Max Browne is closing in on Derrick Henry as the favorite for National Player of the Year.
Photo by Jeff Napier
Derrick Henry of Yulee continues to stand tall among the National Player of the Year contenders as he eclipsed the 10,000-yard milestone for his career last week.
Henry continues to get pressure from Skyline's (Sammamish, Wash.) Max Browne, who had a huge second quarter last week in leading his team to victory. Meanwhile Tyler Rouse of Baker (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) hasn't let down, as he scored at least five touchdowns for the fourth straight week.
MaxPreps National Player of the Year WatchFavoriteDerrick Henry, Yulee (Fla.)Henry went over 10,000 yards for his career (10,003) as he gained 215 yards on 35 carries in a 37-23 loss to First Coast (Jacksonville, Fla.). He also added three touchdowns and has 27 on the season. Henry has gained 2,169 yards on 218 carries and is 1,229 yards away from the career national rushing yardage record.
Top ContendersMax Browne, Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.)
After a slow start, Browne heated up in the second quarter and led Skyline to a 56-28 win over Newport. Browne completed 10 of 11 passes for 259 yards and three touchdowns in the second quarter alone, en route to 343 yards on 19-of-24 passing with four touchdowns on the night. For the season Browne has 135 completions in 184 attempts for 2,233 yards and 24 touchdowns for the 7-0 Spartans.
Thomas Tyner, Aloha (Beaverton, Ore.)
Tyner lengthened his lead among the nation's 11-man rushing leaders as he gained 357 yards on 32 carries with three touchdowns in a 24-16 win over Grant (Portland, Ore.). Tyner leads second-place Tyler Rouse by close to 100 yards as he has 2,325 yards on 183 carries.
Kelvin Taylor, Glades Day (Belle Glade, Fla.)
Taylor ran for seven touchdowns in a 56-42 win over Village Academy and he closed to within 15 yards of Ken Hall's all-time landmark rushing total of 11,232 yards. Taylor gained 177 yards on 31 carries and has 11,217 for his career, including eighth grade. Taylor also has 178 career touchdowns. Taylor will not be able to pass Hall this week, however, as Archbishop Carroll
will reportedly forfeit its game to Glades Day.
Conner Manning, El Toro (Lake Forest, Calif.)
Manning lifted El Toro to a key 41-31 win over Tesoro as he threw four touchdown passes and completed 15 of 27 passes for 279 yards. While he relinquished his spot at the top of the national passing yardage leaderboard, Manning still ranks No. 2 with 3,218 yards. He has also thrown 34 touchdown passes with just three interceptions.
Keep an Eye OnJalen Hurd, Beech (Hendersonville, Tenn.)
Beech had a bye this week and will be back in action at Lebanon (Tenn.) for the penultimate game of the regular season.
Austin Kafentzis, Jordan (Sandy, Utah)
Kafentzis barely threw the ball in a 41-14 win over Brighton, connecting four times on 10 attempts for 63 yards and no touchdowns. He did run the ball often, however, gaining 203 yards on 24 carries with three scores. For the season, Kafentzis has rushed for 1,415 yards on 166 carries with 18 touchdowns and he has completed 142 of 236 passes for 2,021 yards and 22 scores.
Shuler Bentley, Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.)
Byrnes lost for the first time this season, falling to Gaffney 22-18. Bentley completed 18 of 33 passes for 337 yards but was limited to just two touchdowns. Bentley has thrown for 2,890 yards and 32 touchdowns while completing 179 of 269 passes.
Moving Up QuicklyCord Sandberg, Manatee (Bradenton, Fla.)
Sandberg had one of his top all-around efforts of the season as he completed 17 of 21 passes for 188 yards and three touchdowns and also rushed 16 times for 111 yards in a 42-20 win over Cypress Bay (Weston, Fla.). The win keeps Manatee, ranked No. 1 in the
Xcellent 25 rankings, undefeated at 6-0. Sandberg's rushing total marked the first time this season he has rushed for over 100 yards in a game.
Tyler Rouse, Baker (Baldwinsville, N.Y.)
For the fourth straight game, and the fifth time this season, Rouse scored at least five touchdowns in a game as he ran 39 times for 275 yards and five scores in a 40-32 win over Proctor (Utica, N.Y.). He leads the country with 34 touchdowns and 206 points.
