison County (Madison, Fla.) 8-0 def. Dixie County, 54-0
14. South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C) 11-0 def. Rock Hill, 31-10
15. Northside (Warner Robins, Ga.) 9-1 def. Colquitt County, 31-7
16. Independence (Charlotte, N.C.) 10-0 def. Butler, 42-31
17. Rocky Mount (Rocky Mount, N.C.) 10-0 def. Fike, 52-7
18. Wayne County (Waynesboro, Miss.) 11-0 def. Forrest Co. AHS, 41-20
19. Boone (Orlando, Fla.) 8-1 lost to Dr. Phillips, 42-27
20. Hoover (Hoover, Ala.) 10-1 def. Hueytown, 45-13

Midwest Region Top 20
1. Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio) 11-1 lost to No. 3 St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio), 8-7
2. St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) 9-0 def, Covington Catholic, 56-0
3. St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio) 11-1 def. No. 1 Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio), 8-7 4. Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio) 11-1 def. Clayton Northmont, 13-10
5. Arrowhead (Hartland, Wis.) 12-0 def. Hartford, 35-0
6. Maine South (Park Ridge, Ill.) 11-0 def. Loyola, 26-7
7. Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul, Minn.) 12-0 def. Lakeville South, 49-7
8. Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.) 11-1 def. Bloomington North, 55-16
9. Naperville North (Naperville, Ill.) 10-1 lost to Marist, 28-25
10. Lowell (Lowell, Mich.) 11-0 def. Caledonia, 35-7
11. Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.) 11-0 def. St. Cloud Tech, 38-0
12. Eden Prairie (Eden Prairie, Minn.) 11-1 lost to Blaine, 28-24
13. Pickerington Central (Pickerington, Ohio) 12-0 def. Upper Arlington, 24-16 14. Valley (West Des Moines, Iowa) 12-0 def. Ottuma, 56-21
15. Muskegon (Muskegon, Mich.) 11-0 def. Hudsonville, 12-6
16. Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) 9-1 def. Lafayette, 65-0
17. Bolingbrook (Bolingbrook, Ill.) 10-1 lost to Hinsdale Central, 35-14
18. Coldwater (Coldwater, Ohio) 12-0 def. Dayton Oakwood, 35-7
19. Homestead (Mequon, Wis.) 12-0 def. Racine Park, 42-6
20. Steubenville (Steubenville, Ohio) 12-0 def. Youngstown Cardinal Mooney, 28-14

Southwest Region Top 20
1. Trinity (Euless, Texas) 10-0 def. L.D. Bell, 30-20
2. Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) 10-0 def. Marble Falls, 54-14
3. North Shore (Galena, Texas) 8-0 def. West Brook, 42-13
4. Permian (Odessa, Texas) 10-0 def. Midland, 28-21
5. Abilene (Abilene, Texas) 10-0 def. North Crowley, 20-10
6. Allen (Allen, Texas) 9-1 def. Wylie, 31-28
7. Union (Tulsa, Okla.) 9-1 def. Enid, 42-6
8. Rockhurst (Kansas City, Mo.) 10-1 def. Blue Springs, 48-0
9. Jenks (Jenks, Okla.) 9-1 def. Sand Springs, 56-28
10. Pearland (Pearland, Texas) 9-0 def. Pasadena Dobie, 42-3
11. West Brook (Beaumont, Texas) 6-1 lost to North Shore, 42-13
12. Highland Park (Dallas) 9-1 lost at Rockwall-Heath, 38-31 OT
13. Creighton Prep (Omaha, Neb.) 11-0 def. Grand Island, 7-0
14. Midwest City (Midwest City, Okla.) 10-0 def. Putnam West, 56-6
15. Bentonville (Bentonville, Ark.) 9-1 lost to Har-Ber, 20-13
16. Longview (Longview, Texas) 8-2 idle
17. Stony Point (Round Rock, Texas) 9-1 def. Round Rock, 28-13
18. Everman (Everman, Texas) 10-0 def. Granbury, 69-3
19. Eldorado (Albuquerque, N.M.) 10-0 def. Rio Grande
20. Broken Arrow (Broken Arrow, Okla.) 8-2 def. Bartlesville, 63-13

West Region Top 20
1. Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) 9-0 def. Compton 40-13
2. Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 9-0 def. Corona Santiago 42-30
3. Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.) 10-0 def. Graham-Kapowsin, 30-7
4. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) 8-1 def. San Ramon Valley, 44-7
5. Oceanside (Oceanside, Calif.) 9-0 def. Valley Center, 49-21
6. St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.) 8-1 def. Dos Pueblos, 56-9
7. Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.) 10-0 def. Ironwood, 44-0
8. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) 9-0 def. Loyola, 34-0
9. Bellevue (Bellevue, Wash.) 10-0 def. Sedro-Woolley, 48-10
10. Timpview (Provo, Utah) 12-0 def. Sky View, 42-13
11. Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.) 9-1 def. Chandler, 41-26
12. Lake Oswego (Lake Oswego, Ore.) 9-0 Idle
13. Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 10-0 def. Cactus, 33-7
14. Grandview (Aurora, Colo.) 10-0 Play Saturday
15. Mountain View (Mesa, Ariz.) 10-0 def. Dobson, 49-14
16. McQueen (Reno, Nev.) 10-0 def. Spanish Springs, 34-14
17. Oak Grove (San Jose, Calif.) 9-0 def. Piedmont Hills, 57-35
18. Grant (Sacramento, Calif.) 8-0 def. McClatchy, 89-0
19. Tesoro (Las Flores, Calif.) 9-0 def, Aliso Niguel, 48-0
20. Rocky Mountain (Fort Collins, Colo.) 11-0 def. Cherokee Trail, 28-14

Posted by Brian Stumpf

Thursday Click here for a full breakdown of Thursday's action.

No. 1 Trinity 30 (10-0), L.D. Bell 20 (7-3)
No. 26 De La Salle 44 (8-1), San Ramon Valley 7 (6-3)
No. 33 John T. Curtis 61 (9-1), Newman 14 (7-2)

Friday

No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas 51 (9-0), Western 3 (4-6)
No. 3 Lowndes 35 (10-0), Warner Robins 14 (5-5)
No. 4 Gateway 24 (11-0), Shaler Area 0 (8-3)*
No. 5 Long Beach Poly 40 (9-0), Compton 13 (7-1)
No. 6 Armwood 48 (10-0), Middleton 3 (2-7)
No. 7 Oscar Smith 34 (11-0), Woodside 17 (6-5)*
No. 9 Lake Travis 54 (10-0), Marble Falls 14 (4-6)
No. 11 Camden County 31 (10-0), Bradwell Institute 0 (7-3)
No. 12 South Panola 55 (11-0), DeSoto Central 0 (4-7)*
No. 13 Corona Centennial 42 (9-0), Santiago 30 (5-4)
No. 14 Lakeland 21 (9-0), Osceola 14 (6-3)
No. 15 Phoebus 63 (11-0), Churchland 6 (6-5)*
No. 19 Maryville 35 (11-0), Cleveland 12 (7-4)*
No. 20 North Shore 42 (8-0), West Brook 13 (6-1)
No. 21 Don Bosco Prep 35 (8-1), St. Joseph Regional 6 (7-1)
No. 22 Permian 28 (10-0), Midland 21 (7-3)
No. 23 Stone Bridge 58 (11-0), Jefferson 7 (4-7)*
No. 24 Dorman 28 (11-0), Spartanburg 3 (5-6)*
No. 25 North Penn 35 (11-0), Souderton 7 (5-6)*
No. 29 Plant 30 (8-1), Jefferson 7 (5-4)
No. 30 Prattville 55 (9-1), Smiths Station 19 (6-5)*
No. 31 Abilene 20 (10-0), North Crowley 10 (4-6)
No. 32 Byrnes 42 (10-1), Boiling Springs 6 (8-3)*
No. 35 Allen 31 (9-1), Wylie 28 (7-3)
No. 36 Madison County 54 (8-0), Dixie County 0 (3-7)
No. 37 Oceanside 49 (9-0), Valley Center 21 (7-2)
No. 38 St. Bonaventure 56 (8-1), Dos Pueblos 9 (2-7)
No. 39 South Pointe 31 (11-0), Rock Hill 10 (9-2)*
No. 40 Cretin-Derham Hall 49 (12-0), Lakeville South 7 (8-4)*
No. 41 Peoria Centennial 44 (10-0), Ironwood 0 (3-7)
No. 42 Tulsa Union 40 (9-1), Enid 6 (7-3)
No. 43 Northside 31 (9-1), Colquitt County 7 (4-6)
No. 44 Rockhurst 48 (10-1), Blue Springs 0 (9-2)*
No. 45 Independence 42 (10-0), Butler 31 (10-1)*
No. 46 Center Grove 55 (11-1), Bloomington North 16 (6-6)*
Marist 28 (9-2), No. 47 Naperville North 25 (10-1)*
No. 48 Jenks 56 (9-1), Sand Springs Page 28 (6-4)

*Denotes a playoff game.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

GAME OF THE WEEK:
No. 8 Glenville (11-0) at No. 17 St. Ignatius (10-1), Saturday, 8:30 pm ET
Ohio's two highest-ranked teams meet in a Division I, Region I semifinal in a rematch of both team's season-openers, which Glenville won 20-17 on a last-second 30-yard FG by Marvel Brooks. The Tarblooders have won four straight in the rivalry dating back to 2004, having ended the Wildcats' season with a playoff loss in '04, '06 and '07. The winner of this game will emerge as the likely favorite for the Division I state title; St. Ignatius has already won nine state titles while Glenville, under coach Ted Ginn Sr., is still looking for its first. The Cleveland Plain-Dealer will Webcast the game live Saturday night. More info is available here.

POTENTIAL ROADBLOCKS:
No. 5 Long Beach Poly (8-0) vs. Compton (7-0) -- Poly's dominance over the Moore League stretches back to 1991, the last time they didn't at least share the league title, and they haven't dropped a league game since 1994. The Compton Tarbabes come in undefeated at 7-0, hoping that this is the year the Jackrabbits' reign comes to an end. USC-bound safety Chris Metcalf and star junior RB James McConico lead Compton, who also came into last year's matchup undefeated but went down 42-14.

No. 18 Elder (10-1) at Northmont (10-1)* -- The Glenville-St. Ignatius matchup is getting the headlines, but this is another huge second-round matchup in Ohio's DI playoffs. Elder has been rolling ever since losing to St. Thomas Aquinas in the Herbstreit Challenge, but would be remiss to look past the Thunderbolts, who have three players already committed to D-I schools, including Ohio State-bound DB C.J. Barnett. The Bolts' lone loss of the year was to St. Ignatius in August.

No. 20 North Shore (7-0) vs. West Brook (6-0) -- The North Shore Mustangs will be heavy favorites in this one, but there is some mystery since these two teams are playing for the first time in awhile after being placed in the same district this year. West Brook also has maybe the best running back in Texas, Christine Michael, on its side, and hopes to snap North Shore's 77-game regular-season winning streak.

No. 21 Don Bosco Prep (7-1) vs. St. Joseph Regional (7-0) -- These two rivals have won a combined 22 state titles and are annually two of the top programs in New Jersey. The rivalry has been all Bosco of late, as the Ironmen have dispatched the Green Knights in each of the past three years by a combined score of 104-10. St. Joe's defense has allowed just 13 points through the first seven games this fall.

No. 27 Arrowhead (11-0) at Hartford (10-1)* -- The Warhawks had a taxing week just to get to this matchup, winning two games in five days, the second being a last-minute come-from-behind win over Oshkosh West, a team that was 7-3 entering the matchup. Hartford is led by 6-foot-3, 250-pound LB/DE Tyler Dippel, a Wisconsin recruit and one of the state's top players.

No. 39 South Pointe (10-0) vs. Rock Hill (9-1)* -- The Stallions, who continue to amaze after climbing into the FAB 50 in just their third varsity season, open 4A playoff action against crosstown foe Rock Hill, who defeated South Pointe in its first season of football 14-7 before falling to the Stallions 16-0 last fall. The two didn't play this year as their leagues were realigned, but they are certainly familiar with each other.

No. 44 Rockhurst (9-1) vs. Blue Springs (9-1)* -- The first round of the Missouri Class 6 bracket starts off with a bang as Rockhurst looks to avenge its lone loss with a opening-round rematch against 9-1 Blue Springs. Blue Springs sophomore running back Darrian Miller ran wild in the teams' first meeting Sept. 13; the 5-9, 180-pounder rushed 31 times for 176 yards and three scores in the Wildcats' 28-21 win.

FAB 50 SCHEDULE:
Thursday
No. 1 Trinity (9-0) at L.D. Bell (7-2)
No. 26 De La Salle (7-1) at San Ramon Valley (6-2)
No. 33 John T. Curtis (8-1) vs. Newman (7-1)

Friday
No. 2 St Thomas Aquinas (8-0) vs. Western (4-5)
No. 3 Lowndes (9-0) at Warner Robins (5-4)
No. 4 Gateway (10-0) at Shaler Area (8-2)*
No. 5 Long Beach Poly (8-0) vs. Compton (7-0)
No. 6 Armwood (9-0) vs. Middleton (2-6)
No. 7 Oscar Smith (10-0) vs. Woodside (6-4)*
No. 9 Lake Travis (9-0) at Marble Falls (4-5)
No. 11 Camden County (9-0) at Bradwell Institute (7-2)
No. 12 South Panola (10-0) at DeSoto Central (4-6)*
No. 13 Corona Centennial (8-0) vs. Santiago (5-3)
No. 14 Lakeland (8-0) at Osceola (6-2)
No. 15 Phoebus (10-0) vs. Churchland (6-4)*
No. 19 Maryville (10-0) vs. Walker Valley (6-4)*
No. 20 North Shore (7-0) vs. West Brook (6-0)
No. 21 Don Bosco Prep (7-1) vs. St. Joseph Regional (7-0)
No. 22 Permian (9-0) at Midland (7-2)
No. 23 Stone Bridge (10-0) Jefferson (4-6)*
No. 24 Dorman (10-0) vs. Spartanburg (5-5)*
No. 25 North Penn (10-0) vs. Souderton (5-5)*
No. 29 Plant (7-1) at Jefferson (5-3)
No. 30 Prattville (8-1) vs. Smiths Station (6-4)*
No. 31 Abilene (9-0) at North Crowley (4-5)
No. 32 Byrnes (9-1) vs. Boiling Springs (8-2)*
No. 34 Maine South (10-0) at Loyola Academy (8-2)*
No. 35 Allen (8-1) vs. Wylie (7-1)
No. 36 Madison County (7-0) vs. Dixie County (3-6)
No. 37 Oceanside (8-0) vs. Valley Center (7-1)
No. 38 St. Bonaventure (7-1) at Dos Pueblos (2-6)
No. 39 South Pointe (10-0) vs. Rock Hill (9-1)*
No. 40 Cretin-Derham Hall (11-0) at Lakeville South (8-3)*
No. 41 Peoria Centennial (9-0) vs. Ironwood (3-6)
No. 42 Tulsa Union (8-1) vs. Enid (7-2)
No. 43 Northside (8-1) at Colquitt County (4-5)
No. 44 Rockhurst (9-1) vs. Blue Springs (9-1)*
No. 45 Independence (9-0) at Butler (11-0)*
No. 46 Center Grove (10-1) vs. Bloomington North (6-5)*
No. 47 Naperville North (10-0) at Marist (8-2)*
No. 48 Jenks (8-1) vs. Page (6-3)

Saturday
No. 8 Glenville (11-0) at No. 17 St. Ignatius (10-1)*
No. 10 St. Xavier (8-0) at Covington Catholic (4-5)
No. 16 Skyline (9-0) vs. Graham-Kapowsin (7-3)
No. 18 Elder (10-1) at Northmont (10-1)*
No. 27 Arrowhead (11-0) at Hartford (10-1)*
No. 28 Good Counsel, Md. (9-0) at Archbishop Carroll, DC (1-8)
No. 49 Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (8-0) at Los Angeles Loyola (5-3)
No. 50 Bellevue (9-0) vs. Sedro-Woolley (6-4)

* indicates playoff matchup

• The state playoff brackets are out in Missouri -- full brackets and matchups can be found on the MSHSAA's Web site.

• This weekend's schedule of playoff games in Minnesota is here. As the quarterfinal round approaches, 5A powers Cretin-Derham Hall and Eden Prairie continue to roll toward another showdown. Eden Prairie crushed CDH a year ago in the state final.

• Utah state playoffs have reached the quarterfinal round -- this weekend's matchups are here.

• Super Kansas junior quarterback Blake Bell is up to three offers, according to his trainer Brian Butler. "Blake has had a great last couple of weeks on the field, which has led to scholarship offers from Miami, Arizona and Kansas State," Butler said. The 6-6, 215-pounder from Wichita Bishop Carroll has 2,623 yards passing and 45 touchdowns so far, and could end up with huge numbers should Carroll run deep into the playoffs.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

Happy Election Day to all -- on a related note, it was great to hear both candidates, Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama, speak last night on ESPN in their respective interviews with Chris Berman about the lessons they learned playing high school sports. (You can watch McCain's interview here and Obama's interview here.) Each week we read about stories of athletes or parents attacking coaches. Every game I attend you can hear the parents in the stands or the kids on the sidelines, whispering about what they aren't getting or who is playing more than whom.

Hopefully we can get back to what the foundation of sports are: building character, camaraderie and discipline through the trials and tribulations of your individual or team sports' outcomes. Not everything is going to go your way in life and we all know that life isn't fair. But winning, and more importantly losing, in sports help build the character of young individuals, and as we can see in this election, our country's two top candidates still carry those lessons with them to this day and have used them to help get to where they are today. Now on to the links …

• The Detroit News has the full rundown of district finals this weekend as the Michigan state playoffs move into its second weekend of action.

• Playoffs are also moving into the second round in Illinois, where The Chicago Tribune has a look at the 8A slate, which features FAB 50 teams Maine South and Naperville North.

• FAB 50 ranked Arrowhead hosts 10-1 Hartford High Saturday as the Wisconsin state playoffs move into the quarterfinal round. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has the full slate of this weekend's games.

• The latest Florida AP state rankings by class are out and a couple of teams to watch for possible inclusion in the FAB 50 over the next few weeks would be 6A No. 1 Orlando Boone and No. 2 Miami Columbus. Boone is showing every sign that it is ready to return to the 6A title game (the Braves lost to Northwestern 41-0 in last year's 6A final), having streaked out to an 8-0 start, outscoring the opposition 270-43 in the process. NC State-bound running back James Washington leads the Braves' attack, and runs behind a big, physical front that includes Duke verbal commit David Harding.

	ESPN RISE
	Running back Jakhari Gore has been sensational for Columbus.

Columbus might be one of the state's most talented teams, and coach Chris Merritt has done a masterful job this fall, even benching five of his most talented players for a game earlier in the year because they weren't performing up to par in the classroom. Performance on the field has been no problem for the Explorers, who are led by sensational junior running back Jakhari Gore and massive DT Antwan Lowery, as well as explosive WR/RB Gary Bush, a Purdue recruit. Columbus is 7-0 and should be undefeated heading into the season finale against 6A No. 5 Miami Killian.

• Kentucky also has state rankings by class, led of course by FAB 50 No. 10 Louisville St. Xavier in Class 6A. Somehow St. X is not a unanimous No. 1, because one of the AP state pollsters picked 8-1 Trinity, despite the fact that St. X manhandled Trinity 30-6 earlier this year.

• In The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Lassiter (Marietta, Ga.) standout tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen reflects upon his "SportsCenter" highlight-reel play from this past weekend. For those who still haven't seen it, Lutzenkirchen, a 6-foot-4, 245-pound senior who has verbally committed to Auburn, leapt in the air out of the back of the end zone and directed a pass back to teammate Reid Handler for a 12-yard TD in Lassiter's 49-24 win over Centennial this past weekend. You can watch it here. It was a phenomenally instinctual and athletic play by a player who ranks as one of the nation's top tight end prospects, and for good reason. We saw Lutzenkirchen this spring at the Alabama Nike Camp and he showed a great combination of physicality, athleticism and soft hands. He should be a great fit at Auburn if it can utilize him in the slot as a receiving threat.

• The Hartford Courant's Tom Yantz has his weekly Connecticut state and regional rankings up, as well as a look at some of the top individual performances from around the state over the past weekend.

• Ferris (Texas) High junior running back James Hopkins made a name for himself this weekend, as the 5-10, 185 pound speedster rumbled for 376 yards and six TDs in a 55-49 win over Kennedale, reports The Dallas Morning News. Hopefully we'll get a chance to see Hopkins in person this spring when the Nike Combine rolls into Dallas/Ft. Worth.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

There was just one upset in this week's FAB 50, as Texas' Lufkin High ended the undefeated hopes of No. 35 The Woodlands with a 15-13 win. Today, ESPN RISE senior rankings editor Doug Huff stops by to post his ballot and talk FAB 50:

The only new team to join the FAB 50 this week, Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, Calif., has been regionally ranked since the preseason and on the FAB 50 bubble the last few weeks. The Knights' schedule boosts its stock -- ND has defeated six winning record teams and handed two their only defeat. Last week, ND defeated Crespi by 37-17. Crespi's only previous loss was by 31-14 to FAB 50 No. 38 St. Bonaventure. ND has two more winning teams on the regular season schedule -- Loyola and Bishop Amat. It has earned their FAB 50 spot.

Another team that's on the FAB 50 bubble is Lowell, Mich., which has been ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in the state the entire season by the two Detroit newspapers. Lowell could be the next team to join the elite FAB 50.

The only major drop in the FAB 50 rankings was Skyline of Sammamish, Wash., from No. 13 to 16, after Skyline nipped Bothell, 16-12 last weekend. I dropped them one spot but other voters penalized them more. Centennial of Corona, Calif., has been impressive and hopped Skyline as did Lakeland, Fla., and Phoebus of Hampton, Va.

However, I believe the team to watch in the top 20 is No. 17 St. Ignatius (Cleveland), which seeks revenge this weekend in Ohio Division I playoffs against No. 8 Glenville. St. Ignatius dropped its only game in the opener, 20-17 on a last play field goal. Since then, nine-time Ohio champion St. Ignatius has outscored 10 victims by 378-73 including back-to-back wins over rival Lakewood St. Edward, including a 37-0 playoff blowout last weekend.

Doug Huff's FAB 50 ballot:
1. Trinity (Euless, Texas)
2. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
3. Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.)
4. Gateway (Monroeville, Pa.)
5. Poly (Long Beach, Calif.)
6. Armwood (Seffner, Fla.)
7. Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.)
8. Glenville (Cleveland)
9. Lake Travis (Austin, Texas)
10. St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.)
11. Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.)
12. South Panola (Batesville, Miss.)
13. Centennial (Corona, Calif.)
14. Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.)
15. Lakeland (Lakeland, Fla.)
16. Phoebus (Hampton, Va.)
17. St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio)
18. Maryville (Maryville, Tenn.)
19. Elder (Cincinnati)
20. North Shore (Houston)
21. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.)
22. Permian (Odessa, Texas)
23. Stone Bridge (Ashburn, Va.)
24. Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.)
25. Arrowhead (Hartland, Wis.)
26. North Penn (Lansdale, Pa.)
27. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)
28. Prattville (Prattville, Ala.)
29. Plant (Tampa, Fla.)
30. Good Counsel (Olney, Md.)
31. Abilene (Abilene, Texas)
32. Byrnes (Duncan,l S.C.)
33. John Curtis (River Ridge, La.)
34. Maine South (Park Ridge, Ill.)
35. Allen (Allen, Texas)
36. Oceanside (Oceanside, Calif.)
37. St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.)
38. Madison County (Madison, Fla.)
39. Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul, Minn.)
40. South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C.)
41. Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.)
42. Tulsa Union (Tulsa, Okla.)
43. Northside (Warner Robins, Ga.)
44. Rockhurst (Kansas City, Mo.)
45. Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.)
46. Independence (Charlotte, N.C.)
47. Jenks (Jenks, Okla.)
48. Naperville North (Naperville, Ill.)
49. Lowell (Lowell, Mich.)
50. Bellevue (Bellevue, Wash.)

• The stage is set for the Glenville-St. Ignatius rematch in Ohio, as both teams were victorious this past week in first-round regional action. The unfortunate part is that because of a lame computer ranking/seeding process, these two powers have to meet in the second round instead of the regional finals. The rest of the second-round matchups from around the Buckeye State can be found here.

• It's playoff time in Tennessee, where FAB 50 No. 19 Maryville is the top seed in 4A. All of the brackets and pairings can be found on WBIR's Web site.

• Playoff brackets for Class 3A, 2A and 1A in South Carolina are out, reports The State. Class 4A teams, which include FAB 50 ranked Dorman, Byrnes and South Pointe, finish their regular season next week.

• All of the updated state brackets in Michigan can be found on MLive.com, as the state moves toward the second round this weekend. The state is still looking for a FAB 50 team, but regionally-ranked Lowell and Muskegon both rolled in first round action and should they both win again this weekend, the two powers would clash in a regional final next weekend.

• ESPN RISE's Mark Tennis takes an in-depth look at the early candidates for the '08 California Player of the Year, with the notable candidates including a quartet of SoCal QBs and a NorCal one in Gilroy's Jamie Jensen, who despite passing for a Northern California record 4,323 yards as a junior and another 2,218 so far this year, is still waiting for his first offer.

• There's one more week left in the regular season in Georgia, but The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Todd Holcomb is already projecting playoff seeds on his blog. Also has the updated class-by-class state rankings as well.

• Richard Obert of The Arizona Republic takes a look at the one-man show that is Palo Verde High's Adam Hall as well as some other hot topics in Arizona football in his weekend wrapup column.

• FAB 50 Gateway might want to prepare for a fake punt this week, as upcoming playoff opponent Shaler Area has run 10 fake punts already this year, executing nine successfully, reports the The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

• A story of redemption through football in Texas, where High Island High has fought back from the destruction that Hurricane Ike wrought to play its first home game reports Monica Rhor of the Associated Press.

• Despite his team not being anywhere close to the FAB 50 type or really even a legit state title contender, Escambia (Pensacola, Fla.) RB Trent Richardson is a serious candidate for state player of the year in Florida after racking up another huge game on Friday night. Richardson rushed 39 times for 351 yards and three touchdowns in a 21-14 win over Pensacola Catholic, averaging nine yards a carry and scoring all three of his team's touchdowns.

• Ugly news from Idaho, where The Idaho Statesman reports that a Nampa High School football player has been charged with felony aggravated battery after police say he struck his coach during an altercation at the end of the team's game against Emmett on Thursday night. Police say Wooldridge was attempting to get Ramos to stop arguing with members of the Emmett High football team and get off the field when Ramos hit Wooldridge several times with closed fists, striking him in the face and causing unspecified injuries.

Elite 11 QB Regional Camp Alum of the Week: Graham Harrell, Texas Tech
Harrell, the Texas Tech's senior quarterback and a Heisman Trophy candidate, finished with 474 yards passing and two touchdowns -- including a the game-winning touchdown in the final seconds -- to lead the No. 6 Red Raiders to a 39-33 victory over No. 1 Texas. Throwing for a ton of yards and winning games is nothing new for this product of Ennis High (Texas) out of the Class of 2004, as he won a state title in '01 at Ennis and finished his three-year career as a starter as the then state-record holder in single-season passing yards (4,825), single-season passing touchdowns (67), single-season completions (334) as well as career passing yards (12,532) and career TD passes (167). Harrell has continued this success at Tech, where in his first two-plus years as a starter he's now thrown for 14,303 yards and 119 TDs, and has the Red Raiders at No. 2 in the latest BCS standings. Back in the spring of 2003, Harrell attended the first-ever Elite 11 QB Regional Camp in College Station, Texas, along with others from a heralded group of quarterbacks in Texas from the Class of 2004 that also included Rhett Bomar, Stephen McGee, Bobby Reid, Kirby Freeman and Caleb Hanie. One of the top underclassmen at that same event was none other than current Texas starter Colt McCoy.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

FAB 50 scoreboard:
Tuesday:
No.25 Arrowhead 49 (10-0) vs. Manitowac Lincoln 19 (4-6)

Thursday:
No.5 Long Beach Poly 45 (8-0), Cabrillo 0 (0-8)
No.13 Skyline 16 (9-0), Bothell 12 (6-3)
No.18 Maryville 35 (10-0), Lenoir City 6 (1-9) No.20 North Shore 48 (7-0), Baytown Lee 7 (2-5)
No.38 St. Bonaventure 51 (7-1), Santa Barbara 21 (3-4)

Friday:
No. 1 Euless Trinity 56 (9-0), Justin Northwest 19 (5-4)
No. 2 St Thomas Aquinas 38 (8-0), McArthur 0 (5-3)
No. 3 Lowndes 21 (9-0), Coffee 0 (7-2)
No. 4 Gateway 42 (10-0), Mount Lebanon 0 (2-8)
No. 6 Armwood 34 (9-0), Tampa Freedom 14 (2-6)
No. 7 Oscar Smith 44 (10-0), Lakeland 0 (3-7)
No. 9 Lake Travis 42 (9-0), Dripping Springs 3 (9-1)
No. 10 St Xavier 36 (8-0), Louisville Central 13 (5-3-1)
No. 11 Camden County 63 (9-0), Savannah 8 (0-9)
No. 12 South Panola 56 (10-0), Starkville 22 (2-8)
No. 14 Corona Centennial 42 (8-0), Riverside North 19 (4-4)
No. 15 Lakeland 28 (8-0), Ridge Community 15 (7-1)
No. 22 Permian 36 (9-0), Tascosa 8 (2-7)
No. 23 Stone Bridge 42 (10-0), Woodson 14 (7-3)
No. 24 Dorman 51 (10-0), Hillcrest 7 (2-7)
No. 26 North Penn 41 (10-0), Pennridge 21 (6-4)
No. 27 De La Salle 45 (7-1), Monte Vista 35 (7-1)
No. 28 Prattville 47 (8-1), Tuscaloosa Central 0 (8-1)
No. 29 Plant 27 (7-1), Chamberlain 13 (8-1)
No. 31 John Curtis 17 (8-1), St. James 14 (5-3)
No. 32 Abilene 48 (9-0), Richland 28 (8-1)
No. 33 Byrnes 70 (9-1), Mauldin 27 (5-5)
No. 36 Allen 30 (8-1), Plano East 14 (0-9)
No. 37 Oceanside 62 (8-0), Orange Glen 6 (1-8)
No. 39 Madison County 50 (7-0), Godby 33 (7-1)
No. 40 Cretin-Derham Hall 33 (11-0), Woodbury 14 (9-2)
No. 41 South Pointe 59 (10-0), Spring Valley 0 (1-9)
No. 42 Peoria Centennial 55 (9-0), Sunrise Mountain 0 (1-8)
No. 43 Tulsa Union 55 (8-1), Oklahoma City Grant 8 (1-8)
No. 44 Northside 14 (8-1), Warner Robins 0 (5-4)
No. 45 Rockhurst 68 (9-1), Joplin 7 (7-3)
No. 46 Center Grove 56 (10-1), Bloomington South 14 (8-3)
No. 47 Independence 35 (9-0), East Mecklenburg 14 (9-2)
No. 48 Jenks 34 (8-1), Muskogee 6 (6-3)
No. 50 Bellevue 56 (9-0), Interlake 14 (5-4)

Saturday No.8 Glenville 35 (11-0), Brecksville-Broadview Hts. 8 (7-4)
No.16 Phoebus 77 (10-0), Denbigh 0 (3-7)
No.17 St Ignatius 37 (10-1), St. Edward 0 (6-5)
No.19 Elder 52 (10-1), Centerville 27 (7-4)
No.21 Don Bosco Prep 38 (7-1), Bergen Catholic 7 (6-1)
No.25 Arrowhead 30 (11-0), Oshkosh West 25 (7-4)
No.30 Good Counsel 45 (9-0), Gonzaga, DC 0 (2-7)
No.34 Maine South 63 (10-0), Stevenson 29 (5-5)
Lufkin (5-4) 15, No. 35 The Woodlands 13 (7-1)
No. 49 Naperville North 42 (10-0), Simeon 16 (6-4)

Regional scoreboard:
East Region Top 20
1. Gateway (Monroeville, Pa.) 10-0 def. Mount Lebanaon, 42-0
2. Oscar Smith, (Chesapeake, Va.) 10-0 def. Lakeland, 44-0
3. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) 6-1 def. Bergen Catholic, 38-7
4. Phoebus (Hampton, Va.) 10-0 def. Denbigh, 77-0
5. Stone Bridge (Ashburn, Va.) 10-0 def. W.T. Woodson, 42-14
6. North Penn (Lansdale, Pa.) 10-0 def. Pennridge, 41-21
7. Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) 9-0 def. Gonzaga (D.C.), 45-0
8. St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.) 7-0 def. Bergen Tech, 49-0
9. State College (State College, Pa.) 10-0 def. Chambersburg, 35-3
10. Oakton (Vienna, Va.) 10-0 def. Herndon, 38-13
11. Garnet Valley (Glen Mills, Pa.) 10-0 def. Ridley, 41-28
12. Bethel Park (Pittsburgh) 10-0 def. Hempfield, 42-20
13. Wilson (West Lawn, Pa.) 10-0 def. Warwick, 24-0
14. Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) 6-1 lost to Don Bosco Prep, 38-7
15. McKeesport (McKeesport, Pa.) 8-2 def. Upper St. Clair, 34-28
16. Bishop McDevitt (Harrisburg, Pa.) 8-2 lost to McDowell, 42-28
17. Loyola Blakefield (Towson, Md.) 9-0 def. Valley Forge Military, 35-7
18. Liberty (Bethlehem, Pa.) 9-1 def. Freedom, 20-14
19. Neshaminy (Langhorne, Pa.) 9-1 def. Pennsbury, 16-13
20. Iona Prep (New Rochelle, N.Y.) 8-0 vs. St. Francis Prep, Sunday

Southeast Region Top 20
1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 8-0 def. McArthur, 38-0
2. Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.) 9-0 def. Coffee, 21-0
3. Armwood (Seffner, Fla.) 8-0 def. Tampa Freedom, 34-14
4. Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.) 8-0 def. Savannah, 63-8
5. South Panola (Batesville, Miss.) 10-0 def. Starkville, 56-22
6. Lakeland (Lakeland, Fla.) 8-0 def. Ridge, 28-15
7. Maryville (Maryville, Tenn.) 10-0 def. Lenoir City, 35-6
8. Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.) 10-0 def. Hillcrest, 51-7
9. Prattville (Prattville, Ala.) 8-1 def. Tuscaloosa County, 47-0
10. Plant (Tampa, Fla.) 7-1 def. Chamberlain, 27-13
11. John Curtis (River Ridge, La.) 8-1 def. St. James, 17-14
12. Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) 9-1 def. Mauldin, 70-27
13. Madison County (Madison, Fla.) 7-0 def. Godby, 50-33
14. South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C) 10-0 def. Spring Valley, 59-0
15. Northside (Warner Robins, Ga.) 8-1 def. Warner Robins, 14-0
16. Independence (Charlotte, N.C.) 9-0 def. East Mecklenburg, 35-14
17. Miami Northwestern (Miami) 6-2 lost to Miami Central, 27-25
18. Rocky Mount (Rocky Mount, N.C.) 9-0 def. Nash Central, 35-7
19. Wayne County (Waynesboro, Miss.) 10-0 def. West Jones, 24-7
20. Apopka (Apopka, Fla.) 7-2 lost to East Ridge, 21-13

Midwest Region Top 20
1. Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio) 11-0 def. Brecksville-Broadview Heights, 35-8
2. St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) 8-0 def. Louisville Central, 36-13
3. St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio) 10-1 def. Lakewood St. Edward, 37-0
4. Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio) 10-1 def. Centerville, 52-27
5. Arrowhead (Hartland, Wis.) 11-0 def. Oshkosh West, 30-25
6. Maine South (Park Ridge, Ill.) 10-0 def. Stevenson, 63-29
7. Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul, Minn.) 11-0 def. Woodbury, 33-14
8. Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.) 10-1 def. Bloomington South, 52-14
9. Naperville North (Naperville, Ill.) 10-0 def. Simeon, 42-16
10. Lowell (Lowell, Mich.) 11-0 def. Lansing Everett, 62-42
11. Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.) 11-0 def. Champlin Park, 41-15
12. Eden Prairie (Eden Prairie, Minn.) 11-0 def. Hopkins, 43-14
13. Pickerington Central (Pickerington, Ohio) 11-0 def. Delaware Hayes, 38-21
14. Valley (West Des Moines, Iowa) 10-0 def. Lincoln 55-14
15. Muskegon (Muskegon, Mich.) 11-0 def. Holland, 49-13
16. Warrenville South (Wheaton, Ill.) 8-2 lost to Downers Grove North, 8-7
17. Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) 8-1 def. Paul Dunbar, 56-0
18. Bolingbrook (Bolingbrook, Ill.) 10-0 def. Curie, 62-13
19. Coldwater (Coldwater, Ohio) 11-0 def. North College Hill, 42-0
20. Homestead (Mequon, Wis.) 11-0 def. Marquette, 14-8

Southwest Region Top 20
1. Trinity (Euless, Texas) 9-0 def. Justin Northwest, 56-19
2. Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) 9-0 def. Dripping Springs, 42-3
3. North Shore (Galena, Texas) 7-0 def. Baytown Lee, 48-7
4. Permian (Odessa, Texas) 9-0 def. Tascosa, 36-8
5. Abilene (Abilene, Texas) 9-0 def. Richlands, 48-28
6. The Woodlands (The Woodlands, Texas) 7-1 lost to Lufkin, 15-13
7. Allen (Allen, Texas) 8-1 def. Plano East, 30-14
8. Union (Tulsa, Okla.) 8-1 def. Grant, 55-8
9. Rockhurst (Kansas City, Mo.) 9-1 def. Joplin, 68-7
10. Jenks (Jenks, Okla.) 8-1 def. Muskogee, 34-6
11. Pearland (Pearland, Texas) 8-0 def. Deer Park, 20-9
12. Highland Park (Dallas) 9-0 def. Rockwall, 49-39
13. West Brook (Beaumont, Texas) 6-0 def. Baytown Sterling, 41-23
14. Creighton Prep (Omaha, Neb.) 10-0 def. Fremont, 21-0
15. Bentonville (Bentonville, Ark.) 9-0 def. Springdale, 21-14
16. Midwest City (Midwest City, Okla.) 9-0 def. Norman, 45-7
17. Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas) 6-2 lost to Hebron, 44-28
18. Longview (Longview, Texas) 8-2* def. Pine Tree, 41-14
19. Copperas Cove (Copperas Cove, Texas) 8-1 lost to A&M Consolidated, 31-27
20. Eldorado (Albuquerque, N.M.) 9-0 def. Manzano, 49-28

West Region Top 20
1. Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) 8-0 def. Cabrillo, 45-0
2. Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.) 9-0 def. Bothell, 16-12
3. Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 8-0 def. Riverside North, 42-19
4. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) 7-1 def. Monte Vista, 45-35
5. Oceanside (Oceanside, Calif.) 8-0 def. Orange Glen, 62-6
6. St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.) 7-1 def. Santa Barbara, 51-21
7. Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.) 9-0 def. Sunrise Mountain, 55-0
8. Bellevue (Bellevue, Wash.) 9-0 def. Interlake, 56-14
9. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) 8-0 def. Crespi, 37-17
10. Timpview (Provo, Utah) 10-0 def. West, 49-7
11. Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.) 8-1 def. Mesquite, 58-7
12. Lake Oswego (Lake Oswego, Ore.) 9-0 def. Oregon City, 42-7
13. Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 9-0 def. McClintock, 41-13
14. Los Alamitos (Los Alamitos, Calif.) 7-1 loss Fountain Valley, 21-14
15. Grandview (Aurora, Colo.) 10-0 def. Boulder, 45-7
16. Mountain View (Mesa, Ariz.) 9-0 def. Red Mountain, 49-6
17. McQueen (Reno, Nev.) 9-0 def. Reno, 55-7
18. Oak Grove (San Jose, Calif.) 8-0 def. Leigh, 42-21
19. Granite Bay (Granite Bay, Calif.) 7-1 loss Roseville, 35-34
20. Grant (Sacramento, Calif.) 7-0 Idle

Posted by Brian Stumpf

Thursday Click here for a complete breakdown of Thursday's action.
No. 5 Long Beach Poly 45 (8-0), Cabrillo 0 (0-8)
No. 13 Skyline 16 (9-0), Bothell 12 (6-3)
No. 18 Maryville 35 (10-0), Lenoir City 6 (1-9)
No. 20 North Shore 48 (7-0), Baytown Lee 7 (2-5)
No. 38 St. Bonaventure 51 (7-1), Santa Barbara 21 (3-4)

Friday
No. 1 Trinity (Euless, Texas) 56 (9-0), Justin Northwest 19 (5-4)
No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas 38 (8-0), McArthur 0 (5-3)
No. 3 Lowndes 21 (9-0), Coffee 0 (7-2)
No. 4 Gateway 42 (10-0), Mt. Lebanon 0 (2-8)
No. 6 Armwood 34 (9-0), Tampa Freedom 14 (2-6)
No. 7 Oscar Smith 44 (10-0), Lakeland (Va.) 0 (3-7)
No. 9 Lake Travis 42 (9-0), Dripping Springs 3 (9-1)
No. 10 St. Xavier 36 (8-0), Louisville Central 13 (5-3-1)
No. 11 Camden County 63 (9-0), Savannah 8 (0-9)
No. 12 South Panola 56 (10-0), Starkville 22 (2-8)
No. 14 Corona Centennial 42 (8-0), Riverside North 19 (4-4)
No. 15 Lakeland (Fla.) 28 (8-0), Ridge Community 15 (7-1)
No. 22 Permian 36 (9-0), Tascosa 8 (2-7)
No. 23 Stone Bridge 42 (10-0), Woodson 14 (7-3)
No. 24 Dorman 51 (10-0), Hillcrest 7 (2-7)
No. 26 North Penn 41 (10-0), Pennridge 21 (6-4)
No. 27 De La Salle 45 (7-1), Monte Vista 35 (7-1)
No. 28 Prattville 47 (8-1), Tuscaloosa Central 0 (8-1)
No. 29 Plant 27 (7-1), Chamberlain 13 (8-1)
No. 31 John Curtis 17 (8-1), St. James 14 (5-3)
No. 32 Abilene 48 (9-0), Richland 28 (8-1)
No. 33 Byrnes 70 (9-1), Mauldin 27 (5-5)
No. 36 Allen 30 (8-1), Plano East 14 (0-9)
No. 37 Oceanside 62 (8-0), Orange Glen 6 (1-8)
No. 39 Madison County 50 (7-0), Godby 33 (7-1)
No. 40 Cretin-Derham Hall 33 (11-0), Woodbury 14 (9-2)
No. 41 South Pointe 59 (10-0), Spring Valley 0 (1-9)
No. 42 Peoria Centennial 55 (9-0), Sunrise Mountain 0 (1-8)
No. 43 Tulsa Union 55 (8-1), Oklahoma City Grant 6 (1-8)
No. 44 Northside 14 (8-1), Warner Robins 0 (5-4)
No. 45 Rockhurst 68 (9-1), Joplin 7 (7-3)
No. 46 Center Grove 56 (10-1), Bloomington South 14 (8-3)
No. 47 Independence 35 (9-0), East Mecklenburg 14 (9-2)
No. 48 Jenks 34 (8-1), Muskogee 6 (6-3)
No. 50 Bellevue 56 (9-0), Interlake 14 (5-4)

Posted by Brian Stumpf

Tuesday
No. 40 Cretin-Derham Hall (9-0) 35, Hastings (1-8) 7

Wednesday
No. 25 Arrowhead (9-0) 37, Pius XI (2-7) 23

Thursday Read all about Thursday's action.
No. 4 Gateway 31 (9-0), McKeesport 27 (7-2)
No. 17 Phoebus 48 (9-0), Kecoughtan 0 (4-5)

Friday
No. 1 Euless Trinity 45 (8-0), Grapevine 0 (0-8)
No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas 49 (7-0), South Broward 8 (3-5)
No. 3 Lowndes 52 (8-0), Houston County 14 (3-5)
No. 6 Long Beach Poly 34 (7-0), Wilson 7 (4-4)
No. 7 Armwood 46 (8-0), Hillsborough 7 (5-3)
No. 8 Oscar Smith 49 (9-0), Deep Creek 0 (2-8)
No. 9 Glenville 40 (10-0), Cleveland East 0 (0-10)
No. 11 St. Xavier 57 (7-0), Pleasure Ridge Park 6 (3-4)
No. 12 Camden County 70 (8-0), Jenkins 0 (1-7)
No. 13 South Panola 35 (9-0), Southaven 7 (6-3)
No. 14 Skyline 41 (8-0), Redmond 6 (1-7)
No. 15 Corona Centennial 56 (7-0), Riverside Poly 6 (4-3)
No. 16 Lakeland 42 (7-0), George Jenkins 7 (3-5)

San Mateo Serra 31 (4-3), No. 19 Bellarmine Prep 23 (6-1): The Bells go down to a feisty Serra team, led by gritty senior QB Cody Jackson. The San Jose Mercury-News has the full game recap.

No. 21 Elder 49 (9-1), Western Hills 20 (4-6)
No. 22 North Shore 49 (6-0), Baytown Sterling 3 (5-2)
No. 24 Permian 56 (8-0), Coronado 31 (4-4)
No. 26 Stone Bridge 70 (9-0), Jefferson 7 (2-6)
No. 28 De La Salle 34 (6-1), Amador Valley 14 (3-4)
No. 29 Plant 52 (6-1), Leto 10 (2-6)
No. 30 North Penn 41 (9-0), Hatboro-Horsham 13 (4-5)
No. 31 John Curtis 42 (7-1), McDonogh 20 (3-4)
No. 32 Abilene 70 (8-0), Haltom 6 (2-7)
No. 33 Good Counsel, Md. 42 (8-0), St. John's, D.C. 3 (6-2)
No. 35 The Woodlands 34 (7-0), Conroe 10 (5-2)
No. 36 Allen 49 (7-1), Dallas Jesuit 17 (2-6)
No. 37 Oceanside 59 (7-0), Mt. Carmel 14 (3-5)
No. 38 Madison County 44 (6-0), Fort White 28 (6-2)
No. 39 St. Bonaventure 24 (6-1), Ventura 6 (3-4)
No. 41 Tulsa Union 61 (7-1), Ponca City 0 (2-6)
No. 42 South Pointe 44 (9-0), Blythewood 0 (4-4)
No. 43 Peoria Centennial 14 (8-0), Westview 0 (7-1)
No. 44 Northside 30 (7-1), Tift County 14 (5-3)
No. 45 Rockhurst 56 (8-1), Lee's Summit North 14 (3-6)
No. 46 Center Grove 49 (9-1), Terre Haute South 14 (3-7)
No. 47 Independence 48 (8-0), Weddington 14 (0-9)

Lowell 35 (9-0), No. 48 East Grand Rapids 12 (8-1): EGR's stay in the FAB 50 will be short-lived, as rival Lowell knocks off the Pioneers. The Grand Rapids Press has the full story. This is the seventh-straight time in this series that the home team has won.

No. 49 Jenks 50 (7-1), Bartlesville 13 (4-4)
No. 50 Bellevue 24 (8-0), Liberty 7 (6-2)

Posted by Brian Stumpf

	Tom Hauck
	Corey Brown led Gateway to a hard-fought win.

There was high drama in Western Pennsylvania last night, as FAB 50 No. 4 Gateway was pushed to the brink by McKeesport. After streaking out to a 28-0 first half lead, the Gators needed a late defensive stand to survive with a 31-27 win, reports The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Ohio State-bound WR/DB Corey Brown caught two scoring passes in the first half for Gateway, now 9-0, as the Gators raced out to a 28-0 lead with just over three minutes left in the first half, but McKeesport (7-2 with its only other loss versus Cincinnati power Colerain) slowly chipped away and pulled within four (31-27) with 7:44 left in the fourth quarter. The Gateway defense was able to stem the tide late however, as Christopher Lammie and Jeff Parrish sacked McKeesport QB Ty-Meer Brown on fourth down with 2:16 remaining to preserve the slim four-point win. Gateway now awaits the announcement of the WPIAL playoff brackets Monday.

FAB 50 No. 17 Phoebus moved to 9-0 with a 48-0 rout of Kecoughtan, reports The Newport News Daily Press. While the margin of victory was big, Phantoms' coach Bill Dee still had the starters in until late in the fourth quarter, trying to get them prepared for the playoffs. "I told their coaches after the game, we had to play four quarters," Dee told The Daily Press. "We've only played four quarters, what, probably the Hampton game? And not even then. We needed to start doing that. I told the kids, we have to get a good four quarters in. We've got to get ready." One of the reasons Dee kept his starters on offense in for longer was a funky first half, which saw Phoebus grab a 20-0 lead, mostly through defense and special teams. The offense had just 53 yards and under six minutes of time of possession. Phoebus did get it going in the second half, racking up 291 yards and 14 first downs, and has now outscored its nine foes 444-26.

• The Miami Herald's Larry Bluestein, a knowledgeable veteran of the South Florida football scene, takes a look at the resurgence at Miami Killian under coach Steve Smith. Also included is a nice rundown of all the players from South Florida currently on SEC rosters.

• The Chattanoogan has the latest state top 25 power poll in Tennessee, with FAB 50-ranked Maryville still sitting pretty at the No. 1 spot with a 69-game winning streak.

• A story of courage and determination from John Branch of The New York Times: The football program at Avella High in Pennsylvania had to recruit the captain of the cheerleading squad to put on pads to have 11 to play last week. The Eagles have lost 26 in a row and 50 in 51 games dating to 2003, but are now drawing national attention because they continue to compete every Friday night, despite limited numbers. "Some of the other students think it's ridiculous that we're getting attention," the junior quarterback Jesse Noble said. "But the adults think that we're the best thing ever."

• More inspiration from Athens High in Georgia, where senior Darin "Doogie" Weiks, Jr. will play his first and only varsity football game tonight, kicking for the Bluejays. Wells has a liver condition that has prevented him from playing the game he loves, but has served as the team's manager the past four years. The Athens High team captains went to the coaching staff with their idea to get him on the field for one game, as a kicker, so he could suit up but avoid any contact that could potentially harm his liver. So tonight, Weiks will kick for the Bluejays against Abbotsford High, whose coach has already instructed his team to make no contact with the kicker.

• Moving or changing high schools is always tough for an athlete, especially heading into your senior year, but running back Bryce Johnston in Florida is making the best of it, as The Herald-Tribune reports. Johnston, a 5-foot-11, 200 pounder, had a pair of impressive Nike Combine showings this offseason, clocking a 4.68 40 and a 4.00 shuttle, and ran for 612 yards as a junior at Lakewood Ranch before moving to North Port before his senior season. He is currently leading North Port with 514 yards on the ground and even helped his new team to a 14-13 victory over his old team, Lakewood Ranch, a few weeks back.

• From Illinois comes the bizarre story of a Cahokia High athlete, who has reportedly been commuting from prison to school and practice since August. Cahokia Principal Pamela Manning said Thursday that Briran Blake, 17, "isn't playing football," but declined further comment. According to SportStats, an online service showing performance of area high school football players, Blake has not played all year. He is being held in connection with two robberies that occurred in late August.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

There are a number of key battles on the slate this weekend as regular-season play begins to wind down in many states and the playoffs have started for two FAB 50 teams, No. 40 Cretin-Derham Hall (Minn.) and No. 46 Center Grove (Ind.).

Game of the week
No. 5 Byrnes (8-0) at Dorman (8-0), 7:30 ET Saturday
This will be a battle of undefeated South Carolina teams, as the No. 5 Rebels visit the surging Cavaliers. Byrnes, the defending AAAA state champions, defeated Dorman twice last fall and has won seven straight in the series overall.

Some 13,000 fans are expected to attend this battle, which has been moved from Friday night to Saturday night. According to The Greenville Times, the game time was changed in hopes of avoiding some wet weather.

A soggy field might benefit Dorman, who relies heavily on its running game, but otherwise Byrnes likely has too much balance and speed for the Cavs.

• Jason Gilmer of The Spartanburg Herald-Journal, examines the national attention that this matchup is drawing. "You could make a strong case that this is the biggest game in the history of Dorman High School," Dorman athletic director Flynn Harrell said.

• More from Gilmer in this video breakdown of the matchup, courtesy of www.brightcove.tv.

Potential FAB 50 Roadblocks
• No. 4 Gateway (8-0) vs. McKeesport (6-1): McKeesport, its only loss coming to then FAB 50-ranked Cincinnati Colerain in the season opener, played Gateway tough a year ago (a 17-6 Gateway win), and should have the Gators' attention. The flexbone, run-heavy offense that the McKeesport runs should get some yards on the ground, as Erie McDowell had some success against Gateway two weeks ago, but look for Gateway to have too much on offense for McKeesport to contend with.

• No. 18 St. Ignatius (8-1) vs. St. Edward (6-3): Whenever these two rivals hookup in "The Holy War" a lot is on the line, especially this year, as St. Edward is backed into a corner and probably needs a win to qualify for the state playoffs. Both teams are coming off tough games against Cincinnati teams, as Ignatius topped St. Xavier in overtime while St. Edward lost to Moeller, 33-29. Ignatius ended St. Edward's season last fall with a 19-14 win in the regular season finale, and would like nothing more than to keep them at home for the playoffs a second straight year.

• No. 33 Good Counsel, MD (7-0) vs. St. John's, D.C. (6-1): Good Counsel is on a serious roll, but will definitely be on guard against the Cadets this weekend. St. John's, who's had to play every game on the road this year due to field turf being installed at their home field, topped Good Counsel a year ago in the regular season, 14-11, before the Falcons exacted revenge in the playoffs.

• No. 43 Peoria Centennial (7-0) at Westview (7-0): This should be Centennial's toughest test this fall. Westview is undefeated and looking for revenge, as the Knights fell to Centennial in both the regular season and 5-A state championship game last year.

• No. 48 East Grand Rapids (8-0) at Lowell (8-0): This game has been a battle for Western Michigan superiority for the past six years and fits that bill again this fall. The two teams have won a combined six state titles over the past eight years and have only lost seven games combined over that span. The contest is a great contrast in styles as well, with East Grand Rapids' physicality going up against Lowell's wide-open spread. The scales could be tipped in Lowell's favor with the home-field advantage, as the homestanding team has won this game the past six years. More from Mlive.com.

FAB 50 Scoreboard

Tuesday
No. 40 Cretin-Derham Hall (9-0) 35, Hastings (1-8) 7

Wednesday
No. 25 Arrowhead (9-0) 37, Pius XI (2-7) 23

Thursday
No. 17 Phoebus (8-0) vs. Kecoughtan (4-4)

Friday
No. 1 Euless Trinity (7-0) at Grapevine (0-7)
No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas (6-0) vs. South Broward (3-4)
No. 3 Lowndes (7-0) vs. Houston County (3-4)
No. 4 Gateway (8-0) vs. McKeesport (6-1)
No. 5 Byrnes (8-0) at Dorman (8-0)
No. 6 Long Beach Poly (6-0) vs. Wilson (4-3)
No. 7 Armwood (7-0) at Hillsborough (5-2)
No. 8 Oscar Smith (8-0) at Deep Creek (2-7)
No. 9 Glenville (9-0) vs. Cleveland East (0-9)
No. 11 St. Xavier (6-0) at Pleasure Ridge Park (3-3)
No. 12 Camden County (7-0) vs. Jenkins (1-6)
No. 13 South Panola (8-0) vs. Southaven (6-2)
No. 14 Skyline (7-0) vs. Redmond (1-6)
No. 15 Corona Centennial (6-0) vs. Riverside Poly (4-2)
No. 16 Lakeland (6-0) vs. Jenkins (3-4)
No. 19 Bellarmine Prep (6-0) vs. San Mateo Serra (3-3)
No. 21 Elder (8-1) vs. Western Hills (4-5)
No. 22 North Shore (5-0) vs. Baytown Sterling (5-1)
No. 24 Permian (7-0) vs. Coronado (4-3)
No. 26 Stone Bridge (8-0) at Jefferson (2-5)
No. 28 De La Salle (5-1) at Amador Valley (3-3)
No. 29 Plant (5-1) at Leto (2-5)
No. 30 North Penn (8-0) at Hatboro-Horsham (4-4)
No. 31 John Curtis (6-1) vs. McDonogh (3-3)
No. 32 Abilene (7-0) vs. Haltom (2-6)
No. 33 Good Counsel, Md. (7-0) vs. St. John's, D.C. (6-1)
No. 34 Maine South (8-0) vs. Niles West (3-5)
No. 35 The Woodlands (6-0) vs. Conroe (5-1)
No. 36 Allen (6-1) vs. Dallas Jesuit (2-5)
No. 37 Oceanside (6-0) vs. Mt. Carmel (3-4)
No. 38 Madison County (5-0) at Fort White (6-1)
No. 39 St. Bonaventure (5-1) at Ventura (3-3)
No. 41 Tulsa Union (6-1) vs. Ponca City (2-5)
No. 42 South Pointe (8-0) vs. Blythewood (4-3)
No. 43 Peoria Centennial (7-0) at Westview (7-0)
No. 44 Northside (6-1) vs. Tift County (5-2)
No. 45 Rockhurst (7-1) vs. Lee's Summit North (3-5)
No. 46 Center Grove (8-1) vs. South Vigo (3-6)
No. 47 Independence (7-0) vs. Weddington (0-8)
No. 48 East Grand Rapids (8-0) at Lowell (8-0)
No. 49 Jenks (6-1) vs. Bartlesville (4-3)
No. 50 Bellevue (7-0) vs. Liberty (6-1)

Saturday
No. 18 St. Ignatius (8-1) vs. St. Edward (6-3)
No. 23 Don Bosco Prep (4-1) at Ridgewood (4-1)
No. 40 Cretin-Derham Hall (9-0) vs. Tartan (6-3)

Idle
No. 10 Lake Travis (8-0) Next: vs. Dripping Springs (Oct. 31)
No. 20 Maryville (9-0) Next: at Lenoir City (Oct. 31)
No. 27 Prattville (7-1) Next: vs. Central (Oct. 31)

Other notes
• This is the final weekend of the regular season in many states, including Michigan. The MHSAA will have a "Selection Sunday" show on regional TV to announce the playoff brackets, something that surely will become more popular around the country in the near future. The ESPN RISE Football Blog will feature the brackets of all the state playoffs as they come out over the next few weeks. See more about the announcement from The Holland Sentinel.

• Jeff Dellenbach, a 16-year NFL vet, is making a difference as the head coach at North Broward Prep, reports Mike Phillips of The Miami Herald. There's no question that being a former NFL player carries a certain cachet with the high school athlete, but it's clear by reading this piece that Dellenbach is doing a lot more than just showing up. Kudos to him, and hopefully more NFL vets with a passion for the game can help change kids' lives.

• Charlotte Independence is the only North Carolina team in the current FAB 50, but for a look at some of the other top squads in the Tar Heel State, checkout the latest AP state rankings.

• Three Silsbee High (Texas) football players have been charged with raping a cheerleader at a postgame party, reports The Dallas Morning News.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

Tuesday night high school football is rare, but it's that time of year in Minnesota, as the playoffs are underway. FAB 50 No. 40 Cretin-Derham Hall opened what it hopes will be a state title run last night with a 35-7 win over Hastings, and now -- like all other first round winners -- it will be back in action again Oct. 25. Cretin-Derham will take on Tartan High, which is 6-3 after topping St. Paul Central 41-6 last night. The Star-Tribune has a pretty thorough schedule of Saturday's second-round matchups posted for those interested.

• State playoffs also get underway in Indiana this week -- full sectional schedules and pairings can be found here, courtesy of the IHSAA. Of note in 5A, FAB 50 ranked Center Grove, formerly ranked Carmel and traditional powers Warren Central and Ben Davis are all in different Sectionals, so they conceivably wouldn't match up until at least the state quarterfinals at the earliest.

• While Euless Trinity still remains a unanimous No. 1 in the FAB 50, some in Texas (well, at least one) are beginning to have their doubts as in the latest AP State rankings, the Trojans are no longer receiving all the 5A No. 1 votes. One state voter tabbed North Shore as their No. 1 team in 5A this week, while FAB 50 No. 10 Lake Travis remains No. 1 in 4A. The top six 5A teams are all FAB 50 ranked, although the FAB 50 order (Trinity, North Shore, Permian, Abilene, The Woodlands, Allen), differs from the state rankings (Trinity, North Shore, Abilene, Permian, Allen, The Woodlands).

• As the regular season is coming to a close in Ohio, here's a look at the updated state computer rankings, which are used to determine playoff berths and seedings. Of note is that traditional power St. Edward of Lakewood is likely facing a must-win against its biggest rival, FAB 50 ranked St. Ignatius, on Saturday to get back to the playoffs.

Here's a look at the computer's top 10 in the state:

Columbus DeSales (9-0) 31.4691 -- DII, Region 7
Louisville (9-0) 29.5222 -- DII, Region 7
Toledo Central Catholic (9-0) 28.4726 -- DII, Region 6
Colerain (8-1) 27.7472 -- DI, Region 4
Pickerington Central (9-0) 27.6500 -- DI, Region 3 -- Midwest Region No. 13
North Canton Hoover (8-1) 27.3016 -- DI, Region 2
Glenville (9-0) 27.1917 -- DI, Region 1 -- FAB 50 No. 9
St. Ignatius (8-1) 27.0327 -- DI, Region 1 -- FAB 50 No. 18
Mentor (7-2) 26.9444 -- DI, Region 1
Logan (9-0) 26.6833 -- DII, Region 7

FAB 50 No. 21 Elder comes in at 24.5876, which is third in DI, Region 4 behind Colerain and Clayton Northmont. It's clear that Glenville's lack of competition in conference play has caused their computer numbers to drop during the year, which then affects St. Ignatius' numbers in turn as the Tarblooders did hand the Wildcats their one loss.

• Tim Flanders out of Midwest City High, a 5-foot-9, 191 pound senior, is The Oklahoman's Prep Football Player of the Week after running for 152 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries against Edmond North last week. Flanders, who starred this spring at both the Dallas Nike Combine -- where he posted a 90.24 SPARQ Rating and ran a 4.56 40 -- and the TCU Nike Camp, has now rushed for 1,245 yards and 20 TDs so far this fall on just 90 carries, and leads all of Class 6A in both yards and TDs. He currently holds offers from Tulsa and Air Force but should see the interest in him grow over the next few weeks.

• Congrats to Springdale (Ark.) High wide receiver LaDarius Eckwood, who set school records with 19 catches for 309 yards last week in a 59-28 setback to Fort Smith Northside, ArkansasSports360.com reports. Eckwood's single-game yardage total ranks second all time in state history, while his receptions are the fourth most in one contest. We saw Eckwood, a 5-foot-11, 165 pounder, at the LSU Nike Camp this spring, and with his huge start to his senior year (80 catches for 1,068 yards and 11 TDs), he should be a low-level Division I recruit before all is said and done.

• Southlake Carroll (Carroll, Texas) fell out of the FAB 50 two weeks ago after losing in overtime to Coppell, and now the Dragons will be without senior quarterback Kyle Padron, an SMU commit, for up to four weeks, reports The Dallas Morning-News. Padron, a 6-foot-4, 190 pounder, was having a terrific year to date, passing for 1,550 yards and 18 TDs with just three interceptions while leading the team with six TDs on the ground as well. Junior David Piland -- who passed for 242 yards and three scores while rushing for another 100 and a TD in relief of the injured Padron in last week's 42-35 win over Marcus -- will get the starts until Padron can return.

• Clements (Sugar Land, Texas) senior running back Omar Amin has overcome tall odds to get back on the field this year, reports The Houston Chronicle. Amin sat out his junior year after being diagnosed with leukemia. Now fully recovered after receiving chemotherapy, Amin is back on the field while feeling no effects from treatment. Being hit with a rash of injuries, Clements has turned to Amin, who has responded by averaging 5.2 yards every time he touches the ball and also playing a little defense.

• Fresh off a big win over Plano that vaulted Allen into the FAB 50 this week, Eagles junior QB Matt Brown is already talking about a rematch with No. 1 Euless Trinity.

	Tom Hauck
	Kevin Newsome is still deciding where to play next season.

• Good to hear that promising quarterback prospect Kevin Newsome is doing well at Hargrave Military Academy. Newsome, a gifted and athletic 6-foot-3, 220-pounder, enrolled at Hargrave after spending his first three years at Western Branch High in Chesapeake, Va. It will be interesting to see where he ends up after decommitting from Michigan a few months back, but it sounds like Virginia Tech is a possibility. Keep an eye out for his younger brother Keevon, who is a promising junior LB/TE at Churchland High in Portsmouth.

• Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald takes a look at the recent trend of young head coaches at Dade and Broward County high schools. Navarro points to the slim salaries that coaches are paid in the area and how many of the established veterans have moved onto higher-paying jobs elsewhere. A quote from Cypress Bay head coach Mark Guandolo is also important to take into account regarding high school coaching. ''It's more than just football,'' said Guandolo, a 22-year veteran. "Dade and Broward are tough places to grow up. There have been a lot of great coaches who have set a lot of young men on the right track. I don't want to imagine where we'd be without them."

• Sometimes things get taken way too far in the name of a sport that is supposed to be a game. I'm pretty sure there's nothing in the Bible about girls playing football …

• Wichita (Kan.) Bishop Carroll junior quarterback Blake Bell continues to make a strong push for Junior All-American honors. Bell was 18-of-26 for 267 yards and five TDs (one rushing) in just over one half of play in a 54-6 victory over West High on Friday. For the season so far, the 6-6 210-pounder has 2,061 yards passing and 33 touchdowns, with just three interceptions.

• Tampa Plant and Elite 11 QB Aaron Murray will have season-ending surgery Friday, reports The Tampa Tribune. Murray finishes his amazing high school career with 79 touchdown passes in just 19 starts.

Posted by Brian Stumpf

The Week 8 updated FAB 50 national rankings are now out, and with some major upsets and blowouts this past weekend, some big things were afoot in the new FAB 50.

First, there was some movement in the top five, where St. Thomas Aquinas jumped to No. 2 after its 65-10 thrashing of previous No. 10 Deerfield Beach. Not only did the Raiders move up with the win, but they also might be poised to push for the top spot should their impressive play continue. They didn't just avenge last year's loss to Deerfield Beach, they pretty much erased it from anyone's memory with their play on Friday. Also in the top 10, Lake Travis leapfrogged over No. 11 St. Xavier with Deerfield's loss, giving Texas two top 10 teams (along with Florida).

	Tom Hauck
	Georgia Tech-bound QB Jordan Luallen led Center Grove to the top spot in Indiana.

Six new teams moved into the FAB 50 this week, headlined by the Allen (Texas) High Eagles, which soared into the rankings at No. 36 off a huge 56-23 win over previously FAB 50-ranked No. 15 Plano. While Allen has a loss on its résumé, the Eagles have the potential to skyrocket up the charts in the coming weeks should they continue to win, as that loss was a 24-14 decision versus FAB 50 No. 1 Euless Trinity back in mid-September. Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.), led by Georgia Tech-bound QB Jordan Luallen, is the new No. 1 in Indiana and enters at No. 46 after Carmel's loss to Ben Davis. Center Grove lost a heartbreaker to Carmel 33-32 earlier in the year, but it was on a somewhat fluky late fumble recovery in the end zone by Carmel, while the Trojans routed the same Ben Davis team that just beat Carmel 44-22 two weeks ago.

Here's a look at my ballot for this week, feel free to comment below or e-mail me.

My ballot:
No. 1 Trinity (Euless, Texas)
No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
No. 3 Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.)
No. 4 Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.)
No. 5 Gateway (Monroeville, Pa.)
No. 6 Armwood (Seffner, Fla.)
No. 7 Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.)
No. 8 Poly (Long Beach, Calif.)
No. 9 Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio)
No. 10 Lake Travis (Austin, Texas)
No. 11 St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.)
No. 12 South Panola (Batesville, Miss.)
No. 13 Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.)
No. 14 Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.)
No. 15 Centennial (Corona, Calif.)
No. 16 Phoebus (Hampton, Va.)
No. 17 Bellarmine Prep (San Jose, Calif.)
No. 18 Lakeland (Lakeland, Fla.)
No. 19 Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio)
No. 20 Stone Bridge (Ashburn, Va.)
No. 21 Maryville (Maryville, Tenn.)
No. 22 St. Ignatius (Cleveland)
No. 23 Permian (Odessa, Texas)
No. 24 North Shore (Houston)
No. 25 Plant (Tampa, Fla.)
No. 26 Abilene (Abilene, Texas)
No. 27 Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.)
No. 28 Good Counsel (Olney, Md.)
No. 29 Prattville (Prattville, Ala.)
No. 30 Arrowhead (Hartland, Wis.)
No. 31 De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)
No. 32 North Penn (Lansdale, Pa.)
No. 33 The Woodlands (The Woodlands, Texas)
No. 34 St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.)
No. 35 John Curtis (River Ridge, La.)
No. 36 Maine South (Park Ridge, Ill.)
No. 37 Allen (Allen, Texas)
No. 38 Madison County (Madison, Fla.)
No. 39 South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C.)
No. 40 Northside (Warner Robins, Ga.)
No. 41 Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.)
No. 42 Cretin Derham-Hall (St. Paul, Minn.)
No. 43 Union (Tulsa, Okla.)
No. 44 Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.)
No. 45 Rockhurst (Kansas City, Mo.)
No. 46 Independence (Charlotte, N.C.)
No. 47 Jenks (Jenks, Okla.)
No. 48 Northwestern (Miami)
No. 49 Pickerington Central (Pickerington, Ohio)
No. 50 Wayne County (Waynesboro, Miss.)

Other notes:
• Good luck to Pine Bluff (Ark.) senior Jarvis Mayo, who is undergoing surgery today to remove a "a brain tumor the size of a golf ball." Ashley Blackstone of TodaysTHV.com has the story of the inspirational senior who is in the hearts and minds of all his teammates.

• Congrats to Georgia-bound RB Washaun Ealey, who broke a state record this week on a big stage. In a matchup that was hyped as a battle of undefeated teams, the Ealey-led Emanuel County Institute Bulldogs dispatched Johnson County (7-1), 35-12. Ealey rushed for 243 yards on 23 carries and three touchdowns. The three TDs gave Ealey a career total of 113, breaking the previous state touchdown record of 111 set by Pacelli Catholic RB Matt Dunham.

• South Florida running back commit Bradley Battles, who resides just outside the ESPNU 150, returned three interceptions for touchdowns (37, 53 and 60 yards) while also scoring two more times the traditional way, on the ground, in Marianna's (Fla.) easy 48-7 victory over Chipley. The 5-foot-9, 180-pounder ran for over 2,000 yards last fall as a junior and impressed at the Florida Nike Camp this spring.

• FAB 50-ranked Lowndes and Camden County remain a strong No. 1 and 2 in The Atlanta Journal Constitution's latest Georgia class-by-class rankings.

• The Shreveport Times looks back at Evangel Christian's surprising 28-22 win over previously FAB 50-ranked Bastrop on Friday. The Eagles snapped the Rams' 49-game winning streak with the upset. Evangel came in at No. 3 in the LSWA 2A state poll, while Bastrop was No. 1 in 4A and also in the FAB 50.

• Fresh off a win in the Great State Debate, here's more on Texas' recent success in turning out top quarterback prospects from Blair Kerkhoff of The Kansas City Star. There is no question on this topic right now, with Texas-bred signal-callers like Colt McCoy, Chase Daniel, Graham Harrell, Todd Reesing, Matthew Stafford, and now even Baylor freshman Robert Griffin making waves on the college landscape.

• Tom Groeschen of The Cincinnati Enquirer has a terrific look at the growing concern in football about high school linemen trying to get too big too fast, and the long-term effect that this can have on a young person's body and as a result on his life. This is a serious problem, and it is manifested by all the 330-pound OLs that high schoolers see every Saturday and Sunday when they turn on the TV to watch pro and college football. They think, "Well that must be how big I have to be if I want to play at that level someday." What they fail to realize is that most of those guys they see on TV who make it to the big time started off as athletic 260-280- pounders in high school and then gradually added quality mass throughout the next six to eight years of their development, rather than stuffing themselves to add 50 bad pounds in high school.

• Here's some Elite 11 QB alumni news, as The State's Paul Strelow looks at the friendship that Clemson's Willy Korn and South Carolina's Stephen Garcia formed back at the 2006 Elite 11. Methinks that there might be some kind of jinx coming off this piece, as Strelow was focusing on the fact that the two friends were both drawing their first starts at QB on the same weekend and Korn then left Clemson's loss to Georgia Tech early with a shoulder injury while Garcia and the Cocks fell at home to LSU. Strelow, to his credit though, did quote some guy named Brian Stumpf in the story as well, so it must be good …

• More Elite 11 notes from Thayer Evans of The New York Times, who discusses the bond between Texas' Colt McCoy and Mizzou's Chase Daniel with anecdotes from this summer's event where both served as college counselors.

Nike Football Training Camp Alum of the Week: USC QB Mark Sanchez
The USC junior signal-caller needed less than two quarters to throw for five touchdowns as the Trojans routed Washington State. Sanchez, out of Mission Viejo (Calif.), where he was a member of the 2004 Elite 11 QB class, completed 15 of 20 passes for 253 yards in USC's 69-0 victory. Sanchez attended the Nike Camp in high school as both a rising junior and senior, and he was named the QB MVP at the San Diego State Nike Camp in April of '04, where he checked in at 6-3½, 211 pounds and clocked a 4.35 shuttle and posted a 31.8-inch vertical jump. Sanchez has led USC to a No. 6 ranking so far this year and served as a college counselor at the Elite 11 this summer.