The Irish Roundup

Congratulations to Omar Hunter and the Buford Wolves, who brought home the class AA Georgia state championship today with a 50-0 drubbing of Lovett. It was the seventh shutout of the season for Hunter’s defense, as the Wolves brought home their fourth state title since 2001. More here, from the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. I’ll have some more details up as they come available.

[UPDATE: More here and here, from the AJC. Per Access North Georgia, the Buford defense held Lovett to 26 first half yards (and 17 rushing) as they jumped out to a 30-0 halftime lead, and Omar cried when it was over. The starters were pulled by the middle of the third period. More here, from Jeff Cochran of the Gainesville Times, and also here, including this photo of Hunter and the Buford AD after the game:

And here's a bit more on Omar's emotional state after the game, which the Gainesville Times's Bill Murphy called his #1 moment of the 2007 Georgia H.S. football season:

Buford’s mammoth defensive tackle Omar Hunter was totally swept away by winning the state title against Lovett last Saturday night. While the rest of the Wolves team huddled together and started to celebrate, Hunter took a knee away from the chaos and shed a couple of tears with the magnitude of the team’s accomplishment. It marks Buford’s fifth title in school history (1978, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2007). In my opinion, this was the best Wolves team since 2001. That says a lot.

Awesome. I hope you like that feeling, Mr. Hunter. Here's to continuing your winning ways.]

Great stuff. Congratulations, Omar! And fans, in case you missed it, check out this Scout.com video of Omar, from last week’s semi-state victory:

There were only a few Irish commits in action this weekend, all of them in state semifinal games:

• Jamoris Slaughter and his Tucker (Ga.) team built a 28-7 lead at halftime but ended up falling to Marques Ivory and undefeated Northside-Warner Robbins, 31-28, in the Class AAAA state semifinals. Tucker finishes the season at 13-1.
• Joseph Fauria was held to just one catch - and his Crespi (Calif.) offense to 262 total yards - as they lost, 13-3, to Long Beach Poly in the Pac-5 title game. For a nice review of Crespi’s remarkable resurgence this year - they were the only team to defeat perennial state powers Lake Balboa and St. Bonaventure - check out this piece.
• And finally, Omar Hunter and his Buford (Ga.) Wolves squad did just what they’ve been doing all year: they obliterated defending state champion Dublin, 48-0, in the Class AA state semifinal. Buford will face 12-2 Lovett, whom they beat by a score of 21-0 earlier in the year, in next week’s championship game.

That’s all for this week. Best of luck to Omar and the Wolves next Saturday!

Sorry to be so late getting this up. At this point in the season there are only a few Irish commits still active, but here are their scores from last week’s games:

• Jamoris Slaughter’s Tucker (Ga.) team moved to 13-0 on the year and set up a Class AAAA semifinal matchup with top-ranked Northside-Warner Robbins, as they dominated Bainbridge by a final score of 34-7.
• Omar Hunter’s Buford (Ga.) team avenged a string of three straight playoff losses to Charlton County by beating the Indians, 21-14, in the Class AA state quarterfinal. Next up for the 13-0 Wolves is 11-2 Dublin in the semi-state on Saturday.
• Joseph Fauria had four catches for 49 yards as his Crespi (Calif.) team won their ninth straight game by defeating Servite in overtime, 13-10, in the Pac-5 Division semifinals. The 11-2 Celts, who have a chance to win their first major title since 1986, will play 12-1 Long Beach Poly in the Pac-5 final.
• Mike Golic Jr.’s Northwest Catholic (Conn.) team put up a good fight but fell to top-ranked Ansonia, 25-7, in their Class S semifinal game. They finish the year at 8-3.
• Dan McCarthy watched from the sidelines with a neck injury once again, and his Cardinal Mooney (Ohio) team lost in the state championship game, falling 28-27 to Coldwater. Mooney blew a lead but came back to score a touchdown with 21 seconds left in regulation, but their extra point attempt was blocked. The loss was the first since 2005 for the Cardinals, who finish the year at 14-1.

That’s all for this past week. I’ll try to have the results from this coming weekend’s playoff games up more quickly.

Here’s the Roundup’s weekly overview of how the players currently committed to Notre Dame’s 2008 recruiting class fared in their high school games this past weekend:

• Michael Floyd had three catches for 85 yards but was kept out of the end zone, and his Cretin-Derham Hall (Minn.) team fell to Eden Prairie, 50-21, in the class 5-A state championship game. Cretin-Derham ends the season at 13-1.

• Jonas Gray had 34 carries for 144 yards, but was largely contained overall - he had only 36 yards on 20 carries in the first half, and was tackled for a loss seven times - as his Detroit Country Day (Mich.) team fell to Marine City, 21-7, in the Div-IV state championship game. The Yellowjackets finish the season with an 11-3 record.
• Dan McCarthy was on the sidelines once again with a neck injury suffered a couple of weeks ago, but his Cardinal Mooney (Ohio) team still managed to make it to their fourth straight state championship game, defeating Pleasant by a final score of 28-0. The 14-0 Cardinals will play 13-1 Coldwater for the state title.
• Omar Hunter (pictured here) and his Buford (Ga.) team moved to 13-0 with a 41-0 blowout of Darlington in the second round of the state playoffs. Next up for the top-ranked Wolves is second-ranked Charlton County (11-0).
• Jamoris Slaughter’s Tucker (Ga.) team is now 12-0, after a 56-10 shellacking of Northwest Whitfield in their second-round game. The Tigers’ next playoff opponent is 9-3 Bainbridge.
• Joseph Fauria had touchdown catches of 23 and 40 yards and played great defense to boot as his Crespi (Calif.) team pulled off a shocking, 48-26 rout of Mater Dei in the quarterfinals of the Southern Section Pac-5 playoffs. There’s more on the game, and on the play of Fauria and 2009 QB recruit Matt Barkley in particular, here. Next up for the 10-2 Celts is 9-2 Servite.
• Ethan Johnson watched from the sidelines as his Lincoln (Ore.) team ended their season at 6-6 with a 28-21 loss to West Salem in the state 6A quarterfinals.
• Despite a disappointing three-loss regular season and an early exit from the state playoffs, Darius Fleming and his St. Rita’s (Ill.) team still have something to cheer about, as they beat Morgan Park, 31-7, to claim their first Prep Bowl title since 1997. The Mustangs end the year at 10-4.
• Hafis Williams’s Elizabeth (N.J.) team ends their year at 6-4 after a 39-24 victory over Scotch Plains in their regular-season finale. Their loss to Hunterdon Central in the previous week was actually a playoff game, so that ends their season.
• And finally, Mike Golic Jr.’s Northwest Catholic (Conn.) team earned themselves a a Class S playoff berth, with a 36-12 victory over Plainville that moved them to 8-2 on the year.

Best of luck to Golic, Fauria, Slaughter, and Hunter, and to McCarthy’s Mooney squad, in their remaining games!

Sorry to be so slow once again in getting this up. Here’s your weekly rundown of how Notre Dame’s currently committed players fared in their high school football games last week:

• With quarterback Dan McCarthy sitting on the sidelines after suffering a neck injury the previous week, Cardinal Mooney (Ohio) still managed to end two-time defending state D-III champion Steubenville’s 42-game win streak, as they built a 28-0 halftime lead and held on to win, 35-20. Mooney is now 13-0 on the year heading into this week’s semi-state game.
• John Goodman had a tough day but did throw a 23-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter for a 7-0 lead, but Lowell came back with ten points in the last seven minutes to beat his Bishop Dwenger (Ind.) team 10-7, ending the Saints’ playoff run in the state semifinals. Dwenger finishes the season at 13-1.
• Michael Floyd had five catches for 110 yards and a touchdown - including four receptions on the opening drive - as his Cretin-Derham Hall (Minn.) team moved to 13-0 with a 56-14 romp over Brainerd that moved them into the class 5A final for only the sixth time in their history.
• Despite being bothered by a leg injury, Jonas Gray had 29 carries for 304 yards and four touchdowns - including fourth-quarter TD runs of 30 and 61 yards - as his Detroit Country Day (Mich.) team defeated top-ranked Zeeland West, 37-30, in a wild game that came down to a 52-yard hook-and-ladder play that went for a touchdown with 45 seconds remaining. Gray and the 11-2 Yellowjackets will face Marine City in the state finals.
• Omar Hunter’s Buford (Ga.) team moved their record to a spotless 11-0 with a 56-7 blowout of Washington-Wilkes in the first round of the AA state playoffs.
• Jamoris Slaughter’s Tucker (Ga.) team is also 11-0, after a 24-0 shutout of Clarke Central in their first-round AAAA game.
• Robert Blanton had his fourth blocked kick and his sixth interception of the season, but it wasn’t enough, as his Butler (N.C.) team saw their season come to a disappointing end, falling to Charlotte Independence, 20-7, in the second round of the state playoffs. Butler finishes the season at 10-3.
• Steve Filer’s Mount Carmel (Ill.) team also saw its dreams of a state title fade away, as they were upset by Glenbard North, 28-21. The Caravan’s final record is 12-1.
• Sean Cwynar had a third-quarter extra point attempt - yes, you read that right - blocked, and his Marian Central (Ill.) team fell to Morris, 10-9, in the state semifinals. The Hurricanes finish the year at 10-3.
• Joseph Fauria’s Crespi (Calif.) team defeated Millikan, 26-14, in the first round of the Pac-5 playoffs. Next up for the 9-2 Celts is Mater Dei.
• Dayne Crist ended up being unable to play because of a concussion suffered in the previous week’s game against Crespi, and his and Anthony McDonald’s Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (Calif.) team couldn’t overcome his absence, as they fell to Newport Harbor, 7-3, in the first round of the Pac-5 playoffs. The Knights finish the season at 8-3.
• Ethan Johnson’s Lincoln (Ore.) team moved to 6-5 on the year with a 19-7 playoff win over David Douglas. Next up for Lincoln is West Salem.
• Darius Fleming and the 9-4 St. Rita’s (Ill.) defense shut down Loyola in a 28-0 win that moved the Mustangs to the Prep Bowl finals.

Hafis Williams and Mike Golic were off this week, and Braxston Cave, Brandon Newman, Lane Clelland, David Posluszny, and Kyle Rudolph are all done with their respective seasons.

Here’s your weekly rundown of how Notre Dame’s currently committed players fared in their high school football games this past weekend:

• Dan McCarthy, who earlier this week was named his district’s Offensive Player of the Year, led his Cardinal Mooney (Ohio) to their twelfth straight win to start the year, a 21-17 victory over St. Vincent-St. Mary. Mooney will face Steubenville in the regional final on Saturday.
• John Goodman had touchdown runs of 43 and 19 yards and threw for three more scores - including a 75-yard bomb - as his Bishop Dwenger (Ind.) team extended their undefeated season with a 42-14 blowout of Jay County in a regional semifinal game. Next up for the 13-0 Saints is a trip to Lowell for the semistate.
• Dayne Crist left the game with a concussion after being hit hard and fumbling the ball on a quarterback keeper, and Joseph Fauria caught an 18-yard touchdown pass just one play later, as Fauria’s Crespi (Calif.) team cruised to a 23-3 victory over Crist and Anthony McDonald’s Notre Dame squad.
• Braxston Cave and his Penn (Ind.) squad saw their undefeated season and dreams of a state title come to an end with a 21-20 loss to Merrillville in the regional final.
• Michael Floyd had a relatively quiet day with four catches for 44 yards, but he did score a touchdown as his Cretin-Derham Hall (Minn.) team survived a scare and defeated Lakeville North, 26-18, in the class 5A quarterfinals. Up next for Cretin-Derham is 13-1 Brainerd.
• Jonas Gray rushed 26 times for 167 yards and two touchdowns, and his Detroit Country Day (Mich.) squad moved to 10-2 with a 24-6 victory over Milan in a regional playoff game. Next up for the Yellowjackets is undefeated and top-ranked Zeeland West in the state semifinals.
• Omar Hunter’s Buford (Ga.) defense (recently profiled here) pitched their third straight shutout, ending their regular season at 10-0 with a 21-0 victory over Lovett. Buford QB Twoey Hosch left the game with an injured foot, and while x-rays revealed no fracture, he remains questionable for next Friday’s game against Washington-Wilkes.
• Jamoris Slaughter’s Tucker (Ga.) team finished up a 10-0 regular season in which they allowed more than eight points only once with a 38-8 victory over Cedar Grove. The Tigers will face Clarke Central in their first-round playoff game.
• Robert Blanton’s Butler (N.C.) team moved to 10-2 with a 49-6 spanking of Lumberton in the first round of the playoffs. Next up for the Bulldogs is archrival Charlotte Independence, whom they upset in dramatic fashion the week before.
• Steve Filer’s Mt. Carmel (Ill.) team moved to 12-0 with a 21-14 victory over Maine South in a class 8A quarterfinal game. Up next for the Caravan is 8-4 Glenbard North.
• Darius Fleming’s St. Rita’s (Ill.) squad rebounded from a tough loss last week with a 35-18 victory over Fenwick in the first round of the Prep Bowl playoffs.
• Sean Cwynar’s Marian Central (Ill.) team had a dramatic, come-from-behind 34-27 victory over Nazareth in their class 5A quarterfinal matchup. Next up for the seventh-seeded Hurricanes is fifth-seeded Morris.
• Brandon Newman’s Pleasure Ridge Park (Ky.) team nearly upset 10-1 Manual, but they were stopped on a two-point conversion attempt in overtime and lost, 21-20, in the first round of the class 6A playoffs. PRP finishes the year at 4-7.
• Hafis Williams’s Elizabeth (N.J.) team fell to 5-4 with a 20-0 loss to Hunterdon Central.
• Ethan Johnson’s Lincoln (Ore.) team cruised to a 55-28 playoff victory over Roseburg that was propelled by a 42-point explosion in the second half. The Cardinals are now 5-5, and will meet David Douglas in their second-round game.
• Lane Clelland’s McDonogh (Md.) team finished their regular season with a 21-14 loss to Gilman that dropped their record to 6-4.
• Mike Golic Jr.’s Northwest Catholic (Conn.) team moved to 7-2 on the year with a 28-0 shutout win over East Catholic.

That’s it for this week, as David Posluszny’s and Kyle Rudolph’s teams are finished with their seasons.

(Sorry to be a bit slow getting this up; Saturday’s loss made for a lot to process.)

Here’s the Roundup’s weekly rundown of how ND’s committed recruits for the 2008 season fared in their high school games this past week:

• Dayne Crist completed 10 of 15 passes for 185 yards in the first half but was only 1-of-6 after halftime, but he finished with 230 total yards and also ran a score in from 70 yards away on the third play of the game as his and Anthony McDonald’s Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (Calif.) team moved to 8-1 with a 51-30 defeat of Bishop Amat.
• Dan McCarthy attempted only one pass on the night but ran for 105 yards and two scores - and had three other touchdown runs called back on penalties - as his Cardinal Mooney (Ohio) team moved to 11-0 with a 30-6 blowout of Coshocton. Mooney faces St. Vincent-St. Mary, against whom they rallied from a 17-0 deficit for a win a few weeks ago, in their next playoff game, as they seek to defend the Division IV state title they won in 2006. (McCarthy’s stats from his first ten games are available here.)
• Braxston Cave’s Penn (Ind.) team defeated Goshen by a score of 13-3 to recapture the Class 5A sectional trophy and move their record to 12-0. The no. 2-ranked Kingsmen face no. 4 Merriville, former home of ND tailback James Aldridge, in next week’s regional game.
• Steve Filer’s Mount Carmel (Ill.) team blew out Palatine by a score of 34-0, moving their season record to 11-0 and advancing them to the third round of the Class 8A playoffs.
• John Goodman threw two second-half touchdown passes and ran in a 54-yard score before halftime as his Bishop Dwenger (Ind.) team moved to 12-0 with a 52-20 blowout of DeKalb that brought them a Class 4A sectional championship. The Saints will face Jay County in their next playoff game.
• Kyle Rudolph’s Elder (Ohio) team had their season come to a disappointing end, with a 45-14 loss to top-ranked St. Xavier that dropped their season record to 7-4. Rudolph had seven catches for 79 yards in the game.
• Robert Blanton made a spectacular one-handed touchdown catch (video here) with six minutes remaining in the game, and his Butler (N.C.) team moved their season record to 8-2 became the first in-state team since 2000 to defeat national power Charlotte Independence (a span of 109 games), winning a nail-biter by the score of 21-20 (more here). (Kyle Rudolph’s Elder squad had, of course, beaten Independence earlier in the year, in an interstate matchup at the Herbstreit Classic.) Independence was playing without head coach Tom Knotts, who was suspended after being involved in an altercation with a parent after a JV game the night before, but is reportedly not going to face assault charges.
• Darius Fleming’s St. Rita’s (Ill.) team ended their season at 7-4 as they blew a 22-7 third-quarter lead by giving up 19 straight points to undefeated Wheaton Warrenville South as they lost their a Class 7A playoff game by a score of 26-22 (more here). Fleming had three sacks on the night.
• Mike Golic Jr.’s Northwest Catholic (Conn.) team moved to 6-2 with a 22-0 shutout of Farmington.
• Michael Floyd scored four touchdowns - one rushing, three receiving - as his Cretin-Derham Hall (Minn.) team cruised to a 53-32 victory over Tartan in the third round of the playoffs. The Raiders are now 11-0 on the year.
• Lane Clelland’s McDonogh (Md.) team moved to 6-3 on the year with a 25-7 victory over Georgetown Prep.
• Hafis Williams’s Elizabeth (N.J.) team improved to 5-3 with a 41-7 blowout of Newark East Side.
• Jaromis Slaughter’s Tucker (Ga.) team wrapped up a no. 1 seed in the playoffs as they moved to 9-0 on the year with a 63-0 win over North Springs, their sixth shutout of the season.
• Ethan Johnson’s Lincoln (Ore.) team fell to 4-5 with a 37-27 loss to Tualatin. I don’t think Ethan played in the game, since as I noted last week he was expected to sit out the rest of the season due to his ACL injury.
• Jonas Gray’s Detroit Country Day (Mich.) team moved to 9-2 with a 7-0 victory over Crockett Tech in a second-round playoff game. The Yellowjackets will face Milan next week.
• Joseph Fauria had five catches for 65 yards as his Crespi (Calif.) team defeated Loyola by a score of 38-7, to move to 7-2 on the year. The Celts’ next game is against Crist and McDonald’s Sherman Oaks team.
• Sean Cwynar’s Marian Central (Ill.) team pulled off a stunning playoff upset, as the 7th-seeded Hurricanes defeated no. 2 Montini by a score of 29-15 (more here and here). Marian Central moves on to face 14th-ranked Nazareth County (8-3) in their next playoff game, but they will be without star running back/linebacker T.J. Pappas, who suffered a broken bone in his left foot.

That’s all for this week: Omar Hunter’s Buford team had a bye, and the seasons are over for David Posluszny’s Hopewell squad and Brandon Newman’s Pleasure Ridge Park team.

Here’s the Roundup’s weekly summary of how Notre Dame’s current group of committed players for the 2008 class, which now stands at 21 total, fared in their high school football games this past weekend:

• Let’s start once again with this week’s newest commitment: Jonas Gray had 223 yards and three touchdowns - including runs of 49 and 95 yards - on 21 carries as his Detroit County Day (Mich.) team improved to 8-2 with a 28-20 victory over Douglass in their opening-round playoff game.
• Dayne Crist was slowed down for much of the game, but he finished 14-of-25 passing for 229 yards and a touchdown, and also scored on a 12-yard run, as his and Anthony McDonald’s Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (Calif.) team scored 19 second-half points en route to a 26-9 home victory over Loyola. The win moved their season record to 7-1.
• Joseph Fauria’s Crespi (Calif.) moved to 6-2 with a 55-5 win over Bishop Amat. They face a tough Loyola team next week before closing out their regular season on the road against Crist and McDonald’s Notre Dame squad.
• John Goodman was 5-of-8 passing for 92 yards in a touchdown and gained 31 yards and a touchdown on his seven rushes as his Bishop Dwenger (Ind.) team moved to 11-0 on the season with a 42-7 sectional semifinal victory over Columbia City.
• Playing just eight hours after learning that two of their classmates had died in an auto accident and two others were in critical condition, Sean Cwynar’s Marian Central (Ill) team rolled to a 46-27 home win over Sterling in the first round of the Class 5A state playoffs. Marian Central is 8-2 on the year, and will host Montini, to whom they lost soundly a few weeks ago, in their next playoff game.
• David Posluszny’s Hopewell (Penn.) team lost at home to Montour, 26-7, to fall to 4-5 on the season. They’re not going to be in the playoffs this year, and I think this is the end of the regular season for them.
• Brandon Newman’s Pleasure Ridge Park (Ky.) defense held North Hardin to 211 total yards, and their offense exploded for 529, as they snapped a three-game skid with a 45-6 home victory that moved their season record to 4-6.
• Braxston Cave’s Penn (Ind.) team dominated their semifinal matchup against Mishawaka, winning 28-0 to move their season record to 11-0. IE’s GoshenGipper has some more analysis here.
• Lane Clelland’s McDonogh (Md.) team was dominant on offense in a 35-0 victory over St. Paul’s, which moved their season record to 5-3.
• Robert Blanton’s Butler (N.C.) team had another blowout win, a 58-7 victory over Weddington that moved their season record to 8-2. Butler faces national power Charlotte Independence next week.
• Darius Fleming’s St. Rita’s (Ill.) team was dominant in their first-round playoff game, with a 43-7 blowout of Willowbrook. They are 6-4 on the season heading into their second-round game.
• Steve Filer had eight tackles and a blocked punt - all in the first half - as his Mount Carmel (Ill.) team opened the playoffs with a dominating performance as well, defeating Herrin by a final score of 62-20. The 10-0 Golden Aces face Mater Dei next week.
• Kyle Rudolph caught at 25-yard touchdown pass, and his Elder (Ohio) team moved to 7-3 on the season with a 49-0 victory over Western Hills.
• Dan McCarthy had touchdown runs of 18 and 68 yards as his Cardinal Mooney (Ohio) team moved to 10-0 on the season with a 28-0 victory over Bishop Watterson.
• Omar Hunter and his Buford (Ga.) defense held Cross Keyes to minus-11 yards of total offense en route to a 58-0 victory that moved their season record to 9-0.
• Hafis Williams’s Elizabeth (N.J.) team rebounded from last week’s loss and moved their season record to 4-3 with a 42-14 blowout of Linden.
• Jamoris Slaughter’s Tucker (Ga.) team was dominant once again in a 35-7 victory over Stone Mountain that moved their season record to 8-0.
• Ethan Johnson sat out once again with an ACL injury - as he probably will for the rest of the season - in his Lincoln (Ore.) team’s 42-14 loss to Grant. With the loss, Lincoln falls to 4-4 on the year.
• Mike Golic Jr.’s Northwest Catholic (Conn.) team picked up their second straight upset, a 15-0 victory over previously unbeaten Middletown that moved their season record to 5-2. Earlier in the week, Golic had been honored at the school’s pep rally for his selection to the Army All-American Bowl.
• And finally, Michael Floyd had seven carries for 100 yards and a touchdown and four catches for 128 yards and another score as his Cretin-Derham Hall (Minn.) team moved to 10-0 on the season with a 52-9 victory over Park in the second round of the playoffs.

Here’s the Roundup’s weekly rundown of how Notre Dame’s committed players fared in their high school football games this weekend:

• First things first: Cretin-Derham Hall (Minn.) wide receiver Michael Floyd, who committed to the Irish after his official visit this past weekend, scored three touchdowns within a brief span in the second quarter: an 11-yard run with 7:51 on the clock, a 68-yard reception at 6:02, and a 54-yard punt return less than two minutes later. He had 235 all-purpose yards on the day before leaving with five minutes to go in the third quarter with an apparently unserious ankle injury, and his team defeated Mounds View by a score of 42-7, to move their season record to 8-0 and clinch their conference championship. (As domer.mq points out, the lead into this article is priceless: “Every time Cretin-Derham Hall’s Michael Floyd has the football, a collective gasp typically follows.”)
• David Posluszny, back in the lineup after missing several games with a concussion, caught a 22-yard touchdown pass as his Hopewell (Pa.) team snapped a three-game losing streak and kept their Parkway Conference title hopes alive with a 47-7 victory over Moon. Hopewell is now 4-4 on the season.
• Dayne Crist threw for 299 yards and four touchdowns as his and Anthony McDonald’s Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (Calif.) team defeated Chaminade 44-17, to move their season record to 5-1.
• Brandon Newman’s Pleasure Ridge Park (Ky.) team fell to 3-6 on the season with a 35-7 loss to St. Xavier.
• Joseph Fauria’s Crespi (Calif.) team had a slow day on offense but still pulled out a 13-0 win over St. Paul, to improve their season record to 5-2.
• John Goodman threw for 156 yards as his Bishop Dwenger (Ind.) team opened the playoffs with a 42-7 victory over Elmhurst. Dwenger is unbeaten in ten contests so far this year.
• Mike Golic Jr.’s Northwest Catholic (Conn.) team stunned previously unbeaten Berlin, 34-6, to move their record to 4-2 on the year.
• Lane Clelland’s McDonogh (Md.) team improved to 4-3 on the year with a 33-15 defeat of Calvert Hall.
• Ethan Johnson’s Lincoln (Ore.) team bumped their season record to 4-3 with a 48-20 win over Benson.
• Robert Blanton’s Butler (N.C.) team rebounded from a tough loss last week to defeat South Mecklenburg, 19-16. Butler’s record on the season is now 7-2.
• Braxston Cave’s Penn (Ind.) team stayed undefeated in ten contests on the season with a 28-14 victory over Elkhart Central in the first round of the sectional playoffs. They face Mishawaka next week.
• Sean Cwynar’s Marian Central (Ill.) team defeated St. Francis, 30-21, and will head into the playoffs with a 7-2 record.
• Steve Filer’s top-ranked Mount Carmel (Ill.) team stayed undefeated with a 56-6 victory over Hales. They head into the playoffs with a record of 9-0.
• Darius Fleming’s St. Rita’s (Ill.) team rebounded from a tough loss last week and moved to 6-3 on the season with a 69-0 pasting of St. Francis de Sales.
• Kyle Rudolph had five catches for 120 yards and three touchdowns as his Elder (Ohio) team defeated Benedictine, 49-34. Elder’s record on the year is 6-3.
• Dan McCarthy had an interception and a pass break-up as his Cardinal Mooney (Ohio) team moved their season record to a perfect 9-0 and clinched their conference title with a 37-14 victory over Ursuline (photos here).
• Omar Hunter and his Buford (Ga.) defense continued their season-long dominance with a 56-0 victory over Walker that was already a 28-0 game at the end of the first quarter. Buford is 8-0 on the year and has allowed more than a touchdown only once.
• Hafis Williams’s Elizabeth (N.J.) defense gave up a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns as they fell to Westfield, 13-7, to drop to 3-3 on the year.
• Jamoris Slaughter’s Tucker (Ga.) team kept their season record perfect at 7-0 with a 21-14 overtime victory over Washington.

… and there you have it! Good luck to all of our committed players as they wrap up their seasons and/or prepare for the playoffs.

Here’s your weekly rundown of how ND’s currently committed players fared in their high school football games this past weekend:

• Dayne Crist and Anthony McDonald’s Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks (Calif.) team moved to 5-1 on the season with an easy 33-6 victory over St. Francis of La Canada. Crist was 17 of 27 passing for 248 yards and four touchdowns.
• Kyle Rudolph caught four passes for 97 yards and a touchdown as his Elder (Ohio) team defeated Covington Catholic, 35-6.
• Dan McCarthy ran 20 times for 128 yards (or perhaps 18 for 122) and a touchdown and completed five of ten passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns as he led his Cardinal Mooney (Ohio) team to three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and they defeated St. Vincent-St. Mary 21-17, to run their season record to 8-0 and preserve their top-ten national ranking. McCarthy hit tight end Mike Gemma from 23 yards out for the go-ahead score with 2:43 left on the clock.
• John Goodman threw three touchdown passes, including one with just under three minutes left in the fourth quarter to give his Bishop Dwenger (Ind.) team a 28-21 victory over Bishop Luers, raising their season record to 9-0.
• Sean Cwynar’s Marian Central (Ill.) team played well after a blowout loss last week, but it wasn’t enough, and they lost at home to undefeated Driscoll, 21-7, to fall to 6-2 on the season.
• Robert Blanton’s Butler (N.C.) team built a three-touchdown lead, but blew it and lost to East Mecklenburg, 22-21, to fall to 6-3 on the year.
• David Posluszny’s Hopewell (Penn.) team lost their fourth straight game, a 21-7 defeat at the hands of New Castle, to fall to 3-4 on the year.
• Mike Golic Jr.’s Northwest Catholic (Conn.) team defeated RHAM, 29-0, to move to 3-2 on the season.
• Brandon Newman’s Pleasure Ridge Park (Ky.) team was routed by Trinity, 56-20, as their record fell to 3-5.
• Braxston Cave was on the sidelines with a sprained ankle as his Penn (Ind.) team survived a scare but held off Adams, 10-7, to extend their season record to 9-0 and their conference win streak to 144 (!!) games.
• Joseph Fauria’s Crespi (Calif.) team scored three straight touchdowns to jump out to a 21-7 lead and held off a tricky Alemany team, 28-21, to move to 4-2 on the season.
• Lane Clelland’s McDonogh (Md.) team held off Mount St. Joseph, 14-7, to move to 3-3 on the season.
• Ethan Johnson’s Lincoln (Ore.) team moved to 3-3 on the season with a 49-21 win over Franklin. So far as I know, Johnson, who has I noted last week has a strained ACL, was not expected to play.
• Omar Hunter’s Buford (Ga.) team blew out Holy Innocents, 55-14, to move to 7-0 on the season.
• Jaromis Slaughter and his Tucker (Ga.) team gave up their first points of the season but still defeated Mays, 13-7, to move to 6-0 on the year.
• Darius Fleming’s St. Rita’s (Ill.) team gave up two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and lost in an upset to Brother Rice, 14-13 (more here), to fall to 5-3 on the season.
• Steve Filer’s Mount Carmel (Ill.) team stayed undefeated, with a 64-0 blowout of St. Francis de Sales.
• Finally, Hafis Williams’s Elizabeth (N.J.) team was off this week.

That’s all for now! I hope to get to the primary recruiting targets later.