Gunter’s Preston Tarpley, Southlake Carroll’s Ethan Fisher voted Texas Football Players of the Week (12/15/2024)

Tarpley was voted Offensive Player of the Week; Fisher earned Defensive Player of the Week honors

Holliday's Jackson Bishop pressures Gunter's Preston Tarpley. / Naomi Skinner/Times Record News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Congratulations to Gunter’s Preston Tarpley and Carroll’s Ethan Fisher for being voted Texas Offensive High School Football Player of the Week and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, for Dec. 12-14.

Tarpley, a senior quarterback, threw three touchdowns and booted two field goals as Gunter downed Wall, 42-32. 

Fisher, a senior safety, had a big fourth-quarter interception in Southlake Carroll’s victory over Longview. 

Tarpley earned 61.24 percent of the vote, beating out Carthage’s Benny Smith, who got 25.03 percent. 

The offensive poll received more than 8,000 votes. 

Fisher (48.86 percent) edged Vandegrift’s Matthew Draeken (34.19 percent) for first place.  

The defensive poll received nearly 40,000 votes. 

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.

Here were the top five vote-getters in each poll:

Texas Offensive High School Football Player of the Week voting

1. Preston Tarpley, sr., Gunter

Gunter went on to capture the Class 3A Division II title. Tarpley received 61.24 percent of the vote. 

2. Benny Smith, jr., Carthage

Filling in for star tailback KJ Edwards, Smith ran for 141 yards and two touchdowns in a 45-17 win over Brock. He received 25.03 percent of the vote. 

3. Miles Teodecki, jr., Vandegrift

Teodecki passed for 338 yards and two touchdowns as Vandegrift rallied from a 14-0 deficit to defeat Summer Creek, 34-31. He received 7.32 percent of the vote. 

4. Bowe Bentley, jr., Celina

Bentley piled up 154 rushing yards and three touchdowns as Celina came back to defeat West Plains, 43-36. He received 3.36 percent of the vote.  

5. Chris Jimerson Jr., sr., North Crowley

Jimerson Jr. passed for 185 yards and four touchdowns while running for 71 yards as North Crowley knocked out two-time defending state champion Duncanville, 36-34. Jimerson Jr. is a North Texas signee. He received 2.42 percent of the vote. 

Texas Defensive High School Football Player of the Week voting

6. Ethan Fisher, sr., Southlake Carroll

Southlake Carroll’s perfect season came to an end in the Class 6A Division II title game. Fisher received 48.86 percent of the vote. 

7. Matthew Draeken, sr., Vandegrift

Draeken recorded a fourth-quarter interception in a 34-31 come-from-behind win over Summer Creek. He got 34.19 percent of the vote. 

8. Maurice Hightower, sr., Angleton

Hightower picked off two passes in a 21-14 loss to Smithson Valley. He got 13.63 percent of the vote. 

9. Jayden Shelton, sr., South Oak Cliff

Shelton, an Arkansas signee, had a 25-yard pick-six late in the first half of South Oak Cliff’s runaway 37-3 victory over Argyle. He got 1.19 percent of the vote. 

10. Cain Hayden, sr., Ganado

Hayden had four total tackles, a pass breakup, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery as Ganado took down Joaquin, 35-14. He got 1.13 percent of the vote. 

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-- Bob Lundeberg | @sblivesports