Vote for The Observer’s high school football player of the week (09.26.25)

Here are the nominees for The Charlotte Observer’s high school football player of the week, the top performers from Friday’s games.

The poll closes at noon on Thursday and the winner will be featured on Friday.

This week’s nominees

De’Maruis Barr, Jay M Robinson: In a 63-7 win over East Rowan, the senior receiver caught eight passes for 119 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran two times for 22 yards and another touchdown. Barr had three tackles on defense.

Tristan Cowan, South Iredell: In a 48-44 win over Alexander Central, the sophomore quarterback completed 21 of 34 passes for 424 yards and seven touchdowns. Receiver Brody Hunt had 13 catches for 312 yards and four scores. Cowan tied for the fourth-most touchdown passes ever by an NCHSAA player and set a school record. Hunt set a school-record for receiving yards, and his 312 yards rank sixth in state history.

Jared Curtis, Ardrey Kell: In a 16-13 win over Chambers, Curtis completed 9 of 18 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns. He ran 10 times for 29 yards, accounting for 203 of his teams’ 276 yards of offense.

Quincy Fortenberry, Hunter Huss: In a 35-19 win over North Gaston, Fortenberry had five tackles and three interceptions.

Caden Fritz, Christ The King: In a 35-14 win over Lincoln Charter, Fritz ran 10 times for 60 yards and a touchdown. On defense, he had 14 tackles, 1/2 sack, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

Johnta Harrison, West Cabarrus: In a 35-6 win over Berry, Harrison completed 10 of 18 passes for 192 yards and four touchdowns. He ran 11 times for 59 yards and a fifth score.

Travis Hill, Independence: In a 27-20 win at Palisades, Hill ran 13 times for 101 yards and two touchdowns.

Harold Jackson, North Iredell: In a 41-7 over Pine Lake Prep, Jackson ran 10 times for 145 yards and a touchdown, leading his team to its first win of the year.

Zaid Lott, Providence Day: In a 55-34 win over Rabun Gap, Lott, a Syracuse recruit, completed 23 of 30 passes for 338 yards and four touchdowns. He ran 21 times for 145 yards and four more touchdowns.

RJ Lynch, Lincolnton: In a 42-0 win over East Gaston, Lynch, a sophomore, ran four times for 39 yards and a touchdown. He caught nine passes for 212 yards and another score. He also had a 33-yard punt return.

Luke Meador, Providence: In a 27-21 win over Butler, Meador, a junior quarterback, completed 12 of 17 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns. He was starting his second game after senior Jackson Debe stepped away from the team after committing to play baseball at Wingate. Meador and Providence beat Butler for the first time in 20 years.

Bryce Nixon, Olympic: In a 35-14 win over Cox Mill, Nixon, a sophomore, ran 11 times for 201 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 18.3 yards per carry.

Brody Norman, Mooresville: Norman completed 14 of 26 passes for 249 yards in a 42-14 win over a strong East Forsyth team. Mooresville avenged a third round playoff loss to East Forsyth last year.

Ryan Peterson, Hough: In a 53-15 win over New Bern, Peterson, a sophomore, had five tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery. Hough limited New Bern to 120 total yards. Hough QB Ethan Royal threw for 305 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another score.

Khalil Price, Mallard Creek: In a 20-16 win at Cardinal Gibbons, Price caught a 49-yard, game-winning touchdown pass, on third-and-9, with two minutes, three seconds to play. He finished with five catches for 92 yards.

Ky-Mani Scruse, North Meck: In a 17-10 win over arch rival Hopewell, Scruse gave his team the the winning points, scoring off a blocked punt with two minutes left in the third quarter.

AJ Settles, AL Brown: In a 48-0 win over Harding, Settles completed 8 of 12 passes for 136 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 19 yards.

Ayden Smith, Mount Pleasant: In a 38-20 win over West Davidson, Smith ran 13 times for 114 yards and two touchdowns. He had a 14-yard catch. On defense, he had five tackles, a sack and a tackle for a loss. He only played in three quarters.

Titus Troy, Northwest Cabarrus: In a 44-13 win over South Rowan, Troy ran 16 times for 166 yards and two touchdowns.

Callaway Williams, South Mecklenburg: In a 45-8 win over East Mecklenburg, Williams Callaway Williams had four tackles, an interception, two catches for 27 yards and a touchdown reception, plus two tackles for a loss and a fumble recovery.

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This story was originally published September 22, 2025 at 8:00 PM.