Hereford's Nickilah Whatley, Miami's Haiden Thompson are Happy State Bank Athletes of the Week
Nickilah Whatley, Hereford, Volleyball
There isn't much Whatley hasn't done this season for the Whitefaces this season. She's played an integral part in leading Hereford to a 26-6 overall record heading into Tuesday's critical match against Randall. That game started after deadline, but last week Whatley was deserving of Athlete of the Week.
Whatley was outstanding against Dumas and West Plains. Against the Demons, she finished with 12 digs, 10 kills and three blocks. Versus the Wolves, she had 15 digs, nine kills and three blocks. It was an outstanding effort all around for the senior middle blocker.
"Nickilah is a true competitor in everything she does," Hereford head coach Carley McCracken said. "We are playing her as a six rotation middle this year, which is hard to do at this level, and she has stepped up to the challenge every day. She has taken on the new challenge of playing back row seriously and has done a tremendous job for us!"
Haiden Thompson, Miami, Football
It is safe to say that Miami junior Haiden Thompson came to play last Friday night.
The Warriors were aiming to rebound from their first loss of the season and were set to host Lubbock Christ the King Cathedral. Miami had not won four of their first five games since 2019 and Thompson was going to do his best to end that streak.
The 6-foot-2 junior proceeded to complete 12-of-13 passes for 190 yards and six touchdowns, rush four times for 148 yards and two scores, and totaled seven tackles and two interceptions on defense.
“It was a pretty dominating performance,” Miami coach DJ Howell said. “He’s a big guy and he’s fast so he’s able to run the football. The thing that makes him really dangerous is that he’s also really good at throwing the ball. He’s multi-dimensional in that way and he’s a very smart player. When there were a couple of designed runs, he took them both to the house. He also got the ball out to other people and is really good at putting the ball in the right spots.”
Thompson has continued his ascension as one of the top players in the region at both quarterback and outside linebacker. To this point of the season, he is arguably the best six-man player in the Texas Panhandle.
On offense, Thompson has completed 43-of-63 attempts for 912 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also leads the team in rushing with 436 yards and 10 touchdowns on 29 carries (15.0 yards per carry). Through five games he has yet to commit a turnover.
On the other side of the ball, the junior is second on the team with 34 tackles and five interceptions.
“He’s been flying around the field making tackles and he had interceptions on back-to-back plays this past week,” Howell said. “It was just an absolute dominant performance.”
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Hereford's Nickilah Whatley, Miami's Haiden Thompson are Happy State Bank Athletes of the Week
