Notre Dame commit recap: Bilal and Boykin win state titles
Two more state championships were added to the résumés for Notre Dame football commits over the weekend.
On Friday night, linebacker Asmar Bilal won a Class 6-A state title in Indianapolis with Ben Davis. On Saturday, wide receiver Miles Boykin and Providence Catholic took home a Class 7-A state crown in Champaign, Ill. The two joined offensive lineman Tristen Hoge of Pocatello, Idaho, as state champs in Notre Dame’s 2015 recruiting class.
Seven more Irish pledges remain in the hunt for a state championship. Three more players saw their journeys end short of a title this past weekend. Here’s a rundown of the past week of action for Notre Dame commits:
WR Miles Boykin and OL Trevor Ruhland: Providence Catholic 31, Cary-Grove 28: Boykin and Providence Catholic ended the undefeated season for Ruhland and Cary-Grove with a win in the IHSA Class 7-A state championship. The Celtics did it with the running game against a team known for its rushing attack. Providence Catholic’s Richie Warfield scored all four touchdowns for the Celtics on the ground.
Boykin, who battled through hand and elbow issues in the playoffs, was limited to just three catches for 48 yards. The threat of Boykin beating Cary-Grove deep softened the defense and allowed for better running lanes for Warfield.
Ruhland’s Cary-Grove career ended with another game of successfully opening holes for the Trojans running game. But the 294 rushing yards weren’t enough to keep pace with Providence Catholic (13-1). Ruhland also recorded two tackles on defense as Cary-Grove finished 13-1.
LB Asmar Bilal: Ben Davis 42, Carmel 24. Bilal made a position switch to safety in order to slow down Carmel’s offense and it worked. Bilal recorded 12 tackles and forced a fumble in a Ben Davis comeback victory for the IHSAA Class 6-A state championship.
Ben Davis (12-2) trailed 17-0 early in the second quarter before the Giants settled down on defense and helped flip the momentum. Bilal’s forced fumble, which came with Carmel leading 17-14, was followed by 28 consecutive points for Ben Davis. Playing the safety position allowed Bilal to track down Carmel ball-carriers in the open field and avoid the traffic he would normally face as a linebacker.
LB Josh Barajas: Tri-West Hendricks 49, Andrean 27. Despite reports that his season was over, Barajas wrapped up the hand that had prevented him from playing the previous three weeks and suited up for his final game at Andrean. But his presence on defense wasn’t enough to slow down the high-powered Tri-West offense in the IHSAA Class 3-A state championship.
Barajas, who needed surgery in November to treat an infection of a wound from a broken finger, still managed to block a punt and record six tackles. The defeat marked Andrean’s first in his two seasons at the school. The 59ers (14-1) came up one win short of a 30-game winning streak and back-to-back state titles.
DE Bo Wallace: John Curtis 40, Brother Martin 20. Wallace and the John Curtis defense sparked a turnaround late in the first half before the Patriots ran away with the game in the second half. Wallace’s defensive partners blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown and intercepted a pass for a touchdown in a span of less than two minutes to open up a 26-14 lead.
Wallace played a role in a heavy pass rush with two sacks. Three of his four tackles came behind the line of scrimmage. John Curtis (11-1) will take on Jesuit (11-2) Friday in the LHSAA Division I state championship.
CB Shaun Crawford: St. Edward 42, Hudson 14. Crawford impacted a St. Edward win in a multitude of ways again. With Hudson trying to score the first points of the game, Crawford blocked a 47-yard field goal attempt. Crawford later intercepted a pass early in the second half.
He finished with five tackles. Crawford also caught two passes for 24 yards. St. Edward (12-2) will match up with Huber Heights Wayne (13-1) Saturday in the OHSAA Division I state championship.
S Nicco Fertitta: Bishop Gorman 50, Liberty 0. Fertitta and the Bishop Gorman defense recorded a shutout to clinch a spot in the state title game. Fertitta, who played with a broken hand in the second half, totaled eight tackles and recovered a fumble. Fertitta plans to play when Bishop Gorman (14-0) squares off with Reed (11-3) Saturday in the NIAA Division I state championship. Fertitta met with a doctor on Monday and said he would reassess after the game if he needed surgery.
S Prentice McKinney: South Oak Cliff 78, Heritage 29. McKinney and the South Oak Cliff defense allowed the Bears to open up a 43-0 lead at halftime. McKinney intercepted two passes, broke up five and made seven tackles. South Oak Cliff (10-3) will meet Ennis (11-2) Friday in a Texas UIL Class 5-A Division II state quarterfinal.
CB Nick Coleman: Kettering Alter 25, Kenton 22. It wasn’t pretty but Coleman and Alter got past Kenton on Friday. Coleman was held to just 34 yards on 15 carries at running back. He also threw an interception on a halfback pass. But the Knights were able to keep their undefeated season alive with a late stop. Alter (14-0) will face Cleveland Benedictine (13-1) and Ohio State linebacker commit Jerome Baker on Friday in the OHSAA Division IV state championship.
WR Jalen Guyton: Allen 69, Arlington Martin 54. Allen’s offense remained prolific with Guyton playing a small role. He finished with just two catches for 19 yards while Texas A&M quarterback commit Kyler Murray took care of most of the scoring. Murray rushed for four touchdowns and threw for two more. The Eagles needed a late defensive stop to extend their winning streak to 40 games. Murray added a cushion with a touchdown run in the final minute. Allen (13-0) will play Euless Trinity (12-1) Saturday in a Texas UIL Class 6-A Division I state quarterfinal game.
DT Elijah Taylor: Huber Heights Wayne 29, Cincinnati Moeller 22. Taylor and the Moeller defense couldn’t hold on to prevent a late game-winning touchdown. Wayne scored on a 36-yard completion with 1:27 left in the OHSAA Division I state semifinal. Taylor tallied two sacks and four tackles in his final game for Moeller (10-4).
QB Brandon Wimbush: The Irish quarterback commit was on a bye as his team prepares for a New Jersey state championship game. St. Peter’s Prep (10-1) will rematch Friday with Paramus Catholic (9-1) for the NJSIAA Non-Public, Group 4 title. Last year, Paramus Catholic took the state crown with a 13-6 win over St. Peter’s Prep.
*Stats reported were provided by the players or the following news organizations: MaxPreps, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cincinnati Enquirer, Dayton Daily News, Dallas Morning News.
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