Video: 722 yards in one gameJourney Brown of Meadville (Pa.) rushes for an astounding total.This week's Player of the Year Watch focuses on the top medium schools players in the country, including the nation's leading scorer and the 2014 national passing yardage leader.
Medium Schools National Player of the Year Watch
DeShawn Smith, Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville, Fla.)
One of the leading rushers in the nation, Smith has gained 2,195 yards on 140 carries with 35 touchdowns in leading Nature Coast Tech to an 8-0 record. His best outing is a 413-yard, seven-touchdown performance in a 53-18 win over Central (Brooksville, Fla.). He also has 4,478 career rushing yards with 58 touchdowns.
Mikey Dean, Chaffey (Ontario, Calif.)
Mikey Dean, Chaffey
Photo by Donn Parris
Dean has Chaffey in the running for a Central Division championship in the Southern Section with a 7-1 record. He has rushed for 2,084 yards on 209 carries with 33 touchdowns. He has four 300-yard games this year, including three in a row. He has also scored six touchdowns in a game twice this year. He ran for 1,373 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior.
J.P. Shohfi, San Marino (Calif.)
San Marino is 8-0 on the year and could also challenge for the Central Division title in the Southern Section. Shohfi was one of the leading receivers in the nation last year and he is back near the top again this season. He has caught 55 passes for 1,087 yards and 15 touchdowns. Last year, Shohfi caught 81 passes for 1,821 yards and 25 scores. He also had 36 catches for 767 yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore.
Triston Williams, Andrews (Texas)
Williams leads Texas 4A-1 quarterbacks in passing yardage and touchdowns this year with 2,643 yards (138 of 230) with 43 touchdowns. He had a huge outing against Levelland, throwing for 497 yards and nine touchdowns in a 61-36 win. In leading Andrews to a 7-1 record, Williams has thrown for over 400 yards three times and had another game with 395 yards. He has also thrown at least five touchdowns in a game in seven of Andrews' eight contests.
Q Wadley, Kennedale (Texas)
The leading rusher in Class 4A-1 in Texas, Wadley has gained 1,906 yards on 151 carries with 32 touchdowns. His best outing was 385-yard effort with six touchdowns in a 70-27 win over Carter. He has helped lead Kennedale to an 8-0 record in which it has outscored its opponents 471-113.
James Robinson, Lutheran (Rockford, Ill.)
Although sidelined with an injured foot last week, Robinson still leads the nation in touchdowns with 41. He recently became the all-time leading scorer and rushing yardage leader in the state of Illinois and he has 2,228 yards on 108 carries this season.
Myles Brennan, St. Stanislaus (Bay St. Louis, Miss.)
The Rock-a-Chaws got off to a rough start, losing three of their first four games. But Brennan, the nation's leading yardage passer last year, has St. Stanislaus back on track with five straight wins. He has thrown for 3,344 yards and 30 touchdowns, completing 201 of 321 passes. A junior, Brennan has already thrown for 9,141 yards and 94 touchdowns in 24 games at the varsity level.
Journey Brown, Meadville (Pa.)
One of the leading rushers in Pennsylvania, Brown nearly broke the national record for single game rushing early in the season when he gained 722 yards on just 29 carries with 10 touchdowns in a 107-90 win over DuBois. He has 2,084 yards on 144 carries with 30 touchdowns and also had a 342-yard effort with five touchdowns in a 68-14 win over Warren.
Harley Kirsch, Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Wash.)
Kirsch has Eastside Catholic ranked among the top teams in the nation with an 8-0 record. He has completed 102 of 137 passes for 2,068 yards and 20 touchdowns. He is on pace to throw for over 10,000 yards in his career as he has 9,063 yards and 97 touchdowns in four years on the varsity.
Brian Burns, American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.)
Defensive end Brian Burns has been a huge factor on defense this year for the Patriots, who are ranked No. 1 in the nation among medium-sized schools. Burns has 49 tackles on defense, but 17 have gone for a loss and he also leads the team with 11 sacks. The 6-foot-6, 215-pound senior had 17.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks as a junior.
