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1st & 10: Chandler Advances With OT Win, University Lab Moves Up

By
Jake Rill
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The high school football playoffs continue this week, with more exciting action on the way.

Here’s a look at 10 of the top high school football headlines entering the weekend of Nov. 22-24:

1. Chandler advances with thrilling OT win

Chandler is the No. 1 seed in the Arizona 6A Conference playoffs, but it needed overtime to pull out its semifinal win.

The Wolves scored a game-winning two-point conversion on the final play of overtime to pull out a 36-35 win over Highland last Friday.

Highland scored first in OT, but Chandler answered and chose to go for the win, which proved to be a wise decision.

Chandler, which is ranked No. 19 in the USA Today Super 25 poll, will play No. 6-seeded Perry in the 6A championship game at Sun Devil Stadium on Dec. 1.

2. University Lab moves into top 10

With a 48-14 win over St. Louis Catholic in the Louisiana Division II playoffs, University Lab moved into the top 10 in the USA Today Super 25 poll.

University Lab moved up one spot from No. 11 with the victory in its playoff opener, which improved it to 11-0. The Cubs had a first-round bye.

On Friday, University Lab, the No. 1 seed, faces No. 5-seeded De La Salle in the semifinals. The winner will face the winner of St. Charles Catholic-St. Thomas More on Dec. 7.

3. Three pick-sixes in one half

Elias Ricks got off to a strong start in Mater Dei’s 48-14 win over Centennial in the California Division 1 playoffs last Friday.

In fact, Ricks carried the team.

Ricks had three interception returns for touchdowns in the first half, helping to push Mater Dei to an 11-2 record and into the state championship game.

Mater Dei, ranked No. 2 in the USA Today Super 25 poll, plays No. 1 St. John Bosco in the Division 1 championship game on Friday.

4. Early signing period draws near

Although National Signing Day in February has always been known as the most popular day for recruits to sign with college programs, the early signing period has changed the landscape for commitments.

Last year, college football added a new early signing period. And that’s only a month away from happening again, as recruits can sign with programs from Dec. 19-21.

247sports recently looked at what to expect from the second-ever early signing period as it draws closer.

5. Rivalry game leads to food fight

Sometimes, rivalries continue after a football game, and that includes at the high school level.

After a Texas matchup between Clear Brook and Clear Lake last week, fans of both teams got into a food fight at a Houston-area Whataburger.

Clear Lake beat Clear Brook, 28-6, in a game that took place about three miles from the restaurant, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

6. Matchup of the Week: Mater Dei vs. St. John Bosco

It has to be the game of the week when two of the top teams in the country face off for a state championship.

St. John Bosco and Mater Dei, the top two teams in the USA Today Super 25 poll, respectively, will play for the California Division 1 state title on Friday.

This is a rematch from earlier in the season. St. John Bosco, which is 13-0, beat Mater Dei, 41-18, on Oct. 13.

7. Other big-time matchups

Two Arizona state championships will be decided on Friday. Here are the matchups that will take place:

3A: Yuma Catholic vs. Northwest Christian2A: Round Valley vs. Thatcher

The champions for the 6A and 5A Conferences will be decided on Dec. 1, while the 4A championship game is set for Nov. 30.

8. Incredible Play of the Week

This play appeared to be a touchdown — until the ball was knocked out of the receiver’s hands into the hands of a defender.

Kaleem Corbin of North Penn (Pa.) made a nice interception during his team’s 35-21 win over Downington West in the Pennsylvania Class 6A playoffs.

Corbin made a tip-drill interception while keeping his feet in bounds in the back of the end zone. His nice play helped North Penn stay undefeated while advancing to the quarterfinals of the playoffs.

9. Top Performance of the Week

It’s impressive to score eight touchdowns in a game. It’s even more impressive to do it two weeks in a row.

Ray Leach rushed for 474 yards and eight touchdowns to lead Batavia to a 54-49 win over Skaneateles in the Class B New York playoffs this past Saturday.

A week earlier, Leach had 417 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.

Leach will look for another incredible performance when Batavia, which is 12-0, plays Glens Falls for the Class B championship on Saturday.

10. Recent commitments

2019 running back John Emery (Destrehan High School, Destrehan, La.), a 5-star recruit per the 247sports composite rankings, committed to LSU on Nov. 13.

2019 tight end Casey Clanton (Central High School, Phoenix, Ariz.), a 3-star recruit per the 247sports rankings, committed to Ohio on Nov. 14.

2019 guard Joshua Pena (Chandler High School, Chandler, Ariz.), a 2-star recruit per the 247sports composite rankings, committed to Navy on Nov. 15.

2019 defensive end Myron Warren (Many High School, Many, La.), a 3-star recruit per the 247sports composite rankings, committed to Texas on Nov. 19.

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