Prep football’s closest Calvin Johnson imitation came from Virginia
If you're a sports fan and spend any time watching any other television network, you've probably seen Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson's otherworldly catch against the Bengals on Sunday. Lions fans won't forget it anytime soon, and neither will the three Bengals defensive backs he out-jumped, out-muscled and out-fought for one of the season's most eye-popping touchdowns.
No one has pulled off quite as spectacular a grab in the prep ranks … yet. One came close, though, and the stature of the player who made it might make this touchdown just as impressive.
As brought to Prep Rally's attention by MaxPreps, running back Nicholas Ferrari-Smith somehow caught the pass you see above during his Patriot High (Nokesville, Va.) team's 41-35 loss to Stonewall Jackson High (Manassas, Va.). To make the grab he elevated, outstretched two defensive backs who were completely blanketing him and then grabbed the ball with a single hand.
The catch was called "crazy" by MaxPreps, and it's hard to come up with a more apt adjective. Perhaps audacious might work, because it was completely audacious that Freedom even passed to Ferrari-Smith on the route, given the coverage he was facing.
To fully appreciate Ferrari-Smith's athleticism, one must take his size into account; the senior stands just 5-foot-9.
Really, he's 5-foot-9. We're not lying. That any 5-foot-9 receiver could leap that way almost defies belief.
He can, and that only serves to give Prep Rally hope that some college program will take notice and come get him. He's run for 903 yards and 17 touchdowns already in 2013 and has plenty of action still to come. Count on him to do plenty worthy of stunned stares before the season is over.
