Vote: Who should be SBLive's National High School Athlete of the Week? (11/27/2023)
Each week during the 2023-24 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 Nov. 20-26. Voting closes on Monday, Dec. 4, 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
Ahmad Abualneel, sr., Samuell (Texas) boys basketball
Abualneel put up 49 points, 17 rebounds, seven assists, four steals and four blocks in a 92-64 win over Rains.
Kaleb Bailey, jr., North Shore (Texas) football
Bailey completed 21 of 26 passes for 315 yards and five touchdowns as North Shore routed Cy-Fair, 45-9. He also ran for 45 yards and a score.
Gage Baker, sr., Paradise Honors (Arizona) football
Baker fired seven touchdown passes in the Class 3A state championship game, giving him 91 for the season — matching a national record shared by Lone Oak’s Corey Robinson (Kentucky) and Folsom’s Jake Browning (California). Baker threw for 517 yards in the 68-46 loss to Sabino. His 6,040 passing yards as a senior are the third-highest single-season total in national history.
Cameron Boozer, jr., Columbus (Florida) boys basketball
Boozer scored a career-high 40 points in an 86-59 rout of Georgia power McEachern. Boozer, a five-star junior, also had 10 rebounds and two assists.
Kyree Fisher, sr., East Orange (New Jersey) football
Fisher threw for 351 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 126 more yards and another score as East Orange blanked Barringer, 38-0.
Dayton Forsythe, sr., Dale (Oklahoma) boys basketball
Forsythe poured in 49 points as Dale upset Metamora (Illinois), 69-65.
M’Khi Guy, sr., Muskegon (Michigan) football
Guy accounted for 374 yards of total offense and four touchdowns in a 33-21 win over De La Salle that secured the Division 2 state championship. The senior also had two tackles on defense.
Jeremy Hecklinski, sr., Walton (Georgia) football
Hecklinski, a Wake Forest commit, completed 22 of 24 passes for 354 yards and accounted for four total touchdowns in a 56-35 victory over Carrollton.
Alvin Henderson, jr., Elba (Alabama) football
Henderson ran for 314 yards and six touchdowns in a 49-14 thrashing of Maplesville. The four-star junior tailback now has 58 rushing TDs this season, shattering the previous Alabama record of 53 set by North Jackson’s Lee Witherspoon in 2018. His 65 total TDs rank third in state history.
Gabe Kaminski, jr., Nazareth Academy (Illinois) football
Kaminski, a four-star junior, had 15 tackles (four for loss), 1.5 sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery as Nazareth Academy defeated Joliet Catholic in the Class 5A title game, 38-20.
Byron Louis, jr., American Heritage (Florida) football
Louis, a four-star junior tailback, had 29 carries for 224 yards and five touchdowns in a 47-35 win over Cardinal Gibbons.
Maya Makalusky, jr., Hamilton Southeastern (Indiana) girls basketball
Makalusky had 35 points, eight rebounds, four steals and two assists in a 69-57 win over Brownsburg. Makalusky is committed to Indiana.
Kolton Matson, jr., Lake Stevens (Washington) football
Maston completed 19 of 21 passes for 314 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-7 drubbing of Kamiakin.
Kasym Nash, sr., Borden (Indiana) boys basketball
Nash scored a school-record 51 points as Borden took down Eastern, 77-53.
Cru Newman, sr., Central Catholic (Oregon) football
Newman accounted for 442 yards of total offense and three touchdowns as Central Catholic claimed its third Class 6A title in four postseasons with a 49-21 win over Tualatin. The senior completed 19 of 24 passes for 346 yards and one TD while running for 96 yards and two scores.
Justin Rener, sr., Simi Valley (California) boys basketball
Rener buried 11 3-pointers and finished with 38 points in a 79-56 victory over Dunn.
David Sandy, jr., Jordan (California) football
Sandy ran for 246 yards and four touchdowns while also playing standout defense in the secondary as Jordan captured the Section Division III title with a 42-30 win over George Washington Prep.
Nate Sheppard, jr., Mandeville (Louisiana) football
Sheppard ran for 258 yards and scored six total touchdowns in a 56-50 shootout victory over Airline.
Jamerion Skinner, jr., Madison (Illinois) boys basketball
Skinner netted 52 points in a 113-43 win over Cairo.
Emerson Thompson, sr., Falls Lake Academy (North Carolina) girls basketball
Thompson, a Campbell signee, had 27 points, 16 rebounds, eight assists, three steals and four blocks in a 56-35 win over Oxford Prep.
Walker White, sr., Little Rock Christian Academy (Arkansas) football
White threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns as Little Rock Christian got by Benton, 42-35. The four-star Auburn commit also ran for 70 yards and two more scores.
Alex Wilkerson, jr., Lamar (Missouri) football
Wilkerson accounted for five touchdowns on offense and intercepted three passes on defense in a 47-16 victory over Bowling Green. The junior ran for 116 yards and two TDs, passed for 98 yards and three scores and returned one of his three picks 48 yards to the end zone.
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-- Bob Lundeberg | @sblivesports
