PREP FOOTBALL: Five Guys to Watch, Week 5

The halfway point is within reach. Who will get the chance to shine to close out the first half of high school football season?

As always, we kick off our Friday mornings with five players to watch. Who is important in Week 5? Who’s a matchup problem? Did they shine in Week 4?

Here are the five guys you should keep an extra eye on tonight.

Nathan Foster, Leo (at East Noble)

This may feel like a cop out, but with Leo at East Noble the biggest game on tonight’s slate, you have to factor in the guy who arguably is the best player in the area right now. In four games this season, the Lions have given the ball to Foster 70 times and he has carried it for 720 yards, going for over 100 yards in each contest. He has scored nine rushing touchdowns and has two of Leo’s five interceptions on defense. Right now, Foster is a matchup nightmare and he is the clear catalyst in tonight’s rivalry game.

Treyton Fletcher, Central Noble (at Fremont)

Central Noble ended its dubious losing streak stretching back to 2023 when it picked up a big win last week. Now, the Cougars face 3-1 Fremont with the hopes of making another big statement. Fletcher shattered Central Noble passing marks a week ago in the win over Prairie Heights, throwing for 492 yards and four touchdowns. He completed 30-of-47 passes, including a school-record 213 of his yards going to Nick Freeman. The diversity in Fletcher’s passing game last week will be impactful should he carry it over to tonight.

Ashtin Jacquay, Woodlan (at Southern Wells)

Jacquay flies around and does a little bit of everything for the Warriors, who are looking for a bit of a get-right game as they travel to Southern Wells. Through four weeks, Jacquay leads Woodlan with 35 tackles, including 25 solo efforts; he also hauled in an interception against Central Noble. With a winnable Week 5 feature, Jacquay could show a lot defensively but also on offense, where he has the most carries of anyone on Woodlan, but has gone for just 34.3 yards per game so far.

Carter Kennedy, Homestead (at Bishop Dwenger)

Kennedy has caught 20 balls this season, going for 21.1 yards per catch for a Spartans team that has been very willing to be active in the air despite losing Michael White to injury at QB1. He has three touchdowns this season and, despite coming off a relatively quiet Week 4 in the win over Bishop Luers, his threat to make some big plays still looms large. He is a long-range threat who has caught passes of 30, 33 and 51 yards this season. Homestead is well prepared for a big scoring game, going against a team which hasn’t scored much or given up many points this season.

Jarron Taylor, Bishop Luers (vs. North Side)

This may be another no-brainer pick, but as Luers tries to slow down North Side’s high impact and proficient offense, Taylor is incredibly important. He leads Bishop Luers with 33 tackles, 22 of which are solo, and is third on the team in tackles for loss. The senior also has a team best three sacks. As Luers has yet to intercept a pass this season and North Side loves to go to the air, having Taylor as a first wave threat to disrupt the passing game will be key tonight at Luersfield.