Vote Now: Who should be this week's SBLive North Carolina High School Athlete of the Week (Jan. 30-Feb. 4)?
Here are the candidates for SBLive’s North Carolina High School Athlete of the Week for Jan. 30-Feb. 4 as nominated by fans, readers and SBLive’s staff. Read through the nominees and cast your vote at the bottom of the page. Voting will conclude on Sunday at 11:59 p.m. and the winner will be announced Monday, Feb. 13. If you would like to nominate an athlete, please email athleteoftheweek@scorebooklive.com or tag us on Twitter or Instagram at @sblivenc.
THIS WEEK’S NORTH CAROLINA ATHLETE OF THE WEEK NOMINEES
Editor’s note: Our Athlete of the Week feature and corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. However, we do not allow votes that are generated by script, macro or other automated means. Athletes that receive votes by script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified.
Ka’Nyah O’Neal, Southside, Girls Basketball
Southside’s career scoring leader surpassed 2,000 points when the Seahawks beat Northside-Pinetown 58-45. The 5-foot-8 senior scored 29 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and had 6 assists. That pales in comparison to the incredible performance against the same team on Jan. 13 - 56 points, 24 rebounds and 10 steals. The points equals the sixth-best single game effort in North Carolina history.
Ayden Taylor, Princeton, Boys Basketball
The 6-foot-3 senior scored 33 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the Bulldogs’ 62-57 loss to Goldsboro. It was Taylor’s 10th double-double of the season and 22nd for his career.
Ben Hunsberger, Westchester Country Day, Boys Swimming
Hunsberger, a junior, set a school record in the 100 free with a time of 50.73 as the Wildcats won the conference championship.
Nathan Ellis, Southwestern Randolph, Boys Basketball
The 5-foot-11 junior guard scored 21 points as the Cougars upset Eastern Randolph 75-66, ending the Wildcats’ 19-game winning streak.
Jayden McCrae, Boys Basketball, North Davidson, Boys Basketball
A 6-foot-3 sophomore forward, McCrae had a terrific game in the Black Knights’ 68-66 win over rival Oak Grove. He scored 32 points on 11-of-13 shooting and grabbed 15 rebounds. McCrae also had two steals and two assists.
Evangelia Paulk, Asheville, Girls Basketball
The 6-foot senior forward scored 16 points, gathered 9 rebounds and blocked 5 shots as Asheville rallied from 17 points down to beat Enka 49-45 in a key conference game. Paulk is averaging 19.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 4.7 steals and 2.5 blockee shots.
Dylan Bradley, South Point, Boys Basketball
A 6-foot-3 freshman, Bradley scored a career-high 24 points as the Red Raiders beat Crest 79-64, avenging a loss earlier in the season. Bradley got the bulk of his points on six 3-pointers.
Kate Sears, Watauga, Girls Basketball
Sears, a 5-foot-9 sophomore, scored 21 points to go along with 7 rebounds and 4 assists as the Pioneers knocked off Alexander Central 52-39. She's averaging 21.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists.
Cael Dunn, Avery County, Boys Wrestling
This is what you call clutch. Dunn, a 170-pound freshman, pinned his opponent with just 17 seconds left in the final match, lifting the Vikings to a 39-34 victory over Robbinsville for the 1-A Western Regional championship. Avery County trailed by a point heading into the final bout but Dunn delivered.
Malachi Simpson, Hendersonville, Boys Basketball
The 6-foot-6 sophomore is having a big season. Simpson scored 21 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in a 70-61 win over West Henderson. He had 19 points and 5 rebounds in an 87-69 win over East Rutherford. Simpson is averaging 18.9 points and 7.6 rebounds.
Zaire Jones, Oak Grove, Girls Basketball
Jones scored 24 points and gathered 16 rebounds against conference rival Ledford, in a first place battle. It was her fourth double-double of the season.
