Vote: Who should be High School on SI's New Jersey Football Player of the Week? (9/10/2024)

We’ve selected eight candidates to choose from this past week’s games

Holmdel’ quarterback Jack Cannon drives for the end zone and scores. Holmdel Football defeats Long Branch 38-32 in Holmdel NJ on August 30, 2024. / Peter Ackerman / USA TODAY NETWORK

New Jersey high school football is back and so begins our Player of the Week polls for the state. Teams in the preseason showcased what they’ve got heading into Week 2 of the regular season.

As such, we have eight athletes nominated this week for the SBLive’s New Jersey Football Player of the Week award from September 5-7, and we ask you, the fans, to help decide who should indeed be the top athlete selected.

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Congratulations to last wee's winner: Adam Shaw, Pascack Valley

Shaw, a dual-threat quarterback, was the catalyst in the team’s 31-14 victory over Rancocas Valley. The junior accounted for 233 yards and two touchdowns.

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SBLive voting polls are intended to be a fun way to create fan engagement and express support for your favorite high school athletes and teams. Unless expressly noted, there are no awards for winning the voting. Our primary focus is to highlight the abilities and accomplishments of all the athletes and teams included in our poll. You can vote as often as you wish and are encouraged to share our polls with others. The use of voting bots and other forms of automated voting are not allowed. Individuals will be removed from the poll if any form of automated voting can be verified. - SBLive Sports

Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Sep. 15th. The winner will be announced in the following week's poll. Here are this week's nominees:

Jack Cannon, Holmdel

The Holmdel quarterback made numerous plays with his arm and legs in the Hornets' 42-10 win over Ocean Township. Cannon accounted for 299 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns.

Najee Calhoun, Bergen Catholic

Playing on the road in Ohio against Massillon Washington, the 2026 running back was the workhorse the entire night. Calhoun carried the ball an astounding 43 times for 244 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-21 win.

Colin Beeler, Washington Township

One of the top rushing performances in the Garden State in Week 2 came from Beeler, who rushed for 157 yards on 25 carries and scored three touchdowns in a 28-7 win over Pennsauken.

Christian Braxton, Camden

In Camden's 30-0 victory over Kingsway, Braxton was making plenty of plays on offense. The running rushed for 142 yards on 16 carries and scored a touchdown. Also added 17 yards receiving and a score.

David Smith, Butler

Butler had a strong game in Butler's 47-0 victory over Hawthorne last week. The quarterback completed 9-of-13 passes for 116 yards and three touchdowns.

Nolan James, DePaul Catholic

DePaul Catholic's offense was rolling behind a strong rushing effort from James. The running ran for 173 yards on 35 attempts and scored a touchdown in a 28-17 win over Our Lady of Good Counsel (Maryland).

Trey Tallmadge, Brick Memorial

Brick Memorial's defense was up to the task of shutting down Brick Township's offense in a 37-6 victory and Tallmadge led the way with a team-high 12 tackles and two went for a loss.

Nick Cardone, Freehold Township

Despite Cardone's performance coming in a 42-33 loss to Howell, the quarterback completed 18-of-28 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns.

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports