The Post-Dispatch Athletes of the Week is compiled by Chris Gove based off stats reported to . Please send nominations to cgove@stltoday.com by noon each Monday.
Carter Dowell, Troy Buchanan football
A 6-foot, 190-pound junior running back, Dowell rushed for 306 yards on only 10 carries and scored five touchdowns as the Trojans stayed unbeaten with a 43-7 victory against Francis Howell Central in a GAC South game. Dowell’s career-best performance pushed him to 741 rushing yards for the season with an impressive average of 13.2 yards per carry and 11 touchdowns. During his sophomore season, Dowell rushed for 100 or more yards in six games and finished the season with 1,041 yards and eight TDs to earn first team all-GAC South honors. The Trojans’ 5-0 start is the best for the program since 1986.
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Grace Harvell, Seckman softball
A senior infielder, Harvell continued a strong all-around season by helping Seckman to a 7-4 victory against Parkway South in a Suburban Conference Red Pool game by hitting one home run and driving in three runs. It was Harvell’s seventh multi-RBI game of the season. Earlier in the week in a 9-5 conference loss to Oakville, Harvell went 2 for 3 with one run scored and one walk. That output pushed Harvell’s season total to five home runs with 23 RBI to go along with a .377 batting average and .636 slugging percentage. Harvell also has been solid in the field with only five errors in 159 defensive chances. Last season as a junior, she hit .347 with one home run and 19 RBI.
Duan McRoberts, Wright City football
The Wildcats beat Mark Twain 34-20 for an Eastern Missouri Conference victory behind a big all-around performance by McRoberts. A 5-foot-7 and 180-pound running back and defensive back, McRoberts rushed 33 times for 312 yards and four touchdowns. He scored two of his TDs in the first half, then added the other two in the third quarter on runs of 3 and 55 yards to put the Wildcats ahead 28-20 going into the fourth quarter. He also had four tackles, two of which were for a loss. For the season, he ranks among area leaders with 904 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. A third team all-state running back last season, McRoberts also plays basketball and baseball.
Ella Santacruz, Kirkwood softball
The Pioneers won four Suburban Conference Green Pool games for their longest win streak since 2020 as Santacruz, a junior pitcher and shortstop, helped lead the way. She earned two pitching victories and did not commit an error in the field as Kirkwood improved to 5-0 and atop the league standings. In a 19-0 win over Ladue, Santacruz pitched a 4-inning complete game shutout, striking out seven while allowing only two hits. Two days later, she pitched all 10 innings of a 7-6 win over Ritenour, striking out eight. Including victories over Pattonville and Hazelwood West, Santacruz was 4 for 12 with five RBI, four runs scored, two walks and one sacrifice.
Derez Sayles, Waterloo football
A 5-foot-9 and 175-pound junior running back, Sayles rushed for 168 yards and three touchdowns as the Bulldogs beat Highland 28-14 in a Mississippi Valley Conference game to end an 11-game losing streak in the series dating to the 2012 season. Sayles scored on a 72-yard run on Waterloo’s first offensive play of the game, then added to a 15-14 lead in the fourth quarter by scoring on an 11-yard run with 9:27 to play and a 7-yard run just more than four minutes later. An honorable mention all-conference running back as a sophomore, Sayles has 75 carries for 464 yards this season and seven touchdowns for the 4-1 Bulldogs.
Judah Schroer, Veritas Christian soccer
A four-year starter and central midfielder, Schroer helped lead Veritas Christian to the championship of the St. Charles United Tournament for the first time in program history. The Eagles won three one-goal games, including a 1-0 victory against Troy Buchanan as Schroer scored the game’s lone goal to determine the group winner. Schroer also had one goal and one assist in Veritas Christian’s tournament-opening 3-2 win against host St. Charles West. Schroer did not score in the Eagles’ 1-0 victory against Pattonville in the title game but helped shore up the shutout with his play from a defensive midfield spot. At 9-2, the Eagles are off the best start in program history.
Eli Thebeau, De Soto football
The Dragons beat Windsor 52-30 to earn their first Mississippi Area Red victory since 2019 behind a strong all-around performance by Thebeau. A 5-foot-6, 185-pound running back and linebacker, Thebeau is a leader on and off the field and is a third-year varsity starter. Against Windsor, Thebeau ran 15 times for 241 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, Thebeau had nine solo tackles, three assists, one tackle for loss and one fumble recovery. For the season, Thebeau has rushed for 469 yards on 67 carries with six touchdowns, while also making 28 solo tackles, 11 assisted tackles, four tackles for loss, one interception and one fumble recovery.