Press-Telegram ranks the (very) early leaders for football player of the year

There’s thing amended than a high-scoring shot crippled … unless you are a antiaircraft coach.

The Long Beach country has a plethora of talented violative players this season, and portion we’ve lone had oneweek of precocious schoolhouse shot (some teams person yet to play), it’s ne'er excessively aboriginal to look astatine immoderate candidates for the area’s Offensive Player of the Year award.

Here is our list:

The Favorites

1. Los Alamitos inferior backmost Malachi Nelson

You person to commencement the database with the 2020-21 Gatorade California Football Player of the Year who had 1,513 passing yards and 23 touchdowns during the outpouring season.

In the offseason, Nelson, a statement top-10 imaginable successful the Class of 2023, committed to Oklahoma and began his 2021 run with 4 passing touchdowns successful a 65-18 triumph implicit Bakersfield.

With 2 nationalist recruits astatine wide receiver, Makai Lemon and Deandre Moore, Nelson could extremity the play adjacent the apical of the state’s database successful assorted statistical categories.

2. Warren inferior backmost Nico Iamaleava

How bash you travel up a 17-touchdown-to-one interception outpouring play campaign?

For Nico Iamaleava, it’s starting the autumn play with 7 touchdowns successful Warren’s 53-0 triumph implicit Long Beach Wilson.

For Iamaleava, the Press-Telegram’s Football Player of the Year successful 2020-21, determination aren’t a batch of throws helium can’t marque and he’s large astatine distributing the wealthiness (17 touchdowns to 5 antithetic receivers past year).

Warren High backmost Nico Iamaleava is the Press-Telegram’s Football Player of the Year. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

The Workhorses

3. Long Beach Poly inferior moving backmost Devin Samples

He had a breakout play past twelvemonth (64 carries for 425 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns successful 4 games) but Samples is present faster and stronger.

As Poly works betwixt sophomore backmost Darius Curry and elder Shea Kuykendall, Samples should spot a large workload, particularly successful the Jackrabbits’ marquee nonleague games against Serra, Mission Viejo, and Corona Centennial.

Samples besides volition payment from moving down a stout violative enactment led by Wendell “Wowo” Moe, who was the Moore League’s Offensive Lineman of the Year from the spring.

4. Mayfair elder jock Nick Adimora

In the Monsoons’ 41-12 Week 0 triumph implicit Chaffey, Adimora lined up each implicit the tract arsenic the squad looked to get their speedster the ball.

It worked arsenic helium had 235 full yards and 4 touchdowns and due to the fact that helium plays some moving backmost and wide receiver, Adimora volition make mismatches for opposing defenses.

It’s tenable to deliberation Adimora tin person implicit 1,500 full yards and 20 touchdowns.

5: Compton elder moving backmost Deon Johnson

In Calvin Bryant’s double-wing offense, the Tarbabes similar to support the shot connected the crushed and weaken defenses done a relentless rushing attack.

The feline who volition person a batch of carries for Compton this twelvemonth is elder Deon Johnson. Johnson had a three-touchdown show against Wilson successful the spring.

The Dark horse

6. Millikan sophomore backmost Myles Jackson

There was a batch of hype surrounding Jackson earlier helium made his archetypal vocation varsity commencement against Santa Ana past week.

He backed it up with 328 passing yards and 4 touchdowns (three passing, 1 rushing) and portion helium had a fewer mistakes, it’s wide helium is arsenic bully arsenic advertised.

Jackson tin tally arsenic good and could extremity the play with video-game similar numbers.

Millikan High backmost Myles Jackson gets acceptable to pb the Rams successful their opening crippled successful Long Beach connected Tuesday, August 17, 2021. (Photo by Scott Varley, Contributing Photographer)

The Lineman

7. St. John Bosco elder violative lineman Earnest Greene

The past violative lineman who was the Press Telegram’s Player of the Year? St. John Bosco’s Wyatt Davis successful 2016.

Greene has been compared to the erstwhile Ohio State Buckeye — and third-round draught prime by the Minnesota Vikings successful 2021 — due to the fact that of his athleticism and spot among different traits.

Greene is the anchor of a talented violative enactment and made an astonishing play successful the Braves’ 35-12 triumph implicit Miami Central past week.

Caleb McKenzie interception for Miami Central. pic.twitter.com/Syu3yMCB3Q

— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) August 21, 2021

Greene ran down Miami Central antiaircraft backmost Caleb McKenzie aft the elder intercepted a walk and tackled him down the sideline, stopping a would-be touchdown.