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1st & 10: University Lab Honors ‘Waterboy,’ Top Recruit Sets Commitment Date

By
Jake Rill
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The regular season may be nearing its end, but there’s still plenty more action and excitement to come in the high school football campaign.

Here’s a look at 10 of the top headlines entering another week of the high school football season, with a full slate of games scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 25-27.

1. University Lab dons ‘Waterboy’ jerseys

Many people often include “The Waterboy” among their favorite football movies. Apparently, the University Lab (La.) football team has some big fans.

This past Friday, University Lab wore uniforms resembling those seen in the movie as it notched a 70-0 win over Mentorship Academy (La.). It was in honor of the 20th anniversary of “The Waterboy” being released.

2. Morristown player scores memorable touchdown

Kevin Hasenbein, a senior at Morristown (N.J.), scored a touchdown he’ll always remember this past Saturday.

Hasenbein, who has Down syndrome, was given the opportunity to play in a game for the first time this season. And coach John Power made sure Hasenbein got to score a touchdown.

Jane Havsy of the Morristown Daily Record reported that Hasenbein scored an 80-yard touchdown run, and while it didn’t officially count on the scoreboard, it was certainly a cool moment for the fans in attendance for Morristown’s game against Delbarton (N.J.).

3. Top Arizona QBs miss ESPNU matchup

Chaparral vs. Pinnacle was supposed to be a game that showcased two of Arizona’s top quarterbacks in a national spotlight. However, neither played.

Oklahoma commit Spencer Rattler (Pinnacle) missed the game with a sprained MCL. Ohio State commit Jack Miller (Chaparral) was out with a knee sprain.

With both quarterbacks out, Pinnacle improved to 8-1 with a 23-7 win.

According to Richard Obert of the Arizona Republic, Pinnacle coach Dana Zupke didn’t comment on Rattler’s injury and wouldn’t discuss how long the star quarterback might be out.

4. Top recruit sets commitment date

Kayvon Thibodeaux, a 5-star defensive end, is the No. 1 recruit in the 247sports composite rankings. Last week, he announced when he’ll make his college decision.

Thibodeaux, who plays for Oaks Christian (Calif.), will commit to a school on Dec. 15.

According to 247sports, it was expected to be a battle between Florida State and Alabama to land Thibodeaux. However, his recent visit to Oregon reportedly went well, and then he decided to move up his commitment date.

5. Rankings update

Two Louisiana schools kept pace in the USA Today Super 25 poll this week by notching wins.

University Lab stayed at No. 14 in the rankings after its 70-0 win over Mentorship Academy (La.), while John Curtis remained at No. 25 after its 46-21 victory over Holy Cross (La.).

Chandler (Ariz.) moved up two spots to No. 20 after its 62-0 win over Tucson High Magnet School (Ariz.).

6. Matchup of the week: Servite vs. St. John Bosco

St. John Bosco (Calif.) looks to cap its undefeated regular season when it hosts Servite (Calif.) on Friday.

The Braves are 9-0 after last week’s 49-14 win over Santa Margarita (Calif.). They are the No. 1 team in the USA Today Super 25 poll.

Before rolling to an undefeated year, St. John Bosco may have a rematch against Mater Dei (Calif.) in the state playoffs. St. John Bosco notched a 41-18 win over Mater Dei, the No. 2 team in the USA Today Super 25 poll, on Oct. 13.

7. Other big-time matchups

There are plenty of other great games to watch this weekend.

Here are the matchups that will air live on YurView and be streamed live on YurView.com this weekend:

Arizona — Sunrise Mountain vs. Centennial (Friday)

Louisiana — Central vs. Denham Springs (Friday)

Nebraska — Lincoln East vs. Omaha Westside (Friday)

Oklahoma — Broken Arrow vs. Edmond Memorial (Thursday), Jenks vs. Edmond Santa Fe (Friday) and Ardmore vs. Noble (Friday)

8. Incredible Play of the Week

Mike Hale may have been laying on his back, but that didn’t stop him from making an incredible catch.

Forest Hill (Fla.) notched a 34-6 win over Olympic Heights (Fla.) this past Friday, and this play was certainly the highlight.

Hale caught a touchdown pass after he had already slipped and fallen on his back. He was laying in the end zone and still came down with the pass for the score.

9. Top Performance of the Week

Anthony Vargas set a record for Wichita Falls (Texas) this past Friday.

Vargas threw eight touchdowns, breaking the school record, while passing for a career-high 558 yards in a 64-22 win over Abilene Wylie (Texas).

It was the second time that Vargas threw for more than 500 yards in a game in his career.

10. Recent commitments

2019 cornerback Jordan Clark (University Lab High School, Baton Rouge, La.), a 4-star recruit per the 247sports composite rankings, committed to Arizona State on Oct. 16.

2020 wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (Westgate High School, New Iberia, La.), a 4-star recruit per the 247sports composite rankings, committed to LSU on Oct. 21.

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