Vote: Who should be Louisiana high school Athlete of the Week? (9/11/2024)

Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Louisiana high school athlete of the week for Sept. 2-8

SBLive Sports Athlete of the Week /

Summer is on the way out, but the fall sports season in Louisiana is definitely heating up.

Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Louisiana high school athlete of the week for Sept. 2-8, the inaugural vote for the 2024-25 school year. Read through the nominees and cast your vote.

Voting will conclude Sunday at 11:59 p.m. If you would like to make a nomination in a future week, email athleteoftheweek@scorebooklive.com.

Editor’s Note: Our Athlete of the Week feature and corresponding poll are intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. However, we do not allow votes that are generated by script, macro or other automated means. Athletes who receive votes generated by script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified.

LOUISIANA ATHLETE OF THE WEEK NOMINEES

Abram Wardell, Calvary Baptist football

The Cavaliers’ quarterback completed 23-of-29 passes for 417 yards and seven TDs as Calvary Baptist outlasted Oak Grove, 62-41, in a matchup between defending state champions.

Luke Delafield, North DeSoto football

Delafield completed 22-of-29 passes for 318 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Griffins defeated defending state champion Union Parish, 33-21.

Jakobe Delaney, Haughton football

Delaney caught eight passes for 173 yards and a TD and also added 20 yards rushing as the Bucs won a wild affair against Homer, 48-46.

Norman Taylor, Rummel football

Taylor carried the ball 21 times for 173 yards and scored four TDs, including the eventual game-winning TD late in Rummel’s 42-35 win against Lafayette Christian Academy.

Elijah Haven, Dunham football

The standout sophomore quarterback threw for 350 yards and four TDs and added 101 yards rushing with two TDs in a 46-0 win against Parkview Baptist. Haven also became the school’s all-time leader in passing TDs and total career TDs.

Josh Brantley, Ruston football

The Bearcat QB had a huge night in his team’s 35-27 win against Acadiana. He threw for 192 yards and two TDs and added 159 yards rushing with two scores.

Drew Bailey, Sam Houston football

Bailey carried the ball 32 times for 310 yards and had six TDs in the Broncos’ 56-41 win against Leesville. He also had four receptions for 42 yards and had a 20-yard return for 372 all-purpose yards.

John Johnson, Edna Karr football

A quarterback, Johnson accounted for exactly 200 yards of total offense in the Cougars’ 48-21 win against Shaw. He passed for 161 yards and three TDs and added 39 yards rushing, along with a two-point conversion.

Harlem Berry, St. Martin’s football

The standout tailback and LSU commit had 173 yards on 22 carries with two TDs, and also caught three passes for 110 yards and a TD in his team’s 38-34 win against Pearl River. But on defense, playing linebacker, Berry had five tackles, forced two fumbles and broke up a pass.

Thomas Vaughn, Warren Easton football

Vaughn carried the ball 21 times for a whopping 343 yards and reached the end zone four times in the Eagles’ 61-27 win against L.B. Landry. 

A.J. Berry, Pickering football

Berry passed for one TD and ran it in for another as the Red Devils ended a 31-game losing streak with a 13-12 win against Gueydan. 

Dillon Compton, Bunkie football

The Panthers’ QB completed 10-of-14 passes for 283 yards and three TDs and added 82 yards rushing with two TDs in his team’s 39-6 win against St. Mary’s.

Devin Lavalais, Marksville football

Lavalais rushed for 173 yards and three TDs and also recorded eight tackles on defense in the Tigers’ 30-16 win against Avoyelles.

J.T. Lindsey, Alexandria Senior High football

Lindsey, an LSU commit at tailback, rushed for 178 yards and a TD and also caught a 25-yard TD pass in the Trojans’ 44-7 win against West Feliciana.

Sedrick Wilson, Jena football

Wilson rushed for 197 yards and scored three TDs as the Giants fended off Mangham, 26-22.

Jayden Miles, Catholic-Baton Rouge football

Miles rushed for 129 yards on 25 carries and had two TDs, including the game-winner with less than 20 seconds left, as the Bears ended Destrehan’s 33-game regular-season winning streak with a 23-20 win.

Ethan Simon, Westminster Christian Academy-Lafayette football

Simon rushed for 81 yards on 25 carries and had two TDs as the Chargers won their very first game as a varsity program, posting a 19-12 win at Albany.

Brian Broussard, St. Thomas More football

Broussard had a huge night defensively in the Cougars’ 21-20 win against Carencro. He intercepted four passes and broke up five passes, including a potential go-ahead two-point conversion attempt late.

Jonathan Dartez, Vermilion Catholic football

Dartez rushed for 223 yards and had two TDs, both coming in the second half, as Vermilon Catholic rallied for a 14-10 win against Catholic-New Iberia.

Ke’von Johnson, Northwest football

Johnson, a tailback playing his first game at Northwest following an offseason transfer, rushed for 206 yards on 15 carries and scored two TDs in the Raiders’ 21-14 win against Eunice.

Tavias Gordon, Westgate football

Gordon rushed for 220 yards on 22 carries and had two TDs in the Tigers’ 31-29 win against Lake Charles Prep.

Douge Viltz, Teurlings Catholic football

Viltz rushed for 107 yards on 28 carries and two TDs, and also had a 60-yard kick return in the Rebels’ 21-14 win against defending state champion Opelousas. 

Brennan Keim, St. Paul’s football

Keim completed 17-of-20 passes for 269 yards and four TDs in his team’s 48-14 win against Live Oak.

Nate Sheppard, Mandeville football

Sheppard, the Skippers’ standout tailback and a Duke commit, rushed for 150 yards on 18 carries and three TDs and also returned an interception 20 yards for another score in his team’s 42-14 win against Salmen.

Kenny Darby, Airline football

Darby caught 17 passes for 315 yards and two TDs as the Vikings won a wild affair at Barbe, 52-49.

Jaylon Nichols, Neville football

Nichols rushed for 152 yards on 21 carries and scored three TDs in the Tigers’ 42-24 win at Evangel Christian.

Vashaun Coulon, St. Augustine football

Coulon completed 9-of-16 passes for 236 yards and three TDs in his team’s 49-35 win against McDonogh 35.

Buck Ringgold | @SBLive_LA