Commitments in action

Here are the latest updates from the NC State recruiting class, with all games coming last Friday.

Offensive lineman Cole Blankenship returned from a stress fracture in his leg to help Mocksville (N.C.) Davie County defeat Jamestown (N.C.) Ragsdale 38-8 in a 4-A state playoff first-round game. Davie County improved to 9-3 with the home victory.

Tight end Chris Burton had a six-yard carry for Danville (Va.) George Washington High in a 35-3 home win over South Boston (Va.) Halifax County High. George Washington is 8-2 and clinched the division title with the victory.

For the season, Burton has 14 catches for 351 yards and four touchdowns. That was Burton's first rush of the season.

Wide receiver Bra'Lon Cherry and New Bern (N.C.) High cruised past Fayetteville (N.C.) Pine Forest 48-7 at home in the first round of the 4-A state playoffs. New Bern is undefeated at 11-0.

Entering the game, Cherry had 25 catches for 506 yards and eight touchdowns, eight carries for 71 yards and a score, 25 tackles, four interceptions (two returned for touchdowns) and 17 passes broken up. He was also averaging 16.3 yards per punt return and 62.0 yards per kickoff runback.

Defensive back Hassan Childs made five solo tackles for Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola High in a 28-0 win at city rival Gateway High. Osceola is 9-0 on the season and ranked No. 7 in the 7-A Associated Press poll.

Childs has four catches for 75 yards and a touchdown, is averaging 22.2 yards per punt return and has brought back two punts for scores, and has compiled 19 tackles (16 solo), three interceptions and one pass broken up on defense.

Running back Matt Dayes ran 16 times for 122 yards and a score and caught a 31-yard touchdown pass for Weston (Fla.) Cypress Bay High in a 49-17 home win over Davie (Fla.) Western High. Cypress Bay improved to 7-2 and is ranked No. 9 in the 8-A Associated Press poll.

On the season, Dayes has rushed 143 times for 881 yards and 12 touchdowns and caught six passes for 91 yards and two scores.

Defensive back Marcus Edmond threw three touchdown passes for Hopkins (S.C.) Lower Richland High in a 26-21 win at Greer (S.C.) Blue Ridge High in the first round of the AAA playoffs. Lower Richland is 5-6.

Lake Mary (Fla.) High lost its second straight game after starting the season 7-0, this time falling 13-0 at Sanford (Fla.) Seminole High. Linebacker Jerod Fernandez entered that game with 63 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, two safeties, three forced fumbles, an interception and a fumble recovery.

Defensive back Chris Holmes caught two passes for 29 yards and made three tackles (two solo) for Fredericksburg (Va.) Chancellor High in a 20-17 home win over city rival Monroe High, improving to 8-2 on the season.

Holmes has posted 24 catches for 303 yards and four touchdowns, 23 tackles (11 solo), a pass broken up and three kickoff returns for an average of 23.0 yards.

Defensive back Da'Wan Hunte and Miami Central improved to 6-2 on the year with a 56-0 home rout of city rival Belen Jesuit. Miami Central is ranked No. 4 in the state's 6-A Associated Press poll.

Wide receiver Jalen McDaniel of Fayetteville (N.C.) Jack Britt caught three passes for 66 yards and a touchdown and ran twice for 24 yards and another score in a 28-14 home win over Lumberton (N.C.) High in the first round of the 4-AA state playoffs. Jack Britt is 10-2.

McDaniel has played in 10 games this year, catching 26 passes for 473 yards and five touchdowns while running 14 times for 193 yards and two scores.

Athlete Pharoah McKever of Tabor City (N.C.) South Columbus threw a 38-yard touchdown pass and ran 12 times for 86 yards and two scores in a 31-20 home win over Clinton (N.C.) High in the first round of the state 2-A playoffs. South Columbus improved to 10-2.

McKever has passed for 666 yards and 11 touchdowns this year, and rushed for 12 scores.

Running back Josh Mercer ran 20 times for 103 yards and a touchdown and caught a three-yard pass for Guyton (Ga.) South Effingham High in a 33-16 home win over Hinesville (Ga.) Liberty County High. South Effingham improved to 5-4.

Mercer has rushed 159 times for 1,043 yards and 18 touchdowns and hauled in eight passes for 81 yards in eight games this season. He's also returned seven kickoffs for an average of 36.7 yards per attempt, made six tackles (five solo) and intercepted a pass.

Running back Dakwa Nichols ran eight times for 133 yards and a touchdown for Rockingham (N.C.) Richmond County High in a 40-7 home win over Cary (N.C.) High in the first round of the 4-AA state playoffs. Richmond County improved to 10-1 with the victory.

Nichols, who has played just five full games while seeing limited action in three others, has rushed 68 times for 727 yards and nine touchdowns.

Linebacker Quinton Patterson and Shelby (N.C.) Crest cruised to a 58-14 win over Gastonia (N.C.) Ashbrook in the first round of the 3-AA state playoffs. Crest is 10-2 on the season.

Wide receiver Kyrin Priester caught three touchdown passes for Snellville (Ga.) Brookwood High in a 42-38 defeat at the hands of city rival South Gwinnett High. Priester has made seven touchdown catches this year for Brookwood, which is 6-3.

Offensive lineman Tylar Reagan and Fruit Cove (Fla.) Bartram Trail High improved to 7-2 with an easy 42-7 home win over Jacksonville (Fla.) Wolfson High.

Offensive lineman Patrick Roane and Hope Mills (N.C.) Gray's Creek High's season came to an end after a 57-52 loss at Raleigh (N.C.) Cardinal Gibbons High in the first round of the 3-AA state playoffs. Gray's Creek, which finished the year 8-4, lost despite piling up 640 total yards, including 469 on the ground.

Defensive back Jack Tocho had seven tackles (five solo) and returned a kickoff 16 yards for Charlotte Independence in a 45-42 home win over Greensboro (N.C.) Northwest Guilford High in the first round of the 4-AA state playoffs. Independence improved to 10-2.

Tocho has made 57 tackles (49 solo), six interceptions, nine passes broken up, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and a blocked field goal this year. He's also returned 17 kickoffs for a 35.8-yard average and three touchdowns, and rushed six times for 27 yards and a score.