Vote: Who should be High School on SI National Boys Athlete of the Week? (12/23/2024)

Which athlete had the best performance in the nation from Dec. 16-22?

Milton senior quarterback Luke Nickel. / Photo by Matt Christopher (2024)

Each week during the high school sports season, High School on SI will gather the best 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 High School on SI’s National High School Boys Athlete of the Week for Dec. 16-22. Voting closes on Monday, Dec. 30 at 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time). The poll is below the write-ups on each athlete.

Want to nominate an athlete? Please 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.

High School on SI National Boys Athlete of the Week candidates

1. Bowe Bentley, sr., Celina (Texas) football

Bentley completed 9 of 14 passes for 265 yards and five touchdowns as Celina routed Kilgore for the Class 4A Division I championship, 55-21. The junior also ran for 68 yards.

2. Faizon Brandon, jr., Grimsley (North Carolina) football

Brandon, a five-star Tennessee commit, threw three touchdowns and ran for another as Grimsley completed a perfect 16-0 season with a 35-23 victory over Rolesville in the Class 4A title game. 

3. Manny Brown, sr., Monument Mountain (Massachusetts) basketball

Brown drilled a school-record 10 3-pointers and finished with 50 points in an 89-57 win over Belchertown.

4. Christian Cummings, sr., Rockford Christian (Illinois) basketball

Cummings had 30 points as Rockford Christian downed Dixon, 74-62. 

5. Patrick Curtin, sr., Glenelg Country (Maryland) basketball

Curtin, a Bucknell signee, made 11 3-pointers en route to 36 points in a 65-61 win over John Carroll. 

6. Gabe Davenport, sr., Zion Christian Academy (Tennessee) basketball

Davenport dominated with 56 points, seven rebounds, five steals and two assists in an 80-73 win over Franklin Road Christian. 

7. Ethan Day, sr., Medford (Massachusetts) basketball

Day had 31 points as Medford edged Revere, 71-61. 

8. Kaiden Ford, sr., Cascade (Oregon) basketball

Ford scored 37 points in an 87-67 win over Regis. 

9. Aiden Hawkinson, sr., Waupun (Wisconsin) basketball

Hawkinson erupted for 50 points in an 86-75 victory over Winneconne. The senior made 10 3-pointers and also had seven rebounds and three steals. 

10. Chris Jimerson Jr., sr., North Crowley (Texas) football

Jimerson Jr. accounted for five total touchdowns — four passing, one rushing — as North Crowley smashed Westlake, 50-21, for the Class 6A Division I title. The North Texas signee completed 14 of 23 passes for 299 yards while carrying it six times for 63 yards.

11. Tyrin Jones, sr., Layton Christian Academy (Utah) basketball

Jones, a UNLV signee, put up 32 points and 14 rebounds in a 79-74 triple-overtime win over Corona Centennial (California). 

12. Davis Mann, sr., Falmouth (Maine) basketball

Mann dropped 41 points as Falmouth defeated Westbrook, 70-65. 

13. Kamerin McDowell-Moore, jr., Tarboro (North Carolina) football

McDowell-Moore ran for 233 yards and four touchdowns as Tarboro captured the Class 1A title with a 45-24 win over Corvian. 

14. Ben Milliken, jr., Sarasota Christian (Florida) basketball

Milliken had 31 points in a 54-49 victory over Evangelical Christian.

15. Vaughn Mitchom, sr., Grayson (Georgia) football

Mitchom had two fourth-quarter interceptions of five-star quarterback Julian Lewis in a 38-24 Class 6A title game victory over Carrollton. The senior also had three total tackles and two pass breakups. 

16. Brady Muilenburg, sr., Ridgeview (Oregon) basketball

Muilenburg netted 41 points in a 72-63 win over South Albany. 

17. Luke Nickel, sr., Milton (Georgia) football

Nickel completed 21of 22 passes for 413 yards and four touchdowns as Milton downed Langston Hughes, 56-35, for the Class 5A championship. The four-star Miami signee also had seven carries for 52 yards. 

18. Bradley Richards, sr., Muskegon Catholic (Michigan) basketball

Richards tallied 32 points, 13 rebounds and four assists in a 60-38 win over Orchard View. The senior then had 39 points, four steals and three assists in a 72-32 victory over Hart.

19. Gannan Schwartz, jr., Winnebago Lutheran (Wisconsin) basketball

Schwartz netted 32 of his 38 points in the second half as Winnebago Lutheran defeated Watertown Luther Prep, 71-62. 

20. Adrian Stubbs, jr., Maryvale (Arizona) basketball

Stubbs dominated with 56 points and 11 steals as Maryvale upset defending Class 6A state champion Liberty, 77-75. 

21. Ayden White, jr., Burkburnett (Texas) basketball

White did all he could in a 61-54 loss to Krum, putting up 34 points. 

22. Jackson Willis, sr., Geneseo (New York) basketball

Willis netted 41 points — matching the Geneseo single-game record — in a 79-56 rout of Letchworth. 

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-- Bob Lundeberg | @sblivesports