Vote: Who should be SBLive's Eastern North Carolina High School Football Offensive Player of the Year?
Here is our list of offensive players in Eastern North Carolina who had noteworthy performances throughout the 2023 high school football season. Voting will remain open through Dec. 31 at 11:59 p.m. and you may vote as many times as you wish.
Braden Atkinson, Rolesville: Atkinson threw for 3,477 yards and 45 touchdowns against four interceptions, competing 73.8 % of his passes (231-313). He averaged 272.8 yards per game for the Rams, who advanced to the fourth round of the 4-A playoffs.
Cole Weeks, Hobbton: Weeks threw for 3,443 yards and 38 touchdowns, averaging 313 passing yards per game.
Jackson Byrd, Cleveland: Byrd threw for 3,359 yards and 36 touchdowns, completing nearly 70 % of his passes and ran for 357 yards and 11 scores for the Rams this season.
Jaylen Hewitt, West Carteret: Hewitt threw for 3,236 yards and 35 touchdowns, averaging 294.2 yards per game.
Trevaris Jones, Northeastern: Jones threw for 3,150 yards and 38 touchdowns and also had four rushing touchdowns and has Northeastern in the 2-A East Regional Championship game Friday.
Mason Fortune, Millbrook: Fortune threw for 3,112 yards and 27 touchdowns for the Wildcats this season, completing 62.3 % of his passes and averaging 259.3 passing yards per game.
Zay Jones, Scotland: Jones ran for 2,680 yards (second in the state) and 42 touchdowns (led the state) this season. He averaged 206 rushing yards per game.
Austin Lewallen, Princeton: Lewallen ran for 2,643 yards and 29 touchdowns, averaging 203.3 rushing yards per game.
Johnathan Montague, Clayton: Montague was a force with his arm and his legs, throwing for 1,601 yards and 13 touchdowns, and rushing fr 2,578 yards and 41 scores.
Tyselle Spencer, Northeastern: Spencer ran for 2,491 yards and 33 touchdowns, ranking sixth in the state.
Corbin Kerr, Wallace-Rose Hill: Kerr ran for 2,252 yards and 26 touchdowns and averaged 8.8 yards per carry.
Devon Thomas, Rolesville: Thomas ran for 2,189 yards and 23 touchdowns for the Rams, who averaged 41.2 points per game and advanced to the fourth round of the 4-A playoffs.
