Southern California is known for its hotbed of high school sports talent. The CIF Southern, San Diego and LA City Sections provide thousands of future college athletes, hundreds of professional athletes, and dozens of future Olympians.

The region might be known for its football, basketball and baseball, but it's among the nation's best in niche sports like water polo, volleyball, and soccer — the list goes on.

Each week, High School On SI will put the previous week's top performers to a vote which allows fans, communities and supporters to choose which player is deserving of Athlete of the Week honors.

Here are the nominations for boys athlete of the week for action between Monday, August 17 and Saturday, August 22.

BOYS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK NOMINEES

Josiah Rand, Chaminade, Football

Rand was the anchor to the Eagles' 18-0 win over Oaks Christian. He blocked a punt that led to a safety, had two tackles for loss, and helped Chaminade keep the Lions to less than 60 yards of total offense.

Nathan Vejar, Fullerton, Football

Vejar had a 51-yard punt return for a touchdown, added six tackles on defense, and caught two TD passes in the team's 63-7 win over Anaheim.

Chris Fields III, Carson, Football

The reigning City Player of the Year scored four touchdowns (three rushing, one passing) in a 35-31 win over Lincoln San Diego. He passed for 161 yards and ran for 109.

Sammy Timu, Long Beach Poly, Football

Timu did it all. He played offensive line and defensive line in Friday's win over Downey. He also scored a touchdown on a fumble return and added two sacks.

Matthew Escobedo, Cantwell Sacred Heart, Football

Despite the losing effort, Escobedo threw for 452 yards and five touchdowns — but that's not all. He added three more touchdowns with his legs, totaling eight TDs. CSH lost to La Salle 60-52.

Julian Medina, Norco, Football

Medina threw for 408 yards and five touchdowns in the Cougars 55-14 win over Roosevelt. He was 20 of 23 passing on the night.

Evin Dill, West Hills, Football

Dill threw for 99 yards and three scores while added 104 yards on the ground in the team's 28-13 win over Chula Vista.

Cody King, Castaic, Football

King was 26 of 35 passing for 357 yards and two TDs. He also ran for 99 yards in the Coyotes' 40-27 win over Buena.

About Our Athlete of the Week Voting
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals.Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.