Recruit Roundup: Three 2024 commits win playoff debuts

Before, and after, Northwestern delivered one of its biggest wins of the season with a 33-27 victory over Maryland, its Class of 2024 recruits were taking the field and starting their postseason.

Three commits made their senior-season playoff debuts, and all three picked up wins. Amongst the seven commits still playing, there was also a completed undefeated season, a two-way lineman falling on a key fumble and a region title-winning running back.

Check out all of that and more in this week's roundup.

Carson Grove earned some bragging rights over Northwestern's lights-out kicker, Jack Olsen, on Friday night.

Grove's Arlington Heights (Ill.) Hersey squad beat Wheaton-Warrenville South, Olsen's alma mater, in the first round of the IHSA 7A playoffs, 28-19.

Grove helped propel the Huskies past the Tigers with a 37-yard touchdown to take a 14-7 lead, as well as an interception to stymie a Wheaton-Warrenville drive.

"We prepared all week, harder even for them, so we weren't taking them lightly," Grove told the Daily Herald. "They're a very good football team. I would say that was our first playoff game we had to play, that first real football game all year. I think we responded to adversity real nicely."

Grove's comments come after Hersey completed its second straight undefeated regular season. The Huskies have demolished their Mid-Suburban League East schedule, aside from annual duels with Prospect.

Wheaton-Warrenville South, on the other hand, is a traditional state power that comes from the DuKane conference, a veritable thunderdome for suburban Illinois ball. The Tigers were 5-4 and the No. 29 seed in 7A, but Grove and the Huskies knew it'd be their toughest test of the season.

Hersey (10-0) passed its test with flying colors. They'll host Downers Grove North this week, whose starting quarterback, 2026 signal caller Owen Lansu, visited Northwestern earlier this season.

Coopersville (Mich.) and Gabe VanSickle tested their fans' blood pressure with a 14-13 first-round win over East Grand Rapids. It was a battle of two-loss teams from the regular season, and the Broncos got the job done.

A huge momentum boost was when VanSickle, who also plays on the defensive line, stayed with the play and fell on a fumble. Check out the clip below starting at 20 seconds, VanSickle wears No. 54.

Coopersville (8-2) play at Zeeland West this week for a district championship.

Cleveland (Tenn.) Bradley Central and Tito Williams put the cherry on top of their undefeated regular season with a 46-14 blowout of Bearden.

Per Redzone Scores' Jeff Cate, this is the first time that Bradley Central has completed an undefeated season since 1976, and it's the school's first division title since 1980. Williams and the Bears defense was formidable all season, allowing an average of just 12.4 points per game.

Bradley Central (10-0) will kickoff their playoffs against West Ridge this week.

After a 34-0 shutout of Southside Christian, Greenville (S.C.) Christ Church established themselves as region champions for the second-straight season.

Running back Dashun Reeder rushed for two touchdowns as the Cavaliers defended their crown on the cusp of playoffs. The game started close, and Christ Church held just a 7-0 lead at the half before running away with it in the second.

Christ Church (8-2) hosts Ridge Spring-Monetta in the first round of the SCHSL Region A playoffs this week.

Good luck trying to catch Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward napping. The Ohio powerhouse closed out its regular season with one-score wins over fellow power programs Archbishop Moeller and Archbishop Hoban.

Almost any other team would come out flat in their playoff opener as the No. 1 seed, but not Troy Regovich and the Eagles. Regovich and the defense obliterated Elyria, and St. Edward cruised to a 42-0 win to start their postseason.

It was Regovich and Co.'s first shutout, but their sixth time holding an opponent to 10 or fewer points this season.

St. Edward (10-1) hosts GlenOak this week.

Terrion HIcks and Lexington (Ky.) Frederick Douglass lost to Boyle County over the weekend, 28-7.

The Broncos saw their three-game winning streak snapped by the undefeated Rebels.

Frederick Douglass (5-4), the top seed in their region, hosts winless Henry Clay in the first round of Kentucky's Class 6A state playoff this weekend.

Austin (Tex.) John Connally and Aiden Newbill were dealt a tough loss, 41-23, last week by Waco University High.

The normally prolific Cougar offense scored their third fewest points of the season.

Connally (3-6) has their regular season finale this week against crosstown rival Pflugerville.

DE Callen Campbell and Sault Sainte Marie (Mich.) Sault Area finished their season 5-4.

OL Idrys Cotton and Canton (Mich.) Plymouth finished their season 4-5.

TE Patrick Schaller and Northbrook (Ill.) Glenbrook North finished their season 2-7.