Championship Watch List (6A): Players to Keep an Eye out for

Chris Norcross

December 6, 2022 @ 07:26 AM

As plenty of fans already know, the championship matchups will be underway shortly. Teams such as Gainesville, and Langston Hughes are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, and there will be no shortage of players to be impressed by when it comes time to strap the pads up. Notably, each of these teams have had players go on to play in college programs, and make a name for themselves, and at this point of time, they each have players on their roster talented enough to do, and polished enough at this point of time to bring home a State Championship for their team.   [player_tooltip player_id='126596' first='Jeremiah' last='Telander'] (LB)- Gainesville   Defensively, Telander has been a huge contributor for his team. Not only has he made crucial tackles, at very important times of the games they have been in, but he has done so in pursuit, and in the backfield. Telander also has been a big play maker, as he has totaled 12 sacks, 1 interception, and 5 caused fumbles. With this, he has also averaged around 7.1 tackles a game to his 99 total tackles on the season to this point. Look for him to try to come up big in this game.   Baxter Wright (QB)- Gainesville   Wright, who has led his team to the state championship, may not be the most flashy player in the bunch, and he may not have as many offers as other players in the state, but he has been efficient, and reliable enough to get his team to this point of the season. Currently, he sits with over 3,100 yards, and has been very solid for his team down the stretch. He has also thrown 38 TD's this year, and has averaged around 225 yards a game, making it clear that he has been a huge part of making the passing game more successful than most offenses. Look for him to continue to play at this rate going into this game if he is able to step it up a notch.   Sky Niblett (TE)- Gainesville   This year alone, Niblett has continued to show why he is a stellar TE prospect by producing in plenty of ways for his team. In the span of 14 games, he has caught 11 TD's, and has seen 30 receptions for 450 yards. With this, he has averaged around 15 yards a catch, and has seen a season long of 49 yards on 1 reception. As he will be important for his offense this game, expect for him to step up, and be a key to their potential success.   [player_tooltip player_id='320346' first='Jelani' last='Thurman'] (TE)- Langston Hughes   Thurman, who is committed to Ohio State, has continued to perform at a high rate for his team this year, making it hard not to be excited to see his contributions to his team this upcoming week. Going into this game, he has a total of 582 yards, with an average of 16.2 yards a catch, and 41.6 yards a game. With this, he has also had a total of 12 TD's this year, and because of his size, strength, and fluidity of movement, he can almost be viewed as a matchup nightmare.   [player_tooltip player_id='137477' first='Prentiss' last='Noland'] (QB)- Langston Hughes   As many people have already noticed, Noland is one of the brightest young stars in the state, and there is no questioning as to how he was able to lead his team to a championship. He has the arm strength, talent, and accuracy you look for in a young player, and these traits have taken him very far. Statistically speaking, he has thrown for over 3,800 yards this season, and 52 TD's. With this, he has also averaged around 273 yards a game, and has only turned the ball over 4 times this year. Expect him to continue to play at an elite level this week, and to continue to receive looks for top tier colleges.    [player_tooltip player_id='34023' first='Terrance' last='Love'] (S)- Langston Hughes   Love, who is an Auburn commit, has not disappointed for his team this year, and has continued to show why he is such a great prospect. Each game, he has made plays for his team, and will likely wreck havoc on Gainesville this week as well. This season he has had a total of 61 tackles, with 29 of them being solos, and an average of 4.4 tackles a game. With this, he has also brought energy, and tenacity to his defense, which has been very evident. Love has also had 3 interceptions, proving why it is important to be careful then passing the ball in his zone.

As plenty of fans already know, the championship matchups will be underway shortly. Teams such as Gainesville, and Langston Hughes are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, and there will be no shortage of players to be impressed by when it comes time to strap the pads up. Notably, each of these teams have had players go on to play in college programs, and make a name for themselves, and at this point of time, they each have players on their roster talented enough to do, and polished enough at this point of time to bring home a State Championship for their team.