Cast your vote for the Gaylord Herald Times Athlete of the Week
GAYLORD ― The return of sports in the Otsego area also brings the return of the Gaylord Herald Times Athlete of the Week polls.
Each week, athletes from Gaylord, St. Mary and Johannesburg-Lewiston will be highlighted for their efforts across all sports, and it will be up to you to decide on the best performance by casting your vote below.
Here are the candidates and their stats from week one:
Caleb Aungst, Gaylord football
The highlight of the prep sports season's opening weeks was the Gaylord comeback victory over Traverse City West on Friday, Aug. 25, and no one player had a bigger impact on that victory than senior quarterback Caleb Aungst.
Aungst completed eight of ten passes for 85 yards while rushing for another 50 yards. He saved the best for last, however, leading a nearly six-minute drive in the fourth quarter before capping it off with a go-ahead touchdown run with 11 seconds to go, the eventual game-winner.
"He came to the sidelines with about four and a half minutes left and said 'Coach, put it on my shoulders'," head coach DJ Szymoniak said.
TAKEAWAYS: How Gaylord football topped TC West for first time in 18 years
Kylee Hopp, Gaylord volleyball
Gaylord volleyball is off to a fast start in the 2023 season, building a 10-2-1 overall record over its first 13 matches this season.
This past week was highlighted by wins over Sault Ste Marie and Grayling as well as a run to the semifinals of the Reed City Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 26. Over those seven games, junior Kylee Hopp has asserted herself as a player to watch for the Blue Devils' this season.
Her week was highlighted by a 16-kill performance in the win over Grayling on Wednesday, Aug. 23, while her serving helped the Blue Devils beat the tournament hosts Reed City in the quarterfinals on Saturday.
Dillon Croff, Gaylord St. Mary football
St. Mary's football was on the wrong end of the scoreboard in its trip to Pickford on Thursday, Aug. 24, but the coaching staff found positive aspects of the game. One of those things, fortunately, was the play of senior running back Dillon Croff, especially in the second half.
After a slow start, Croff finished with 98 rushing yards and a touchdown, helping cut a 34-point deficit to a more respectable 40-22 defeat on Thursday in the U.P.
Despite the loss, the Ski Valley Conference still has a big problem to deal with in GSM's backfield.
TAKEAWAYS: Pickford's fast start leads to season-opening victory over Gaylord St. Mary
Nate Hummel, Johannesburg-Lewiston football
Johannesburg-Lewiston's week one victory over Harbor Springs was a big step for a rebuilding program as head coach Joe Smokevitch's team won its opener for the first time since 2020.
It was also another huge performance for junior back Nate Hummel, the lead back in the Cardinals' Wing-T offense, as he finished with 155 yards and two touchdowns in the 26-6 opening night victory.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Cast your vote now for the Gaylord Herald Times Athlete of the Week
