Vote: Who was West Virginia’s top junior 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 upperclassmen on the scene made the biggest impact to a football program or state even? That’s where juniors that saw extensive playing time come into the mix.
That’s why we ask the question: Who was the top junior football player of 2023?
We will go state-by-state along the East Coast and in search of the top junior. Comment and let us know if we missed anyone you think should be on our list.
We’ve selected 11 worthy candidates and ask you the fan to vote for who you think topped them all.
Voting will end on February 29th, 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:
Josh Moody, QB, Nitro: One of the top players of the entire state was the signal caller, Moody had numbers that could rival anyone. The junior threw for 3,711 yards and 49 touchdowns.
Noah Collins, QB, Clay County: Collins was not too far behind Moody when it came to having stellar numbers. The junior completed 212-of-315 passes for 3,130 yards and 43 touchdowns.
Aiden Davis, QB, Wheeling Park: The junior signal caller was among the best at his position when it came to quarterbacks, regardless of class. Davis completed 153-of-217 passes for 2,446 yards, 28 touchdowns and just three interceptions.
Jabril Daniels, RB, Fort Hill: Leading all the running backs of the junior class was Daniels this past season. The tailback was sensational in 2023, with Daniels rushing for 1,826 yards on 190 carries and scored 33 touchdowns.
Marquez Lowe, RB, Princeton: Lowe was the workhorse running back for the Tigers and was difficult for opposing defenses to slow down. The junior rushed for 1,736 yards and scored 22 touchdowns las season.
Kylpsan Wallace, RB/LB, Cameron: Playing both sides of the football, Wallace was impressive at both running back and linebacker. The junior dynamo rushed for 1,714 yards, scoring 24 touchdowns and then on defense made 45 tackles.
Carson Brinegar, WR/DB, Scott: The two-way athlete made plays as a pass catcher and defender for Scott. Brinegar in 2023 caught 78 passes for 1,296 yards, 12 touchdowns and also rushed for 311 and five scores. On defense, the junior made 21 tackles and picked off three passes.
Ryan Oliveros, WR, Summers County: Another wide receiver that had a great 2023 campaign was Oliveros, with the fleet-footed pass catcher hauling in 66 passes for 1,177 yards, 10 touchdowns and rushed for 476 and six scores. In defense, Oliveros made 27 tackles and two picks.
Jared Reall, LB, Tucker County: The hard hitting linebacker was a tackling machine and led all juniors. Reall racked up 148 tackles, 13 for a loss and a sack.
Elijah Pridemore, LB, Chapmanville Regional: Another linebacker that’s been had a strong campaign was Pridemore in 2023. The linebacker tallied 132 tackles, 13 went for a loss and six sacks.
Ashton Davis, DE, Tug Valley: The edge rusher was undoubtedly one of the best in the state all season. Davis tallied 14 sacks along with 44 tackles and 23 for a loss.
-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports
