Vote: Who was Rhode Island’s top sophomore 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 newcomers on the scene made the biggest impact to a football program or state even? That’s where sophomores that saw extensive playing time come into the mix.
That’s why we ask the question: Who was the top sophomore football player of 2023?
We will go state-by-state along the East Coast and once that voting is done, do a final poll including all the sophomores that won going head-to-head.
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 14th, 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:
Ben Black, QB, North Smithsfield Mount St. Charles Academy: Black had thrown for a lot of yards this past season for the Northmen. The quarterback completed 101-of-192 passes for 1,291 yards and eight touchdowns.
Noah Taylor, QB, Tolman: The 5-foot-8, 145-pound sophomore had a solid season for Tolman, completing 83-of-160 passes for 1,053 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Ethan Corriveau, WR, North Smithsfield Mount St. Charles Academy: The wide receiver hauled in 40 passes for 458 yards and scored three touchdowns.
Cooper Berthelot, WR, North Kingstown: Berthelot was the leading sophomore pass catcher in the state, catching 36 passes for 623 yards and nine touchdowns.
Yandel Pelaez, RB, Providence Country Day: The Providence Country Day running back rushed for 559 yards on 55 attempts and has scored three touchdowns in the 2023 season.
Ramel Richards, RB, Central: Richards had a nice season for the Knights, rushing for 481 yards and scoring two touchdowns.
Ty Troiano, RB, Cumberland: Another sophomore tailback that had a strong 2023 was Troiano, who rushed for 494 yards and five touchdowns.
Chris Ciarniello, LB, North Kingstown: The middle linebacker tallied 120 tackles through 10 games for the Skippers.
Drake Dumont, LB, Scituate: Dumont had a solid season at inside linebacker, tallying 61 tackles and two sacks for the Knights.
Adalino Aceto, LB, Cranston West: The sophomore backer was up there with the best of them in 2023, racking up 68 tackles, five for a loss and two sacks.
Zachari Rocchio, DE, Ponaganest: The defensive end racked up three sacks along with 12 tackles.
Jake Caron, CB, Westerly: The sophomore cornerback picked off four passes and made 25 tackles through 11 games for the Bulldogs.
-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports
