Burns at Stuart Cramer - Defensive Standouts

<p>The Burns Bulldogs rode a strong running game and some opportune defensive stops to pull away at the end of a hotly contested game on the road in Cramerton over Stuart Cramer, 35-21. There were some standout defensive players in this one from both teams. Let's take a look at these talented playmakers here.</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">Markalen was active all over the field in this one, as his speed and tackling ability in the open field helped keep Stuart Cramer from getting some big plays in the running game and passing game - on all of their drives, they drove the field and earned their points. Markalen had a team-high 13 tackles on the night and also had a sack and an interception, highlighting his overall impact defensively for the Bulldogs. Markalen is a player I've seen up close at the CFI Carolinas MEGA Showcase, and he's an athletic talent whose best football is ahead of him. I spoke with Markalen after the game. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/pepman704/status/1974306952567271852 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">After doing his thing on offense with nearly 250 yards on the ground with 24 carries, Max produced 11 tackles on defense, really looking impressive against the running game of Stuart Cramer primarily. Max does a good job of coming downhill against the running game and making solid tackles in space. Max can also be a plugger against interior linemen and lead backs in the hole, allowing his teammates to make tackles efficiently. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Nate is a big presence in the middle of the defensive line for the Bulldogs, and he did a good job of allowing his linebackers to run free and make tackles for the majority of the night. Nate did make a couple of plays, though, coming up with 3 tackles, a tackle for loss, and a sack, along with two hurries in the passing game. A highlight play for him was catching an errant punt attempt from Stuart Cramer, which caused the sideline and Burns fans to erupt in joy. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Jacob did a really good job in run support in the alley all night long, as Stuart Cramer really looked to hit a lot of their running plays off-tackle in the design of their offense. Jacob ended up with a nice, productive night, recording 10 tackles from his secondary position. We didn't see Jacob too much in coverage, as Stuart Cramer ran the ball most of the night; however, I did like his speed, which he used to get to the football in the running game. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">I don't have an official tackle count for Chris from this past Friday Night, but he was absolutely the main guy defensively for the Storm when there was a big stop made. From his middle linebacker position, Chris was running plays down all night long. The blocking scheme from Burns definitely accounted for him, but Chris still found a way to make a couple of highlight tackles for loss, one featured prominently on his Twitter profile. Committed to Lenoir-Rhyne, I have confidence he will help rally his team to bounce back from a tough loss. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/704wurster/status/1974599357413597298 </div></figure>

The Burns Bulldogs rode a strong running game and some opportune defensive stops to pull away at the end of a hotly contested game on the road in Cramerton over Stuart Cramer, 35-21. There were some standout defensive players in this one from both teams. Let's take a look at these talented playmakers here.