Vote! Who Is the New Jersey’s High School Football Player of the Week? - Sept. 17, 2025

Here are 13 candidates for your voting consideration

SBLive Sports

Each week during the fall sports season, High School On SI New Jersey will gather and compile the top high school football performances across the state.

Now, it’s your turn to choose a standout among the pack, the best of the best.

Want to nominate an athlete? Please email  John Beisser at jbeisser86@gmail.com or tag us on Twitter or Instagram at @HighSchoolonSI.

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Congratulations to last week's winner: Sam Dech of Phillipsburg.

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In last week’s Player of the Week voting, the winner was Phillipsburg senior running back Sam Dech who garnered 77% of the vote while Montville junior quarterback Jackson Gering finished second in the balloting at 20%.

OK, it’s time to get started with this week’s candidates, each of whom are listed in alphabetical order below.

Voting ends Sept. 21 at 11:59 p.m PT. The winner will be announced in next week's poll.

Joshua Allen, Woodbridge, Sr., RB/DB

Woodbridge dominated Plainfield on the ground last Friday, relying heavily on Allen as the key weapon; he toted the ball 40 times for 338 yards and four touchdowns (all personal records) in a 27-18 win. Allen has guided the Barrons to a 3-0 record by racking up 616 yards and nine touchdowns on 80 carries.

Raekwon Anderson, Roselle, Jr., RB/LB

Anderson jumped over two Metuchen defenders to snag an 18-yard touchdown reception from senior QB Dejon Nelson with 18 seconds left, securing a 16-13 victory on Saturday. Anderson hauled in seven catches for 179 yards and two scores while notching eight tackles at linebacker to as the Rams improved their record to 1-1.

Andrew Avent, Rahway, Sr., RB/LB

Avent powered in three rushing touchdowns, totaling 175 yards on 11 rushing attempts, highlighted by a 54-yard burst. Defensively, he contributed six solo stops, to go with one assisted tackles three TFLs, three sacks, and two QB hurries.

Michael Beasley, Rancocas Valley, So. DE

Without the services of injured QB Sayvien Adams, the Red Devils counted on their defense to shine versus Camden Eastside—and the unit delivered, spearheaded by sophomore Beasley, who tallied 13 tackles, eight for loss, and five sacks in  21-6 triumph.

Donte Davis, Burlington City, Sr., RB/DB

Davis spearheaded Burlington City’s high-scoring 60-34 victory over Pemberton rushing 14 times for 244 yards and five touchdowns.Davis’ scoring dashes came on runs of 10, 25, 34, 44, and 48 yards.

Dylan Ferrara, Waldwick-Midland Park, Sr., QB/LB

Ferrara seized control Friday night to lift the Waldwick-Midland Park co-op to its first victory of the season. The senior bolted for a career-high 242 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries, in addition to notching 11 defensive tackles, in a 35-14 defeat of Manchester Regional.

Dominic Labisi, Gov. Livingston, Sr., RB/LB

Labisi carried 40 times for 240 yards, establishing personal milestones in attempts, yards, and scores, pushing the game into overtime against Iselin Kennedy on Friday via a 1-yard TD plunge and a pair of two-point conversions near the end of regulation. He sealed the win with his fifth rushing touchdown of the evening—a 2-yarder—to drive the Highlanders (1-2) to a 36-28 victory.

Jake Long, West Essex, Sr., QB/LB

Long set career marks with 321 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 38 carries, fueling his Knights’ 28-21 comeback win over nearby Caldwell on Friday night. His last two TDs were 4-yard runs in the fourth quarter, as West Essex overcame a 21-14 deficit as the Knights earned their  first win of the season.

Abel Paul, Livingston, Jr., RB/DB

Paul churned out 273 yards on 18 carries and four touchdowns—all career highs—to boost the Lancers (2-1) to a 48-7 thrashing of Millburn on Friday night. He ignited the scoring with a 65-yard scamper in the first quarter and tacked on a 75-yarder in the third. Paul also snagged a 35-yard pass from QB Will Atkinson and logged three tackles

Patrick Randolph, Park Ridge, So., RB/LB

In Park Ridge’s 49-8 demolition of Weehawken on Friday night, Randolph amassed 191 yards and four touchdowns on just 10 carries. The standout moment was his 75-yard TD sprint in the first quarter as the Owls forged a commanding advantage.

Luke Senatore, Fort Lee, Sr., QB

Senatore connected on several big plays through the air for the Bridgemen, completing 11 of 24 passes for 251 yards and six touchdowns, complemented by 16 rushes for 107 yards and a score, in their 50-40 shootout win over Ridgefield Park on Thursday.

Sean Sharpe, Belleville, So., WR/S

Sharpe reeled in five receptions from senior QB Jordan Armstrong for 98 yards and a touchdown, plus he returned a kickoff 85 yards for a score, to propel the Buccaneers past North Bergen 45-20. In helping Belleville record its first 2-0 start since 2020.

Cayson Williams, Matawan, So., WR

Signaling the launch of a promising varsity career, Williams snared seven passes for 165 of Matawan’s 276 aerial yards, helping to lead the Huskies to a 36-22 upset of Manasquan last Friday. Williams secured TD grabs of 24, 28, and 43 yards from QB Blair Carter Gagneron.

About Our Athlete of the Week Voting
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals.Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports.Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.