Check out the Gridiron Football Player of the Week (Week 15 Edition) Show hosted by Jace LeJeune & Alex Allison below!
#1 Cecilia (LA) 2025 QB Diesel Solari: 2,826 votes
From one of the best state championship games that we got last weekend, we have QB Diesel Solari from Cecilia. They were in a battle with Franklinton that came down to the wire, but he and the Bulldogs got it done when they needed to make plays the most. Solari, through the air, was 8-18 for 69 yards and 1 TD. But using his speed and agility in the run game, he would finish with 18 rushes for 148 yards and 2 TDs. Most importantly, Cecilia would walk out as state champions after an amazing playoff run, coming in as the 18-seed and climbing the ladder every week against tough opponents.
#2 Edna Karr (LA) 2026 DL Richard Anderson: 1,595 votes
Coming in at number 2, we have DL Richard Anderson who was a monster in the backfield all day long for the Cougars. He would finish the game with 7 total tackles, 5 solo, 6 TFLs and also 1 sack. His performance may not have been record-breaking, but his huge impact was felt on this game quickly. The defense would pitch one of their best performances of the season, blowing the doors off of the state championship game with a 53-8 win over Alexandria.
#3 Franklinton (LA) 2025 RB Sy Austin: 709 votes
It was high stakes this weekend and some of Louisiana’s biggest performers really showed up to play in their toughest games for this season. A great example was Franklinton RB Sy Austin, who had a monster state championship game even though they came up just short in the end. At the end of the night, he would have 30 carries for 147 yards and 3 touchdowns. He was also involved in the passing game with 2 receptions for 19 yards. But in the end Franklinton would come up just short to Cecilia 32-35.
#4 Muenster (TX) 2026 QB Casen Carney: 514 votes
Coming in at number 4, we have our first nominee from Texas, Casen Carney. In the semifinals the junior QB would show up huge with a 5 touchdown performance. Through the air, he was 9-14 for 151 yards and 2 TDs. ON the ground, he would total 19 carries on the night for 158 yards and 3 more TDs. He was a big help in the team’s 49-26 win over undefeated Gruver to go to state. Since last week’s perfomance, they have played in the state championship game where Carney showed up huge again with 4 TDs to help them take the trophy back home.
#5 Summer Creek (TX) 2025 QB Blake Thomas: 147 votes
From Texas once again, we have QB Blake Thomas this time, who gave us another perfect example statline of a great dual-threat QB. He finished the night with 315 passing yards and 2 TDs, while also rushing for 175 yards and added another TD. Even amidst the great perfomance from Thomas, Summer Creek would fall to Vandegrift in a great game from both teams, that ended with Thomas on the wrong end of a 34-31 thriller.
#6 Edna Karr (LA) 2026 QB John Johnson: 100 votes
Back on our list once again, we have QB John Johnson who won MVP over the weekend for his 5-touchdown performance in the state championship game. While the Alexandria defense did make things tough on him, his big-play ability is undeniable and for every mistake that he made, he came back with a bigger positive. He would finish the game 10 of 17 for 197 yards and 2 passing TDs. On the ground though, he had 19 rushes for 161 yards and 3 TDs. Johnson on offense and fellow nominee, Richard Anderson on defense, made things super tough for Alexandria in their huge 53-8 win in the Superdome to give Edna Karr their first state championship since 2019.
#7 La Vega (TX) 2026 WR Jabarie Thornton
Next up, from Texas, we have junior WR Jabarie Thornton who had a huge perfomance in La Vega’s blowout victory last week. He would finish the game with only 5 catches but they went for 147 yards and 2 TDs. He added onto the huge final score and had some fun getting in the mix but La Vega had this game locked up without him with a dominant 62-35 win over Wimberley.
#8 Central – B.R. (LA) Defense
Coming in alongside QB Jackson Firmin, we have the Central defense as a collective in their huge shutout performance in the 42-0 victory over Ruston in the first appearance in the Superdome. Against this highly-touted offense, the Wildcats would show up and show out, holding Ruston to 90 yards of total offense and only 4 first downs. They shut them down on 3rd-down conversions holding them to just 1/8 and also forced 4 turnovers by the time this game was wrapped up, including one returned by DK Mays for a TD. The Central defense outscored Ruston alone in this huge 42-0 shutout victory that stunned the entire Ruston team and sideline.
#9 Central – B.R. (LA) 2025 QB Jackson Firmin
Next up, we have QB Jackson Firmin who led the Central offense to a 42-point performance in the final state championship game of the season. He played a great game and from kickoff, fans could see that he was dialed in and wanted this win. He would end the game 17-28 for 233 yards while throwing 5 TDs. He also would have 7 rushes for 30 yds, but this game was wrapped up with his passing alone as the Ruston offense had no shot of keeping up with the defense that Firmin has helping him on the other side of the ball. They would win a 42-0 uproot of Ruston and get their first state championship win inside the Dome.
#10 South Plaquemines (LA) 2026 QB Jy’Heim Williams
With one of the best all-around performances of the weekend, we have state championship MVP Jy’Heim Williams. He was much-deserving as he had a huge impact on the game and arguably won this game for his team. On offense, at RB he had 15 carries for 45 yards and a TD. As a receiver, he had 6 catches for 69 yards and 2 more TDs. And finally on defense, he had 5 tackles and the game-sealing interception for his team to secure the game in the 4th. They would win over undefeated Haynesville, 20-6.
#11 Catholic – N.I. (LA) 2026 QB Luke Landry
Facing off against #1 seeded, undefeated Dunham, we knew that there would be somebody special that would have to show up big to pull out this hard-fought win. Catholic N.I. got that from their QB, Luke Landry who went head-to-head dueling with fellow nominee Elijah Haven in an amazing game. Landry would come out on top though, leading his team with a 19-35 perfomance through the air for 226 yards and 2 TDs. He also rushed 11 times for 72 yards, determined to do whatever it took to take back home the trophy. They would get the win with a final of 31-28 in one of the best games that the state championships had to offer.
#12 Shiner (TX) 2025 QB Carson Schuette
Coming in at number 12, we have another Texas QB, Carson Schuette. While he may not have passed for as many yards as some of the others on this list, his impact was huge and simply put, he just made the plays that needed to be made. To complement his 94 passing yards, he would finish the game with 20 carries on the ground for 258 yards and 4 TDs in Shiner’s 41-33 victory over Bremond to send them to the state championship game.
#13 Dunham (LA) 2027 QB Elijah Haven
Elijah Haven has become a household name across Louisiana this season, helping to lead Dunham to an undefeated season all the way to the Superdome. In the state championship game, he would not slack in performance one bit and the sophomore proved that he can handle the big lights. Haven finished the game 25-37 for 300 yards and 2 TDs. Not only that, but on the ground he had 32 carries for 153 yards and 2 more TDs. He finished just under 500 all-purpose yards, with 453 and 4 TDs in a crushing 31-28 loss down to the wire against fellow nominee Luke Landry. Haven has 2 more years to get it done though and he will only continue to evolve as the #1 prospect in the nation.
#14 Vermilion Catholic (LA) 2026 QB Jonathan Dartez
What an end to a historic high school football performance for QB Jonathan Dartez who finally got the only thing that he was missing, the state championship. Dartez who has put the team on his back however he can multiple times throughout the season, took it to another level in the championship game. Through the air, he was 8/11 for 82 yards and 2 TDs, which is a pretty normal game for him. BUt on the ground, he would set a new Louisiana HS State Championship record with 47 rushes for 253 yards and 2 TDs. His final amount of rushes was enough to break the previous record and put Dartez’s name in the record books again for a “lay it all on the line” performance from the team’s QB. They would get the win over Ouachita Christian 33-21.
#15 Malakoff (TX) 2025 MLB/TE Parker Poteete
Wrapping up our final POTW list of 2024, we have another Texas kid, Parker Poteete. Parker is a gritty MLB who has a nose for the ball and always seems like he is in the right place to make a tackle or big play. In their semifinal matchup vs Paradise, he would rack up 19 tackles by the end of the night. The senior would also get into the endzone on a hard-fought effort to start this game off and set the tone for his team. His energy and perfomance was enough as they would pull out the win in the end, 27-19 to send them to state.
2024 Gridiron Football Player of the Week Winners:
Week 1: STM 2025 DB Brian Broussard
Week 2: Liberty Magnet 2026 RB Zaiden Foster
Week 3: Iowa 2025 RB/WR Jonathan Walker Jr.
Week 4: Southern Lab 2026 QB Jerry Bottley
Week 5: Assumption 2025 QB Landen Sanchez
Week 6: Riverside 2025 RB Dedric Lastie
Week 7: Episcopal 2025 RB Reid Chauvin
Week 8: Delta Charter 2025 RB Tyrin Singleton
Week 9: Fisher 2025 S Jaiven Lewis
Week 10: Abbeville 2027 QB Kobe Vital
Week 11: Loyola Prep 2027 QB Bryce Restovich
Week 12: Bunkie 2026 WR Cain Milligan & Pine 2025 WR/S DJ Garrett
Week 13: Sterlington 2025 RB Hagen Herring
Week 14: Franklinton 2026 QB Jacob Crain
67
0
17
20
