Vote: Who should be SBLive's Illinois High School Athlete of the Week (9/4/2023)?
Here are the candidates for SBLive's Illinois High School Athlete of the Week as nominated by fans, readers and SBLive’s staff.
Read through the nominees and cast your vote at the bottom of the page. Voting will conclude on Sunday at 11:59 p.m. and the winner will be announced the following week. If you would like to nominate an athlete in the future, please email athleteoftheweek@scorebooklive.com.
THIS WEEK’S SBLIVE ILLINOIS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK NOMINEES:
Editor’s Note: Our Athlete of the Week feature and corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. However, we do not allow votes that are generated by script, macro or other automated means. Athletes that receive votes generated by script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified.
Jackson Alcorn, Burlington Central football
The junior quarterback completed 17 of 24 passes for 295 yards and five touchdowns in a 41-6 victory over Dundee-Crown.
Jack Bakey, Huntley boys soccer
The goalkeeper had two saves as the Red Raiders won the penalty-kick shootout 4-2 to prevail 2-1 over Larkin in the championship of their own tournament.
Dominik Ball, Palatine football
The Tulane recruit ran for 182 yards and scored three touchdowns while playing in just the first half of a 42-17 victory over Buffalo Grove.
Noah Battle, Downers Grove North football
Battle scored a career-high four touchdowns as visiting Downers Grove North defeated rival Downers Grove South 35-13. He ran for 131 yards and three touchdowns and also caught a touchdown pass.
Ben Carr, New Trier boys cross country
The junior won the Red Devil Invitational with a time of 14:55.
Cristian Cazares, Kewanee boys soccer
The senior moved within eight goals of the program scoring record by getting four goals and an assist in a 7-3 victory against Abingdon-Avon.
Brett Centnarowicz, Johnsburg football
The junior ran 21 times for 184 yards and two touchdowns in a 40-37 victory over Reed-Custer.
Constantine Coines, Maine South football
After stepping in for injured starter Jack DeFilippis last week, Coines had a big night in a 28-7 win over Warren. The junior was 13-of-22 passing for 242 yards and a touchdown, and he rushed eight times for 104 yards.
Patrick Durkin, Joliet Catholic football
The senior converted on field goals of 22, 27, 28, and 39 yards and added the PAT kick on the only touchdown of the night as Joliet Catholic won 19-0 over rival Providence.
Jack Finn, Prairie Ridge football
The junior fullback finished with 169 yards on 25 carries and scored two touchdowns in a 38-14 victory over Crystal Lake South.
Torey French, Carmel football
The senior had four catches for 53 yards, gained 33 yards on a reverse and ran a kickoff back 54 yards in a 20-10 win over Lake Forest.
Carson Grove, Hersey football
The Northwestern commit had 141 receiving yards, 241 all-purpose yards and an interception in a 49-14 win against Fremd.
Colton Gumino, Hersey football
The junior quarterback was 20-of-24 passing for 274 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for two scores in a 49-14 victory over Fremd.
Joseph Holcomb, Sterling football
The junior quarterback completed six passes for 114 yards and two scores, and also ran 26 times for 108 yards and a TD in a 42-28 loss to St. Francis.
Dierre Hill Jr., Althoff football
The senior ran for three first-quarter touchdowns and finished with 66 rushing yards in a 46-13 victory over Decatur St. Teresa.
Brett Kasper, Wheaton Academy football
In a 41-23 win over St. Charles East, the senior passed for 153 yards and two touchdowns. He also had two interceptions on defense.
Calli Kenny, Willowbrook girls volleyball
The senior had 10 kills and nine assists as the 8-0 Warriors won their own invitational by beating Metea Valley 25-19, 25-13.
Mia Kotler, Latin girls cross country
The junior led from start to finish in winning the Red Devil Invitational at 17:05.
Josh McDearmon, Morrison football
The freshman kicked a 27-yard field goal in the closing seconds of a 22-21 upset of Class 3A top-ranked Princeton.
Jack McQueeney, Lyons football
The senior captain had a 24-yard touchdown reception just before halftime and also rushed for 99 yards and a score in a 13-0 shutout of Wheaton Warrenville South.
Alessio Milivojevic, St. Francis football
The Ball State commit completed 16 of 19 passes for 266 yards and four touchdowns, and also ran for a score in a 42-28 victory over Sterling.
Colby Mortenson, Ottawa football
In a 41-0 shutout of Streator, the senior quarterback ran nine times for 79 yards and four touchdowns, and passed for 157 yards and a TD.
Dylon Nally, Marion boys cross country
The senior ran a meet-record 14:08.9 to win the Granite City Invitational.
Ishan Patel, Woodstock boys cross country
The senior took first at Crystal Lake South's Rich Eschman Invitational, running 16:04.4.
Rex Pfeifer, Reed-Custer football
The senior 22 times for 226 yards and a touchdown – a 76-yarder in the third quarter – in a 40-37 loss to Johnsburg.
Mitchell Ragusa, Joliet Catholic football
A senior defensive lineman, Ragusa had two sacks and recovered a fumble in a 19-0 shutout of rival Providence.
Trey Sato, Grayslake Central boys cross country
The senior won St. Charles East's Leavey Invitational with a time of 15:14.60.
DJ Stewart, St. Rita football
Senior running back carried 15 times for 146 yards and four touchdowns in a 33-20 win over Kenwood.
Ian Willis, St. Francis football
The junior caught nine passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns – from 56, 44 and 46 yards out – in a 42-28 win against Sterling.
Owen Winters, Marist football
In a 30-24 rivalry win over Brother Rice, the junior rushed for 96 yards and passed for 160 yards. He threw the game-winning touchdown pass with 38 seconds remaining.
Sean Winton, York football
The senior quarterback threw three of his four touchdown passes in the second quarter of a 42-13 victory over Nazareth.
Waubonsie Valley football player Tyler Threat voted SBLive's Illinois High School Athlete of the Week (August 21-27)
Congratulations to Waubonsie Valley football player Tyler Threat, who was voted the SBLive Illinois high school Athlete of the Week for August 21-27. He received more than 41 percent of the votes.
Threat, a senior running back, ran for 186 yards and three scores in the second half in a 28-7 victory over Oswego East.
Hersey football football player Nasir McKenzie finished second in the voting after receiving more than 30 percent of the votes.
View the rest of the nominees here: Who should be SBLive's Illinois High School Athlete of the Week (August 21-27)?
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