Three more Notre Dame commits win state titles
Notre Dame’s 2015 football recruiting class doubled its state championships for the 2014 season in one weekend.
Three more Irish commits – quarterback Brandon Wimbush, cornerback Shaun Crawford and safety Nicco Ferttita – added titles over the weekend to increase the number to six. They joined offensive lineman Tristen Hoge, linebacker Asmar Bilal and wide receiver Miles Boykin as champs for their seniors seasons.
Only one Irish pledge remains in his own playoff hunt after the past weekend. Wide receiver Jalen Guyton’s Allen squad advanced to the final four of the Texas UIL Class 6-A Division I tournament.
Here’s a recap of the seven Notre Dame commits in action over the past week:
QB Brandon Wimbush: St. Peter’s Prep 34, Paramus Catholic 18. Wimbush didn’t disappoint in his state title rematch against Paramus Catholic. His junior season ended with a state final loss in which Wimbush left the game early with a concussion. Wimbush got the better of the Paladins this time around.
Wimbush showed his dual-threat ability in carrying his team to victory. He completed 18 of his 32 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed 11 times for 158 yards including an electrifying 63-yard touchdown run.
The win capped an 11-1 season with an NJSIAA Non-Public, Group 4 state championship. Wimbush finished the season 192-of-265 (72 percent) passing for 3,187 yards and 37 touchdowns with just five interceptions. He also gained 723 rushing yards with nine more touchdowns.
CB Shaun Crawford: St. Edward 31, Huber Heights Wayne 21. Crawford added a state championship to his high school resume on Saturday. He was limited from making big plays but produced for St. Edward on offense, defense and special teams.
Crawford caught three passes for 19 yards and rushed twice for 8 yards. He recorded four tackles for a defense that limited Wayne to just 132 yards on 29 pass attempts. He also chipped in with a pair of kick returns for 33 yards. The OHSAA Division I champion Eagles finished with a 13-2 record.
S Nicco Fertitta: Bishop Gorman 70, Reed 28. Fertitta finished his high school career with a perfect record in state championships as Bishop Gorman won its sixth straight tile. The Gaels ran through its NIAA Division I playoff run with a 291-41 margin in five games. Bishop Gorman (15-0) will likely be named national champs by multiple high school polls in the coming weeks.
WR Jalen Guyton: Allen 30, Euless Trinity 27. When Allen needed big plays, Guyton came through for his teammates. By the end of the game, Guyton tallied five catches for 137 yards and three touchdowns. His effort helped put Allen in position to win the game with a 26-yard field goal in the final minute.
Guyton scored twice — a 24-yard catch in the first quarter and a 70-yard completion in the second quarter — in the first half. Guyton tied the game at 27 in the third quarter with a 30-yard touchdown on a swing pass.
The last-minute field goal kept Allen’s season and 41-game winning streak alive. Allen (14-0) will meet Skyline (14-0) Saturday in a Texas UIL Class 6-A Division I state semifinal.
CB Nick Coleman: Cleveland Benedictine 21, Kettering Alter 14. Coleman was outdueled by Ohio State commit Jerome Baker for an OHSAA Division IV state championship. Both Coleman and Baker played vital roles on both sides of the ball for their respective teams.
Coleman rushed 15 times for 72 yards but most of the yardage came on a 57-yard run in the second quarter that set up Alter’s first touchdown. He also caught two passes for 15 yards. On defense, Coleman recorded five solo tackles. Baker scored a pair of touchdowns for Benedictine including the game-winner in the fourth quarter. Alter closes the season with a 14-1 record.
DE Bo Wallace: Jesuit 17, John Curtis 14: Wallace and John Curtis fell just short of the school's fourth straight state title. Jesuit edged out the Patriots (10-2) for the LHSAA Division I state championship. Wallace and the John Curtis defense kept the scoring down but couldn’t overcome the three turnovers from its offense. Jesuit scored the game’s last 10 points after John Curtis led 14-7 at halftime.
S Prentice McKinney: Ennis 31, South Oak Cliff 14. McKinney and the South Oak Cliff defense could do little to slow down the Ennis offense in the Texas UIL Class 5-A Division II regional final. Ennis racked up 473 offensive yards and held at least a two-score lead for the final three quarters. McKinney caught two passes for nine yards for the South Oak Cliff offense. The Bears finished the season with a 10-4 record after their 10-game winning streak came to an end Friday.
*Stats reported were provided by the players or the following news organizations: MaxPreps, Newark Star Ledger and Dallas Morning News.
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