Advertisement

Incredible plays keep high school teams' playoff hopes alive

Minkah Fitzpatrick strides into the endzone.

While all eyes have been on the highlights of Odell Beckham Jr.'s spectacular touchdown catch, high school receivers pulled in a few of their own beauties in state playoff games across the country over the weekend.

In a state semifinal matchup, Cranford (N.J.) High School's Luke Christiano grabbed an interception in the end zone Saturday that looked a lot like the catch Beckham Jr. would make Sunday.

Cranford defeated West Essex (N.J.) High School 35-7.

Another amazing catch came in Central (Louisville, Ky.) High School's 36-33 win over Corbin (Ky.) High. At first it looks las if the receiver pulls the ball in David Tyree-style, but a closer look shows he didn't hold on quite as long as Tyree. The ball went careering off his foot and straight into the air. A teammate grabbed the ricochet mid-stride and ran another 10 yards before getting out of bounds.

Central had trailed 26-0 before coming back for the win. The catch was a matter of "great effort and determination," coach Ty Scroggins told Yahoo Sports in a text. "Luck was truly with us."

Pulaski Academy (Little Rock, Ark.) also got a lucky bounce, allowing Jaren Watkins to make what might be the best fumble recovery of the high school season. Pulaski won 44-6.

The best pass of the weekend came from the hands of Notre Dame verbal commit Brandon Wimbush, who sent a perfectly tight spiral 64 yards through the air to Alabama verbal commit Minkah Fitzpatrick for a 69-yard touchdown. It left many wondering if it was the longest high school pass of all time. It's impossible to know, as reception statistics include yards covered on the ground after catching the ball.

Check out Fitzpatrick never breaking stride as he heads to the back of the endzone to shake someone's hand. Wimbush and Fitzpatrick combined for three touchdowns in the second half as they led St. Peter's Prep (Jersey City, N.J) to a 31-14 win over Bergen Catholic for a bid to the state championship.

St. Peter's Prep will face fellow national powerhouse Paramus Catholic on Dec. 5 at MetLife Stadium. Cranford will face Parsippany Hills High School there on Dec. 7, giving the teams an opportunity to create their own highlights on the field where Beckham Jr. made one of the best receptions of all time.

____
Danielle Elliot is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact her at delliot@yahoo-inc.com or find her on Twitter.