Sport

The Top 22: Top performers from the third round of the high school football playoffs.

Posted on by Matthew Reynolds


HighSchoolOT will publish the Starting 22 every week, which highlights the standout performances from all positions in North Carolina.

Each week, coaches should submit nominations for performance considerations to [email protected].

Offense

High School

Quarterback Andrew Attmore is a senior at Dudley High School.

  • Attmore had a stellar performance as quarterback in the Panthers’ 50-28 victory against undefeated Jay M. Robinson in this year’s playoffs. He impressively completed 22 out of 32 passes for 378 yards, scoring eight touchdowns and only throwing one interception. This tied the NCHSAA playoff record for most touchdowns scored.

High School

Jayden Jones, a sophomore at Independence High School, is represented by RB.

  • The second-year student’s impressive season continued as they scored 136 yards and three touchdowns during the game against Watauga in Boone. The Patriots pulled off an upset with a final score of 34-14.

High School

Jackson Parrish is a senior at Southern Alamance High School.

  • In Southern Alamance’s 47-21 win against Terry Sanford, Parrish carried the ball 16 times for a total of 184 yards and scored three touchdowns.

WR — Truitt Manuel, senior, West Henderson

  • The committed senior player for NC State’s baseball team had an impressive performance, with 16 catches totaling 248 yards and four touchdowns in West Henderson’s dominant 45-24 victory against Oak Grove.

School

Channing Goodwin, a senior at Providence Day School, is WR.

  • The Michigan recruit persevered through a game where he made nine catches for 108 yards, scored one touchdown, and completed one conversion in Providence Day’s 34-27 win over Rabun Gap (GA) in the state championship.

Ridge

Brady Stober, a junior from Hickory Ridge, is part of the FLEX program.

  • During any other week, Stober would have been the designated starting quarterback for the Starting 22 team, making him a strong candidate for this flex position. Despite facing one of the top defenses in the state, Stober impressively completed 23 out of 28 passes, resulting in 525 yards, five touchdowns, and zero interceptions. With a remarkable touchdown to interception ratio of 42:2 for the season, Stober has proven to be a valuable asset to the team.

OL — David Sanders, junior, Providence Day

  • The 5-star prospect in his junior year played a significant role in Providence Day’s 34-27 win against Rabun Gap (GA) in the NCISAA Division I state title match. He excelled as a blocker on offense and made seven tackles in total, including a crucial sack on defense.

OL — Gabe Heard-Hernandez, junior, Butler

  • The Butler team’s right tackle, standing at a remarkable 6-foot-3 and weighing 275 pounds, has been a standout performer this season. He played a crucial role in the Bulldogs’ 451-yard total offense against Mount Tabor, a team known for its skilled defensive players.

High School

OL – Logan Potes, a senior at Weddington High School.

  • At 6-foot-2, 275 pounds, Potes hasn’t allowed a single quarterback pressure all season. He is also an effective run blocker. Potes helped Weddington rush for 255 yards against a quality Charlotte Catholic defense.

High School

Charlie Decker is a senior at West Henderson High School.

  • Decker, a senior leader standing at 6 feet 4 inches and weighing 255 pounds, played a crucial role on the offensive line for West Henderson. He contributed to the team’s impressive performance of 481 yards of total offense against Oak Grove’s strong defense this season.

Leo Delaney, a sophomore at Providence Day High School.

  • In his debut season with the team, Delaney, who stands at 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 270 pounds, played a crucial role in leading Providence Day to a state championship win in the NCISAA Division I.

Review past versions of the Starting 22

View past editions of the Starting 22.

Defense

DL — Elijah Littlejohn, sophomore, West Charlotte

  • Littlejohn was a major challenge for Crest throughout the entire game in the Lions’ 30-29 defeat in overtime while playing away. The quick and powerful Littlejohn made five impactful tackles, many of which resulted in a loss for the opposing team.

High School

Amaris Williams is a senior at Clinton High School, identified as “DL”.

  • Williams, who has committed to Florida, earned his 11th sack of the season and ran for 139 yards and three touchdowns on only five carries while playing offense in Clinton’s dominant 42-7 victory over Southeast Alamance.

EDGE — Triston Freeman, senior, West Columbus

  • During the game where West Columbus defeated Lakewood by a score of 42-0, Freeman recorded a total of six tackles and two sacks.

Senior Tyquan Rankin from Butler was selected for LB.

  • The Bulldogs’ defense was led by Butler, who had a total of eight tackles, four of which were for a loss and two resulting in sacks. This impressive performance contributed to their dominant 49-13 victory against Mount Tabor.

Khor’on Miller, a senior at North Rowan, is LB.

  • Miller made 16 tackles in total during North Rowan’s 48-39 victory over Mountain Heritage, with 15 of those being solo tackles.

High School

Robert McCollum, a sophomore at Dudley High School, was notified of the LB position.

  • The second-year middle linebacker played exceptionally well for the Panthers in their 50-28 victory against Robinson. He recorded a total of 10 tackles, three of which were for a loss. He also made an interception and ran for 19 yards.

DB — Randall King, senior, Northern Nash

  • King had nine solo tackles, a fumble recovery, and a blocked field goal attempt that ultimately secured Northern Nash’s exciting 45-44 win against Scotland. Additionally, he made four receptions for 41 yards on the offensive side.

Senior Wilson Prep student, Christian Richardson, in DB.

  • The player with the most interceptions (14) in the nation intercepted two passes against a North Moore team who does not often pass. He ran a total of 101 yards with the interceptions. He also made eight tackles, broke up another pass, and recovered a fumble. On offense, Richardson ran nine times for 119 yards and scored three touchdowns.

DB — Xavier Allen, junior, East Bladen

  • In East Bladen’s 47-14 victory against Rosewood, Allen made two interceptions and gained 22 yards on offense.

DB – Grimsley senior Fred Sellars

  • Sellars has now intercepted a pass in three consecutive games, including in Grimsley’s recent 42-35 victory over Hough. He demonstrated impressive recovery skills when he thwarted a Hough flea flicker play, relying on his speed and tracking abilities to secure the crucial turnover near Grimsley’s end zone.

Justin Rowe is a junior at Asheville School and is a member of FLEX.

  • In the NCISAA Division II state championship game, Rowe made a crucial 65-yard interception return for a touchdown in Asheville School’s 42-29 win against Trinity Christian. In addition to that, he also managed to make two tackles. On the offensive side, Rowe had three receptions for 38 yards.

Source: highschoolot.com