Memphis high school football season report: Top moments, storylines, uncommit prospects

[kwc]

Memphis high school football season report: Top moments, storylines, uncommitted prospects

---

 

KHARI THOMPSON   | Memphis Commercial Appeal

The 2019 high school football season is in the books. The Memphis area had a state champion in ECS and three Mr. Football winners in ECS' Austin Hill, Houston's Lincoln Pare and Briarcrest's Omari Thomas. Here's a brief overview of what happened this year, along with some postseason superlatives and players to watch for next year.  

Best offense

Houston: The Mustangs scored an area-best 41.9 points per game. Pare rushed for 2,804 yards and scored 38 total touchdowns. Grayson Hitt caught 54 passes for 1,101 yards and 18 touchdowns. Ethan Burns threw for 2,238 yards, 31 touchdowns and five interceptions. 

Best defense

Whitehaven: The Tigers posted seven shutouts and allowed the second-fewest points per game in the state at 5.4. Tennessee linebacker commitments Bryson Eason, Martavius French and Tamarion McDonald posted a combined 222 tackles. 

Most improved team

Millington: The Trojans, who were 4-7 last season, won Region 8-4A and finished with a 9-3 record. Millington allowed a region-low 12.4 points per game during the regular season and made it to the second round of the playoffs where it fell to Crockett County. 

Most disappointing team

Germantown: The Red Devils, who finished lastyear's regular season undefeated, went 2-9 in their first season with out Chris Smith, who left to coach at Haywood. The Red Devils made the playoffs because they are in a four-team region and were beaten by crosstown rival Houston 56-12. 

Best moments

Lincoln Pare breaks Houston's all-time rushing record

Pare became Houston's all-time and single-season rushing leader in a playoff win against Whitehaven. Pare, who normally wears No. 4, finished the game wearing No. 16 because a helmet tore a hole in his jersey. 

Three Whitehaven linebackers announce commitment to Tennessee on same night 

Eason, French and McDonald announced their commitments to Tennessee on Oct. 22 via Twitter. They were the first players from the Memphis area to pick the Vols this year. 

Fairley cleans up the stands at Christian Brothers

Christian Brothers hosted Fairley's first-round playoff game against Adamsville. Fairley won 36-0 and cleaned up the stands after the game as a show of thanks to Christian Brothers. 

Top plays

Alexander Whitmore's Pick-6

Big man pick 6? BIG MAN PICK 6. pic.twitter.com/o3z0hCFMYZ

— Khari Thompson (@_KhariThompson) October 12, 2019

Mitch Austin's game-winning TD

Mitch Austin. QB keeper to win it in overtime. Collierville 27, White Station 24 pic.twitter.com/CzT68Y6gQQ

— Khari Thompson (@_KhariThompson) September 21, 2019

Lincoln Pare's 95-yard run

⁦@Lincdog4⁩. 2nd carry of the game. 95 yards to the house. pic.twitter.com/SLYFB1Qa2X

— Khari Thompson (@_KhariThompson) September 14, 2019

Gavin McKay's one-handed TD grab

MUS with a touchdown and an Iverson-style step over. 7-0 MUS. End 1Q pic.twitter.com/uzNIaid7nQ

— Khari Thompson (@_KhariThompson) September 7, 2019

Grayson Hitt's TD catch

It took Houston less than a minute to score on Whitehaven. 

Ethan Burns finds Grayson Hitt on the first drive for a 41 yard TD. Mustangs lead 7-0. 11:02 1Q pic.twitter.com/40QuJDDIqb

— Khari Thompson (@_KhariThompson) November 23, 2019

Biggest storylines

Vols dominate local recruiting after 1-4 start

Remember when the question was if Jeremy Pruitt should be fired after the Vols started the season 1-4? That feels like a distant memory now as the Vols have won their last five games, clinched a bowl appearance and secured commitments from five Memphis-area prospects in French, Eason, McDonald, Thomas and Jabari Small. 

Freedom Prep forfeits seven games

Freedom Prep, which started the season 7-0, forfeited those games after the TSSAA ruled that it had used an ineligible player. The Eagles went on to win their final three games but missed the playoffs. 

ECS is only team to make it to Cookeville

Last year, Memphis-area teams couldn't win BlueCross Bowl games, going 0-3. This year, they couldn't get to Cookeville, except for ECS, which won the DII-AA state title with a 17-14 comeback win over defending champ CPA. 

Players who helped their recruiting stock the most

Lincoln Pare, Houston: Pare came into the season without any FBS offers. He now has offers from Navy and Arkansas State and preferred walk-on spots at Virginia Tech and Ole Miss.  

Tamarion McDonald, Whitehaven: McDonald, who earned an offer from Tennessee after Pruitt watched Whitehaven shut out Cordova, ended up committing to the Vols. 

Top uncommitted prospects

Darin Turner, Central: Turner, a four-star receiver and the state's No. 6 prospect, decommitted from LSU and Arkansas this year. 

Josaih Hayes, Horn Lake: Hayes, a four-star defensive tackle, decommitted from Ole Miss in October. His top five is Ole Miss, Memphis, Kentucky, Auburn and Mississippi State. 

Marcus Henderson, MUS: The four-star offensive lineman and state's No. 8 prospect has offers from Missouri, Florida, Alabama, Auburn and Ohio State among others. 

Players to keep an eye on

Isaiah Brevard, Southaven: The 6-foot-4, four-star receiver is the top overall prospect in Mississippi for the 2021 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. 

Dietrick Pennington, ECS: Pennington, a two-way lineman, led ECS to the DII-AA state title and was a finalist for Mr. Football. He's the No. 10 prospect in Tennessee for the Class of 2021.

Walter Nolen, Olive Branch: Nolen, a defensive lineman, projects to be one of the top prospects in Mississippi for the Class of 2022. He has offers from Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. 

Aliou Bah, Whitehaven: The 6-foot-5, 330-pound sophomore offensive lineman caught Jeremy Pruitt's eye while he was in town scouting Eason, French and McDonald. Bah has offers from Tennessee and Arkansas. 

Dallan Hayden, Christian Brothers: Hayden, a sophomore defensive back, is the son of former Tennessee running back Aaron Hayden and brother of Arkansas running back Chase Hayden. He has offers from Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida, Duke and Georgia among others