Week 9’s Standout Defensive Performances

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the high school regular season now in its final week, teams aspiring to post-season success must now be poised to showcase their skills, determination, and proven offensive and defensive strategies if they hope to avoid an early exit from the playoffs. While dynamic, big-play offenses often attract the lion's share of the spotlight, consistent and technically sound defensive play at this time is of paramount importance. While ill-timed turnovers, matchup disadvantages and even Kentucky's fickle November weather can derail offensive consistency from time to time, a quality defense remains foundational to the prospects for team success, so top-notch performances like these during the final weeks of the regular season bode well for their programs' playoff prospects.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1513806' first='Erik' last='Germann']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'1u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2496","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Boyd County","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"A national steer wrestling competitor in his off seasons, Germann's defensive production was essential to his Lions' 22-14 district road win at Lawrence County. Securing 7 solo tackles, 7 assists and 1 tackle for loss from his DE/4-technique alignment in Boyd County's 3-4 defensive front, he displays an explosive vertical take-off from his stance, leveraged pad-level and a low center of gravity that makes him an unusually active and disruptive defensive lineman. A full-time offensive starter at right guard as well, his lower body/footwork fundamentals are clearly evident on both sides of the ball, though his pursuit motor and skill set likely project him more favorably as a next-level defender. Currently his squad's #6 tackler, he has collected 19 solo stops, 23 assists, 5 tackles for loss and 1 sack this fall. Germann and his 5-4 Lions will host defending Class A state champion Pikeville in their season finale before traveling to Mason County for round one of the Class AAAA playoffs.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["460597"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"After making his season debut in the third game of the season, Griffin has been on a defensive tear that currently ranks him #2 in sacks among all Class AAAA defenders and 3rd statewide. A loosely aligned edge defender with excellent blow delivery/escape skills and the speed to close on the football from any angle, he collected 3 solo tackles, 5 assists, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1 sack in limited duty, as his undefeated Flyers made quick work of cross-town district rival Western Hills (49-0). With the shutout, his defensive unit now ranks #2 among Class AAAA programs in scoring defense (10.2 points per game/6th statewide) and #2 in pass defense (61 yards per game/17th statewide). In seven games this fall, he has charted 24 solo stops, 24 assists, 22 tackles for loss and 12 sacks, pushing his career totals to 50.0 TFLs and 24.5 sacks. An athletic and impactful performer with a tremendously high developmental ceiling, Griffin and his 9-0 Flyers will travel to George Rogers Clark for their final regular season contest before hosting Doss in the first round of the Class AAAA playoffs.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["675971"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Reynolds put together the most impactful defensive performance of his prep careeru002du002dand capped it off with a game-winning touchdown reception offensivelyu002du002din his Raiders' huge 24-21 win over district foe Simon Kenton. Aligning primarily as an inside linebacker in a 4-4 defensive set, he collected 12 solo tackles, 7 assists, 4 tackles for loss and 2 sacks in securing for Ryle the district title and home-field advantage in the playoffs. A full-time offensive starter as an inside/slot receiver in a variety of 2-by-2 and 3-by-1 spread formations, he also has hauled in 38 receptions for 542 yards and 2 scores, and his 60.2 receiving yards per game average currently ranks him 14th among Class AAAAAA receivers. Now totaling 30 solos, 27 assists, 4 tackles for loss and 2 sacks for the season, he also ranks 50th among all Class AAAAAA defenders with an average of 6.3 stops per game. Now 5-4, Ryle will close out its regular season at Dixie Heights this week before hosting Louisville Eastern in the first round of next week's Class AAAAAA playoffs.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"Timothy Streeval","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"2496","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"Adair County","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_3_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"A physical inside linebacker with the ability to quickly run through emerging windows and meet lead blockers/ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage, Streeval totaled 7 solo tackles and 6 assists in his Indians' 49-20 district road win at McCreary Central. In addition to maintaining a fundamentally sound posture (forward body lean, shoulders square) as he shuffles and scrapes over first-level obstacles, his hip mobility and athleticism also make him an exceptionally reliable tackler in open spaces. Currently his defensive unit's top tackler for the second consecutive season, he has compiled 30 solo stops, 49 assists, 3 tackles for loss and 1 fumble recovery this season, placing him 23rd among all Class AAA defenders with an average of 8.8 tackles per contest. Streeval's Adair County squad will end their regular season with a home finale versus Metcalfe County and then travel to Union County for the first round of the Class AAA playoffs.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"Waylon Wheatley","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"5'11u0022","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"2496","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"Union County","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_4_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Most frequently aligning as the middle linebacker in Union County's 4-3 defensive front, Wheatley was a consistently disruptive presence in his program's 36-7 district win over Webster County, generating 1 solo tackle, 15 assists, 0.5 tackle for loss and 0.5 sack. After finishing 2022 as the Braves' #7 tackler, he has progressed to the top of this year's tackle chart with 15 solos, 76 assists, 5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sack and 1 fumble recovery, placing him 13th currently among all Class AAA defenders. An aggressive and high-motor defender with disciplined eyes/visual reads, he proves especially effective in bracketing perimeter runs from inside-out and contacting/blanketing receivers in both man and zone coverage concepts. Spearheading a defensive unit that now ranks among the top ten in Class AAA in scoring defense, rushing defense and team sacks, Wheatley and his undefeated Braves will travel to Greenwood for the concluding game of their regular season before hosting Adair County in round one of the playoffs.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6536c5ba82a02"} /-->