Here are the Gastonia and Shelby area high school football wide receivers to watch in 2023
The 2023 high school football season kicks off for teams in Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties on Aug. 18. With that in mind, now is a good time to see what may be in store for teams in Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties in 2023.
Crest three-star wide receiver Javarius Green leads a talented crop of pass catchers going into the 2023 season. He’s one of seven returning wideouts to finish with at least 500 receiving yards.
Here’s a look at the tri-county area’s top receivers heading into a new season.
TAKING AIM: Here are the Gastonia and Shelby area's quarterbacks to watch in 2023
RUNNING TOUGH: Here are the Gastonia and Shelby area's running backs to watch in 2023
A.J. Adams
Crest | Senior
A shifty guard for the Chargers’ boys basketball team, Adams utilizes many of those same skills as a precise route-runner in Crest’s wide-open aerial attack. Last fall, he caught 50 passes for 710 yards and 10 touchdowns
Malachi Addison
Crest | Senior
A three-year letter winner, Addison may be the fastest in Crest’s fleet of receivers, and potentially its toughest as well. The 5-10, 165-pound wideout set career-highs last fall with 45 catches for 659 yards and eight touchdowns last fall. He has 69 career receptions for 1,068 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Jackson Beam
East Lincoln | Junior
A polished route-runner and sure-handed receiver, Beam was quite the security blanket for East Lincoln last fall en route to the NCHSAA 3A state title. He caught 42 passes for 396 yards and seven touchdowns.
Izay Bridges
Shelby | Senior
Nicknamed “The Flash,” Bridges has spent much of his high school career leaving opposing defensive backs in the dust. The 5-8, 160-pound receiver finished his junior season with 53 receptions for 924 yards and 16 touchdowns. Bridges enters his senior season with 130 career receptions with 2,356 yards and 34 touchdowns.
Reggie Daniel
Mountain Island Charter | Senior
The 6-3, 170-pound receiver led Mountain Island Charter in receptions (22) and receiving yards (470) along with catching five of the Raptors’ seven passing touchdowns.
Eli Falls
Shelby | Junior
Falls could be the next in the pipeline of great Shelby receivers.. He caught 26 passes for 398 yards and six touchdowns as part of a breakout 2022 season.
Javarius Green
Crest | Senior
Green is a trendy name this summer on the recruiting front, catching 61 passes for 1,267 yards and 18 touchdowns as part of a breakout 2022 season. He finished with six 100-yard games, including a 309-yard, five-touchdown performance in helping the Chargers to a 54-49 win over rival Shelby. A three-star recruit according to 247Sports, Green is currently considering Maryland, Michigan State, NC State, North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Virginia Tech as potential college destinations.
Isaiah Johnson
Stuart Cramer | Senior
Johnson is back following a 2022 campaign in which he set career-highs with 68 receptions for 847 yards and seven touchdowns. A three-year letter winner, Johnson begins his senior season with 121 catches for 1,445 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Xzorion Lenair
Kings Mountain | Junior
Lenair provided flashes of his potential last fall, the speedy receiver catching 15 passes for 358 yards and a touchdown. He averaged just shy of 24 yards per catch.
Andrew Phelps
Lincolnton | Senior
Whether as a deep threat or shutdown corner, Phelps has a knack for making an impact. After catching a 10 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown his first two years, the 6-1, 180-pound talent led Lincolnton with 49 catches for 541 yards and three touchdowns in 2022.
Ja’Qualyn Sanders
Kings Mountain | Senior
Sanders emerged last fall as a viable threat downfield, the 6-foot, 190-pound receiver helping Kings Mountain to a Big South 3A title with 45 receptions for 762 yards and five touchdowns.
Kamari Surratt
Burns | Senior
Surratt emerged last fall as a reliable target for Burns quarterback Ben Mauney, the 5-10, 160-pound receiver catching 23 passes for 431 yards and five touchdowns.
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: NCHSAA football: Gastonia, Shelby area wide receivers to watch in 2023
