6A Championship: Chaparral vs Highland (Defensive Standouts)
In a 24-14 Chaparral victory, there were a ton of players that made solid impacts on defense. Both teams have a very high motor defense that fly to the ball exceptionally well. Chaparral’s defense has played outstanding the last 4…
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Continue ReadingIn a 24-14 Chaparral victory, there were a ton of players that made solid impacts on defense. Both teams have a very high motor defense that fly to the ball exceptionally well. Chaparral’s defense has played outstanding the last 4 weeks, and they continued to play lights out to win the 6A state title. Here’s a look at 5 defensive players that stood out on Saturday afternoon:
Defensive MVP: Meyer Shinsky Meyer Shinsky 6'2" | 250 lbs | OL Chaparral | 2021 State AZ , OL/DL, Chaparral (C/O 2021)
Shinsky came up huge to force a fumble late in the 4th quarter to pretty much seal the deal to become a state champ. He had a very strong performance as he racked up numerous tackles. He shows good strength and is does a very good job at filling opening alleys. He did a very good job of recognizing plays and meeting ball carriers at or just after the LOS. He is a big, strong kid at 6’3″ 225lbs, and uses his size very well as he continued to plug the gaps effectively. Shinsky had the play of the game on his forced fumble, and was a major contributor to hold the high scoring Highland offense to just 14 points.
Ammon Allen Ammon Allen 6'2" | 205 lbs | DB Highland | 2021 State AZ , ATH, Highland (C/O 2021)
Allen is an extremely athletic kid and was a two-way standout. As a safety, Allen shows very impressive closing speed as he was able to close quickly on ball carriers to make tackles. He has a strong POA with a good striking ability, and can do it all. His range is highly impressive as he can cover ground quickly in the pass game, or pursue ball carriers to prevent big plays. He showed to both fill alleys well and make tackles in the open field. He is a power 5 talent, and can line up at numerous positions as he has excellent position versatility. He also forced a fumble that went out of bounds, as he has a good nose for the ball as well.
Diego Echavarria, LB/RB, Chaparral (C/O 2021)
Echavarria showed quick instincts and is a very effective tackler. Also an offensive standout, he showed solid short area quickness and filled gaps well. He was able to record a sack late in the game where he showed an excellent football IQ to stay home, then attack a scrambling Gage Dayley Gage Dayley 5'10" | 170 lbs | QB Highland | 2022 State AZ for a big sack. He shows a low POA and does a good job of getting off blocks. If there is a name to remember from this state title game, it should be his. He plays with a high motor and gets the job done from anywhere on the field.
Kam Cullimore Kam Cullimore 5'11" | 200 lbs | LB Highland | 2021 State AZ , LB, Highland (C/O 2021)
Cullimore involved himself on numerous plays and had to have had double digit tackles. His play recognition and reaction are very impressive as he was able to make some clutch stops against the run. He is strong at the POA with solid short area quickness, and showed flashes of possessing good range a few times as he was able to pursue to the sidelines and involve himself. He can be a big striker if he gets squared up with ball carriers. Cullimore has been a monster this season for Highland, and definitely deserves a shot at the next level.
Anthony Lucas Anthony Lucas 6'5" | 290 lbs | DL Chaparral | 2022 State AZ , ATH, Chaparral (C/O 2022)
Lucas wa sable to rack up a sack and get solid pressure on Dayley. He was in the backfield numerous times as he aso had a big TFL on a shovel pass. Lucas does an excellent job of shedding blocks where he does a great job at using quick, athletic feet and hands to get passed of off opponents. He has a very quick POA and can collapse a pocket very quick. He did a good job using his size to to wrap up ball carriers to bring them down, as that is crucial against a back like Max Davis Max Davis 5'11" | 190 lbs | RB Highland | 2021 State AZ . Lucas will enter next season as one of the top prospects in the country, and is prone for another big year as he is athletically advanced over almost everyone he will face.