Notre Dame commit recap: RB Markese Stepp scores twice in playoff opener

The playoffs started for four Notre Dame commits, and all four advanced with wins. ND Insider recaps how all 18 Irish pledges in action fared last week.

• RB Markese Stepp | Indianapolis Cathedral 28, Roncalli 23: Stepp powered Cathedral to a playoff victory with 12 carries for 113 yards and two touchdowns. He scored on runs of 20 and 37 yards to build a 21-10 halftime lead. Cathedral (5-5) will take on Decatur Central (10-1) on Friday in an IHSAA Class 5A sectional championship.

One play after the muffed punt and Markese Stepp takes it in from 20 yards out. @CathedralFBall up 7-3 @indyhsscorespic.twitter.com/vWhPTcDNNJ

— Joe Spears (@joe_spears7) October 27, 2017

Markese Stepp from 37 yards out and he has his second touchdown of the night. @CathedralFBall up 21-10 @indyhsscorespic.twitter.com/cQUtSXxDhI

— Joe Spears (@joe_spears7) October 27, 2017

• WR Kevin Austin | Coconut Creek (Fla.) North Broward Prep 21, Pine Crest 20: Austin helped North Broward Prep get back into the game with two touchdown catches in the third quarter after his team trailed 12-0 at halftime. Austin finished with six catches for 69 yards, five rushes for 52 yards and one completion of eight yards for the Eagles (6-3).

• RB Jahmir Smith | Sanford (N.C.) Lee County 44, Triton 7: Smith put together another prolific performance in another blowout win for Lee County (10-0). He turned 23 carries into 191 yards and two touchdowns for the Yellow Jackets.

• WR Micah Jones | Gurnee (Ill.) Warren Township 28, Bolingbrook 14: A pair of big catches from Jones helped Warren Township put 14 points on the board in the second quarter. His 41-yard catch on the final play of the first quarter eventually led to a one-yard touchdown run by Ian Schilling. Then Jones caught a 17-yard pass from Schilling for a touchdown later in the quarter. Jones totaled three receptions for 63 yards. With the win, Warren Township (7-3) moves to the second round of the IHSA Class 8A playoffs for a Saturday matchup with Maine South (9-1).

• S Paul Moala | Mishawaka (Ind.) Penn 13, Valparaiso 0: Moala scored a touchdown in his first game as an Irish commit. His 36-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter gave Penn a 13-0 lead. He recorded nine tackles, one tackle for a loss, one forced fumble and one pass breakup in the win. The Kingsmen (9-1) advanced to an IHSAA Class 6A sectional final against Warsaw (6-4) on Friday.

• QB Cade McNamara | Reno (Nev.) Damonte Ranch 42, Bishop Manogue 21: McNamara kept the perfect record for Damonte Ranch (9-0) intact with three passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. He completed 25 of his 33 passes (76 percent) for 356 yards.

• QB Phil Jurkovec | Gibsonia (Pa.) Pine-Richland 48, North Allegheny 28:Jurkovec and the Pine-Richland offense stuck to the running game to defeat North Allegheny. Jurkovec rushed for 187 yards and two touchdowns as part of a ground game that totaled 639 yards and seven scores for the Rams (10-0). Jurkovec only completed six of his 14 pass attempts (43 percent) for 52 yards.

• LB Ovie Oghoufo | Farmington Hills (Mich.) Harrison 45, Fitzgerald 14: Oghoufo and the Harrison defense held Fitzgerald scoreless until late in the fourth quarter. Oghoufo also caught a 16-yard touchdown pass in the first half. Oghoufo's night included five tackles, two sacks and two pass breakups. Harrison (7-3) will play against Warren Woods-Tower (8-2) on Friday in a MHSAA Division 3 district final.

• LB Bo Bauer | Erie (Pa.) Cathedral Prep 31, Canisius 20: Bauer finished a perfect regular season with eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks and one blocked punt for Cathedral Prep (10-0).

• DT Ja’mion Franklin | Ridgely (Md.) North Caroline 35, Kent Island 14: Franklin and the North Caroline defense limited Kent Island to only 27 rushing yards. The Bulldogs (9-0) stayed undefeated as Franklin was a part of four tackles and deflected one pass.

• OL Cole Mabry | Brentwood (Tenn.) High 49, Centennial 21: Mabry and the Brentwood offensive line cleared the way for 245 rushing yards on a rain-soaked night. The Bruins (9-1) finished a comeback effort with 39 unanswered points.

• ROV Shayne Simon, DT Jayson Ademilola and DE Justin Ademilola | Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter’s Prep 47, Lincoln 20: All three Irish commits made defensive contributions in the St. Peter’s Prep victory. Jayson Ademilola tallied three tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery. Shayne Simon recorded three tackles, two tackles for a loss, one sack and a forced fumble. Justin Ademilola added two tackles for the Marauaders (6-2).

• DT Jacob Lacey | Bowling Green (Ky.) South Warren 21, Owensboro Catholic 16: Lacey lined up six tackles and three tackles for a loss in the win for South Warren (8-2).

• OL John Dirksen | Maria Stein (Ohio) Marion Local 39, Parkway 0: Dirksen helped Marion Local build a 39-0 lead at halftime. The Flyers (10-0) finished the regular season undefeated.

• TE George Takacs | Naples (Fla.) Gulf Coast 20, South Fort Myers 30: Takacs caught his first touchdown of the season on a nine-yard pass in the first quarter of a Gulf Coast loss. He finished with 30 receiving yards on four catches for the Sharks (3-3).

• LB Jack Lamb | Temecula (Calif.) Great Oak 21, Murrieta Valley 49: Lamb notched nine tackles, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble in a loss for Great Oak (4-5).

Injured: S Derrik Allen (hand).

*Stats reported were provided by players, coaches or the following news organizations: MaxPreps, Sanford Herald, Lake County News-Sun, Oakland Press, Williamson Herald, Indianapolis Star

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