The fourth edition of HighSchoolOT’s All-State Football Team has been finalized. Today, we are announcing our picks for the All-State defensive players.

You can locate these choices in the corresponding sections listed below.

The All-State special teams and two-way players were announced in the previous article, under the defensive section. The offensive players will be announced here on Thursday.

The HSOT All-State football team is thorough in its selection process, considering not only individual player statistics but also reviewing Hudl film for all players, including offensive linemen and defensive backs, as well as gathering input from coaches throughout the state.

Check out our all-state football teams from past seasons.

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The HSOT All-State football team for defensive players.

Nine players have been chosen to return to the all-state defensive team. Out of these, only one player, Zane Williams from Wake Forest High School and recruited as a linebacker for NC State, has been selected for a third time.

For the second year in a row, Curtis Simpson from Kings Mountain, Malakahi West from Hoggard, Brody Barnhardt from Providence Day, Phillip Harris from Butler, Amaris Williams from Clinton, Malcolm Ziglar from Fuquay-Varina, Deric Dandy from Mount Airy, and Quentin Reddish from Independence have all been selected for the team again.

Defense consists of three groups consisting of 15 players each. These groups include five defensive linemen, five linebackers, and five defensive backs. This is the most basic method as many defensive players have overlapping positions in today’s football. The honorable mention team has a total of 30 players, regardless of their specific positions.

First Team

Dudley DE (senior) Sa’Mad Bell had an impressive season with 93 tackles, 35 tackles for loss, 19 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries, and 1 fumble recovery touchdown.
DL: Deric Dandy, Mount Airy DL (senior): — Virginia Tech recruit — 111 tackles (7.9/game), 49 TFL, 12 sacks, 1 INT, 3 FF

Jani Norwood, a senior at Eastern Randolph High School, has committed to play football at the University of North Carolina. He had an impressive season as a defensive lineman/offensive lineman, recording 89 tackles (6.4 per game), 43 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, 7 pass deflections, 5 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries. Check out his offensive highlights at http://www.hudl.com/v/2MmC1k.

Nnamdi Ogboko, a senior at South Garner High School, plays both defensive and offensive line. He has committed to play for the University of Georgia. In his final season, he recorded 58 tackles, averaging 5.3 per game, and had 25 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles.

Amaris Williams, a senior defensive lineman from Clinton High School, was recruited by Auburn University. He had 34 tackles (averaging 3.1 per game), 20 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 forced fumble on defense. On offense, he also had 39 carries for 679 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. He also had 1 reception for 22 yards and 1 touchdown.

Donavan Frederick, a junior linebacker for Seventy-First High School, recorded impressive stats with 175 tackles (10.9 per game), 48 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 2 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery. Additionally, on offense, he had 151 carries for 1,634 yards (averaging 10.8 yards per carry and 102.1 yards per game) with 10 touchdowns.

Cayden Jones, a senior linebacker from Christ School, has committed to play for Alabama. He recorded 78 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, and 2 pass deflections on defense this season. On offense, he had 32 carries for 206 yards and 2 touchdowns, as well as 12 receptions for 139 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Hoggard High School’s senior linebacker, Reagan Printy, had an impressive season with 186 tackles (12.4 per game), 25 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 1 interception, 5 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, and a touchdown off an interception.

Tyquan Rankin, a senior linebacker for Butler, had an impressive season with 132 tackles (9.4 per game), 33 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, 4 passes defended, 1 fumble recovery, 4 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery touchdown, and 2 interception touchdowns.

Jaden Smith, a senior linebacker from West Charlotte, was recruited by Michigan. He had an impressive season with 91 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 1 interception, 13 pass deflections, 2 fumble recoveries, 3 blocked punts, 2 blocked kicks, and 2 defensive touchdowns.

DB: Brody Barnhardt, Providence Day DB (S) (senior): — NC State recruit — (defense) 109 tackles (8.4/game) 5 TFL, 0 sacks, 3 INTs, 2 PD, 1 FR, 1 FF // (offense) 22 carries, 277 yds, 5 TDs // 4 receptions, 34 yds, 0 TDs // (special teams) 1 KOR TD

Omarion Lewis, a senior from Tarboro, has committed to East Carolina and plays as a defensive back. He has recorded 51 tackles (3.6 per game), 2 tackles for loss, 6 interceptions, 9 passes defended, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery. On the offensive side, he has completed 21 out of 33 passes (64.6%) for 368 yards and 5 touchdowns, with 2 interceptions. He has also rushed for 121 yards and scored 5 touchdowns on 20 carries.
DB: Quentin Reddish, Independence SAF (senior): — Virginia Tech recruit — 72 tackles (5.1/game), 2 TFL, 5 INTs, 14 PD, 1 blocked punt, 1 blocked field goal
DB: Christian Richardson, Wilson Prep DB (senior): 104 tackles (8.0/game), 14 INTs, 18 PD, 2 FR, 2 INT TDs // (offense) 92 carries, 1,359 yards, 11 TDs // 3 receptions, 103 yds, 1 TD // 5/15 passing, 81 yds, 2 TDs, 5 INTs // (special teams) 1 PR TD, 2 KOR TDs
DB: Malcolm Ziglar, Fuquay-Varina SAF (senior): — UNC recruit — 37 tackles, 2 INTs, 1 PD, 1 FR, 1 FF, 1 FR TD // (offense) 21 TDs

Second Team

Isaiah Campbell Jr., a junior defensive lineman from Southern Durham, recorded impressive stats of 124 tackles (10.0 per game), 27 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, 36 quarterback hurries, 1 fumble recovery, and 2 forced fumbles.
DL: Curtis Simpson, Kings Mountain EDGE (senior): — UNC recruit — 83 tackles (6.9/game) 21 TFL, 13 sacks, 19 QBH, 3 FF, 2 blocked punts

Jaden Warren, a senior at Salisbury, played as an EDGE and had 60 tackles (averaging 4.6 per game), 37.5 tackles for loss, 20 sacks, and forced 3 fumbles while recovering 6.

Defensive lineman Malakahi West, a senior at Hoggard High School, has committed to play for Elon University. In his senior season, he recorded 68 tackles (averaging 4.5 per game), 23.5 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks, 3 interceptions, 7 passes defended, 6 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 interception returned for a touchdown, 1 fumble recovery returned for a touchdown, and also had 2 blocked punts and 1 blocked field goal.

Bryce Young, a senior at Charlotte Christian, has been recruited by Notre Dame. He has recorded 97 tackles (averaging 8.1 per game), 18 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, 12 quarterback hurries, 3 pass deflections, 3 fumble recoveries, 3 forced fumbles, 1 blocked punt, and 1 blocked field goal.

Jackson Forrest, a junior at Northwest Cabarrus High School, had an impressive season as a linebacker with 147 tackles (an average of 12.3 per game), 40 tackles for loss, 18 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries.

Sawyer Lowe from Cleveland is a junior linebacker who has achieved 145 solo tackles, an average of 11.2 per game. He also has 33 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 2 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, and 1 interception returned for a touchdown.

Khiyale Washington, a senior at Mountain Island Charter, had an impressive season as a linebacker with 172 tackles (averaging 14.3 per game), 12 tackles for loss, 9 sacks, 1 pass defended, 4 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries, and 3 blocked punts. On the offensive side, he also had 42 carries for 302 yards and 6 touchdowns.
LB: Paul Widerman, Reidsville LB (senior): — Lafayette recruit — 144 tackles (11.1/game) 11 TFL, 5.5 sacks, 1 PD // (offense) 55 carries, 327 yds, 5 TDs // 3 receptions, 39 yds, 2 TDs

Zane Williams, a senior linebacker from Wake Forest, had a total of 96 tackles (averaging 10.7 per game), 24.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 8 pass deflections, and 1 blocked field goal. He has committed to playing for NC State.

The senior DB/WR, Chancellor Bryant from Ardrey Kell, recorded impressive stats this season including 69 tackles (6.3 per game), 4 tackles for loss, 6 interceptions, 5 pass deflections, 1 fumble recovery, and 2 interception touchdowns on defense. On offense, he also had 24 receptions for 527 yards and 7 touchdowns (22.0 yards per reception and 47.9 yards per game). On special teams, he added a kickoff return touchdown and a punt return touchdown.
DB: Rondell Carter, Chambers DB (senior): — Troy recruit — 90 tackles (8.2/game), 10 TFL, 1 INT, 15 PD, two blocked punts
DB: Keelan Flowe, Chambers DB (senior): — James Madison recruit — 38 tackles (4.2/game), 1 TFL, 4 INTs, 27 PD, 2 INT TDs

Phillip Harris, a senior defensive back for Butler High School, has committed to play for James Madison University. He recorded 71 tackles (5.1 per game), 7 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 24 passes defended, and 1 fumble recovery during his senior season.

Samuel Neely, a senior from Weddington High School, who has committed to Wake Forest, recorded 77 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 22 passes defended, and 1 fumble recovery during his final season.

Third Team

Jaylen Carl, a senior at Southwest Guilford High School, is committed to playing football at Duke University. In his final year of high school, he recorded an impressive 81 tackles (9.0 per game), 23 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 2 passes defended, and 1 blocked field goal.
DL: Aiden Harris, Weddington DL (sophomore): 97 tackles (6.5/game), 23 TFL, 6 sacks, 8 PD, 2 FF, 1 blocked punt

Drew Harris, a sophomore at Weddington High School, recorded impressive stats this season with 112 tackles (averaging 7.0 per game), 27 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 7 passes defended, and 1 fumble recovery.

Chris Kinsey, a senior defensive lineman for Clayton, recorded 60 tackles (averaging 4.6 per game), 17 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 forced fumble, and 1 blocked field goal.

Jordan Ratliff, a junior defensive tackle for Dudley, had an impressive season with 89 tackles (an average of 5.9 per game), 31 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.

Linebacker Thomas Davis Jr. from Weddington High School, a sophomore, had a total of 92 tackles (averaging 5.8 per game), 13.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 8 passes defended, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 fumble recovery touchdown.
LB: Jahkai Eason, Grimsley EDGE (senior): 90 tackles (6.4/game), 28 TFLs, 13 sacks, 1 PD, 1 FF
LB: Cross Killen, Charlotte Christian LB (senior): 129 tackles (10.8/game) 20 TFL, 11 sacks, 2 INTs, 2 PD, 4 FR, 4 FF, 1 FR TD

Junior linebacker O’Maurie Phillips from Farmville Central had an impressive season with 108 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, 4 interceptions, 3 passes defensed, 3 fumble recoveries, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 touchdown. On the offensive side, he also had 10 receptions for 310 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Turner Wood, a senior linebacker for Hickory LB, recorded 184 tackles (11.5 per game), 17 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 1 interception, and 4 passes defended.

DB: JaDon Blair, Mount Tabor S (junior): 57 tackles (4.4/game), 3 TFL, 4 INTs, 1 FR, 1 FF, 1 INT TD
DB: Landan Callahan, Reagan DB (CB) (senior): — Duke recruit — 45 tackles (4.1/game) 1 TFL, 2 INTs, 10 PD

Alex Evans and Clinton DB (senior) both had impressive performances in the game. Evans recorded 54 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, and 2 fumble recoveries. He also had 7 receptions for 117 yards.

Sophomore Hough DB (CB) Samari Matthews had 25 tackles (2.5 per game), 1 tackle for loss, 1 interception, and 1 pass deflection.

Braylon Peebles, a sophomore defensive back from Cardinal Gibbons, recorded impressive stats this season with 169 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 3 interceptions, 8 passes defended, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery for a touchdown, and 1 interception returned for a touchdown. He also scored 1 punt return touchdown while playing on special teams.

Honorable Mention

John Archer, a freshman and member of the Seventy-First DL, recorded 82 tackles (averaging 5.9 per game), 29 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery.

Junior outside linebacker Dontario Austin from South View High School had an impressive season with 153 tackles, averaging 13.9 tackles per game. He also had 19 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 interception, 2 passes defended, 3 fumble recoveries, and 1 forced fumble.

Christopher Bispham, a sophomore at Havelock DL, recorded a total of 106 tackles with an average of 7.6 tackles per game. He also had 36 tackles for loss and 15 sacks.

Tyrek Brown, a senior linebacker from Mallard Creek, recorded a total of 106 tackles (averaging 8.8 tackles per game), 3 sacks, 3 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery.

Chris Bryant from St. Pauls S (senior) had 103 tackles, with an average of 10.3 per game. He also had 24 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 6 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles, 1 interception touchdown, and 1 blocked field goal.

Sophomore Jordan DL, Noah Clark had a total of 57 tackles (averaging 5.7 per game), 9 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles, 1 blocked punt, and 1 blocked kick.

Junior linebacker Kendric Davis from Palisades recorded impressive stats this season with 119 tackles (11.9 per game), 10 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 1 interception, 4 passes defended, and 6 forced fumbles.

Junior linebacker Rylan Edwards from Hoggard had an impressive season with 148 tackles, averaging 9.3 per game. He also recorded 14.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 5 interceptions, 1 pass deflection, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery.

Jadyn Farmer, a junior defensive lineman for Butler, recorded a total of 64 tackles with an average of 4.6 per game. He also had 20 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 11 quarterback hurries, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 blocked field goal.

Junior linebacker Jamari Farmer from Mooresville recorded 130 tackles (an average of 10.8 per game), 26 tackles for loss, 8 sacks, 1 interception, 2 passes defended, 1 forced fumble, and 1 interception return for a touchdown.

Jayden Ferguson, a senior at Millbrook High School, is committed to playing football at Davidson College. He had an impressive season with 92 tackles, averaging 8.4 tackles per game, as well as 25 tackles for loss, 9 sacks, 1 interception, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, and 1 blocked punt.

Kamar Fulton, a junior defensive back for Hoggard, had a total of 63 tackles (averaging 3.9 per game), 2 tackles for loss, 8 interceptions, 9 passes defended, 5 forced fumbles, and 1 interception returned for a touchdown.

Junior cornerback A.J. Graham from Mooresville recorded 35 tackles (averaging 2.9 per game), 3 tackles for loss, 4 interceptions, 5 passes defended, and 1 interception touchdown.

Junior defensive back Currine Henry from New Bern recorded a total of 17 tackles (1.7 per game), 8 interceptions, 7 pass deflections, 1 forced fumble, and 1 interception returned for a touchdown.

Jamari Hill, a junior defensive back for Fike, had an impressive season with 120 tackles, averaging 9.2 tackles per game. He also recorded 17 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 4 interceptions, 12 passes defended, 1 forced fumble, and 1 blocked punt. On offense, he had 46 carries for 370 yards and scored 3 touchdowns.
Landon Inscoe, Cleveland DB (senior): 112 solo tackles (8.0/game), 13 TFL, 5 INTs, 6 PD, 2 FR
D.J. Joyce, Mount Airy DL (sophomore): 95 tackles (5.9/game), 37 TFL, 12.5 sacks, 4 FF, 4 FR

Elijah Littlejohn, a sophomore from West Charlotte, plays as an EDGE player. He recorded 86 tackles, averaging 7.2 per game. He also had 33 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, 18 quarterback hurries, 1 pass defended, and forced 3 fumbles.

Roderick B. Loftin, a senior linebacker for Hunt LB, recorded 133 tackles, averaging 12.1 tackles per game. He also had 25 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 3 passes defended, and 1 fumble recovery.

Kameron Manley, a senior defensive back from Rolesville, had 42 tackles (an average of 3.2 per game), 6 interceptions, 16 passes defended, 2 fumble recoveries, and 2 interception touchdowns.

Taylor McClure is a senior linebacker from Hayesville High School. He has committed to play college football at East Tennessee State University. In the 2019 season, he recorded 64 tackles, averaging 5.8 per game. He also had 17 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 blocked field goals. On offense, he had 99 carries for 597 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also had 10 receptions for 71 yards and 1 touchdown.

Jaylin McZeke, a senior defensive lineman for Laney High School, recorded a total of 69 tackles throughout the season, averaging 5.3 tackles per game. He also had 9 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 2 passes defended, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 blocked punt.

Khimani Nolan is a sophomore at Havelock SCB and had an impressive season with 78 tackles (an average of 5.6 per game), 1 tackle for loss, 9 interceptions, 5 pass deflections, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 interception returned for a touchdown, and 1 blocked field goal.

Jayden Olden, a senior linebacker for Monroe, had an impressive season with 183 tackles (14.1 per game), 13 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 interception, 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, and 1 blocked punt.
Nicholas Reddish, Independence DB (sophomore): 95 tackles (6.3/game), 3 TFL, 4 INTs, 10 PD, 4 FR, 2 FF, 1 INT TD

Noah Shaw, a senior linebacker from Asheville, recorded 75 tackles (an average of 6.8 per game), 7 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 interception, 1 pass defended, 1 forced fumble, and 2 blocked punts. He has committed to play for Rutgers University.

Junior cornerback Cairo Skanes from Providence Day had a total of 83 tackles in the season, averaging 6.4 tackles per game. He also had 3 tackles for loss, 6 interceptions, 5 passes defended, and 1 fumble recovery.

Diontez Townsend, a defensive back from SouthWest Edgecombe and a senior, recorded 94 tackles throughout the season, averaging 7.8 tackles per game. He also had 0 tackles for loss and 0 sacks, but made 9 interceptions and had 9 passes defended. On offense, he also had 1 reception for 26 yards and a touchdown.

D’Nas White is a senior defensive tackle from Jay M. Robinson High School who has committed to play football at Florida State University. In his final season, he recorded 40 tackles (5.0 per game), 9 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 blocked field goal.

Tristian Williams, a senior linebacker from Hickory High School, recorded 164 tackles (an average of 10.3 per game), 7 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 2 interceptions, 2 passes defended, and 1 forced fumble.

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High School All-State football: Players who excel on both offense and defense.

Some players have the ability to play on both the first team offense and second team defense. However, there are also players whose overall talent cannot be determined by just one position. This is why we have a category for two-way players. Each team consists of 10 players, with an additional 20 players on the honorable mention team. We made a deliberate decision not to demote a player for excelling in two positions. This means that a player who is a lock for the first-team defense will not be moved down to the second or third team in the two-way player category. Instead, they may be placed laterally or even moved up from their original position on offense, defense, or special teams.

One of this year’s two-way players, Cuttler Adams from Robbinsville (formerly known as HM two-way), has been selected for all-state three times.

The Two-Way group also includes 12 individuals who have been selected multiple times: Koredell Bartley (formerly: 1st team special teams), Steven Murray (formerly: honorable mention two-way), Hunter Stalcup (formerly: honorable mention two-way), DiVon Ward (formerly: honorable mention two-way), Ian Gallimore (formerly: honorable mention two-way), Walker Stroup (formerly: 3rd team two-way), Jordan Young (formerly: 2nd team two-way), Truitt Manuel (formerly: 2nd team offense), Keveon Rodgers (formerly: 1st team offense), Randall King (formerly: 3rd team offense), C.J. Landrum (formerly: honorable mention defense), Isaiah Crumpler (formerly: 3rd team defense), and Brandon Crutchfield (formerly: 2nd team two-way).

First Team

Cuttler Adams, a senior from Robbinsville High School, played both running back and defensive back. On offense, he had 297 carries for 2,103 yards, averaging 7.1 yards per carry and 140.2 yards per game. He also scored 32 touchdowns and had 12 receptions for 296 yards and 3 touchdowns. On defense, he recorded 74 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 4 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 interception return for a touchdown.
Brandon Albert, CSD WR/DB (junior): (offense) 183 carries, 1,195 yds, 20 TDs // 95 receptions, 1,012 yds, 12 TDs // (defense) 96 tackles, 1 sack, 3 INTs

Koredell Bartley, junior at Dudley High School, played as a wide receiver and defensive back. In the offense, he made 59 receptions for a total of 1,013 yards, with an average of 17.2 yards per reception and 67.5 yards per game. He also scored 11 touchdowns. On the ground, he had 11 carries for 128 yards and 4 touchdowns. On the defensive side, he recorded 59 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, 1 pass breakup, and forced a fumble once. In special teams, he had 3 punt return touchdowns and 1 kickoff return touchdown.

Isaiah Crumpler, a senior at D.H. Conley High School, is committed to play football at Rutgers University. On offense, he had 53 catches for 776 yards and 8 touchdowns. On defense, he recorded 81 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 1 interception return for a touchdown, 3 pass deflections, and 1 fumble recovery. On special teams, he scored 2 kickoff return touchdowns.

Tyshaun Goldston, a junior wide receiver and defensive back from Randleman, had an impressive season. On offense, he made 52 catches for a total of 1,296 yards, averaging 24.4 yards per catch and 105.8 yards per game. He also scored 18 touchdowns. On the ground, he carried the ball 7 times for 73 yards and 2 touchdowns. Defensively, he made 21 tackles, had 6 interceptions, 10 passes defended, and recovered 1 fumble. He also showcased his skills on special teams, punting 21 times with an average of 36.9 yards per punt.

Maddox Greene, a junior at Watauga High School, plays as a quarterback and defensive back. On the offensive side, he has completed 89 out of 132 passes with a 67.4% success rate, resulting in 1,875 yards with an average of 144.2 yards per game. He has also scored 23 touchdowns and only had 4 interceptions. On the ground, he has carried the ball 152 times for a total of 1,364 yards, averaging 9.0 yards per carry and 104.9 yards per game. Defensively, he has made 31 tackles, with an average of 2.4 per game, and has also recorded 2 interceptions and 1 forced fumble.

Truitt Manuel is a senior at West Henderson High School and plays the positions of wide receiver and safety. He has committed to play baseball at NC State. During his senior season, he had 89 receptions for 1,396 yards, averaging 15.7 yards per catch and 99.7 yards per game, with a total of 16 touchdowns. He also had 32 carries for 262 yards and one touchdown on offense. On defense, he recorded 47 tackles, 6 interceptions, 2 pass deflections, and 3 forced fumbles. As a punter, he averaged 40.6 yards per punt and had 5 inside the 20 yard line.

Hunter Stalcup, a senior player for Murphy High School, played both running back and defensive back positions. He had 214 carries for a total of 2,036 yards, with an average of 9.5 yards per carry and 156.6 yards per game. He also scored 29 touchdowns. In addition, he had 22 receptions for 406 yards and 6 touchdowns on offense. On defense, he recorded 67 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery, 1 forced fumble, and 1 interception returned for a touchdown.

Walker Stroup, a senior at Mount Airy High School, plays multiple positions including wide receiver, linebacker, and kicker. On offense, he has caught 22 passes for 542 yards and scored 8 touchdowns. On defense, he has made 113 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, and defended 15 passes. He has also forced 1 fumble and recovered 3. As a special teams player, he has made 2 out of 4 field goals and successfully kicked 87 out of 98 extra points. He has also punted the ball 15 times with an average of 38.9 yards per punt. Additionally, he has recorded 45 touchbacks on kickoffs, which accounts for 39.5% of his total kickoffs.

Jordan Young, a junior from Monroe, played both wide receiver and defensive back for his team. On offense, he had 34 catches for 812 yards and scored 8 touchdowns. On defense, he made 66 tackles, had 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, and 3 pass deflections. He also forced 4 fumbles, recovered 5 fumbles, and scored 4 touchdowns off of fumble recoveries. In addition, he blocked 1 punt and 1 field goal.

Second Team

Jaquille Arrington, a senior from Northern Nash High School, had a great season as both a wide receiver and defensive back. On offense, he had 61 receptions for 1,036 yards, averaging 17.0 yards per catch and 74.0 yards per game. He also scored 16 touchdowns. On defense, he recorded 51 tackles, with an average of 3.6 tackles per game. He also had 7 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 2 interception touchdowns, and 1 blocked punt.

Tyler Clark, a senior who plays on both offense and defense as an interior offensive lineman and defensive lineman, will be attending NC Central next year. He had a total of 47 tackles (an average of 3.9 per game), 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 1 pass defended.

Brandon Crutchfield is a senior at Heritage High School, playing as a wide receiver and defensive back. He has committed to play for Old Dominion University. On offense, he has made 49 receptions for 635 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. On defense, he has recorded 60 tackles, averaging 5.5 tackles per game, 1 tackle for loss, 2 interceptions, 8 passes defended, and 1 forced fumble.

C.J. Landrum, a senior at Hendersonville High School, has committed to play football at Charleston Southern University. On offense, he had 42 receptions for 733 yards and 8 touchdowns, averaging 17.5 yards per catch and 73.3 yards per game. He also had 33 carries for 303 yards and 4 touchdowns. On defense, Landrum recorded 72 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 26 quarterback hurries, 1 interception, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 blocked field goal.

Junior football player, Jamien Little from Hickory High School, played both wide receiver and defensive back positions. On offense, he made 70 catches for a total of 1,372 yards and scored 20 touchdowns. He also had 3 carries for 87 yards. On defense, he recorded 23 tackles, 3 interceptions, 2 pass deflections, and scored 2 touchdowns from interceptions.

Steven Murray is a junior who plays wide receiver and defensive back for Eastern Guilford. On offense, he had 55 receptions, 935 yards, and 16 touchdowns. On defense, he made 32 tackles, had 5 interceptions, and 8 passes defended. He also had 1 kickoff return touchdown on special teams.

Nasir Newkirk, a junior at Dudley High School, had an impressive season as both a wide receiver and defensive back. On offense, he caught 51 passes for 1,123 yards, averaging 22 yards per catch and 74.9 yards per game. He also scored 16 touchdowns. On defense, he made 66 tackles and had 2 tackles for loss, 7 passes defended, and 1 fumble recovery.
Hampton Roderick, Laney WR/DB (junior): (offense) 82 receptions, 1,401 yds (17.1/rec, 107.8/game) 10 TDs // (defense) 22 tackles, 3 INTs, 4 PD, 2 INT TDs

Ivion Smith, a junior from New Bern, played as a wide receiver and defensive back. On offense, he had 43 catches for 709 yards and 5 touchdowns. On defense, he had a total of 29 tackles, averaging 2.2 tackles per game, as well as 6 interceptions, 6 passes defended, 1 fumble recovery, and 2 interception touchdowns. He also scored 1 touchdown on a kick return.

Kamal Thames, a senior at Terry Sanford High School, played multiple positions including wide receiver, defensive back, and punter. On offense, he had 58 catches for a total of 1,006 yards and 12 touchdowns with an average of 17.3 yards per reception and 77.4 yards per game. He also had 10 carries for 75 yards and one touchdown. On defense, he recorded 70 tackles with an average of 5.4 per game, 3 tackles for loss, 4 interceptions, 4 passes defended, 1 fumble recovery, 1 forced fumble, and 1 interception returned for a touchdown. On special teams, he had one kickoff return for a touchdown. As a punter, he had 17 punts with an average of 31.7 yards and one punt inside the 20-yard line.

Third Team

Masion Brooks is a senior running back and edge player for East Bladen. On offense, he had 195 carries for 2,021 yards, averaging 10.4 yards per carry and 155.5 yards per game. He also had 39 touchdowns and made 2 receptions for 18 yards. Unfortunately, full defensive statistics are not available for him.

Kahmari Brown, a senior at White Oak High School, is a versatile player who excels on both offense and defense. On the offensive side, he has 67 carries for 628 yards and 10 touchdowns. Defensively, he has recorded 111 tackles at an average of 10.1 per game, along with 25 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 2 pass defenses, 5 forced fumbles, and 1 blocked punt.

Logan Foust, a senior RB/DB for Southern Alamance, had an impressive performance on both offense and defense this season. He carried the ball 304 times for a total of 2,077 yards, averaging 6.8 yards per carry and 148.4 yards per game. He also scored 28 rushing touchdowns. Additionally, Foust had 12 receptions for 237 yards and 3 receiving touchdowns. On defense, he recorded 40 tackles, including 5 tackles for loss, 1 interception, and 2 passes defended. Foust also contributed on special teams, scoring 1 kickoff return touchdown.

Ian Gallimore, a senior at Mount Airy High School, played as both a quarterback and linebacker. On offense, he completed 35 out of 65 passes for a 53.8% completion rate, 642 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. He also had 40 carries for 150 yards and 4 touchdowns. On defense, he made 141 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 passes defended, 3 forced fumbles, and 3 fumble recoveries.

Jakarrion Kenan, a junior at Clinton High School, had an impressive performance this season as both a wide receiver and defensive back. On the offensive side, he caught 24 passes for 600 yards and scored 8 touchdowns. Defensively, he made 21 tackles, had 6 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 5 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 blocked punt.
Randall King, Northern Nash WR/DB (senior): (offense) 45 receptions, 703 yds (15.6/rec, 58.6/game), 9 TDs // (defense) 26 tackles (2.2/game), 4 INTs, 1 FR, 2 INT TD, 1 blocked field goal

Keveon Rodgers, a senior quarterback and defensive back for Hertford County, had an impressive season. On offense, he completed 107 out of 175 passes (61.1%) for a total of 1,812 yards (averaging 151.0 yards per game). He also scored 26 touchdowns and only had 5 interceptions. Additionally, he carried the ball 95 times for 845 yards and scored 14 touchdowns. On defense, he made 49 tackles (averaging 4.1 tackles per game) and had 4 tackles for loss, 4 interceptions, 4 pass deflections, and 1 interception returned for a touchdown.

Brayden Taylor is a senior at Bear Grass Charter High School where he plays quarterback, defensive back, punter, and returner. On offense, he has completed 29 out of 55 passes for a total of 525 yards with 8 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He has also rushed for 877 yards and scored 19 touchdowns on 91 carries, averaging 9.6 yards per game. On the defensive end, he has recorded 36 tackles, 8 interceptions, 6 pass deflections, 2 fumble recoveries, and 1 forced fumble. As a punter, he has averaged 38.6 yards per punt and has pinned the opponent inside their own 20-yard line once. Taylor has also returned 2 kickoffs for touchdowns.

Senior Beady Waddell V, from West Mecklenburg High School, has committed to play football at Western Carolina University. On the offensive side, he has 112 carries for 884 yards and 7 touchdowns. On defense, he has recorded 110 tackles (11.0 per game), 17 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 pass deflection, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 forced fumble.

DiVon Ward is a senior player at Holmes High School who plays both running back and linebacker. On offense, he had 163 carries for 1,657 yards and scored 19 touchdowns. On defense, he made 87 tackles, had 2 sacks, recovered 1 fumble, and scored 1 touchdown off of a fumble recovery.

Honorable Mention

Jamari Blake, a senior from Northampton County, plays both wide receiver and defensive back. On offense, he has caught 26 passes for 445 yards and scored 2 touchdowns. On defense, he has made 31 tackles (averaging 2.6 per game) with no tackles for loss or sacks. He has also recorded an impressive 10 interceptions, 11 pass deflections, 1 forced fumble, and scored 2 touchdowns off of interceptions.

A senior at Arendell Parrott, Ashton Brinson plays both running back and linebacker. On offense, he has 252 carries for a total of 2,549 yards (averaging 10.1 yards per carry and 212.4 yards per game) and has made 4 receptions for 220 yards and 2 touchdowns. On defense, he has made an impressive 159 tackles (averaging 13.3 tackles per game), 13 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 2 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 interception returns for touchdowns, 1 blocked punt, and 1 blocked field goal.

D.J. Bryant, a senior at West Columbus High School, recorded impressive stats as an offensive and defensive lineman. He tallied 103 tackles (an average of 7.4 per game), 24 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, 27 quarterback hurries, 1 fumble recovery, and 2 forced fumbles.

Joshua Collins, a senior running back and safety from Swain County, had an impressive offensive performance with 193 carries for 1,743 yards, averaging 9.0 yards per carry and 158.5 yards per game, and scoring 17 touchdowns. He also made 3 receptions for 16 yards and 1 touchdown. On defense, Collins recorded 71 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, 1 pass defended, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 forced fumble. In addition, he had a completion rate of 50% with 3 out of 6 passes completed for 147 yards and 2 touchdowns, without any interceptions.

Isaiah Dawson, a senior WR/DB, committed to Richmond, had 36 catches for 459 yards and 6 touchdowns on offense, along with 43 carries for 296 yards and 3 touchdowns. On defense, he recorded 28 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 1 pass defended.

Brogan Hill, a senior at East Davidson High School, plays both running back and linebacker. He has committed to play for Navy. On the offensive side, he has had 159 carries for 947 yards and 11 touchdowns, as well as 26 receptions for 359 yards and 4 touchdowns. On defense, he has made 49 tackles (averaging 4.9 per game) and has 3 interceptions.

Brandon Ihle, a senior player for Middle Creek High School, plays both offense and defense as a FB/DB. He has committed to play for the Navy team. In offense, he has completed 1 out of 1 passing attempt for 42 yards and scored 1 touchdown. He has also made 48 carries for a total of 281 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. In addition, he has caught 5 passes for 82 yards. On defense, he has recorded 74 tackles (an average of 7.4 per game), 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, and 2 passes defended.

D’Angelo Johnson, a senior at Nash Central High School, plays both tight end and linebacker. On offense, he recorded 16 receptions for 389 yards and 6 touchdowns. On defense, he had 81 tackles (averaging 6.2 per game), 16 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 1 pass deflection, 4 fumble recoveries, 3 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recovery touchdowns, and 1 blocked field goal.

Javaris Jones is a senior player for Nash Central High School, playing both running back and cornerback. On offense, he had 116 carries for a total of 1,244 yards with an average of 10.7 yards per carry and 88.9 yards per game. He also had 17 touchdowns and caught 11 passes for 161 yards and 1 touchdown. On defense, he recorded 62 tackles with an average of 4.4 tackles per game. He also had 1 interception, 8 passes defended, 2 fumble recoveries, and 1 blocked field goal.

Stephen Keener is a junior player for East Surry, who plays both wide receiver and defensive back. On offense, he had 52 catches for 1,000 yards, averaging 19.2 yards per catch and 83.3 yards per game, and scored 10 touchdowns. He also had 8 carries for 60 yards and 1 touchdown, and completed 1 of 1 passes for 22 yards and another touchdown. On defense, he made 38 tackles with an average of 3.2 per game, had 2 tackles for loss, no sacks, 1 interception, and defended 7 passes.

Robert Kendrick, a senior at Kings Mountain High School, plays as a running back and defensive back. He has committed to play for Norfolk State University. On offense, he has recorded 81 carries for 765 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. On defense, he has made 12 tackles, 5 interceptions, 2 pass deflections, and forced 7 fumbles.

Blake McClellan, a junior from East Rutherford, played as a wide receiver and defensive back. He had a total of 49 catches for 776 yards and 9 touchdowns, as well as 58 carries for 247 yards and 14 touchdowns on offense. On defense, he made 73 tackles (averaging 6.6 per game), 13 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 15 passes defended, and forced 6 fumbles.

Kamerin McDowell-Moore, a sophomore from Tarboro, plays both running back and defensive back. On the offensive side, he has made 128 carries for a total of 1,146 yards and scored 23 touchdowns. He has also caught 7 passes for 124 yards and 3 touchdowns. On defense, he has recorded 85 tackles (averaging 6.1 per game), 9.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 interceptions, 2 passes defended, 1 fumble recovery, 3 forced fumbles, and 1 interception returned for a touchdown.

Derek Mitchell, a senior player for Crest High School, played the positions of fullback, linebacker, and punter. On offense, he had 9 carries for 28 yards and scored 4 touchdowns. On defense, he made a total of 146 tackles, averaging 11.2 tackles per game. He also had 13 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 1 pass defended, 3 forced fumbles, and 3 fumble recoveries, one of which resulted in a touchdown. As a punter, he had 23 punts with an average of 36.0 yards and placed 6 inside the opposing team’s 20 yard line.

Elam Moore, a senior at East Duplin High School, played both running back and free safety for the team. On offense, he had 80 carries for 753 yards and 8 touchdowns, as well as 9 receptions for 126 yards and 1 touchdown. On defense, he recorded 42 tackles, 1 interception, 8 passes defended, and 1 interception returned for a touchdown. He also scored a kickoff return touchdown on special teams.

Alex Moye is a senior at Farmville Central High School and plays multiple positions including running back, wide receiver, and defensive back. On offense, he has carried the ball 80 times for a total of 944 yards with an average of 11.8 yards per carry and 78.7 yards per game. He has also scored 11 touchdowns. Additionally, he has caught 27 passes for 563 yards, averaging 20.9 yards per reception and 46.9 yards per game, with 10 of those receptions resulting in touchdowns. On defense, Alex has made 66 tackles, averaging 5.5 tackles per game, and has 6 tackles for loss. He also has 2 interceptions and has defended 8 passes.

Keyon Rawling, a senior at West Stokes High School, is a versatile athlete who plays both offense and defense. On offense, he had 86 carries for 680 yards and 9 touchdowns, as well as 32 receptions for 438 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also had a passing record of 9 completions out of 11 attempts for 65 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions. On defense, he recorded 48 tackles, averaging 4 tackles per game. He also had 6 interceptions, 2 passes defended, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 interception returned for a touchdown.

Cole Seawright is a senior wide receiver and safety for Marvin Ridge High School. He has committed to play football at the University of Richmond. On offense, he has 20 receptions for 245 yards and 2 touchdowns, as well as 12 carries for 48 yards and 1 touchdown. On defense, he has recorded 74 tackles (averaging 6.7 per game), 2 interceptions, 2 passes defended, and 1 forced fumble.

Antonio Simpson, a senior from Polk County, played both wide receiver and linebacker. On offense, he had 49 receptions for 879 yards and 8 touchdowns. On defense, he made 80 tackles (averaging 8.0 per game), 32 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 1 interception, 1 pass deflection, 1 fumble recovery, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery touchdown, 1 interception touchdown, and 1 blocked field goal.

Deuce Walker, a senior at Salisbury High School, is committed to playing football at Georgia State. On offense, he had 53 receptions for 714 yards and 10 touchdowns, as well as 6 carries for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns. On defense, he recorded 22 tackles, 2 interceptions, 3 pass deflections, 1 fumble recovery, 1 fumble recovery touchdown, and 1 interception touchdown.

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The All-State football team for HSOT will include players with exceptional skills on special teams.

In the all-state special teams, there are a total of 30 players divided evenly between the first, second, and third teams with 10 players on each team. Additionally, there are 20 players on the Honorable Mention team.

A player cannot be selected for both the HSOT all-state team as a specialist and the offense, defense, or two-way player list. However, we make sure that a player who may also qualify for other categories cannot be demoted in order to fit onto the special teams list (e.g. being moved from first-team offense to second-team special teams is not allowed, but a horizontal move from third-team defense to third-team special teams is acceptable; as well as moving up, such as going from honorable mention offense to second-team special teams).

The players chosen for return include Nolan Hauser, who has been selected four times, and Michael Buck, who has been selected twice (previously for special teams). Also returning are Caleb Willis (previously for special teams) and Que’Shyne Flippen (previously for two-way play).

Hauser has been selected four times for our team, being chosen for the second team as a freshman and for the first team in the three consecutive years that followed.

First Team

Michael Buck, a senior kicker/punter for Lake Norman, has made 5 out of 8 field goals with a long of 50 yards and has also successfully kicked 25 out of 26 extra points. He has punted 34 times with an average of 35.2 yards and has placed 9 of those punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. He has also had 28 touchbacks out of 41 kickoffs for a 68.3% success rate.
Aiden Daugherty, Oak Grove K (senior): — Virginia Tech recruit — 5/7 FGs, long 49, 62/63 PATs; 12/15 touchbacks (80.0%)

Cory Fisher, a senior at East Forsyth High School, is a versatile player who excels at both defensive back and long snapper positions. He has an impressive track record of 4 blocked punts and 2 blocked field goals. On the defensive side, he has made 30 tackles, including one for a loss, and has 3 pass deflections and 1 forced fumble.

Javarius Green is a senior wide receiver who has committed to UNC. He has scored 1 touchdown on punt returns and 3 touchdowns on kickoff returns. He also has 61 receptions for 1,245 yards, averaging 20.4 yards per catch and 88.9 yards per game, with a total of 17 touchdowns.

Nolan Hauser, senior kicker and punter, has committed to play for Clemson. He has made 12 out of 15 field goals with a longest of 47 yards, and has successfully made 47 out of 48 extra points. He has also punted 33 times with an average of 39.2 yards and 10 inside the 20-yard line. His kickoffs have resulted in touchbacks 85.5% of the time (59 out of 69).

Drew Levy, a junior at South Garner K/P, has made 11 out of 15 field goals with a long of 49 yards. He has also successfully made 25 out of 28 PATs. As a punter, he has averaged 43.7 yards per punt and placed 9 inside the 20-yard line. Additionally, he has recorded 13 touchbacks out of 49 kickoffs, which is a success rate of 26.5%.

Zachariah Melton, a senior at Monroe High School, has had a successful season as a wide receiver. He has scored 4 touchdowns on punt returns and 3 touchdowns on kickoffs. On the offensive side, he has carried the ball 23 times for a total of 258 yards and 6 touchdowns. He has also caught 24 passes for 482 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Francisco Rodriguez, a sophomore at Cape Fear K, made 14 out of 16 field goals with his longest being 47 yards. He also successfully made 33 out of 34 point after touchdowns. However, only 6 out of 28 of his kickoffs resulted in touchbacks, giving him a touchback percentage of 21.4%.

Caleb Willis, a senior on the Apex K team, made 4 out of 6 field goals with his longest being 52 yards. He also successfully kicked 43 out of 46 PATs and had 51 out of 69 kickoffs result in touchbacks, with a success rate of 73.9%.

Tripp Woody, a senior at Charlotte Christian, is a highly skilled kicker and punter who has committed to play for Iowa. He has an impressive record of 10 out of 14 successful field goals with a long of 50 yards, as well as making 41 out of 44 point after touchdowns. He also has an average punt distance of 39.6 yards and has placed 7 of his 26 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. Additionally, he has achieved 51 touchbacks out of 67 kickoffs, resulting in a 76.1% touchback rate.

Second Team

Hezekiah Adams, a junior at West Bladen RET (ATH), had a successful season with 2 punt return touchdowns and 2 kick-off return touchdowns. On offense, he had a 16/26 passing record for 244 yards and a ratio of 3 touchdowns to 2 interceptions. He also had 29 carries for 124 yards and 3 rushing touchdowns, as well as 19 receptions for 421 yards and 4 receiving touchdowns. On defense, he made 35 tackles and had 3 interceptions.

Jaylen Bellamy, a senior at West Columbus High School, is an exceptional athlete. On offense, he has scored three touchdowns and one kick return touchdown. He has also gained 627 yards on 68 carries, averaging 9.2 yards per carry and 44.8 yards per game, with a total of five touchdowns. In addition, he has caught 27 passes for 584 yards, averaging 21.6 yards per reception and 41.7 yards per game, with eight touchdowns. On defense, he has made 88 tackles, averaging 6.3 per game, and has one sack, four interceptions, nine pass deflections, and one fumble recovery.

Nio Espinoza, a senior linebacker for Butler ST, had an impressive season with 3 blocked punts and 2 blocked field goals. On offense, he had 1 reception for 19 yards and scored a touchdown. Defensively, he recorded 83 tackles (with an average of 5.9 per game), 19 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 9 passes defended, 2 fumble recoveries, 3 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Que’shyne Flippen, Reidsville RET (ATH) (senior): 3 KOR TDS // (offense) 7 car, 146 yds; 42 rec, 871 yds (20.7/rec, 72.6/game), 12 TDs // (defense) 7 tackles, 2 INTs

Britt Glover, a senior kicker/punter from Jacksonville, had a successful season with 8 out of 9 field goals made, with a long of 43 yards, and a near-perfect record of 51 out of 52 extra points attempted. Additionally, she punted the ball 30 times with an average distance of 40.1 yards and landed 11 of those punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. She also had 20 touchbacks out of 71 kickoffs, giving her a touchback percentage of 28.2%.

David Green, a sophomore at High Point Christian K, had a successful performance with 6 out of 8 field goals made, including a long of 51 yards. He also made all 46 of his PAT attempts and had 46 touchbacks out of 66 kickoffs, resulting in a 69.7% success rate.

Wyatt Jackson, a junior from New Bern K, made 6 out of 9 field goals with a longest distance of 54 yards and successfully kicked 44 out of 46 PATs. He also had 26 out of 54 touchbacks, with a success rate of 48.1%.
Grant Mills, Cannon School LS (senior): — UNC recruit — No. 12 nationally-ranked in 2024, No. 1 in NC
Everett Scott, Weddington K (senior): 7/9 FGs, long 35, 69/73 PATs; 67/96 touchbacks (69.8%)
Damare Williams, Smoky Mountain RET (DB) (senior): — East Carolina commit — 2 KOR TDs // (offense) 13 receptions, 133 yds, 1 TD // 32 carries, 206 yds // (defense) 1 INT, 3 FF

Third Team

Tanner Baxter, a senior at Mountain Island Charter P/K, had 25 punts with an average of 41.4. He also made 1 out of 3 field goals, with a long of 25 yards, and successfully kicked 29 out of 31 extra points. Additionally, he had 28 out of 31 touchbacks, which accounts for 25.8% of his total kicks.

Pisgah K (senior) Walker Fox had a success rate of 8/10 field goals, with his longest being 49 yards. He also had a touchback rate of 17/56, which equates to 30.4%.

Lyric Kopera, a junior at Independence P/K, had 33 punts with an average of 36.0 yards, 8 of which were inside the 20-yard line. She also made 4 out of 9 field goal attempts with a longest kick of 42 yards and 67 out of 74 extra points. She had 11 touchbacks out of 27 attempts, resulting in a 40.7% success rate.

Gavin Laton from Pinecrest P High School and is a senior. He has punted 26 times with an average of 37.8 yards per punt.

Quaid Luginbill is a senior at Weddington LS and has committed to play for Eastern Kentucky. He is a highly rated 4-star recruit for the class of 2024 and is ranked as the second best player in North Carolina.

Xavier McCleave, a senior at Bunker Hill RET, has had an impressive season. On special teams, he has scored 3 punt return touchdowns and 1 kickoff return touchdown. On offense, he has caught 56 passes for 1,137 yards, averaging 20.3 yards per reception and 87.5 yards per game. He has also had 12 touchdowns. Additionally, he has rushed for 99 yards and 1 touchdown on 14 carries. On defense, he has made 17 tackles (averaging 1.3 per game), 1 tackle for loss, and 2 interceptions.

Kylan O’Dean from Weddington P, a senior, had 33 punts with an average of 37.1 yards and 15 of those punts were inside the 20-yard line.

Shamarius Peterkin, a junior at Mount Tabor, had a total of 2 touchdowns – 1 on a punt return and 1 on a kick return. On offense, he had 43 receptions for 824 yards, averaging 19.6 yards per catch and 63.4 yards per game, and scoring 12 touchdowns.

Mason Richards from Mooresville High School, a junior, had 33 punts with an average of 41.4 yards and one inside the 20-yard line.

Joshua Sandoval from West Henderson K as a junior had a perfect record of 6 out of 6 field goal attempts, with his longest being 36 yards. He also made 63 out of 73 PATs and had 60 out of 89 touchbacks, giving him an overall success rate of 67.4%.

Honorable Mention

Dujuan Armwood, North Duplin RET (ATH) (senior): 2 PR TDs, 1 KOR TD // (offense) 163 carries, 1,785 yds (11.0/car, 148.8/game) 27 TDs // 1 reception, 23 yds, 0 TDs // 48 tackles (4.0/game) 2 TFL, 2 INTs, 1 FF

Jack Baade, a junior at Charlotte Catholic LS, is ranked as the 7th best long snapper in the nation for the 2025 class and is also the top ranked long snapper in North Carolina.

Charlie Birtwistle, a senior at South Point K/P, had a successful season with 1 out of 5 field goals made, a long of 28 yards, and 34 out of 37 PATs. He also punted 17 times with an average of 36.5 yards per punt and had 43 out of 59 touchbacks (72.9%).

D.K. Bryant, a senior at Millbrook RET, has committed to Lehigh University. He has scored 2 kickoff return touchdowns and on offense, he has made 59 receptions for 1,014 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has also carried the ball 13 times for 33 yards. In addition, he has scored 2 kickoff return touchdowns on special teams.
Anthony Carter, Louisburg ST (ATH) (senior): 2 blocked punts, 2 blocked field goals // (offense) 82 carries, 473 yds, 8 TDs // 1/1 passing, 12 TDs, 0 TDs // (defense) 66 tackles (5.5/game) 26 TFL, 7 sacks, 28 QBH, 2 INTs, 3 PD, 2 FF, 1 INT TD

DeQuandre Currence, a junior on the Butler football team, has achieved three personal record touchdowns. On offense, he has had 36 carries for 249 yards and three touchdowns. He also has 48 receptions for 689 yards, averaging 14.4 yards per catch and 53.0 yards per game, and has scored eight touchdowns.

Elliott Furr, a senior at North Moore Street, was a standout player on the defensive side of the game. He had impressive stats with 1 blocked punt, 3 blocked field goals, 101 tackles (an average of 8.4 per game), 17 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 2 pass deflections, 3 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery for a touchdown.

Tsion Kelly from North Rowan High School, a senior player in the defensive back position, has a record of 4 blocked punts and 1 blocked field goal. On the offensive side, he has made 17 receptions for a total of 297 yards and scored 1 touchdown. He has also carried the ball 6 times for 24 yards and scored 2 touchdowns. Defensively, Kelly has made 58 tackles with an average of 4.5 tackles per game. He has also recorded 3 interceptions, 11 passes defended, 2 fumble recoveries, and 1 forced fumble.

Senior athlete Fredrick Logan of Pine Forest RET recorded a total of 2 touchdowns, one in the form of a punt return and one from a kick return. On the offensive side, Logan had 23 receptions for 383 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also carried the ball 12 times for 81 yards but did not score. On defense, he made 33 tackles with an average of 3 per game, had 1 tackle for loss, and made 4 interceptions with 3 passes defended.

Tylik Mitchell, a junior running back for Southern Nash High School, had an impressive season with 2 punt return touchdowns, 126 carries for 1,568 yards (an average of 12.4 yards per carry and 142.5 yards per game), and a total of 19 touchdowns on offense. He also added 5 receptions for 68 yards and 4 receiving touchdowns.

Chayse Morgan, senior punter for North Forsyth, had 29 punts with an average of 40.2 yards and 8 inside the 20-yard line.

Jaemias Morrow, a senior at North Rowan, was a standout athlete on both offense and defense. He scored 2 touchdowns on punt returns and had 21 rushing touchdowns with 1,906 yards on 235 carries, averaging 8.1 yards per carry and 136.1 yards per game. He also had 10 receptions for 161 yards and 1 touchdown. On the defensive side, he recorded 50 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception, and 4 pass deflections.

Senior Kicker Angel Ramos had a successful game, making 2 out of 6 field goal attempts with a long of 47 yards. He also made 45 out of 51 point after touchdown kicks. In addition, he punted the ball 7 times with an average distance of 32.7 yards. Out of 71 kickoffs, 52 resulted in touchbacks, giving him a success rate of 73.2%.

Brian Rowe, a sophomore at Jay M. Robinson High School, has recorded three punt return touchdowns this season. He has also contributed on offense with three carries for 33 yards and 50 receptions for 1,063 yards (averaging 21.3 yards per catch and 81.8 yards per game). In total, he has scored 15 touchdowns.

Kaiden Smith, a senior from the Northside of Jacksonville, had a total of 33 punts with an average of 38.4 yards. He successfully landed 4 punts inside the 20-yard line. He also made 2 out of 5 field goal attempts, with a longest kick of 43 yards. He had a successful record of 11 out of 12 extra point attempts. However, he did have 6 touchbacks out of 25 kicks, resulting in a 24.0% touchback rate.

Junior Jack Smith from Pine Lake Prep is a skilled defensive player as both a DL and OL. He has successfully blocked 2 punts and 3 field goals. On the defensive side, he has recorded 64 tackles (averaging 5.8 per game), 23.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 3 pass deflections, 3 fumble recoveries, and 3 forced fumbles.

Braylon Stewart, a junior at Middle Creek High School, had a successful season as a wide receiver. He scored 2 kickoff return touchdowns and had impressive offensive stats with 71 receptions for 1,186 yards and 16 touchdowns, averaging 16.7 yards per catch and 107.8 yards per game.

Christyan Washington, a senior at Forest Hills High School, has committed to play football at Charleston Southern University. He has scored two touchdowns on punt returns and has also recorded 20 receptions for 355 yards and 5 touchdowns on offense. On the defensive side, he has made 30 tackles, averaging 2.3 tackles per game, as well as 3 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, and 7 passes defended.

Junior athlete Xayden Watson from Trinity Christian had an impressive performance this season, scoring 3 total touchdowns, including 2 punt returns and 1 kickoff return. On offense, he had 15 carries for 141 yards and 4 touchdowns, with an average of 9.4 yards per carry and 17.6 yards per game. He also caught 17 passes for 253 yards and 5 touchdowns, averaging 14.9 yards per catch and 31.6 yards per game. On defense, he recorded 15 tackles, 6 interceptions, and 2 interception touchdowns.

Caden Wilson, a senior from Topsail RET, had an impressive performance. He scored 1 touchdown on a punt return and 1 touchdown on a kick-off return. On offense, he completed 4 out of 5 passes for 61 yards and 2 touchdowns with no interceptions. He also had 33 carries for 306 yards and 3 touchdowns, as well as 21 receptions for 346 yards and 5 touchdowns. Defensively, he made 37 tackles (averaging 3.7 per game), had 1 interception, and defended 11 passes.

Source: highschoolot.com