Johnathan Gray Named High School Football America's Player of the Year

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

All three of our finalists were deserving of being called the first-ever High School Football America Player of the Year, but in the end Aledo High School's (Texas) Johnathan Gray's three consecutive state titles paved the way to him being named our top player in 2011.

Gray, who set the national record for touchdowns in a career with 205, beat-out Kenton (Ohio) quarterback Maty Mauk and wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham of Hillcrest (Missouri) for the national honor.

The University of Texas recruit finished his career with 10,908 yards, which was just 330 yards shy of the all-time national rushing record.

Click here to listen to my interview with Gray back in October on the High School Football America radio show.

Gray, Green-Beckham and Mauk Finalists for High School Football America Player of the Year Award

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

It would be an understatement to say 2011 was a record-breaking year for high school football.

Thanks to the arms and legs of quarterback Maty Mauk of Kenton High School (Ohio), Aledo High School (Texas) running back Jonathan Gray and Hillcrest High School (Missouri) wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham, several major national offensive records fell by the wayside.

As a result of their incredible senior seasons, those three are finalists for the first annual High School Football America National Player of the Year Award.

Mauk, who’s given his verbal commitment to play at Missouri next year, set four national passing records 2011, plus he also became the nation’s all-time total offense leader with 22,681 yards during his four-year career as a starter for the Wildcats.

The 6-2, 195-pound Mauk holds the national career record for passing yards (18,932), touchdowns (219), passing attempts (2,110) and completions (1,353). Interestingly, his brother Ben, who served as his younger brother’s quarterback coach the past two seasons, previously held three of Maty’s new records.

In 2011, Mauk passed for 5,413 yards and 68 touchdowns, plus ran for 1,768 and 24 scores.

So where do the Mauks rank against the famous Manning family?

Ben and Maty combined to throw for 36,296 yards, while Peyton and Eli are nearly 22,000 yards behind with 14,596. The Mauks also are head-and-shoulder above the Mannings in touchdown passes with 397 to 181.

In Texas, Gray of capped his incredible four-year career leading his school to its third straight Texas state title. In his final game, Gray scored his 205th touchdown to become the country’s all-time leading touchdown-maker.

Gray, who has given his verbal to the University of Texas, also challenged the nation’s all-time rushing mark set by Ken Hall of Sugar Land High School (Texas). Gray finished with 10,908 yards, 330 yards shy of Hall’s record of 11,232 yards.

Round out the record breakers is Green-Beckham, who many recruiting services rank as the nation’s top recruit.  Green-Beckham set the national record for receiving yards with 6,356 yards.

This year the 6-6, 225-pound wide receiver caught 119 passes for 2,233 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Tune-in to Thursday night's High School Football America radio show to find-out who wins our National Player of the Year Award.  The show airs LIVE starting at 7 PM Eastern Time.

Click here to listen.

Texas' Best TD-maker - Johnathan Gray, Aledo High School

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

It seems every time Aledo's Johnathan Gray touches a football, another record falls.

Last night, the Bearcats senior running back scored seven touchdowns to move into second place nationally in career touchdowns.  Gray, who has verbally committed to Texas, passed T.A. McLendon, who scored 178 TDs from 1999 to 2001 at Albemarle High School in North Carolina.

Next-up on the TD-front for Gray who has 183 touchdowns?  Michael Hart who scored 204 career touchdowns at Nedrow Onondaga in New York before graduating in 2003.

Gray also moved into second place on the all-time scoring list with 1,092 points; again passing McLendon on the national list.  Hart is also the all-time leader with 1,246 points.

In last night's 67-42 win over Birdville, Gray also rushed for 258 yards, which gave him the Texas record for 100-yard games; it was his 44th game above the century mark.  He's currently fourth on the all-time list with Emmitt Smith, yes that Emmitt Smith, sitting at #3 with 45 100+ games.  The national record is 55 by Kevin Parks of West Rowan in North Carolina.

Gray also moved from 12th to 9th on the all-time rushing list.  He has rushed for 9,251 yards in his career.

The all-time mark of 11,232 yards by Ken Hall of Sugar Land (Texas) seems out-of-reach, because Gray would have to average over 280 yards a game and take his team back to its third straight Class 4A title game in December.

A couple of weeks ago, I talked with Gray on High School Football America.  You can watch that interview below:



National High School Career Rushing Leaders

11,232 - Ken Hall (Sugar Land, TX) 1950-53
11,045 - Michael Hart (Nedrow Onondaga, NY) 2000-03
10,895 - Kevin Parks (West Rowan, NC) 2006-09
10,241 - Toney Baker (Jamestown Ragsdale, NC) 2001-04
9,668 - Terrance Wilkes (Wadley, AL) 2003-06
9,662 - Toby Gerhart (Norco, CA) 2002-05
9,442 - Troy Fleming (Franklin Battle Ground Academy, TN) 1995-98
9,426 - Tyrell Sutton (Archbishop Hoban, OH) 2001-04
9,251 - Johnathan Gray (Aledo, TX) 2008-present

Can Johnathan Gray Break America's 57-Year Old Rushing Record?

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

Eight touchdowns and 323 yards...that's what I witnessed last December when I saw Aledo High's (Texas) Johnathan Gray lead his school to the Texas Class 4A Division II championship.

Yes, Gray put-up those numbers in a championship game against La Marque in a 69-34 Aledo victory inside Cowboys Stadium.  You can check-out those first half highlights below.

Today, Gray decided to stay "in-state" by giving his verbal commitment to play his college ball at the University of Texas.  However, before putting-on the burnt orange, Aledo fans still have a full-year of the 5-star running back.

That got me to thinking about whether Gray can improve on last year's numbers, and whether he'll be able to touch a national record that has stood for more than 50 years.

Last season Gray, who's father was a running back at Texas Tech, rushed for 3,221 yards and 57 touchdowns.  The 57 TDs broke Kenneth Hall's state record for entering the end zone in a season.



Now, Gray sets his sights on another Hall's record.  The all-time U.S. rushing record of 11,232 yards that Hall accomplished between 1950 and 1953.

Gray needs an incredible 4,240 in his senior season to catch Hall.  He's also 3,295 yards short of Texas' #2 guy Traylon Shead of Cayuga, who was the last guy to attack Sims' incredible record.  Shead ended-up with 10,290 yards and a state record 141 touchdowns.

Shead is also on the Texas roster after redshirting last year as a freshman.

Now for those of you that don't know about Hall, who was known as the "Sugar Land Express", here's a little background....

Hall was a running back in Sugar Land's single-wing offense.  In 1953, he became just the second running back in U.S. high school football history to rush for more than 4,000 yards in a game.  He finished his senior season averaging 337.1 yards per contest.

According to the National Federation of State High School Athletic Associations' record book, Hall's best game was on October 9, 1953 when he carried the ball only 11 times for 520 yards!  He also returned a kickoff 64 yards; ran back a punt 82 yards; and returned an interception 21 yards while scoring seven touchdowns.

He graduated high school with 17 national records.  After high school, Hall played three years for Texas A&M under Paul "Bear" Bryant.  Professional he played in the NFL, AFL and Canadian Football Leagues, but never reached the epic status he did as a high schooler.

What will it take for Gray to pass Hall?

Hard to say, but I do know that it will be one incredible season to watch, if Gray does break the record!

Most Rushing Yards (Career)
Source: National Federation of High School Athletic Associations

1. Ken Hall (Texas) 11,232 yds.
2. Michael Hart (New York) 11,045 yds.
3. Traylon Shead (Texas) 10,290 yds.
4. Toney Baker (North Carolina) 10,241 yds.
5. Terrance Wilkes (Alabama) 9,668 yds.
6. Toby Gerhart (California) 9,662 yds.
7. Troy Fleming (Tennessee) 9,442 yds.
8. Tyrell Sutton (Ohio) 9,426 yds.
9. Brad Hocker (Missouri) 9,193 yds.
10. Demetrius Summers (South Carolina) 9,076 yds.

Texas Junior Named Mr. Football USA

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

Courtesy www.mghelmets.com

I had a chance to watch Aledo (Texas) High junior Johnathan Gray's record-breaking performance in the Texas Class 4A Division II championship game.

To be honest, in 35-years of covering high school sports, I'm not sure I've ever witnessed a better individual performance. The 5-10, 195-pound running back rushed for 323 yards and eight touchdowns to lead Aledo to a 69-34 championship win over La Marque.

So this week when I heard that Gray was the first junior to ever be named ESPN Rise Mr. Football USA, I wasn't shocked.

Aside from the incredible championship game numbers, Gray, who's dad was a running back at Texas Tech, rushed for 3,221 yards and a single-season state record 57 rushing touchdowns, which broke the 57-year old mark that belonged to Kenneth Sims of Sugar Land High School.

With a year to go, Gray will now set his sights on the Texas record for career touchdowns and career rushing touchdowns. With 135 TDs so far, he needs 13 rushing scores and 12 overall to move to the top of the heap in the Lone Star State.

Gray will also continue to climb the state's yardage list. Coming into his senior season, Gray has rushed for 7,003 yards. He would need an incredible 4,240 yards to pass Hill, who holds the state and national record with 11,232 yards. The #2 guy, Tryalon Shead of Cayuga, is 3,295 yards in front of Gray.

Gray is the fifth Texas running back to win the award.

Here's a look at the all-time list...

2009 – Dillon Baxter, Mission Bay (San Diego, Calif.) QB-RB
2008 – Garrett Gilbert, Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) QB
2007 – Jacory Harris, Northwestern (Miami, Fla.) QB
2006 – Darren Evans, Warren Central (Indianapolis, Ind.) FB
2005 – Matt Stafford, Highland Park (Dallas, Texas) QB
2004 – Chase Daniel, Carroll (Southlake, Texas) QB
2003 – Jeff Byers, Loveland (Loveland, Colo.) OL-DL
2002 – Chris Leak, Independence (Charlotte, N.C.) QB
2001 – Vince Young, Madison (Houston, Texas) QB
2000 – Cedric Benson, Robert E. Lee (Midland, Texas) RB
1999 – D.J. Williams, De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) RB-LB
1998 – J.R. House, Nitro (Nitro, W. Va.) QB
1997 – Ronald Curry, Hampton (Hampton, Va.) QB-RB
1996 – Travis Henry, Frostproof (Frostproof, Fla.) RB
1995 – Tim Couch, Leslie County (Hyden, Ky.) QB
1994 – Chris Redman, Male (Louisville, Ky.) QB
1993 – Peyton Manning, Newman (New Orleans, La.) QB
1992 – James Allen, Wynnewood (Wynnewood, Okla.) RB
1991 – Steven Davis, Spartanburg (Spartanburg, S.C.) RB
1990 – Derrick Brooks, Washington (Pensacola, Fla.) LB
1989 – Robert Smith, Euclid (Euclid, Ohio) RB
1988 – Terry Kirby, Tabb (Tabb, Va.) RB
1987 – Carl Pickens, Murphy (Murphy, N.C.) WR
1986 – Emmitt Smith, Escambia (Pensacola, Fla.) RB
1985 – Jeff George, Warren Central (Indianapolis, Ind.) QB
1984 – Andre Rison, Northwestern (Flint, Mich.) WR-DB
1983 – Chris Spielman, Washington (Massillon, Ohio) LB
1982 – Rod Woodson, Snider (Fort Wayne, Ind.) WR-DB
1981 – Marcus Dupree, Philadelphia (Philadelphia, Miss.) RB
1980 – Bill Fralic, Penn Hills (Pittsburgh, Pa.) OL
1979 – Herschel Walker, Johnson County (Wrightsville, Ga.) RB
1978 – Eric Dickerson, Sealy (Sealy, Texas) RB
1977 – Marcus Allen, Lincoln (San Diego, Calif.) QB-RB
1976 – Freeman McNeil, Banning (Wilmington, Calif.) RB
1975 – Charles White, San Fernando (San Fernando, Calif.) RB
1974 – Billy Sims, Hooks (Hooks, Texas) RB
1973 – Earl Campbell, John Tyler (Tyler, Texas) RB
1972 – Tony Dorsett, Hopewell (Aliquippa, Pa.) RB
1971 – Dave Logan, Wheat Ridge (Wheat Ridge, Colo.) WR
1970 – Pat Haden, Bishop Amat (La Puente, Calif.) QB