This week's look at MaxPreps.com's National Player of the Year candidates;
Kapri Bibbs, RB, Plainfield North (Plainfield, Ill.)
Team Record: 5-2
Last weekend: In a 35-34 loss to Minooka, Bibbs carried 33 times for 206 yards and three touchdowns. So why is he being included in this week's National Player of the Week Watch? Well...
Season: After missing a season-opening loss to West Chicago, Bibbs has carried the rock (unofficially) 191 times for 1,895 yards and 29 touchdowns. Two weeks ago in a 49-43 win over Oswego, the Colorado State commitment shattered an Illinois record with 520 yards on the ground to go along with seven touchdowns. The 5-foot-10, 200-pound senior is averaging 315 yards per game and almost 10 yards per carry.
Chevelle Buie, Cocoa
Photo by Jim Redman
Team record: 6-0, No. 22 in this week's
Xcellent 25 High School Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard
Last weekend: The Tigers recorded their 30th win in a row by smacking Satellite (Satellite Beach) 35-6 and didn't need a whole lot from Buie in doing so. He carried the ball just 12 times for 88 yards and a touchdown.
Season: Committed to Rutgers, Buie has piled up 916 all-purpose yards and 12 touchdowns for Florida's defending 2A state champions.
Paul Canevari, RB, Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.)
Team record: 5-0, No. 7 in this week's Xcellent 25
Last weekend: Canevari pumped out 120 yards and two touchdowns on the ground as Don Bosco Prep throttled Kennedy of Paterson, 58-6.
Season: Probably the most lightly-recruited player on this list, Canevari's totals stand at 1,011 yards and 11 touchdowns at the mid-point of the regular season.
Aaron Green, RB, Madison (San Antonio, Texas)
Team record: 5-1
Last weekend: Green had to work to get 99 yards on 24 carries in a 30-20 win over Roosevelt of San Antonio.
Season: Like Canevari, Green topped the 1,000-yard mark and stands at 1,029 and 12 touchdowns heading into the home stretch of the regular season.
Qyendairs Griffin, RB, South Panola (Batesville, Miss.)
Team record: 7-0, No. 2 in this week's Xcellent 25
Last weekend: Griffin ran 14 times for 120 yards and a score in a 44-0 win over Columbus.
Season: After averaging nearly 250 yards per game in his first three outings of the year, Griffin has slowed to just 116.5 per contest over the last four. The primary reason for the dip is South Panola's dominance, however. The Tigers have outscored their last four opponents 187-14, so the 6-foot, 215-pound senior hasn't been needed much in the second half of games. He has 1,215 yards and 17 scores on just 123 carries for the year.
Jeremy Hill, RB, Redemptorist (Baton Rouge, La.)
Team record: 6-0
Last weekend: Hill continues to strengthen his resume, rushing for 159 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries in a 28-20 win over West Feliciana. He also scored on a 65-yard punt return.
Season: Committed to LSU, Hill is having a huge senior season with 1,250 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground already for the unbeaten Wolves.
Johnny Manziel, QB, Tivy (Kerrville, Texas)
Team record: 6-1
Last weekend: In a 67-21 blowout win over Brennan, Manziel piled up 403 passing and rushing yards and had a hand in five touchdowns.
Season: The future Texas A&M Aggie has thrown for 2,031 yards and 25 touchdowns while picking up 981 more yards with 17 TDs on the ground. A 4,000/2,000-yard campaign isn't out of the question.
Maty Mauk, QB, Kenton (Ohio)
Team record: 6-1
Last weekend: The nation's leading passer according to statistics submitted to MaxPreps.com, Mauk was prolific through the air once again in a 58-14 win over Celina, hitting on 29 of 38 passes for 497 yards and five touchdowns.
Season: The 6-2, 185-pound junior has thrown for 3,211 yards and 38 touchdowns (versus just eight picks) while completing nearly 70 percent of his pass attempts. He is on pace to top 4,500 yards in the regular season and would be a solid bet for 5,000 should Kenton play even one postseason game.
Shaq Thompson, RB, Grant (Sacramento, Calif.)
Team record: 6-0, No. 3 in this week's Xcellent 25
Last weekend: Thompson needed just four carries to record 124 yards and a touchdown in a 61-7 win over Elk Grove.
Season: Thompson's 813 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground are just part of the story for this talented junior. He continues to contribute on defense (25 tackles) and special teams (punter, punt return and kick return).
Marquise Williams, QB, Mallard Creek (Charlotte, N.C.)
Team record: 7-0, No. 25 in this week's Xcellent 25
Last weekend: The Mavericks were finally tested but Williams carried them through in a 44-20 win over Vance (Charlotte) with 131 yards on the ground, playing a part in four touchdowns.
Season: A North Carolina verbal commitment, Williams has thrown for over 1,700 yards and run for more than 600 with 35 combined touchdowns.
Justin Worley, QB, Northwestern (Rock Hill, S.C.)
Team record: 7-0, No. 21 in this week's Xcellent 25
Last weekend: Worley went over 300 yards through the air for the fourth game in a row with 316 yards and four touchdowns on 20 of 36 attempts in a 35-12 win over Spartanburg.
Season: In leading the Trojan offense to 40.2 points per game this season, Worley has thrown for 2,379 yards and 31 touchdowns.
