Is it time for high school sports to adopt more video challenges?

Manasquan’s loss in the New Jersey high school basketball semifinals due to a missed call sparks the question: Should video challenges be allowed?

The aftermath of the New Jersey high school basketball semifinals game in which Manasquan’s would-have-been game-winning buzzer-beater was overturned and ruled to have been released after the game clock expired was pretty cut-and-dry:

The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) rulebook states that video can’t be used to challenge a referee’s decision. It also prohibits protesting a game’s result due to an official’s call.

Per the rulebook, Camden won despite the NJSIAA publicly acknowledging the call was incorrect and apologizing.

There’s no argument because the rulebook states there can’t be.

But we can certainly ask: Why?

In the NBA, games can be protested. We’ve seen it multiple times this season alone—for instance, in mid-February, when the New York Knicks lost to the Houston Rockets due to a call officials later stated was incorrect. Or in late February, when the Knicks beat the Detroit Pistons due to a non-call by officials that was later stated to be an incorrect ruling.

Throughout professional sports, we’ve seen rules change in a single offseason following an inarguably disastrous referee decision. Think of the NFL’s short-lived pass interference challenge rule in the wake of the New Orleans Saints vs. Los Angeles Rams playoff game in 2019.

There are also some instances in high school sports where video replay is acceptable. In the California Interscholastic Federation, for instance, video can be used to both call for suspensions and appeal the decisions. In New Jersey just last year, video was likely used in the decision to suspend Camden’s season after a fight broke out during a game. (The difference there, though, is that these videos likely aren’t challenging the decision of an official. It’s making a new decision to affect future outcomes without overturning an existing result. But if video is deemed reliable here, perhaps it can be reliable in other instances).

Video is often widely and immediately available. The Manasquan vs. Camden game was streamed live by NFHS Network. Many other basketball games have fans with phones out and cameras open at nearly all times. Shouldn’t a modern rulebook acknowledge that referees, being human, will make mistakes and that there are times when challenges are necessary?

But it’s not exactly an easy answer—at least, not everywhere. With thousands of high school sporting events every week, reliable video isn’t everywhere. Some sporting events are extremely sparsely attended, and others take place on a field that might not allow for tight enough camera work from a phone (think of a soccer pitch, for instance).

Adding the necessity of video adds another element that would pose additional disadvantages to athletic departments from poor zip codes, ones that may already struggle to provide basic amenities for a sports program. Then, regardless of zip code, ensuring enough video angles to make the correct decision would be nearly impossible. In NBA and NFL games, fans have access to pretty much any angle, slow motion, freeze-frame, and zoom-in capabilities. A couple of phones can’t do that.

Plus, anecdotally, it would be a logistical nightmare. There are lots of calls made by amateur referees that could be challenged on a night-to-night basis. Game pauses would be more brutal than in the pros. And with high schools already suffering from referee shortages around the nation in large part due to abuse from parents and coaches, it doesn’t seem like a sound idea to set the groundwork for phones to be shoved in officials’ faces. (Let alone coaching shortages, with some parents seeming to feel increasingly entitled to berate them).

With that said, there’s probably a middle ground. Challenging individual calls during a high school basketball game would be a logistical nightmare, but there are ways to make exceptions in extreme moments. For instance, when there is video evidence readily available for a call that could decide a championship?

It’s time to enter the 21st century.

14 of the greatest single-season RB performances in high school history

Rushing into history…

There weren’t enough players on defense to stop them. They scorched the turf on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons, leaving behind tracks of a legacy that many probably can’t comprehend as being athletically possible.

The top running backs in high school history have racked up yards and touchdowns that look like year-end team statistics. However, these were solo acts of legendary status, taking the accepted 1000-yard achievement and multiplying it sometimes by four!

Ahead of the pack are these 14 backfield juggernauts, talented individuals with single-season performances that have reigned supreme in high school rushing history.

The Chargers superfan conspiracy has roots in youth football

Chargers superfan Merrianne Do made waves and had people question her authenticity. Turns out, one hint was rooted in youth football.

The Monday Night Football camera panned to a fan going absolutely wild for her Los Angeles Chargers. Fists clutched, muttering under her breath; it was the purest and truest display of fandom possible.

Or was it?

Social media, as it often does, questioned the story. A Chargers superfan? And the camera simply found her? And wouldn’t leave her alone? Let me repeat — a superfan … for the Chargers? I have artificial plants in my house that are more convincing than this NFL plant.

Turns out, according to all accounts of those who know her or have second-hand sources, this woman is legit. Merrianne Do has appeared on the news since, recounting her tale.

She answered an important, lingering question. There’s a photo of her donning a Vikings jersey, wearing face paint, and apparently going just as berserk.

“Fake fan” debunked — and it has its roots in high school football, as outlined by Boston Connor, a contributor to The Pat McAfee Show:

As with so many other conspiracies, it turns out the answer is the most simple. Her son played in a youth football league and was on the Vikings. She gets just as amped for his games as she does for the Chargers. On her appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, she talked about her fandom emotions and called herself a “crazy mom of four.”

“I wear my heart on my sleeve, I’m intense in everything I do. Football being one of the most intense things I do,” she said.

So there you have it. She’s legit. The Chargers have fans. It’s not absurd to see a non-Dallas Cowboys fan at a Cowboys game.

Now, back to our scheduled viewing of flat Earth photos.

No. 14 Mill Creek takes down No. 6 Buford — but loses to Lakers basketball?

Down goes Buford! Mill Creek wi—we now take you to Lakers preseason basketball.

We interrupt the Lakers-Warriors game to bring you this message:

If there were any doubts about Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.)—ranked No. 14 in the USA TODAY High School Sports Super 25—the question marks should be erased after Friday’s statement win over No. 6 Buford.

Now, it’s an exclamation point; not just in the state of Georgia but in the entire country.

The Hawks played tough all game, on both sides of the ball, with much of the focus on how/if the defense would stop—or at least slow down—the top quarterback in the land, Dylan Raiola.

And while there were consistent flashes of the Georgia commit’s greatness… case and point…

… Mill Creek applied just enough pressure to disrupt the Wolves’ passing attack while also benefiting from more than a few costly drops from Buford receivers.

From there, it was a matter of capitalizing on mistakes as the offense added to its 2023 highlight reel, including this one-handed grab from Trajean Greco.

“That guy” was all of us on that play.

And the fourth quarter didn’t disappoint, with Mill Creek converting a 4th down before Shane Throgmartin connected on a 21-yard strike to Justin Content for a touchdown to take the lead 31-24.

That put the ball back in the hands of Raiola and the Buford offense with 1:30 left in the game.

Yes!

Yes?

What?

It ended 31-24, with most people learning how the final seconds played out as they looked to see if Jack Nicholson was sitting courtside in his usual seats after the broadcast was launched into the App Cosmos in favor of Lakers preseason basketball.

From what I could tell, Jack wasn’t there. It’s preseason basketball.

But I digress — back to this incredible high school football game.

The win now catapults Mill Creek into serious top 10 consideration in next week’s Super 25 and, in the name of state supremacy and bragging rights, puts the Hawks atop the competitive 8-AAAAAAA Georgia standings.

Buford is by far out of the race, though. Especially not when you have a talent like Dylan Raiola running the offense.

Opinion Poll: A new No.1? Bishop Gorman makes strong case after win over Centennial

The Gaels are the real deal, and backed it up tonight.

Let the arguments…commence.

Vegas power Bishop Gorman only needed to hold off an impressive comeback by Mater Dei in early 2022 to make a strong case for the top spot in the final Super 25 rankings.

Instead, the championship nod went to St. John Bosco (Calif.). Although the Braves lost to Mater Dei, they did manage to flip the script on the Monarchs at the Rose Bowl later in the year.

Meanwhile, the Gaels continued to steamroll teams, ending 2022 with one loss. The same as Mater Dei. The same as St. John Bosco.

That left the simple argument at the season’s end—one that was by no means a new area on the national stage—and included the scenario of three one-loss teams that could easily make a case for overall supremacy.

Add in the seasons of Central (Miami, Fla.) and Duncanville (Texas) and voila: you’re trying to solve a puzzle that would make even Pat Sajak shake his head and drop the mic.

(Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

And here we are again. Again.

The 2023 opening Super 25 rankings have featured all three teams at the top, with Mater Dei currently at No. 1, followed by Bishop Gorman and then St. John Bosco.

All three are impressive — offense, defense, recruits, the works.

Unlike last season, however, we won’t benefit from any direct data (actual games) to decide what’s what between the top Vegas team and the two top California teams.

Sure, we’ll have the CIF battle on October 13 between the Braves and the Monarchs. But it’ll be hard to toss out the loser of the game from the trio, because, well, See: 2022.

To that, all the SoCal outcome will really create is a subjective whirlwind of opinions that echo over state lines, where there’s zero chance Team X could beat Team Y. And vice versa.

The proof?

Pat, I’d like to buy a vowel, please.

(Errrgh!)

So, where does that currently leave the HS football collective?

Right now? Corona, California. That’s where.

Centennial, currently ranked 15 in the Super 25, is the only team to play any of the top three.

In the matchup against Mater Dei to open the year, the Huskies lost a tough one at home 28-14.

On the road tonight, the Huskies—marred by the turnover bug, at times— lost to Gorman 56-28.

Those two games are the only evidence—in my opinion—we have so far to determine even an inkling of the best of the best.

Mater Dei looked solid, teetering on dynamic here and there.

Gorman looked solid, teetering on dynamic as well, and won by a larger point differential.

So, you tell me…

[polldaddy poll=12738007]

We’re all Eagles fans: Marjory Stoneman Douglas baseball team’s third straight state championship is an all-time inspirational feat

Fly. Eagles. Fly.

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas baseball team took home another state title, the Eagles’ third straight, which is an incredible accomplishment in any part of the U.S., but more so when considering the stacked lineups they face in a highly competitive South Florida area.

In the time it took to read that sentence, however, some—if not all—most likely lost the magnitude of the accomplishment because their mind echoed something along the lines of “Parkland shooting.”

(USA TODAY Network)

There’s something off-putting about even bringing up such a tragedy and allowing it to share the national spotlight with a championship run that included an undefeated season, a first since 2017 in the Sunshine State and a first in South Florida history. Yes, history.

But not to mention what took place back on February 18, 2018, where 17 people were murdered at the hands of a gunman, ignores the larger storyline: Freshman, seniors and everyone in between on the Eagles 2023 roster and in the Parkland community are only five years removed from the deadliest mass shooting at a high school ever—a stat that now exists and runs on the tickers of media outlets in a commonplace manner like it’s part of the latest NYSE.

“No one here really brings it up,” pitcher Christian Rodriguez told the Athletic’s Manny Navarro about that Valentine’s Day in 2018. “It’s just kind of something that lingers.”

To applaud the strength it would take to recover from an event like that—which now lives in the subconscious of the masses as a reminder of the horrors students face daily—is something that should bring everyone to their feet. A standing-O.

Then, another standing-O…

And so on.

And while the inspiring tale would be perfectly acceptable had the final chapter quietly ended with a learning lesson about progressions and just putting on the cleats and giving it your all in between the lines, the Eagles baseball team hasn’t just shown up to the ballpark; they’ve dismantled teams over the past few years, compiling an 87-5 record, including 51 straight wins.

They’ve ended the year as the No. 1 team the country and as national champs during that span.

In 2023, the Eagles hit 35 home runs. That’s two more runs than the pitching staff surrendered all year (33). Comebacks? They didn’t trail past the third inning in any game this season.

And when it came time to close out this current run, the team delivered, picking up that third state title.

Impressive? Perhaps just a case of having top-tier talent?

As Ted Williams famously told The New York Times: “I’ve always said that hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports.”

To excel at that while bringing inspiration and positivity to a community and beyond is harder.

Arch Manning lost his student ID … twice

The Texas Longhorns QB is already taking part in the time-honored freshmen tradition.

Arch Manning has been a central focus of high school football for the past several years, with the talented quarterback creating a national buzz about possible NCAA landing spots while he racked up records at Isidore Newman (La.) —ones previously held by uncles Eli and Peyton.

But that’s all in the rearview as the top-rated recruit from the class of 2023 landed in Austin to begin his college journey at the University of Texas.

Now, Archibald C. Manning is a college kid. Five-star player-caller, sure. But behind the mask, he’s simply a face on the campus. Like others, he’s getting acclimated to the rush of new experiences, joining a directionally flummoxed crowd of freshmen as he meanders through the campus.

And, apparently, he’s losing stuff, most notably his student ID—a classic college move entwined in a storied tradition that’s as common as losing socks in the dryer.

Of course, when you’re part of the Manning Tree—and possibly the QB1 who will bring the Longhorns back to national glory—there will be tweets.

As expected, the fumble jokes and QB-related breakdowns were aplenty. But this one stood out among the pack:

And if you lose your student ID more than once…

 

Iconic gaffe by Manning. Legendary.

Will Arch go for a Three-Peat?

Bishop Gorman vs. Chaminade-Madonna creates the perfect year-end storyline

Just in time for the final Super 25

How do you really know?

More often than not, that question seeps into the conversation when looking over the country’s top high school football programs. Where one team’s dominance might be impressive, enough to land them in the upper echelon of nationally ranked teams, but the reality of the high school football schedule leaves much of the placement to hypotheticals. 

That’s to say, the No. 5 team is excellent, maybe as great as the No. 4 team… but they don’t play, so — what?

Time after time, the collection of answers is nothing more than subjective zigzagging, a typical progression based on the state, the recruits, what “they” think, and ultimately, a cascade of wishful thinking—What if Team A did play Team B?

The 2022 version of that thought process has a handful of examples, but also introduces one of the more intriguing outliers as the season nears an end: No. 3 Bishop Gorman (Nev.) vs. No. 6 Chaminade-Madonna (Fla.).

(USA TODAY Network)

Gorman has bulldozed teams all season. The Gaels have scored over 800 points while allowing less than 80. That’s a wild stat. In any state. In any division. With or without a roster that features players with four or five stars attached to their names.

The team’s lone loss this year? An epic battle against Mater Dei (Calif.), the perennial power that was the No. 1 team in the USA TODAY Sports Super 25 at the time. Even though it was only late August, the game ended as one of the best of 2022, with the Monarchs overcoming a 7-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win on a game-ending field goal, 24-21.

The outcome set the tone for much of the early action. And until St. John Bosco (Calif.) won its revenge game against Mater Dei at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., on Nov. 25, it set the order for the top teams in the country.

Since then, the “wishful thinking” has been simple—it would be incredible to see St. John Bosco line up against Bishop Gorman.

That’s not happening.

But not all is lost.

Enter the Lions out of the Sunshine State…

(Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports)

Chaminade-Madonna (Fla.) has been equally impressive, stingy on defense and powerful on offense. The Lions have navigated the tough Florida high school football calendar with a perfect 13-0 record that included wins over Northwestern (Fla.), Cardinal Newman (Fla.), No. 10 American Heritage (Fla.), plus the 1M state title. They also defeated St. John’s (D.C.).

Tops in the land, worthy of a top 3 or better, ahead of Gorman? In most circumstances, we’d look at such juggernauts with geographical perplexity, pointing to the different corners of the country as we rehash the aforementioned back-and-forth.

Saturday’s GEICO State Champions Bowl Series will help resolve some of that typical gray area. To some degree, so will the American Heritage-Central (Fla.) and the Duncanville-North Shore (Texas) outcomes.

And while the final scoreboard might not create a dynamic shift in the year-end USA TODAY Super 25, it’s not to say that it won’t either.

But now I’m just being hypothetical.

High school football referee’s controversial call goes viral, overshadows incredible comeback

First down? New Jersey high school football was at the center of national attention this past week after the controversial call

Senior Nights and opening rounds of the playoffs. Divisional and regional battles. For some, the end of a season. All of what makes late-October high school football so impactful was marginally overshadowed this past week by a controversial call during a New Jersey South Group 5 NJSIAA Regional Invitational Tournament.

If you haven’t seen the now-viral video, here’s a look:

Just a product of fast-paced confusion? Misaligned chains? An Eastern Vikings super fan who couldn’t resist? Regardless, the official’s actions have been a hot topic since Thursday, with a tweet of the moment picking up over 5 million views in 24 hours.

But, as Vineland’s head coach Dan Russo explained to NJ Advance Media on Friday, there’s little that could have been done after the questionable spot occurred.

“I saw it, 100% saw it and questioned the decision,” Russo said. “The official on my side of the field said the referee just turned the ball. I complained but there’s no instant replay like college or the NFL. There was nothing I could do.”

In a karma-filled twist, although the call gave the Vikings the lead, it would not secure the win.

Following the go-ahead score, Vineland returned the kickoff well into Eastern territory, and as the clock ticked down, scored the game-winning touchdown for a 20-19 victory.

Under the circumstances, that type of mental toughness and no-quit effort makes the final score even more impressive. The real story.

However, while that should be the celebrated focus—one more highlight of late-October heroics—Sunday’s news cycle was still very much abuzz with the poorly spotted fourth-down mark.

Mike Cherenson, a spokesperson for NJSIAA, provided this response via email to NJ.com: “NJSIAA has reviewed the video of the Vineland versus Eastern state playoff football game and, in agreement with the New Jersey Football Officials Association, has determined that the entire officiating crew – pending a hearing next week with the South Chapter of the New Jersey Football Officials Association – will not be assigned future postseason games.”

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