Fantastic Freshmen: Top 2028 Defensive Performers In 2024

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Numerous 2028 prospects (freshman) excelled for their teams this past season. Here are some of the top defensive freshmen:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1258842' first='Andres' last='Acosta'], Highland</strong>: Made 59 tackles with 3.0 TFL and 1.0 sack for the Hornets this season. Highland won its first playoff game in two decades and reached the quarterfinals of the 5A playoffs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1613430' first='Zaiden' last='Baker'], Hot Springs</strong>: Contributed on both sides of the ball, but his biggest contribution came on the defensive end where he made 46 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 1 INT and 2 passes defended.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Houston Brown, Volcano Vista</strong>: Made 4 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries in just 6 games for the Volcano Vista varsity. Brown and fellow freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1613703' first='Aiden' last='Gonzales']</strong> (27 tackles, 2 INT) will make a formidable secondary duo for the next three years. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1613670' first='Cesar' last='De La Rosa'], Chaparral</strong>: How productive was De La Rosa? He made 47 tackles in just 7 varsity games as a safety, an average of nearly 7 per game. He also had 3 passes defended.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1613280' first='Kashton' last='Ewen'], Hope Christian</strong>: Possessing a 6-foot-2 frame, Ewen has an extremely high ceiling physically and could become a highly recruited prospect in a couple of years. He made 50 tackles with an impressive 15.0 TFL,10 sacks and 3 fumble recoveries.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1613664' first='Santos' last='Martinez'], Robertson</strong>: Martinez helped the Cardinals reach the 3A semifinals with 49 tackles and 1.0 sack from his defensive end spot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1613517' first='Joel' last='Nieto'], Jal</strong>: Made 42 tackles with 2.0 TFL and 1 INT for the Panthers in 2024. Active all season long on the defensive side of the ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1613448' first='Christian' last='Perez'], Legacy Academy</strong>: After seeing action as an 8^th-grader in 2023, Perez took his game to another level in 2024 as Legacy Academy competed in 11-man football for the first time. He finished with 41 tackles, 2.0 TFL and 5.0 passes defended. Outstanding young DB.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1613692' first='Dallas' last='Shendo'], Ruidoso</strong>: Made 31 tackles with 3.0 TFL and 2 sacks for the Warriors.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1613423' first='Brez' last='Tiller'], Laguna Acoma</strong>: Per MaxPreps, led all freshmen in the state with 66 tackles in additionto4.o tackles for loss,2 sacks, 2 QB hurries and 2 forced fumbles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Congratulations to our All District 2nd Team recipients: <br>[player_tooltip player_id='1245683' first='Ismael' last='Mendez'] III, Houston Brown, and [player_tooltip player_id='615749' first='Eli' last='Salas']! We are proud of you! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GATA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GATA</a> <a href="https://t.co/uYfR9NZzrv">pic.twitter.com/uYfR9NZzrv</a></p>&mdash; Volcano Vista HS Football (@vvhsfootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/vvhsfootball/status/1861223348266471718?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html -->