Defensive Game Balls from Around the State: Week 1

Offensive players have received quite a bit of attention after Week 1, and rightfully so. But defense played a huge factor during the first week of the season. Many teams took advantage of wet playing conditions on Friday night, as multiple squads had trouble protecting the football, which led to several blowouts across the state. These are six defenders that shined during the opening weekend. <strong>Owen Farmer</strong> – Halstead, LB, <em>Class of ’24</em> This young sophomore played great in his first career varsity start. Farmer racked up 17 total tackles with one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. The Dragons my have fell short against Smoky Valley, but their defense kept them in the game and should be a solid unit the rest of the season if Farmer can duplicate his performance. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="113652" first="Will" last="Krzykowski"]</strong> – Olathe West, DB, <em>Class of ’22</em> Krzykowski not only is a standout baseball player, but he is also one of the top safeties in this senior class, and he showed that against Olathe Northwest. The senior is another defender that piled up 17 total tackles on the night, with two of them being for a loss. He’ll look to help the Owls rebound against Shawnee Mission NW in Week 2. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="155121" first="Ty" last="Farrington"]</strong> – Blue Valley North, LB, <em>Class of ’22</em> The Mustangs’ whole defensive unit deserves a game ball for their dominating performance against the Stags last Thursday. Farrington stuck out the most from this unit, as he was relentless with his pass rush, putting together a 3.5 sack game. This helped the Mustangs hold a talented Miege team to 24 points. Farrington is well on his way to another strong season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="113320" first="Kade" last="Wilson"]</strong> – Valley Center, DB, <em>Class of ’22</em> The 4th ranked defensive back in the Class of ‘22 opened his senior campaign as the Hornets’ leading tackler. Wilson is more than halfway to his total from last season after accumulating 15 total tackles in the first game. He also did a solid job on special teams, averaging 38 yards per punt and pinning one inside of the 20 yard-line. <strong>Mason LHeureux</strong> – Piper, LB, <em>Class of ‘23</em> LHeureux played a significant role in the Pirates’ blowout win over Ottawa. It’s never easy holding an opponent to one score, but this unit brought their A game and had this junior backer leading them. He finished with 15 total tackles, one being for a loss and one sack. LHeureux and company will be faced with the challenge of slowing down a Eudora offense that features three potential Division I prospects in Week 2. <strong>Ely Jackson</strong> – Chaparral, DL, <em>Class of ’23</em> After an impressive sophomore season, Jackson is emerging as a notable defender for the Roadrunners. In their shutout victory over Trinity Academy, he mustered up five total tackles with 2.5 sacks. Jackson has already surpassed his sack total from last year and will be looking for more. Opposing 2A teams will need to account for him coming off the edge the rest of this season.