2023 Statewide Defensive Top Performers: Playoffs Round 1
With the 2023 high school football regular season behind us, we have now made it through the first round of the playoffs in the state of Kentucky. Round 1 gave us several exciting games with some impressive individual performances. With…
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Continue ReadingWith the 2023 high school football regular season behind us, we have now made it through the first round of the playoffs in the state of Kentucky. Round 1 gave us several exciting games with some impressive individual performances. With the offense already being covered, here are my top defensive performers in the state of Kentucky from the first round of the playoffs.
Brach Rice has been one of the most dominant defensive players in the state this season and has carried that success into the playoffs. The senior linebacker played a key role in his team’s first round win over Woodford County. Rice was very impressive against the run, showing the ability to read his keys and come downhill in a hurry to get to the ball carrier. Once he got to the ball carrier, he did a great job of exploding through contact and finishing his tackles with a ton of physicality. Rice finished the game with 15 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. He also played a key role on offense, running the ball seven times for 92 yards and three touchdowns. Brach is committed to Miami (OH) where I can see him becoming a key piece of their defense once he gets there. Brach and the Colonel will look to keep things rolling in what should be an exciting second round matchup against Highlands this week.
Highlights
Bryce Pugh is another linebacker that has had a strong senior season. Pugh continued to impress last week in Leslie County’s first round victory over Carroll County. He continued to assert his dominance against the run, showing the ability to read his keys from the middle linebacker spot and flow to the ball carrier quickly to make tackles. Pugh finished the game with 15 tackles and two tackles for loss. He also showed the ability to rush the passer, finishing the game with 1.5 sacks. Bryce currently holds an offer from Thomas More and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more come his way as he has the talent to be a productive linebacker at the next level.
Highlights
Dameyn Anness is a player that has jumped onto my radar this season and continued to stand out last week. He played a huge role in Ludlow’s first round win over Bellevue. Anness lined up at outside linebacker where he was very impressive against the run, showing the ability to read the play then fight through blocks and get to the ball carrier in a hurry to make tackles. He finished the game with seven tackles and two tackles for loss. Dameyn also proved to be reliable in pass coverage, coming away with two interceptions and returning one of them for a touchdown. He also led his team in rushing with 10 carries for 119 yards and a touchdown. Anness doesn’t currently hold any offers but he is definitely a player for college coaches to keep an eye on as he continues to develop over the next couple seasons. Dameyn and the Panthers will be looking to continue their playoff run in a second round matchup against Newport this week.
Hunter Pingleton
Hunter Pingleton
Another underclassman that stood out to me last week was Hunter Pingleton. Hunter played a key role in his team’s first round win over Estill County. Pingleton lines up at middle linebacker where he is very impressive against the run. He does a great job of reading his keys and coming downhill to meet the ball carrier before they can get going. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he does a great job of exploding through contact to secure the tackle. Pingleton finished the game with 11 tackles and four tackles for loss. He also showed the ability to rush the passer, coming away with one sack. Hunter doesn’t currently hold any offers but should be a player to keep an eye on as he continues to develop. Pingleton and the Rockets will be looking to keep their season going in a second matchup against Lawrence County.
Nicholas Osborne
Nicholas Osborne
Nicholas Osborne is another defensive player that grabbed my attention last week. Osborne played a key role in Bethlehem’s first round victory over Caverna. Nicholas lined up at corner where he was very impressive in coverage. When the ball was thrown his way, Osborne showed great ball skills, coming away with two interceptions and returning one of them for a touchdown. He also finished the game with 0.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. Osborne also made an impact on offense at receiver, catching two passes for 43 yards and a touchdown. Nicholas doesn’t currently hold any offers but is a player to keep an eye on throughout the rest of the playoffs and going into his senior year. Osborne and the Eagles will look to continued their playoff run in a second round matchup against Kentucky Country Day this week.
Juhon Goodman
Juhon Goodman
Juhon Goodman is a player that jumped onto my radar last week. He played a key role in Mercer County’s first round win over LaRue County. Goodman lined up at defensive end where he was able to assert his dominance off the edge as a pass rusher. He finished the game with three sacks. Goodman also showed the ability to stop the run, leading his team with 11 tackles along with one tackle for loss. Juhon doesn’t currently hold any offers but should be a player to keep an eye on over the next couple seasons. Goodman’s Titans will look to keep their season going in an intriguing second round matchup against Central (Louisville) this week.
Nick Stowe
Nick Stowe
Another defensive player that jumped onto my radar last week was Nick Stowe. Stowe played a key role in Spencer County’s first round win over Western. He lines up at inside linebacker where he does a great job against the run. Stowe has shown the ability to read his keys and flow to the ball carrier in a hurry to make tackles in the open field. In Friday’s win, Stowe led the team with 10 tackles along with one tackle for loss. He also showed the ability to make plays in pass coverage, coming away with an interception and returning it for a touchdown. Nick doesn’t currently hold any offers but he deserves some attention from college coaches as he has the talent to play somewhere at the next level. Nick and the Bears will be looking to keep their season alive in a second round matchup against DeSales this week.
Ryder Cunningham
Ryder Cunningham
Ryder Cunningham is another defensive player that stood out to me in the first round. Cunningham played a key role in his team’s first round win over North Hardin. He lined up at inside linebacker where he did a great job of reading the run and getting to the ball carrier in a hurry to make tackles. Cunningham finished the game with 13 tackles and a fumble recovery. He also showed the ability to make plays in pass coverage, coming away with an interception and returning it for a touchdown. Ryder doesn’t currently hold any offers but he deserves some attention from college coaches as he has the talent to play somewhere at the next level. Cunningham and the Panthers will look to keep their playoff run going in a second round matchup against Central Hardin this week.
Cameron Jessee is a player that had a strong regular season and has carried his success into post-season play. Jessee played a key role in his team’s first round win over Eastern. Cameron lined up at defensive end where he was very disruptive against the run. He showed the ability to fight through blocks and get to the ball carrier in a hurry to make tackles before they could get going. Jessee led his team with seven tackles and four tackles for loss. He also showed the ability to rush the pass rusher, finishing the game with two sacks. Jessee also caught one pass for two yards at tight end. Cameron currently holds an offer from Eastern Kentucky and I expect more to come his way as he has the talent to play on either side of the ball at the next level. Jessee and the Crimsons will be looking to keep their season alive in a second round matchup against Ballard this week.
Highlights
Sean Hurry
Sean Hurry
To wrap up my defensive top performers from the first round of the playoffs, I have Sean Hurry from Newport. The freshman played a key role in his team’s first round win over Holy Cross (Covington). Hurry lined up as a stand-up outside linebacker/defensive end where he was dominant off the edge as a pass rusher. He was able to use his speed and impressive pass rush moves to blow by opposing offensive tackles and get to the quarterback, finishing the game with 3.5 sacks. Hurry also showed the ability to stop the run, finishing the game with a team-leading eight tackles and five tackles for loss. Sean doesn’t currently hold any offers but will definitely be a player to keep an eye on as he continues to develop. Hurry and the Wildcats will be looking to keep their playoff run going in a second round matchup against Ludlow this week.