The 2015 American Family Insurance ALL-USA Girls Volleyball Second and Third Teams were selected by USA TODAY High School Sports.
Click the gallery below to meet the ALL-USA Second and Third Teams
RELATED: ALL-USA First Team
RELATED: Meet Player of the Year Audriana Fitzmorris (St. James Academy, Kansas)
RELATED: Meet Coach of the Year Peg Kopec (St. Francis, Ill.)
St. Stanislaus (Mississippi) defeated Lawrence County (Mississippi) 62-28, and it would have been extremely difficult to do so without the spectacular effort put together by St. Stanislaus quarterback Myles Brennan. Brennan threw for 550 yards and seven touchdowns, adding another touchdown on the ground.
“He’s one of the most coachable players I’ve ever had,” St. Stanislaus head coach Bill Conides told the Clarion Ledger. “We work together every week, and if I tell him we need to address something, he fixes it right then and doesn’t do it again.”
Brennan has been remarkably consistent this season, passing for 4,980 yards and 51 touchdowns.
For his efforts, Brennan leads the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Performances of the Week.
The rest of the top performances as high school sports continue around the nation:
D’Vaughn Pennamon, football, Manvel (Texas).
Pennamon was absolutely sensational in a 75-14 win over Strake Jesuit. The running back ran the ball just eight times for 223 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 27.9 yards per carry.
RELATED: Vote for the Super 25 Game of the Week
Manvel takes on No. 7 Katy in one of our potential Super 25 Games of the Week.
Lauren Appelman, girls volleyball, Olympian (Colorado).
Appelman was instrumental in leading the Eagle’s to two Southern California Regional playoff victories. In the quarterfinals against Chatworth, Appelman tallied 13 kills. She reserved her best performance for the semifinals three days later, helping the Eagles with 20 kills and 12 digs.
Will Knight, football, Smyrna (Delaware).
Smyrna found itself in a bind down 13 in the first half when starting quarterback Nolan Henderson left the game with an injury. Knight gave Smyrna they spark they needed, carrying the ball 32 times for 270 yards and four touchdowns in a 30-13 win.
Jake Sisk, wrestling, Pike Central (Indiana).
Sisk was dominant in three matches last weekend, pinning his opponents within the first three minutes all three times. Need more evidence to show how well Sisk did? He didn’t allow a single point for the second straight week, going 15-0.
Jake Zembiec, football, Aquinas Institute (New York).
Zembiec, a Penn State commit and 2015-16 Gatorade State Football Player of the Year, passed for 485 yards and four touchdowns in a 44-19 win over Saratoga Springs.
RELATED: 2015-16 Gatorade State Football Players of the Year
Zembiec has passed for 3,030 yards and 37 touchdowns, leading Aquinas Institute to a 13-0 season and second straight state title.
Olivia Smith, girls basketball, Cardinal Gibbons (North Carolina).
Smith, a senior and four year starter, put on a show in helping the Cardinals defeat Raleigh Broughton 62-60. The senior recorded 37 points and 13 rebounds, the bulk of which came in a 23 point third quarter.
Evan Culver, football, Saucon Valley (Pennsylvania).
Culver was the best athlete on the field as Saucon Valley beat Scranton Prep 42-20. Culver starred on offense and defense, rushing for 331 yards and two touchdowns. The senior went on to pick off a pass in the end zone late in the game to help seal the win.
Alyssa Deno, girls soccer, Miami Springs (Florida).
The Golden Hawks beat Coleman 5-1, and Deno was heavily involved in all five goals. The playmaker scored a hat-trick and tallied two assists in an impressive performance.
Doug Santos, football, Peabody (Massachusetts).
Santos erupted in a 52-0 win over Saugus, rushing the ball for 285 yards and five touchdowns. The senior finished the season with 2,041 yards.
Track phenom Candace Hill added another prestigious honor to her collection Saturday night when she was presented with the USA Track & Field Youth Athlete of the Year award in Houston.
Hill, from Rockwall County in Conyers, Ga., was named the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year and also was the only non-senior female and only sophomore to ever win Gatorade National Athlete of the Year.
RELATED: Meet the ALL-USA Girls Track & Field Teams
Hill set two world youth records in 2015. She ran 10.98 seconds in the 100 meters in June at the Brooks Invitational in Washington to become the only high school female to break 11 seconds. She ran 22.43 in the 200 at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Columbia and set meet records in winning both the 100 and the 200.
Sprinter Candace Hill from Rockdale County in Conyers, Ga., holds the Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year trophy earlier this year. (Photo: Gatorade)
CHICAGO – Alterique Gilbert knows wherever he goes, he can find a place where he belongs. It’s the basketball court.
“Any time I step on the court, I feel like I’m at home. I’m in my sanctuary,” the UConn-bound basketball star for Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.), says. Pointing to the court, he adds, “That’s my living room. My library.”
It’s a home that has served him well.
Gilbert, an American Family Insurance ALL-USA Preseason selection, dropped 32 points in then-No. 18 Miller Grove’s overtime loss against then-No. 13 Chaminade (St. Louis) during Saturday’s Chicago Elite Classic. He dazzled the crowd with a high-flying dunk and ball-handling skills. A picture of him leaping to block a shot has been making the rounds on Twitter.
Gilbert, ranked No. 28 overall by the ESPN100 and the No. 5 point guard, says he found the same level of comfort he finds on the court in Storrs.
“I felt comfortable. I felt at home. I had a great relationship with Coach [Kevin Ollie],” he says. “When I took an official visit, I had a great time. I learned a lot of things both on and off the court.”
Gilbert, who is listed at 6-11 but is more like 5-11 and 170 pounds, is coming off a strong summer for Team CP3 in the Nike EYBL. He averaged 18.2 points, 3.8 assists and 3.2 rebounds during the season-ending Peach Jam and impressed as one of the top point guards at the event, which came just a week after his commitment to UConn.
“I have to be patient as a point guard,” he said in July. “I control the game, and the pace of the game. I control who goes where, who does what. That’s something I’m definitely still working on.”
Learning on and off the court will be an important part of his development at UConn.
“You always want to grow as a player, but more importantly as a person,” Gilbert says. “I think going to the University of Connecticut is going to help me get there.”
Gilbert has the skills to succeed in basketball, but playing basketball professional isn’t his only career goal. He wants to be a dentist.
“When I was young, I would go to the dentist a lot,” he says. “I got used to it. I’m definitely going to get it done.”
But he still has plenty to accomplish before he graduates. He wants to get another state title, especially after Miller Grove’s streak of six consecutive state titles was snapped last year. He also has the season-ending DICK’s High School Nationals in New York in his sights for his team and wants to be selected for the high school All-America games.
The opportunities to impress will continue. After a league game against Martin Luther King (Lithonia, Ga.) on Tuesday, Miller Grove heads to the Tax Free Shootout in Utah, where it will face Fremont (Calif.) on Thursday and Timpview (Provo, Utah) on Friday.
“I’ve got a lot of goals I want to achieve,” he says. “It’s up to me to stay motivated and get them done.”
Before Derrick Henry was dominating the SEC, he was dominating HS ball in Florida. (Photo: USA Today Sports)
Before Derrick Henry became a Heisman Trophy finalist, he was a superstar player for Yulee High in Florida and was named to the American Family Insurance ALL-USA first team in 2012.
That honor followed a senior season in which Henry ran for 4,261 yards and 55 touchdowns. He finished his high school career with 12,124 yards, which broke a national record that had lasted for more than 50 years. His 153 rushing TDS ranked No. 5 in the national high school record books.
Here’s a scary fact: Henry was listed as 6-3, 240 as a high school senior. He’s listed on the Alabama roster at 6-3, 242. Imagine a player of Henry’s current size in high school and you can see why he dominated.
In advance of Saturday’s Heisman Trophy presentation, USA TODAY High School Sports caught up with Henry’s high school coach at Yulee, Bobby Ramsay.
Jason Jordan: What’s your best memory of Derrick on the field back in high school?
Bobby Ramsay: Ah man, shoot that’s tough. Well, it was back when he was in the tenth grade and, at the time, we had never been to the playoffs. We had the chance to clinch a playoff, but we were down 21-3 at halftime. He came out in the second half and rallied the troops with his play. We put him in on defense and he blocked a punt; he was all over the place. Then we put him at running back after we’d closed it to three and he gets 30 yards on the first carry. We were planning to go into our two-minute drill after that, but he runs again and gets to their 4-yard line. I went from “two-minute drill” mode to “wait let’s take our time” mode. Our two-minute drill consisted of us handing him the ball, which kinda feels like cheating but, hey, we had 11 guys on the field so…
JJ: What’s your best memory of Derrick off the field back then?
BR: Just the talks we’d have when I’d take him on trips. I remember taking him to Alabama and I let him control the radio and he had the worst taste in music. I love hip hop, but I like late 1990s hip hop and he loves the new stuff. I was praying to God that we’d get to a certain point where the signal would drop. That was pretty funny.
Yulee’s Derrick Henry (2) set the national rushing record in high school. (Photo: Kelly Jordan, The Florida Times-Union via Associated Press)
JJ: Did he excel in any other sports?
BR: He did weight lifting, he did track and he was a hell of a basketball player. He, like most guys, wanted to hang out around the three-point line, but he was a post player. He had a pretty good shot though.
JJ: What’s the craziest story you can remember from his recruitment?
BR: Probably when he committed to Georgia initially. He went up for their Dawg Night and I had no idea what was going on. My running backs coach took him on the visit and I’m at my girlfriend’s house watching a baseball game and my coach calls and says, “I think he wants to commit!” I was like, “What? He’s been there 10 minutes!” I never saw that coming. It was pretty crazy, but I think he was just caught up in the moment. He was just getting the hang of seeing these places and realizing that they’re all pretty awesome.
JJ: What other talents did he have away from sports?
BR: You know what, he used to do the morning announcements at school. He’d be on our in-school production set reading off the announcements for the students on TV. He was pretty good too!
JJ: Is there any doubt in your mind about who will take home the Heisman?
Derrick Henry, shown as a high schooler at Yulee, Fla.
BR: Not at all. Derrick definitely deserves it. You look at what he’s meant to that team and the production he’s had against the top competition. You start talking about breaking Herschel Walker’s records and Bo Jackson’s records; these guys are true legends and he’s passing them. Look at what he did against Wisconsin, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi State. Then you carry your team in the SEC championship game. Nothing against those other two guys, they’re outstanding, but I think Derrick should win that.
JJ: Has the Heisman always been the ultimate goal even back then for Derrick?
BR: He definitely said in an interview in high school that he wanted to win the Heisman so I know this has been on his mind for a while.
JJ: What’s his ceiling as a player?
BR: I think he’s a guy that is hard to compare to anyone because he’s so big and fast. He needs to be in an offense that allows him to run downhill. He’s become a more patient runner and I think he’s got Pro Bowl ability; beyond that, like Hall of Fame or something like that depends on where he ends up and how healthy he remains. Either way, I certainly feel like he has what it takes to be one of the top backs in the NFL.
Here’s how Derrick Henry got it done in high school.
Follow Jason Jordan on Twitter: @JayJayUSATODAY
Linebacker Jaylon Smith wears a Notre Dame hat and sweatshirt after signing a letter of intent in 2013 (Photo: Swikar Patel, The Journal Gazette via The Associated Press)
Notre Dame junior Jaylon Smith, who starred at Bishop Luers in Fort Wayne, Ind., became the second player to win both the high school and college versions of the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker Tuesday.
Smith was a member of the American Family Insurance ALL-USA first team as a high school senior in 2012 and played in the U.S. Army All-American Game. He was named Mr. Football in Indiana and recorded eight sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss. He also was the team’s star running back as Luers won the state 2A title.
Smith was presented his college award in a surprise ceremony at Notre Dame practice attended by Dick Butkus and his son, Matt.
This season at Notre Dame, Smith led the team with 113 total tackles (68 solos) and led the team with five pass breakups. He is third with nine tackles for loss.
Smith joins Notre Dame product and close friend Manti Te’o, who won the Butkus Award while with the Irish and at the Punahou School in Honolulu.
In announcing Smith’s honor, the selection committee said, “Jaylon Smith is an exceptional athlete with the instincts, explosion and striking ability that can tilt the field. He can rush the passer, cover receivers and consistently makes his presence felt all over the field against the run. He’s an impact player who leads by example and is as talented as any college linebacker to win the award the last decade.”
Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith won the Butkus Award. (Photo: Matt Cashore, USA TODAY Sports)
Gainesville quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) attempts a pass against Ware County in the Georgia AAAAA title game in 2012.
(Jason Getz, Atlanta Journal-Constitution via The Associated Press)
When it came to setting state records, Heisman Trophy finalist Deshaun Watson didn’t even need his senior year at Gainesville (Ga.) High.
By the end of his junior year – when he led Gainesville to a state title — Watson owned Georgia career records for passing touchdowns and total yards. By the time he finished his high school career, those numbers had ballooned to 17,134 yards and 155 passing touchdowns.
That went along with a state-record 13,077 passing yards, 4,057 rushing yards, 63 rushing touchdowns, a state-record 218 total touchdowns and state player of the year awards as a sophomore, junior and season.
“The thing about Deshaun is he could throw all the passes,” high school coach Bruce Miller told The State in Columbia, S.C. “He could throw the ball in there. He could throw with touch on it. When he scrambled, he looked down field for people open. He didn’t mind taking off running.”
RELATED: Derrick Henry has wanted the Heisman since high school, coach says
Watson, now a sophomore quarterback at Clemson, made the American Family Insurance ALL-USA second team as a senior and was the top-ranked dual-threat quarterback and the No. 16 player overall coming out of high school by ESPN. (In case you are wondering, the ALL-USA first team quarterback was Allen, Texas, junior Kyler Murray, who would be named the ALL-USA Offensive Player of the Year as a senior before departing for Texas A&M.)
But Watson didn’t just post big numbers for Gainesville. He won and not just football games.
As an eighth grader, Watson won the Georgia state championship in the high jump by clearing 6-foot-2. He sole focus became football after his eighth-grade year and he never competed in track again.
On the football field, the Red Elephants won the Class AAAAA state title in his junior year – the lone state title in school history — and reached the state semifinals in 2011 and 2013 with double-digit wins each year under Miller. Watson also started as a freshman.
“They’ll be telling Deshaun Watson stories here when I’m dead and gone,” Miller told The State.
Watson has won games for the Tigers so far, too. After an injury-plague freshman season, Watson had led Clemson to the No. 1 ranking and a date in the national semifinals against Oklahoma.
Named the ACC Player of the Year, Watson has 3,512 passing yards and 30 touchdowns along with 977 yards on the ground and 11 scores.
And in a note of trivia from The Gainesville Time, the newspaper in Watson’s hometown. He is the high school’s second Heisman finalist. Georgia Tech quarterback Billy Lothridge finished second behind Navy’s Roger Staubach in 1963.
Watson is hoping to be the high school’s first Heisman winner, just like he’s been No. 1 in the state record books.
Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson carries the ball in the ACC Championship Game (Photo: Joshua S. Kelly, USA TODAY Sports)
OL Mitch Hyatt, Clemson. (Photo: Jeremy Brevard, USA TODAY Sports)
Around this time last year, they were American Family Insurance ALL-USA football players. Now, they have finished their first regular season in college football and are members of the USA TODAY Freshman All-America team, released Thursday. The freshman team features a collection of first-year talent from each of the five major conferences.
On offense, Mitch Hyatt was the lone person to make both teams. Hyatt, from North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.), was ranked as the No. 3 offensive tackle in the Class of 2015 before beginning his college career.
On defense, three players were both high school ALL-USA and Freshman All-America: Missouri defensive lineman Terry Beckner (East St. Louis, Ill.), Texas linebacker Malik Jefferson (Poteet, Mesquite, Texas) and Southern California defensive back Iman Marshall (Long Beach Poly, Calif.).
It goes without saying that when high school playoff football comes around, if your school wants to succeed, the best players have to step up. McGuinness (Oklahoma) had Matt Chancellor in a 41-40 win over McAlester (Oklahoma), and that made all the difference.
The junior receiver was impressive, hauling in 12 catches for 322 yards and four touchdowns; the last two were game-breaking plays of 63 and 45 yards. In between his late touchdowns, Chancellor was on the hands team for the on-side kick, recovering the ball to keep McGuiness alive.
“That’s the mindset of our team, we’re never out of games,” Chancellor told NewsOk after the game.
For his efforts, Chancellor leads the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Performances of the Week.
The rest of the top performances as high school sports continue around the nation:
Zach Moser, football, Windsor (Colorado).
Moser plays wide receiver and linebacker for Windsor and excelled at both this week in a 35-14 win over Loveland to win the Oklahoma Class 4A title. Moser caught three passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns and also had an interception and fumble recovery on defense.
Eryka Sidney, girls basketball, Wheatley (Texas).
Wheatley went 3-1 in the HISD tournament and Sidney certainly helped the cause. She averaged 29.3 points per game in the wins against Reagan, Kashmere and Spring Woods.
Jadarious McManus, football, Monroe (North Carolina).
Monroe defeated East Lincoln 46-6 and McManus was the best player on the field. He recorded 244 receiving yards and two touchdowns, bringing his yardage total on the season to 1,099. McManus is the first ever 1,000 yard receiver for Monroe.
Catie Schmidt, girls basketball, Almond-Bancroft (Wisconsin).
Schmidt played really well in the past two games for the Eagles. Against Brower, the forward tallied 15 points and 13 rebounds. She also chipped in 16 points and 17 rebounds in a performance against Port Edwards.
Yoshinori Hanada, boys soccer, Cupertino (California).
Hanada was instrumental in a 6-2 win over Woodside Priory, scoring 4 goals. The playmaker also recorded an assist in 6-1 win over San Lorenzo Valley this week.
Jordan Wright, Dillard, boys basketball (Florida).
The forward scored 30 points to lead Dillard in a 65-52 win over Pines Charter.
Nick Roller, football, Bixby (Oklahoma).
The first time Bixby played Sand Springs, Roller was held to just 44 yards. Roller made sure that wouldn’t happen again in the Class 6A-II title game. The running back exploded for 164 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-28 win.
Jazzlynn Koeller, girls basketball, G.B. West (Wisconsin).
Koeller was the primary playmaker in a 58-36 win over Sturgeon Bay. The sophomore scored 30 points, a career high.
Jerry Howard, football, Rock Hill Northwestern (South Carolina).
The running back was outstanding in a 30-22 win over Nation Ford, rushing the ball 20 times for 272 yards and three touchdowns.
Bam Adebayo shoots a free throw in the Under Armour Elite 24 game. (Photo: Gregory Payan, AP)
LEXINGTON, Ky. – We’re catching up with all five of Kentucky basketball’s 2016 signees to see how their senior high school season is going. Here’s the latest on Scout.com’s No. 15 overall prospect in the country:
Edrice “Bama” Adebayo, High Point Christian Academy’s (North Carolina) 6-9 power forward, is averaging 18.3 points, 13.7 rebounds and four blocks while shooting 63 percent from the field. He’s scored more than 2,000 career points.
“His numbers are a little skewed because we’ve been in a lot of blowouts and I’m trying to protect him for the grind of our schedule,” HPCA coach Brandon Clifford said. “But he’s been great, doing what we need him to do. He’s dominating inside, as always, but his confidence with the ball in his hands on the perimeter, putting it on the floor and attacking, is exponentially better.
“He’s really kind of becoming that power forward who can play away from the basket in addition to everything he can do around the rim. He’s not just the bruiser that most people see him as. Bam’s a lot more than that and he’s starting to show it.”
Read about the crazy stats and steady progress of fellow UK signees De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, Wenyen Gabriel and Sacha Killeya-Jones by clicking any of their names or the below link for a complete rundown of the class.
MORE: THE COURIER-JOURNALFuture Focus | UK basketball’s 2016 class shines
Nazreon Reid’s been a YouTube sensation since he was a 12-year-old posterizing older kids on the AAU circuit.
Roselle Catholic’s Nazreon Reid in a team huddle during a pre-season basketball practice, Monday, December 14, 2015, in Roselle.
(Photo: Jason Towlen/Staff Photographer)
There’s still plenty of video out there with his sophomore season at Roselle Catholic (N.J.), including his throwdown against Florida recruit Noah Dickerson last year when the Lions played Montverde (Fla) Academy.
But where the 6-foot-8 Asbury Park native’s name is most prominent in cyberspace now is on the countless lists ranking the top high school prospects from coast to coast.
Take ESPN.com, where Reid is by far the highest-rated player in New Jersey, with St. Joseph’s (Metuchen) senior guard Tyus Battle, headed to Syracuse, his closest competition. Only 33 players in all classes have a higher rating than Reid nationally, and he’s ranked No. 6 in the Class of 2018.
Does he follow what the experts are saying about him?
“Not really. I mean, I do, but then again I don’t,” he said. “Because at the end of the day I feel as though none of these rankings can contribute to me going to the NBA. Like, say the top person, he’s good now, but will he play in the NBA? Will he get his job done? Will he proceed on his dream? It doesn’t really matter to me now. All I’m trying to do is get the job done and get to college.”
Reid is clearly positioned to be the Garden State’s next Karl-Anthony Towns. He’s a big man being pursued by every major program in the land, and a one-and-done college career seems the most likely route to the NBA.
Roselle Catholic’s Nazreon Reid works out with his team during a pre-season basketball practice, Monday, December 14, 2015, in Roselle. (Photo: Jason Towlen/Staff Photographer)
Listening to Reid talk, however, you suddenly understand the kind of pressure this 16-year-old is under, far beyond what any teenage defender could possibly place on him.
“I have people that I have to look after in the future,” he said. “It’s just, like, I want to be able to look after them easier rather than harder. With that being said, I want my family and my friends to have something that I have, and in order for me to do that I have to get the job done.”
It transcends simply helping the Lions defend the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions title they won a year ago.
“It is a lot of pressure, and those are things we will talk about,” Roselle Catholic coach Dave Boff said. “Like things you don’t really have any control over right now. But I’m sure that he feels like he has an opportunity if he continues to develop and continues to do the right things to put his family in a good situation. But that’s so far from now I just try to keep him focused on the here and now. You can’t take care of that now. You can’t take care of that for a minimum of three years.”
For now, heavy is the head that wears the crown, as the Lions embark on a brutal schedule.
The banner hanging in their gym, featuring the school’s all-time leading scorers, is a clear indication of what’s expected. There’s Jameel Warney, the Stony Brook star who is the reigning American East Player of the Year. And Isaiah Briscoe, who left for Kentucky earlier this year via the McDonald’s All-American game as the school’s first 2,000-point scorer.
And with players including Brisco, Chris Silva (South Carolina) and Pierre Sarr (Monmouth) departed from last year’s team, Reid must assume a larger role, both as a scorer and rebounder and as a leader.
Roselle Catholic’s Nazreon Reid works out during a pre-season basketball practice, Monday, December 14, 2015, in Roselle. (Photo: Jason Towlen/Staff Photographer)
“His development since got here has been tremendous, both on and off the court,” Boff said. “He’s a much more conscientious student. He’s really been able to improve in that area. And as a basketball player, there were times last year where he had serious bouts of immaturity, and he’s really done a better job with that this year. He’s been outstanding on the court for us, and we look forward to him being one of our leaders.”
Rankings aside, it’s difficult to predict the future.
Teams like St. Anthony’s and the Patrick School figure to be standing between Roselle and a second consecutive overall state championship.
Reid might be among the country’s most talked-about players, but there’s a rather daunting learning curve he’ll have to navigate before he achieves his dream of playing at the sport’s highest level.
And that process starts Saturday afternoon in the season opener against Plainfield, when Reid takes the court for the first time as the Lions’ leader.
Wenyen Gabriel will add a dominant presence for Kentucky. (Photo: adidas)
LEXINGTON, Ky. – We’re catching up with all five of Kentucky basketball’s 2016 signees to see how their senior high school season is going. Here’s the latest on Scout.com’s No. 10 overall prospect in the country:
6-foot-10 Wilbraham & Monson Academy (Mass.) forward Wenyen Gabriel had 24 and 10 against fellow top-10 recruit Thon Maker last weekend in Lexington and is averaging 20.5 points and 13.5 rebounds. He also blocked 16 shots in one two-game stretch.
“He’s doing exactly what we asked him to do: be our best player, lead everybody, lead them in the right way, and just go out every night competing at a high level and set the example,” WMA coach Mike Mannix said. “What you’re getting is a guy whose motor never shuts off. It’s been pretty rare in two years of coaching him that I’ve even seen his gear kind of drop down.
“He’s in great physical condition and he’s working harder and harder in the weight room because he’s really kind of grasped what that can mean to him in the future. I think you’ll see every single attribute improve once you see him next year playing at probably 15 to 20 pounds heavier than he is right now (about 195). People won’t be able to move him around anymore.”
Read about the crazy stats and steady progress of fellow UK signees De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, Edrice “Bam” Adebayo and Sacha
Candace Hill wins the girls 100m in a national high school record 10.98 in the 2015 Brooks PR Invitational at Shoreline Stadium. (Photo: Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
Candace Hill has become the youngest track athlete in the United States to turn pro at 16 years old, according to the New York Times.
Hill, the fastest high school female sprinter ever and the first to break 11 seconds, is coming off an amazing spring and summer in which her performances garnered her multiple honors, including the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year, Gatorade National Female Athlete of the Year and the USA Track and Field Youth Athlete of the Year.
She is part of a growing trend of track athletes turning pro early.
Hill set two world youth records in 2015. She ran 10.98 seconds in the 100 meters in June at the Brooks Invitational in Washington to become the only high school female to break 11 seconds. She ran 22.43 in the 200 at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Columbia and set meet records in winning both the 100 and the 200.
According to the Times, Hill has signed a 10-year contract that includes full tuition for her to any college that admits her, even though she would be ineligible to compete in college athletics. An outstanding student, Hill should have her choice of where to attend.
“Turning professional now was a hard decision because I can’t keep running high school track with my team or run in college,” she said. “But I want to get faster, and it seems time for the next step.”
Hill, her parents and agents insist little will change now that she has turned pro entering her junior year of high school. The biggest difference is that she changed coaches 10 weeks ago to Tony Carpenter, who is expected to collaborate with her high school coaches.
Hill will no longer compete in high school meets but will go against other professionals for prize money. Her biggest focus is the Olympics Trials in Oregon in July. She is the youngest U.S. atlhete to qualify for the trials in the 100 and 200 meters.
“What’s intriguing is that she got so good so suddenly, and didn’t change anything in her routine,” agent Mark Wetmore told the Times. “So moving forward, we think it’s important to avoid changing anything other than the people in the other seven lanes.”
(Left to right) Corona del Sol’s Saben Lee, Alex Barcello and Tyrell Henderson look to lead the team back to another State Championship at Corona del Sol in Tempe. (Photo: Patrick Breen, azcentral sports)
Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.) knocked off previously-ranked Super 25 No. 18 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) on Saturday in the Desert Challenge at Scottsdale Rancho Solano Prep. It would have been hard to pull off without the efforts of junior guard Saben Lee, who scored 32 points in the 76-74 win.
“We came together as a team and showed that we belong with the best competition in the nation,” Lee told azcentral.com. “We definitely came very far from the opening game. We made huge strides (Saturday night) as a team.”
For his efforts, Lee leads the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Performances of the Week.
The rest of the top performances as high school sports continue around the nation:
Kaleb Minica, boys basketball, Weaubleau (Missouri).
Minica is averaging 22 points and 19 rebounds in six games this year. His past week certainly helped those numbers, shooting 88 percent while scoring 32 points in a win over Greenwood and he following that performance with 29 points and 19 rebounds in a game against Macks Creek.
Allison Cox, girls basketball, Winner (South Dakota).
Cox filled up the stat sheet in a 78-61 win over Wagner. Cox scored 20 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and recorded six steals and seven assists.
James Cook, football, Miami Central (Florida).
Miami Central defeated Seffner Armwood 48-13 to win their fourth straight Florida Class 6A title game on Dec. 12. Cook, the younger brother of Florida State running back Dalvin Cook, ran the ball 15 times for 178 yards and three touchdowns in the win.
Megan Bultsma, girls basketball, Mt. Vernon/Plankinton (South Dakota).
When you think of a triple double in basketball, you typically associate that with a game of double digit points, rebounds and assists. Bultsma pulled off the rare triple double with blocks in a 40-29 win over West Central. Bultsma scored 23 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked 12 shots.
Evan Cooper, boys swimming, Tri-West (Indiana).
Cooper had a high score of 288.25 in a Dec. 8 meet against Speedway, and is 6-0 on dual meets this season.
David Jenkins, boys basketball, Wilson (Washington).
Jenkins was remarkably consistent last week, leading Wilson to three wins. The junior guard scored 34 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a win over Mount Tahoma, and then followed that up with 27 points in a win over Timberline.
Carmen Backes, girls basketball, Chisago Lakes (Minnesota).
The forward was spectacular in a 70-61 win over Superior (Wisconsin) last Friday. Backes scored 37 points and pulled in 16 rebounds to lead Chisago Lakes.
Isoa Moimoi, football, Sacred Heart (California).
Moimoi was the workhorse running back in Sacred Heart’s decisive 56-20 win over McClymonds, sending Sacred Heart to the state title game. The running back ran the ball 24 times for 164 yards and a touchdown.
Katelyn Brightbill, girls hockey, Annville-Cleona (Pennsylvania).
Brightbill was the key performer in a 12-10 shootout win over Elizabethtown, scoring a hat trick and assisting on five other goals.
East team middle blocker Regan Pittman (27) accepts the East team MVP award from AVCA representative Kathy Deboer and Under Armour representative Tiffany Gansler at the Under Armour All-American Volleyball Game. (Photo: Steven Branscombe, USA TODAY Sports)
OMAHA, Neb. – It didn’t take long for the 12 girls playing for Team East in the Under Armour All-American Volleyball Match and Skills Competition to find common ground.
With just two days to prepare, there wasn’t much time for detailed match plans. So for Team East Coach Nancy Dorsey of St. James Academy (Lexana, Kan.) and her charges, the focus in practice quickly became a fun chemistry experiment.
“We talked a lot in practice about how all-star games can sometimes be uncomfortable because the girls don’t know each other,” Dorsey said. “The crowd isn’t really sure who to cheer for. I told them the team that is the most comfortable is going to go out and be successful.”
The estimated 3,000 fans who attended the all-star match at CenturyLink Center Friday night lustily rooted for both the East and West squads, making the event fun for everyone in the building.
It didn’t really matter that Team East swept Team West 25-16, 25-21, 25-23.
The match featured 14 players who were named to the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Teams this fall, including five first-team players led by Player of the Year Audrianna Fitzmorris, who plays for Dorsey at St. James.
RELATED: Meet the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Girls Volleyball Teams
East MVP Regan Pittman of St. Thomas Aquinas (Overland Park, Kan.) said everyone coming together was the best part.
“I just think it’s all about playing as a team,” said, Pittman, who was second-team ALL-USA. “I’m a big believer in if the team wants to win, they’re going to win. At first we were a little hesitant, but then everyone got comfortable with each other and we became a team.”
Pittman, a Minnesota recruit, led all players with five total blocks, including one solo rejection. She also had an attack percentage of .364 with four kills and no attack errors.
West team outside hitter Khalia Lanier (20) attacks in at the Under Armour All-American Volleyball Game. (Photo: Steven Branscombe, USA TODAY Sports)
Alexis Hart of Truman (Independence, Mo.) led the East squad with eight kills, and Khalia Lanier of Xavier College Prep (Phoenix) matched that total for the West team. Lanier, who was first-team ALL-USA, also was recently selected the Gatorade National Player of the Year.
ALL-USA second-team choice Morgan Hentz of Notre Dame Acdemy (Park Hills, Ky.) was the West MVP. The Stanford recruit – one of four who participated in the event – had match-high totals of 28 reception attempts 12 defensive digs.
Also for the West, Ronika Stone, an ALL-USA first-teamer from Valley Christian (San Jose, Calif.), had six kills, seven points and an attack percentage of .385; Gia Milano of Romeo (Mich.) had five kills and 6.5 points; and Kathryn Plummer, an ALL-USA second-teamer from Aliso Niguel (Alison Viejo, Calif.), had four kills and 4.5 points.
For the East, Molly Haggerty, an ALL-USA first-teamer from St. Francis (Wheaton, Ill.), had three kills and 3.5 points.
Dorsey said both teams played well but, win or lose, she wanted to make sure Team East had a good experience together.
“I said ‘You guys just need to have fun, it’s all about having fun,’” Dorsey said. “You’re all good, you all deserve to be here. Enjoy every moment because this might be the last time you play a game at this level where there’s really no pressure attached to it.”
In the skills competitions, it was the second year in a row a Nebraska recruit won one of the contests. Hunter Atherton of Dublin (Ohio) Coffman won the best setter competition by scoring 13 points in the timed competition.
That score topped Florida recruit and East teammate Cheyenne Huskey (Columbus, Texas), who had seven. Penn State recruit and West team setter Kristin Krause of Parkland (Allentown, Pa.) was third with five points.
At the 2014 Under Armour event in Oklahoma City, current Nebraska freshman Mikaela Foecke of Fort Madison, Iowa, won the hardest hitter competition. On Friday, Lanier, a USC recruit, won that event with a best swing that went 57 mph.
East team setter Hunter Atherton (9) sets to middle blocker Regan Pittman (27) (Photo: Steven Branscombe, USA TODAY Sports)
Atherton said she was nervous about the set challenge finals because she had the lowest score of the three qualifiers.
“I was really nervous but it ended up going well for me, so I was excited,” Atherton said.
East coach Dorsey, who had two of her own players on the roster – ALL-USA setter Jenna Gray and Fitzmorris – said how Atherton plays impressed her both in practice and during the sets.
“I was so impressed with her,” Dorsey said “We’re all about hustle, we love girls who hustle. As far as what stood out most for her was that.
“She had a play in practice today where she dove onto the concrete and everybody was like ‘No’. She maybe bruised her elbow a little bit in the process, but I love that about her. I think she’s got great things ahead of her.”
East team middle blocker Audriana Fitzmorris was the ALL-USA Player of the Year. (Photo: Steven Branscombe, USA TODAY Sports)
Dorsey also said it was a treat for her to have one last chance to coach her St. James Academy players who both are headed to Stanford next season.
“Jenna and Fitz have been very special to my husband and I the last four years,” Dorsey said. “Not just because they’re such good players but they’re such good people and I’m going to miss them.”
Friday’s match was just the start of a busy weekend for Atherton, who was set to leave for the Omaha airport at 4 a.m. to catch a flight back to Columbus to be in a cousin’s wedding.
That also means she will have to miss Saturday’s NCAA Division I championship match between her future team Nebraska against Texas. That match is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. EST at CenturyLink Center and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
Atherton said she was able to watch Nebraska’s 3-1 semifinal round victory against Kansas Thursday night, so she now has an even better understanding of what being a Husker will be all about.
Her best memory, though, was the time she got to spend getting to know some players she likely will be on the opposite side of the net the next four or five years.
“The girls on our team were amazing and we had so much fun together,” Atherton said. “We’ve only been here a couple of days, but it seems like it’s been longer since we’ve done so much together and we’ve had a lot of fun.”
FAIRDALE, Ky. — He’s already been to Louisville for a few campus visits, but Louisville basketball signee V.J. King came to the Louisville area over weekend for a different kind of experience.
King, a five-star, 6-foot-6 wing, came to play in the King of the Bluegrass Overtime game with his Paul VI High team, a powerhouse program from Fairfax (Va.), and he put on a show for his future fans.
In front of a packed house at Fairdale High, King carried Paul VI to a 103-51 win over North Bullitt High, tallying 35 points on 14-of-26 shooting, plus nine rebounds and four steals with Rick Pitino and his current Cards in the bleachers.
King is a member of the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Preseason Boys Basketball Team.
“I wasn’t stressed at all – it was fun,” King said as Louisville center Chinanu Onuaku gave him bunny ears and danced behind him. “I had a support system out here with me.”
Louisville coach Rick Pitino greeted signee V.J. King, after his Paul VI Catholic High School squad defeated the North Bullitt High School in the King of the Bluegrass Tournament
(Photo: Sam Upshaw Jr., Courier-Journal)
The actual game was the last part of Paul VI’s trip here. King took his teammates to Saturday’s Louisville-Western Kentucky game and watched the Cards stave off an early second-half WKU rally and win comfortably, 78-56.
King, one of the Top 25 prospects in the nation in the 2016 class, found himself closely following Louisville swingman Damion Lee, who plays the role King expects to have next season. Lee, a graduate transfer, is Louisville’s primary offensive weapon, serving as a scorer off the wing who can make shots inside and out.
“His role on the team, that’s what I’ve been told I’m filling in for next year,” King said, “so I definitely watch him in terms of where I’m going to fit in.”
In the first half of Saturday’s game, Louisville stifled WKU’s offense, holding the Hilltoppers to 33-percent shooting and just 16 points. The Cards’ fullcourt press was in full effect, with Western committing 12 first-half turnovers.
It was Louisville’s best defensive half of the season, and King noticed.
“It was fun to see the type of defense they play – and how much I have to pick that up,” King said, grinning.
King’s high school coach, Glenn Farello, repeated what he said in the spring, that finding consistency was King’s primary goal this season. He is already a proven scorer, averaging 28.5 points a game this young season, but he is working on being more active in every facet of each game.
“He’s a complete player,” Farello said. “He’s very versatile. As well as he scores the ball, he’s very unselfish … We’re excited about what he can accomplish. He’s very focused on getting better every day. He’s hungry.”
RELATED: V.J. King stars in return to North Carolina, then gives his MVP trophy to teammate
Speaking to the Louisville media for the first time since signing with Louisville back in November, King said the ongoing internal and NCAA investigations in the Cards’ basketball program had no impact on his decision to sign.
King said he didn’t speak with Louisville’s coaches all that much about the salacious allegations made by self-described escort Katina Powell. Instead, he valued his original commitment to Louisville and his close relationship with U of L assistant Kenny Johnson, who was an assistant at Paul VI High and also helped run the AAU program for which King played.
On Sunday, Louisville’s players and coaches returned that feeling, showing up in full force for King’s game. Every U of L player was there with the exception of Mangok Mathiang, who had surgery Sunday on his broken foot, and both Johnson and fellow assistant Mike Balado joined Pitino.
After the game finished, Loiusville fans lined up for photos with Pitino and King’s future teammates posed with him for a picture. It felt like a homecoming of sorts for the future Card.
“I just want to come in and try to contribute in whatever ways I can next year,” he said.
Team East swept Team West 25-16, 25-21, 25-23 in the Under Armour All-American Volleyball Match and Skills Competition on Friday night in Omaha, and there was plenty of great action.
The match featured 14 players who were named to the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Teams this fall, including five first-team players led by Player of the Year Audrianna Fitzmorris.
RELATED: Meet the ALL-USA Volleyball Teams
Here are lots of photos from the event courtesy of Steven Branscombe from USA TODAY Sports Images
Click here for coverage of the match and skills competition
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Just five months ago Wendell Carter Jr. was front and center starring on national TV helping the Georgia Stars claim the Nike Peach Jam title, arguably the most coveted title on the summer circuit.
Before that, Carter helped the USA U16 squad capture the gold medal at the FIBA Americas World Championships in Argentina.
Now here he was on an overcast Monday afternoon playing in the auxiliary gym with Pace Academy (Atlanta) in the consolation bracket of the Chick-fil-A Classic.
“It’s a big difference from the summer,” said Carter, a junior forward who is ranked No. 2 overall in the ESPN 60. “I get frustrated sometimes because I’m used to winning and this year we’ve started kinda slow. I just try and stay positive; I think this is my time to grow as a leader.”
It’s the consistent message Pace Academy coach Demetrius Smith has been preaching to Carter since before the season began.
It certainly helped that Pace (3-4) knocked off Mullins (Mullins, S.C.), 67-59. Carter was dominant scoring 33 points and grabbing 21 rebounds in the win.
“He gets frustrated because he forgets he’s not playing with his AAU team sometimes,” Smith said. “But this is high school ball and when you’re an elite player you’ve gotta be able to make guys better; you have to coach guys up. Magic Johnson was so great at that. Wendell’s improving a lot with it.”
Carter clearly sees the value in helping his teammates elevate their game; when asked about the No. 1 area of his game he wanted to improve, Carter quickly replied, “Leadership.”
“I just think that if I can keep being a better and better leader it’s only gonna take me to the next level as a player,” said Carter, who is averaging 24 points,18 rebounds and seven blocks a game this season. “Of course I want to keep developing as a player; I’m doing that too, but I’m trying to be as good a leader as I am as a player.”
Follow Jason Jordan on Twitter: @JayJayUSATODAY
Miles Bridges (Photo: 247Sports)
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Miles Bridges’ gauge for whether or not he’s done his job after a game is if he’s so drained that he’s got push through mentally and physically just to walk out of the locker room.
So far so good at the Chick-fil-A Classic, Bridges has led No. 18 Huntington Prep (Huntington, W.Va.) to two wins, the second of which came Monday, a 65-64 overtime win over Oldsmar Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.).
The Irish will now play for the Chick-fil-A National Division title on Tuesday night.
Bridges, an American Family Insurance ALL-USA preseason selection, is averaging 18 points, 16 rebounds, three blocks and three steals at the Chick-fil-A Classic.
“I know people say all the time that they want to leave it all out there on the floor, but I mean it; I have to,” said Bridges, a senior wing. “Thomas (Bryant) is at Indiana now so I had to take over the leadership role for the team. The guys look to me to start everything and I embrace it. I have to bring the energy.”
RELATED: More from the Chick-fil-A Classic
Bridges took on a similar role with The Family (Mich.) last summer on the AAU circuit, oftentimes playing the whole game and averaging 20.8 points and 8.9 rebounds.
“I feel like that got me even more prepared for this season,” said Bridges, who signed with Michigan State last month. “I knew I would need to be better conditioned so in the preseason after workouts I’d do more running and things like that.”
Huntington Prep coach Arkell Bruce helps Bridges put things into perspective by reminding him that as the No. 8 overall player in the ESPN 100 and a probable McDonald’s All American he’s bound to take the opposition’s best shot.
“It’s the other guy’s Super Bowl going against Miles,” Bruce said. “So it helps not to be boxed in to doing one thing. He’s a jack-of-all-trades and he’s really starting to master that leadership role. He just doesn’t stop coming.”
That style is a win-win for Bridges; perfect training for what he’ll need to bring to the court next year in East Lansing, according to Bridges.
“This is the style I’ll play at Michigan State, just being relentless on both ends of the floor,” Bridges said. “That’s how Coach (Tom) Izzo is, he demands that kind of energy so I’m just getting a head start on next year.”
Follow Jason Jordan on Twitter: @JayJayUSATODAY
Over the next three days, USA TODAY High School Sports will name the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Coach of the Year, Offense and Defense for football, with the ALL-USA State teams to follow next week.
We begin with the ALL-USA Coach of the Year Matt Logan of Centennial (Corona, Calif.)
Matt Logan of Corona Centennial has been named the ALL-USA Coach of the Year (Photo: Kelvin Kuo, USA TODAY Sports)
MATT LOGAN
School: Centennial (Corona, Calif.).
Age: 49
Details: Coached team to a 14-1 season, the No. 7 spot in the final Super 25 football rankings, a second consecutive Pac-5 title and a runner-up finish in state Open Division. His teams have won 10 CIF Southern Section titles since 2000.He won his 200th game this season and has an overall record of 211-46 in 19 seasons.
Biggest coaching influence: “There have been a lot of coaches who have influenced me. Probably Hal Sherbeck, my junior college coach (at Fullerton College). The way he treated people, meaning his players and his coaches. He was a genuinely nice guy and I didn’t know you could do that and still be a football coach. He cared about everybody and it shows for the incredible career he had. I’ve had more junior college reunions than I’ve had for the four-year university that I ended up and high school.”
Best advice: “I remember I was in my very first CIF championship game. I had coached at Mater Dei (Santa Ana) for a year and I saw Coach (Bruce) Rollinson at the luncheon the Monday prior to the game and he said, ‘Don’t be happy just to be here. Go out and win the thing.’ That’s something I took to heart right away.
Social media: “I don’t use Facebook. I do have Twitter. The original reason was to follow my daughters (he has three college-age daughters), to keep an eye on them and make sure they weren’t doing anything crazy. And then the second reason was for updates and find out what’s going on in the sports world or with my teams, or anything the local media is doing on us.”
Matt Logan led Corona Centennial to a 14-1 record this season (Photo: Kelvin Kuo, USA TODAY Sports)
Recent good read: “Friday Night Lights. It’s been awhile, but not when the book originally came out.”
Listening to: “I’m a huge Van Halen fan. Any ’80s rock or Van Halen is my favorite.”
Secret to winning at a public school: “The kids who come here know the expectations and obviously want to compete and that’s all we ask of them. Do the work, do what we ask and we compete every week. I always say, ‘We may get beat, but we always compete.’ I don’t care how tall they are, how fast they are, how big they are. We just want good football players.”
Secret weapon: “It’s the consistency with our staff. Each year, we bring on a coach or two, but I’ve got a very large coaching staff and most of my coaches have been here for seven or eight years or maybe longer. I’ve got two coaches who have been with me from day one.”
BLASTS FROM THE PAST
Click the link below to view the past 10 ALL-USA Coaches of the Year
