Millennium @ Horizon: Defensive Standouts

Despite the shootout in the 43-36 Horizon win, there were still a handful of defensive prospects that were able to impress and make a significant impact. Both teams are loaded with underrated prospects, so here’s a look at the top defensive players of the game: &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="162082" first="Ethan" last="Tinsley"], <em>DB, Horizon ’22</em> Tinsley made a significant impact on both sides of the ball. He does a great job at CB for Horizon, as he tracked the receivers hips well and was stellar in man coverage. In man with no help over the top, Tinsley locked up a deep post and was able to snatch it out of the air and pick up about 30 extra yards on the INT. He possesses good speed and quickness to run downfield with receivers, along with excellent ball skills all-around. A very well rounded athlete that could potentially play both DB or WR at the next level.<img class="size-medium wp-image-211725 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/IMG_6542-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="165916" first="Shahid" last="Wilson"], <em>DB, Millennium ’23</em> Wilson impressed me with his length and overall athleticism at CB all night. He does a great job disguising his coverages to throw off the pre-snap read for the QB and eliminate an entire area of the field. Strong in man-press as he flashes a good punch without lunging and keeps receivers within arms length. He possesses loose hips with good speed which aids in his ability to lock receivers up in man on an island. Wilson is a very good tackler as he possesses good closing speed and is explosive through the tackle, showing strength at the POA. He had a productive night on the stat sheet as well as he recovered 2 fumbles and racked up 16 tackles. &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="175110" first="Eric" last="Rivera"],</strong> <em>DB, Millennium ’24</em> Rivera had himself a productive night as he had an INT on a deflected pass, and forced a fumble on a kickoff to force a turnover and set up Millennium inside the Horizon 40 which led to a Millennium TD. He did a pretty good job in coverage as he seemed to understand his assignments in zone and did a good job breaking on the ball to initiate almost immediate contact after the catch to bring down opponents. He totaled 9 tackles on the night as well, and could be a sneaky 2024 prospect to remember as he continues to develop. &nbsp; <img class=" wp-image-211727 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/IMG_6546-rotated-crop-3024x1986-1633377207-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="321" height="211" /> <strong>Jack Bodemuller,</strong> <em>DB, Horizon ’22</em> Bodemuller had 6 tackles on the night, but had the biggest play of the game when he picked off a [player_tooltip player_id="161950" first="Blake" last="Sparks"] pass to seal the win for Horizon. Excellent positioning and route concept recognition on that clutch INT, as that took away a last minute comeback drive opportunity from Millennium. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="100648" first="Daniel" last="Santiago"], <em>DL, Horizon ’22</em> Santiago is a playmaker from the DL at the high school level. This kid is a tank as he sizes up at 6’2" 285lbs with a wide and thick frame. He possesses a good initial ball get off with excellent functional strength, as he fought double teams all night and still managed to frequently push two opponents backward. He shows a strong punch and keeps opponents within arms length to give himself room to work/shed. What impressed me the most was his mobility. He did a great job getting lateral down the LOS to force ball carriers outside or even make tackles toward the sidelines. Big striking ability if he gets squared up as he finishes opponents with a pop. A very impressive player across the board as he racked up a blocked XP and deflected a pass at the LOS as well. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="110111" first="Daniel" last="Delponte"], <em>LB, Millennium ’23</em> Delponte possesses good play rec and flies to the ball well, which helped him rack up a 22 tackle night which included 1 TFL. He flashed a nice striking ability when he can get a clean shot on opponents and is physical at the POC. Despite the loss, still a solid night for Delponte as he’ll have a handful of plays to put on his tape.