Open Division Championship Standouts (Defense)

Saguaro was able to snap a Chandler 5x state championship win streak on a 20-15, gritty, hard fought matchup. Numerous players stood out, so many that I had to go back and re-watch film. [player_tooltip player_id="165882" first="A’Mauri" last="Washington"] and [player_tooltip player_id="100682" first="Isaiah" last="Johnson"] were stout up front for Chandler, while <strong>Phillip Preston</strong> and [player_tooltip player_id="100662" first="Miles" last="Crutchley"] were a solid LB duo for Saguaro. Numerous others also impressed, so here’s a look at some of the defensive standouts from Saturday night: &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="162038" first="Thomas" last="DeChesaro"], <em>DB, Saguaro ’22</em> Dechesaro has continued to play lights out all season and once again stepped up in a big time game. He did an excellent job in both coverage and run support. He had numerous PBU’s and does a great job with hand placement to rip or punch through the hands of receivers. He had a big hit hit on the sideline to force a PBU which brought some energy to that saguaro sideline. Flashed ball hawk ability as well as he snagged an INT in the back half, and showed the ability to man up on receivers or cover ground well in various zone coverages. Excellent in run support as he possesses solid instincts and eats up ground well, as he also had a TD saving tackle in open field. There’s no reason why an FCS program shouldn’t pull the trigger on this kid, as he has easily been a top 3 safety in the state. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="42878" first="Junius" last="Marsh"], <em>ATH, Saguaro ’22</em> Marsh is a talented prospect with the ability to make a difference from multiple areas given his position versatility. He had the biggest play of the night at CB when picked off a vert down the sideline with 2:24 left to essentially seal the open division title for Saguaro. Very athletic kid with good twitch and speed and possesses good ball skills all around, and came through with Saguaro’s biggest play of the season. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="42856" first="Franky" last="Morales"], <em>DB, Chandler ’22</em> Morales did a great job patrolling and roaming the field to fly around for run support or provide coverage in the back half. Fresh off a Texas Tech offer, Morales was a scrappy, fly around payer on Saturday night that should keep his head high after a solid performance. He did a good job shedding blocks, one of which he quickly shed a block, blew up a screen and forced a Saguaro 4th down. Good instincts, range, and speed to make plays coast to coast and comes downhill with a purpose. An impressive 2022 DB that will be a kid to follow for the next month and a half regarding his commitment. https://twitter.com/Franky22Morales/status/1467923536404570115?s=20 &nbsp; <strong>Blaine Mourning</strong>, <em>DB, Chandler ’22</em> Mourning had a solid night and was able to snag an INT on a tipped pass. He’s shown good ball skills in the back half all season with some solid range to cover ground well. He possesses a big striking ability when he can get squared up on opponents. Flashes strength at the POA and has been a big player in that Chandler secondary all year. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="42790" first="Tristan" last="Monday"], <em>DE, Saguaro ’22<img class=" wp-image-64682 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/10/IMG_4639-118x300.jpg" alt="" width="136" height="346" /></em> Monday once again had a solid game, forcing numerous QB hurries. He’s very explosive off the ball and possesses a large arsenal of moves with both power and finesse. He showed good lateral mobility to make plays lateral down the LOS and is strong at the POA with explosiveness through the hips. He’s a smart football player all-around and possesses a high level of athleticism as a OLB/DE/Edge/TE. Wisconsin landed a gem in Monday, and he’ll go out as a state champ to capitalize on a very productive senior season.