Rising Freshman Defenders Stepping Up

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tanner Cox – St. Teresa LB</strong><br>Cox has been a tackling machine through the first stretch of the season, piling up <strong>28 tackles</strong>. The freshman linebacker diagnoses plays quickly, gets downhill in a hurry, and sets the tone physically in the middle of the defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cameron Casey – Mascoutah DE</strong><br>Casey has made his presence felt off the edge with <strong>25 tackles and a sack</strong>. His motor and physicality make him tough to slow down, and he's already showing the ability to disrupt in the backfield as just a freshman.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Donnel Sallis – IC Catholic Prep DB</strong><br>Sallis has stepped in and held his own in the secondary. The long defensive back has recorded <strong>15 tackles</strong>, using his range and closing speed to shrink throwing windows and make quarterbacks think twice.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Earnest Winters – Cahokia DB</strong><br>Winters has already made game-changing plays with <strong>two interceptions</strong> this fall. With his legit size, speed, and ball skills, he looks like a young defensive back with star potential for the Comanches.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Imari Sanders – Christ the King (Chicago) DL</strong><br>Sanders has flashed off the edge, getting to the quarterback for <strong>two sacks</strong>. His burst and aggressiveness give Christ the King a freshman defender who can impact games right away.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These young playmakers aren't waiting their turn — they're stepping into big roles and proving that the future is bright on the defensive side of the ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->