Vote: Who should be Missouri High School Football Player of the Week? Oct. 7, 2025

See who the 25 candidates are this week and cast your votes for the best in the poll at the bottom of the page

Levi Payton | Oct 8, 2025

See who the 25 candidates are for Missouri High School on SI Football Player of the Week and cast your vote in the poll at the bottom of the page. / SBLive

This week’s Missouri High School on SI Football Player of the Week candidates features a heavy dose of Southwest Missouri talent and a few returning stars.

Speaking of Southwest Missouri, congratulations to Monett’s Brayden Seitz, who won last week’s poll with 53.53 percent of the voting. The junior running back racked up 206 total yards of offense, rushing 12 times for 144 yards and two touchdowns while adding seven receptions for 62 yards.

We encourage fans to share this page on all socials as an effort to promote these players. Additionally, our polls are wide open, meaning you can vote as many times as you’d like for your favorite candidates until the poll closes on Monday, Oct. 13, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.

Missouri High School on SI Football Player of the Week Candidates – Oct. 7, 2025

Maverick Blevins, Forsyth

He caught six of quarterback Chris Halbrook’s seven completions in Friday’s 41-14 win against Reeds Spring. A 6-foot senior receiver, Blevins averaged 37.2 yards per reception, racking up 223 yards and scored three touchdowns in the blowout.

Braydon Curtiss, Mountain Grove

Class 3 Mountain Grove beat up on Liberty last week, and the 5-foot-11, 185-pound junior running back had a big hand in it. Toting the pigskin 29 times, Curtiss racked up 132 yards and scored three touchdowns.

Drew Demint, Mexico

The Bulldogs hung 63 points on Fulton Friday and the senior running back brought his A-game to the party. Ripping off 16 yards per carry, Demint rushed 13 times for 208 yards and two touchdowns and added seven tackles, six solo, on defense.

Kayden Downing, Raytown

He accounted for five touchdowns in the Bluejays’ 60-12 thrashing of Truman last week. A sophomore quarterback, Downing accounted for Raytown’s first four touchdowns and finished the game 12-of-18 passing for 175 yards and four touchdowns and tacked on a rushing TD in the win.

Lincoln Dwiggins, Liberty

His leg racked up seven vital points for the Blue Jays in their 31-28 win against Park Hill. Dwiggins went 4-for-4 on extra points and 5-for-5 on kicks in the game. He booted a 29-yard field goal in the second quarter, which turned out to be decisive.

Jaxon Ertel, Neosho

Willard’s offense struggled to sustain drives at times, in part, because the Tigers couldn’t keep Ertel out of their backfield. The junior was all over the field – racking up eight tackles, including four for loss, sacked the quarterback three times and forced a fumble.

Chris Halbrook, Forsyth

One of three Panthers among our candidates this week, the quarterback was nearly perfect in the Panthers’ win against Reeds Spring. Despite playing with an injured hand Halbrook completed 7-of-9 passes – six of them to senior receiver Maverick Blevins – and finished with 255 yards and three touchdowns.

Jaylon Hampton, Jackson

Strong, shifty and with speed to burn, Hampton made short work of Cape Girardeau Central – literally - in Friday’s 62-24 blowout win. Playing only in the first half, as Jackson built a 42-7 lead by halftime, the 5-foot-8 junior running back packed in a full game worth of highlights, rushing for 152 yards and four touchdowns.

Josh Harvath, Warsaw

El Dorado Springs got a first-hand account of what it’s like trying to bring down Warsaw’s star running back. In a 48-0 blitzing, the senior led Warsaw with 14 carries for 144 yards and found his way into the end zone three times.

Connor Hatfield, Liberty

The senior quarterback accounted for a pair of touchdowns in a 31-28 win against Park Hill last week. He completed 8-of-12 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown and rushed 10 times for 124 yards and another TD with a long of 80 yards. He also punted once for 41 yards and pinned the Trojans inside their own 20.

TaMarkus Holmes, Forsyth

Reeds Spring simply had no answer for the Panthers’ offense Friday. Holmes, a senior running back, helped his squad pull even at 3-3 this season with another big day. He averaged 13.9 yards per carry, rushing 19 times for 180 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Lincoln Howard, Neosho

The Wildcats averaged 17.7 yards per reception against Willard Friday. Howard, a junior receiver, helped set that average with 18.2 yards per grab, catching nine passes for 164 yards and a pair of TDs.

Will Jackson, Nevada

They call it the Silver Tiger game when Nevada and Lamar square off on the gridiron and Jackson was certainly Nevada’s silver Tiger Friday. Donning silver uniforms for the occasion, the junior running back broke off touchdown runs of 44 and 77 yards and finished with 150 rushing yards in his team’s 27-7 victory.

Carter Mabe, Nixa

One of three Eagles among this week’s candidates, the junior wide receiver had a big night in a 56-7 win against Kickapoo. He hauled in five receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown – including a long of 35 yards.

Rocco Marriott, Platte County

Committed to James Madison, Marriott – a practical fixture each week among POTW candidates – continues to pick up offers from other programs, and it’s not hard to understand why. He celebrated an offer from West Virginia by going out and dominating Smithville (which entered the game 4-1), completing 12-of-15 passes for 256 yards and six touchdowns and rushing for 35 yards on two carries.

Jayden McCaster, Nixa

A practical fixture on our Missouri High School Football Player of the Week candidates, the senior running back had another monster game behind Nixa’s elite offensive line. The speedster averaged 12.5 yards per carry, rushing 16 times for 200 yards and five touchdowns.

Preston McCracken, Republic

Helping his state-ranked Tigers to a huge 27-21 win over state-ranked Webb City, the senior quarterback’s legs proved to be the Cardinals’ biggest issue on Friday. The 6-foot-2 senior guided run-heavy Republic with 244 yards rushing on 25 carries with three touchdowns.

Roman Miller, Seneca

A load to bring down at 5-foot-11, 200 pounds, Miller continued his dominant run, literally, Friday in a blowout win against Carl Junction (4-2). Eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark alongside teammate Brodie Probert, Miller, a senior, rushed 19 times for 177 yards and scored four touchdowns to put him over 1,100 yards through six games.

Blayne Patterson, Neosho

He accounted for five touchdowns as Neosho steamrolled Willard 55-27 Friday. A 6-foot-1 dual-threat junior quarterback, Patterson completed 14-of-27 passes for 218 yards and four touchdowns and tacked on 10 carries for 80 yards and another score.

Deacon Price, Liberty

The defense had two interceptions in a 31-28 win against Park Hill, but Price’s was the play of the game. With the Trojans driving in Liberty territory, the senior defensive back got his hands on a pass, picked it off and returned it 71 yards for a TD.

Brodie Probert, Seneca

Quarterbacking Seneca’s prolific offense, Probert crossed the 1,000-yard mark Friday in a dominant 42-7 win at Earl Campbell Stadium against Carl Junction. The senior called his own number 21 times and rushed for 208 yards and a touchdown, putting him over 1,100 yards for the season on the ground.

Jace Renfro, Seneca

The state-ranked Indians are loaded with playmakers and Renfro – an all-state performer – had a host of big plays last week against Carl Junction. The senior dazzled the home crowd with five tackles for loss, a forced fumble and racked up four sacks in the blowout win.

Keisean Rhone, Neosho

Among these candidates for the second week in a row, Rhone’s big night saw him average 8.3 yards per carry in a blowout win against Willard. The senior carried the ball 23 times for 190 yards and two touchdowns.

Devin Staley, Blue Springs

He had only nine touches Friday in a 38-29 upset against Rockhurst, but he made them all count. The senior had a huge night with five carries for 105 yards and a touchdown and caught four passes for 76-yards and another TD. He averaged 21 yards per rush and 19 yards per reception.

Kelvin Watson, Mexico

Listed at 5-foot-5, the Bulldogs’ senior linebacker had a huge game defensively in a win against Fulton. A player with a nose for the football, Watson racked up 16 tackles, including eight solo, and was a huge factor on defense.