Vote: Who Was the Pennsylvania's High School Football Player of the Week? (Week 1)

Twelve standouts from across Pennsylvania are up for this week's fan vote after huge offensive and defensive performances.

State College's Rowan Walker (4) finds the hole created by his offensive line to gain yardage on Central York on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

High school football season is officially underway in the state of Pennsylvania, and there were plenty of top performers in Week 1.

Central Catholic's Chrys Black Jr., State College's Rowan Walker, and Liam Laphen contributed on both sides of the ball for Central Bucks West.

Those are just a few of this week's nominees for High School On SI Pennsylvania Football Player of the Week.

Read about all 12 candidates below and cast your vote. Voting will remain open through Sept. 6 at 11:59 p.m. PT. The winner will be announced in next week's poll.

Chrys Black Jr., Central Catholic

Black, a junior running back, had 16 carries for 150 yards and three touchdowns in Central Catholic's 45-30 victory over Bergen Catholic (NJ).

Rowan Walker, State College

Walker, a senior running back, ran for nearly 200 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries in State College's 35-28 win over Central York.

Liam Laphen, Central Bucks West

Laphen, a senior defensive end, contributed on both sides of the ball with 10 tackles, one sack, and multiple hurries, and two catches for 50 yards and two touchdowns in Central Bucks West's 36-7 victory over Easton.

Sebastian Williams, Bishop McDevitt

Williams, a senior quarterback, completed 20 of 32 passes for 236 yards and five touchdowns in Bishop McDevitt's 35-21 win over Good Counsel (MD).

Brandon Meier, California

Meier, a sophomore quarterback, went 11-of-15 for 266 passing yards and four touchdowns to lead California to a 40-6 blowout victory over Mohawk Area.

Nico Aiello, Pine-Richland

Aiello, a senior, had a pass breakup and three interceptions, including a pick-six, in Pine-Richland's 48-18 blowout win against Avon (OH).

Malik Drayton, Imhotep Charter

Drayton, a senior, registered three interceptions and eight tackles in Imhotep Charter's 29-8 victory over Camden (NJ).

Brayden Collins, Canon-McMillan

Collins, a senior linebacker, made a difference on defense with 10 tackles, three TFLs, a sack, and an interception in Canon-McMillan's 19-3 win over Peters Township.

Isaac McFadden, Hamburg

McFadden, a sophomore quarterback, went 12-of-17 for 266 passing yards and four touchdowns, and ran for 33 yards in Hamburg's 42-7 blowout win over Midd-West.

Jaylen Delaney, Mount Carmel

Delaney, a senior, had 20 carries for 276 rushing yards and four touchdowns in Mount Carmel's 48-41 shootout victory over Schuykill Haven.

Nate Derstine, Pennridge

Derstine, a junior wide receiver, hauled in three catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns in Pennridge's 35-0 shutout win over Liberty.

Hunter Egli, James Buchanan

Egli, a senior running back, had three rushing touchdowns and returned a punt 53 yards for another score in James Buchanan’s 36-6 win over Claysburg-Kimmel

About our Athlete of the Week Voting
High School On SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way to 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.