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. Players cannot have a repeat selection later in the year, as the goal of this is to shine the light on as many players as possible.

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

Offense

QB — Trey Blakeney, senior, Hough

• Everything is starting to click for Blakeney. Against a Myers Park defense with multiple Power 4 prospects, Blakeney completed 17 of 22 passing attempts for 323 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions.

RB — Jason Willis Jr, senior, Bunker Hill

• One of the state’s most prolific rushers, Willis Jr. had 306 yards and five touchdowns on just 19 carries in Bunker Hill’s 48-7 win over St. Stephens.

RB — Ricky Elliott, senior, C.B. Aycock

• On just 15 carries, Elliott rushed for 211 yards and three touchdowns against an improved Eastern Wayne squad in C.B. Aycock’s 41-12 win. Elliott has 429 yards and six touchdowns through two weeks.

WR — Hudson Cooper, junior, Grimsley

• Cooper went from having no career catches to posting a 4-reception, 200-yard, 2-touchdown game in Grimsley’s massive 35-20 win over the previously No. 1-ranked Rolesville.

WR — Tyran Evans, junior, Hough

• The 6-foot-3 pass catcher continued his incredible start to the season with four receptions for 144 yards and three touchdowns against a stacked Myers Park team in Hough’s 52-13 win. Evans had 319 yards and five touchdowns already this year.

FLEX — Ethan Dempsey, junior, Mount Pleasant

• A versatile 6-foot-3, 195-pound athlete, Dempsey finished with 90 rushing yards 85 receiving yards, seven tackles, one interception, and four total touchdowns.

OL — Chandler Telfaire, senior, Enloe

• The 6-foot-4 senior left tackle made multiple pancake blocks in the run game and held up against a strong pass rusher from Cary in the Eagles’ 49-18 blowout win. Enloe rushed for 290 yards and four touchdowns behind Telfaire.

OL — PJ Dean, junior, West Forsyth

• Dean, a 4-star prospect in the class of 2026, was dominant for West Forsyth as the Titans racked up 439 yards of total offense against a strong Oak Grove team.

OL — Zaiden Smith, senior, Southeast Raleigh

• The 6-foot-2, 285-pound senior interior lineman graded out at 91% in week two. He has 15 pancake blocks through two weeks.

OL — Isaias Gonzalez, senior, Reagan

• In Reagan’s thrilling 34-28 victory over Mooresville, the 6-foot-3, 285-pound Gonzalez’s performance graded out at 90%. He had an 88% grade in week one as well.

OL — Giovanni Drigggers, sophomore, Trask

• The huge 6-foot-5, 300-pound sophomore had multiple pancake blocks as Trask rushed for just under 500 yards in its 42-20 win over Hobbton.

Defense

DL — Daniel Lugo, junior, Cleveland

• The 6-foot-1, 235-pound junior defensive end had a huge game in Cleveland’s 34-6 win over Heritage. He had 11 total tackles, seven tackles for a loss, and two sacks.

DL — Christian Hawks, senior, Holmes

• Hawks, a senior, accounted for three tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks in the Aces’ first game and first win of the season against Bertie.

DL — Daviel Eldridge, junior, West Forsyth

• The 6-foot-1 junior was a tough block in West Forsyth’s 36-10 blowout win over a strong Oak Grove team. Eldridge finished with seven total tackles, five tackles for a loss, and three sacks.

DL — KJ Liles, senior, Southern Durham

• At 6-foot-4, 300 pounds, Liles recorded 12 total tackles, three tackles for a loss, and a sack in Southern Durham’s 7-6 win over Hillside in a defensive battle.

LB — Cameron Cyr, senior, Hough

• The 6-foot-2, 195-pound outside linebacker/defensive end was extraordinary in Hough’s 52-13 blowout win over Myers Park. Cyr made six total tackles and four sacks against the high-powered Mustang offense.

LB — Kel’javious Moore, senior, Martin County

• Moore posted nine total tackles, including five tackles for a loss, and a fumble recovery in Martin’s 40-21 win over Ayden-Grifton.

LB — Savvion Johnson, junior, Reidsville

• Johnson is not the biggest linebacker around at just 5-foot-8, but he’s been making a significant impact. Against 4A Page, Johnson recorded 12 solo tackles, including five tackles for a loss. He also had two quarterback hurries and two pass breakups.

DB — Jermaine Cornelius, senior, West Iredell

• The senior had five total tackles, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles in West Iredell’s 28-19 win over West Caldwell in a battle of western Warriors. He also had seven receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown on offense. He played almost every snap of the game.

DB — Nathan Helms, sophomore, North Stanly

• Helms recorded two pick-sixes at defensive back and also had a receiving touchdown in North Stanly’s 42-0 thrashing over East Rowan. He is a 6-foot, 180-pound sophomore.

DB — Jerry Summers, senior, Reagan

• At 6-foot-3, Summers’ length in the secondary is daunting. He made an interception in Reagan’s week two win over Mooresville and has 15 total tackles so far this season. As a receiver, Summers has six receptions for 225 yards and two touchdowns. He also has a kickoff return for a touchdown.

FLEX — Jaylen King, junior, Cleveland

• The nickel/linebacker defender was credited with eight total tackles, three tackles for a loss, two pass breakups, and an interception in Cleveland’s 34-6 win over Heritage.

Source: highschoolot.com