| Commitment Roundup 11/9 | ||||
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Tai-ler Jones isn’t sure what happened to his teammate, that accidentally hit him late in practice, re-injuring his knee that was tweaked a couple weeks back. One thing the future Under Armour All-American receiver was sure about, was that he wasn’t going to miss Gainesville (Ga.) High’s pivotal game against Flowery Branch over the weekend. 
Jones has the right mindset for the state playoffs.
In a game that had several Division-I prospects suited up, the 6-foot, 182-pound Jones played at 80 percent, and still arguably looked like the best player on the field. Jones caught eight passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns, and also threw a 17-yard scoring pass to his quarterback Blake Sims (Alabama commit), in the Red Elephants 49-17 victory. The win clinched a regional championship for Gainesville (10-0), as they head into the state playoffs ranked No. 1 in the state. “It was definitely a big stage, and I think I played well because my mindset was different,” Jones said. “When big games come, big players have to make big plays in those clutch moments, and I think my focus was different. I took a different approach than from other games this year because they weren’t as big earlier, and I think that helped me succeed.” Jones is looking to take that same focus into the playoffs. “We just know that any game now can be our last game, so we need to give our all and give our complete effort every game because you never know when that big play is going to be made, or who is going to have to step up and maybe make that third-down conversion on the game-winning drive. We just know we have to give our all.” Here is a look at how the rest of the Irish’s verbal commits played over the weekend. Chris Badger: The future Irish safety and his Timpview (Provo, Utah) High (9-2) teammates steamrolled Spanish Fork, 57-22, advancing to the state semifinals. “They had a good offense with some big talented receivers,” Badger began. “I had one of my best games, six tackles, a big fourth down pass deflection and three other big hits that actually knocked their three best receivers out for the rest of the game.” Giovanni Bernard: St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) High (9-0), ranked No. 1 in the nation by ESPN Rise, won its 33rd game in a row, a 51-7 domination of South Broward, clinching the school’s 13th district title in a row. Bernard was held out of the contest with a hamstring injury. Spencer Boyd: The future Notre Dame cornerback had an interception in Cape Coral (Fla.) High’s (9-0) 25-0 victory over Baker, helping lead the Seahawks to their first district title since 1993. Boyd also had a key 32-yard run that setup a Cape Coral score. Andrew Hendrix: The future Irish quarterback and his Moeller (Cincinnati) High (9-2) teammates were stunned in the first round of the playoffs, falling to Middletown, 45-10. Hendrix was 15-of-27 passing for 111 yards, with one interception in the loss. The Crusaders came into the game ranked No. 41 in the nation by ESPN Rise. Toney Hurd Jr.: The future Notre Dame cornerback’s season is complete. Hurd had six interceptions and 14 pass breakups, leading the district in both categories. He also had two defensive touchdowns, as Marshall High finished the year 2-8. Hurd will play in the Under Armour All-American game. Bennett Jackson: The future Irish receiver had three touchdowns in Raritan (Hazlet, N.J.) High’s (6-2) 40-0 whipping of Middlesex. Jackson had touchdown receptions of 13 and 54 yards, as well as a 68-yard scoring run. Christian Lombard: The future Irish offensive tackle and his Fremd (Palatine, Ill.) High (11-0) teammates won their second-round playoff game against Lake Park, 21-14. The Vikings advance to the state quarterfinals for the fourth time in program history, and have tied the mark for most wins in a season. To run out the clock on 4th down and two yards to go, Fremd ran right behind Lombard for the first down to seal the win with less than 30 seconds to go. Blake Lueders: The future Notre Dame defensive end’s season is complete. Zionsville (Ind.) High ended the season at 9-3. Playing mostly middle linebacker, Lueders had 93 tackles, with five coming for loss, one sack, one interception and three fumble recoveries in just nine games. He also scored five touchdowns. Lueders will play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Chris Martin: Martin and his Gradview (Aurora, Colo.) High (6-4) teammates opened the state playoffs with a 31-7 victory over Rangeview. Kendall Moore: The future Irish linebacker and his Southeast Raleigh (N.C.) High (9-2) stopped a two-game losing streak by beating West Johnston, 27-7, to end the regular season. Tommy Rees: The future Notre Dame quarterback’s season is complete. Rees ended the year completing 78 percent of his passes for 2,650 yards and 24 touchdowns. The Lake Forest (Ill.) High standout also threw 12 interceptions, with nine of them coming in two games. Cameron Roberson: The future Irish running back was rested and did not play in Newbury Park (Calif.) High’s (7-2) 45-20 victory over Calabasas. 
Welch and Elder High now prepare for a rematch against St. Xavier.
Daniel Smith: The future Irish receiver’s season is complete. The South Bend (Ind.) Clay standout finished the year with 57 catches for 888 yards. Justin Utupo: The future Notre Dame defensive end and his Lakewood (Calif.) High (8-1) teammates had a bye week. Alex Welch: The future Irish tight end and his Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio) High (8-2) opened the state playoffs with a 35-14 victory over Huber Heights Wayne. Welch had three catches for 55 yards in the win. Lo Wood: The future Notre Dame cornerback wasn’t needed in the second half of Apopka (Fla.) High’s 66-14 blowout of Ocoee. Wood had two tackles and two pass breakups in helping the Blue Darters improve to 8-1. |