Vote: Who should be SBLive's National High School Athlete of the Week? (10/9/2023)

Read up on the top performers across the country last week and pick the best of the best

Each week during the fall sports season, SBLive Sports will gather the best high school performances across the country with the help of fans, readers and staff.

Now, it’s your turn to choose a standout among the pack, the best of the best.

Here are the nominees for SBLive’s National High School Athlete of the Week for Oct. 2-8. Voting closes on Monday, Oct. 16, at 11:59 (Pacific Time).

Want to nominate an athlete? Please email bob.lundeberg@gmail.com or tag us on Twitter or Instagram at @SBLiveSports.

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.

SBLive National High School Athlete of the Week candidates

Hadli Barrera, jr., Mountain Crest (Utah) girls soccer

Barrera scored four goals in Mountain Cest’s 8-0 playoff win over Hurricane.

Da’Marion Bothwell, sr., Oneonta (Alabama) football

Bothwell accounted for eight total touchdowns and recorded 17 tackles in a 62-36 victory over Etowah. The South Alabama commit ran for 265 yards and four scores, caught four passes for 122 yards and three TDs and threw a 40-yard TD.

Wyatt Campbell, jr., Bath County (Virginia) football

Campbell scored six total touchdowns — three rushing and three passing — in a 47-0 shutout of Hot Springs. The junior ran for 204 yards on just five carries and also passed for 111 yards.

Alexa Castro, jr., Fort Lee (New Jersey) girls soccer

Castro netted nine goals in a 13-4 win over Dumont.

Mikey Cota, jr., Odessa (Texas) football

Cota completed 19 of 29 passes for 404 yards and five touchdowns as Odessa prevailed in a shootout with Permian, 49-42.

Marquise Davis, jr., Cleveland Heights (Ohio) football

Davis, a four-star junior, turned 29 carries into 361 yards and six touchdowns as Cleveland Heights got past Medina, 62-52.

Caden DuMelle, so., Jacobs (Illinois) football

DuMelle had 31 carries for 302 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-14 trouncing of Crystal Lake Central. 

Julius Gillick, jr., Edison (California) football

Gillick ran for a school-record 315 yards and six touchdowns in a 47-20 win over Huntington Beach.

Jacob Hadley, sr., Willamina (Oregon) football

Hadley tallied six rushing touchdowns in a 48-6 victory over Santiam. The junior tailback has 28 TDs in six games this season.

DJ Lagway, sr., Willis (Texas) football

Lagway was back at it again this week, throwing for 391 yards and five touchdowns in a 56-17 blowout of College Park. The five-star Florida commit has 41 total touchdowns through seven games this season.

Dedric Lastie, jr., Riverside Academy (Louisiana) football

Lastie had 344 yards rushing and four touchdowns in a 55-14 victory over St. Martin’s Episcopal.

Julian Lewis, so., Carrollton (Georgia) football

Lewis, a five-star USC commit, threw for 455 yards and six touchdowns in a 56-24 win over East Coweta.

Ethan Pillar, sr., Pine-Richland (Pennsylvania) football

Pillar ran for 297 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 26-19 upset of Pittsburgh Central Catholic.

Robby Preckel, jr., Lafayette (Missouri) football

Preckel had 12 receptions for 218 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 28-21 win over Eureka.

Kellen Russell-Dixon, sr., Grand Rapids Central Catholic (Michigan) football

Russell-Dixon carried it 17 times for 270 yards and four touchdowns in a 49-14 rout of Forest Hills Eastern.

Caleb Sanchez, sr., St. John Bosco (California) football

Sanchez completed 16 of 18 passes for 343 yards and five touchdowns as St. John Bosco blew past Servite, 56-27.

Emma Segal sr., Frontier (Indiana) volleyball

Segal, an Indiana commit, tallied 36 kills, 20 digs, four aces and two blocks in a four-set win over Rensselaer Central.

Emilee Sikora, jr., San Angelo Central (Texas) volleyball

Sikora had 24 kills, three blocks and 21 digs in a five-set victory over Midland Legacy.

Kobi Spady, sr., Arlington (Washington) football

Spady scored two non-offensive touchdowns in Arlington’s 42-14 win over Marysville Pilchuck. The senior returned an interception 18 yards for a touchdown and recovered a muffed punt in the end zone.

Danny Stoddard, sr., Medina (Ohio) football

Marquise Davis wasn’t the only standout in Cleveland Heights’ 62-52 win over Medina. Stoddard threw for 495 yards and seven touchdowns — a new Medina County record — while also rushing for 122 yards and a TD in defeat. 

Blake Wagener, jr., Maumee (Ohio) boys soccer

Wagener netted four goals in a 5-1 victory over Bowling Green. The junior has 43 goals and 13 assists this season.

Justin Wyrick, sr., Salesian (California) football

Wyrick returned two interceptions for touchdowns in a 28-6 win over Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary. The senior has seven interceptions this season.

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-- Bob Lundeberg | @sblivesports