Vote Now for Buffalo Wild Wings Boys Prep Athlete of the Week

The Detroit Free Press has announced the nominees for the Buffalo Wild Wings Boys Prep Athlete of the Week, celebrating outstanding performances from the week of November 9-15, 2023. This week’s contenders include four high school football players who significantly contributed to their teams’ successes in the regional finals of the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) playoffs. Voting is open until noon on Friday, November 21.

Nominees for Athlete of the Week

Each of the nominees made a notable impact during their respective games.

Evan Bergdoll, a junior quarterback from Allen Park Cabrini, played a crucial role in leading his team to a historic victory. Cabrini secured its first regional title by narrowly defeating Madison Heights with a score of 34-32 on November 14. Bergdoll completed 14 of 25 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns. Additionally, he contributed to the team’s success with two rushing touchdowns.

From Novi Detroit Catholic Central, Jack Janda showcased his defensive prowess. The senior defensive tackle was instrumental in the Shamrocks’ commanding 42-13 victory over the Clarkston Wolves. Janda tallied eight tackles, four of which were for a loss, along with four sacks and one pass breakup.

Meanwhile, Cole Novara from Dexter delivered an impressive offensive performance. He recorded 230 receiving yards and found the end zone four times on 11 receptions, helping Dexter hand Gibraltar Carlson its only loss of the season with a score of 56-42.

Lastly, Jacob Stewart of Almont made his mark on both offense and defense during his team’s 44-8 win over Detroit Edison. The senior running back rushed for 156 yards and three touchdowns on just eight carries, while also contributing defensively with four tackles, all for a loss.

How to Vote and Nominate

Voting for the Athlete of the Week is open at freep.com/sports/high-schools/ and remains available until noon on November 21. Fans are encouraged to return every Tuesday morning to participate in future polls. For those wishing to nominate an athlete for the week of November 16-22, submissions are accepted until 10 a.m. on the following Monday at freep.com/athlete. It is important to note that the nomination link should not be used for voting purposes.

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Eric Guzmán covers youth sports culture for the Detroit Free Press as part of Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project. Contributions to support this work are tax-deductible. For inquiries, Eric can be contacted at [email protected] or by phone at 313-222-1850. Follow him on Bluesky for more updates.