Underclassmen Defenders to Watch this Weekend

Doesn't matter what level of football- Defense doesn't get nearly as much attention as offense. Today, I'll shed light on a few underclassmen defenders taking the field tomorrow night for the District Finals.    Two-way star who was been a gigantic reason why Brother Rice is experiencing this late-season run of success.   If you've been to a Brother Rice game, you'll probably know Deondre as a running back first and foremost. He's excellent in that role, and I think he's taken a giant leap in production as the season has progressed.   He's also a pretty effective off-ball linebacker. It's near impossible to teach physicality and effort, and Deondre checks those boxes. Just like RB, he's improving week by week as a linebacker. Getting better at reading opposing offenses, and generally reacting and attacking quicker. St. Mary's is a porgram that Brother Rice knows quite well, and I'd expect Deondre to have a big game defensively, as well as offensively.     Another dude who has made the most of his Varsity opportunity. Antonio is an off-ball linebacker who does a nice job making stops between the tackles. Throughout the season, Antonio has improved his reaction time and general confidence. Where he used to second-guess and allow himself to get blocked, Antonio reacts a step quicker, and is able to sidestep some of those blocks, leading to consistently better positioning. He's also growing as a pass defender, and that part of his game will absolutely be needed against Dakota.     Can't wait to dive deeper into the tape with Dacari. Media outlets in West Michigan have expressed how productive Dacari has been, especially on the defensive side of the football. Commonly tallying 10+ tackles per game, Dacari is progressing nicely as a hybrid LB.   Having watched Dacari this past offseason, I know that he has the athletic ability to realistically play DE, LB, or S, or even DB. Impressive lateral speed, and as explosive as they come for a sophomore.   If you're watching the game in Muskegon tomorrow night, keep an eye on Dacari!     Another elite DB from Harper Woods. Is anyone surprised? I know I'm not.   Dudes like Jayden are propelling Harper Woods to the top of Michigan High School Football. He's proven to be a pretty well-rounded safety for Harper Woods this season. Of course, he's extremely well-repped in the pass game. He can defend the middle third as good as anyone, and has the athletic ability to cover a ton of ground and break up any lightly thrown pass. Evans has also improved as a run defender. A little more aggressive in his pursuit and a little better at tackling this season. Overall, a smarter football player, and someone who should take another leap this coming offseason.     I could name a number of Cass Tech players here.   Army has impressed me throughout the season. Specifically, I loved what I saw in his week 1 matchup versus Toledo Central Catholic.   For one, Army is as competitive as they come. FIts the Cass Tech culture extremely well.   Second, Army is a dang good football player. He's able to get into a WRs nose and play press-man, or drop back into a zone and cover a ton of ground. An underrated aspect to Army's game is his tackling. He's quite good as a tackler and way more physical than most DBs. Tomorrow against Fordson, I'm expecting Army to have a huge game.

Doesn't matter what level of football- Defense doesn't get nearly as much attention as offense. Today, I'll shed light on a few underclassmen defenders taking the field tomorrow night for the District Finals.