Under the Lights: Season's End
Pitt's commits across the country played their final week of high school football in their senior seasons this week, with a number of players capturing state championships. Under the Lights breaks down those performances:
Bright's senior season has ended, as Park Crossing fell in a playoff loss to Opelika (Ala.) in the semifinals of Alabama's state playoffs. The highlights from Bright's senior playoffs are available at this link.
Dontavius Butler and his teammates at Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage were able to end their senior season on an incredibly high note on Friday. The Patriots pulled out a 35-33 come-from-behind victory over Ponte Vedra (Fla.) to capture the state title in Florida's 5A classification, their third state championship in four years. Butler had a critical score in the game, scoring the third of Heritage's three unanswered touchdowns to give them a 21-13 lead over Ponte Vedra after the Sharks took a 13-0 lead on the Patriots early. Butler finished with three receptions for 26 yards and a touchdown. Two angles of his impressive touchdown catch, which featured a smooth double move, are embedded below:
Carrigan's senior season has ended, as Pine Richland fell in a playoff loss to Pittsburgh (Pa.) Central Catholic in the second of the Pennsylvania state playoffs. Carrigan's senior highlights are available at this link.
Kirk Christodoulou is still not participating in the American high school football season, as he resides in Australia.
Owen Drexel's senior has ended with a loss in the semifinals of New Jersey's North 1 Group 5 playoffs to Ridgewood (N.J.). Drexel's senior highlights are not yet available.
One of the most dominant seasons in Pennsylvania's storied football history continued on Saturday afternoon as Paris Ford and his Munhall (Pa.) Steel Valley Ironmen put on a show and captured a state title. Ford and his teammates completed a dazzling run by thumping Southern Columbia (Pa.) 49-7 in Pennsylvania's 2A state championship game. The Ironmen enacted Pennsylvania's running clock mercy rule in every game this season by taking a lead of at least 35 points in all 15 of their contests; they are the first team in the 18-year history of the rule to achieve that feat.
Ford did the things that he usually does: score in several different manners, make his impact fell on both sides of the ball, leap over tall buildings with a single bound, and so on. The Rivals100 Pitt commit finished with two touchdowns (one through the air and one on the ground), as well as three receptions for 92 yards and six rushing attempts for 41 yards. Two of Ford's highlight plays are embedded below, but you can view his full highlights from the game at this link.
Gabe Houy's season has ended. Upper St. Clair (Pa.) fell to McKeesport (Pa.) in the first round of the Pennsylvania state playoffs. You can view his senior highlights at this link.
Kyle Nunn's season has ended. Findlay (Ohio) fell to Dublin (Ohio) Jerome in the first round of Ohio's state playoffs. You can view his senior highlights at this link.
Kenny Pickett's senior season has ended with Oakhurt (N.J.) Ocean Township failing to secure a playoff berth. You can view his highlights from his senior year at this link.
Charles Reeves' senior season ended last week with a loss to Columbus (Ohio) Bishop Hartley in the state championship game of Ohio's Division IV. You can view Reeves' senior highlights at this link.
Tyler Sear's senior season has ended with New Castle (Pa.) Neshannock falling to Steel Valley in the 2A WPIAL finals of Pennsylvania's playoffs.. You can view his highlights from his senior year at this link.
Todd Sibley's senior season ended last week with a victory in Ohio's Division III state championship game, his second consecutive state championship victory with Akron (Ohio) Archbishop Hoban. Sibley's senior highlights are available at this link.
Darian Street's season has ended. Bethlehem (Pa.) Liberty fell to Emmaus in the opening round of the Pennsylvania state playoffs. You can view highlights from his senior season at this link.
The unbelievable dominance of Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas continued on Friday night in Florida. The Aquinas Raiders, a team that features Pitt linebacker commit Albert Tucker and dozens of other future Division I players, defeated previously unbeaten Tampa (Fla.) Plant in the state championship game by a score of 45-6. The Raiders' dominance is simply unheard of - they won the state championship in the 7A classification, Florida's second-largest, by defeating every team they faced in the playoffs by at least five touchdowns. In fact, they have beaten every team they've faced since the start of October by at least 34 points; their defense allowed more than one touchdown just once in that nine game stretch.
Tucker contributed four tackles in the state title game as the Aquinas defense forced two turnovers, sacked Plant's quarterback twice, and forced seven more quarterback hurries. This is Aquinas' third-consecutive state championship, an incredibly impressive feat given the level of competition they face in a state like Florida. Tucker's highlights from the game or his senior season are not yet available.
Carson Van Lynn's senior season with Worthington (Ohio) Kilbourne did not result in a playoff berth and his season has ended. You can view senior highlights for Van Lynn at this link.
Carter Warren's senior season with Wayne (N.J.) Passaic County Technical Institute ended last week with a loss in the finals of New Jersey's North 1 Group 5 playoff bracket. His full senior highlights are not yet available, but mid-season highlights last updated in October are available at this link.