Vote: Who should be SBLive's National High School Athlete of the Week? (10/16/2023)
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 Oct. 9-15. Voting closes on Monday, Oct. 23, 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
Josiah Bryson, jr., Colonial Forge (Virginia) football
Bryson tallied 177 rushing yards and five touchdowns in a 41-21 victory over Riverbend.
Isaac Bunts, jr., Perkins (Ohio) football
Bunts ran for 297 yards — the third-highest single-game total in program history — and three touchdowns in a 31-14 win over Sandusky.
Miles Coleman, sr., Vandegrift (Texas) football
Coleman, a three-star North Texas commit, returned a pair of punts for touchdowns and had 11 receptions for 119 yards and another score as Vandegrift took down Round Rock, 45-3.
Josie Essner, jr., Monroe (Oregon) volleyball
Essner piled up 35 kills, 21 digs, eight aces and six blocks in a four-set win over East Linn Christian.
Hannah Fairchild, sr., Wyoming Area (Pennsylvania) girls soccer
Fairchild scored six goals and added an assist in Wyoming Area’s 7-0 shutout of Western Wayne. Earlier in the week, the senior netted five goals in a victory over Nanticoke.
Ishmael Gibbs, jr., Chaminade (California)
Gibbs returned two interceptions for touchdowns in a 35-28 win over Notre Dame.
Allison Gomez, sr., Linden (New Jersey) girls soccer
Gomez scored all four of Linden’s goals in a 4-1 victory over Irvington.
Luke Gray, sr., Pendleton (South Carolina) football
Gray threw for 333 yards and four touchdowns as Pendleton blew past Crescent, 41-14. The senior also ran for 32 yards.
Alex Green, sr., Hutto (Texas) football
Green hauled in 16 passes for 310 yards and six touchdowns in a 52-31 win over Temple.
Vincent Hales, so., Desert Oasis (Nevada) football
Hales passed for 300 yards and six touchdowns in a 47-14 victory over Clark.
Cameron Jones, sr., St. John Bosco (California) football
Jones, a three-star UCLA commit, ran for 134 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns — one rushing, one receiving — as St. John Bosco blanked national No. 1 Mater Dei, 28-0.
Amber Kolpakas, sr., Galway (New York) volleyball
Kolpakas became Galway’s all-time kills leader in a straight sets win over Oppenheim-Ephratah/St. Johnsville. The senior notched 16 kills in the match and was sitting on 1,486 for her career as of last week.
Austin Lattimer, sr., Kuna (Idaho) football
Lattimer carried it 42 times for 308 yards and three touchdowns as Kuna upset Boise, 47-44. The senior scored the go-ahead TD with 1:21 remaining in the game.
Brycen Lewis, sr., Seagoville (Texas) football
Lewis picked off a single-game school-record four passes and had eight tackles in a 34-6 win over Conrad. The senior also caught a touchdown.
Isaiah Mosley, sr., Dallas (Oregon) football
Mosley ran for 202 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Dallas’ 15-14 loss to South Albany. The senior also went 3 of 5 passing for 57 yards.
Yolvin Ovalle, so., Turner Falls (Massachusetts) boys soccer
Ovalle scored all five of Turner Falls’ goals in a 5-0 shutout of Holyoke.
Payton Prestito, sr., Papillion-LaVista (Nebraska) football
Prestito ran for a career-high 322 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-7 thrashing of Creighton Prep that clinched the district title for Papillion-LaVista.
Quin Renfro, sr., Joplin (Missouri) football
Renfro, a South Dakota State commit, rushed for 226 yards and five touchdowns as Joplin downed Carthage, 49-21.
Valiree Schmus, jr., Chestatee (Georgia) volleyball
Schmus had 38 kills, 22 digs, two blocks and an ace in a four-set win over North Oconee.
Logan Sloman, sr., North Kitsap (Washington) football
Sloman intercepted three passes on defense, caught a 55-yard touchdown and ran for a 48-yard score in North Kitsap’s 41-14 victory over Bremerton.
Morgan Thibodeau, sr., Mount Abram (Maine) boys soccer
Thibodeau netted four goals in an 8-0 shutout of Lisbon.
Iyla Weeks, jr., Concord (Michigan) volleyball
Weeks had 34 kills, 18 digs and three blocks in a five-set win over Reading.
Brandon White, sr., St. Edward (Ohio) football
White accumulated 330 yards from scrimmage — 262 rushing — and ran for a pair of touchdowns as St. Edward edged Archbishop Moeller, 28-21, in a battle of Ohio powers.
Zane Widener, sr., Clinton (Arkansas) football
Widener rumbled for 400 yards on the ground and scored seven total touchdowns — six rushing, one receiving — in a 53-50 shootout victory over Central Arkansas Christian.
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-- Bob Lundeberg | @sblivesports
