This week's look at MaxPreps.com's National Player of the Year candidates (listed alphabetically);
Mike Bellamy, RB, Charlotte (Punta Gorda, Fla.)
Team record: 10-0
Last weekend: The future Clemson Tiger wrapped up the regular season with 119 yards and four touchdowns on 23 carries in a 35-14 win over Sarasota.
Season: Bellamy enters the postseason with 1,933 yards and 36 touchdowns on the ground for 10-0 Charlotte. The Fightin' Tarpons take on Gulf Coast (Naples) in first-round action Friday.
Johnathan Gray, RB, Aledo (Aledo, Texas)
Team record: 11-0
Last weekend: Gray eased to 189 yards and four touchdowns on just 12 carries as Aledo crushed Fort Worth Wyatt, 56-7, in first-round Class 4A Division II state playoff action.
Season: Among the favorites for National Junior of the Year honors, Gray's 2,388 yards and 42 touchdowns on the ground – along with Aledo's unbeaten record – have him in position for the overall top honor as well.
South Carolina QB Justin Worley has thrown for 400 yards or more in four-straight games.
Photo by Ron McCann
Team record: 12-0, No. 2 in this week's
Xcellent 25 High School Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard
Last weekend: Griffin's opportunities were limited as South Panola rolled 56-0 over Grenada to open the postseason. The 6-foot, 215-pound senior ran just 12 times for 70 yards and two scores.
Season: Despite failing to crack 100 yards on the ground for the second week in a row, Griffin's totals stand at 2,049 yards and 30 touchdowns.
Jeremy Hill, RB, Redemptorist (Baton Rouge, La.)
Team record: 10-1
Last weekend: Following a tough week that included a fumble leading to the Wolves' first loss of the year, Hill ran for 106 yards and three scores in a 40-0 playoff win over Northeast (Pride).
Season: The 6-1, 220-pound future LSU Tiger has 2,084 yards and 33 TDs on the season for Redemptorist, in the hunt for its fourth state title since 2002.
Johnny Manziel, QB, Tivy (Kerrville, Texas)
Team record: 10-1
Last weekend: Tivy crushed Hays (Buda) 49-21 in Class 4A Division I playoff action to set up a highly-anticipated rematch with Lake Travis (Austin), who handed Manziel and the Antlers their only loss in September. The Texas A&M commitment accounted for all seven Tivy touchdowns against Buda, throwing for 251 yards and running for 140 more.
Season: Manziel is the high school game's version of Cameron Newton as far as statistical production goes, throwing for 3,209 yards and 41 touchdowns while running for 1,554 yards and 28 TDs.
Maty Mauk, QB, Kenton (Ohio)
Team record: 11-1
Last weekend: The air show continued in a 36-28 Division IV playoff win over Clinton-Massie as Mauk hit on 27 of 40 pass attempts for 369 yards and five touchdowns. He also pounded out 120 yards on the ground.
Season: Could a 6,000-yard passing, 1,000-yard rushing season be within reach? It depends on how much further Kenton can progress in the postseason, but with three possible games left to play, Mauk has 5,280 yards and 65 touchdowns through the air with another 901 yards and 15 scores in the running game.
Marquise Williams, QB, Mallard Creek (Charlotte, N.C.)
Team record: 12-0, No. 20 in this week's Xcellent 25
Last weekend: Williams threw for 257 yards and five touchdowns as the Mavericks waxed Olympic (Charlotte) 56-0 to open the postseason.
Season: The future North Carolina Tar Heel has thrown for over 3,000 yards, run for over 1,000 and accounted for 61 touchdowns during Mallard Creek's march toward a state title.
Quentin Williams, QB, Jefferson (Tampa, Fla.)
Team record: 10-0
Last weekend: Williams helped Jefferson go undefeated during the regular season for the first time since 1975 with a 63-21 win over Plant City (Durant), throwing for 502 yards and six touchdowns.
Season: Williams takes his 3,134 passing yards and 44 touchdowns into Class 3A first-round action against Land O'Lakes on Friday.
Justin Worley, QB, Northwestern (Rock Hill, S.C.)
Team record: 12-0, No. 18 in this week's Xcellent 25
Last weekend: James Island didn't have an answer for Northwestern's passing attack in first-round playoff action. Worley threw for 471 yards and five TDs on 33 of 47 attempts.
Season: The 6-5 Tennessee verbal commitment is surging. Worley has thrown for more than 400 yards in his last four outings and five of his last seven to bring his season totals to 4,439 yards and 52 touchdowns.
