Vote: Who should be SBLive's Minnesota Athlete of the Week? (12/4/2023)

Read through the candidates and cast your vote!

Here are the candidates for the Minnesota High School Athlete of the Week for Nov. 27 - Dec. 3.

Read through the nominees and cast your vote. Voting will conclude Sunday at 11:59 p.m. and the winner will be announced Monday.

If you would like to make a nomination in a future week, please email athleteoftheweek@scorebooklive.com with “MNHSAW Nomination” in the subject line.

Editor’s Note: Our Athlete of the Week feature and corresponding poll is 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 that receive votes generated by script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified.

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Minnesota high school Athlete of the Week

Javon Moore, Minnetonka

The electrifying forward has shot out to a great start on the season, racking up 16 points across four games on an even eight points and eight assists. Thanks in part to Moore’s unparalleled offensive production, the Skippers are 4-0, and have outscored their opponents 31-3 so far on the year. 

Ryan Lund, Warroad

A hulking defenseman from up north, Lund has put on an offensive clinic this year as well, as he currently leads the Warriors with 10 points. Against defending state champion Mahtomedi, Lund had four goals en route to a 7-6 victory that would not have been possible without his heroics. 

The 6-foot-2, 200 pounder has been off to a hot start this year, and should continue to dominate. 

Ryan Rothfork, Rock Ridge

Rothfork has put on some size this offseason, and is listed at 2 inches taller and about 20 pounds heavier than his junior year, a bulk that has seemed to pay off thus far. Rothfork is 3-0 between the pipes, holds a state-leading 0.67 Goals Against Average, and boasts a .963 save percentage to boot. This guy has been nothing short of stellar to start the year. 

Caz Carlson, Rock Ridge

A nice surprise for the Wolverines so far, Carlson has stepped up and led a senior-heavy team in scoring with 10 points on three goals and seven assists. The sophomore forward knows when to dish it to older, more experienced skaters, and these instincts have propelled him into elite scoring territory on one of the best teams in Class 1A. 

Bryer Hoffmann, New Ulm

Anyone around the New Ulm program wouldn’t be surprised to hear this, but Bryer Hoffmann is really good at hockey. The senior goalie has been a staple between the pipes for years now, and last week’s games saw him emerge 2-0 with a .958 save percentage and a shutout to his name already. Keep an eye on Hoffmann as the season progresses, as he will likely continue to impress. 

Brayden Graning, Becker/Big Lake

Graning had a whirlwind weekend for Becker/Big Lake, making a little bit of history in the process. In the span of five days, Graning put up a whopping 16 points for his team, a number that quickly launched him up the leaderboards and placed him firmly tied at first in the state for points. 

The senior forward has helped bring the Eagles to a 2-1 record so far on the year, and could very well be a star in the making himself. 

Jimmy Egan, Mahtomedi

One of the youngest returning skaters in the state, Egan spent his freshman year building experience, and as of now, looks like he will spend his sophomore year punishing opposing defenses. He has 12 points on four goals and eight assists through only four games, a number that leads underclassmen on varsity statewide. 

Egan is fresh off arguably the best performance of his career, a game in which he racked up five assists and a goal in a game which his team eventually lost to Warrorad. Egan has quickly become the first option on this Zephyr attack, making him a legitimate threat to other Class A programs going forward. 

Drew Raukar, Duluth East

Raukar holds one of the best single-game performances so far this year. Against Bemidji this past weekend, Raukar had a 27-save shutout that helped lift his save percentage to a steller .972 mark, a number that is currently the best in the state. 

Raukar is in a position battle with a fellow senior on the roster, but between a game like this on his resume and Duluth East’s early season struggles, he just might be the full-time guy going forward. 

Hunter Bauer, Minnetonka

Bauer has only faced 43 shots in four games, but he has played excellent every time the puck flies his way, so it's hard to hold this stat against him. Bauer’s 4-0 record, 0.75 Goals Against Average and three shutouts are all among the best in the state, and his .930 save percentage is top-tier too. 

Bauer has been everything the Skippers need in the net, and if he continues to be underwhelmed by opposing attacks, he might set a statewide record for shutouts when the season is all said and done. 

Will Burnevik, Champlin Park

An absolute assisting machine to start out the year, Burnevik has assisted 12 goals so far on the year, an average of three a game. He leads the state in assists by a wide margin, and the Rebels are rolling with a 2-1-1 record. 

Justin Courneya, Win-E-Mac

Courneya was an absolute problem in the season opener, racking up 45 points on 55% shooting versus Kittson County Central. He was north of 70% on free throws, 30% on three pointers, and snagged nine rebounds en route to a very productive day. 

Ty Vig, Kittson County Central

On the other side of the court versus Win-E-Mac, Ty Vig was having a game of his own. The junior center put up 36 points of his own by attacking the rim, and added 24 rebounds to the mix on both sides of the glass. Vig and Kittson County may have lost the game, but his performance was unforgettable. 

Tyler Minke, North Branch

Minke and North Branch made quick work of their opponent Pine City, winning 89-48 in a game that never really felt close. Along the way, Minke put up 31 points that mostly came through the nine 3-pointers he drained, a figure that cemented him as a long range threat for the Vikings. 

Abu Tarawallie, Heritage Christian

Tarawallie was about as efficient as humanly possible for Heritage Christian in its home opener. The 6-foot-3 junior put up 23 points on 67% shooting and added 22 rebounds to an already stellar statline. Even so, it wasn’t enough for Heritage Christian, who dropped its first game 65-73 against St. Agnes. 

Jordan Borowicz, Roseau

The freshman phenom Bowowicz has been nothing short of outstanding so far. He’s put up 66 points across two games, including a 41-point performance in which he drained five of the seven 3-pointers he shot. The 5-foot-10 guard seems to be on a fast track for stardom if he keeps shooting like this. 

Charles Erickson, Windom

One of the most well-rounded players in the state thus far, Erickson has quickly revealed himself to be a threat anytime he finds an open man. He might not be the most flashy scorer, but he averages nine rebounds and eight assists per game so far, numbers that any coach would love to have on their team. Windom is 2-0 to start the year, and Erickson’s production is a big reason as to why. 

Jayden Moore, Hopkins

One of the younger athletes on this list, Moore opened up his sophomore year with a bang, dropping 28 points to help lead his team to a 93-75 victory over Orono. The Royals are shaping up to have a dangerous offense so far, and Moore should be a nice addition to that lethal scoring core. 

Elliot Serreyn, Windom

The gargantuan freshman out of Windom has been a force to be reckoned with on the defensive end. He’s blocked eight shots through two games so far, and his averages of 10 rebounds a game to go with 12.5 points per game are great supplementary numbers considering his role as a shot blocker. 

Addi Mack, Minnehaha Academy

The junior star continued to impress for her team, as Mack is currently leading the statewide charge in points at 157. Her season high came in a 82-45 thrashing of Perham, a game in which she scored 41 points, nearly as many as the entire Perham roster combined.

Callie Oakland, St. Croix Lutheran

Oakland leads the state in rebounds with 53 through four games, including an impressive 12 on the offensive end. The 6-foot-1 sophomore has been a spark plug for a St. Croix Lutheran team that has struggled to drum up any offense early in the year.

Gabby Lira, Mountain Iron-Buhl

Against a much bigger Roseville squad, Lira stood out, putting up 19 points on 75% shooting as well as grabbing eight rebounds and a block to end what was a great performance. Lira and the Rangers should enter conference play with loads of confidence.

Anna Vaaler, Andover

The senior star for the Huskies is coming off arguably the best performance of her career. Against a strong Anoka team, Vaaler dropped 32 points on her way to helping secure a 81-69 Andover victory.

Josie St. Martin, Stillwater

One of the best skaters across the state, St. Martin has been a point machine her last three games, racking up eight points on two goals and six assists. All three games were wins for Stillwater, and Martin has only continued to show why she’s an Ohio State commit. 

Alyssa Polaski, Woodbury

A freshman in the net is an anomaly in and of itself, but what Polaski did this past week was nothing short of amazing. With minimal varsity experience and facing a rock-solid 4-win Park of Cottage Grove team, Polaski absolutely stonewalled them, saving 18 shots and earning her first career varsity shutout, likely the first of many. 

Aurelia (Ray) Anderson, Duluth Marshall

Anderson is one of the top goalies across the state right now, and her performance over the weekend only served to cement that. Across three games, Anderson had two shutouts, saved 45 shots and won all three games between the pipes, propelling Duluth Marshall to a 7-1 record on the year. 

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