Harrison Panthers top 5 defensive players from regular season

Good luck passing Harrison High School’s defense – not many team have in this unique pandemic-amended season. The Panthers displayed their formidable defense all year and allowed just 62 points, which averages to 10.3 points per game. Harrison did allow 32 points in the finale against Falcon. Prior to that, however, the Panthers allowed just 30 points through five contests while scoring 135 in the process. One of those games includes a contest that ended at halftime, which they won 26-0 against rival Sierra High School and a forfeit victory over Skyview, but the Panther’s defense is no fluke. Nine players have double-digit solo tackles, they’ve had four interceptions and four fumble recoveries and they’ve totaled 10.5 sacks this season. The Panthers had numerous players eligible for this list, but here are five who led the charge on defense. &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22653" first="Davonn" last="Stevens"]</strong> The Panthers’ senior isn’t just dominant on offense, Stevens gets it done on defense as well. Stevens led the Panthers with 32 total tackles, including 23 solo, and also has a sack. Stevens also has a fumble recovery. Stevens posted his best numbers against the rival Stallions when he finished with a season-high eight tackles and a fumble recovery. The senior found himself in the opposing team’s backfield often as he managed to compile four tackles for loss in five games. Stats don’t tell the entire story on Stevens. Yes, he managed to bully various teams on the field on D, but this comes in addition to leading the team in carries (60). He’s all heart no matter if he’s got the rock or wants to take it from his opponent. &nbsp; <strong>Jesus Alvarado </strong> The senior serves as the Panthers’ ball hawk in the backfield and made incredible reads against opposing quarterbacks. Alvarado had three interceptions in as many games before breaking his collarbone against Aurora Central on April 1. Prior to the injury, Alvarado had 14 tackles in three games for the Panthers and a pick-6, the lone interception to go for a score for Harrison. In his final game of the season against Aurora Central, Alvarado snagged a pair of interceptions in the Panthers’ 33-3 victory and had a season-high seven tackles. Alvarado’s number showed a dramatic shift from his junior campaign where the now-senior played just three games and logged 11 tackles. &nbsp; <strong>Angrell Epps</strong> Who doesn’t love a lineman who gets it done on offense and defense? When the Panthers senior isn’t opening holes for rushers or keeping Harrison quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="22608" first="Jaseim" last="Mitchell"] safe, Epps wreaks havoc on opposing QBs. Epps had three-and-a-half sacks this year and did most of that in the season opener against Denver North. He tallied 2.5 sacks against Denver North in the 40-9 victory over the Vikings and played a role in allowing the opposition to reach the red zone just two times in the game. In the tilt against Gateway, Epps also caused a fumble and slowed the Olympians’ momentum in the process. In five games, Epps earned a whopping nine tackles for loss, caused a fumble and finished the regular season with 19 tackles. &nbsp; <strong>Antonio Camey-Valdez</strong> The junior’s time with the wrestling team definitely paid dividends. Along with teammate Angrell Epps, Camey-Valdez punished opposing quarterbacks and also had three-and-a-half sacks this season. Camey-Valdez had a role in a sack in each game this year, logging at least half a sack in all five contests. He had a season-high 1.5 against Denver North along with nine tackles, also a season best. Camey-Valdez is second on the team with 27 total tackles with a quarter of those going for a loss. Camey-Valdez had two tackles for losses against Denver North and Aurora Central. He finished the regular season third in tackles for loss behind Epps and Elijah Jenks, who had eight tackles for loss. &nbsp; <strong>Elijah Jenks</strong> The sophomore has made his mark the past two seasons for the Panthers. This year, he continued to create a name for himself on defense. Jenks finished the year with 10 solo tackles and stymied several runners from making a dent on the scoreboard. Jenks added a sack and eight tackles for loss, second only behind teammate Angrell Epps. Being such a young player didn’t stop Jenks from helping the Panthers varsity squad either. The Falcon Falcons scored 27 touchdowns on the ground and averaged 323.3 rushing yards per contest. The Panthers held Falcon to 32 points and just two rushing touchdowns – their lowest total of the year.