MaxPreps Ohio High School Athlete of the Week Award: Vote Now

By Eric Frantz Aug 27, 2024, 7:15am

Who turned in Ohio's top prep performances? You vote, you decide.

Who had Ohio's best individual performances? You vote, you decide. MaxPreps is proud to again sponsor the Ohio Athlete of the Week awards during the 2024-25 school year.

~ Each week during the season, there will be a fan-generated contest to tab weekly winners. 

~ Each winner receives a digital award patch for their MaxPreps player page. 

How does it work?

Nominees are selected from statistics submitted on MaxPreps. Coaches who do not have current access may request their free account here. Weekly finalists are released on MaxPreps every Tuesday and voting is conducted in a special poll. Voting ceases at noon on Mondays. The winners are announced the next day along with the next week's nominees.

Participants may vote as many times as they want. It's a competition

Below is the first round of nominees...

Week 1 Ohio High School Athlete of the Week Nominees

* Jake LaVerde, Kirtland Football
Junior quarterback carried the ball 16 times for 341 yards and three TDs in a 55-34 win over Dalton. His TDs came on ruins of three, 70 and 54 yards. The victory was head coach Tiger LaVerde’s 250th.
 
* James Smith, West Union Boys Soccer
Senior moved into a tie for ninth in OHSAA history for goals scored in a single game with eight in a 14-0 win over Piketon. He also had three assists.
 
* Evan Ricketts, Ridgedale (Morral) Football
Junior had 11 tckles, six TFL and two sacks in a 14-13 win over Hilltop.
 
* Bailee Beall, Steubenville Girls Soccer
Junior opened the season with 10 goals and four assists in wins over Harrison Central, Cambridge and Oak Glen. Tied for the state-lead with 24 points.
 
* Briston Wise, Van Wert Football
Senior quarterback carried the ball 18 times for 254yards and four TDs and completed 14-of-20 passes for 183 yards and two TDs in a 48-8 win over Bryan.
 
* Gage Sedoris, Ursuline (Youngstown) Boys Soccer
Senior dropped 12 goals and five assists in season-opening wins over Perry, SVSM and Crestview. Leads the state with 29 points.
 
* Braxton Leeth, Crestview (Convoy) Football
Junior carried the ball 21 times for 168 yards and five TDs in a 49-7 win over Parkway.
 
* Kameron Stover, Highland (Marengo) Volleyball
Senior had 41 kills in a 3-1 win over Big Walnut. Also had 36 and 33 kills in wins over St. Francis DeSales and Pleasant, respectively. Her 128 kills leads the state.