Video: 2014-15 highlights
See Saugatuck's Blake Dunn in action.The National Player of the Year Watch focuses on the small school standouts this week, including one quarterback who is close to becoming his state's all-time yardage leader, and a pair of running backs who each have over 2,000 yards rushing this season.
National Small Schools Player of the Year Watch
Blake Dunn, Saugatuck (Mich.)
Dunn is a junior three-sport standout at Saugatuck, which is 8-0 on the season. As the quarterback, Dunn has completed 46 of 81 passes for 695 yards and 12 touchdowns, but he has also rushed 155 times for 2,117 yards and 27 touchdowns. That includes a high of 392 yards and five touchdowns in a 50-20 win over Decatur. In baseball last year, as a sophomore on the varsity team Dunn batted .588 with seven home runs. As a starter on the varsity basketball team, he averaged 17.8 points per game.
Derrick Ponder, Bells (Texas)
Ponder was one of the leading passers in Texas last year with 4,322 yards and 47 touchdowns. This year, he has completed 190 of 300 passes for 2,705 yards and 32 touchdowns, including a 622-yard, seven-touchdown effort in a 62-36 win over Chico. He has also thrown for over 500 yards in two other outings this year.
Stetson Stallworth, Yuma Catholic (Ariz.)
Stetson Stallworth, Yuma Catholic
Photo by Mark Jones
After playing backup quarterback at Bishop Gorman last season, Stallworth transferred to Yuma Catholic, where his uncle Rhett Stallworth is the coach. The son of former UNLV quarterback Steve Stallworth, Stetson has the two-time defending state champions at 8-0 and has thrown for 2,529 yards and 32 touchdowns on the year.
Kaylor Sullivan, Fort Bragg (Calif.)
The leading passer in California has Fort Bragg off to a 7-0 start. He has completed 174 of 270 passes for 2,570 yards and 31 touchdown passes. He threw for 500 yards and eight touchdowns last week against Kelseyville and he threw for 506 yards and six touchdowns against Clear Lake. Last year, Sullivan tied a national record when he threw eight touchdown passes in the first half of a game against Encina Prep (Sacramento).
Jullen Ison, Moreau Catholic (Hayward, Calif.)
At 7-1, Moreau Catholic is off to its best start in at least 15 years and Ison is a big reason why. He has rushed for 1,727 yards on 155 carries with 25 touchdowns. His highest yardage total came in the season opener, when he ran for 305 yards against Saint Mary's (Albany). He also had six touchdowns in a win over Piedmont.
Jackson Anthrop, Lafayette Central Catholic (Ind.)
The Knights are 9-0 on the season, with Anthrop providing much of the scoring. Of his 34 touchdowns this year, 27 have come on the ground, four on pass receptions and three on punt returns. He has also rushed for 1,356 yards on 142 carries with a high game of 329 yards and six touchdowns in a 65-2 win over Twin Lakes.
Jaley Adams, Kossuth (Miss.)
Adams burst into the spotlight with a 543-yard, eight-touchdown performance in a 68-34 win over Corinth that set a state record for rushing yardage in a single game. Adams is among the state leaders with 1,804 yards rushing on just 156 carries and 23 touchdowns. Kossuth is 8-1 on the season.
Tyler Ellege, Mark Twain (Center, Mo.)
Mark Twain reportedly once said, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." That might apply to Elledge. While listed at just 145 pounds, he ranks among the leading rushers in the nation with 2,106 yards on 187 carries and 21 total touchdowns. Mark Twain is undefeated at 9-0 heading into the Division 1 state playoffs.
Mason Fine, Locust Grove (Okla.)
The state record setter last year with 5,006 yards passing and 71 touchdowns, Fine is off to another strong season for unbeaten Locust Grove (7-0). He has completed 144 of 212 passes for 2,347 yards and 29 touchdowns. For his career, Fine enters this week's game in second place on the all-time yardage list in Oklahoma with 11,201 yards. He can pass L.T. Pfaff of Atoka, who had 11,357 yards in his four-year career.
Anthony Johnson, Scio (Ore.)
Scio is 7-0 behind the play of Johnson, who is over 2,000 yards rushing for the second year in a row. He has gained 2,039 yards on 128 carries and is averaging 339 yards rushing per game. He has 27 touchdowns on the season and has twice rushed for over 400 yards in a game, including 467 yards on just 16 carries in a 76-20 win over Colton.
