Parents Sue Over Bad Call in High School Game

By - Kris Fletcher

Atrisco Heritage High parents filed an injunction earlier this week on behalf of the school's football team after it was kept out of the New Mexico Class 4-A state playoffs on a point differential tie breaker technicality.

The Jaguars were one point away from overcoming its disadvantage in that tie breaking category, and felt they could have completed the takeover had they not been cheated out of a game-ending field goal attempt in their regular season finale against Albuquerque St. Pius.

Photo by: Michael Yanow

With Atrisco leading 24-15, but needing to win by 10 or more points, a St. Pius defender was called for a tripping penalty with just three seconds remaining on the clock. The penalty put the Jags in field-goal range, where a successful 41-yarder would have landed the team a playoff berth.

However, they never got to attempt the kick because officials started the clock on the final play before the ball was snapped. Of course, that shouldn't have happened since the penalty on the previous play should have ensured the clock wouldn't begin until the snap.

Afterwards, Robert Zayas, the New Mexico Activities Association associate director, told KOAT-TV that as soon as the game officials walked off the field, the score was considered final and irreversible. "The playoffs are set, there are no changes unfortunately for Atrisco Heritage," Zayas said. "They will not be in the playoffs."

High School Team Held to -21 Total Yards in Loss

By - Kris Fletcher

I know we've been doing a lot of high school football posts of late, but this one was too good to not pass along.

Last night in Dallas, Skyline High School defeated Samuell High by a final score of 54-0. However, that wasn't the telling number of the contest. The real story was that the Raiders held the Spartans to -21 yards of total offense for the game.

Photo by: Brendan Sullivan

That ugly negative yardage number was spread out among five players. The teams two quarterbacks, who combined for -11 yards rushing, and three running backs, who amassed a total of -10 yards as a group.

The defensive accomplishment is even more impressive when you consider the fact that Samuell didn't come into the game winless, like a lot of teams that suffer through extremely humiliating losses. The Spartans entered having won their final game in September, beating Dallas Sunset fairly easily, 35-14.

Quarterback Throws 11 TD Passes in a Game

By - Kris Fletcher

It has been a pretty good month for high school quarterbacks to say the least.

Will Totten, who plays for McKenzie High in Oregon, threw for 11 touchdowns in a wild 88-80 victory against Lowell High back on September 30th.

Photo by: Corey Culp

The senior passed for 553 yards while adding another 117 on the ground, giving him 670 yards of total offense for the game

He had a hand in all but one of his team's touchdowns during the record performance. The 168 points that the two schools combined to score set a state record for most points in a single game.

Ohio High School Football Player Pricks Opposing Team With Tack

By - Brian Harrington

What a (ahem) prick. Last week, an Ohio high school football player placed a sharp object, believed to be a tack, in his glove before walking through a postgame handshake line, pricking the hands of twenty-seven opponents as he walked through and "congratulated" them on a game well played.

Photo from: bridgeandtunnelclub.com

Following Washington Court House High School's 26-0 rout of McLain High, twenty-seven members of the losing team were pricked, forcing them to receive tetanus shots. Greenfield, Ohio Police Chief Tim Hester said the suspect is a 16-year-old at Washington Court, who didn't even participate in the game. He had been ruled ineligible and spent the entire game on the sidelines.

"We walked across the 50-yard line and supposedly one of the guys had tacks in his glove. Nobody knew about it. I was far back enough in the line that everyone started to turn around and I got out of the way," said Michael Aeh, a McClain football player.

"They felt the pain of it when it occurred and they thought maybe they had hit a nerve or something," said Dr. Dan Strain, McClain High School principal. "Then some of them looked down at their hands and saw blood."

Texas High School QB Has Monster Game

By - Brian Harrington

There are few things in this world bigger than football in the state of Texas, so the all-time record books must be long and distinguished. A few weeks ago, they were re-written.

Photo by: Jason Palmer

QB Dylan Sheffield of Wichita Falls High School had a game for the ages. Throwing for an astounding 683 yards and 7 touchdowns, the last of which being an 81-yard game winner to WR Chance Garey with under a minute to go in a 53-49 win over Denton High. His 683 yards bested the previous mark of 634 yards, held by Richardson High QB Mac Morse in 2009, by 49 yards.

"We had confidence the whole game," Sheffield told the Times Record. "We didn't feel like we could be stopped, and even on that last drive, I knew we weren't going to lose. We felt like we could throw the ball, and we felt like we were going to score a lot of points. I thought it was going to come down to who got the ball last, and luckily we got it last."

Sheffield already held the Wichita Falls school record for passing yards in a game, but he broke his own mark with more than a quarter remaining. Incredibly, the Coyotes needed every single yard and touchdown Sheffield threw for to get the win.

High School Football Coach Resigns Following Bounty Allegation

By - Kris Fletcher

The defensive coordinator for Morrisville High School in Pennsylvania has resigned because of an incident that dated back to last week’s game against New Hope-Solebury.

Parents on the sidelines for the game alleged that they heard coach Jason Bresnen tell his players he would pay them one hundred dollars to "take out" a kid on the other team.

Photo from: theepochtimes.com

After resigning, Bresnen stated that his comments were taken out of context:

"Never would I tell a kid to deliberately hurt another player - ever," Bresnen said. "I would never do anything to jeopardize a kid or his future. I told them that if you continue to hit (the player) and gang tackle him, I'll bet you $100 that we will wear him down. I would never tell them to hurt a player. I've been around sports my entire life, coaching youth football and such. I would never do anything like that."

Four High School Football Players Killed in Tragic Car Accident

By - Brian Harrington

Four members of the Mainland Regional High School football team in New Jersey were killed yesterday afternoon in a one car accident while en route to an organized team meal.

It is reported that the SUV the teens were riding in crested a hill on the Garden State Parkway and encountered sudden and unexpected heavy traffic. The driver slammed on the brakes and swerved causing the vehicle to roll several times.

Photo by: Ben Fogletto

Two passengers were ejected, including one who was struck by oncoming traffic. Those two, along with the driver died at the scene. A fourth passenger died later at an area hospital. Four other players in the vehicle were transported to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries.

The Associated Press has confirmed that the driver was 17-year-old Casey Brenner. Edgar Bozzi, Dean Khoury, and Nick Conner were the other three killed. No one in the SUV was over the age of 17.

High School Basketball Star Shot Dead

By - Kris Fletcher

On Sunday, a 17-year-old basketball prospect from the Chicago area was killed in a shooting at a Sweet 16 birthday party.

Ryan Royall, a star guard from the Hillcrest High Hawks basketball team, went to a party Saturday evening in south Lynwood with a group of friends. As they left the scene at around 12:30 Sunday morning, shots were fired, and Royall was struck multiple times. Less than an hour later, he was pronounced dead at Franciscan Saint Margaret Mercy Health Care.

Photo from: yourseason.com

His death has been ruled a homicide, although police believe he was not the intended target.

As it were, Royall and his friends left when they did to recuperate before a Sunday slate of basketball games at the Riverside-Brookville Summer Tournament. He was expected to emerge in his senior season as a true Division I prospect, building off an all-conference junior season.

Now, he's gone, with family and friends struggling to come to grips with such a sudden and tragic loss.

Youth Dies Following Game-Winning Shot

By - Kris Fletcher

A Michigan high school basketball star collapsed on the court and later died after making a game-winning layup in overtime to cap his team's undefeated season.

Photo from: newzandviews.com

Wes Leonard (center-above photo), of Fennville High, which is roughly 200 miles west of Detroit, died Thursday night, according to Deb Patterson, spokeswoman for Holland Hospital. Patterson said paramedics performed CPR on the 16-year-old before he was pronounced dead at the hospital. The cause of death has not yet been determined.

Leonard, a junior, who was also the starting quarterback of the Blackhawks football team, was "by far the best player on that basketball team -- just an outstanding athlete," said coach Mike Miller, whose Bridgman team was defeated by Fennville 57-55 Thursday night.

Earlier this season, Leonard passed the 1,000-point mark for his high school career. With less than 30 seconds remaining in Thursday nights game, Leonard hit a layup and Bridgman was unable to score during their ensuing trip down court, giving Fennville the win and a 20-0 season. Afterward, Leonard fell to the ground as teammates and fans rushed onto the court to celebrate the victory.