Commitments in action

NC State's commitments are starting to wrap up their final seasons of high school football. Defensive back Chris Holmes of Fredericksburg (Va.) Chancellor High had a bye week, and offensive tackle Patrick Roane of Hope Mills (N.C.) Gray's Creek High saw his season come to an end last week in the first round of the state playoffs.

Defensive back Marcus Edmond and Hopkins (S.C.) Lower Richland High was supposed to play a second-round 3-A state playoff game at Central (S.C.) Daniel High last Friday, but found out Thursday that they had an ineligible player on the roster and had to forfeit their first-round win over Greer (S.C.) Blue Ridge.

Here is a recap of how the others did, with all games played last Friday unless otherwise noted.

Offensive lineman Cole Blankenship and Mocksville (N.C.) Davie County High ended the season at 9-4 after a second-round 14-7 loss to visiting Winston-Salem (N.C.) Mt. Tabor High in the 4-A state playoffs.

Tight end Chris Burton caught a 13-yard pass for Danville (Va.) George Washington High, but GW was upset at home by Stafford (Va.) Brooke Point 28-20 in the quarterfinals of the Northwest Region Division 5 state playoffs. George Washington finished the season 8-3.

Burton caught 15 passes for 364 yards and four touchdowns, and added a six-yard rush, this season.

Wide receiver Bra'Lon Cherry had three receptions for 106 yards and a touchdown, made six tackles (two solo), broke up three passes, returned a punt 25 yards and had two kickoff runbacks for 72 yards in New Bern (N.C.) High's 41-17 win over Wilmington (N.C.) Hoggard at home in the second round of the 4-A state playoffs. New Bern remains undefeated at 12-0.

For the season, Cherry has 34 receptions for 659 yards and nine touchdowns, 11 carries for 129 yards and a score, 38 tackles (22 solo), four interceptions (two of which were returned for touchdowns), 22 passes broken up, a fumble recovery, five punt returns for an average of 25.8 yards and eight kickoff runbacks for an average of 46.3 yards.

Defensive back Hassan Childs helped Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola rout Groveland (Fla.) South Lake High 71-17 to conclude its regular season a perfect 10-0. Osceola is ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press 7-A state poll.

Childs, who is expected to officially visit Purdue this weekend, entered the South Lake contest with 19 tackles (16 solo), three interceptions, a pass broken up, four catches for 75 yards and a touchdown, a 10-yard kickoff runback, and 11 punt returns for an average of 22.2 yards and two touchdowns.

Running back Matt Dayes ran 17 times for 179 yards and a touchdown, and caught two passes for 16 yards and a score, for Weston (Fla.) Cypress Bay High in a 31-15 win at Lauderdale Lakes (Fla.) Boyd Anderson High. Cypress Bay finished the regular season at 8-2 and ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press 8-A state poll.

On the year, Dayes has rushed 160 times for 1,060 yards and 13 touchdowns, and caught eight passes for 107 yards and three scores.

Linebacker Jerod Fernandez and Lake Mary (Fla.) High lost their third straight game, this time falling to Oviedo (Fla.) High 31-7, dropping Lake Mary to 7-3.

Cornerback Da'Wan Hunte and Miami Central won their sixth straight contest by thumping North Miami Beach High 52-28 last Thursday night. Central is 7-2 on the season and ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press 6-A state poll.

Wide receiver Jalen McDaniel caught a 55-yard pass for Fayetteville (N.C) Jack Britt in a 17-10 win over visiting Raeford (N.C.) Hoke County High in the second round of the state 4-AA state playoffs. Britt is 11-2 on the season.

McDaniel has played 11 games and caught 27 passes for 528 yards and five touchdowns, and rushed 14 times for 193 yards and two scores.

Athlete Pharoah McKever completed 5 of 12 passes for 114 yards with two touchdowns and intercepted a pass on defense to help Tabor City (N.C.) South Columbus High improve to 11-2 with a 21-15 win over visiting Creedmoor (N.C.) South Granville High in the second round of the 2-A state playoffs.

McKever has 780 yards and 13 touchdowns passing to go along with 12 rushing scores this year.

Running back Joshua Mercer ran 24 times for 192 yards and four touchdowns for Guyton (Ga.) South Effingham High in a 26-10 win over visiting Augusta (Ga.) Academy of Richmond County. South Effingham is 6-4 after the victory.

Mercer has played nine games and rushed 183 times for 1,235 yards and 22 touchdowns. He's also caught eight passes for 81 yards, returned seven kickoffs for a 36.7-yard average, made six tackles (five solo) and nabbed an interception.

Running back Dakwa Nichols had 13 carries for 133 yards and two touchdowns for Rockingham (N.C.) Richmond County High in a 34-14 win over visiting Fuquay-Varina (N.C.) High in the second round of the state 4-AA playoffs, improving the Raiders' record to 11-1.

Nichols, who has played just seven full games and limited snaps in two more because of a foot injury, has rushed 81 times for 860 yards and 11 touchdowns this season.

Linebacker Quinton Patterson and Shelby (N.C.) Crest saw their season end with a 10-3 record after falling to Belmont (N.C.) South Point 46-33 on the road in the second round of the state 3-AA state playoffs.

Receiver Kyrin Priester caught a 41-yard touchdown pass for Snellville (Ga.) Brookwood High during a 42-13 loss at Grayson (Ga.) High. Priester impressed Atlanta Journal-Constitution recruiting reporter Michael Carvell, who tweeted after the game that he was "convinced that [Priester] was GA's No. 1 prospect at WR."

Brookwood dropped to 6-4. Priester has eight touchdown catches this year.

Offensive lineman Tyler Reagan and Fruit Cove (Fla.) Bartram Trail High improved to 8-2 by rolling up 447 total yards in a 44-24 win at Jacksonville (Fla.) Creekside.

Linebacker Artemis Robinson had four tackles (three solo) and broke up a pass for Laurinburg (N.C.) Scotland County High in a 56-27 win over visiting Sanford (N.C.) Lee County High in the second round of the state 4-A playoffs. Scotland improved to 11-1.

This season, Robinson has 128 tackles (91 solo), three sacks, seven quarterback hurries, one interception that he returned for a score, five passes broken up, two fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, two rushes for 50 yards and a touchdown, and a 46-yard pass completion on his only attempted throw.

Defensive back Jack Tocho and Charlotte Independence lost to Matthews (N.C.) Butler for the second time in three weeks when they fell 55-26 at Butler in the second round of the 4-AA state playoffs. Independence closed the year at 10-3.

Tocho entered that game with 57 tackles (49 solo), six interceptions, nine passes broken up, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, a blocked field goal, six rushes for 27 yards and a score, and 17 kickoff returns for a 35.8-yard average and three touchdowns.