Friday Night Lights
By: Gavin Oliver November 11, 2018

Each week, The Clemson Insider’s “Friday Night Lights” feature brings you the latest on how Clemson’s commitments fared in their respective high school football games.

Here’s how the future Tigers did this weekend:

Clemson commit Keith Maguire shined in his team’s season finale, scoring three touchdowns to help Malvern Prep (Malvern, Pa.) defeat Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (Philadelphia), 41-20. In the process, Malvern Prep clinched the Inter-Ac title and finished the season with a perfect 11-0 record.

Maguire is committed to the Tigers as a linebacker but saw plenty of action on offense this weekend as he has all season, catching touchdown passes of 31 and 18 yards against Springside and also taking a sweep 59 yards for another score.

Several other Tiger pledges scored touchdowns in postseason action this weekend as well.

Wide receiver commit Joseph Ngata notched two receptions for 68 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown catch, as his Folsom (Folsom, Calif.) team defeated Edison (Stockton, Calif.) by a score of 64-28 in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I quarterfinal.

Safety commit Joseph Charleston (pictured) plays on both sides of the ball for Milton (Milton, Ga.) and made a big touchdown reception late in his team’s 28-19 win vs. South Gwinnett (Snellville, Ga.) in the first round of the Class 7A playoffs. Charleston hauled in a 29-yard pass in the back of the end zone that put Milton up 21-13 with less than eight minutes left in the game.

Linebacker commit Kane Patterson likewise plays both ways for his team, Christ Presbyterian Academy (Nashville, Tenn.), which improved to 12-0 on the season and advanced to the state semifinals with a 49-7 win vs. St. George’s (Collierville, Tenn.). Patterson scored on a 52-yard touchdown run in the victory.

Commits Davis Allen, Brannon Spector and their Calhoun (Calhoun, Ga.) squad are now 11-0 this season after beating Fannin County (Blue Ridge, Ga.), 55-17, in the first round of the Class 3A playoffs. Allen, who is committed to Clemson as a tight end, plays linebacker for Calhoun as well. He provided one of the highlights of the win, a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Commits Andrew Booth, Jalyn Phillips and Archer (Lawrenceville, Ga.) shut out Forsyth Central (Cumming, Ga.), 56-0, in the opening round of the Class 7A playoffs. Booth caught a 47-yard pass on Archer’s first play from scrimmage to set the tone in the rout.

Clemson quarterback commit Taisun Phommachanh tossed the go-ahead touchdown pass for Avon Old Farms (Avon, Conn.) in its come-from-behind, 31-28 win vs. Salisbury School (Salisbury, Conn.).

Here are the other scores from Friday’s games involving Clemson commitments:

LaVonta Bentley, Jackson-Olin (Birmingham, Ala.) — 35-32 loss vs. Decatur (Decatur, Ala.) — first round of Class 6A playoffs

Sheridan Jones, Maury (Norfolk, Va.) — 41-14 win vs. Warwick (Newport News, Va.) — first round of Group 5A playoffs

Frank Ladson, South Dade (Miami) — 49-14 win vs. Hialeah (Hialeah, Fla.) — first round of Class 8A playoffs

Jaelyn Lay, Riverdale (Riverdale, Ga.) — 35-7 loss @ Ware County (Waycross, Ga.) — first round of Class 5A playoffs

Ray Thornton, Central (Phenix City, Ala.) — 46-0 win vs. Davidson (Mobile, Ala.) — first round of Class 7A playoffs

Greg Williams, Swansea (Swansea, S.C.) — 20-14 win @ Manning (Manning, S.C.) — first round of Class 3A playoffs

Sergio Allen, Peach County (Fort Valley, Ga.) — 48-7 win vs. Ringgold (Ringgold, Ga.) — first round of Class 3A playoffs

Demonte Capehart, Hartsville (Hartsville, S.C.) – 57-7 win vs. Crestwood (Sumter, S.C.) — first round of Class 4A playoffs

Walker Parks, Frederick Douglass (Lexington, Ky.) — 28-27 loss vs. Scott County (Georgetown, Ky.) — second round of Class 6A playoffs

John Williams, Creekview (Canton, Ga.) — 38-14 win vs. Pope (Marietta, Ga.) — first round of Class 6A playoffs