Stars Of The State Week 3 – Defensive Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another fun week of football has come and gone here in the state of North Carolina, and we had another week of some special players putting up special stats on the football field! Let's take a look at some strong performances in this week's look at the Stars of the State – Defensive Standouts!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DB [player_tooltip player_id='1239187' first='Caleb' last='Cooper'] – Providence Day – 12 Tackles in Victory - The talented Class of 2027 prospect did a great job in coming up in run support against a run-heavy Wing-T offense in Charlotte Catholic. Caleb also has some offensive skills at running back which he displayed earlier this season, helping the Chargers to a 2-1 record so far this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DL [player_tooltip player_id='1316547' first='Josh' last='Kelly'] – Clayton – 2 Sacks, 3 Tackles For Loss, &amp; a Pick 6 in Victory - Josh had a very impressive game - in looking at his highlights, his Pick 6 was the result of reading a middle screen from his defensive tackle position and snatching it out of the air. I liked how Josh uses his swim technique at the snap to gain penetration and create a pass rush. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DL [player_tooltip player_id='457612' first='Zion' last='Burden'] – Mallard Creek – 11 Tackles vs. Grayson (GA) - Playing from a 2-point stance, Zion was a big reason that Grayson had to go to the air to find offensive success in the first half against the Mavericks. Zion was in fast off the edge in the running game and made several tackles for no gain or a loss. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>ATH [player_tooltip player_id='205617' first='Luke' last='Faulkner'] – Southern Nash – 121 Rushing Yards, 2 TDs, 7 Tackles in Victory - Luke played fullback and had some impressive runs, but defensively I was impressed with Luke's tackling ability. He gets to the ball carrier quickly but under control, and uses good technique to make tackles in space look very simple. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DB Quay Knotts – Monroe – 2 Interceptions including Pick 6 in Victory - On Quay's Pick 6, he showed good zone discipline and let the play come to him, making a nice catch and return for the touchdown. His 2nd interception was on an attempted deep ball down the sideline where he showed good technique in staying over the top and making the catch. Quay also showed some good run support from his defensive back position. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DL [player_tooltip player_id='1616163' first='Makai' last='Henriquez'] – Porter Ridge – Freshman Had Pick 6 in Victory - At 6'3 and 185 pounds, you get excited when you see freshmen making game-changing plays on Varsity already. Makai was able to read the wide receiver screen forming behind him, and he dropped, got his hands up, made the catch, and returned it for an easy touchdown. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DB [player_tooltip player_id='1363730' first='Adom' last='Hembrick'] – EE Smith – 2 Interceptions, 60 Receiving Yards vs. West Carteret - Adom continues to impress - he is showing excellent coverage skills in both man and zone coverage disciplines. Other people are starting to take notice, as he announced a college offer today on his Twitter profile. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->