Vote: Who should be Louisiana high school Athlete of the Week? (9/17/2024)

Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Louisiana high school athlete of the week for Sept. 9-15

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. 9-15. 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

Generald Buggage, Archbishop Rummel football

The Raiders’ quarterback completed 9-of-16 passes for 148 yards, including a 74-yard TD. He also had a key 49-yard run that set up another TD in Rummel’s 13-7 win against University Lab. 

Vashaun Coulon, St. Augustine football

A quarterback, Coulon was 12-of-15 passing for 297 yards and four TDs and also added 42 yards rushing with two TDs as the Purple Knights downed Cecilia, 58-34. 

Tashod Badon, Pearl River football

A senior tailback, Badon had 226 yards on 16 carries and scored six TDs, two of those each covering 59 yards, in his team’s 64-22 win against South Lafourche.

Sebastian Miller, Fontainebleau football

In the Bulldogs’ 31-0 win against Madison, Miller caught eight passes for 212 yards and a TD. 

Nate Sheppard, Mandeville football

Sheppard, the Skippers’ standout tailback and Duke commit, rushed for 164 yards and had five TDs, including a 70-yard jaunt, and caught a pass for another TD in Mandeville’s 52-43 win against Madison Prep.

Kylen Williams, Covington football

Williams, a senior tailback, rushed for 112 yards and two TDs on 16 carries and also caught a pass 26-yard for another score in the Lions’ 32-21 win against Franklinton.

Jackson Firmin, Central-Baton Rouge football 

A week after sustaining injuries from a car accident, the Wildcats’ quarterback returned to action and was 15-of-33 passing for 173 yards and three TDs in a 31-6 win against Denham Springs.

Seth Dazet, Brother Martin football

The quarterback was 16-of-22 passing for 299 yards and three TDs as the Crusaders pulled off a come-from-behind 31-28 win against St. Paul’s on Saturday.

Justin Drago, Metairie Park Country Day football

Drago had 234 yards rushing on 30 carries as Country Day pulled off a 23-20 double-overtime win against Willow. 

Claude Johnson, Holy Cross football

Though he primarily plays quarterback, Johnson had a greater impact running with the ball in his team’s 42-13 win against De La Salle. He had 158 yards on 13 carries with four TDs.

Dillon Compton, Bunkie football

Compton had a hand in 367 yards and five touchdowns in the Panthers’ 55-10 win against St. Louis. He passed for 277 yards and three TDs, while rushing for 90 more yards and two TDs.

Tanner Davis, DeRidder football

Davis completed only three passes, but all three went for big-play TDs covering 68, 55 and 58 yards in DeRidder’s 37-0 win against Many. 

Xavier Ford, Leesville football

The Wampus Cats’ standout tailback rushed for 400 yards and had six TDs in a 49-32 win against Tioga. Ford became only the second Wampus Cat to run for 400 yards in a game, joining Michael Ford, who happens to be Xavier Ford’s uncle.

Carter Smith, Pineville football

The Rebels’ quarterback was 6-of-9 passing for 179 yards and three TDs as Pineville downed Avoyelles, 35-20.

Bryce Restovich, Loyola football

The Flyers’ quarterback completed 21-of-30 passes for 281 yards and three TDs in his team’s 28-6 win against Logansport.

Ben Taylor, Airline football

A senior quarterback, Taylor threw for 274 yards and a TD and added two rushing TDs in the Vikings’ 55-28 win against Benton. In that game, he also became the all-time leading passer for any quarterback from Bossier Parish.

Shawn Brown, Lakeshore football

A junior tailback, Brown had 134 yards on 11 carries with two TDs in the Titans’ 45-21 win against Chalmette.

Aiden Fairchild, Pope John Paul II football

Fairchild, a junior, had three total TDs in a 48-6 win against Varnado. He returned a kickoff 90 yards for one score, and also had a rushing TD and a receiving TD.

Kingston Jones, John F. Kennedy football

Jones caught five passes for 194 yards and two TDs in the Cougars’ 36-26 win against Warren Easton.

Ja'Kwan Jones, Slidell football

A sophomore tailback, Jones had just four carries, but ended up with 135 yards and two TDs in his team’s 34-12 win against Livingston Collegiate on Sept. 13.

Dedrick Welch, Liberty football

In his team’s 72-26 win against White Castle, Welch rushed for 205 yards on 13 carries and scored five TDs.

Calvin Parker, Lafayette Christian Academy football

Parker returned a punt 65 yards for a TD while also recording five tackles, with one for a loss, on defense, as the Knights fended off Carencro, 38-21.

Parker Robinson, Neville football

Robinson, a quarterback, was 11-of-14 passing for 148 yards, including a go-ahead 38-yard TD pass with less than five minutes left, in Neville’s dramatic 42-38 win at Calvary Baptist.

Jack Landry, Erath football

Landry completed 16-of-23 passes for 123 yards and a TD and added 27 yards rushing on seven carries in the Bobcats’ 21-15 win against North Vermilion. 

Shanga Charles, New Iberia football

In a 42-6 win against Franklin, Charles got 201 yards rushing on 23 carries and a TD. 

Jayden Chavis, Northwest football

The Raiders’ quarterback completed 11-of-12 passes for 244 yards and five TDs as Northwest rolled past Rayne, 50-14.

Parker Jewell, Catholic-Pointe Coupee football

Jewell rushed for 202 yards on 18 carries and two TDs and also caught two passes for 59 yards and another TD as the Hornets downed Crowley, 54-12. 

John Martinez, St. Michael football

Martinez rushed for 159 yards on 25 carries and had three TDs in his team’s 46-0 win against Tara.

Jonathan Dartez, Vermilion Catholic football

The standout quarterback was 8-of-14 passing for 218 yards and a TD while adding 103 yards rushing on 14 carries and three TDs in his team’s 45-0 win against Breaux Bridge.

Jonah Gauthier, Acadiana football

Gauthier rushed for 265 yards on 24 carries and had three TDs, two of those in the fourth quarter to help the Rams pull away for a 43-28 win against Zachary.

- Buck Ringgold | @SBLive_LA