HS Football Pivot: who are the 2018 All-Area defensive player of the year candidates?

Contenders for defensive player of the year

We talked about potential All-Area offensive players of the year last week, so we’ll move to the defensive side of the ball this week. And there are plenty of candidates to consider, in some cases with considerably less statistical evidence compared to the offensive guys.

Let’s start with a couple obvious ones, though, South Pointe’s Savion White, Clover’s Hayden Johnson and Nation Ford’s Michael Peterson. White is playing the hybrid defensive back/linebacker role that’s led to some big seasons for Stallion defenders in recent years and he’s fit right in that mold with 91 tackles and five sacks in just eight games. Clover’s Hayden Johnson has been a big part of the Blue Eagles’ defensive improvement. The junior linebacker sits in the middle of Clover’s unit and is excellent at diagnosing plays and getting to the ball. He’s got 81 tackles and 14 tackles-for-loss. And Peterson is another middle linebacker in the thick of everything, leading the Falcons with 96 tackles, four sacks, two picks, including a pick-six, and two forced fumbles.

How about some less obvious candidates? Indian Land has a pair of the area’s top defensive players in defensive back A.J. Jefferson and linebacker Dorian Williams. Jefferson has five interceptions this season, while Coastal Carolina commitment Williams has 60-plus tackles and a pair of interceptions. Lancaster linebacker/defensive lineman Immanuel Bush is a monster, consistently mentioned by area coaches as one of the toughest players to block. Lancaster doesn’t send defensive stats during the season but it’s almost guaranteed that they’ll send over some eye-popping numbers for Bush in December.

And one more potential candidate, whose coach wanted him to convert pass break-ups into interceptions has done just that. Rock Hill’s Anthony Jackson has four picks (heading into the Clover game) and has become a difference-maker as a junior in the Bearcats’ secondary. Pass-rushers Rontarius Aldridge (South Pointe) and Teddy Murphy (Chester) are also strong candidates for first team All-Area honors.

READ: Who are the contenders for 2018 All-Area offensive player of the year?

READ: Who are the top college football recruits in The Herald’s coverage area?

Chester rejuvenation reaching fruition

Chester scored first in overtime against Camden last Friday night and with no hesitation Cyclones coach Victor Floyd put two fingers in the air. Chester converted the two-point conversion, then denied Camden on its possession to win a matchup of top-5 3A teams that put the Cyclones in pole position for the Region 4-3A title.

“You’ve got a chance to control it, go ahead and control the situation,” Floyd said Sunday. “You kick the extra point, you put your fate in their hands.”

The Cyclones’ fate is firmly in their hands.

Going for two is emblematic of the mindset Floyd instilled in his program that has fully taken root: just win. The team is one victory away from a perfect 10-0 regular season. But Chester hasn’t beaten Fairfield Central -- this week’s final regular season hurdle -- since Floyd’s first stint at Chester in 2008. The Cyclones have blown late leads in the last two losses to the Griffins, a sting that hasn’t been forgotten.

“I think our guys know that, we don’t have to say that this week,” Floyd said.

The timing feels right for Chester to win this Friday in Winnsboro. The Cyclones have at least 13 players that are three-year starters and half of the 13 are four-year starters. The team is talented -- lineman Wyatt Tunall is a Mr. Football finalist and Pha’Leak Brown is a two-way standout and future college player -- but the experiences -- the big wins and the equally big beatings -- have this group prepared mentally to handle these big moments. The win over Camden shouldn’t be the last one they experience in 2018.

“We started four years ago, we knew it would be a process,” said Floyd. “We told those guys if they stuck it out good things would lie ahead for the program and themselves. That’s kind of coming to pass now.”

Rejuvenation, Part 2

York Cougars coach Bobby Carroll is one of the best in the state, and he’s proved that again this year. Carroll assembled a hard-working coaching staff that has an interesting mix of experience -- longtime Northwestern defensive line coach David Pierce -- and youthful workaholism -- Carroll’s son, Spencer, and offensive coordinator Jamie Bolton. Those coaches got a few extra weeks to sort things out when Hurricane Florence hit right near the Cougars’ bye week.

There was palpable love and excitement on the field after York’s win over Lancaster. Running back Stephen Oglesby used the word “love” about 15 times in an interview that lasted less than two minutes, while he and Carroll both shouted out QB Ethan Mitchell.

Mitchell started his entire sophomore season at QB, but was moved to receiver/defensive back as a junior. But when starting quarterback Tanner McKinney went into the concussion protocol two weeks ago, Mitchell was suddenly back at his preferred position. He never quit the team or transferred, and Friday night played through a thumb injury that prevented him from throwing the football normally, to guide his team to a win. Mitchell is a great example to follow, and perhaps indicative of what’s helped York turn around a season that looked in tatters after the first three games.

Looking ahead

• Rock Hill-Nation Ford is a juicy-looking Region 3-5A matchup this Friday at District Three Stadium. The Bearcats got a big win at Clover last Friday night, Rock Hill getting its third game of the season with Noah Thompson and Narii Gaither both topping 100 yards rushing, and its fourth game in a row with a 200-yard-plus individual rushing effort (two each for Gaither and Thompson). Both Nation Ford and Rock Hill speak to the shift toward running the ball that’s taken place in The Herald’s coverage area this fall. It’s probably not something several local coaches sought to do, but it’s the direction which their available players led them.
• Northwestern is getting itself sorted out. The Trojans pulled off another close win to beat Nation Ford, showing some guts to reclaim the lead after the Falcons posted 20 unanswered to move in front. The Trojans face Fort Mill this week, a game that they’ll feel confident of winning. This section is called “Looking ahead,” so let’s imagine how cool it would be if both Rock Hill High and Northwestern headed into their meeting in the regular season finale unbeaten in region play with the championship on the line.
• A sudden desperation hangs over the Lancaster-Westwood game this Friday. The Redhawks (0-3 in region) entered Region 3-4A play ranked in the state but the progress made in non-region play seems to have crumbled. They don’t seem to have reacted well to the close loss to South Pointe several weeks ago. Lancaster (1-2 in Region 3-4A) can clinch a playoff spot with a home win, but a loss, which would give Westwood a head-to-head advantage over the Bruins, would doubly hurt.

This story was originally published October 14, 2018 at 3:03 PM.