Group 1 Football: 2020 Defensive First-Team

Greg Patuto

January 14, 2021 @ 11:45 AM

Group 1 had some of the top defensive players in the state. Let’s take a look at those who earned First-Team nods. DL: [player_tooltip player_id="27972" first="Zion" last="Cheeks"], Penns Grove | Jordan Augustin, Weequahic | Max Medica, Paulsboro | Fuquon Swint, Shabazz Cheeks has a chance to climb up the rankings as a senior. He doubles as a tight end but uses his speed and strength off the edge. Augustin has a similar skillset and he used it to get to the quarterback all season long. Medica and Swint were true run stuffers and shore tacklers when they got their hands on the ball carrier. LB: [player_tooltip player_id="27949" first="Anthony" last="Henriquez"] Jr., Hoboken | [player_tooltip player_id="27938" first="Michael" last="Dotro"], Brearley | [player_tooltip player_id="27930" first="Brendan" last="Hughes"], Park Ridge | Taylor Siciliano, Clayton The linebacker is one of the most important players defensively and Henriquez Jr. was one of the top in the state. He was a First-Team All-State nod after totaling 110.5 tackles, six sacks, and six forced fumbles. Dotro was not far behind as he knew how to use his speed from sideline-to-sideline. Hughes and Siciliano were dynamic in the middle of the defense this season for their teams. All four players were true leaders on the defensive side of the ball. DB: [player_tooltip player_id="27880" first="Demie" last="Sumo"], Willingboro | Cencir Bacote, Becton | Deshaun Woodall, Gateway Sumo was an elite running back this season and might have been better in the secondary. He used his speed and instincts to get one step ahead of the offense. Bacote knew how to run routes better than the offensive player while Woodall had as good of hands as there was in the back of the defense. UTIL: [player_tooltip player_id="27891" first="Nasir" last="Robinson"], Penns Grove | [player_tooltip player_id="27997" first="Charlie" last="Barth"], New Providence [player_tooltip player_id="27891" first="Nasir" last="Robinson"] rushed for over 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns but his defensive work cannot be ignored. He finished with 69 tackles this season. Barth was a similar player. He was one of the state’s leading rushers with 1,702 yards and 25 touchdowns. On the other side of the ball, Barth totaled 115 tackles, having double-digits in all but one game. P: Jake Masso, Pompton Lakes Masso was a dynamic receiver on the outside and one of the best punters in the state. This is a skill that Pompton Lakes was happy to have throughout the season.