The Herald’s 2021-22 Boys High School Athlete of the Year finalists

The Herald asked each local athletic director to nominate an athlete from their school for our 2021-22 Boys High School Athlete of the Year award.

From the nominees, we selected a winner and five other finalists. Here’s a look at each of those athletes:

BOYS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Jacob Erickson, sr., Glacier Peak

Erickson excelled in all three of his sports, including earning the moniker of state champion. In the fall, the 6-foot, 210-pound senior played a key role in anchoring both the offensive and defensive lines while helping the Grizzlies’ football team reach the state tournament for the first time as a member of Class 4A. He was an All-Area selection on both sides of the ball. Erickson earned a first-team nod on defense after compiling 10 sacks, five tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, an interception and a fumble recovery for a touchdown, and a second-team selection on offense where he served as the team’s center. The George Fox University football commit reached even greater heights in the winter on the wrestling mat. Erickson won the 4A state title at 220 pounds, claimed titles at numerous regular-season tournaments and finished with an impressive 29-1 record, including 20 pins. The eight-time letter winner finished his senior year by earning a first-team All-Wesco 4A selection at catcher in baseball. Erickson hit .302 and helped Glacier Peak to a 12-10 record.

FIVE OTHER FINALISTS

Dylan Carson, sr., Marysville Pilchuck

Carson delivered a historic season on the gridiron as the Marysville Pilchuck football team made its second-ever trip to the 3A state semifinals and won a share of the Wesco 3A North title. The Air Force Academy signee set single-season program records by rushing for 2,671 yards and 46 touchdowns. Carson even flirted with setting 11-man football state records. According to stats kept by state prep football historian David Maley, the MP star’s rushing total ranked eighth all-time and his 46 all-purpose TDs third. Carson’s single-season TD mark ranks first in Snohomish County history and his rushing yards second by just four yards. Carson was also a standout on the defensive side, totaling 76 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, four sacks and four passes defended. He was The Herald’s All-Area Football Player of the Year, a first-team All-Area running back and a second-team All-Area linebacker. Carson capped his senior year with a strong showing for the Tomahawks’ track and field team. He helped the MP 4×100-meter relay team to a district championship and a third-place finish at state.

Joey Hudson, sr., Everett

Hudson, a 12-time letter winner, was one of three male nominees from the Everett School District for the Dwayne Lane’s Athlete of the Year Scholarship, which recognizes the district’s top student-athletes. In football, the two-way lineman was a second-team All-Wesco 3A North selection on the defensive line. He compiled 47 tackles, seven tackles for loss, five sacks and three forced fumbles, helping the Seagulls to a 6-3 record along the way. Hudson, a two-time state qualifier in wrestling, finished just one win shy of making his third trip to the Mat Classic. He took sixth at regionals in a stacked 220-pound weight class that produced two state semifinalists and saw all five of its state qualifiers win a least one match at the Mat Classic. He capped his senior year by taking sixth in the state, regardless of classification, at the hammer throw state championships and was an alternate for the state track and field championships in the discus, finishing fifth at districts.

David Lin, sr., Shorewood

Lin qualified for a pair of state tournaments and was a three-sport captain for the Stormrays. The senior secured his spot at the 3A state tennis tournament alongside doubles partner Ben Borgida by taking second at districts. Lin and Borgida went 1-2 at state, picking up their win in the consolation bracket. His efforts in tennis helped Shorewood finish 12-2 on the season. Lin, who will attend the University of California-Berkeley in the fall, captained the Stormrays’ basketball team in the winter. He helped Shorewood’s golf team take sixth at the state tournament, finishing tied for 57th individually with a two-round score of 168. Lin achieved a perfect 4.0 grade-point average and was involved in numerous non-sport activities, including volunteer work with Shoreline Parks and Recreation and being selected to be a part of Columbia Engineering’s Summer High School Academic Program for Engineers (SHAPE), a selective summer program for rising sophomores, juniors and seniors.

Trent Nobach, sr., Arlington

Nobach helped a trio of teams qualify for state during his senior year. After a broken collarbone ended his junior football season early, Nobach returned to the field in the fall and posted an efficient campaign through the air. The Rocky Mountain College-bound quarterback completed 69.9% of his passes for 2,593 yards, 31 touchdowns and nine interceptions en route to first-team Herald All-Area and first-team All-Wesco 3A North honors. His efforts helped the Eagles secure a spot in the first round of the 3A state playoffs and a share of the Wesco 3A North title. He left the program with numerous passing records, including single-game passing TDs (six, twice), single-season passing TDs (31), single-game completions (45), single-season completion percentage (69.9%) and career completion percentage (65.8%). In the winter, Nobach was a key rotational piece for the Arlington basketball team as it won the Wesco 3A/2A title and reached the state regionals, averaging 5.0 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-3 senior also helped the Eagles’ golf team qualify for the state tournament. Nobach finished tied for 55th individually at state golf with a two-day score of 164.

Justice Taylor, sr., Lakewood

Taylor showed his versatility as a three-sport standout during his senior year. The Central Washington University-bound quarterback was the only male athlete to be selected to three (football, basketball, baseball) of The Herald’s All-Area teams. Taylor was a second-team All-Area pick in football, where the lefty excelled as a dual-threat QB for the Cougars. He ran for 1,395 yards and 18 TDs and completed 52% of his passes for 1,037 yards and 16 touchdowns with seven interceptions. Taylor helped Lakewood’s basketball team to a 15-7 record and its second-ever trip to the state tournament while playing point guard. He was a second-team All-Area selection in basketball, averaging 18 points, six rebounds and four assists per game. The senior finished his year by earning a second-team All-Area nod in baseball. Taylor, an outfielder, posted a .387/.457/.629 slash line with six triples, three doubles and seven stolen bases.