ESPN RISE

Lyndell Scarr, a talented junior running back from Ponderosa High (Shingle Springs, Calif.), has been selected as the latest ESPN RISE National Football Player of the Week.

A 5-foot-10, 180-pounder, Scarr was scary good for the Bruins as they closed their season with a 61-35 victory over archrival Oak Ridge on Friday. Scarr, who was an all-state sophomore last season by CalHiSports.com, rumbled for 392 yards rushing on 26 carries and scored eight touchdowns. He added four tackles on defense, plus 36 yards on kick returns.

The win pushed Ponderosa into a three-way tie for its league championship, but under its tiebreaker system, the team and Scarr knew going into the game that they most likely would not be going to the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Div. II playoffs. Ironically, one of the teams that is moving on to those playoffs is Oak Ridge, the team Scarr blew past.

Scarr put his name in the state record book with those eight touchdowns, and his yardage total is among the best in CIF Sac-Joaquin Section history. He ended the season with more than 1,800 yards. Making his last game even harder to believe is that his previous season high for touchdowns was four and he did that only once.

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Here are the rest of this week's ESPN RISE regional football players of the week:

East Region Football Player of the Week

Chris Sloat (Bunnell, Stratford, Conn.):
After piling up 481 yards through the air and five touchdowns in his previous game, Sloat didn't figure to do better this past week against Barlow, but he did. The 6-1, 180-pound senior completed 23 of 37 passes for 512 yards and six touchdowns, according to the Connecticut Post. Sloat, widely regarded as the top passing quarterback in the state, improved his season totals to 2,988 yards and 31 TDs. As a junior, he led the state in passing yards with 2,623.

Southeast Region Football Player of the Week

Justin Williams (Davidson Academy, Nashville, Tenn.):
Just a sophomore, Williams already is moving up the charts in Tennessee and should shatter numerous career records. The 5-9, 180-pounder had 37 carries for 360 yards and five touchdowns in a 37-20 Division II state playoff win against Southern Baptist. Williams, who already has met Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher as part of a weekly Nashville area player of the week honor, is the top rusher and scorer in the Nashville area with 2,638 yards and 38 touchdowns.

Midwest Region Football Player of the Week

Terry Hawthorne (East St. Louis, Ill.):
The wide receiver/defensive back impressed on both sides of the ball as the Flyers outlasted Chicago St. Rita 35-28 in the state Class 7A quarterfinals. Hawthorne landed three touchdown passes and a two-point conversion and ended with six receptions for 86 yards. On defense, he returned one interception for a touchdown and sealed the game's outcome with a second interception with 2:08 to play.

Southwest Region Football Player of the Week

Spencer Keith (Pulaski Academy, Ark.):
This seems like a good time to pick Keith, who ended his regular season with another stellar outing. The senior QB completed 32 of 45 passes for 421 yards and six touchdowns in a key win. Keith already has 53 TD passes for the season and has thrown for 3,837 yards in just 10 games. He's been a prolific passer, in a state that has seen its share of prolific passers in recent seasons, for the past three years.

West Region Football Player of the Week

Lyndell Scarr (Ponderosa, Shingle Springs, Calif.):
Also named ESPN RISE National Football Player of the Week.