SD Top Defensive Players of Week 7
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Defense wins games and championships, something that we all know at this point. Players this past week in South Dakota showed that when the playoffs come this year, they will be ready to perform at the highest level, much like…
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Continue ReadingDefense wins games and championships, something that we all know at this point. Players this past week in South Dakota showed that when the playoffs come this year, they will be ready to perform at the highest level, much like they did last week. Let’s take a look at the players that were stoppers last week and showed why they were the top defenders that South Dakota has to offer.
Richard Benenge Richard Benenge 6'2" | 220 lbs | LB Harrisburg | 2023 State – MLB, Harrisburg
Benenge was elite in his play on the field and electric with the talent that he shows every game and this time was no different. Watching him play in person is like watching poetry in motion on the field when it happens. Benenge is a hyper-versatile linebacker who can do so much for you when he is on the field and what I saw mostly was the elite ability to defend passes over the middle. He can use his speed that at times makes him look like a defensive back how fast he can accelerate to keep up with his opponents. He did that this game and much more for his team against a tough foe in Sioux Falls Washington. He can cause so much disruption in the passing that when they want to the run ball he can just as well stop that too, his ability as a run stuffer is something that should be seen to be believed. His passing rushing is nothing to scoff at either due to the strength that he has as an MLB. Overall, Benenge played a fantastic game in all aspects of defense and was a crucial piece in their win last week.
Caleb Loehr Caleb Loehr 6'0" | 215 lbs | DL Brookings | 2023 State – DE, Brookings
While Brookings might not have liked the loss that they suffered last week, their defensive pieces played great as usual. One of those pieces is the ever-talented Loehr and what he can do as an edge rusher. Loehr’s game is predicated on one key area and that is the ability to disrupt the offense and make their plays fall apart before they can form. How he does that is by being overpowering off the edge and lining on the defensive line to use his speed and power to blow up off the edge. This in turn allows him to make offenses adjust to stop him, with him being someone you often see in the backfield racking up sacks. His stats this game showed his ability in full with his final stat line having 10 total tackles, 4 TFLs, and 2 sacks overall. Loehr is such a beast when he gets into his rhythm in the game and is truly one of the best defenders that South Dakota has.
Hunter Cramer – LB, Warner
Cramer was simply untouchable when it came to him locking down offensive players last week and made it look too easy at times. Cramer was making anyone who came his feel the big hits that he was going to lay down on them. Cramer was multi-faceted in his overall game last week and he did just about everything on the defensive side of the ball. He racked 15.5 total tackles in the game, put simply no one was going to get past him and stop anyone who was trying to gain yards. His run-stopping ability is what truly impressed me with him how well he filled holes that formed on the defensive front to stifle the running game in its tracks. His defensive IQ in these moments is off the charts and it is impressive to me to see someone who is that smart on that end of the ball. Not to mention his pass defense was in top shape with him tallying an interception and breaking up passes all night long. Cramer was doing everything for his team and that is something that you love to see with the level of hustle and effort he put out.
Dashawn Rohlik Dashawn Rohlik 6'1" | 250 lbs | DL Sioux Falls Jefferson | 2024 State SD – DL, Sioux Falls Jefferson
Rohlik played great all year and when I was on my trip to see as many games as I could, I got the chance to see Sioux Falls Jefferson play and Rohlik is someone who caught my eye. In their win, the defense was something that Jefferson clearly looked to help stop the elite O’Gorman Knights’s offense and a big part of that in my view was Rohlik. What he did was stifle the offensive output in a few ways and one of those was how he well he forced the ball to be thrown. He made the running game not a big factor in his game and while it might not show up on the stat sheet, he was key to the defensive output his team was putting out. He could also overpower offensive linemen with what seemed like ease for him, using swim moves and his size to move past them. He is someone I am going to put on a list of some underrated players for what they bring to the table and what they can do as a D-Lineman.