Vote for The Observer’s high school defensive player of the week
Here are the nominees for The Observer’s boys’ high school football players of the week after Week 1 of the season. Nominees come from games played from Aug. 20-22.
Read more Vote for The Observer’s high school football offensive player of the week
The poll will close Friday at noon.
Myles Allen, East Mecklenburg: In a 41-6 win over Garinger, his team’s second straight, Allen had four tackles for a loss and the first defensive touchdown of the season for his team.
Bryss Blackshear, Berry: In a 35-7 win over Rocky River, Blackshear had six tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss, a pass deflection, two sacks and a defensive touchdown.
Antonio Flowers, Chambers: In a 54-14 win over Corvian Community, Flowers had four tackles, three tackles for a loss, two sacks and three QB pressures.
Lincoln Gaddis, Mount Pleasant: In a 3-0 win over Central Cabarrus, Gaddis, a senior linebacker, had 15 tackles and two tackles for a loss.
Davion Jones, Hough: In a game with 36 Division I recruits, Jones was the best player on the field in a 30-13 win over Providence Day. Jones had 2 interceptions, 2 sacks, 3 pass breakups and a forced fumble that led to a touchdown.
Nathan Lang, Hickory Grove: In a 26-0 win over the Greenville Hurricanes, Lang had 15 tackles, a team-high, plus 10 carries for 75 yards and a touchdown on offense.
Santana Leach, Ashbrook: In a 40-0 win over Northwest Cabarrus, Leach, a sophomore, had a team-high 15 tackles, plus two tackles for a loss and a sack.
Faison Manning, AL Brown: In a close 28-27 win over Mooresville, Manning had eight tackles, including four solo tackles, plus seven QB hurries.
Nick Rankin, Palisades: In an 18-10 win over Clover (SC), Rankin had a team-high 10 tackles, including eight solo tackles, and an interception. Palisades improved to 3-0 ahead of a showdown at home with 3-0 Chambers.
Cade Rasmussen, Community School of Davidson: A senior outside linebacker, Rasmussen helped lead his team to a 40-12 win over Bradford Prep. He had two pick-6s for touchdowns covering 24- and 47-yards. He also had two sacks, three tackles for a loss and a 37-yard reception.
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Matthew Shields, Butler: In a 49-28 loss to Indian Land, Shields had nine tackles, two tackles for a loss and three QB hurries.
Jabari Spruill, Charlotte Country Day: The junior defensive back had a tackle and two interceptions in a 30-6 win over Greensboro’s Ben L. Smith High last week.
Kenan Stewart, West Lincoln: In a 48-14 win over Bessemer City, Stewart had 7 tackles and 1.5 tackles for a loss.
Granger Sutsko, Providence: The Panthers lost, 41-14, to Myers Park, but Sutsko had two sacks and a 50-yard fumble recovery touchdown.
Davis Weycker, Piedmont: In a 35-14 win over East Rowan, Weycker, a Lenoir-Rhyne commit, had a team-high 12 tackles, including eight solos, and three tackles for a loss. He had three interceptions, a pick-6 and a forced fumble.
Kenyan White, Olympic: In a 35-31 win over West Mecklenburg, White, a 6-2, 195-pound senior, had eight tackles, two passes broken up, plus a 30-yard catch for a touchdown, a 5-yard rush for a touchdown and two 2-point conversions.
Jaden Williams, West Charlotte: Williams blocked a 27-yard field goal attempt with no time left to give West Charlotte a 20-19 upset win over Summerville, the No. 4 ranked 5A team in SC’s largest class. West Charlotte has won two straight after a season-opening loss at Grimsley.
Noah Wright, Independence: In a 20-7 win over Harding that gave coach Robert Williams his first win, Wright, a 6-1, 200-pound junior completed 13 of 30 passes and rushed 15 times for 208 yards. He rushed for 30 yards. On defense, he had 10 tackles, two tackles for a loss, two sacks and three QB hurries.
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This story was originally published September 7, 2026 at 8:05 PM with the headline “Vote for The Observer’s high school defensive player of the week.”
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