For each week of the 2024 high school football season, HighSchoolOT will release the Starting 22. It lists the best performances from every position across North Carolina.

Coaches should send in performance nominations to [email protected] for consideration each week. Now that we are in the playoffs, players can receive a repeat selection if they made one of the regular season lists.

See the Starting 22 from this season’s previous weeks:

Offense

QB — Keagan Chambers, senior, Monroe

• Chambers was unreal as a passer and a rusher in Monroe’s 2A West regional final win over Brevard. He completed 10 of 14 passing attempts for 164 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. As a rusher, he had 277 yards, two touchdowns, and a two-point conversion on 12 carries.

RB — Kamerin McDowell-Moore, junior, Tarboro

• The junior only needed nine carries to rush for 140 yards and two touchdowns in the 1A East regional final against Wilson Prep. He also had one reception for 53 yards and a touchdown. On defense, he had five tackles and an interception that he returned for 63 yards and a touchdown.

RB — Emory McClain Jr, sophomore, West Charlotte

• McClain had a big game against Hickory as he scored two touchdowns and a two-point conversion in the second half to help the Lions to the 36-20 win.

WR — Kaden Catoe, junior, Grimsley

• Catoe had a massive second half and finished the 4A West regional final with seven receptions for 188 yards and three touchdowns.

WR — Jaedon Alford, senior, Rolesville

• The reigning HSOT All-State First Team selection had four receptions for 123 yards and two touchdowns in the Rams’ 4A East regional championship victory over Cardinal Gibbons.

FLEX — Brandon Quinn, senior, Mountain Heritage

• It came in a losing effort, but Quinn rushed for 234 yards and a touchdown in the 1A West regional final against Corvian Community.

FLEX — Noah Best, senior, Corvian Community

• Best had 32 rushing yards and a touchdown on seven carries. He also had four receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown, including a highlight grab.

FLEX — Gavin Waddell, junior, Rolesville

• Waddell snatched three passes for 78 yards and a touchdown as Rolesville defeated Cardinal Gibbons for the second time this season.

FLEX — KD Cotton, junior, West Charlotte

• After starting his career as the Lions’ quarterback, Cotton has been transformed into a Deebo Samuel-like multi-faceted weapon for the offense. Cotton gave West Charlotte the lead in the third quarter with a 49-yard catch and run for a touchdown up the left sideline.

FLEX — Tyell Saunders, senior, Northeastern

• The receiver had six receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown in the Eagles’ 24-14 win over Whiteville to advance to the state championship.

FLEX — Donavan Frederick, senior, Seventy-First

• Frederick needed just eight carries to rush for 169 yards and two touchdowns in the Falcons’ 43-7 win over Jacksonville in the 3A East final.

Check out the Great 58 Statewide Standouts, which does something like this for all of the other fall sports:

Defense

DL — Marque Winters, junior, Seventy-First

• Winters had seven total tackles, including five tackles for a loss and one sack, in Seventy-First’s 43-7 win over Jacksonville to make it back to the 3A state championship game.

DL — Zion O’Neal Brown, senior, Brevard

• O’Neal Brown was once again a standout for Brevard despite the loss to Monroe. He had eight total tackles, five tackles for a loss, three quarterback hurries, and a fumble recovery for 20 yards.

DL — Mekkhei Williams, sophomore, Northeastern

• The 6–foot-5, 285-pound sophomore had four total tackles, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in the Eagles’ 24-14 win over Whiteville.

DL — Yoel Deleon, senior, Monroe

• The outside linebacker/defensive end had eight total tackles, including four tackles for a loss, as Monroe held Brevard to 15 points in the 2A West final.

LB — Cole Craddock, senior, Tarboro

• Craddock, the son of head coach Jeff Craddock, is a top linebacker and tight end for Tarboro. Against Wilson Prep, he had 10 total tackles, one tackle for a loss, a pass breakup, and a fumble recovery. He also handles the kickoff duties and had nine for 437 yards, with a long of 59.

LB — Carren Armstrong, senior, Northeastern

• Armstrong posted six total tackles, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in Northeastern’s 24-14 win over Whiteville in the regional final.

LB — Jayden Summers, junior, Corvian Community

• Summers posted 16 total tackles, including three for a loss in Corvian’s 28-19 victory over Mountain Heritage in the 1A West final.

DB — Marion Turner, senior, Rolesville

• Turner had his second huge performance against Cardinal Gibbons. In the first game, he had two massive interceptions. In Rolesville’s regional final win over Gibbons, Turner posted 13 total tackles, a sack, and one pass breakup.

DB — Davion Jones, sophomore, West Charlotte

• When Hickory had one last chance to get back in the against West Charlotte in the 3A West final, Jones came up with a massive interception of Brady Stober inside his own 3-yard line.

DB — Jordan Young, senior, Monroe

• The Michigan signee is an outstanding safety. He doesn’t let anything get past him with his speed. Young had four tackles against Brevard. On offense, he had six receptions for 122 yards and one touchdown.

FLEX — Xaiveon Gear, junior, Seventy-First

• The junior linebacker had three total tackles, one tackle for a loss, one sack, and a forced fumble in the Falcons’ dominant win over Jacksonville.