Empire State Top Performers on Defense

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With teams on the rise into playoff positions, its time to highlight some key players. In this post, I will highlight some young men on the defensive side of the ball who are key pieces of their team's success this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior linebacker <strong>Matthew Rappa</strong> who is amongst the best in the state with 51 tackles and 6 TFLs so far this season. He is 6'1 weighing around 210 pounds who is a critical part of this Chaminade defense. Rappa has great instincts for the ball and ball carrier. He rarely gets fooled on counters and read options and is always downhill. He is a sound tackler I'm space and a great run stopper int his defense but can also drop at 45 degree hips into coverage zone as he already has an INT so flat this season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='403057' first='Lucas' last='Leone'] was mentioned in my article<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://prepredzone.com/2022/03/new-yorks-linebackers-to-watch-in-2022/" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2022/03/new-yorks-linebackers-to-watch-in-2022/">New York Linebackers to watch in 2022</a> and he is picking up right where he left off last year and then some. Through 6 games he has 73 tackles (53 solo) and 8 TFLs in just his sophomore year. Lucas has a natural ability to find the ball carrier and make plays. He </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(WR/SS) [player_tooltip player_id='437241' first='Sean' last='Cannon']</strong> is 6'2, 195 pound basketball turned football player dynamic athlete. In his junior year, he had 22 grabs for just over 300 yards. This year he has 481 receiving yards on 29 grabs and 4 touchdowns. Sean's ball skills can be seen on both sides of the ball as he leads the NYCHSFL with 5 interceptions. He has great play strength to make sound tackles with 47 TOT on the season so far and can be trusted with closing speed to make a play on the receiver or ball carrier. With his type of production Sean is proving he has a high ceiling and can be effective at the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The list wouldn't be complete without mentioning <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='437244' first='Wayne' last='Coleman']</strong> who has 6 sacks for over 40 yards. But as Wayne plugs gaps and dominates the interior, senior defensive end <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='237051' first='Isaiah' last='Darby']</strong> is able to have great production on the outside. Isaiah initially started as a receiver, but he grew into his 6'2 and 215 pound frame and switched to a 3 point stance. He has a great get off as an edge rusher. He also has good bend and speed to chase down the ball carrier before they reach the second level. He has 19 tackles, 3 sacks and 4 TFLs so far this season. I have seen Isaiah put in significant work in offseason and it seems to be paying him dividends. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(SS/K/P) Caden Lesiewicz William Floyd HS 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Caden is 6 feet and weighs just over 175 with but his game is way bigger scoring on all three phases of the game. He is the starting kicker showing his leg strength with 54 kickoffs and 26 touchbacks. He has incredible football smarts at the safety position. He has good hips and balance turn and get to his landmarks, can use his speed to close in and make a play on the ball. Caden has 50 tackles (32 solo) and leads the state with 9 INTs (1 for touchdown) so far this season, he shows he is a step ahead of whatever the opposing offense is throwing his way. Caden is a critical part of a the Colonials defense that only allows an average of 11 points per game while they're outscoring their opponents by an average margin of over 32 points per game. Caden also has 3 rushing touchdowns. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->