Vote: Who should be SBLive's National High School Athlete of the Week? (10/2/2023)
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 Sept. 25-Oct. 1. Voting closes on Monday, Oct. 9, 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
Jaylen Antoine, jr., Bay High (Mississippi) football
Antoine piled up 285 rushing yards and three touchdowns in a 40-18 win over Presbyterian Christian. The junior also had a receiving TD.
Noah Burnham, so., Eagle (Idaho) football
Burnham had 15 carries for 199 yards and four touchdowns as Eagle defeated Boise, 40-21, in a matchup of the state’s highest-ranked Class 5A teams.
Kendell Cottrell, sr., Bristol (Pennsylvania) football
Cottrell set new single-game school records for rushing yards (422) and touchdowns (eight) in a 70-6 victory over Renaissance Academy.
Jackson Daily, sr., Alma (Arkansas) football
Daily ran for a single-game school-record 320 yards and finished with 467 yards of total offense as Alma took down Farmington, 56-35. Dailey scored seven touchdowns in the victory.
Luke Deperno, jr., West Ranch (California) football
Deperno compiled 258 yards rushing and five touchdowns in a 42-25 comeback win over Hart.
Javeon Fricks, jr., Mineral Springs (Arkansas) football
Fricks scored three defensive touchdowns in a 70-0 shutout of Lafayette County. The junior returned two fumbles for scores and recorded a pick-six.
Peter Gonzalez, sr., Pittsburgh Central Catholic (Pennsylvania) football
Gonzalez caught seven passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns as Pittsburgh Central Catholic trounced Canon-McMillan, 49-6. Gonzalez is committed to Penn State.
Jeremy Hecklinski, sr., Walton (Georgia) football
Hecklinski, a Wake Forest commit, threw for 341 yards and four touchdowns in a 44-24 victory over North Paulding. Hecklinski, who also ran for a score, has 6,998 passing yards during his Walton career.
Bridgette Hollifield, jr., Kalama (Washington) girls soccer
Hollifield recorded four goals and three assists in a 9-0 shutout of Central.
Briggs Hughston, sr., West Plains (Missouri) football
Hughston caught 11 passes for 257 yards — a new West Plains single-game record — and four touchdowns in a 49-35 loss to Kickapoo. The senior is committed to Northern Iowa.
DJ Lagway, sr., Willis (Texas) football
Lagway is once again a national athlete of the week nominee after firing eight touchdown passes — seven in the first half — in a 75-14 rout of Cleveland. The five-star Florida commit has 36 total touchdowns through six games this season.
Peyton Lewis, sr., Salem (Virginia) football
Lewis, a four-star Tennessee commit, ran for 112 yards and a touchdown, returned a kickoff 82 yards for a score and added a 50-yard punt return TD as Salem blanked Hidden Valley, 51-0.
Drake Lindsey, sr., Fayetteville (Arkansas) football
Lindsey, a Minnesota commit, threw for 535 yards and six touchdowns in a 47-42 victory over Rogers.
Jordan Marshall, sr., Archbishop Moeller (Ohio) football
Marshall ran for 113 yards and three touchdowns and threw a 46-yard touchdown pass in Archbishop Moeller’s 38-7 win over Elder. The four-star Michigan commit became the program’s all-time leading rusher during the game.
Silas Midgyett, jr., Chillicothe (Missouri) football
Midgyett rumbled for a Chillicothe single-game school-record 473 yards and six touchdowns in a 79-38 win over St. Joseph Lafayette.
Audrey Nelson, sr., Madison (South Dakota) volleyball
Nelson recorded her 1,146th career kill — a new Madison record — during a three-set victory over Parker. The senior had 14 kills and four blocks in the win.
Malachi Nicholson, sr., El Reno (Oklahoma) football
Nicholson set a new Oklahoma eight-man football single-game record with 521 rushing yards in a 68-67 win over Noble. Nicholson carried it 37 times and scored eight touchdowns.
Trey Owens, sr., Cy-Fair (Texas) football
Owens, a Texas commit, completed 13 of 16 passes for 330 yards and five touchdowns in a 49-28 win over Jersey Village.
Kody Poplaski, jr., Chariho (Rhode Island) boys soccer
Poplaski scored four goals as Chariho took out Tiverton, 7-1.
Javier Rice, sr., Asheville Christian Academy (North Carolina) football
Rice threw for 473 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 58 yards and four more scores in a 47-41 win over Wake Christian.
Isaiah Riggins, sr., Wiregrass Ranch (Florida) football
Riggins had 10 receptions for 183 yards and three touchdowns as Wiregrass Ranch defeated Springstead, 52-45.
Shane Rosenthal, jr., Newbury Park (California) football
Rosenthal caught 12 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns in Newbury Park’s 35-28 loss to Moorpark.
Matt Sieg, so., Fort Cherry (Pennsylvania) football
Sieg ran for 277 yards, passed for 172 and scored seven total touchdowns — four rushing, three passing — as Fort Cherry defeated Bishop Canevin in a shootout, 48-41.
Peyton Seow, jr., Perth Amboy (New Jersey) girls soccer
Seow scored four goals in a 7-0 shutout of Carteret.
Avery Starr, sr., Tulare Western (California) volleyball
Starr had 27 kills, 19 digs and a block in a four-set win over Hanford. The senior topped the 1,000 career kills mark earlier this season.
Dalton Steers, sr., Pacific/Bandon (Oregon) boys soccer
Steers netted three goals in a 4-2 victory over Umpqua Valley Christian. The former Portland Timbers Academy standout has 20 goals and 11 assists in eight matches this season.
Javion Vines-Holder, jr., Vance County (North Carolina) football
Vines-Holder completed 22 of 28 passes for 356 yards and 10 touchdowns — tying the North Carolina single-game state record — in a 94-18 win over Granville Central.
Tommy Wendel, sr., Mechanicville (New York) boys soccer
Wendel scored five goals as Mechanicville blanked Hoosic Valley, 8-0.
Brett White, sr., Solon (Iowa) football
White, a Baylor baseball commit, recorded 16.5 tackles (five for loss), 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery in a 16-13 victory over Benton.
Jamahl Wilson, sr., North Salem (Oregon) football
Wilson ran for 341 yards and six touchdowns in a 48-20 win over McNary.
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-- Bob Lundeberg | @sblivesports
