Four Ann Arbor-area football players are on the ballot for the Southeastern Conference Red division's preseason MVP, and fans have until 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, to cast their votes before the Michigan high school football season kicks off Thursday, Aug. 27.
Voting closes at 9 a.m. Thursday.
Cole Heys of Pioneer, Nick Ashford and Seth Payne of Huron, and Gideon Starkweather of Skyline are among 12 nominees in MLive's SEC-Red preseason MVP poll, published Monday, Aug. 17. MLive's Greg Wickliffe noted that coaches usually decide postseason awards, but the poll lets fans predict who will be crowned the league's most valuable player this fall.
Readers can vote as often as they like before the deadline.
Local nominees
Heys represents a Pioneer squad that returns seven seniors after a 4-5 campaign last fall cost the Pioneers their first playoff miss in three years. Pioneer opens the season Aug. 27 at Flushing.
Huron lands two nominees in Ashford and Payne, giving the River Rats the largest Ann Arbor contingent on the ballot. The pair will look to lead Huron into a Sept. 25 city championship showdown against Pioneer.
Starkweather carries Skyline's flag as the Eagles' lone representative among the 12 candidates.
The full SEC-Red ballot
The complete list of nominees: Brady Arbaugh (Dexter), Nick Ashford (Ann Arbor Huron), Bryce Barbarino (Saline), Case Campbell (Saline), Louis Esposito (Saline), Cruz Hanson (Saline), Cole Heys (Ann Arbor Pioneer), Holden Niemi (Dexter), Tavin Parkhurst (Monroe), Seth Payne (Ann Arbor Huron), Gideon Starkweather (Ann Arbor Skyline) and Luke Whetstone (Temperance Bedford).
Saline dominates the field with four nominees, followed by Dexter and Huron with two apiece.
Looking ahead
MLive also published a separate SEC-White preseason MVP poll on Monday, written by Eric Ingles, as part of a broader series spotlighting top players across conferences ahead of the Aug. 27 opener.
Pioneer travels to Flushing on Aug. 27, and the marquee local date on the calendar is the Pioneer-Huron matchup on Friday, Sept. 25.
