While several contenders for national player of the year honors were held in check last week, Yulee's Derrick Henry continues to put up big numbers and solidify his role as the favorite for the award.
Henry racked up 455 yards last week and moved into fifth place on the all-time national rushing yardage list with 10,458 yards. He continues his assault on the all-time record of 11,232 yards with a pair of road games to finish the regular season.
Meanwhile Max Browne of Skyline was held under 200 yards passing for the first time this season and Aloha's Thomas Tyner was limited to 100 yards. Kelvin Taylor of Glades Day didn't play last week due to a forfeit and Beech's Jalen Hurd missed last week's game due to injury.
MaxPreps National Player of the Year Watch
Conner Manning has his team at 9-0 in Southern California and he keeps putting up big numbers. The Utah commit has a shot at National Player of the Year honors.
Photo by Terry Jack
Henry continues to solidify his spot on the top of this list. Besides rushing for 455 yards and five touchdowns in a 56-30 win over West Nassau (Callahan, Fla.), Henry took over the top spot among national rushing leaders on the
MaxPreps leaderboard. Henry is 130 yards ahead of second-place Tyler Rouse with 2,624 yards on 253 carries with 35 touchdowns. He also now has 10,458 career rushing yards, putting him less than 800 yards away from all-time leader Ken Hall, who had 11,232.
Top ContendersMax Browne, Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.)
Skyline had one of its closest games of the season, beating Issaquah (Wash.) 21-0. The three touchdowns were the fewest of the season for the Spartans, who had not scored less than 56 points in their last six games since beating Bothell 33-21 in the season opener. Browne was limited to just one touchdown pass and his 188 yards marked the first time he had thrown for less than 200 yards this season. For the year, Browne has completed 157 of 218 passes for 2,436 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Thomas Tyner, Aloha (Beaverton, Ore.)
Tyner had his toughest outing of the season in a 56-13 loss to Jesuit (Portland). Tyner managed just 100 yards in the game, giving him 2,425 for the season.
Kelvin Taylor, Glades Day (Belle Glade, Fla.)
Taylor's team received a forfeit win last week so he was unable to add to his single season and career rushing totals. He enters this week with 11,217 career yards.
Conner Manning, El Toro (Lake Forest, Calif.)
Manning surpassed 300 yards passing for the eighth time this year in keeping El Toro undefeated at 9-0 with a 35-17 win over Trabuco Hills. Manning completed 26 of 43 passes for 307 yards and four touchdowns. He has completed 268 of 400 passes for 3,525 yards and 38 touchdowns with just three interceptions.
Keep an Eye OnJalen Hurd, Beech (Hendersonville, Tenn.)
A shoulder injury kept Hurd out of last week's 37-7 victory over Lebanon. The junior has 1,951 yards on the season and could possibly play in Beech's final regular season game against Gallatin this week.
Austin Kafentzis, Jordan (Sandy, Utah)
Jordan won another shootout, this time 48-37 over West Jordan. After throwing for just 63 yards last week, Kafentzis completed 16 of 23 passes for 246 yards and four touchdowns in the win. He also rushed 15 times for 79 yards and a score. For the season, Kafentzis ranks third in the nation in total yards as he has gained 1,494 yards rushing on 181 carries with 19 touchdowns and he has completed 158 of 259 passes for 2,267 yards and 26 touchdowns.
Shuler Bentley, Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.)
Byrnes bounced back from its only loss of the season with a 72-27 victory over Mauldin. Bentley came up big, completing 23 of 38 passes for 406 yards and seven touchdowns. He is closing in on the school, and state, record of 53 touchdown passes, set by Willie Korn. Bentley has 3,294 passing yards with 39 touchdowns.
Cord Sandberg, Manatee (Bradenton, Fla.)
Sandberg continues to be one of the more accurate passers in the nation as he completed 13 of 14 passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns in a 56-27 win over Venice. He also ran for a pair of touchdowns in keeping Manatee undefeated. For the season, Sandberg has thrown for 1,429 yards, completing 105 of 146 passes (.719) and 20 touchdowns.
Tyler Rouse, Baker (Baldwinsville, N.Y.)
In a 63-20 win over Central Square, Rouse ran 21 times for 262 yards and five touchdowns. He has scored at least five touchdowns in five straight games and has a national-best 38 touchdowns on the season. His 2,494 yards rushing on 255 carries ranks No. 2 in the nation.
