Maryland 4A State Championship Preview (Defense)

Many are expecting this game to be a defensive slugfest. The reason for that is the defensive talent both teams have. These are the top guys that may be responsible for making this a defensive battle. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="155661" first="Jalen" last="Huskey"] (2022) | 6’1 CB | Quince Orchard </strong> Huskey has been QO’s top corner all season. He trails the other team’s top receiving threat and does a great job of taking them out of the game. He is great in press-man coverage. He also has great instincts which allow him to excel in zone coverage. He can do it all. He also has good ball skills and he makes plays in 50/50 ball situations. Huskey will be key in slowing down this efficient Wise passing game. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="90547" first="Amar" last="Thomas"] (2022) | 6’2 DE | Wise </strong> Thomas is one of the top pass rushers in the state. He makes plenty of plays in the backfield. He is an elite pass rusher as he is very quick and has the ability to just blow by offensive lineman with his speed. He also plays with great pad level and is able to dip under blocks. He is not only a good pass rusher but he is a good run defender as well. He does a great job of using his quickness and speed to play the edge and stop any outside runs. Thomas will be a big factor in the championship game. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="90521" first="Bryce" last="Barnes"] (2022) | 6’1 S | Quince Orchard </strong> Barnes is a versatile defensive back that can do it all. He can line up as a deep safety, box safety, and slot corner. He is a good coverage guy that does a great job in his pass drops. He also comes downfield hard and makes plays in the run game. Brown has can do it all on defense and expect QO to use that versatility to confuse the Wise offense. <strong>Rico Murray (2023) | 6’0 LB | Wise </strong> Murray is a traditional run-stopping inside linebacker. He does a great job filling the gaps and making plays at the line of scrimmage. He is also an effective blitzer as he does a great job of timing his blitzes. He is a very physical player and seeks contact. Murray is a good tackler. He will need to be big to help stop Quince Orchard’s inside run game. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="175191" first="Martavian" last="Davis"] (2022) | 6’1 LB | Quince Orchard</strong> Davis is an athletic off-ball linebacker. He has great speed for a backer. He has real sideline to sideline range. He also uses his athleticism to excel in pass coverage. He is so good in pass coverage he even drops back to safety at times. He does a great job of reading the backfield and making stops in the run game. Davis’s athleticism will be big in trying to stop Wise’s explosive offense. <strong>Kanye Parker (2022) | 5’10 LB | Wise</strong> Parker is Murray’s partner. He is another off-ball backer that makes plenty of plays in the run game. Parker is fantastic in pursuit and is able to chase down ball carriers. He is a great tackler and doesn’t let ball carriers get any extra yards. He also does a good job of playing pass coverage. He also has great range. Parker is a fantastic off-ball backer and will be a key piece in stopping QO’s tricky offense. &nbsp;