The top 10 performances from the 2023 Cape Cod high school football season

The high school football season has ended for Cape Cod teams, with only the traditional Thanksgiving games left to be played. Five teams (Sandwich, Mashpee, Barnstable, Dennis-Yarmouth and Bourne) made the postseason, as opposed to three last season, with Barnstable going the furthest to the Division 2 Final Four.

This season included playmakers, whether it was on offense, defense or special teams. Let's take a look back at the top 10 individual performances from the 2023 season.

10. Dominic James, Upper Cape

The Upper Cape Rams entered the game against Atlantis Charter with a 0-8 record and struggled on offense all season. The week before that, they scored 24 points in a loss to Holbrook/Avon, the highest offensive output of the season (30 points total before that). That gave them momentum for the Atlantis Charter game, as James led the Rams with 145 yards and three touchdowns to their first win of the season with a 28-12 victory.

9. Guilherme Oliveira, Martha's Vineyard

In 2022, the Vineyarders started the season against Sutton, who beat them narrowly 22-20. Fast forward to this season, and the two met again to start the season, but the result was very different. Martha's Vineyard won by 40-20 and Oliveira played a big part on both sides of the ball. He rushed six times for 197 yards and three touchdowns and had six tackles and an interception on defense.

8. Makai Hue, Mashpee

After a loss to Dennis-Yarmouth to start this season, the Falcons won four in a row. To win their fifth straight game, they had to go through Hull, the Division 8 state champs. Mashpee was not intimidated, and neither was Hue. He ran for 82 yards and finished with three touchdowns on the ground while catching another touchdown through the air in a 35-0 win over Hull.

7. Mason Zylinski, Mashpee

The Falcons allowed 40 points in the season opener loss to D-Y. The next game they allowed only seven in a 34-7 win over Nantucket. They kept that defensive strategy going against their third opponent Bristol-Plymouth with a 26-7 win. Zylinski led the charge on defense and was unstoppable with four sacks and five tackles for loss.

6. Aiden Kundel, Barnstable

After missing the playoffs last season, the Red Hawks were back in the postseason this year as the No. 5 seed in Division 2. They hosted their first playoff game against North Quincy and made a statement with a 42-7 win. Quarterback Kundel led the offense as he completed 6-of-11 passes for 141 yards and four touchdowns, and added nine carries on the ground for 50 yards and another score.

5. Jayden Barber, Dennis-Yarmouth

Last season the Dolphins finished 4-7. They wanted to make a statement to start this season and that they did with a 40-38 win over Mashpee, which was one of three Cape playoff teams last season. Leading the way was Dolphins quarterback Barber, who went 20-for-32 for 382 yards and five touchdowns while rushing 10 times for 35 yards.

4. Peyton Kellett, Dennis-Yarmouth

The Dolphins had the second-best offense on Cape Cod (behind Barnstable) with 31.5 points per game. The offense was led by Barber and his favorite target Kellett. In a home game against Durfee, Kellett had his best game of the season as he caught seven of Barber's passes for 205 yards and a touchdown in a 41-22 win.

3. Logan Wills, Mashpee

Wills was one of the main offensive weapons for the Falcons all season. In a 26-7 win over Bristol-Plymouth, he broke off 22 carries for 227 yards to lead the offense.

2. Tajardo France, Barnstable

France has been one of the best players for the Red Hawks all season, and in a 48-8 win over Newton North, he showed why. France finished with 227 all-purpose yards, which included 10 rushes for 112 yards and two touchdowns.

1. Daniel Cordeiro, St. John Paul II

After a 1-1 start to the season, the Lions dropped their next two games and fell to 1-3. To avoid losing three straight games, they needed someone to step up. Insert Cordeiro. Not only did he lead them to a 46-40 overtime win, but he had the best game of his career. Cordeiro ran the ball 30 times for 236 yards (21 yards from school record) and had three rushing touchdowns. He added six catches for 48 yards and one receiving touchdown. His 284 total yards came 12 yards short of the school record. On defense, he recovered a fumble and returned it for a touchdown for five total touchdowns for the Lions.

Honorable Mentions

Tre'Chaun Days, Falmouth

Days led the way for the Clippers 33-26 win over Monomoy with three touchdowns and a two-point conversion pass. This included a 92-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Hanlon, a rushing score, and an 80-yard kickoff return touchdown.

Aidan Choukri, Cape Tech

Quarterback Choukri had two passing touchdowns, and two interceptions on defense in a 28-16 win over St. John Paul II.

Ty Kelley, Bourne

Kelley led the way with one touchdown pass (4-6 for 85 yards), one touchdown run (8 carries for 120 yards), and two interceptions in a 28-16 win over Seekonk.

Isaiah Robinson, Nauset

Robinson was effective on both sides of the ball for the Warriors with two receiving touchdowns and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a score, in a 35-7 win over Oliver Ames.

Chase Yarletts, Monomoy

Yarletts led the Sharks with four total touchdowns and a two-point conversion pass in a loss to Falmouth.

Contact Courtney Jacobs at cjacobs@capecodonline.com. Follow him on X/Twitter: @CJ_Journalist.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod high school football top 10 individual games