Top Single-Game Senior Defensive Performances
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Defense wins Championships, and four of the five losing NYSPHAA State Champion teams scored 14 points or less in the Championship game, including a year of semifinal games in which most losing teams scored in the single digits. There were…
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Continue ReadingDefense wins Championships, and four of the five losing NYSPHAA State Champion teams scored 14 points or less in the Championship game, including a year of semifinal games in which most losing teams scored in the single digits. There were several standout performers this season, and while defensive stats can sometimes be hard to come by, through some digging, these guys stood out as top individual game performances this season.
DL Jazier Fluker Jazier Fluker 6'3" | 230 lbs | DL Bennett | 2024 State NY vs Niagara Falls
Fluker was consistent all season on a strong Bennett defense; his standout performance came against Niagara Falls, where he posted 8 Tackles, 5 TFLs, 3 Sacks, and 3 Hurries. Fluker was in the backfield consistently through the year, and his performance against Niagara Falls was one of his six multi-sack games.
DL Ryan Cole Ryan Cole 6'2" | 220 lbs | DL Somers | 2024 State NY vs. Niskayuna
Cole finished his career for Somers with major career accolades; in his final season, he was named Class A POY and had his second straight double-digit sack season. Cole’s top performance came against one of the most talented teams he faced last season in Niskayuna, where he had 7 Tackles, 4 TFLs, and 4 Sacks.
LB Perrion Williams Perrion Williams 6'2" | 185 lbs | LB East | 2024 State NY vs. Canandaigua
Perrion Williams Perrion Williams 6'2" | 185 lbs | LB East | 2024 State NY , who currently is one of the most dominant runners in T&F in New York, also had a strong season for East. Williams was named 2nd Team All-Greater Rochester and had several performances that filled up the stat sheet. Williams had 16 Total Tackles, 9 Solo, 4 TFL, and 1 Sack. Williams had 8 games of double-digit tackles all season, consistently filling up the state sheet.
LB Matthew Risley Matthew Risley 5'11" | 175 lbs | LB Carmel | 2024 State NY vs. Yonkers Force
Risley, a model of consistency for powerhouse Carmel, was the heart of their 2023 defense. Against Yonkers Force, Risley had 13 Solo Tackles, 5 TFLs, 2 Sacks, and a FF. Creating negative plays and turnovers gets you noticed, and not many did that better than Risley throughout the fall.
LB Kahmari Cook Kahmari Cook 6'2" | 220 lbs | LB Bennett | 2024 State NY vs. McQuaid
Kahmari Cook Kahmari Cook 6'2" | 220 lbs | LB Bennett | 2024 State NY , the heart of the Bennett defense, had a strong senior season and several standout games; the one that stood out the most to me was against McQuaid, where he had 15 Solo Tackles, 3 TFLs, and 1 Sack.
LB Branden Raines Branden Raines 6'2" | 200 lbs | LB St. John The Baptist | 2024 State NY vs. Xaverian
Raines had a really strong season with 19 TFL and 12 Sacks, and his best game came against Xaverian, where he ended up in the backfield plenty. 5 Tackles, 5 TFL, 3 Sacks, and 5 Hurries is an efficient day in the backfield and showcased that Raines was one of the best pass rushers in the NYCHSFL.
DB Luke Lavello Luke Lavello 6'1" | 165 lbs | ATH Arlington | 2024 State NY vs. Suffern
Luke Lavello Luke Lavello 6'1" | 165 lbs | ATH Arlington | 2024 State NY had one of the more unique stat lines in this article when he had 2 Tackles and 3 INTs against Suffern. It’s not often a player has more INTs than Tackles, but Lavello collected 3 of his 7 total INTs in one game. Those 7 INTs tied him for third in NYS on Maxpreps. This past fall was a noteworthy performance from Lavello, who had just committed to RPI.
DB Damien Santiago Damien Santiago 6'4" | ATH Carmel | 2024 State NY vs. Shenendehowa
Santiago had a couple of standout games as a talented two-way player for Carmel. His best game defensively came against Shenendehowa, where he had 3 INTs and 176 return yards to go along with them. His performance also included one of the most impressive Pick 6s we saw all season.
Best Defensive Performance of the Season
SAF Deonte Douglas vs. St. Anthony’s
Deonte Douglas had a great season and was named NYCHSFL DPOY; it makes sense that the DPOY in the toughest league in New York also had some performances that would be considered the best defensive performances of the year. In an all-time shootout between Stepinac and St. Anthony’s, Douglas had 21 Tackles, 13 Solo Tackles, 1 INT, and 2 PBUs, an all-around performance for the best safety in New York.