Vote: Who should be High School Sports on SI National Boys Athlete of the Week? (11/18/2024)

Which athlete had the best performance in the nation from Nov. 11-17?

Newbury Park senior Shane Rosenthal. / Rene Morales

Each week during the high school sports season, SBLive/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 Nov. 11-17. Voting closes on Monday, Nov. 25 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.

SBLive/SI National High School Boys Athlete of the Week candidates

1. Sawyer Anderson, sr., Parish Episcopal (Texas) football

Anderson, a Purdue commit, threw for 429 yards and six touchdowns as Parish Episcopal took down Houston St. Pius X, 76-27.

2. Jack Balzarini, sr., Carver (Massachusetts) football

Balzarini passed for 317 yards and seven touchdowns as Carver downed Bourne, 44-19. 

3. Ty Benton, so., South Putnam (Indiana) football

Benton ran for 324 yards and six touchdowns — matching the South Putnam single-game school record — in a 60-19 rout of Sheridan. 

4. Darrion Bowers, sr., Bowie (Texas) football

Bowers put together another strong performance for Bowie with 286 yards rushing and five touchdowns on 34 carries in a 56-42 victory over Dallas Jesuit.

5. Noah Burnham, jr., Eagle (Idaho) football

Burnham had 35 carries for 234 yards and three touchdowns as Eagle knocked off Coeur d’Alene in the Class 6A state semifinals, 28-14. 

6. Lawson Foley, sr., Scituate (Massachusetts) football

Foley shined on both sides of the ball in a 28-0 shutout of Wayland. The senior caught five passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns while intercepting a pair of passes on defense, including a pick-six. 

7. Bridger Foss, sr., South Medford (Oregon) football

Foss accumulated 202 total yards and scored four touchdowns — two passing, two receiving — in a 41-21 win over Sandy. 

8. Caleb Francois, jr., Minnetonka (Minnesota) football

Francois, a junior quarterback, ran for 283 yards and five touchdowns on 39 carries in a 48-27 Class 6A semifinal win over Anoka.

9. Ryder Gipson, so., Fyffe (Alabama) football

Gipson ran for 254 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-14 win over Gordo. 

10. Tyler Hackenbracht, sr., Massillon (Ohio) football

Massillon's Tyler Hackenbracht. / Kevin Whitlock / Massillon Independent / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Hackenbracht had three special teams touchdowns as Massillon blew by Teays Valley, 48-14. The senior returned two punts for touchdowns and also returned a kickoff to the end zone. 

11. Cam Letterlough, sr., Asheboro (North Carolina) soccer

Letterlough had two goals and an assist in a 4-0 shutout of Pisgah. It was the senior’s 19th straight game with two or more goals. 

12. Justin Marques, sr., Fairhaven (Massachusetts) football

Marques tallied 184 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 40 physical carries as Fairhaven edged Lynnfield in overtime, 36-34. Marques has 103 career touchdowns, the most in Massachusetts state history. The previous record of 101 was set by Walpole’s Ryan Izzo in 2009. 

13. Maclane Miller, jr., Pine-Richland (Pennsylvania) football

Miller carried it 37 times for 207 yards and two touchdowns as Pine-Richland downed Bethel Park in the Class 5A WPIAL semifinals, 28-7. 

14. Daune Morris, sr., Oakland (Tennessee) football

Oakland's Daune Morris. / HELEN COMER/The Daily News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Morris, a USC commit, tallied 364 all-purpose yards and five total touchdowns — four rushing, one return — in a 35-28 victory over Mt. Juliet. 

15. Jay’len Mosley, sr., Jackson Christian (Tennessee) football

Mosley caught 14 passes for 255 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-7 win over Franklin Grace. His 59 career receiving touchdowns are the most in Tennessee history. 

16. Max Nowlin, sr., Scappoose (Oregon) football

Nowlin completed 20 of 27 passes for 317 yards and six touchdowns as Scappoose blanked Tillamook, 41-0. 

17. Connor Perkins, sr., Dietrich (Idaho) football

Perkins accounted for 524 yards of total offense and 10 touchdowns in a 71-40 rout of Tri-Valley. The senior passed for 302 yards and six scores while running for 222 yards and four TDs in a Class 1A semifinal. 

18. Matt Ponatoski, jr., Archbishop Moeller (Ohio) football

Ponatoski passed for 315 yards and four touchdowns in a 28-10 victory over Princeton. 

19. Jackson Presley, jr., Glacier (Montana) football

Presley, a Boise State commit, accounted for six total touchdowns — three passing, three rushing — in the snow as Glacier punched its ticket to the Class AA title game with a 46-27 victory over Gallatin.

20. Pete Reaves, sr., Headland (Alabama) basketball

Reaves hit seven 3-pointers and finished with 31 points in a 78-63 win over Dale County. 

21. Shane Rosenthal, sr., Newbury Park (California) football

Rosenthal became California’s all-time leader in receptions during a 24-13 win over San Clemente. The Princeton commit had nine catches for 94 yards and a touchdown, giving him 304 career receptions. The previous record of 297 was held by Berean Christian’s Isaiah Hodgins. Hodgins went on to star for Oregon State and currently plays for the New York Giants. 

22. Matt Sieg, jr., Fort Cherry (Pennsylvania) football

Fort Cherry's Matt Sieg (3). / Sally Maxson / USA TODAY NETWORK

Sieg, a Penn State commit, had 319 yards of total offense and accounted for six touchdowns in a 49-14 WPIAL Class 1A semifinal victory over Canon-McMillan. 

23. Cole Taylor, jr., Pflugerville (Texas) football

Taylor completed 21 of 26 passes for 409 yards and seven touchdowns in a 63-13 win over Burbank.

24. Jack Thomas, jr., Palisades (California) football

Thomas threw for 374 yards and five touchdowns as Palisades routed North Hollywood, 56-21. 

25. Durrell Turner, sr., Anderson (Ohio) football

Turner had 22 carries for 263 and four touchdowns as Anderson shut out Mount Healthy, 42-0.

26. Caleb Walters, sr., Hillgrove (Georgia) football

Walters carried it 28 times for 129 yards and five touchdowns in a 35-14 rout of South Gwinnett. 

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-- Bob Lundeberg | @sblivesports