The first edition of the area player rankings is here. For years I’ve considered putting something of this nature together but debated the most efficient way to do so.
Borrowing an idea from the Athletic and its annual QB tier rankings I decided to poll a combination of nine area media members and coaches with the hopes of compiling a fair and informed set of rankings.
Sports are the last great medium where you can debate somebody and not ruin a major holiday dinner. Everybody likes to rank their top players and I believed this would be a fun exercise and it was.
The Panelists and the Criteria
I asked two media members, one talent evaluator and six assistant or head coaches from around the area to rank their top 10 players in order.
My goal was to pick panelists who I knew had either played a wealth of the best area teams, had studied many of the area players or covered them and would evaluate them fairly. And I believe we arrived at a fair outcome.
Each voter was given a list of approximately 18 players as a guideline but were told they could add any player they wanted within reason. It’s always possible to miss a trench player because their impact can be difficult to quantify.
Voters were allowed to value and rank the players as they chose with just one stipulation – rank them as high school football players, not college prospects. Tim Tebow was a great college football player but that didn’t translate to the NFL.
The Final Rankings
No. 1
Landyn Moore, Princeton (OL)
Princeton’s Landyn Moore was the runaway choice as the area’s top overall player. The Marshall commit and Stydahar finalist was the only player to appear in the top five on every ballot and had five first place votes on the nine ballots. He scored 16 points higher than any other player.
He was a large part of the reason Princeton was able to effectively shift to a ground-and-pound team in the postseason. With a Division I pedigree, abnormal size and strength and multiple all-state selections under his belt he was the overwhelming choice for the area’s top spot.
No. 2
Max Simpson, Bluefield (QB)
Simpson was one of four players who appeared on all nine ballots and one of four players with a first place vote.
After struggling to find his footing as a freshman, the rising junior delivered on all of the flashes a year ago when he threw 41 touchdown passes to nine interceptions, leading the game-tying drive in the Class AA title game.
No. 3
Isaiah Conley, Independence (DL)
A two-time first team all-state collection and the runner-up for the Huff Award a year ago, Conley was one of four players to garner a first place vote.
No. 4
Jeremiah Jones, Bluefield (RB-LB)
Jones was on all but one ballot and garnered two first place votes – the only player aside from Moore to earn multiple first place votes.
His value as a super star on both sides of the ball at important positions at the high school level gave him an edge on most ballots.
No. 5
Pax Calhoun, Bluefield (WR)
Calhoun was on every ballot, placing as high as No. 3 and as low as No. 10.
Panelists noted his ability to high-point the ball and consistently win at the catch point made him a valuable and quarterback-friendly receiver. The exact archetype that benefits any high school passing offense.
No. 6
Gage Burdette, Beckley (RB-LB)
Burdette was on eight of the nine ballots, placing as high as two and as low as No. 10.
His performance at summer camps and testing was noted and the tape matches the toughness. One panelist noted the Flying Eagles are likely to go as far as he’ll take them this season.
No. 7
Brock Green, Independence (QB)
Green found his way on all nine ballots, cracking the top five on two ballots and earning a third place vote on one.
He threw for 2,945 yards and 29 touchdowns a year ago and has won three career playoff games in two seasons.
No. 8
Carson Treadway, Independence (ATH)
Treadway was only on five of the nine ballots but placed as high as second and as low as 10th.
Already a state champion high jumper, several panelists mentioned they’re interested in seeing how he performs on both sides of the ball in Indy’s system.
No. 9
KJ Viars, Independence (WR-DB)
Viars cracked six of the nine ballots, placing as high as sixth.
After producing 1,047 yards and seven touchdowns as a freshman, one panelist noted Indy will go as far as the combination of Viars and Green can take them.
No. 10
Jake Belcher, Princeton
Belcher tied with teammate Alex Cox for the tenth spot on this list with 18 points but won out on the tiebreaker of average ranking.
One panelist noted the lack of tape at QB could hurt him and much of his inclusion is projection at the this point but he’s thrown the ball well when they’ve seen him this summer and his versatility as a runner only adds to his repertoire at the position.
|
Rank |
Player |
Points |
|---|---|---|
|
🥇 1 |
Landyn Moore, Princeton (OL) |
80 |
|
🥈 2 |
Max Simpson, Bluefield (QB) |
63 |
|
🥉 3 |
Isaiah Conley, Independence (DL) |
59 |
|
4 |
Jeremiah Jones, Bluefield (RB-LB) |
52 |
|
5 |
Pax Calhoun, Bluefield (WR) |
48 |
|
6 |
Gage Burdette, Beckley (RB-LB) |
45 |
|
7 |
Brock Green, Independence (QB) |
34 |
|
8 |
Carson Treadway, Independence (WR-RB-LB) |
29 |
|
9 |
KJ Viars, Independence (WR-DB) |
20 |
|
10 |
Jake Belcher*, Princeton (QB-DB) |
18 |
Others Receiving Votes
|
Player |
Points |
|---|---|
|
Alex Cox, Princeton (ATH) |
18 |
|
Jaleel Jones, Bluefield (WR-DB) |
9 |
|
Ethan Thompson, Bluefield (OL) |
4 |
|
Brody Jones, Midland Trail (ATH) |
4 |
|
Bryce Gardinier, James Monroe (ATH) |
3 |
|
Jaidyn Shuck, Independence (OL) |
3 |
|
Colby Justus, Princeton (OL) |
2 |
|
Willis Wilson, Bluefield (RB-LB) |
2 |
|
Cade Compton, Oak Hill (RB) |
2 |
The Breakdown
The list was heavy on three teams – Bluefield, Princeton and Independence. That was to be expected. Those three programs have combined for five state title game appearances since 2021 with Indy and Princeton notching two each. All three are coming off seasons in which they won at least a playoff game each with Bluefield and Princeton having played in their respective classification’s title game last year.
Observations
- It speaks to Moore’s talent and tape that he ran away with the top spot as a lineman. He was also the only lineman to make the list.
- Jeremiah Jones was viewed incredibly favorably by most panelists. Several voters noted his ability to play on an all-state level on both sides of the ball made him twice the impact player.
- Jaleel Jones, the Carl Lee Award winner from a year ago, came in behind Cox with nine total points and was omitted from most ballots. I was a little surprised he didn’t crack the top 10 but it’s also a very deep list.
- I got the sense Treadway and Belcher were the most intriguing players for panelists. Treadway’s athleticism has most intrigued to see him in Indy’s ecosystem. Belcher’s experience as a runner behind an offensive line that should be really good again has others intrigued to see him in Nate Tanner’s system.
- I wondered how panelists would rank the two junior QBs in Simpson and Green. This time a year ago I don’t believe Simpson would’ve made the list while Green probably would’ve ranked similarly to where he did coming into this season. Now Simpson has vaulted ahead following a state runner-up finish. I’ll be curious to see how they rank when the season ends.
- One panelist mentioned they liked Cox more than Viars and Calhoun because of his versatility on offense and how he’ll likely be used as a receiver. That’s fair. Receiver and quarterback archetypes are like flavors and everyone likes different ones.
My goal is to make this an annual exercise and revisit it again when the season ends. It should be fun to compare the preseason to the postseason once we reach the finish line.
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