The Irish Roundup

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

• David Posluszny’s Hopewell (Penn.) team lost their third straight game, 37-14 to West Allegheny. I’m not sure whether Posluszny, who sat out last week because of a concussion, played in the game. Hopewell’s record now stands at 3-3.
• Brandon Newman’s Pleasure Ridge Park (Ky.) team lost to Manual, 34-6, to fall to 3-4 on the season.
• Hafis Williams’s Elizabeth (N.J.) team raised their record to 3-1 with a 39-18 victory over Shabazz.
• Joseph Fauria’s Crespi (Calif.) team followed up last week’s big win with a disappointing 17-14 loss to Canyon.
• Mike Golic Jr.’s Northwest Catholic (Conn.) team lost to Rocky Hill, 13-7, to fall to 2-2 on the season. Mike’s brother, teammate and ‘09 TE prospect Jake Golic, did have two big catches for Northwest.
• Dayne Crist completed 12 of 24 passes for 194 yards as his and Anthony McDonald’s Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (Calif.) team defeated Servite, 17-9, to move to 4-1 on the season.
• Ethan Johnson’s Lincoln (Ore.) team lost to Wilson, 34-28, to fall to 2-3 on the season. Johnson, who has played in only one game this season, reportedly has a strained ACL and will miss at least the next 2-3 weeks as well.
• Braxston Cave’s Penn (Ind.) squad held off Elkhart Central 30-23, to run their winning streak against Northern Indiana schools to 142 games overall, and their season record to 8-0.
• John Goodman had an incredible game, going 6-of-12 passing for 162 yards and a touchdown, rushing for 47 yards and another touchdown, and also catching an 83-yard reception for a score, as his Bishop Dwenger (Ind.) team defeated Snider 32-13, to run their record on the season to 8-0 and win their first Summit Athletic Conference title in eleven years (video highlights available here). Congratulations to John and the Saints!
• Sean Cwynar was limited with a groin injury, and several other members of his 23-member Marian Central (Ill.) team went down with injuries, as they suffered their first loss of the season, a 33-0 shutout at the hands of Montini that dropped their record to 6-1. According to recruiting analyst Tom Lemming, who was at the game, Cwynar was paired up with Ohio State commit Garrett Goebel for most of the game, and neither player was able to have much of an impact.
• Lane Clelland’s McDonogh (Md.) team lost in overtime to Loyola, 9-6, as their season record dropped to 2-3 overall.
• Robert Blanton’s Butler (N.C.) team defeated Myers Park, 42-14, to run their season record to 6-1.
• Darius Fleming sat with a knee injury as his St. Rita’s (Ill.) team defeated Fenwick, 52-14, to raise their season record to 5-2. Fleming is expected to be able to return for the state playoffs.
• Steve Filer’s Mount Carmel (Ill.) team overcame a 17-point fourth quarter rally by Loyola and came back to win 31-24 in two overtimes, to keep their season record perfect at 7-0 and clinch the Blue Division championship.
• Kyle Rudolph had two catches for 111 (!?) yards as his Elder (Ohio) team defeated Moeller, 49-33.
• Dan McCarthy completed one of two passes for 59 yards, rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown on ten carries, and returned a punt 56 yards for a touchdown as his Cardinal Mooney (Ohio) team ran their season record to 7-0 with a 31-17 victory over Benedictine.
• Omar Hunter’s Buford (Ga.) team moved to 6-0 on the season with a 47-6 blowout victory over Decatur. The Wolves have not given up more than seven points in a game all season.
• Finally, Jaromis Slaughter’s Tucker (Ga.) team had a bye this week.

I’ll be back tomorrow with updates on ND’s primary recruiting targets.

Here’s a rundown of how Notre Dame’s current group of 19 committed high school seniors, as well as their primary recruiting targets, fared in their football games this past weekend. (Note that I’m no longer tracing the stats for Frostproof (Fl.) tailback Carlton Thomas, who committed to Georgia this past weekend.)

Commits:

• David Posluszny’s Hopewell (Pa.) team suffered their second straight tough loss, a 27-0 shutout at the hands of Chartiers Valley, to drop to 3-2 on the season.
• Sean Cwynar’s Marian Central (Ill.) team blew out Aurora Central by a score of 52-7, to move to 6-0 on the season.
• Brandon Newman’s Pleasure Ridge Park (Ky.) team moved to 3-3 on the season with a 41-6 victory over Seneca.
• Hafis Williams’s Elizabeth (N.J.) team fell to 2-1 on the season with a 36-3 blowout loss to Irvington.
• Joseph Fauria’s Crespi (Calif.) team upset national power St. Bonaventure, 25-9, to move their record to 3-1.
• Braxston Cave’s Penn (Ind.) team held off host Mishawaka, 20-13, to move to 7-0 on the season.
• John Goodman threw for two touchdowns, one for 58 yards, as his Bishop Dwenger (Ind.) team defeated South Side, 35-5, to move to 7-0 on the season.
• Mike Golic Jr.’s Northwest Catholic (Conn.) team defeated St. Paul’s, 42-7. They now have a 2-1 record.
• Lane Clelland’s McDonogh School (Md.) team defeated Landon, 35-6, to move to 2-2 on the season.
• Dayne Crist was 20-of-30 passing for 313 yards (or 20-of-31 for 311, depending on whom you believe) and three touchdowns, including a game-winning 5-yard TD pass with five seconds left on the clock, as his and fellow commit Anthony McDonald’s Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (Calif.) team defeated Saugus, 38-35, to move to 3-1 on the season. Crist also scored a rushing touchdown from seven yards out.
• Ethan Johnson reportedly sat out yet again with an injured leg, but his Lincoln (Ore.) team still defeated North Medford, 34-21.
• Robert Blanton had his fifth interception of the year as well as an 18-yard touchdown reception as his Butler (N.C.) team blew out Providence, 62-6. They now stand at 5-1 on the season.
• Jaromis Slaughter’s Tucker (Ga.) team was slowed down a bit for the first time this year, but they still defeated Southwest Dekalb 21-0, to move their record on the year to 5-0.
• Darius Fleming’s St. Rita’s (Ill.) team suffered a disappointing 28-17 upset to Loyola, as they fell to 4-2 on the season. Loyola QB Peter Badovinac threw 40 times for 312 yards and three touchdowns as Loyola ran out of a no-huddle offense for most of the game.
• Steve Filer’s Mount Carmel (Ill.) team struggled against De La Salle, but drove for a 26-yard field goal with four seconds left to escape with a 38-35 win. They are now 6-0 on the season.
• Kyle Rudolph’s Elder (Ohio) team was shut out for the first time in nearly a decade as they fell to unbeaten St. Xavier, 18-0. Rudolph was limited to one twelve-yard catch and had to punt the ball nine times.
• Dan McCarthy’s Cardinal Mooney (Ohio) team ran their season record to 6-0 with a 21-0 shutout of St. Francis.
• Omar Hunter’s Buford (Ga.) team blew out Greater Atlanta Christian, 42-7, to run their season record to 5-0 and their overall winning streak to 43 games.

Recruits:

• Michael Floyd’s Cretin-Derham Hall (Minn.) team defeated Roseville, 49-7. Their record currently stands at 5-0.
• Kenneth Page’s A.C. Flora (Ga.) team lost to Elgin, 21-6.
• Jonathan Baldwin scored two touchdowns - one on a 24-yard reception, the other a 45-yard interception return - as his Aliquippa (Pa.) team defeated Ellwood City, 47-0, to move to 4-1 on the season.
• Trevor Robinson’s Elkhorn (Neb.) team defeated Roncalli Catholic, 41-7, to move to 5-0 on the season.
• Ryan Williams’s Stonewall Jackson (Va.) team lost to Battlefield, 24-21, to fall to 3-1 on the year.
• Cyrus Gray’s DeSoto (Tex.) team had a big 33-14 win against Paola, to bring their record to 4-1 on the year.
• And Chris Harper was held in check, with only 27 yards on seven rushes and 7-of-18 passing for 76 yards and an interception, as his Wichita Northwest (Kans.) team lost to Wichita Heighs, 10-7.

Here’s a rundown of how ND’s current commitments and primary recruits did in their high school football games this past weekend.

Commits:

• In a game that was televised nationally on ESPN2, Dayne Crist was 20-of-36 passing for 250 yards and a 27-yard TD pass, but it wasn’t enough as his and fellow commit Anthony McDonald’s Notre Dame Sherman Oaks (Calif.) team was upset by Birmingham, 28-21. Notre Dame was missing two of their starting offensive linemen, and so Crist spent much of his day on the run.
• Ethan Johnson sat on the bench for the second straight week but his Lincoln (Ore.) team still managed to defeat Tualitin, 38-14. The results of an MRI exam performed last week on Johnson’s injured knee are still unknown, at least to the media. [UPDATE: Johnson's knee injury is reportedly not very serious; he is improving week by week and it is not expected to have any long-term ramifications.]
• Robert Blanton, who had four interceptions through his team’s first four games, and his Butler (N.C.) team recovered from a disappointing loss last week and blew out Ardrey Kell, 49-7.
• Jamoris Slaughter and his Tucker (Ga.) team shut out the explosive St. Pius offense and rolled to victory, 35-0.
• Fresh off a disappointing loss to intracity rival Mount Carmel, Darius Fleming and his St. Rita’s (Ill.) team came up strong, defeating Providence by a score of 21-17.
• Meanwhile, Steve Filer and his Mount Carmel team defeated Brother Rice, 28-15.
• Kyle Rudolph’s Elder (Ohio) team suffered their second straight disappointing loss, falling to Lakewood St. Edward, 10-7.
• Dan McCarthy threw as many interceptions - two - as completed passes, but he picked off a pass of his own and rushed for 214 yards on 17 carries including TD runs of 54 and 84 yards as his Cardinal Mooney (Ohio) team defeated Lake Catholic, 40-14.
• David Posluszny’s Hopewell (Penn.) team suffered their first loss of the season, a 31-15 defeat by underdog Blackwell.
• Sean Cwynar and his Marian Central (Ill.) team shut out St. Edward, 30-0.
• Brandon Newman’s Pleasure Ridge Park (Ky.) team blew out Butler, 65-14.
• Hafis Williams’s Elizabeth (N.J.) team shut out Union, 20-0.
• John Goodman scored on a seven-yard run and also threw a 48-yard TD pass as his Bishop Dwenger (Ind.) team blew out Wayne by a score of 40-8.
• Braxston Cave’s Penn (Ind.) team stayed undefeated, blowing out Riley 42-8 to move to 6-0 on the season.
• Mike Golic Jr.’s Northwest Catholic (Conn.) team defeated Enfield 20-7, to move to 1-1 on the season.
• Omar Hunter’s Buford (Ga.) team blew out Wesleyan, 49-6.
• And on Sunday, in their second straight game against a tough out-of-state opponent, Lane Clelland’s McDonogh School (Md.) team lost to Malvern Prep, 46-7.
• Finally, Joseph Fauria’s Crespi team was idle this week.

Recruits:

• Carlton Thomas rushed for 237 yards and three touchdowns as his Frostproof (Fla.) team improved to 3-1, defeating Sebring by a score of 35-0.
• Kenneth Page’s A.C. Flora (Ga.) team held off an upset to defeat Praylow, 27-20.
• Michael Floyd rushed for 106 yards and an 11-yard TD run, caught three passes for 25 yards including a 14-yard TD, and also returned punts and saw playing time at cornerback as his Cretin-Derham Hall (Minn.) team defeated Stillwater, 42-14.
• Jonathan Baldwin faced double coverage most of the night and was held to three catches for 17 yards, but his Aliquippa (Penn.) team still managed to rally in the second half and defeated Beaver Falls, 33-27, to move to 3-0 on the year.
• Trevor Robinson’s Elkhorn (Neb.) team defeated Plattsmouth, 30-13.
• Cyrus Gray’s DeSoto (Tx.) team was blown out by Louisburg, 56-19.
• Ryan Williams’s Stonewall Jackson (Va.) team defeated Freedom-Woodbridge, 28-14.
• And Chris Harper rushed eight times for 20 yards and a touchdown, was 3-of-6 passing for 37 yards, and returned an interception 32 yards for a score as his Wichita Northwest (Kans.) team defeated Wichita South, 50-10.

That’s all for now! We’ll be back next week with more.

An interesting article in today’s South Bend Tribune discusses the intriguing possibility that the departure of Demetrius Jones might give ND a better shot in their recruitment of Kansas QB/WR/Athlete Chris Harper, listed as a four-star prospect on both Scout and Rivals, who will be an official visitor to South Bend this weekend for the Michigan State game. The article quotes Harper’s high school coach, Weston Schartz, as saying that while Harper’s interest in ND had previously been about a 7 on a scale of 1-10, “it’s up much higher than that now.”

The reason for this, of course, is that while Harper clearly has the ability to be a terrific wide receiver in college, he’s made it clear that his real desire is to have a shot at quarterback - and ND’s sudden lack of depth at this position clearly increases the odds that this might happen. Moreover, Charlie Weis said in a press conference earlier this week that he’d consider recruiting an extra QB in 2009, so long as it was someone who’d also be able to play at another position - a remark that seems clearly to apply to 2008 as well.

When this possibility first started being discussed, I wrote that in a way the Demetrius Jones situation could be viewed as a cautionary tale that would militate against recruiting Harper as a QB:

ND doesn’t run an option offense, and with Clausen at the helm now and Crist coming on board next year it would take some serious self-deception for Harper to convince himself that he has a real shot at playing QB at ND. Such self-deception could, of course, be aided by the coaching staff if they wanted, but with the way the Jones situation panned out it’s hard to imagine them leading a kid on when they know full well he’ll end up unhappy.

This opinion squared with what Mike Frank was quoted as saying in an article on Harper in the Observer:

“He’s kind of a combo guy and the Irish have a shot,” Frank said. “The problem they’re going to run into is he also wants to play quarterback and Notre Dame is recruiting him as a wide receiver. So, that could be a little bit of a problem. … They have to convince him that wide receiver is his future.”

My worry, in other words, was that if Harper was recruited as a possible quarterback, he might quickly be disappointed when he doesn’t see the field in that capacity, which could lead to frustration and even a possible transfer. But the more I think and read about this, the more I think I was wrong.

Here’s why: even if Weis and the rest of the coaching staff tell Harper that he has a shot to play quarterback, he has know fully well that he’s not going to supplant Jimmy Clausen, and so that if he wants to have a chance to play during his first three years it will have to be somewhere else on the field. By all accounts he’s more than capable of doing this as a wideout:

“He’s not a pro-style quarterback that’s going to drop back and throw 35, 40 times a game, but he’s just a great athlete,” Schartz said. “He could play receiver for anyone in the country. As a matter of fact, if he was playing receiver, I think he’d have 50 offers. But he doesn’t play receiver.”

This last sentence, though, comes with a big fat qualification:

“The only place he will consider, and maybe I’m talking out of turn here, but after my conversations, to play receiver at would be Notre Dame and the University of California,” Schartz said. “And don’t ask me why.”

Because of Jones’ departure, the Irish coaches have told Harper they are recruiting a quarterback who can play another position.

“All he wants is a shot, I think,” Schartz said. “If it doesn’t work out, he will get snaps as a freshman at receiver, he’s that type of kid. I’m not kidding you. He can come in any place and play receiver.”

In other words: it seems entirely possible that Harper might come to ND and play receiver for his first three years. At that point, with Clausen gone, he’d compete with Dayne Crist and whomever else the Irish have recruited in the meantime to be the starting quarterback. If this doesn’t work out, he could either go back to wide receiver or be the backup QB for a year (or two, if he redshirts).

Harper’s situation is unlike Jones’s in that Harper HAS said he’s willing to play WR for the Irish, while Jones always insisted that he wouldn’t. If Harper does just this for his first few years, obviously he wouldn’t be able to transfer even if he doesn’t succeed in the competition for the starting QB position. As I said, this possibility is intriguing, to say the very least …

Here’s an update on where some of our current committed players’ and recruits’ teams stand in the various national rankings.

• S commit Dan McCarthy’s Cardinal Mooney (Ohio) team, for which he plays QB but is primarily a runner, is ranked #8 nationally by MaxPreps, #15 nationally by ESPN, #11 nationally by USA Today, #18 nationally by PrepNation, and #13 nationally by Rivals. ESPN also has them ranked #3 in the Midwest, USA Today has them #2 in this group, PrepNation has them #3,
• QB commit Dayne Crist and LB commit Anthony McDonald’s Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (Calif.) team is ranked #23 nationally by ESPN, #19 nationally by USA Today, and #25 nationally by Rivals. They are also ranked #5 in the West by both ESPN and USA Today, and #4 in the West Coast region by PrepNation.
• TE commit Joseph Fauria’s Crespi (Calif.) team is ranked #22 nationally by MaxPreps.
• LB commit Steve Filer’s Mount Carmel (Ill.) team is ranked #17 nationally by MaxPreps and #30 nationally by Rivals. It is also ranked #6 in the Midwest by USA Today, #4 in the Midwest by PrepNation
• DE commit Darius Fleming’s St. Rita’s (Ill.) team, which lost to Mount Carmel this weekend, fell from the ESPN and Rivals rankings, as did TE commit Kyle Rudolph’s Elder (Ohio) team. St. Rita’s is still ranked #10 in the Midwest by PrepNation.
• WR recruit Michael Floyd’s Cretin-Derham Hall (Minn.) team is ranked #40 nationally by Rivals, #7 in the Midwest by ESPN, and #5 in the “Midlands” region by PrepNation, and RB recruit Cyrus Gray’s DeSoto (Texas) team is ranked #6 in the Southwest region by PrepNation.

(Via ESPN, USA Today (also here), MaxPreps, PrepNation, and Rivals.) Want to talk more about ND football and recruiting? Then head over to IrishEnvy …

Here’s a rundown of how our currently committed players and primary recruiting targets for the current year fared in their games this past weekend.

Commits:

• In the biggest Chicago-area game this week, Steve Filer returned an interception 58 yards for a touchdown as his Mount Carmel (Ill.) team defeated Darius Fleming’s No. 1 St. Rita’s team, which had recently been ranked #10 in the nation by SI and #2 in the Midwest by Rivals, 35-19. Fleming had seven tackles for St. Rita’s.
• David Posluszny (pictured here) had nine carries for 57 yards and a 2-yard TD score, as well as a key 13-yard sack to end a potential scoring drive, as his Hopewell (Pa.) team blew past Ambridge, 32-7.
• Sean Cwynar headed what was described as a “stellar defensive effort” by his Marian Central (Ill.) team - who suited up only 23 players - as they defeated Marmion, 35-0.
• Brandon Newman’s Pleasure Ridge Park (Ky.) team came up short on a last-minute comeback and fell to Eastern, 26-21, to drop to 1-3 on the season.
• Jamoris Slaughter’s Tucker (Ga.) team blew out Lakeside-Dekalb, 62-0.
• Hafis Williams’s Elizabeth (N.J.) team, which had been ranked #3 in the state, lost to Hudson Catholic, 14-7.
• Lane Clelland’s McDonogh (Md.) team came up short on their final drive and lost to Penn Charter, 3-0.
• Joseph Fauria had a key 26-yard reception on fourth down and also caught an eight yard touchdown pass, but his Crespi (Ca.) team came up short against Centennial, 41-20, who had been ranked #4 in the nation by MaxPreps.
• John Goodman returned the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown, and his Bishop Dwenger (Ind.) team never looked back, defeating Elmhurst 52-14.
• Dan McCarthy was five of six passing for 116 yards and a 24-yard touchdown, and scored two more TD’s of his own, including a 13-yard run and as 70-yard punt return, as his Cardinal Mooney (Ohio) team, currently ranked #8 in the nation by MaxPreps, shut out Harding, 49-0.
• Dayne Crist threw for 225 yards and two scores and ran another in himself from 23 yards as his - and fellow commit Anthony McDonald’s - Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (Ca.) team defeated Lynwood, 35-13.
• Braxston Cave’s Penn (Ind.) team defeated St. Joseph’s, 28-13.
• Kyle Rudolph caught touchdown passes of 10 and 13 yards but it wasn’t enough, as his Elder (Ohio) team was upset by La Salle, 28-19.
• Omar Hunter helped his Buford (Ga.) team hold Avondale to 28 yards rushing on 29 carries in a 63-6 blowout victory.
• Ethan Johnson sat out with a leg injury as his Lincoln (Ore.) team turned the ball over seven times and was held to minus-4 yards rushing in a 28-7 loss to Southridge.
• Robert Blanton’s Butler (Ga.) team fell to 0-3 as they lost to Burke County, 36-0.
• Mike Golic, Jr.’s Northwest Catholic (Conn.) team lost their season opener, 27-21 to New London.

Recruits:

• Carlton Thomas rushed for 142 yards on 21 carries, with touchdown runs of three and 34 yards, as his Frostproof team defeated Mulberry, 26-0, to improve to 2-1 on the season.
• Kenneth Page’s A.C. Flora (Ga.) team lost to Chester, 8-0.
• Michael Floyd’s Cretin-Derham Hall (Minn.) team defeated Woodbury, 42-13.
• Jonathan Baldwin caught a six-yard TD pass and also scored on a two-point conversion as his Aliquippa (Pa.) team shut out Freedom, 26-0.
• Trevor Robinson’s Elkhorn (Neb.) team blew out York, 54-7.
• Cyrus Gray’s DeSoto (Tx.) team moved to its third consecutive 3-0 start as they defeated Anderson County, 48-20.
• Ryan Williams’s Stonewall Jackson (Va.) team defeated Forest Park, 27-6.

Want to learn and talk more about Irish recruiting, our our currently committed players? Want to discuss this article and others? Head over to IrishEnvy.com …

Here’s a rundown of how our current group of commitments and major recruiting prospects did in their games this week.

Commits:

• John Goodman’s Bishop Dwenger team held off a late comeback by Northrop to win, 22-14.
• Dan McCarthy scored three touchdowns - one each by a pass, a rush, and a 67-yard punt return - as his Cardinal Mooney team shut out Archbishop Hogan, 34-0, to extend their winning streak to 18 games. McCarthy was 5 of 7 passing for 117 yards.
• Despite facing a constant pass rush and never having a chance to get comfortable, Dayne Crist (in-game photos here and here) was 13 of 26 passing for 176 yards (or maybe 12 of 25 for 166, depending on whom you believe) and also rushed nine times for 74 yards as his Notre Dame team defeated Canyon, 17-7. Teammate and fellow commit Anthony McDonald is (I think) pictured here, wearing #54.
• David Posluszny’s Hopewell team came back from a halftime deficit to defeat West Mifflin, 17-7.
• Darius Fleming’s St. Rita’s team shut out Leo, 35-0.
• Steve Filer’s Mt. Carmel team, which plays St. Rita’s next Friday, defeated Providence, 35-14.
• Brandon Newman’s Pleasure Ridge Park team blew out Doss, 47-6.
• Braxston Cave’s Penn team shut out Broad Ripple, 39-0.
• Kyle Rudolph’s Elder team defeated Oak Hills, 21-16.
• Omar Hunter’s Buford team dominated Cartersville, 40-0.
• Sean Cwynar’s Marion team scored 20 unanswered points in the second half to defeat Harrisburg, 20-19.
• Ethan Johnson’s Lincoln team lost to Tigard, 32-21 (video here). The game was liveblogged at the Oregonian, but Johnson seems to have had a quiet day so there’s not much to read.
• Jamoris Slaughter’s Tucker team has a big game against Marist tonight. Hafis Williams and Lane Clelland also play their games today, while Robert Blanton and Mike Golic, Jr. are both off this week.
• I haven’t yet been able to find results for Joseph Fauria’s Crespi team, which did play yesterday.

Recruits:

• Carlton Thomas’s Frostproof team lost to Lake Region, 14-13.
• Michael Floyd’s Cretin-Derham team shut out Hastings, 55-0.
• Jonathan Baldwin’s Aliquippa team blew out Sto-Rox, 42-6.
• Jeremy Brown’s Boone team lost to Timber Lake, 7-6.
• Trevor Robinson’s Elkhorn team blew out Gretna, 47-7.
• Cyrus Gray’s De Soto team pulled away late to defeat Summer Academy, 26-10.
• And finally, Ryan Williams’s Stonewall Jackson team lost in overtime to Clarke, 13-12.

I’ll be back tomorrow to fill in the gaps in this coverage.