Vote: Who should be SBLive's National High School Athlete of the Week? (9/4/2023)
Each week during the fall sports season, SBLive Sports will gather the best high school performances across the country with the help of fans, readers and staff.
Now, it’s your turn to choose a standout among the pack, the best of the best.
Here are the nominees for SBLive’s National High School Athlete of the Week for Aug. 28-Sept. 3. Voting closes on Monday, Sept. 11, at 11:59 (Pacific Time).
Want to nominate an athlete? Please email bob.lundeberg@gmail.com or tag us on Twitter or Instagram at @SBLiveSports.
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.
SBLive National High School Athlete of the Week candidates
Sam Barton, sr., McDonald County (Missouri) football
Barton compiled 245 yards rushing and five touchdowns in a 34-14 victory over Marshfield.
Cornell Beard, jr., Shaker Heights (Ohio) football
Beard rumbled for 284 yards and five touchdowns as Shaker Heights took down Solon, 53-27.
Elijah Brown, sr., Mater Dei (California) football
Brown, a four-star Stanford commit, set new career highs for passing yards (372) and touchdowns (seven) in Mater Dei’s 62-0 romp over Creekside (Georgia).
Ben Carter, sr., Liberty Hill (Texas) football
Carter turned 23 carries into 368 rushing yards and five touchdowns in an 82-80 victory over Hutto. It was the highest-scoring 11-man game in Texas since 2016. His teammate, Noah Long, rushed for 311 yards on 17 carries and also scored five times.
Cristian Cazares, sr., Kewanee (Illinois) boys soccer
Cazares had four goals and an assist in a 7-3 win over Abingdon-Avon. The senior is eight goals shy of matching the all-time school record of 88.
Malachi Durant, sr., Graham-Kapowsin (Washington) football
Durant caught a pair of touchdowns, returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a TD and finished with 182 all-purpose yards in a 49-10 victory over Rogers. Durant is committed to Oregon State.
Will Hammond, sr., Hutto (Texas) football
Hammond completed 36 of 58 passes for 719 yards and scored 10 total touchdowns (four passing, six rushing) in the shootout loss to Liberty Hill. The four-star Texas Tech commit finished with 88 yards rushing.
Mack Jensen, jr., Burley (Idaho) football
Jensen completed 21 of 23 passes for 462 yards and seven touchdowns in a 65-30 victory over Vallivue. The junior also ran for 103 yards and two TDs.
Austin Knowles, sr., Medina (Ohio) football
Knowles had six receptions for 176 yards and four touchdowns in a 40-23 victory over Wadsworth.
Shaddix Lewis, so., Bath County (Kentucky) girls soccer
Lewis scored four goals and had an assist in an 8-0 shutout of Menifee County.
Husan Longstreet, jr., Centennial (California) football
Longstreet, a four-star junior quarterback, accounted for 397 yards of total offense — 288 passing, 109 rushing — in a 50-43 victory over Punahou (Hawaii). He found the end zone four times on the ground and hit Jason Harris Jr. for the go-ahead touchdown with 7 seconds remaining.
Dustan Mark, sr., Southlake Carroll (Texas) football
Mark had three sacks and scored a touchdown off a fumble recovery as Southlake Carroll cruised past Flower Mound Marcus, 57-15.
Aven Mathis, sr., Kossuth (Mississippi) volleyball
In a four-set win over New Albany, Mathis put up 29 kills, six digs and two blocks.
MJ McCurdy, sr., Liberty (Texas) volleyball
McCurdy, a Texas State commit, had 38 kills, 31 digs, three aces and two blocks in a five-set victory over Reedy. She then notched 28 kills, 32 digs and two blocks in a four-set win against Braswell.
Marcel Milner, jr., Park Hill South (Missouri) football
Milner returned not one but two interceptions for touchdowns in Park Hill South’s 39-24 loss to Lee’s Summit North.
Josh Moody, jr., Nitro (West Virginia) football
Moody set new West Virginia single-game records for passing yards (598) and touchdowns (11) in an 84-6 drubbing of St. Albans.
Cru Newman, sr., Central Catholic (Oregon) football
Newman completed 18 of 22 passes for 343 yards and five touchdowns as Central Catholic cruised past Bellevue (Washington), 48-27. Newman also rushed for 69 yards.
Donovyn Omolo, sr., Conway (Arkansas) football
Omolo threw for 381 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-39 win over Bentonville.
Dylan Raiola, sr., Buford (Georgia) football
The nation’s No. 1 senior recruit, Raiola completed 12 of 16 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-28 victory over North Cobb. Raiola committed to Georgia in May.
Madesyn Sunderhaus, jr., Franklin County (Indiana) girls soccer
Sunderhaus netted six goals and two assists in a 10-0 victory over Rushville. She then had four more goals as Franklin County shut out Union County, 9-0.
Ethan Thomas, sr., Evangelical Christian (Florida) football
Thomas recorded three sacks and a forced fumble in a 21-0 victory over Island Coast.
LaMason Waller III, jr., Sultana (California) football
Waller III had nine receptions for 167 yards and five touchdowns in a 48-47 win over Poly (Riverside). Waller III is a four-star junior receiver.
Alex Wilcoxson, sr. Gretna (Nebraska) football
Wilcoxson scored six total touchdowns — three passing, three rushing — in a 49-28 road win over Omaha Central. The senior quarterback passed for 232 yards.
Bo Williams, sr., Shiloh Christian (Arkansas) football
Williams carried it 45 times for 400 yards and six touchdowns as Shiloh Christian defeated Little Rock Christian, 43-22.
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-- Bob Lundeberg | @sblivesports
