Duke Commit Jayson Tatum and US Olympian Sydney McLaughlin Take Home 2016 Gatorade Athlete of Year Awards

The best male and female high school athletes in the country gathered at the LA Hotel for the 2016 Gatorade Athlete of the Year Awards ceremony last week.

The event featured several pro stars including NFL MVP Cam Newton, Los Angeles Rams RB Todd Gurley and Detroit Lions QB Matt Stafford.

The ceremony was emceed by ESPN anchor Sage Steele and highlighted the hard work and accomplishments of the top athletes in their respective sports.

A video from a high school football playoff game last Friday has gone viral. Khalil Tate scored on touchdown runs of 95 and 70 yards, respectively. Tate is a University of Arizona quarterback commit, however, the video went viral because of the mach speed of the referee.

I was able to speak with the so-called "World's Fastest Referee" via phone tonight and we'll have more later in the week. Just to satisfy your taste buds, I've thrown in a few quotes. Remember. I've only included a few. Much more to come.

After a tight first quarter Cathedral stormed out to a 21-0 lead in the 2nd quarter behind quarterback Andrew Tovar. Cathedral WRs Renard Bell and Jamire Calvin both had excellent runs after making a catch for touchdowns.

Crenshaw defeated Oxnard 26-20 in a hard fought contest at Crenshaw high. Crenshaw dominated the visiting Yellowjackets from Oxnard. Cougars running back Aundre Carter was on fire in the first half moving the chains and scoring a brilliant touchdown run. Crenshaw's QB Derrick Darden was also in fine form throwing for a touchdown and scrambling for another.

The Gardena Serra Cavaliers defeated the Loyola Cubs 35-17 in a Mission League battle Friday night.

Led by the stellar play of quarterback Khalil Tate, Serra jumped out to a big lead in the first quarter. The Serra defense forced two interceptions, including Tyler Hall's 45 yard return for a touchdown. The Cavaliers led Loyola 20-0 before the Cubs could settle into the game.

The Arizona commit finished the contest with 166 rushing yards and 3 total touchdowns for the Cavaliers.

Official Game Highlights

The Loyola Cubs rolled to a 52-22 road victory over the Salesian Mustangs Thursday night. Both teams lit up the scoreboard in the first quarter.

Loyola led 28-14 heading into the second quarter. The Cubs seized control of the game from there and added two more touchdowns to take a 42-14 advantage into the locker room.

Salesian came out fighting in the second half but were unable to claw back into the game. With the victory, Loyola improves to 3-0 and appears poised for a run at the Mission league crown.

Official Game Highlights

The 2015 Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year Award Ceremony featured the top high school athletes in the nation at their respective sports being honored for their exemplary athletic performance. The award recipients shined in the classroom as well. The 13th annual star studded event was held at the luxurious The L.A. Hotel Downtown.

Texas A&M freshman quarterback Kyler Murray took home the Male Athlete of the Year award after leading Allen High (TX) to a 43-0 record and three straight state titles.

So really my decision came down to Long Beach Poly and IMG. I just thought IMG would prepare me better for the next level. Chris Weinke is the coach there. He won the Heisman, led them to their undefeated season and he wore number 16.

Hopefully I'll go to a couple games at Florida State next year.

I'd love to play in front of my family and friends in Long Beach but this was the best decision for me.

It's that time of year for aspiring college level athletes looking to improve their craft. The 2014 high school football season is in the rear view mirror and the all-star bowl games have run their course. For exceptional athletes like Oregon commit Travis Waller, National Signing Day marks the next step on the athletic journey.

Quarterbacks like Waller aren't born overnight. Hard work, dedication and the relentless pursuit of greatness pave the way to success. Quarterbacks serious about reaching the ultimate destination should seek out expert coaching with Steve Clarkson.

Several of the top high school football players in Southern California competed in the 3rd annual 4th Quarter Sports 7v7 Shootout at Salesian high school Sunday. The athletes braved stormy weather conditions and nearly 12 hours of action before a champion was crowned.

In the finale, Team FCA defeated GameChangers to take home the trophy. Team FCA was led by Long Beach Poly quarterback Josh Love, Buena Park receiver Jaylinn Hawkins, Orange Lutheran athlete Hudson Hankins and several other talented D1Bound prospects.