Syracuse commit Moustapha Diagne among elite recruits at Burger King Classic — Cuse Clicks

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Diagne will not be joining Syracuse this fall

Pope John XXIII has one of the top centers in the country in 6-foot 8-inch Moustapha Diagne. He had offers from Connecticut, Cincinnati and Temple before committing to Syracuse. Shooting guard Matt Zignorski, a 6-foot 1-inch senior, is a Fordham recruit and makes up an impressive inside-out combination with Diagne. “We’re very excited again to be a part of this awesome event with three great teams,” Prep coach Mark Majewski said. “We have a young group needing some big experience and we’re excited about the chance to play against these great teams and coach against great coaches.”

More: Burger King Classic field includes powerhouse programs

As schools inquired about Princeton (N.J.) The Hun School running back and linebacker Christopher Sharp this season, they quickly learned about a sophomore defensive tackle who was tearing opponents up. Now, with the season, class of 2017 standout Fred Hansard is set to make some visits, and the first is slated for Saturday, when he will be at Rutgers for the game against Indiana.

More: Class of 2017 defensive tackle Fred Hansard ready for official visits

The third-seeded Gaels went on the road Saturday to beat No. 2 St. Anthony’s 28-10. Senior quarterback Robert Madison threw a pair of touchdowns to Qaadir Sheppard. He also caught a touchdown from Dylan Mucci and rushed for a score to help Iona Prep (9-2) overcome an early 10-0 deficit.

More: Stepinac, Iona Prep win to set up CHSFL final

At least on offense, the Braves shut down Wooster receiver Marquise Blair. The Syracuse recruit caught two passes for minus-2 yards but compensated for that with a game-high 14 tackles, 12 solo, at safety. “We executed to a ‘T,’ ” said Olentangy linebacker Jake Didion, who had a team-high nine tackles. “Everyone just did their job and flew to the ball. We felt very good about our approach. It’s just our mentality.”

More: Olentangy 31, Wooster 6

Inside the final minute of the first half, the Cougars (12-1) got their first score of the game on a 23-yard touchdown pass from DeVontae Burse to 6-foot-4 wide receiver West Lindor, cutting Central’s lead to 21-7 at halftime. The drive was kept alive by a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

More: Central football team roars into the Class 4 final four

North Carolina 5-star prep Harry Giles sat out his junior year after suffering a devastating knee injury following his freshman year. Giles has worked hard to rehab and get back to the player that many were calling the next Kevin Durant. Right now, the 6’10” monster in the making and his Wesleyan Christian squad is ranked #2 in the country, I think it’s a good time to get to know one of the stars of the class of 2016 before he becomes the class of the N.B.A.

More: 5-Star PF Harry Giles Draws Comparisons To Kevin Durant (Video)

As he’s done most of the season, Vikings senior Dontae Strickland took over on the ground. Strickland, who entered with 814 yards, rushed for 178 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries. Even when he didn’t get carries, the Syracuse-bound star had an impact. Take the opening touchdown pass. The Bears focused on Strickland, opening up the passing routes. “We knew that they were going to go with the fake to Dontae ,” Johnson said. “And we haven’t had a touchdown pass all year, so we were just hoping we can get one of those on the board.”

More: Different week, same result as Jaguars take care of Warriors again

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About Wes Cheng 2907 Articles
Wes has worked for Rivals.com covering the New York Knicks, as well as for Scout.com covering Syracuse athletics. Wes has also been a contributing writer for the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), for SportsNet New York (SNY) as a news desk writer covering all of New York professional sports, and reported on the NBA and MLB for the New York Sportscene. A native of Long Island, New York, Wes graduated from Syracuse University in 2005 with a degree in journalism. Contact him at wes[at]sujuiceonline.com.