Mid-Continent Top Player Performances of the Week
Congratulations to this week's top players! We're covering the best performances from Friday's football action (using all statistics entered as of the time of writing). Enjoy!
Tyler Backman Turns in Season-Best Performance
On Friday, Norton got the W thanks in part to Tyler Backman playing the best football he has all season. Backman rushed for 193 yards and three touchdowns on only 14 carries, good enough to set a new career-high in rushing yards in the process. His longest rush was for an impressive 69 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total.
If the past is any indication, Backman could be in store for another big game when he takes on Phillipsburg on Friday. Back in September of 2023 (the last time Backman saw the Panthers), he rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown on only eight carries.
Gamescore: 57.85
Liles Posts Huge Game in 28-20 Win
Carson Liles was a major factor in Thomas More Prep-Marian's win over Oakley on Friday. Oakley had no answer to Liles as he rushed for seven yards and two touchdowns, and also threw for 182 yards and a touchdown.
Thomas More Prep-Marian pushed their record up to 4-2 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season. Liles will try to repeat (or improve) on that dominant effort when he faces off against Syracuse on Friday.
Gamescore: 38.38
Norton Wins Sixth-Straight Thanks to Eli Jones
Eli Jones was instrumental in extending Norton's winning streak to six on Friday. Jones was unstoppable, rushing for 71 yards and two touchdowns, while also throwing for 116 yards on ten of 17 attempts.
Russell had to have seen this coming; the last time they saw Jones it was a similar story. Back in October of 2023 (the last time Jones saw the Broncos), he rushed for 131 yards and a touchdown while picking up 8.2 yards per carry, and also threw for 143 yards and a touchdown.
Gamescore: 35.73
Carsen Beal Sets Career High in Rushing Yards
Carsen Beal posted a new career-high in rushing yards on Friday. He rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns.
For the year, Beal has run in 6 touchdowns while averaging 65.8 rushing yards per game. He's made a big improvement compared to last season: at this point last year, he was only averaging 23.83 rushing yards per game.
Gamescore: 30.72
Walker Middleton Crosses Big Stat Threshold
Rounding off our Top Five is Walker Middleton of Russell. Middleton picked up 182 receiving yards and a touchdown, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground. He's now once again averaging 100+ receiving yards (102.5) per game. He was no stranger to the big play, connecting on a big catch that went for 66 yards.
On the year, Middleton has caught 5 touchdowns while averaging 102.5 receiving yards per game. He's made a big improvement compared to last season: at this point last year, he had two receiving touchdowns.
Gamescore: 30.15
Other Notable Players
- Jacob Seib: 88 yards receiving, 1 TD (Gamescore: 19.05)
- Mason Rohr: 287 yards passing (Gamescore: 16.63)
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
