Quarterback Duncan Hodges is quickly stepping out of his older brother Devlin’s shadow.

With Devlin — the former Mortimer Jordan quarterback — now on the Samford University Roster, Duncan has led Jordan to a number-three ranking in the Alabama Sports Writers Association Class 5A poll. And now, the ASWA has named him the state’s top offensive player of the past week.

Duncan Hodges, a junior, won the award for his six-touchdown, 427-yard passing performance last Friday in the Blue Devils’ 61-21 blowout win over at Alexandria.

The award is given by a committee of high school sports writers from across the state. (North Jefferson News Associate Editor Robert Carter is part of that committee.)

Duncan Hodges is the first player in north Jefferson County to win the award since last year, when Pinson Valley running back Nick Gibson ran for 447 yards in a game — ironically, against Mortimer Jordan.

Duncan Hodges was also a finalist for the week’s Offensive Prep Spotlight Award given by the Alabama High School Athletic Association. That overall award went to the entire Cullman High School team for their 28-7 win over Athens.

The Devils will face what is expected to be their stiffest test of the season this Friday night, as they host Lincoln in a battle of teams with unbeaten records in Region 6. It’s also the NJN Big Game for this week.