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Emmett Johnson to Kierston Deal: Meet SBLive's national high school players of the year in 2021-22

The fan votes are tallied: Here are your national players of the year and runners-up in football, volleyball, soccer, basketball, track and field, baseball and softball
Emmett Johnson photo courtesy of Frear Photography

Emmett Johnson photo courtesy of Frear Photography

Over the past month we've been highlighting the top high school athletes of the year in 2021-22, giving fans the chance to vote on who was the best of the best.

Here are the fans' choices as winners and runners-up in football, volleyball, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls track and field, baseball and softball.

Football

Winner: Emmett Johnson, RB/S, Academy of Holy Angels (Minnesota), sr.

As a senior, Johnson rushed for more than 2,500 yards and scored 42 touchdowns, and as a safety he made 85 total tackles and 13 tackles for loss. The Nebraska signee was named Mr. Football by the Minnesota Football Coaches Association.

Runner-up: Brayson Hubbard, QB, Ocean Springs (Mississippi), jr.

Hubbard passed for 2,069 yards with 30 touchdowns and only three interceptions, plus ran for 1,258 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns. He previously committed to Southern Miss to play baseball, but recently flipped to Alabama for football. His athleticism could end up making him as a safety or wide receiver for the Crimson Tide. 

Final football vote

Volleyball

Winner: Lakin Laurendine, outside hitter, Jackson Academy (Mississippi), jr.

Laurendine led Jackson Academy to a 38-8 overall record in the Midsouth Association of Independent Schools Conference, finishing her junior year with 509 kills, 378 digs and 111 aces. The Auburn signee was named Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year, Jackson Academy volleyball's third straight year winning the award.

Runner-up: Jordyn Byrd, outside hitter, Cardinal Mooney (Florida), jr.

The 6-foot-5 junior outside hitter had 551 kills, 258 digs, 56 blocks and 25 aces for the Cougars last season. Byrd recorded a .463 hitting percentage and heads into her senior season as one of the top-ranked players in the nation.

Final volleyball vote

Boys soccer

Winner: Luke Hopkins, midfielder, Clinton (Mississippi), sr.

Arguably the smoothest player in Mississippi, Hopkins glides across the field scoring and assisting goals. He was a constant presence for the 6A state champion and scored the game-winning goal in the title game.

Runner-up: Alex Harris, forward, Columbia River (Washington), jr.

Harris was one of the most prolific scorers in the country as a junior, piling up 51 goals and scoring eight of the team’s 12 goals in the state tournament. He led the Rapids to the Class 2A state semifinals and will look for more in 2022-23.

Final boys soccer vote

Girls soccer

Winner: Peyton Kohls, forward, Mount Notre Dame (Ohio), jr.

Kohls scored 11 of her 27 goals in undefeated Mount Notre Dame's seven-game postseason run to the program's first Division I state championship. She'll try to help her team go back-to-back before moving on to play college soccer at Xavier.

Runner-up: Sydney Watts, forward, St. Thomas Aquinas (Kansas), jr.

Watts scored 37 goals to lead St. Thomas Aquinas to a 17-0-2 record and a second straight Class 5A state championship in her junior season. A member of the U.S. Soccer Under-17 Women’s National Team player pool, she'll shoot for three straight in 2022-23 before heading to college at Vanderbilt.

Final girls soccer vote

Boys basketball

Winner: Dylan Darling, G, Central Valley (Washington), sr.

After making an invaluable mark as sixth man on Central Valley's 2020 4A state runner-up team, Darling (33.2 points, 8.5 boards, 5.8 assists, 4.4 steals) carried an undersized, less experienced Bears team back to the Tacoma Dome. The Washington State signee smashed records along the way while fielding praise for his efficiency (55 percent FG) despite his high shot volume. 

Runner-up: Cam Whitmore, G/F, Archbishop Spalding (Maryland), sr.

The 6-foot-7 Whitmore averaged 21.4 points and 10.6 rebounds per game as a senior, leading Archbishop Spalding (25-10) to the semifinals of the MIAA A Conference and Baltimore Catholic League tournaments. He'll be playing for Villanova in 2022-23.

Final boys basketball vote

Girls basketball

Winner: Chloe Clardy, G, Conway (Arkansas), jr.

Clardy averaged 24.5 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals for Conway, which was upset in the state tournament by Little Rock Central. She remains undecided on where she'll play college basketball after her senior year.

Runner-up: Tatum Thompson, F, Woodinville (Washington), sr.

The 6-foot-1 Boise State signee led the Falcons to their first Class 4A state championship, and was not only the 4A KingCo player of the year, she was named "Miss Basketball" by the Washington State Girls Basketball Coaches Association.

Final girls basketball vote

Boys track and field

Winner: Justin Braun, sprints, Westerville Central (Ohio), sr.

The state champion in the 100, 200 and 400 as a junior, Braun was a late scratch at the state championships as a senior with a quad injury. He still finished the season with the top 400 time in the nation at 45.65 and will continue his track career at USC.

Runner-up: Casey Helm, throws, Madison (Kansas), sr.

Helm broke the state record in the discus with a throw of 214-1, good for No. 1 in the nation in 2022 and No. 18 in U.S. high school history. The dual-sport star (football is the other) will focus on track and field at Princeton.

Final boys track and field vote

Girls track and field

Winner: Natalie Cook, distance, Flower Mound (Texas), sr.

The Oklahoma State cross country and track signee won gold in the 1,600 (4 minutes, 40.29 seconds) and 3,200 (9:48.25) at the 2022 Class 6A UIL Track & Field State Championships. Her time in the 3,200 was tops in the nation in 2022 and second all time.

Runner-up: Mia Brahe-Pedersen, sprints, Lake Oswego (Oregon), soph.

At the U.S. Under-20 Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene last month, Brahe-Pedersen broke the 54-year-old state record in the 100 with an 11.25, became the second Oregon high school girl to run faster than 23 seconds in the 200, and qualified for the U-20 world championships in both events. And she still has two more years of high school.

Final girls track and field vote

Baseball

Winner: Nick Monistere, P, Northwest Rankin (Mississippi), sr.

The Southern Miss signee earned series MVP honors in leading Northwest Rankin past DeSoto for the 6A state championship. He was the winning pitcher in Game 1 and went 4-for-9 in the series with two doubles, a triple and four RBIs.

Runner-up: Blake Mitchell, C/SS/P, Sinton (Texas), jr.

One of the most versatile players in the country, Mitchell has already committed to LSU but might be high on MLB Draft boards by this time next year. He hit .459 and drove in 52 runs, plus went 5-0 on the mound and pitched a shutout to lead Sinton into the 4A state championship game, which the Pirates (36-1) won for their first state championship since 2002.

Final baseball vote

Softball

Winner: Kierston Deal, P, East Forsyth (North Carolina), sr.

Deal posted a 23-3 record with a 0.79 ERA, striking out 305 batters in 150.1 innings and walking just 34. She also hit .533 with five home runs and 28 RBIs and will be playing college softball for the defending champion Oklahoma Sooners next season.

Runner-up: Amber Reed, P/1B, North Gwinnett (Georgia), jr.

Reed led North Gwinnett (30-5-1) to the Class 7A state championship last fall, posting a 25-0-1 record with a 0.93 ERA, striking out 215 batters in 151.1 innings pitched while walking just 25. She also hit .443 with 12 home runs and 37 RBIs.

Final softball vote