6 TDs with a game-winner, jaw-dropping milestone highlight Athlete of the Week poll

High school sports are in full swing for the fall season, and Week 1 of NCHSAA football has wrapped up with first-game action, and Fayetteville fans earned a treat.

For the week of Aug. 19-23, there were many top performances from area athletes, including a a few three-touchdown games, and a career milestone for an all-time tennis player.

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Here are this week’s nominees for Aug. 19-23 Athlete of the Week and why they're nominated:

Shea Bieniek, Cape Fear: The decorated Colts senior tennis athlete notched her 100th career win last Wednesday against Purnell Swett. In her two matches, Bieniek swept her singles match in two sets, and paired with Andi Brinker in doubles for an 8-0 win to reach her individual milestone.

Jacob Moore, Terry Sanford: Moore put on a stellar performance on the road against Topsail last Friday. The junior quarterback put up five rushing touchdowns in the first half, and passed for a score in the second half, totalling six on the night.

Alphonso Myers, Gray's Creek: The junior running back was one of three 100-yard rushers for the Bears on Friday night. Myers contributed for 111 yards on the ground, and three scores.

DeAndre Nance, Seventy-First: Nance performed his usual duties against a tough-nosed Richmond Raiders team in their first game, and came away with the game-winning score. Nance accounted for 230 total yards on the night.

Justin Richardson, Douglas Byrd: Richardson was a driving force to the Eagles’ first win since 2022. On the road, the senior running back rushed for 180 yards on 14 carries, and scored two touchdowns as well.

Geronimo Sanchez, Cape Fear: Sanchez led the Colts to a shutout win over Pine Forest as the driving force to the offense. The junior quarterback totalled three touchdowns on the night, throwing two in the air and scrambling for the other.

Xayden Watson, Trinity Christian: Watson was an all-around threat for the Crusaders in their bounce-back win at Metrolina. He picked off one pass while on defense, caught four passes for 60 yards receiving, and scored a touchdown on a 65-yard kickoff return.

Coaches and athletic directors can nominate a player for athlete of the week by sending nominations to jfmoore@gannett.com by noon Sunday. Include the player's name, year in school, accomplishments for the week and a headshot.

Voting ends Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 7 a.m.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: 6 TDs with a game-winner, jaw-dropping milestone highlight Athlete of the Week poll