The Starting 22: Best players from week three of high school football

Each week, HighSchoolOT will release the Starting 22. It is a list of the best performances from every position across North Carolina.

Coaches should send in performance nominations to jbryant@wral.com for consideration each week.

Offense

QB — Ny’Tavious Huskey, senior, Crest

• In Crest’s rivalry win over Shelby, Huskey completed 18-of-23 passing attempts for 411 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception. Huskey also rushed seven times for 16 yards and a touchdown.

RB — Austin Lewallen, sophomore, Princeton

• The sophomore rusher had 51 carries for 375 yards and six touchdowns on Friday vs. Rosewood.

RB — Josiah Robinson, junior, Clinton

• In Clinton’s 41-6 win over Lumberton, Robinson rushed 11 times for 134 yards and five touchdowns.

WR — Nicah Taylor, senior, Eastern Randolph

• Taylor was credited with 13 receptions for 238 yards and three touchdowns in Eastern Randolph’s 36-15 win over Southern Lee.

WR — TJ Ellerbe, sophomore, Red Springs

• 2A Red Springs lost in a lopsided affair to a 4A Purnell Swett squad, but Ellerbe was a nice standout. He had four receptions for 180 yards and two touchdowns.

FLEX — Jonathan Paylor, senior RB/WR, Cummings

• The NC State commit scored every time he touched the ball in Cummings’ 54-6 win over Jordan-Matthews. He finished with 3 rushes for 104 yards and three touchdowns and one catch for five yards and a touchdown.

OT — Trey Blue, junior, Cary

• The Imps fell to Athens Drive in a six-point game, but the run offense had some explosive plays that were sprung by the blocking of the 6-foot-6, 320-pound Power 5 prospect.

IOL — Brayson McIver, senior LG, Butler

• The dynamic guard put on an impressive show of mobility and pancakes in Butler’s 30-27 win over national power Langston Hughes.

IOL — Eli Greene, senior LG, Watauga

• Greene has been Watauga’s best offensive lineman through a 3-0 start. The stout 6-foot-2, 275-pound guard helped the Pioneers rush for 229 yards against a strong Maiden program on Friday.

IOL — Spencer Baldwin, senior, Mount Airy

• At 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, Baldwin helped the Granite Bears’ offense rush for a combined 445 yards and seven touchdowns on just 32 carries.

OT — Kilan Harrison, junior RT, Olympic

• The 6-foot-5, 280-pound Harrison showed solid pass blocking and was a menace in the open field as a run blocker in Olympic’s 21-20 win over West Cabarrus.

Defense

EDGE — Cashyon Foster, senior, Westover

• For the third-straight game, Foster recorded an even three sacks. He leads the entire state in sacks with nine. He’s been credited with 33 tackles including 16 tackles for a loss through three weeks.

DL — Jordyn Ratliff, junior, Dudley

• The 338-pound defensive tackle, a Southwest Guilford transfer, had a huge nine tackle, four tackles for a loss performance in Dudley’s impressive 54-8 win over Hillside.

DL — Jamal Shaw, senior, Triton

• The undersized 5-foot-9, 225-pound defensive tackle ruined Sanderson’s night with an eight-tackle, two-sack, and two-forced fumble performance in the Hawks’ 36-28 win.

EDGE — Robbie Whitney, junior, East Forsyth

• The craft junior finished with eight total tackles, four tackles for a loss, and two sacks in East Forsyth’s 27-21 win over A.C. Reynolds.

LB — Alex Koulovatos, senior, Providence

• The outside linebacker transfer from Covenant Day stuffed the stat sheet in the Panthers’ 41-20 win over Huss. He was credited with 10 tackles, three tackles for a loss, two sacks, one forced fumble, one interception, a blocked punt, and two catches for a touchdown on offense.

LB — Tyquan Rankin, senior, Butler

• The reigning Southwestern 4A DPOY was a menace for national power Langston Hughes (GA) in Butler’s 30-27 win. The highlight of the night was Rankin’s 79-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown.

LB — Jordan Lineberger, senior, Newton-Conover

• The senior was credited with 21 tackles, including 15 solo tackles, and one sack in Newton-Conover’s 46-39 win over East Rutherford.

DB — Kisaiah Harris, junior, Porter Ridge

• Harris has intercepted a pass in all three games of the season. He had three tackles, a pick, and three pass breakups against a high-powered Hickory Ridge passing offense.

DB — Tyshaun Goldston, junior, Randleman

• The 6-foot-4 safety has now intercepted a pass in all three games of the season after grabbing one against Cedar Ridge. He also had four receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown on offense. Holds an offer from Charlotte.

DB — Jer’Cory Scarboro, senior, Clayton

• The East Wake transfer was credited with five tackles, five tackles for a loss, two sacks, one interception, and one fumble recovery in Clayton’s 45-7 win over Wakefield.

FLEX — Jordan Hamm, freshman OLB, Wilson Prep

• The freshman is top five in the state in sacks after a seven-tackle, three-sack performance in a 21-0 shutout for the Tigers over Warren County. Said to have significant Division I upside.