This high school team discovered an awesome new fake punt.
Thomas Downey High School’s football team is undefeated to start the year. Now, the California school has quite the highlight reel special teams play to put at the top of its resume.
It’s so innovative that you shouldn’t be surprised to see it at the college and professional levels soon enough.
With Thomas Downey facing a fourth and 40 last week, it lined up from a standard punt formation, seemingly ready to surrender possession and dial back in for defense as usual. Instead, the team’s punter took the snap, moved a little bit forward, and threw an underhanded pass that made it appear as if he had punted the ball, throwing the opposition’s special teams unit for a loop.
Eventually, a player from Thomas Downey came down with a long catch of the “punt” in traffic, shocking everyone:
I must admit that on my first watch, I didn’t even understand what was happening. A lot was going on at once! That made me see it was very easy to confuse this underhanded pass for a punt. The motion is similar! Now imagine being a defender there in that moment. Phew.
Kudos to the Thomas Downey coaching staff and anyone else who helped come up with this brilliant fake punt idea. You literally may have just changed the game.
Big Al can still hit the ball out of the park and it is so beautiful.
His name is Alfred Delia. Back home, they used to call him Big Al. These days, he still hits dingers.
Delia became a star during the 2018 Little League World Series because of his amazing introduction. It was nearly impossible to watch Delia simply tell the world he hits home runs for his team in Middleton, N.J. without feeling a full sense of joy.
Flash forward and these days, quite a bit has changed for Delia and the world around him. But one thing that we now know for certain is that he still enjoys hitting the ball out of the park.
⚾️Big Al Still Hits Dingers!!!⚾️
In 2018, Middletown's Alfred Delia became a viral sensation with his Little League World Series intro.
6 years later, Big Al is still hitting dingers but he's a lean HS senior at Red Bank Catholic! Delia hit his first varsity home run on… pic.twitter.com/T46vtMmZex
In the New Jersey high school playoffs, Camden — who were huge favorites coming into the contest — faced off against Manasquan. With mere seconds left on the clock, Manasquan tried to make a shot and missed, but a teammate grabbed the rebound and put it back BEFORE the clock expired.
Or so it appears from video that’s gone viral. Because officials got together … and waved off the basket. Camden won. The complaints about how Manasquan got completely jobbed here are justified.
Take a look at the ending, a screenshot of the moment that hoop went in and more:
New Jersey state playoffs. Camden takes 46-45 lead. Manasquan appears to hit buzzer beat for the win. Refs reverse the call. pic.twitter.com/mTl93lfVb5
“We were the most dominant team in the history of Tennessee high school football,” he says, feet kicked up on the desk of his new office, “and it’s not arguable. There’s no argument against what we just accomplished.”
OK, pump the brakes.
While Dilfer’s teams were undoubtedly some of the best in Tennessee, they were at the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association’s D-II AA level.
The state’s most competitive level of play for private schools is D-II AAA, featuring heavyweights Brentwood Academy (a school that has produced athletes like Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey), Briarcrest, Baylor and Montgomery Bell Academy.
Though Lipscomb’s moving up to AAA this fall, it won its two state titles with Dilfer at the AA level. To even vaguely claim any sort of “greatest of all time” status, his teams would’ve needed more wins against AAA competition. To boot, Dilfer’s team actually lost to Brentwood Academy, 29-19, in August 2020.
Dilfer’s team also never defeated Tennessee powerhouse Oakland High School. Stationed in Murfreesboro, Oakland has become the team to beat since coach Kevin Creasy was hired in 2015. If any schools in state history have a fair argument for “most dominant” status, it’d be Creasy’s Oakland teams.
While Dilfer certainly accomplished a lot in his four years, saying his teams were the most dominant in Tennessee history is a stretch. It might not be as outlandish as his take on modern quarterback play, but it’s up there.
Bronny James, the 18-year-old son of NBA superstar LeBron James and his high school squad, Sierra Canyon will meet Notre Dame on Friday.
Bronny James, the 18-year-old son of NBA superstar LeBron James and his high school squad, Sierra Canyon will meet Notre Dame on Friday night from the Pauley Pavilion at UCLA.
Bronny James is a highly-touted four-star combo guard who has been the subject of much attention in college basketball recruitment circles. He has been making waves in the high school basketball scene, and many are excited to see him take the court against Notre Dame.
Tune in tonight and watch Bronny ball in Los Angeles, here is everything you need to know to watch and stream the game.
We recommend interesting sports viewing/streaming and betting opportunities. If you sign up for a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
Bronny is the second-highest recruit in his class who has not yet committed to a college.
Sierra Canyon senior Bronny James, the eldest son of four-time MVP LeBron James, recently had a “standout performance” at the Hoophall Classic.
He ranked as one of the most impactful defensive players, per Cerebro Sports. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony compared James to De’Anthony Melton (which is a comparison we have used before as well) and said he would be “in strong consideration” as a first-rounder in a 2024 NBA Mock Draft.
But we still do not know what the future holds for James beyond his senior year of high school. James is currently the second-highest-rated recruit (behind only Matas Buzelis) on the 2023 ESPN 100 recruiting database not yet committed to a college.
2023 4⭐️ Bronny James will make his college announcement AFTER the high school season concludes. He will decide between these three schools:
USC Oregon Ohio State
Bronny took an unofficial visit to Ohio State and Chris Holtmann back in the fall. #28 in the ESPN100. pic.twitter.com/fKAqrQ7Rp8
Luca Evans reported that James is expected to make his decision after his season is over, and there are three schools currently considered as the most likely destinations (via LA Times):
“According to a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly, James will make a decision on his college commitment after the season, and his top three schools are Ohio State — his father’s favorite — USC and Oregon. LeBron James, 38, recently doubled down on previous remarks that he wants to finish his NBA career playing with his son.”
All three of these programs are Nike-affiliated universities, which makes sense considering LeBron’s affiliation with the company.
USC would be the closest to home in Los Angeles and where LeBron plays with the Lakers. Ohio State would be an interesting destination considering LeBron’s infatuation with the school. Oregon makes sense given that it is the flagship school for Nike.
The next generation of basketball legends will rock uniforms by New York City-based streetwear designer Eric Emanuel.
The next generation of basketball legends will rock uniforms by New York City-based streetwear designer Eric Emanuel.
For the 45th-annual McDonald’s All-American Game, Emanuel collaborated with adidas to outfit the best high school players in the nation when the tip-off at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena on Tuesday, March 29.
These jerseys are made from one hundred percent recycled materials and are tailored specifically for each athlete’s body for max breathability. They also have an incredibly high coolness factor.
Almost one year ago, Emanuel was able to open his first-ever brick-and-mortar concept store in New York City. The location, which was previously occupied by BAPE’s flagship on 91 Greene Street in SoHo, sits directly next to luxury brands including Louis Vuitton, Dior, and VERSACE.
Last year, when his brand released new clothing, lines often looked what you could expect from a new Supreme drop. After a few months, Emanuel had to introduce a new reservation system to both increase efficiency and calm the crowds.
Emanuel recently caught up with For The Win to discuss his collaboration with adidas and the McDonald’s All-American Game.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Gradey Dick, a five-star Kansas commit, enjoyed one of the greatest shooting seasons in high school basketball history.
Gradey Dick was enjoying time with his teammates when they were told a special guest wanted to wish them luck. Suddenly, Celtics forward Jayson Tatum showed up on the screen.
Dick had a lot of other thoughts on his mind already: The high school senior leaves this weekend to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game. Then, he is headed to Florida to play with Sunrise Christian Academy in the GEICO High School Showcase for a chance to call themselves national champions. After that, he leaves from Florida and heads to Portland, Ore. to participate in the NIKE Hoop Summit.
Seeing Tatum’s face appear brought Dick into the present, though. All he could do was listen. He wasn’t exactly sure why Tatum was calling, but he never expected what came next: Tatum was calling to honor him as the Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
“It was literally shocking,” Dick told For The Win. “To talk to a mind like that, with his point of view, is something I never expected to happen this early.”
Dick is a standout sharpshooter for Sunrise Christian, which was recently named the top overall squad on ESPN’s High School Boys’ Basketball Top 25. The 6-foot-7 forward is a five-star recruit who is committed to Kansas for college basketball.
He was chosen as the Gatorade National Boys Basketball Players of the Year winner over more than half a million other student-athletes who play boys basketball nationwide. Dick was chosen by a panel of coaches, scouts, and media not only for his athletic excellence but also academic achievement and exemplary character, according to the award’s website.
Previous winners of the award include the likes of LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. More than two dozen of the winners, including Tatum, went on to become first-round draft picks.
When he presented Dick with the award, and he saw the raw emotion Dick’s team and family experienced, Tatum couldn’t help but think about the “relief” he felt when Penny Hardaway gave him the same honor in 2016.
Gatorade
“Sharing the moment with him, I remembered the excitement I was feeling,” Tatum said. “Being on this side of it is just as cool and I’m happy to do it.”
During his conversation with For The Win, Tatum said that before his senior year of high school at Chaminade College Preparatory School in St. Louis, Mo., he set ambitious goals to win the Missouri state championship and Gatorade National Boy’s Basketball Player of the Year Award.
Tatum reached both of those milestones and now sees a lot of the same determination in Dick.
“He seems really focused. He’s not somebody that seems like they’re going to be complacent, obviously,” Tatum said. “You could tell how excited he was to play at the next level. He talked about [Kansas] coach [Bill] Self and Allen Fieldhouse and the atmosphere. It brought me back. I remember how excited I was to go to college. I’m excited to watch him next year.”
Dick said he didn’t predict any of this, but it is a well-earned honor. He has enjoyed one of the greatest shooting seasons in high school basketball history. He thrives in the pick-and-pop when lifting to the perimeter, he knocks down his catch-and-shoot opportunities, and he can create off the dribble.
Gradey Dick has had one of the greatest shooting seasons in HS history. 18 3PAs per 100 poss in NIBC, he made 45-84 53.6% spot up/pick-n-pop threes, 14-25 56% off screen threes and 19-46 41.3% off the dribble threes.
He led all tournament players in total 3-pointers made at the Montverde Academy Invitational in 2021, per Cerebro Sports. He was then the scoring leader at The La Porte Invitational in 2022, averaging 21.7 points per game.
Tatum saw Dick play in person earlier this year when he traveled to Springfield College to watch the Hoophall Classic. If his schedule had allowed it, Tatum said that he would also love to watch Dick play in the GEICO High School Showcase.
“I think it’s my duty,” Tatum explained. “Being in high school, when professional NBA players used to come back and watch games and watch me play, I know how that made me feel and I know how excited I was. I remember it was like a visual. There is somebody who is where I want to get to. It’s like motivation. So now that I’m in a position to go back and to watch high school players in tournaments that I’ve played in, I feel like it’s only right.”
Last year, Dick’s Sunrise Christian made it all the way to the finals in the GEICO tournament. However, they finished as the runner-up, falling 62-52 to Montverde Academy.
Last year, Sunrise Christian was led by two top-15 recruits in Kennedy Chandler (Tennessee) and Kendall Brown (Baylor).
Dick was able to learn how to make an impact even without the ball in his hands, and he was able to thrive as an off-ball movement shooter by navigating screens. This season, however, he has become more of a focal point.
“I had to come up with a bigger role and be the leader of this team and just get our guys going,” Dick said. “I don’t know if even we or a lot of the other people in the country expected us to kind of be where we are at the start of the season.”
Of course, with the Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year in his possession and with his sights set on finishing up his illustrious high school career at Sunrise Christian, Dick still makes the time to watch Kansas play in March Madness.
The Jayhawks won the Big 12 Conference Tournament, then defeated Texas Southern and Creighton during the opening weekend of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. They will face Providence in the Sweet 16 on March 25.
“It’s crazy!” Dick added. “I love seeing the team that I’m going to play for in the future, literally next year, keep dancing to the Sweet 16. Seeing how they bond on and off the court is what excites me the most.”
Oh man. Oh mannnnnnnnnnnnn. This is an all-timer of a comeback in high school football, one you have to watch a few times like I did just to see how it went down.
Bishop Gorman, one of the top high school football teams in the country, was up 24-7 with 1:10 left in the game.
It meant Hamilton needed some serious miracles, an onside kick or two to go their way and a couple of touchdowns.
A field goal with 1:05 left got it to 24-10. A recovered onside kick led to a touchdown with 29 seconds left and an extra point got it to 24-17. ANOTHER onside recovery and an incredible 22-yard touchdown with eight seconds left got the score to 24-23.
Then? A two-point conversion with a quarterback run while avoiding a tackle. Bishop Gorman couldn’t do anything with the subsequent throw and lateral, and … just wow.
One the craziest finishes you'll ever see…
Hamilton HS erased a 24-7 deficit with 1:10 left to play.
The details surrounding this Bishop Sycamore story are wild.
It’s been a little over 24 hours since Bishop Sycamore and its mysterious football team got surprise airtime on ESPN against the best high school football team in the country. Since then, this saga has gotten far weirder and wildly sinister than anyone could have predicted.
To catch you up, ESPN aired their final game of the GEICO ESPN High School Kickoff Sunday to usher in the start of high school football. In the game, high school powerhouse IMG Academy faced off against the mysteriously unknown Ohio school Bishop Sycamore to the tune of a 58-0 drubbing. Nothing seemed off until ESPN’s commentators called out Bishop Sycamore and their lack of transparency regarding… everything about them as a school.
In the end, it turned out Bishop Sycamore lied about having D1 prospects and falsified player names on their roster. And yet, they made it onto ESPN’s national broadcast on Sunday — after playing a game less than 48 hours prior!! — due to an apparent lack of fact-checking on Bishop Sycamore’s sketchy past and easily discoverable 0-6 record from last season.
Somehow, somehow, this is just the tip of the iceberg with this story. According to reports from Awful Announcing and The Columbus Dispatch, we know a lot more about Bishop Sycamore, how ESPN got duped, and the circumstances that surround this entire saga.
