Orange Lutheran topples No. 12 Basha in MaxPreps Top 25
Orange Lutheran of Orange, Calif., upset No. 12 Basha of Chandler, Ariz., 23-17 on Friday night in a MaxPreps Top 25 high school football showdown. The Lancers sealed the win when defensive back Chauncey Washington II intercepted Basha's final throw after the Bears had cut the deficit to six in the closing moments.
Key Takeaways
- Orange Lutheran beat ranked Basha 23-17 after a late interception sealed the outcome.
- King Rich Johnson's interception return for a touchdown gave the Lancers their first lead.
- In the MaxPreps Game of the Week, five-star receiver Jett Harrison and St. Joseph's Prep upset No. 22 Brentwood Academy 31-23.
- No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas edged No. 6 Columbus 31-24 behind Tyler Reid's huge rushing night.
- No. 3 IMG Academy is the lone Top 25 team still scheduled for Saturday.
How did Orange Lutheran beat No. 12 Basha?
According to MaxPreps, Orange Lutheran took down the No. 12 Bears on Friday night. The Lancers returned an interception for a touchdown courtesy of King Rich Johnson to claim their first lead of the game.
Orange Lutheran led 23-10 in the fourth quarter before Noah Roberts caught a touchdown pass from Jake Rogers, cutting the deficit to 23-17 late. Basha got a stop and the ball back, but Chauncey Washington II picked off the final throw to seal the win.
Ryan Christianson ran for a touchdown and ground out yards to help burn clock late. Quarterback Ezrah Brown found Raiden Velasquez for the final Orange Lutheran touchdown.
What else happened across the MaxPreps Top 25?
No. 25 Lee County trailed 32-21 with 2:04 left, then scored three touchdowns in about a minute to beat Sequoyah 43-32. Senior Jaden Upshaw's 50-yard punt return put the Trojans ahead. Lee County is 3-0 after also beating then-No. 11 Carol City 23-20 last week.
No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas beat No. 6 Columbus 31-24. Senior running back Tyler Reid ran for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. No. 5 Buford rolled 41-7 over Mallard Creek with four defensive touchdowns. No. 2 St. Frances Academy topped Vero Beach 38-6 after a lightning delay, and No. 10 Allen crushed DeSoto 50-6.
No. 11 Baylor defeated Rabun Gap-Nacoochee 51-33 behind five-star David Gabriel Georges' three rushing touchdowns. No. 15 Mater Dei stayed undefeated with a 38-22 win over Valor Christian. For more celebrity sports buzz, see Celebrity Breaking News on BlasterPost.
Why was Jett Harrison's opener a MaxPreps headline?
The MaxPreps Game of the Week saw St. Joseph's Prep of Philadelphia upset No. 22 Brentwood Academy 31-23. Jett Harrison finished with five receptions for 173 yards and two touchdowns, MaxPreps reported.
On3 noted Harrison, the son of NFL legend Marvin Harrison and an Ohio State commit ranked among the nation's top juniors, opened with a 27-yard receiving touchdown and later an 80-yard score. He had four catches for 165 yards in the first half alone after posting 50 catches, 849 yards and 20 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2025.
No. 3 IMG Academy, which has outscored its first two foes 118-13, faces Saint Louis of Honolulu on Saturday at Saddleback College, the lone MaxPreps Top 25 game still to play.