High School

Mark Zackery IV, Notre Dame commit, scores 100-yard interception return

4-star cornerback's big play isn't enough as Ben Davis falls to Cathedral in Indiana high school football thriller

Andy Buhler

Ben Davis' Mark Zackery rushes during the IHSAA 6A football state championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Ben Davis' Mark Zackery rushes during the IHSAA 6A football state championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

Notre Dame commit Mark Zackery IV delivered a head-turning highlight in an Indiana high school football opener between state powers on Friday night.

Zackery IV, a four-star cornerback for top-ranked Ben Davis (Indiana), hauled back a 100-yard interception return for touchdown against Cathedral.

>> INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCORES

The play, which came with 8:49 left in the fourth quarter, breathed life into an otherwise lopsided shocker between two ranked teams.

>> Top 25 Indiana high school football rankings (8/23/2024)

Footage of the play was captured by Indianapolis Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep.

It was the first score in a game for Ben Davis, the top-ranked team in Indiana entering the season, cutting the Giants' deficit to three scores. But Cathedral held on and won, 24-6.

Zackery IV is the nation's No. 6 rated cornerback, No. 60 overall recruit and the No. 3 prospect in Indiana, per 247 Sports.

As a junior, he had four interception, three fumble recoveries and 39 tackles in 14 games on top of his 53 catches, 823 receiving yards and eight TDs.

Ben Davis won the Indiana class 6A state championship in 2023 and finished 13-1 on the season.

Cathedral returns an experienced offensive line and all-state tailback Jalen Bonds (1,259 yards in 2023) from a team that went 8-4.

Stay with the SBLive scoreboard for live scores and game updates from Week 1 of the Indiana high school football season.

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-- Andy Buhler | andy@scorebooklive.com | @sblivein

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Andy Buhler
ANDY BUHLER

Andy Buhler is a Portland, Oregon-based sportswriter with more than nine years of experience covering high school sports across the country. He's covered the likes of Paolo Banchero and Tari Eason, served on state tournament seeding committees and launched the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 national boys basketball rankings. He has covered everything from the Final Four, MLS in Atlanta to local velodrome before diving into the world of preps. His bylines can be found in The News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington), The Associated Press, The Columbian (Vancouver, Washington), The Oregonian and more. He holds a journalism degree from Gonzaga.

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