Week 2 Defensive Players to Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The second week of the high school football season is here in the Natural State. Here are several defensive players to watch out for this week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cam Sims-Edge/Defensive Line-Conway-6'3” 235-Pounds-2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cam Sims has the versatility to play all along the defensive front. He is an explosive player coming off of the edge. Sims gets sideline to sideline in pursuit of the ball carrier. He is the type of player who can pressure the opposing quarterback or help shut down the rushing attack. Conway takes on Marion this Friday night in what should be an interesting contest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1683284' first='Ashton' last='Jones']-Defensive Back-Bentonville West-6'1” 175-Pounds-2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bentonville West safety is a player who is always around the football. Last season, he racked up almost 100 tackles and is off to a strong start to the 2026 season. Jones reads the opposing quarterback and wide receivers well. He has no problem separating the ball from the ball carrier. Bentonville West has a tough matchup ahead this week against Muskogee. Jones is a player to watch out for this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1189713' first='Preston' last='Strong']-Linebacker-Sylvan Hills-6'1” 225-Pounds-2028</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Sylvan Hills matchup against Fayetteville is one of the most intriguing matchups of the week. Strong has great speed at the linebacker position. He is capable of shedding blocks and bringing down the ball carrier. Strong can drop back into pass coverage as well as defend against the opponent's rushing attack. Strong is player to watch out for this week against Fayetteville.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1247592' first='Cyler' last='Moore']-Linebacker-Har-Ber-6'0” 215-Pounds-2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1247592' first='Cyler' last='Moore'] is a linebacker who does a great job of reading the play. He is always around the ball carrier and has a rare blend of speed and power that can cause trouble for opposing blockers. He has the speed to get sideline to sideline and haul down the ball carrier. Har-Ber takes on Little Rock Christian this week in what has the potential to be a great matchup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1586103' first='Eli' last='Thornton']-Defensive Line-Valley View-6'3” 315-Pounds-2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1586103' first='Eli' last='Thornton'] is one of the state's most dominant run defenders. He has no trouble closing up on rushing lanes. Thornton has the power to shed blocks and get into the offensive backfield. He can pressure the quarterback or defend against the run. Thornton is a player to watch out for on Friday night when Valley View takes on Jonesboro.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->