Corinth Holders vs. Clayton Defensive Standouts

Will Helms November 16, 2024 @ 10:31 AM

Now that I'm finally back in North Carolina for the foreseeable future, I was able to take in my first live NCHSAA football game in nearly five years. The Clayton Comets won 48-17, but the defenses played much better than the scoreline would suggest. I highlighted the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/11/corinth-holders-vs-clayton-offensive-standouts/">offensive standouts here</a>. In this article, I'll talk about the defensive standouts from both teams Friday night.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Corinth Holders Pirates Top Defensive Standouts</h2>   The scoreline is a bit misleading in relation to how the Pirate defense played. They gave up a few long throws over the top, but two of the touchdowns allowed came on short fields, while a third was a Clayon defensive score.   Overall, I was impressed with a defensive line that really limited what the Comets could do in the running game. [player_tooltip player_id='1278962' first='Korbyn' last='Mitchell'] plays both ways for the Pirates and though his raw numbers aren't huge, he held up the interior offensive line and kept his linebackers clean to make tackles.   That allowed the linebackers to flow freely and I was impressed with their speed and gap integrity. Senior Mason Berry isn't the biggest guy, but he made a ton of plays early and I don't think I saw him miss a tackle. Later in the game, Vann Smith and Rhett Stevens got involved.   Brendan Stevens who I mentioned as one of my favorite offensive players of the game, rotated in at the Big Nickel spot later in the game to match up with some of Clayton's big receivers without sacrificing in the running game when the Comets started to spread out the defense.   While the defensive backs struggled at times to cover Clayton's bigger receivers, Chase Desiata and Jamal Newsome made some big plays, breaking up a few well-thrown balls.   Fellow defensive back Antwan Brown showed his speed by returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Clayton Comets Top Defensive Standouts</h2>   The Defensive Player of the Game was Clayton's Keyshawn Stancil, who proved he's one of the top defensive linemen in the state Friday. He played mostly as a 3-4 defensive end and had several huge plays. Stancil had a sack, three tackles for loss and two forced fumbles, but his biggest play of the game was midway through the first quarter when Corinth Holders tried a screen over the top of the defensive lineman.   Stancil tipped the pass and defensive tackle Joshua Kelly caught it and returned it 42 yards for a huge defensive touchdown. It was one of the more athletic plays you'll see from a down lineman.   Defensive backs [player_tooltip player_id='366314' first='AK' last='Crumel'] and Mekhi Foye had great nights, contributing to a forced fumble and locking down receivers on the edge. Crumel tackled really well, which was nice to see, as that's a box I wanted the elite cover corner to check.   Later in the game, linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1316558' first='Codie' last='Witmer'] got in on the action after a quiet first half, delivering several big hits and reading and diagnosing plays well. He has great instincts and plays his role behind a dominant defensive line well.

Now that I'm finally back in North Carolina for the foreseeable future, I was able to take in my first live NCHSAA football game in nearly five years. The Clayton Comets won 48-17, but the defenses played much better than the scoreline would suggest. I highlighted the offensive standouts here. In this article, I'll talk about the defensive standouts from both teams Friday night.