Week 2 Defensive Prospects to Watch: 6A-1A
There are a number of athletes coming off a big opening week, and they’ll look to carry this momentum into week 2. Here are 6 defensive players by division to follow this week: 6A: Malaki Ta’ase Malaki Ta’ase 6'2" |…
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Continue ReadingThere are a number of athletes coming off a big opening week, and they’ll look to carry this momentum into week 2. Here are 6 defensive players by division to follow this week:
6A: Malaki Ta’ase Malaki Ta’ase 6'2" | 230 lbs | DL Mountain View (Mesa) | 2022 State AZ , DE, Mountain View HS (C/O 2022)
Ta’ase is coming off a big week with 3 sacks, 7 tackles, and 2 pass deflections. He was a constant problem in the backfield for Mesa High School last week. Ta’ase forced a incomplete pass on a bizarre punt attempt when he broke through the line to block the punt, and then drilled the Mesa punter when he attempted to throw it away. Ta’ase was consistently bullying the Mesa o-line all night. He displays a dangerous pass rush and looked very athletic while doing so, and he could have a monster game vs Dobson this week.
5A: Steven Ortiz Steven Ortiz 5'11" | 170 lbs | DB Desert Edge | 2021 State AZ , DB, Desert Edge HS (C/O 2021)
Ortiz will most likely see a lot of action his way this week vs O’Connor High School. He had a solid game last week with an INT that he took to the house but a penalty prevented the TD, 3 PBU’s, and 4 tackles. Ortiz locked down the Canyon View receivers in a 56-0 shutout and was flying to the ball all night. Ortiz is a technically sound DB with great athleticism and instincts with the ability to provide run support along with being a ball hawk. The Minnesota commit will get tested this week by some talented O’Connor receivers, so look for Ortiz to have a busy night.
4A: Luke McCauslin, ATH., Prescott HS (C/O 2021)
McCauslin is an underrated kid to keep note of in 4A. Despite the loss to Lee Williams last week, he racked up 15 total tackles which lands him at #2 in the state for tackles in 4A. McCauslin was flying all around the field on Friday and consistently involved himself in the middle of the action. He is a fundamental tackler with a good football IQ and massive potential. McCauslin is a free rover type player for Prescott and could have a huge impact this week against Apache Junction.
3A: Malachi Rodriguez, LB, Coolidge HS (C/O 2021)
Rodriguez was a beast for the Coolidge defense by racking up 23 total tackles with 19 of them being solo. He shows great play recognition and plays smart. His vision was very impressive as he made some plays on tough reads from his position. Last week, he proved that he can stop the run, but he also showed that he can be used as a coverage backer as well. He was all over the place last week, so don’t expect that to change. He’ll face Santa Cruz Valley and look to carry his momentum going forward.
2A: Christian Contreras, DL, Bisbee HS (2021)
Contreras led the Bisbee defense and was a menace with 13 total tackles, 10 of them being solo. He bullied his way into the backfield all night by recording 5 TFL’s. He is big kid at 6’3″ 290lbs., and you do not see that often in 2A. He overpowers his opponents and is definitely becoming a threat so far this season. He faces Globe this week who has yet to play their first game, so he will be a major key in disrupting their backfield.
1A: Drew Logan, ATH., Williams HS (2023)
Logan is one of the most dynamic players in 1A. Last week, he was able to snag 2 INT’s and 6 solo tackles to take down the 1A powerhouse Bagdad High School. Logan was flying around the field all night and completely disrupted Bagdad. Logan is very athletic and is a legit threat in 1A football. He looks very mature for a sophomore and is only going to produce more each game going forward. Look for Logan to have a huge game vs Joseph City this week.