Category: Football Super 25

Top prospect Travis Hunter confirms: ‘I’m staying committed’ to Florida State

Travis Scott isn’t giving FSU fans anything to worry about: “Don’t let them boys fool y’all. I’m committed.”

Travis Hunter, the No. 1 player on 247Sports’ rankings and the No. 2 on their composite, had an answer to the questions about his commitment to Florida State:

He’s sticking by the Seminoles.

“I’m not going nowhere, bro. Don’t let them boys fool y’all. I’m committed. I’m staying committed,” he said on Instagram Live.

Hunter has been committed to Florida State since March 2020, but with the struggles of the Seminoles — three straight losing seasons and now an 0-3 start to 2021 after the loss to Wake Forest on Friday — some have expressed doubt that he will remain. When programs in general play poorly, whispers and rumors arise that top prospects may consider decommitting and going to a more likely contender.

This elite Collins Hill High School (Suwanee, Ga.) prospect said that it is not the case for him.

It’s a similar answer that he provided to The Athletic in April:

“I’m the longest commit for Florida State, and I’m trying to bring more players — more dogs — with me to Florida State to help them out. I’m doing my job and sticking with a commitment. Players don’t usually do that. They decommit or do something else. I want to show everyone that you don’t have to go to a top school to fit in. Florida State is still a top school, but they haven’t had good years in a minute.”

Last season, Hunter had eight interceptions, seven passes defended and 51 tackles on defense to go with 137 receptions, 1,746 receiving yards and 24 receiving touchdowns, plus 124 rushing yards on 19 carries on offense. The do-it-all athlete even completed two touchdown passes, going 2-for-4 with 84 passing yards overall.

Florida State has a gamechanger coming in. And there’s no indication that Hunter would go anywhere else.

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No. 24 Hamilton scores 15 points in final minute to beat No. 7 Bishop Gorman

Two onside kick recoveries. A two-point conversion. Eighteen points in 65 seconds. Hamilton announced it is back with an improbable comeback win over Bishop Gorman.

For years, Hamilton High School (Chandler, Ariz.) was the powerhouse of Arizona. To win a championship, one had to beat the Huskies. More often than not, Hamilton took the trophy.

But over the past half-dozen years, their stature fell. Only in the last few seasons have they started rising again to place themselves among the best schools in Arizona.

Over 65 seconds on Friday night, against one of the prolific powerhouses of the country in Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), Hamilton proved they have reached that echelon.

The Huskies scored 15 points in the final minute to snatch victory out of the hands of the No. 7 Gaels, taking home the 25-24 win.

With 1:05 to play, Hamilton made a 46-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 24-10. They recovered an onside kick and, about 30 seconds later, scored a touchdown.

The Huskies lined up for another onside kick. Once again, they recovered.

Nineteen seconds of game time later, Hamilton scored another touchdown to cut the deficit to one.

The Huskies elected to go for a two-point conversion. They had recovered two onside kicks in less than a minute; who was to say they couldn’t convert this?

They did. West Virginia quarterback commit Nicco Marchiol rolled to his left with his eyes on the end zone, took it himself, and dove for the conversion. Here are the full highlights from that final minute of play:

In taking down No. 7 Bishop Gorman, Hamilton has its signature moment of the season. But the Huskies won’t be able to rest with their 3-0 record. On deck is Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.), another dynamic Arizona team.

Bishop Gorman, meanwhile, suffered its first loss of the season. The Gaels will now return to Nevada to play its first game in their home state this season. Arbor View (Las Vegas) is on deck, and the Gaels will have in-state opponents the rest of the year.

USA TODAY Sports Super 25 high school football rankings for Aug. 31, 2021

USA TODAY Sports Super 25 high school football rankings, Week 1.

This is the USA TODAY Sports Super 25 high school football rankings for Aug. 31, 2021.

1. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)

Record: 2-0; Last result: def. Duncanville 45-3.

2. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)

Record: 1-0; Last Result: def. Bishop Sycamore 58-0.

3. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)

Record: 2-0; Last Result: def. Bishop Alemany 24-3.

4. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

Record: 1-0; Last Result: def. St. Frances Academy 38-23.

5. Westlake (Austin, Texas)

Record: 1-0; Last Result: def. Temple 54-13.

6. Thompson (Alabaster, Ala.)

Record: 2-0; Last Result: def. Sparkman 55-0.

7. Collins Hill (Suwanee, Ga.)

Record: 1-0; Last Result: Idle.

8. Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.)

Record: 1-0; Last Result: def. Archbishop Hoban 42-7.

9. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)

Record: 1-0; Last Result: Idle.

10. North Shore (Houston, Texas)

Record: 1-0; Last Result: def. Shadow Creek 33-10.

11. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)

Record: 1-0; Last Result: def. St. Mary’s 52-16.

12. Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.)

Record: 2-0; Last Result: def. Decatur Central 56-7.

13. Katy (Texas)

Record: 1-0; Last Result: def. Clear Springs 40-7.

14. St. Joseph’s Prep (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Record: 0-0; Last Result: Idle

15. Servite (Anaheim, Calif.)

Record: 2-0; Last Result: def. Mission Viejo 44-7.

16. St. Xavier (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Record: 2-0; Last Result: def. Colerain 42-7.

17. Chandler (Ariz.)

Record: 0-0; Last Result: Idle

18. Centennial (Corona, Calif.)

Record: 1-0; Last Result: def. Cathedral Catholic 57-14.

19. St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.)

Record: 0-1; Last Result: 38-23 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas.

20. Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas)

Record: 1-0; Last Result: def. Highland Park 45-21.

21. Ryan (Denton, Texas)

Record: 1-0; Last Result: def. Longview 40-7.

22. Duncanville (Texas)

Record: 0-1; Last Result: 45-3 loss vs. Mater Dei.

23. Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah)

Record: 3-0; Last Result: def. Bingham 35-7.

24. Miami Central (Miami, Fla.)

Record: 0-1; Last Result: Idle.

25. Buford (Ga.) 

Record: 2-0; Last Result: def. Clarke Central 16-3.

Make sure to keep up with USA TODAY Sports throughout the season for updated rankings, scores, highlights, plus recruiting news and more.

No. 2 Duncanville dominates in season opener without 2019 National Coach of the Year Reginald Samples

Duncanville dominated its season opener despite not having 2019 USA Today national coach of the year Reginald Samples because of suspension.

Duncanville High School (Texas), ranked No. 2 in USA Today’s Super 25, dominated in its season opener on Friday night despite missing a key figure on the sideline.

2019 USA Today national coach of the year Reginald Samples did not coach in the Panthers’ 41-3 win over South Oak Cliff because of a one-game suspension instituted by the University Interscholastic League. According to Greg Riddle of the Dallas Morning News, the UIL’s state executive committee found Duncanville violated the UIL rule regarding the employment of coaches by using a coach on staff that was not a full-time district employee. Assistant head coach and defensive line coach Ramel Borner ran the show in place of Samples.

Under Samples’ guidance, Duncanville has reached consecutive Class 6A Division I championship games and has amassed a 29-2 record the last two seasons (14-1 in 2018, 15-1 in 2019). The Panthers were originally scheduled to open their 2020 season against Fort Worth Nolan last week, but the game was canceled because a Nolan football player tested positive for COVID-19.

Samples will be back on the sideline next week when Duncanville hosts No. 1 IMG Academy in Arlington on Saturday, Oct. 10 after it confirmed it still plans to travel to Texas for the game amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Plenty of talent will be on the field when the two teams take the field next weekend, as IMG Academy features three of the top 64 recruits in the class of 2021. Duncanville offensive lineman is ranked 43rd in the class of 2021 according to 247Sports.