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 — Gannon Jones, junior, Cardinal Gibbons

• Jones completed 15 of 16 passing attempts for 251 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions in the Crusaders’ 57-7 win over Athens Drive to kick off Cap-6 Conference play.

RB — Jaden Avery, senior, Apex Friendship

• The 5-foot-9, 185-pound senior rushed 33 times for 165 yards and three touchdowns in Apex Friendship’s 28-14 win over Panther Creek to stay undefeated in the SWAC.

RB — Jayden Jones, junior, Independence

• Against Garinger, Jones carried the ball only five times but managed to accumulate 209 yards and two touchdowns. He already has over 1,200 yards this season.

WR — Javonte Brooks, junior, Jack Britt

• In the Buccaneers’ blowout win over Purnell Swett, Brooks caught seven passes for 108 yards and three touchdowns.

WR — Jonathan Williams, senior, Havelock

• Williams caught six passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns as Havelock throttled D.H. Conley by a score of 52-10.

FLEX — DeAndre Nance, senior QB, Seventy-First

• Nance was sensational in Seventy-First’s stunning 43-3 win over previously unbeaten Cape Fear. He completed six of nine passing attempts for 115 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. As a rusher, he took off on 11 occasions for 170 yards and four touchdowns.

OL — Khavijae Nixon, senior, Lincolnton

• Nixon was awesome at left tackle for Lincolnton in the Wolves’ 22-14 u[set win at Bandys. He was credited with 11 pancakes and allowed zero sacks.

OL — Dakota Bedard, senior, Midway

• The senior had the highest offensive line grade in coach Barrett Sloan’s history with a 97. He was credited with four pancake blocks. The Raiders rushed for 331 yards in their 45-28 win over Clinton.

OL — Aidan Kranick, junior, Cardinal Gibbons

• The Crusaders’ junior left guard has had a strong season. In Gibbons’ 57-7 win over Athens Drive, Kranick graded out at 90% as the Crusaders produced 501 yards of total offense.

OL — Zaire Ealy, senior, Seventy-First

• Seventy-First’s offensive line was incredible in a 43-3 blowout win over Cape Fear. Ealy, the left guard, finished with a grade of 85 as the Falcons rushed for 411 yards and threw for 110 yards.

OL — Zymeir McPhaul, senior, Seventy-First

• McPhaul is one of the state’s better right tackles for Seventy-First. He finished with a grade of 85 for the Falcons in their 43-3 win over Cape Fear that featured 521 yards of offense.

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

Defense

DL — Thomas Perez, senior, Midway

• The defensive end had 11 total tackles, one tackle for a loss, one sack, a blocked PAT, and a forced fumble that led to a touchdown in Midway’s 45-28 win over defending 2A East champ Clinton.

DL — KJ Gillespie, junior, Mooresville

• Gillespie was a disruption machine in Mooresville’s 18-6 win over Providence. He had three total tackles, a strip sack, and knocked down three passing attempts at the line.

DL — Jake Whitt, senior, Southern Alamance

• Whitt led the Southern defense with 10 total tackles, three tackles for a loss, and 1.5 sacks in a big win over Person High School in Central 3A Conference play.

DL — Garrison Dibble, senior, Atkins

• Despite losing in a tight 26-21 game, Dibble had eight total tackles, three tackles for a loss, and two sacks. He has 17 sacks so far this season, which leads North Carolina.

LB — Aden Allsbrook, senior, North Stanly

• The senior had a monster game as North Stanly handed Union Academy just its second loss of the season. He finished with 17 total tackles, including four sacks. He also spent some time at running back and rushed for 55 yards.

LB — Jalaythan Mayfield, sophomore, Lincolnton

• Mayfield was all over the space with 13 total tackles, three tackles for a loss, two sacks, and a fumble recovery that he returned for a 40-yard touchdown.

LB — Cowen Harris, senior, Christ the King

• Harris led Christ the King’s defense with 13 total tackles in the Crusaders’ 25-20 upset win over Pine Lake Prep, their first over the Pirde in school history. He had a forced fumble and a pass breakup as well.

DB — Davion Jones, sophomore, West Charlotte

• The explosive wide receiver/defensive back has been huge for the Lions on both sides of the ball this season. On defense against Hopewell, he had six total tackles and another interception to raise his season total to five. He is a big-time tackler for his 6-foot, 165-pound frame.

DB — Jordan Young, senior, Monroe

• One of the best players at any position in North Carolina, Young was a massive part of Monroe’s crucial 34-9 win over Forest Hills. The 4-star prospect made five tackles, had two interceptions, and three total pass breakups. On offense, he had three receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown.

DB — Leontae Turner, senior, Williams

• Turner is having a nice season for Walter M. Williams High School. On Friday, he captured his fourth interception and made six total tackles in the Bulldogs’ 39-21 win over Eastern Alamance to keep their hopes of a conference title in reach.

FLEX — Xaiveon Gear, junior LB, Seventy-First

• Gear picked off Cape Fear twice and had a sack as a part of Seventy-First’s dominant defensive performance in a 43-3 win over Cape Fear. He also finished with four total tackles.

Source: highschoolot.com