Coach Ferrell’s Notes: The Leading Returning Tacklers in VA

As the saying goes, "Defense Wins Championships". We’ll examine who are some of the state of Virginia’s top returning tacklers. It’s not a surprise that the defensive units that were led by these guys were apart of some the state’s most successful teams. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-24527" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/06/Generic-Featured-Image-2-300x187.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="187" /> &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="193639" first="Brett" last="Clatterbaugh"] | 6’2’’ 220 lbs | Eastern View High School | Class of 2025 Clatterbaugh was named 2nd Team All State, 1st Team All Region 4B, and 1st Team All District as a Linebacker. He also earned Honorable Mention honors as a Tight End. The Eastern View Linebacker was also equally dominant in wrestling. He was the 220 pound NHSCA Freshman National Champ and 4A Virginia State Champ this past winter, finishing with a record of 32-0. Clatterbaugh defensive stats were very impressive in his freshmen season, finishing with the 2nd most total tackles in the state (153). Of those 153 tackles, 51 were solo, and 102 were assisted. He also contributed with 19 tackles for a loss, 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, 6 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 defensive touchdown. On offense, he had 12 receptions for 213 yards and 3 touchdowns. I predict that he will have many Power 5 offers to choose from by the conclusion of his Senior year. He is already receiving interest from many schools including Clemson and South Carolina. &nbsp; Ty’Quan Speight | 6’ 200 lbs | King and Queen Central High School | Class of 2023 Speight earned Class 1 First Team All State honors as a Linebacker. He led the team to a 10-2 record, 6 games holding opposing teams to 1 touchdown or less, and the 3rd round of the State Playoffs. Speight was a huge part of the team’s defensive effort, recording 150 total tackles, a state leading 97 solo tackles, 53 assisted tackles, 15 tackles for a loss, and 1.5 sacks. &nbsp; Maddax Lee | 5’11’’ 210 lbs | Thomas Dale High School | Class of 2023 Maddax was a key part of the Thomas Dale defense that finished with a 6-3 record and 1st round loss in the State Playoffs. He racked up 124 total tackles, 47 solo tackles, 77 assisted tackles, 20 tackles for a loss, 3 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles. His performance earned him Class 6 2nd Team All State, 1st Team All Region,  and All Metro Honorable Mention as a Linebacker. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="185461" first="Se’Von" last="McDowell"] | 6’ 180 lbs | Dinwiddie High School | Class of 2024 Mcdowell, a 4A 2nd Team All State and All Metro Honorable Mention Linebacker, was part of a defense that dominated and spearheaded Dinwiddie to a successful season. They finished with a 9-1 record, had 7 games holding opponents under 14 points, and a 2nd round playoff appearance before losing to Patrick Henry HS in the State Playoffs. Mcdowell contributed with 109 total tackles, 69 solo tackles, 40 assisted tackles, 20 tackles for a loss, and 3 sacks. His 3.5 GPA in the classroom, along with his performance on the field should start to gain the attention of college coaches. &nbsp; Jakob Lawyer | 6’ 200 lbs | Stone Bridge High School | Class of 2023 Lawyer was named First Team All District and 2nd Team All Region as a Linebacker. He helped the team to an undefeated 15-0 season that included a repeat at the State Championship Title, and held 9 teams to a touchdown or less during their championship run. Lawyer was responsible for 103 total tackles, 68 of those tackles were solo, and 35 of them were assisted tackles. He also added 3 tackles for a loss and 1 sack to his stat sheet for the season.