Derrick Henry had a slow week by his own lofty standards, but remains the favorite in the National Player of the Year Watch.
File photo by Gray Quetti
Yulee running back Derrick Henry continues to top the MaxPreps National Player of the Year Watch, but some new blood joins this week's list.
Cord Sandberg, the quarterback for No. 1-ranked Manatee, joins the Player of the Year Watch due mainly to his steadying influence throughout the season. Also making the list is Tyler Rouse of Baker (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) who has found a place among the top rushers in the country.
MaxPreps National Player of the Year WatchFavoriteDerrick Henry, Yulee (Yulee, Fla.)It was a relatively quiet week for Henry, who rushed for 201 yards on 16 carries with three touchdowns in a 35-0 win over Fernandina Beach. While the rushing total was his lowest of the season, his yards per carry — 12.6 — was his second-best effort of the season. Henry also gained over 100 yards rushing for the 40th consecutive time, spanning his career, marking a new national record in that category. For the season, Henry has 1,954 yards rushing on 183 carries with 27 touchdowns. He has 9,818 career yards.
Top ContendersMax Browne, Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.)Skyline continues to roll opponents behind the play of Browne. Last week's 64-17 win over Ballard (Seattle) marked the fifth straight game that Skyline has scored at least 57 points. Browne was 17 of 23 for 283 yards and three touchdowns in the win, giving him 116 completions in 160 attempts for 1,890 yards and 20 touchdowns. He is fourth on the all-time list in Washington for touchdown passes with 117.
Thomas Tyner, Aloha (Beaverton, Ore.)After rushing for under 300 yards in each of his previous two games, Tyner was back at it in a 42-22 win over Beaverton as he carried just 15 times for 311 yards and five touchdowns. For the season, Tyner has carried 151 times for 1,968 yards (a 13.0 average) with 26 touchdowns.
Kelvin Taylor, Glades Day (Belle Glade, Fla.)Taylor ran the ball just nine times in a 69-0 win over Coral Springs Christian. He played just one quarter and racked up 196 yards with five touchdowns. Taylor has 9,498 yards rushing in his career for grades 9-12, which count toward the national record. His Florida record, which includes the 1,584 yards gained as an eighth grader, puts him at 11,052 career yards.
Conner Manning, El Toro (Lake Forest, Calif.)Manning
has joined the group near the top of the Player of the Year Watch after
moving into the top spot among national passing yardage leaders. While
leading El Toro to a 7-0 record, Manning has thrown for a national-best
2,939 yards to go with 30 touchdowns. Last week in a 49-37 win over San
Clemente, Manning completed 28 of 40 passes for 367 yards and three
touchdowns.
Keep an Eye OnJalen Hurd, Beech (Hendersonville, Tenn.)Hurd relinquished his national rushing lead to Tyner, trailing the Aloha standout by one yard, 1,968 to 1,967. He was held to his lowest total of the season with 77 yards on 21 carries and one touchdown in a 17-14 win over Wilson Central (Lebanon, Tenn.).
Austin Kafentzis, Jordan (Sandy, Utah)The sophomore ranks second in the nation in total offense after passing for 273 yards and rushing for 203 in a 35-33 win over Cottonwood (Salt Lake City) last week. Kafentzis has thrown for 1,958 yards (138 of 226) and 22 touchdowns this year while rushing for 1,212 yards on 142 attempts with 15 scores.
Shuler Bentley, Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.)While
he had his streak of four straight games with at least five touchdowns
come to an end, Bentley still managed to throw four touchdown passes on
just 10 completions in 12 attempts in a 64-0 win over Riverside. While
leading Byrnes to an 8-0 record, Bentley has thrown for 2,553 yards and
30 touchdowns while completing 161 of 236 passes.
Moving up QuicklyCord Sandberg, Manatee (Bradenton, Fla.)The 6-foot-3 quarterback has led the Manatee Hurricances to the No. 1 spot in the
MaxPreps Xcellent 25 rankings and makes the list this week more for his leadership skills than his stats. While not a Fantasy Football-type stat producer along the lines of a Drew Brees, Sandberg earns kudos from opposing coaches due to his poise and competitiveness. He has thrown for 988 yards and 11 touchdowns with no interceptions this year.
Tyler Rouse, Baker (Baldwinsville, N.Y.)Rouse has Baker on the rise with a 5-1 record and a run of strong performances with each one seemingly better than the next. He has rushed for at least 278 yards each week with a high of 388 yards on 38 carries. For the season he ranks third in the nation with 1,957 yards on 195 carries with 21 touchdowns.
