COLUMBUS, Ohio -- As we are nearly through the first half of the regular season, players in each class are beginning to emerge all across the area. Take a look at the first of a four-part series detailing a few of the top stock risers in each class.

We begin with the 2021 class. In a freshman class ripe with talented prospects, these players have been terrific as of late. Let's take a look at some of the emerging prospects.

Jack Sawyer (6'5 PF, Pickerington North) - Sawyer has been the most productive freshman so far this season and is the only non-senior to start for the top-ranked Panthers. A physically imposing forward with broad shoulders and enough strength to toss around seniors, Sawyer has been exactly what Pickerington North has needed in the interior. An absolute bruiser who has a very nice touch from 15 feet and in, Sawyer has been a terrific finisher inside, while rebounding and defending at a high level. From Dec. 19 until Jan.5, Sawyer had a blazing five-game stretch, averaging 17.6 points including a 22-point outing vs. Westland and 20 points vs. Reynoldsburg on the road. An All-American caliber football talent, Sawyer is a legitimate Division I prospect on the hardwood as well. 

Jack Christian (5'10 G, Marysville) - Christian has probably been the biggest surprise among all the top freshman prospects this season. Averaging a 2021-best 12.9 points per game, Christian got off to a hot start, scoring in double figures in four of Marysville's first five games. A knockdown shooter who scored a season-high 22 points at Westland, Christian has been the Monarchs' second leading scorer thus far in the year. 

Jaylen Gilbert (6'5 F, Centennial) - One season after his older brother, Kylen, led the charge for Centennial, Jaylen Gilbert has transitioned nicely to the high school level. An impressive athlete that starred at quarterback for Centennial this past fall, Gilbert is averaging 9.6 points per game this season, which leads all City League freshmen. Gilbert has scored in double figures in five games this season, including a season-high 14 points at Beechcroft on Dec. 12. Centennial's biggest player, Gilbert will be relied upon to produce at a high level going forward for the Stars.

Chance Groce (6'4 G, Linden-McKinley) - In what has been an up and down start to his own standards, Groce is having a solid freshman season, averaging 9.3 points per game for Linden-McKinley. An athletic 6-foot-4 wing guard who can get to the rim better than any freshman wing that we have seen thus far, Groce is adjusting to the pace and speed of the high school game. Seeming closer to closer to a breakthrough, Groce could be due for a major second half to the year. Groce has scored in double figures four times this season, including a season-high 15 points in a win over Dayton Chaminade-Julienne early in December.

Darius Parham (6'2 G, Bishop Ready) - Parham has played an integral role in Bishop Ready's 10-0 start to the season, getting big boy minutes for a team that needs everything that the athletic wing can provide them. Getting our first look at him this past Friday, Parham impressed us physically, rebounding at a high level and playing quality defense on the wing and on the interior. While Parham has guard skills, he has been relied upon as more of a wing forward this season and has done everything asked of him. Look for Parham to become the face of the program in the next year or two, as Bishop Ready will need the next wave of talent to breakthrough. Parham is averaging 8.2 points per game thus far, including a season-high 13 points against a tough Pleasant team on Dec. 23.

Desmond Watson (6'2 G, DeSales) - Going head-to-head with Parham this past Friday, DeSales' Watson was no slouch in what ended up being a tough loss for the Stallions. Despite that, Watson showed flashes of the type of high-level wing guard that we think he can be. An athletic finisher at 6-foot-2, Watson is aggressive and productive on both ends of the floor, as he looks like someone who can produce in a Central Catholic League where freshmen traditionally struggle. Watson is averaging 8.1 points per game, including a season-high 13 points against a tough Johnstown team on Dec. 11. Watson and fellow freshman Jayden Hawkins-White are two talented prospects that will become the face of this DeSales program in the coming years. 

Tyrese Hughey (6'7 PF, Licking Heights) - With arguably the best upside of any prospect in the class, Hughey has been fairly solid for Licking Heights so far this season. Averaging 7.9 points per game, Hughey's best performance came in an early season win over Hilliard Davidson, where he posted a double double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. With an intriguing frame and plenty of length, Hughey is effective from mid-range and in, as he finishes at a high percentage around the basket and is a capable mid-range shooter. Hughey is far and away the top prospect in the Licking County League.

PJ Daniels (6'0 PG, Bishop Hartley) - The third player from the Central Catholic League on this list, Daniels has made a recent emergence, playing vital minutes off the Hartley bench in the backcourt. A confident ball handler who competes on both ends, Daniels is averaging six points per game in the last three games for the Hawks. Look for Daniels to earn more playing time down the stretch, as he impressed us with his poise and decision-making this past Saturday at The Challenge. 

Honorable Mention: AJ Mirgon (5'10 PG, Hilliard Bradley), Jack Pugh (6'5 PF, Hilliard Bradley), Jake Lusk (6'3 F, Johnstown), Trey Woodyard (6'5 G, London), Marcus Stewart (6'1 G, Wellington), Kade Bafford (5'11 PG, Newark)