It’s now officially the halfway point in the high school football season.
Several area teams have experienced high end success, with Hattiesburg and Sacred Heart both 5-0. Petal has enjoyed a four-game winning streak while Lumberton (3-2) has opened region play with a dominant victory.
Similar to the Heisman watch, here’s a rundown of some of the area players that have the potential to be named the Area Football Player of the Year. Let it be noted that this is in no way a finalized list.
Tyree Barnett, WR, Hattiesburg
Barnett has been the Tigers’ multitool as has he has bounced between running back and receiver and has dropped back to throw some passes. The Southern Miss commit has hauled in 23 catches for 460 yards and two touchdowns. On 10 carries he has run for 106 yards and a touchdowns, and completed two passes for 57 yards.
Lathen Bowens, QB, Lumberton
Bowens is the quintessential dual-threat quarterback. The senior has passed for 855 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions. On the ground, he has run for 599 yards, averaging 8.8 yards per carry, and a touchdown. Bowens has run for at least 100 yards in four of Lumberton’s game this year.
Moses Cummings, RB, Purvis
Purvis will need to make some noise in the postseason, but Cummings’ numbers are hard to ignore. This season, he has rushed for 900 yards and 11 touchdowns. The senior has carried the ball 111 times and has averaged 8.1 yards per carry. Cummings’ natural strength and speed have caused fits for teams the last three years as he recently surpassed more than 4,000 career rushing yards.
Gary Duckworth, WR/DB, Sacred Heart
The senior could easily be one of the most explosive players in Class 1A this year. Duckworth leads the undefeated Crusaders’ receivers with 20 catches, 419 yards and eight touchdowns. Currently, he is averaging 83 yards per game. On defense, Duckworth has been a lockdown defensive back and has recorded 14 tackles and deflected three passes.
Kellen Hall, QB, Oak Grove
The Warriors had a rough two weeks, but their season is still very much in front of them. If Oak Grove turns things around, a large part of that will be because of sophomore quarterback Kellen Hall. Despite his youth, Hall plays with plenty of maturity. This season, he had thrown for 1,074 yards and 10 touchdowns and an interception.
Kyron Murphy, QB, Sacred Heart
The senior quarterback has picked up where he left off last year as he has been a critical piece in Sacred Heart’s season. This season, he has thrown for 784 yards, 12 touchdowns and two interceptions. His run game has also improved as he has run for 113 yards and two touchdowns.
Tristen Keys, WR, Hattiesburg
It can be argued that Keys is the best wide receiver in the area and is considered one of the best in Mississippi. The four-star recruit has made some incredible plays this year and so far, has come down with 21 catches for 382 yards and six touchdowns.
Adam Sneed, RB, Sacred Heart
The pressure was on for Sneed to try and duplicate the numbers that former starting running back DJ Booth put up the last two years for the Crusaders. It’s safe to say he has delivered and then some as he has been a genuine first down machine. This year he has run for 716 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 10.4 yards per carry. He’s also had to play linebacker, which he has posted 10 tackles and a fumble recovery.
Deuce Vance, QB, Hattiesburg
Yes, a third Tiger is on this list, and arguably the one having the best season. Vance has taken the next step at quarterback, which has been key for Hattiesburg’s season. This year, the South Alabama commit has thrown for 871 yards, nine touchdowns and one interception. On the ground he has run for 277 yards and three touchdowns.
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