Vote: Who Was The Top Sophomore Football Player In West Virginia Of 2024?

We’ve picked out 15 sophomore football players in West Virginia that stood out this past 2024 season

Trace Simpkins/Hudl

The 2024 high school football season is complete and we are going around the East Coast, reflecting on the last few months. 

One of the big questions is what newcomers on the scene made the biggest impact to a football program or state even? That’s where sophomores that saw extensive playing time come into the mix. 

That’s why we ask the question: Who was the top sophomore football player of 2024? 

We will go state-by-state along the East Coast and once that voting is done, do a final poll including all the sophomores that won going head-to-head. 

We’ve selected 15 worthy candidates and ask you the fan to vote for who you think topped them all.

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. - SBLive Sports

Voting closes on January 19th, 11:59pm

Here are the nominees:

Jay Bordas, QB, Wheeling Park

The signal caller played really well throughout the season, completing 114-of-200 passes for 1,786 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Eli Pauley, QB, Sherman

Another sophomore signal caller that played really well this past season is Pauley for Sherman and he's put up some solid stats in the process. Pauley completed 64-of-128 passes for 1,272 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Nico Kusic, QB, Wheeling Central Catholic

Kusic played just about as well as any sophomore signal caller this season and he's got the numbers to prove it. The sophomore ended up throwing for 1,218 yards, 20 touchdowns and just three interceptions.

Trace Simpkins, QB, Wahama

Simpkins is the only sophomore quarterback on this list that helped lead his team to a state championship. Simpkins' numbers match up pretty well as he threw for 1,035 yards, 13 touchdowns and just four picks. On the ground, Simpkins rushed for over 1,000 yards and scored 18 times.

Remi Huffman, QB, Gilmer County

The Gilmer County quarterback joins the group of sophmores that threw for over 1,000 yards this past season, with Huffman going for 1,076 and seven touchdowns. Played sparingly on defense and made six tackles and picked off a pass.

Jaden Hatfield, RB, South Harrison

Hatfield was strong out of the backfield for South Harrison, rushing for 2,266 yards on 258 carries and scoring 30 touchdowns.

Robert Evans, RB, Tolsia

The Tolsia running back carried the rock 204 carries for 1,400 yards and scored 21 touchdowns. Evans also was averaging 6.8 yards per carry.

Cash Nestor, RB/LB, Grafton

Nestor was a load to bring down for opposing defenders as the sophomore rushed for 818 yards and scored three touchdowns. On defense, Nestor tallied 52 tackles and four went for a loss.

Bryson Peters, ATH, Clay County

Peters had been one of the state's top sophomore receivers this season, hauling in 19 passes for 268 yards and scored two times. Also saw time on defense and made 31 tackles and seven going for a loss.

Kyree Brooks, LB, Washington

The middle linebacker was strong in the heart of the Washington defense this past season, with Brooks making 143 total tackles, 22 have gone for a loss and eight sacks. Pretty stout numbers for a sophomore linebacker.

Reezin Stitt, LB/RB, Wahama

Another contributor to Wahama's state championship team, Stitt put up some solid numbers on both sides of the ball. The sophomore tallied 133 tackles on defense and offensively rushed for 348 yards, scoring six times.

Blake Coleman, LB, Clay County

Coleman has been a strong tackler for Clay County, making 92 tackles, 10 going for a loss, a sack and an interception so far this season.

Chris Meadows, LB, Nicholas County

The Nicholas County linebacker had a solid season in the front seven, totaling 114 tackles and two sacks for the 2024 campaign.

Devin Hulker, DL, Elkins

Hulker was a menace for opposing offensive linemen this past fall, with the stalwart totaling 103 total tackles, 20.5 have gone for a loss and a sack.

Dave Robinson Jr., ATH, Capital

The sophomore athlete was tremendous for Capital, rushing for over 900 yards on around 100 touches and scoring 15 touchdowns. Also made over 80 tackles on defense.

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