Top Defensive Performers: CIF Division 2-AA Championship

<em>Mater Dei Catholic’s defensive performance was led by a strong core of senior D-Line and a rising 2024 DB en route to a 34-25 state championship victory over Central Catholic. Mater Dei Catholic returns some big pieces of their championship defense in star sophomores LB [player_tooltip player_id="25375" first="Tre" last="Edwards"] and DB Isaiah Buxton next season. </em> <b>Isaiah Buxton- DB, 2024, Mater Dei Catholic</b> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Buxton put on a breakout performance in his team’s state title win. The sophomore looked like a future D-I shutdown corner posting 2 INTS including a 90-yard pick-six and 2 PBUs. He showed the elite instincts, ball skills, and athleticism that have him rising the ranks as a top 2024 DB in California and the P-5 interest he’s generated recently. Buxton picked up his first D-I offer from Arizona in November, likely the first of many P-5 offers for the high-upside DB.</span> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="und">🙏🏾. <a href="https://t.co/IDFBk7iUeo">https://t.co/IDFBk7iUeo</a></p> — 𝕀𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝔹𝕦𝕩𝕥𝕠𝕟’𝟚𝟜 (@isaiah_buxton) <a href="https://twitter.com/isaiah_buxton/status/1469561973402529792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2021</a></blockquote> <a href="http://blockquote%20class=twitter-tweetp%20lang=und%20dir=ltr🙏🏾.%20a%20href=https://t.co/IDFBk7iUeohttps://t.co/IDFBk7iUeo/a/p—%20𝕀𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕒𝕙%20𝔹𝕦𝕩𝕥𝕠𝕟’𝟚𝟜%20(@isaiah_buxton)%20a%20href=https://twitter.com/isaiah_buxton/status/1469561973402529792?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwDecember%2011,%202021/a/blockquote%20script%20async%20src=https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js%20charset=utf-8/script"><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></a> <b>[player_tooltip player_id="195521" first="Luke" last="Teskey"]- EDGE, 2022, Mater Dei Catholic</b> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Teskey and the rest of the MDC D-line were consistently in the backfield pressuring the QB and clogging running lanes. Teskey has shown consistent growth in his pass-rush ability with improved technique and leverage off the edge. He’s a physical player in the run game with good size (6’3”, 230 lbs.) and violent hands. Teskey just picked up his second offer from Black Hills St. to go along with a Valparaiso offer.</span> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thankful to receive my 2nd NCAA offer from Black Hills State! Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachBenBlake?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachBenBlake</a> for the opportunity!<a href="https://twitter.com/coachjoynermd?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@coachjoynermd</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachVMAKASI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachVMAKASI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ELITE604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ELITE604</a> <a href="https://t.co/PlvoRALntZ">pic.twitter.com/PlvoRALntZ</a></p> — [player_tooltip player_id="195521" first="Luke" last="Teskey"] Ⅴ (@luke_teskey) <a href="https://twitter.com/luke_teskey/status/1469510823768776709?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2021</a></blockquote> <a href="http://blockquote%20class=twitter-tweetp%20lang=en%20dir=ltrThankful%20to%20receive%20my%202nd%20NCAA%20offer%20from%20Black%20Hills%20State!%20Thank%20you%20a%20href=https://twitter.com/CoachBenBlake?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw@CoachBenBlake/a%20for%20the%20opportunity!a%20href=https://twitter.com/coachjoynermd?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw@coachjoynermd/a%20a%20href=https://twitter.com/CoachVMAKASI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw@CoachVMAKASI/a%20a%20href=https://twitter.com/ELITE604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw@ELITE604/a%20a%20href=https://t.co/PlvoRALntZpic.twitter.com/PlvoRALntZ/a/p—%20Luke%20Teskey%20Ⅴ%20(@luke_teskey)%20a%20href=https://twitter.com/luke_teskey/status/1469510823768776709?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwDecember%2011,%202021/a/blockquote%20script%20async%20src=https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js%20charset=utf-8/script"><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></a> <b>Jason Harden- DE, 2022, Mater Dei Catholic</b> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Harden showed tremendous upside as a pass-rusher with 4 QB pressures in the game. He’s explosive off the LOS showing great speed and bend to beat OTs. He’s an athletic player coming off the edge who can track down ball-carriers in the run game and plays with a high motor. Harden has a handful of offers from Valparaiso, Taylor, Lake Erie, Southwest Minnesota St., and Benedictine. </span> <b>Joey Hiner- DT, 2022, Mater Dei Catholic</b> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Hiner was an underrated player up the middle for the MDC front seven this season. He’s a big, physical DT at 290 lbs., who can plug holes in the A-gap and provide pressure up the middle. Hiner posted 12.5 sacks and 8 TFL in the regular season and was a big piece of MDC’s state championship run. </span> <b>Nolan Croasdale- DB, 2022, Central Catholic</b> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Croasdale was a two-way standout and leader in the secondary for Central Catholic. He accounted for the team’s biggest defensive play of the game, punching the ball out of WR Cruz Estrada’s hands and out of the endzone for a touchback. He’s a physical tackler in the secondary with good size and athleticism and accounted for some big turnovers during Central Catholic’s state playoff run. </span>