Caleel Hardison recorded 13 tackles, two sacks and a fumble-recovery touchdown as Spring Hill routed Battle Creek 48-20 on Friday, Oct. 16.
That performance earned the Spring Hill High School defender a nomination for The Daily Herald's Week 9 TSSAA football Athlete of the Week, according to a poll published Monday, Oct. 19 by reporter Harrison Campbell. Hardison is one of three area players with local ties on the eight-player ballot.
Beyond the tackles and sacks, Hardison added three tackles for a loss and a blocked extra-point attempt, according to The Daily Herald. His teammate Kasen White also landed on the ballot after rushing 14 times for 185 yards and two touchdowns against Battle Creek.
White averaged more than 13 yards per carry.
The 48-20 victory pushed the Raiders to 7-1 on the season, according to MaxPreps. Spring Hill hosts Marshall County in a 4A Region 5 matchup on Friday, Oct. 23. The Tigers enter at 3-5 after a 55-22 win over Montgomery Central.
Summit High School running back Charles Williams rounds out the local nominees. Williams rushed 10 times for 41 yards and a touchdown and added a 16-yard touchdown reception in the Spartans' 42-14 win over Coffee County on Oct. 16.
Quarterback Davis Smith went 7-of-15 for 94 yards and a touchdown and ran for 51 yards and another score, according to The Daily Herald's game roundup. Ryan Jones added 86 rushing yards and a touchdown. Summit moved to 3-5 overall and 2-2 in Region 6-6A with the victory.
The rest of the ballot features several strong stat lines. Mt. Pleasant's Kale Scott went 17-of-19 passing for 297 yards and five touchdowns in a 38-10 win over East Hickman. Columbia Central's J'Mari Hall posted 13 carries for 84 yards and a touchdown on offense while recording 10 tackles, an interception and a blocked field goal on defense in a 28-24 win over Lincoln County.
Lawrence County's Kavondre Young, Summertown's McKaleb Powell and Zion Christian's Jayden Hughes round out the field.
Voting closes at noon Thursday, Oct. 22.
