Vote: Who was Massachusetts’ top junior 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 underclassmen on the scene made the biggest impact to a football program or state even? That’s where juniors that saw extensive playing time come into the mix.
That’s why we ask the question: Who was the top junior football player of 2023?
We will go state-by-state along the East Coast and in search of the top juniors. Comment and let us know if we missed anyone you think should be on our list.
We’ve selected 12 worthy candidates and ask you the fan to vote for who you think topped them all.
Voting will end on February 29th, 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:
Jayden Barber, QB, Dennis-Yarmouth: Without question was one of the top production wise signal caller in the entire state. Barber completed 186-of-301 passes for 2,823 yards, 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Dom Papa, QB, Andover: Papa was one of the best quarterbacks when it comes to taking care of the football, only throwing four interceptions this season. The junior completed 123-of-206 passes for 2,006 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Tyler Adamo, QB, Lynnfield: The Pioneers’ signal caller had a stellar 2023 campaign as Adamo completed 124-of-175 passes for 1,974 yards and 20 touchdowns to just seven interceptions.
Alexavier Figueroa, QB, Gardner: Figueroa played very efficiently under center for the Wildcats as the quarterback completed 80-of-143 passes for 1,616 yards and 22 touchdowns to just a mere four interceptions.
Kaiden Brochu, RB, Bay Path RVT: Leading all the running backs in the junior class was Brochu this past season. The workhorse carried the rock 202 times for 2,499 yards and scored 33 touchdowns.
James Curry, RB, Braintree: The 6-foot-1, 220-pound bulldozer of a running back had a strong junior campaign in 2023. Curry ran the ball 255 times for 1,725 yards and found the endzone 23 times.
Peyton Kellett, WR, Dennis Yarmouth Regional: When it came to junior wide receivers, Kellett led everyone in the yardage department. The pass catcher hauled in 62 passes for 1,086 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Mattias Barbour, WR, Central: The junior wide receiver averaged over 100 yards per game in 2023 for Central. Barbour finished by making 50 catches for 1,027 yards and scored 13 touchdowns.
Brendan McMahon, LB, Grafton: McMahon was all over the field making tackles for the Gators last fall. The linebacker totaled 108 tackles, nine went for a loss and three sacks.
Aiden Green, S, Clinton: Coming from his strong safety spot, Green was simply a tackling machine. The junior safety ended 2023 with 101 tackles, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception.
Ethan Frisch, TE/DE, Clinton: Whether it was lining up at tight end and catching passes or at defensive end chasing quarterbacks, Frisch produced. The junior caught 26 passes for 417 yards and also made 12 sacks on defense.
Austin Clemente, K, Bishop Feehan: You know kickers don’t get a ton of love, but Clemente proved to deserve it on this list. The place kicker went 12-of-16 on field goals, with a long of 44. Also was perfect on PATs, connecting on 32-of-32.
-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivemass
