Postseason Performers- Dominating Defenses in Round 1

Yesterday we took a look at some of the top offensive units throughout the state in the first round, and today, we are taking a look at some of the dominant defenses from last week.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">PARKER</h2>   Parker opened up their postseason with a fantastic 62-14 win against Mae Jemison that featured them flying around the field on defense.   EDGE [player_tooltip player_id='360378' first='Jeremiah' last='Beaman'] had a destructive day in the trenches, it was impossible for Mae Jemison's offensive line to contain him. He was a force against the run and pass, consistently wrapping up the ball carrier and bringing a ton of pressure to the opposing quarterback. In total, Beaman recorded 8 total tackles (6 solo, 2 assisted- 2 for loss).   DB [player_tooltip player_id='286148' first='Davion' last='Lake'] had a really productive day in the secondary and was able to impact Mae Jemison's passing attack in some big ways. He provided lockdown coverage and didn't allow anything to be thrown his way, and also had the ability to get one of Parker's two interceptions throughout the game. In total, Lake recorded 4 solo tackles and had an interception as well.   OLB Phillip Davison Jr., a senior outside backer for Parker, had a massive day as well for them. Davison was a monster against the run and consistently set the edge and was able to close gaps with great ease. Mae Jemison wasn't able to have much success if any against the talented Parker front, which led to Davison's huge day where he recorded 15 total tackles (13 solo, 2 assisted).     <h2 class="wp-block-heading">CENTRAL</h2>   Central kicked off their postseason with similar success, dominating Davidson in a 63-21 win. Central's defense was firing on all cylinders at a really high level and made a ton of plays.   DB [player_tooltip player_id='710583' first='Jiquan' last='Sanks'], the senior DB and Cincinnati commit had a massive game with some explosive plays in their secondary. Sanks was dominant in Central's secondary, barely getting targeted because of how well he was playing in coverage. When he was thrown at, it led to a huge defensive play- Sanks totaled up 4 tackles and picked off one pass that he ended up returning for 91 yards for a touchdown.   DL [player_tooltip player_id='737462' first='Isaia' last='Faga'] was unbelievable in this game and absolutely manhandled Davidson's interior offensive line. Faga is an extremely talented player in the trenches and is a dominant run-stopper and pass rusher, and this week against Davidson was no exception. Faga was able to get consistently great penetration and made a ton of plays in the backfield- totaling up 7 tackles (4 solo, 3 assisted- 3 were also for loss), and two hurries as well.   EDGE [player_tooltip player_id='212200' first='Tristan' last='Lyles'], a sophomore who has been on a tear this year, had a fantastic debut in this year's playoffs- he looks like he could be a serious player for years to come. Lyles was a consistent force in the backfield and made a ton of great plays for his defense, consistently rushing the passer and chasing and bringing down the ball carrier with a ton of consistent effort. On the game, Lyles recorded 9 total tackles (6 solo/3 assisted, and 3 were for loss) with a sack and fumble recovery as well.     <h2 class="wp-block-heading">SPANISH FORT</h2>   Spanish Fort has had one of the best, if not the best, defenses in the state this year, and man, they opened up their postseason with the same energy in their 28-0 shutout of Bessemer City.   EDGE [player_tooltip player_id='744121' first='Cole' last='McConathy'] was absolutely unbelievable in his performance last Friday, continuing his dominance as one of the top pass rushers in the state this year. McConathy was unblockable in this game like he has been all year, he consistently was causing chaos in the backfield and was a constant source of pressure on their QB. McConathy had a huge game, recording 10 total tackles (4 solo, 6 assisted, 4.5 for loss), 3 sacks, 4 hurries, and one forced fumble.   LB Drew Williamson, a senior linebacker for Spanish Fort, had a big game that featured him making a ton of sideline-to-sideline plays. Williamson is really effective at disrupting plays and recognizes what offenses are doing at a high level, allowing him to make play after play on defense. On the game, Williamson was all over the field, recording 10 total tackles (2 solo, 8 assisted, .5 for loss) and one pass breakup.   OLB Newton Gardner, a junior linebacker, had a dominant performance last week and was able to make a ton of big-time plays in the backfield, consistently putting pressure on the quarterback and dominating their run game. Gardner had a huge day on the opposite side of [player_tooltip player_id='744121' first='Cole' last='McConathy'] and ended up totaling 5 tackles (1 solo, 4 assisted, 1.5 for loss) and forced a fumble as well.

Yesterday we took a look at some of the top offensive units throughout the state in the first round, and today, we are taking a look at some of the dominant defenses from last week.