Rounding up action featuring UK commits
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Cats Illustrated is rounding up all of the recent postseason action featuring UK commitments from the 2016 and 2017 recruiting classes.
Warren, Hudson find redemption against Benedictine
Michael Warren may have helped his stock as a recruit as much as any Kentucky commitment this fall. The 2017 running back for Toledo (Ohio) Central Catholic and fellow UK commit James Hudson found redemption against Benedictine in a 31-30 win. Benedictine had defeated Central Catholic on national television earlier in the season.
The game went into two overtimes and the win gave Central Catholic the Division III regional championship.
Warren, unbelievably, logged 51 carries for 151 yards and two touchdowns. He's been a workhorse all season and is, to date, UK's lone 2017 running back commitment.
... And they'll meet ...
Central Catholic will meet Trotwood-Madison (Ohio) in the next round of the Ohio playoffs, which means, yes, they'll be facing off against fellow UK commitment and 2016 linebacker recruit Roland Walder.
Walder has been a very productive player on offense, defense and special teams for Trotwood-Madison, and he and his teammates defeated Wapakoneta 33-3 in a dominating performance over the weekend.
Walder's Trotwood-Madison defense forced four turnovers and kept the game out of reach throughout.
Jones, Bolles eliminated from Florida playoffs
Mac Jones and Bolles had one of their rougher nights of the year. The Class of 2017 quarterback commitment for the Wildcats was battered all night by a Raines' defense that powered a 34-8 win over Bolles in the Region 1-4A final in Florida.
Jones was hit early and often and because the protection struggled so mightily the offense was out of sync more so than at any other time this season.
Previously Bolles' low point total of the year was 20 points in an Oct. 9 loss to Columbia. Bolles finished the season 9-3 after reaching the second round of the state playoffs.
Jones did have a 51-yard touchdown pass in the game but it was Bolles' only score. Raines intercepted three passes as Jones found his receivers blanketed as he was under pressure himself.
Kash Daniel and Paintsville still unbeaten
Not all of Paintsville's games have been blowouts this year. Just 12 of their 14 wins. Paintsville remains unbeaten after a 48-28 win against Paris in the third round of the Kentucky state playoffs.
Daniel, Kentucky's U.S. All-American linebacker commitment, passed for 202 yards and three touchdowns, spearheading a prolific passing attack. He also battered and dragged defenders en route to a pair of touchdowns and 47 yards on the ground.
They take on Pikeville in the state semis this weekend. Pikeville played Paintsville closer than any other team this year with Kash Daniel's late-game heroics proving to be the difference in a 23-22 nailbiter.
The winner of Paintsville-Pikeville will face the winner of Russellville's game against Beechwood in the state championship game.
Griffin's touchdown proves key
Jordan Griffin and Jonesboro, Ga., defeated Carrollton in a dramatic 14-10 playoff game that propelled them into a third round playoff game against Cartersville, scheduled for this weekend.
Griffin didn't put up huge numbers against the Carrollton defense but he was on the receiving end of a 22-yard touchdown strike from Clemson quarterback commitment Zerrick Cooper. That was one of just two Jonesboro touchdowns and without it the outcome of the game would have been different.
It was Griffin's seventh touchdown of the season and he leads Jonesboro in scoring.
Lafayette notches big win over Scott County
In one of the more dramatic games featuring UK commitments -- two, actually, in Landon Young and Walker Wood, not to mention Jedrick Wills -- Lafayette defeated Scott County 36-30 to move to 12-2.
It was payback for Lafayette, who lost to Scott County by nearly three touchdowns earlier this season.
Archer wins showdown against McEachern
Lawrenceville (Ga.) Archer defeated fellow football factory Powder Springs (Ga.) McEachern in the second round of the state playoffs, meaning Kobe Smith will be taking on Mill Creek in the quarterfinals of the postseason bracket in Georgia.
It was a 24-21 win between two talent-rich programs and it gives Smith the opportunity to go head-to-head in the trenches with offensive guard and Louisville commit Robbie Bell -- fittingly, the same weekend as the UK-UL game.
Other action featuring UK commitments
Paintsville and Daniel are undefeated and so is Tobias Gilliam's Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne team after defeating Hilliard Davidson 20-6 in yet another grueling and dominating defensive performance.
Steubenville (Ohio) remained undefeated on the season and they'll advance to the next round in Ohio after defeating Johnstown-Monroe 42-7. On the very first play of the game Kentucky tight end commitment and 2017 prospect Charles Reeves scored on a 61-yard touchdown pass. They'll take on Ursuline out of Youngstown this weekend.
Dakota Holtzclaw's Worthington Kilbourne (Ohio) squad dropped only their second game of the season, but the third round playoff defeat ends his high school playing career. Kilbourne fell to Massillon (Ohio) Perry 28-7.
Zy'Aire Hughes' high school career is also over. McCracken County went down at the hands of Central Hardin in a hard-fought 10-7 defensive slugfest. McCracken County ended the year 9-3.
