Finalists announced for Mark L. Fischer Player of the Year Award

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Four area high school football players have been voted finalists for the Mark L. Fischer Player of the Year Award, presented by NBC12. Monacan’s Tyler Hensley, Nigel James of Hermitage, Deep Run’s Bo Kite and Jay Woolfolk of Benedictine were selected among the 38 nominees submitted by area head coaches. The finalists were determined largely by the votes of local head coaches along with four select media members.

Hensley led Monacan to just the second perfect regular season in program history. He threw for 1,594 yards, 16 touchdowns and just three interceptions, while also rushing for an additional three scores. The Chiefs advanced to the Region 4B championship game and finished the campaign with a 7-1 record.

James paced the area in rushing, helping Hermitage to an undefeated 6-0 record and playoff berth. The senior rushed for 1,470 yards and scored 20 touchdowns on the ground. He also pulled in eight receptions out of the backfield for 96 yards. James’s efforts earned him Region 5B Offensive Player of the Year.

Kite, the lone returning finalist from 2019, led the Wildcats against one of the area’s toughest schedules. The dual-threat quarterback picked up 622 yards through the air and six touchdowns while adding 638 rushing yards and an additional six scores. He also picked up 35 tackles on the defensive side of the ball, six of them for loss. The senior assumed punting duties for Deep Run as well.

Woolfolk led the Cadets on both sides of the ball. In four games, the senior threw for 584 yards and seven touchdowns at quarterback, while rushing for an additional 165 yards and four scores. He only picked up offensive stats in the first half of two of those contests because of lopsided scores. As a defensive back, Woolfolk intercepted eight passes, returning three of them for touchdowns. He added five pass break-ups and seven solo tackles.

TreVeyon Henderson of Hopewell took home the inaugural Mark Fischer Player of the Year honor in December of 2019, beating out Kite and Varina’s Isiah Paige in the voting. Henderson just completed spring football at Ohio State and will begin his true freshman season in the fall.

This season’s award will be presented on Wednesday, May 5, at 8 p.m. and will be broadcast on NBC12′s digital channels, including nbc12.com and the NBC12 Facebook page.

Submit a news tip.