Rapoport Ravens reign supreme atop 2A mountaintop
Two gritty teams began the game, as expected, by trading buckets in the first quarter with Dereion Mitchell beating the first quarter buzzer to give the Eagles a 12-10 lead after one.
The Ravens came out in the second quarter on fire, using a 10-0 run to take a 20-12 lead. However, Hearne punched right back with an 10-3 run to close the gap. The Ravens widened the lead back to five heading into the halftime break thanks to 11 first-half points from Jordan Bradley and Ve'Shawn Long.
The second half saw more of the same, with Hearne taking the lead but Rapoport battling back to take a four-point lead into the final frame.
Rapoport quickly widened the lead once again, going up double figures with 5:01 left to go. Hearne wouldn't go away though as the Eagles went on a furious comeback, cutting the deficit to two with 20 seconds remaining off of back-to-back buckets by Dereion Mitchell.
Hearne fouled Jordan Sewell with five seconds remaining and Sewell iced the game to secure the first state championship in school history for the Ravens.
The Ravens ends the season as 2A DI State Champions with a 37-3 record.
Hearne finishes as 2A State Runner-Up for the first time in school history, capping the season with a 29-6 record.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


USA Today
18 minutes ago
- USA Today
Ian Rapoport believes Packers would be 'really interested' in trading for Cowboys DE Micah Parsons
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network believes the Green Bay Packers would be one of the teams "really interested" in trading for Dallas Cowboys star defender Micah Parsons, who has requested a trade while attempting to negotiate a new mega deal with the Cowboys. "I would expect that the Packers would be among the teams interested and I would expected the Packers among the teams really interested," Rapoport said Monday on "The Pat McAfee Show." Rapoport said he did not think the Cowboys have received official offers for Parsons, a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, because Dallas has so far rebuffed Parsons' trade requests. But if the Cowboys decided to deal Parsons, Rapoport sees the Packers as an ideal fit. "They have money to spend, and they are really good," Rapoport said. "That's the kind of team that I would say, if Micah was going to be traded, that he would be going to. We need one final piece. This guy is an absolute dog. He's worth all the money so pay him all the it'd be worth it, because you get Micah Parsons." Rapoport said the trade package for Parsons would almost certainly look like the Chicago Bears' trade for Khalil Mack seven years ago. The Bears had to send two first-round picks and two other picks to the Raiders to get Mack before the 2018 season. The draft capital is one thing, but any team trading for Parsons would need to agree to make him the highest paid non-quarterback in the sport. Brian Gutekunst was in on Mack back in 2018, but he's also mentioned the difficulty of trading premium draft capital and spending big cap dollars on a veteran trade. Parsons is an undeniably elite talent and could be worth taking the risk. The competition for Parsons on the trade market would be strong. Rapoport said there are several expected playoff teams that might need one more piece who would likely be interested in trading for the Cowboys star.


New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Cooper DeJean debuted at cornerback in training camp. What does this mean for the Eagles?
PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles operated their offseason as if Cooper DeJean was their break-glass option at outside cornerback. In Monday's practice, they pulled the proverbial emergency hammer off its hook. DeJean made his training camp debut at cornerback in base packages. This was a long time coming. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said during OTAs that he'd experiment with playing DeJean in base at safety and cornerback — an effort to keep one of the team's best defenders on the field. DeJean focused on cornerback in OTAs. His focus shifted to safety in training camp. After 10 practices, defensive passing game coordinator Christian Parker said they still planned on giving DeJean training camp reps at cornerback, but DeJean was still getting 'his legs under him at safety.' DeJean's debut might have been scheduled, but it carries more urgency with no clear winner yet in the position battle for the CB2 spot. Advertisement 'Usually, it does become pretty obvious to everybody as to who's going to win the job,' Fangio said. 'That hasn't happened yet. I think they all have done a good job in and of their own way. Had good moments, not so good moments. So we haven't reached that conclusion yet.' Fangio said he isn't yet considering making DeJean a full-time cornerback. Such a move, Fangio said, would require 'someone to develop at the nickel position and someone not to develop at the corner position.' Fangio also said DeJean doesn't yet have enough meaningful, NFL-level cornerback snaps to be properly evaluated. For that reason, it's fair to question why the Eagles chose to spend four weeks of snaps on developing DeJean at safety — a source of greater investment. Drew Mukuba's breakout preseason debut offered the sort of promise the Eagles would expect more from a second-round pick than what they invested at cornerback. Of those squarely in the five-man cornerback battle, Fangio said, 'I think all the guys are pretty even right now.' That is a bleak statement with one preseason game remaining, considering the performances of the players involved. Kelee Ringo's stagnancy is most damaging. The Eagles have long believed their 2023 fourth-round pick possesses the speed and size to be a starting corner. They were counting on Ringo's progress in their cost-effective release of Darius Slay. That their other low-investment additions — aging veteran Adoree' Jackson and fifth-round rookie Mac McWilliams — took all of Monday's first-team reps for the first time underlines just how far Ringo's stock has fallen. Darius Cooper, a rising undrafted wide receiver, punctuated Ringo's apparent relegation by beating Ringo on back-to-back plays with the second-team units: first, on a slant; second, by stopping quickly on a back-shoulder throw along the right sideline, leaving Ringo to helplessly turn his head in surprise several yards downfield. Jackson, McWilliams and Jakorian Bennett are the most reliable options remaining. (The Eagles signaled indifference in Eli Ricks by playing him only during the final 11 snaps of Saturday's preseason game against the Browns.) None of them inspires confidence yet. Bennett, whom general manager Howie Roseman acquired Aug. 4 to strengthen the position battle, remains a hopeful gamble who could keep DeJean at nickel. Bennett is steadily improving after a poor first week of practice. Fangio noted Monday that Bennett 'just got here' and that they 'need to give him a full opportunity with the other guys.' Bennett peppers his teammates with questions in his effort to catch up, and he's been texting Parker and cornerbacks coach Roy Anderson to schedule personal review sessions that range from 15 minutes to an hour. Advertisement 'I'd be lying if I said that it was easy,' Bennett said. 'But I would say that they do a good job with helping me acclimate. I feel like I'm a pro for a reason. Like, I'm going to come in and do things the right way. I'm just gonna continue to keep chopping.' Fangio's inclusion of McWilliams as a cornerback with the first-team defense is also notable. There's a face-value takeaway: Fangio believes the fifth-round rookie is challenging for a starting role at outside cornerback. But, beyond that, Fangio had been training McWilliams as DeJean's backup nickel. That McWilliams is now taking on first-team reps at outside cornerback infers that Fangio believes he has a good enough grasp of his responsibilities in the slot. McWilliams said Monday, 'I feel like I got (nickel) down a lot.' He's still mastering knowing where his help is while playing nickel in Fangio's system, which dictates whether he defends a receiver with inside or outside leverage. Fangio's rhetoric makes it clear he isn't yet confident enough in McWilliams to start him at nickel. But the Eagles drafted the 5-10, 191-pound defensive back knowing he could offer versatility. McWilliams primarily played outside cornerback during his final college season with UCF. In 2023, at UAB, he totaled nearly a fourth of his snaps in the slot, according to Pro Football Focus. It's worth monitoring McWilliams' progress as the preseason draws to a close. He appears to be the most capable of replacing DeJean if called upon. Parry Nickerson and Brandon Johnson have been playing more snaps at nickel, but Johnson, an undrafted free agent, injured his groin in Saturday's preseason game against the Browns, and it doesn't appear he will return to practice in time to be a factor for an immediate decision. It will also be worth wondering if DeJean will have gained enough experience at cornerback for Fangio to confidently start him there Week 1. Consider DeJean's safety reps. After the first four training camp practices, Fangio said he wished he could see more base snaps in practice to properly test DeJean at safety. The Eagles will practice three times before their preseason finale on Friday against the New York Jets, and DeJean will almost certainly not play in the exhibition. The Eagles would need to spend the two weeks leading up to their Sept. 4 game against the Dallas Cowboys developing a new plan at outside corner. But DeJean was drafted as a cornerback out of Iowa, where he was a unanimous All-American in 2023. His coverage ability and ball skills are self-evident; his NFL peers ranked him No. 60 on this year's Top 100 list. His training camp reps will build on the work he began during OTAs, and he said his individual drills and team reps at nickel involve 'the same man-to-man progressions as a corner.' Advertisement Asked last week if he could plug in at cornerback if called upon, DeJean said, 'I'm prepared.' 'I'm sure they'll let me know and make sure that I'm ready if that happens,' he said. • Wide receiver Darius Cooper saw first-team reps during team drills on Monday. He hauled in a downfield pass along the right sideline from Jalen Hurts, finding a space between Quinyon Mitchell and Reed Blankenship. Cooper continues to make the Eagles' upcoming cut-down day even tougher for a wide receiver room that got even more crowded upon the John Metchie III trade. Jalen Hurts Eagles • Starting linebacker Zack Baun was not included in Monday's practice report, which indicated that he was a full participant for the first time since suffering a back contusion that sidelined him for seven practices. Baun returned with limitations for five practices, but only participated in 7-on-7 drills. • Offensive guard Kenyon Green returned with limitations after missing five practices with a shoulder injury. Green, the player compensation in the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade, will be battling for a roster spot in a crowded offensive line room. Trevor Keegan, a 2024 fifth-round pick, was the second-team left guard. Darian Kinnard was the second-team right guard. • Practice report: Wide receiver A.J. Brown (hamstring), left guard Landon Dickerson (knee), cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields (hamstring), safety Lewis Cine (groin) and Brandon Johnson (groin) did not practice on Monday. Starting right tackle Lane Johnson was given his second rest day of training camp. Defensive back A.J. Woods was limited after exiting Saturday's game with heat exhaustion. (Top photo of Cooper DeJean: Emilee Chinn / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle


USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
How old is Joe Flacco? Where QB ranks among NFL's oldest players
The Cleveland Browns named Joe Flacco their starting quarterback to begin the 2025 NFL season. The 18-year veteran will provide the Browns with a wealth of experience as he takes on the job. Flacco has been in the league since the Baltimore Ravens made him the 18th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. He has played in 196 career regular-season games with 191 starts over that span, posting a 105-86 record over that span. Flacco led the Ravens to a Super Bowl 47 victory, a contest for which he earned MVP honors. He has completed 61.7% of his passes for 45,697 yards, 257 touchdowns and 162 interceptions across his 17 NFL seasons to date. Just how old is Joe Flacco? Here's what to know about the veteran signal-caller's age and where he ranks among the league's oldest players. How old is Joe Flacco? Joe Flacco is 40 years old. The 2025 NFL season will be his 18th, and he has played with the Ravens, Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts and Browns during his career. JOE FLACCO: QB's first Browns stint, revisited Oldest NFL players for 2025 Flacco is one of just three active NFL players over the age of 40. Only Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (41) and New York Jets kicker Nick Folk (40) are older than him. Below is a look at the 10 oldest NFL players for the 2025 NFL season. Rodgers and Flacco will become the first pair of 40-year-old quarterbacks to start in the same season since Tom Brady and Drew Brees did so in 2020, when Brady was 43 and Brees was 41. The 2025 NFL season will be just the eighth in league history during which multiple quarterbacks aged 40 or older have started at least one game.