Vote: Who was Delaware’s top sophomore football player of 2023?
The 2023 high school football season is complete and we are going around the East Coast, reflecting on the last few months.
One of the big questions is what newcomers on the scene made the biggest impact to a football program or state even? That’s where freshman that saw extensive playing time come into the mix.
That’s why we ask the question: Who was the top sophomore football player of 2023?
We will go state-by-state along the East Coast and once that voting is done, do a final poll including all the sophomore that won going head-to-head.
We’ve selected 11 worthy candidates and ask you the fan to vote for who you think topped them all.
Voting will end on February 14th, 2024.
Editor’s note: Our corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. This poll is specifically for fans to vote on the players that have been nominated and in no way discredits any other player that may not be mentioned in our poll.
Here are the nominees:
Evan Budinger, QB, Red Lion Christian: The Red Lion Christian starting quarterback looked good all throughout the 2023 season, throwing for 1,831 yards and 16 touchdowns versus just seven interceptions.
Jacque Wilson, LB, Red Lion Christian: Wilson was by far the state’s leading tackler when it comes to sophomores. The linebacker racked up 141 tackles, seven have gone for a loss and three sacks.
Jahsiear Rogers, WR, Red Lion Christian: Rogers was among one of the receiving leaders when it came to sophomore pass catchers. The wide receiver caught 29 passes for 642 yards and eight touchdowns.
Odell Teel, QB, Delaware Military Academy: Teel accounted for 1,349 all-purpose yards of offense and seven touchdowns this season for Delaware Military Academy. He also plays defensive end recording eight tackles and three sacks.
Davon Handy, RB, Indian River: The Indian River running back had a solid season, carrying the ball 95 times for 689 yards and has scored five touchdowns.
Jamar Smith, RB, Glasgow: Smith was another tailback that put up some strong numbers as a sophomore. The running back carried the ball 130 times for 735 yards and three touchdowns.
George Lane, DL, Glasgow: When it came to sophomore defensive linemen, Lame stood out among them all. The sophomore tallied 113 tackles, 17 for a loss and six sacks.
Phoenix Henriquez, WR, Smyrna: Henriquez had a strong season so far for the Eagles as the wide receiver has hauled in 58 passes for 928 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Nybree Davis, DE, Hodgson Vo-Tech: The 6-foot, 180-pound defensive end came off the edge and caused havoc for Hodgson Vo-Tech this season. Davis has tallied nine sacks this past fall.
Quarrel Richards, LB, Cape Henlopen: Richards, a 5-foot-11, 196-pound linebacker, was a mainstay in the middle for the Vikings. The middle backer has made 89 tackles, nine for a loss and four sacks.
Billy Lang, CB, Tatnall: The wide receiver/cornerback made a difference in the secondary for Tatnall, intercepting three passes, five pass breakups this season along with 25 tackles. Lang also rushed for 58 yards on the ground.
-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports
