High school football delivered another week of jaw-dropping moments, and the latest batch of nominees for High School On SI Play of the Week has a little bit of everything: airborne runners, a quarterback who turned a scramble into a score, a perfectly placed strike, and a Hail Mary that changed everything at the buzzer.
Before getting to the new contenders, last week’s winner has been decided. JSerra (CA) quarterback Hayes Cloutier looked bottled up before reversing direction and weaving through the defense for a 27-yard touchdown that sealed the game.
This week’s list starts with one of the most electric runners in the country. Baylor five-star running back and Tennessee commit David Gabriel Georges once again made defenders look helpless against Montgomery Bell Academy.
He hurdled a defender, absorbed contact in midair and still stayed on his feet. The score didn’t count, though, because the play was wiped out by a hurdling penalty.
Georges answered on the very next snap by getting into the end zone anyway. He finished with 87 rushing yards and two touchdowns on eight carries in Baylor’s 45-17 win, pushing the team to 6-0.
Trae Taylor took a different route to the end zone for Millard South. The five-star Nebraska quarterback commit didn’t bother trying to find space around the defense - he went right over it.
Taylor launched himself into the end zone against Omaha North for a highlight score, then kept piling up numbers all night. He accounted for seven touchdowns, throwing four and running for three, as Millard South survived a 49-47 shootout to stay unbeaten.
Not every nominee needed acrobatics to stand out. North Central’s Chase Grove delivered the kind of throw-and-catch sequence that quarterbacks love to see on film: clean, precise, and right on time.
The 2028 quarterback committed to Iowa dropped the ball into a tight window for a big gain, showing why he’s already regarded as one of Indiana’s top young quarterbacks. Grove committed to the Hawkeyes earlier this month.
Then came the drama. Knoxville Catholic trailed Hoover 17-14 with only seconds left and needed something special.
Quarterback Mack Bartholomew gave them that chance, sending the ball toward the end zone as time ran out. Alabama commit Braylen Gibbs finished the job, hauling in the Hail Mary in traffic for the game-winning touchdown.
The score lifted Knoxville Catholic to a 20-17 road victory, and it was Gibbs’ second touchdown catch of the night.
Dakota Guerrant closed the list by showing exactly why he’s considered one of the nation’s premier wide receiver prospects. With the game tied against Groves, the Harper Woods senior took the ball and turned it into six points, putting the Pioneers back in front. Harper Woods went on to win 41-13, and Guerrant - a 6-foot-2 senior committed to Oregon - kept adding to his reputation as a difference-maker.
Watch the five nominees and cast your vote for High School On SI High School Football Play of the Week. Voting ends at 11:59 p.m.
PT on Oct. 4.
In Other News...
Nebraska Suddenly Faces A Dylan Raiola Twist Matt Rhule Didnt Hide
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Matt Rhule didnt try to hide his regard for Raiola when the topic came up, and that only sharpens the intrigue around what comes next. Raiola has looked strong in his Oregon appearances, and there is a real possibility he could be the one lining up against Nebraska in the upcoming game. For the Huskers, it would turn a familiar name into a very different kind of problem, and one they may have to prepare for quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Rhule Just Shut Down One Nebraska Oregon Storyline
Matt Rhule pushed back on the chatter surrounding Dylan Raiola after the former Nebraska quarterback transferred to Oregon, making it clear there is no lingering issue between them. Rhule said he continues to support his former players and even praised Raiola for how he handled the job after stepping in for an injured Dante Moore, a reminder that the Nebraska-Oregon matchup has more than one storyline attached to it.
The timing makes the whole thing feel even more relevant, with Nebraska set to face Oregon and Raiola potentially in line to start if Moore is still recovering. For Husker fans, it adds another layer to a game that already had plenty of interest, but Rhules comments helped shut down the idea that this one needs to come with personal baggage attached. [Read more 🡒]
Maryland Is About To Face A Nebraska Team Gaining Real Momentum
A trip to East Lansing ended up looking like more than just another early Big Ten test for Nebraska. The Cornhuskers snapped a long drought at Michigan State, won there for the first time since 2012 and kept rolling into a 4-0 start for the first time since 2016, all while making life miserable for the Spartans on both sides of the ball.
Six sacks and just 39 rushing yards allowed gave the performance a hard edge, the kind of road win that can change how a team is viewed inside its own league. Maryland is next on the schedule, and the Terrapins are already navigating a difficult season with more tough games ahead, which makes Nebraska's growing momentum feel even more relevant now. [Read more 🡒]