IMG Defeats Lipscomb

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An inside look at one of the nation's premier opening day matchups in high school football!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>IMG 35 Lipscomb</strong> <strong>10</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 6'0 185 QB - [player_tooltip player_id='740798' first='Jayden' last='Bradford'] - Liberty</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The IMG star and Liberty commit [player_tooltip player_id='740798' first='Jayden' last='Bradford'] was nearly perfect on opening day. Going 12/16 passing with 3 TDs, the phenom QB ended the day with an overall passer rating of 156.3. Bradford did struggle running the ball, however, and he gave up two fumbles during the ground attack. That being said, his dual-threat style is aggressive and physical, therefore the fumbles are mostly a result of his toughness. Overall, [player_tooltip player_id='740798' first='Jayden' last='Bradford'] put on an absolute clinic against the opposing academy from Tennessee, and his performance is an extremely positive sign for IMG's season going forward. This is exactly what IMG fans nationwide wanted to see before the Ascenders' highly anticipated Battle at the Beach matchup against Samaj Jones and St. Joseph's this Friday night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Highlights: <a href="https://twitter.com/247Sports/status/1692693362225143922?s=20">https://twitter.com/247Sports/status/1692693362225143922?s=20</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 5'10 195 RB - [player_tooltip player_id='404033' first='Jerrick' last='Gibson']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='404033' first='Jerrick' last='Gibson'] put-on arguably the most impressive overall performance of any player over the weekend. He accounted for nearly half of IMG's all-purpose yards with 169 total, and he also racked-up two touchdown scores along the way. With that performance, Gibson clearly overtook the reigns of RB1 for the Ascenders, and he's now on track to surpass 1,000 yards this season. He possesses next level physicality and unmatched ability to gain yards after contact. His top five school choices remains as follows: Texas, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, UMiami. However, Coach Sarkisian of Texas recently sent him a personal offer over Twitter, so I have a feeling that the Longhorns might be climbing Gibson's recruitment rankings as we speak! [player_tooltip player_id='404033' first='Jerrick' last='Gibson'] is one of the most exciting ball carriers in the nation right now, and his recruitment must be treated as such.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Highlights: <a href="https://t.co/0BnQrWusuL">https://t.co/0BnQrWusuL</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 5'10 175 WR - [player_tooltip player_id='740864' first='Jerrae' last='Hawkins'] Jr - Florida</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior Florida commit and 4 star athlete [player_tooltip player_id='740864' first='Jerrae' last='Hawkins'] absolutely stole the show against Lipscomb, and his elite effort was an integral part of the Ascenders' dominant win. He also made the top play of the game with an incredible over the middle catch and run for about a fifty yard touchdown reception. Once the ball was in his hands, his speed took over, and the opposing defenders simply had no chance of catching him. If IMG continues to see these types of performances on a consistent basis from Hawkins, then there's no reason why the Ascenders won't be competing for a National Championship come November. Their offense already looks unstoppable.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Highlights:<a href="https://twitter.com/247Sports/status/1692693362225143922?s=20"> https://twitter.com/247Sports/status/1692693362225143922?s=20</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 5'10 170 WR - [player_tooltip player_id='826461' first='Winston' last='Watkins'] Jr - Colorado</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='826461' first='Winston' last='Watkins'] Jr showed everybody exactly why he's a 5 star recruit over the weekend. With 4 rec, 72 yards, and 2 TDs, Watkins was by far the most productive and efficient receiver of the day. He's extremely elusive with phenomenal route running ability, and it's clear that he has great chemistry with his quarterback- [player_tooltip player_id='740798' first='Jayden' last='Bradford']. [player_tooltip player_id='826461' first='Winston' last='Watkins'] is committed to the University of Colorado Boulder already, and Coach Prime and his staff must be extremely excited with what they saw from him on opening day. Guarding him will be an incredibly difficult task for the St. Joe's defensive, therefore I am predicting another huge game from him this upcoming weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Highlights: <a href="https://twitter.com/USATOP100dotorg/status/1693399322228879669?s=20">https://twitter.com/USATOP100dotorg/status/1693399322228879669?s=20</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 6'2 190 WR - [player_tooltip player_id='826644' first='Donovan' last='Olugbode']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='826644' first='Donovan' last='Olugbode'] extends the depth of IMG's receiving corps immensely, and he really showcased his value during the team's victory over Lipscomb. Averaging a little over 15 yards per reception, Olugbode hauled-in 4 catches for 63 yards in his dominant performance over the weekend. He already has a plethora of D1 power five conference offers from schools such as: Georgia, Florida, TCU, Wisconsin, Tennessee, CU Boulder, UMiami, Michigan State, Georgia Tech, and more. [player_tooltip player_id='826644' first='Donovan' last='Olugbode'] is most definitely a top tier receiver in the nation's 2025 class, and scouts everywhere must have his name high-up on their watchlists. He's in a great position to put up huge numbers against St. Joseph's this weekend under the Friday night lights.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Highlights: <a href="https://twitter.com/ZcruitFootball/status/1641787472370868224?s=20">https://twitter.com/ZcruitFootball/status/1641787472370868224?s=20</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->