Meet the nominees for The Observer’s high school football player of the week (08.28.25)
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- The Observer nominated 16 players for high school football player of the week.
- Notable performances include 450 passing yards, 4 INTs, and a 77-yard punt return.
- Voting closes Thursday at noon with the winner featured in a follow-up story.
Here are the nominees for The Charlotte Observer’s high school football player of the week for games played Aug. 22-23, 2025.
The poll will close Thursday at noon, and the winner will be featured in a story from the media company.
This week’s nominees
LANDEN AGEE, NORTH LINCOLN: In a 41-14 win over West Lincoln, Agee had 268 yards rushing and five touchdowns.
JAD ALJAKHBEER, ARDREY KELL: In a 27-13 win over Cuthbertson, the senior defensive lineman had nine tackles, three sacks and two QB hurries.
MEMPHYS BARB, LAKE NORMAN: In a 20-16 upset win over Sun Valley, Barb had seven tackles, two QB hurries, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
SAM CHEESEBORO, MALLARD CREEK: After starting quarterback Perry Justice was injured on the opening possession, Cheesboro, a third-stringer who transferred from West Mecklenburg, led the Mavericks to a 36-21 win over nationally ranked Rolesville. Cheesboro threw two touchdown passes and had a third called back on a penalty.
CALEB COOPER, PROVIDENCE DAY: In a 29-28 win over Roman Catholic (Philadelphia), Cooper had 10 tackles and two punt returns for 45 yards. Roman Catholic, ranked No. 5 in Pennsylvania 5A polls, was state runner-up last year and QB Semaj Beals is the all-time Philadelphia leading passer.
KING DAVIS, LINCOLN CHARTER: In a 50-6 win over Highland Tech, Davis had four interceptions and returned two of them for a touchdown. That is a Lincoln County record and second-most in N.C. public school history. Six NCHSAA players have had five interceptions in a game.
JACKSON DEBE, PROVIDENCE: In a 35-0 win over Hickory Ridge, Debe completed 8 of 12 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns. He ran five times for 50 yards and a third score.
DJ DOUGLAS, CHARLOTTE LATIN: In a 48-13 win over Mitchell, Douglas, a junior running back, ran 13 times for 151 yards and two touchdowns. He caught two passes, one for an additional touchdown.
KAEDEN EDDIE, SOUTHLAKE CHRISTIAN: In a 13-7 win over Lake Norman Charter, Eddie caught nine passes for 141 yards.
JAYDEN JONES, INDEPENDENCE: In a 27-21 win at SC power Gaffney, Jones ran 15 times for 63 yards and two touchdowns. He caught five passes for 52 yards and had a game-winning 77-yard punt return with three minutes left. New QB Jared Street was 18 of 24 for 261 yards and ran eight times for 61 yards.
NYMIR KENDALL, MONROE: In a 35-0 win over Hoke County, Kendall ran 10 times for 145 yards and a touchdown.
GRANT LAWLESS, EAST LINCOLN: In Friday’s 60-35 win over South Iredell, Lawless broke a 10-year-old school record set by former UNC quarterback Chazz Surratt. Lawless completed 22 of 28 passes for 450 yards. Surratt’s previous record was 410, set in 2015. Lawless also threw four touchdowns, completed passes to seven different receivers and ran five times for 64 yards and four more touchdowns. His eight touchdowns, or 48 points, tie for fourth most in a game by an NCHSAA player. His eight total touchdowns tie for second most in state history.
RYAN PETERSON, HOUGH: In a 14-10 win over South Pointe at Bank of America Stadium, Peterson had 12 tackles, a team-high, including seven solos.
ZYKERION PHARR, GARINGER: In a 36-6 win over Winston-Salem Prep, that ended a 6-year, 48-game losing streak, Pharr ran for 184 yards and three touchdowns on eight carries.
CAMERON SIMPSON, CORVIAN CHARTER: In a 31-18 win over Harding, Simpson had two interceptions, plus 84 yards in interception returns. He had a 68-yard catch and two total touchdowns.
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This story was originally published August 25, 2025 at 8:00 PM.
