What do a kickoff return, a blocked field goal, and a defensive lineman have in common?
All of them turned in a touchdown in this week’s high school football action.
This week’s USA TODAY Sports Plays of the Week highlight package features five plays across the country that rose up in the national picture.
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Here’s a video of each and an opportunity to vote for your favorite play below.
Best of Week 7: Santa Margarita (CA) Grant Van Raaphorst’s unbelievable grab voted Play of the Week
Who says defensive linemen aren’t athletes? Columbus (Miami, FL) defensive tackle Travares Vicks resents that. As the blitz collapsed on Coral Gables (FL) quarterback Aiden Leone, Vicks and senior Angel Orozco stayed back. They swarmed Leone’s intended target and Vicks came up with the interception, racing it about 23 yards to the house for the pick-six. Columbus crushed Coral Gables 51-13.
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Douglas County (Douglasville, GA) saw its four-point lead slip away to Super 25 No. 10 Carrollton (GA), but the Tigers weren’t going to go quietly. Carrollton’s two-possession lead didn’t even last one play from scrimmage, as sophomore Jeremiah Mathis returned the kickoff to the house and cut the second-quarter deficit to 31-24. He made up for letting the ball slip by him initially by breaking past a couple of would-be tacklers, beating the kicker, and taking the kickoff home.
North Shore threatened to strike first in this cross-Houston battle, but Summer Creek turned the tide with the stroke of the fingertips. The Mustangs’ field goal was blocked, and senior Caleb White was waiting in the back of the end zone. He picked it up, ran, ran, and didn’t stop, beating defenders to the edge and taking the ball 107 yards to the end zone for a touchdown.
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For a ferocious run on Friday night, Andre Adams could not be contained. Wrapped up around the 48-yard line, the Antioch (TN) QB and Colorado commit continued pushing, driving himself for that one extra yard. Then one more. Then one more. When all was said and done, he turned a decent gain into a 22-yard run, dragging a man for perhaps 15 of them and demanding half the defense before he’d go down.
Ahmad Hudson used his basketball skills for this catch. The five-star LSU tight end commit rose above two defenders, caught it, and maintained control as he hit the ground. As far as receptions go, this is as impressive as you’ll see, brought to you by the 6-foot-6.5 Ruston (LA) star.
