Shelby LB Dax Hollifield, South Pointe QB Derion Kendrick among national player of the year finalists
Four N.C. high school football players have been named finalists for the US Army Player of the year Award.
Shelby linebacker Dax Hollifield, Rock Hill South Pointe QB Derion Kendrick, Scotland County RB Zamir White and Hillsborough Orange LB Payton Wilson are among 16 finalists for the award. North Carolina has the most candidates with four. California has three.
The US Army player of the year award is given to the nation’s most outstanding senior and is recognized as the most prestigious in the sport.
Two N.C. players have won the award previously: Charlotte Catholic RB Elijiah Brown won in 2014, and Independence QB Chris Leak won in 2003.
The 2018 U.S. Army Player of the Year nominees
NAME | POSITION | HIGH SCHOOL | CITY | STATE |
Olaijah Griffin | DB | Mission Viejo | Mission Viejo | CA |
Dax Hollifield | LB | Shelby | Shelby | NC |
Talanoa Hufanga | ATH | Crescent Valley | Corvallis | OR |
Phil Jurkovec | QB | Pine-Richland | Gibsonia | PA |
Derion Kendrick | ATH | South Pointe | Rock Hill | SC |
Trevor Lawrence | QB | Cartersville | Cartersville | GA |
Rondale Moore | WR | Trinity | Louisville | KY |
Micah Parsons | DL | Harrisburg | Harrisburg | PA |
Ricky Person | RB | Heritage | Wake Forest | NC |
Amon-Ra St. Brown | WR | Mater Dei | Santa Ana | CA |
Isaac Taylor-Stuart | DB | Helix | San Diego | CA |
Xavier Thomas | DL | IMG Academy | Bradenton | FL |
Dorian Thompson-Robinson | QB | Bishop Gorman | Las Vegas | NV |
Jaylen Waddle | WR | Episcopal | Bellaire | TX |
Zamir White | RB | Scotland County | Laurinburg | NC |
Payton Wilson | LB | Orange | Hillsborough | NC |
This story was originally published November 20, 2017 at 9:16 PM with the headline "Shelby LB Dax Hollifield, South Pointe QB Derion Kendrick among national player of the year finalists."