There are two weeks until Halloween, and we've already arrived at high school football state championship weekend.
Granted, we're talking about one state--Alaska--but it's still exciting.
The Last Frontier is playing host to two state finals on Saturday for its small and medium classifications.
The large-school playoff bracket is in the semifinals, where last night Anchorage West edged Bartlett 28-27, earning a spot against the winner of today's matchup between Service and Anchorage East.
High school football in Alaska is challenging. Teams sometimes need to travel great distances, at great expense, to play games and chase state title dreams. The fact that state finals will take place over the next two weekends in America's most remote state is a vivid reminder of the passion that exists in all corners of this country for America's game.
Coaches take a stand against “locker room talk”
The tumultuous political landscape has provided high school coaches an opportunity to unite around an important idea: in the confines of their locker rooms, players and coaches will use respect when talking about women.
News reports emerged from around the country of high school coaches rejecting the claim that any sort of talk that degraded women was welcome in their locker rooms.
For Mountain View (Calif.) head coach Trevor Pruitt, the issue is one of authenticity. If his players demonstrate respect for women outside of the locker room, it should be no different inside of it.
“We talk about integrity, character, and that’s huge,” Pruitt told the Mercury News. “You don’t want these guys to have two different sets of personalities when they get in the locker room and out the locker room. You want them to be who they are at all times.”
Dallas-area head coach Randy Jackson echoed the sentiment.
"Is what you do in the locker room your real self?” Jackson asked his Grapevine High School players, according to a feature in the Dallas Morning News. “Yes, because you can't compartmentalize your character."
Jackson addressed the topic with his team. His presentation included a sign that read “Casual talk is never OK when it degrades women.”
Platt-Meriden (Conn.) coach Jason Bruenn said that suggesting negative comments about women were commonplace in the locker room was based on a stereotype and untrue—not to mention, a violation of school policy.
“You know that football locker room 'where boys will be boys,' it's an easy stereotype to pick off and try to use. But it's wrong. Because football is a school activity, we don't tolerate such language,” he told the Hartford Courant.
It’s clear that there’s a consensus among high school football coaches: in the locker room, as in all places, women deserve respect.
No. 300 for Big Lou
Lou “Big Lou” Farrar is a rare breed.
Farrar has been the head coach at Charter Oak (Covina, Calif.) since the school opened in 1985, staying at the school in an era where coaches routinely change jobs.
On Friday, Farrar notched career win No. 300 with a 45-21 victory over Chino.
Afterward, he was quick to credit all of those around him who contributed to the program’s success.
“It’s very hard getting to 300,” Farrar told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. “It’s been a long time in the making, with a lot of great kids and coaches. My staff is the one that really should be celebrated, not just the old man here.
Bingham downs Jordan in Utah showdown
In Thursday night action, Bingham remained unbeaten with a 58-40 victory over Jordan, in the NFL Network’s National High School Football Game of the Week.
The victory allowed Bingham to clinch the No. 1 seed for the playoffs.
"It gives you a couple of guaranteed games at home — I think it's an advantage to play at home," head coach John Lambourne told the Desert News. "I just think we're happy to have won this game and to step up to the challenge. We knew these guys were going to be good and they did a nice job."
On the season, Bingham has outscored opponents by a combined 433-11.
Costly penalty foils upset bid for St. Xavier
It looked as if St. Xavier (Cincinnati) had knocked off nationally-ranked Warren Central (Indianapolis) 18-13. In fact, the school’s official Twitter account reported the victory.
However, on the final play, St. Xavier was penalized for having 12 men on the field.
That gave Warren Central an untimed town, and one final chance to find the end zone.
Warren Central took advantage of the opportunity and converted on a wild Hail Mary pass that was tipped twice to score a game-winning 42-yard touchdown with no time remaining.
The unlikely touchdown gave Warren Central an improbable 19-18 victory.
“I’ve never seen anything like that,” Warren Central head coach said, via the Cincinnati Enquirer.
The win gives Warren Central momentum heading into the start of the IHSAA playoffs next weekend.
Shon Mitchell keeps moving up
The state of Virginia has produced a number of superb signal-callers. Oscar Smith (Chesapeake) senior Shon Mitchell could end up being the most productive yet.
Mitchell has surpassed the likes of Michael Vick, Ronald Curry and E.J. Manuel in career passing yards with 9,220 entering Friday night.
He added to those totals in Oscar Smith’s 35-17 win over Western Branch. He threw for two touchdowns and rushed for two others.
“At the beginning of this year, I knew I had to take my game to a new level,” Mitchell told the Virginian-Pilot.
Mitchell is now No. 2 all-time in the Virginia record books for passing yards. He trails former Oscar Smith star Phillip Sims, who signed with Alabama and was considered one of the top quarterback recruits in the country.
Harbaugh does homecoming
Jim Harbaugh was in Northern California last night, watching Antioch (Calif.) senior Najee Harris, the nation’s top-ranked running back.
Harris is committed to Alabama, but Harbaugh is hoping to sway him to sign with Michigan. One of his tactics appears to be endearing himself to the community.
According to ESPN, Harbaugh played the role emcee, announcing the school’s homecoming court.
"That was an all-time first for me," Harbaugh said afterward. "That was really cool."
.@UMichFootball Head Coach @CoachJim4UM is in Northern California checking out No. 1 recruit Najee Harris
Seems to be liking what he sees! pic.twitter.com/YzUT66q3I8
— MaxPreps (@MaxPreps) October 15, 2016
Sack masters
Brothers Justin and Jayson Ademilola had a huge night on defense for St. Peter’s Prep (Jersey City, N.J.) in its 48-42 upset of No. 1-ranked Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.).
Justin registered five sacks, while Jayson collected 1½, bringing their combined season total to nearly 20.
The effort surely pleases Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly, as the brothers, only juniors, committed to the Irish in the summer.
Quotable
"I’ve been around a long time and seen a lot of teams and I think their team is as good as Vigor,” — Baker (Ala.) head coach Danny Smith comparing this year's McGill-Toolen team to the 1988 Vigor team, which finished 13-0, allowed just 44 points, won a national championship and is considered the greatest team in Alabama state history. McGill-Toolen, which defeated Baker 42-7 on Friday, captured the USA Football 7on7 national title in July.
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Saturday, October 15, 2016 - 08:04