Vote: Mid-Central Florida football Player of the Week (9/17/2024)

We’ve selected eight candidates to choose from this past week’s regular season games

Hawthorne Hornets quarterback Adrian Curtis (12) throws under pressure against the Newberry Panthers during the first half at Hawthorne High School Football Stadium in Hawthorne, FL on Friday, August 30, 2024. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun] / Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

Florida high school football is back and so begins our Player of the Week polls for areas all around the state. Teams showcased what they’ve got in Week 4 of the regular season.

As such, we have eight athletes nominated this week for the SBLive’s Mid-Central Florida Football Player of the Week award from September 12-14, and we ask you, the fans, to help decide who should indeed be the top athlete selected.

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SBLive voting polls are intended to be a fun way to create fan engagement and express support for your favorite high school athletes and teams. Unless expressly noted, there are no awards for winning the voting. Our primary focus is to highlight the abilities and accomplishments of all the athletes and teams included in our poll. You can vote as often as you wish and are encouraged to share our polls with others. The use of voting bots and other forms of automated voting are not allowed. Individuals will be removed from the poll if any form of automated voting can be verified. - SBLive Sports

Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Sep. 22nd. The winner will be announced in the following week's poll. Here are this week's nominees:

Drew Simmons, Union County

The sophomore running back rushed for 121 yards on 19 carries and scored a touchdown in a 22-0 victory over Baldwin.

Nathan Jennings, Hawthorne

The sophomore defensive back led the effort on defense in a 27-21 win over Oakleaf, making five tackles and picking off a pass.

KJ Wright, Palatka

Wright had a huge game for the Panthers in a 35-0 rout of Alachua Santa Fe, catching five passes for 151 yards and a touchdown. Also rushed for 15 yards and a score.

DJ McCoy, Taylor County

The senior dynamo carried the rock eight times for 151 yards and two touchdowns in a 56-0 win over North Florida Christian.

Caleb Sanford, Forest

The sophomore passer completed 11-of-21 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown in the Wildcats’ 21-19 win over Horizon.

Maurice Vought, Branford

One of the top rushing performances in the state came from Vought, who rushed for 226 yards and scored two touchdowns in a 42-12 win over Hilliard.

Dylan Curry, Dunnellon

Curry was efficient in the Tigers’ 20-0 victory over Lake Gibson, completing nine passes for 138 yards and a touchdown.

Malachi Lancaster, Newberry

The edge rusher was a menace in the Panthers’ 48-0 win over Keystone Heights, notching five tackles and three sacks.

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High School On SI will serve as the premier destination for high school sports fans, delivering unparalleled coverage of high school athletics nationwide through in-depth stories, recruiting coverage, rankings, highlights and much more. The launch of a dedicated high school experience expands Sports Illustrated’s reach to even more local communities as fans can now truly follow athletes from “preps to the pros” on a single platform, bringing them closer to the action than ever before. For more information, visit si.com/high-school.

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl