Sondheimer: Midseason report: It’s the year of the linebacker in prep football

At midseason in high school football, with some teams having played five of their scheduled 10 regular-season games, the most obvious trend involves linebackers. They form what has become the strongest position group in Southern California football.

It starts with Mater Dei’s duo of Nasir Wyatt (Oregon commit) and Abduall Sanders (Alabama) and continues with teammates Dailon Clanton, a sophomore, and Shaun Scott, a junior. No team in California can come close to what the Monarchs unleash at the linebacker position.

Then there’s Madden Faraimo of JSerra, the most sought-after uncommitted player in the state. There’s many others making offensive linemen look ineffective, from Texas A&M commit Noah Mikhail of Bonita to USC commit Tatai Tagoa’i of San Clemente to UCLA commit Weston Port of San Juan Hills to Nevada commit Jake Silverman (Torrance).

Let’s examine players exceeding expectations:

Cole Cogshell, Muir. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound senior defensive end is committed to Brigham Young and causing havoc. “He could start for a Trinity League team,” St. Francis coach Dean Herrington said. “The guy is a beast.”

Isala Wily-Ava, St. John Bosco. The Braves lost their star safety, Peyton Woodyard, to Oregon. Enter the 6-2, 195-pound sophomore who keeps making big tackles, big interceptions (five this season) and big plays against top opponents in his first season as a starter.

Dane Weber, Chaparral. When your starting quarterback, Dash Beierly, transfers to Mater Dei, that usually leaves a big hole. But Weber, a sophomore, has stepped forward to help lead the Pumas to a 4-0 record. He has no interceptions in four games and has become a threat to run and pass.

Ryan Hopkins, JSerra. Aided by his work habits while increasing his speed last spring and a summer of track workouts, Hopkins has been presenting big problems playing…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/sondheimer-midseason-report-linebacker-prep-181727843.html

Author : LA Times

Publish date : 2024-09-22 18:17:27

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