Midwest

Christopher Benniefield, a 16-year-old football player at Omaha North High (Neb.), died Friday after making a tackle in a game versus Millard North High. The junior lineman was knocked unconscious after making the play in the second quarter. On-site trainers and paramedics treated Benniefield on the field for 20 minutes before they took him to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:15 p.m.

According to the Omaha World-Herald, which first reported the story, the cause of death has yet to be determined, as the initial autopsy was inconclusive. A second autopsy was in the works, but results would not be known for two to three weeks, the newspaper reported. ...

Brian Kaufman of Hill-Murray High (Minn.) picked apart St. Bernard's secondary Friday. He threw for 417 yards on 21-of-37 passing and four touchdowns in the 53-24 win. ...

Another outstanding football performance took place in Minnesota over the weekend, only this one happened on the ground. Riza Mahmoud ran 28 times for 320 yards and five scores to help Champlin Park High handle Elk River, 40-13, Friday night. ...

Southwest

Gilbert Highland High's (Ariz.) Will Sykes saved his football coach, Mike Reardon, from embarrassment Friday night. Highland led Mesa High, 21-14, with Mesa having one last chance to tie the game. On fourth-and-goal, a pass fell incomplete.

Reardon led Highland onto the field for a celebration, but there were still 3.6 seconds left in the game. The referees penalized Highland for having everyone on the field, which gave Mesa another try. Mesa scored on a 9-yard touchdown pass, but Sykes blocked the extra-point attempt to give his team a thrilling 21-20 victory. ...

After 316 dual matches and 28 years, Cherry Creek High (Colo.) finally lost a boys' tennis match Wednesday. Wheat Ridge High did the unthinkable by winning two singles and three doubles matches from Cherry Creek. Wheat Ridge's winners included Jeff Hall, Damon Gillette and the teams of Paul Tinetti/Brian Fisher, Alex Haynes/Tyler Lutz and Joel Lizzy/Toby Lutz. ...

It took 314 rushing yards and six touchdowns from Piedmont High's (Okla.) Ronnie Osborne Friday to hand Heritage Hall High its first regular-season loss since 1997. Piedmont smoked Hall, 40-21.

Southeast

Brandon High (Miss.) rode the shoulders of Jerious Norwood to a 35-25 win Friday that snapped the Madison Central High football team's 18-game winning streak. Norwood ran for 227 yards while collecting 350 all-purpose yards to help Brandon earn the upset. ...

In taking care of the recruiting process before entering his senior season of basketball, Miami Northwestern High's (Fla.) Winsome Frazier has orally committed to Mississippi State University. Last year, Frazier averaged 22.4 points and three assists per game. ...

Lydell Ross continued his running dominance Friday. Ross gained 287 yards on the ground, as his Gaither High (Fla.) squad ripped Wharton High, 47-14. In two games this year, Ross has gained 516 yards and scored seven touchdowns.

West

Both sides saw an outstanding rushing performance from their superstar, but Hueneme High's (Calif.) running back got more yards and the school got more points in a 45-27 win against Huntington Beach High Saturday. Leslie Lee torched Huntington for 293 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries. On the losing side was Russell Oschman. He helped Huntington keep it close for most of the game with 235 yards rushing. ...

The Monroe High (Calif.) football team now knows never to leave home without its cards. After jumping out to a 14-12 half-time advantage, Monroe was forced to forfeit its football game against Canoga Park High Friday. Apparently, Monroe did not have the necessary emergency cards at the game. The cards provide a player's medical insurance information and consent waivers. A team is not allowed to compete without them. The whereabouts of the cards are still a mystery.

Northwest

The Parkrose High (Ore.) football team beat Cleveland High, 13-12, Friday, for its first win since Oct. 9, 1997. Chris McKinnley scored both touchdowns for the winners. Parkrose overcame a 12-0 half-time deficit. ...

A game that could have been won off the field was won on it Friday. Evergreen High (Wash.) was scheduled to play Steilacoom High Thursday. However, the Steilacoom coaching staff mixed up the dates, thinking the game was to be played Friday.

Because of the mistake, Evergreen could have taken a forfeit win. Instead, the two sides played Friday, with Jason Peters running for 288 yards and three touchdowns to lead Evergreen to a 28-7 victory.

- Michael Austin