Top Defensive Performers: CIF State Open Division Championship

<strong>SERRA</strong> <strong>Ryan Mahe - </strong>Mahe was the only Serra player who got into the backfield frequently. He is a very gifted edge rusher with quick hands and good speed. He can play defensive end or outside linebacker depending on the scheme and is also a fullback. He is one of those guys who loves football and is a guy I could see playing at the FCS level. He had four tackles and 1.5 sacks in the championship against Mater Dei. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="187237" first="Sione" last="Laulea"] - </strong>He got burned on the opening drive of the game but after that he did a great job containing Mater Dei’s elite receivers. Laulea is a versatile defensive back who can play in man and zone coverage. There were times when Serra left him on an island in man coverage against elite receivers and he did a nice job limiting big plays. He has an offer from Sacramento State. https://twitter.com/TheRealSione04/status/1449573285738385410?s=20 <strong>Seamus Gilmartin - </strong>Gilmarti is a tight end and defensive end who is a Division 1 talent. He had a tough task going up against Mater Dei’s star tackles and he had a forced fumble that he also recovered. He doesn’t have Division 1 offers yet but after an offseason in the weight room and the camp circuit, he should get some more recruiting attention. https://twitter.com/westcoastpreps_/status/1457113346889506816?s=20 <strong>MATER DEI</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="25234" first="David" last="Bailey"] - </strong>Bailey committed to Stanford during the week of the championship game and showed everyone how good he is in the game. He dished out a huge hit for a loss on an option play and also had a sack. His speed is off the charts for an edge rusher and his length makes him incredibly difficult to block. Bailey will likely be the Orange County Defensive Player of the Year and Stanford is getting a multi year starter. https://twitter.com/MDFootball/status/1460118907436482564?s=20 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="25447" first="Levi" last="Sua"] - </strong>Sua was all over the field for the Monarchs and had a game-high 10 tackles. The junior inside linebacker has sideline to sideline speed and stuffed the Serra running game. He had a forced fumble and two tackles for a loss. He has offers from Tennessee, Texas, Arizona and Nebraska among others. https://twitter.com/Scott_Schrader/status/1431440306277437440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1431440306277437440%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fprepredzone.com%2F2021%2F12%2Fstate-championship-games-socal-players-to-know-pt-2%2F <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="25282" first="Malaki" last="Te’o"] - </strong>Te’o was right with Su’a making big plays from the linebacker spot. He had the biggest defensive play of the game with an interception he returned 21 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. He covers the flat really well and makes big plays stopping the run game. https://twitter.com/SBLiveCA/status/1469886489861365760?s=20 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="25264" first="Josh" last="Hunter"] - </strong>Hunter is undersized as a safety but you cannot tell when watching him play. He flies up the field to stop the run and is a ballhawk. He recovered a fumble and nearly returned it for a touchdown in the first quarter. Hunter is committed to San Diego State and was named one of the Players of the Year in the Trinity League. https://twitter.com/SBLiveCA/status/1469888446986477570?s=20