Central KY Top 10 Defensive Linemen, Week 1
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This list includes players from Hardin County (Central Hardin, North Hardin, John Hardin, and Elizabethtown), Bullitt (North Bullitt, Bullitt Central, Bullitt East*), Meade County HS, Spencer County HS, and the outer loop of Louisville (Fern Creek, Eastern, Western, Southern, Christian…
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Continue ReadingThis list includes players from Hardin County (Central Hardin, North Hardin, John Hardin, and Elizabethtown), Bullitt (North Bullitt, Bullitt Central, Bullitt East*), Meade County HS, Spencer County HS, and the outer loop of Louisville (Fern Creek, Eastern, Western, Southern, Christian Academy of Louisville, Moore*, Doss*).
Over week 1 these were the top performing DEs, DT/NTs and Linemen in the Central Kentucky area ;
1) Jaxon McLeaden #40 TE/DE Sr. (Spencer County)
Wrapping up 5 TFL and 3 Sacks, we have our #1 defensive player form Spencer County in the season opener. Everything you can do right as a DE Jaxon did, clean arm movement to get out of blocking and cause turnovers, acceleration to blow by blockers, and power to overwhelm ball carriers. An all around player who came through for Spencer County and has a lot of momentum heading into future outings.
2) Josh Dunn #29 Jr. DL (Bullitt Central)
Josh Dunn earned the most tackles, this game was an offensive slug fest, but the best defensive player that shined through was Josh Dunn. Dunn got behind the line a couple times to make a play and initiated contact everywhere he could, a real x factor in Bullitt central’s defense. Dunn is a junior and has already had a good start to this season by the end of next year he will have devolved into a great talent and is someone I’ll be looking for, to see more defensive performances from.
3) Chad Doogs DT #59 Sr. (Elizabethtown)
Chad was the reason for many runs getting stopped short, and even a forced fumble. He is a consistent tackler and a true inside presence, with some serious power at times. Doogs was playing both sides of the ball and for someone playing lineman he had a lot of energy and never slowed down.
4) Ian Mckinley DL #4 Jr. (Christian Academy of Louisville)
Ian was too much for the line as he got to QB twice, both sacks ended the drive for South Oldham. Ian McKinely had a quietly impressive night, no crazy stat line but a clutch defensive player that stepped up on 3rd downs, and made big plays on momentous drives. McKinely was a great addition at DL for CAL and will continue to improve through the season, excited to see how far Ian goes.
5) Trenton Hartlage NT #63 Fr. (North Bullitt)
Trenton is a hard player to block, as through the opening game, Elizabethtown’s O-Line showed themselves to be an amazing unit, Trenton was the only player to consistently break through the line. Hartlage knows how to push the line towards the runner and how to break a double team. There were also several occasions that he got to the QB on passing plays giving them tons of pressure down the middle. Hartlage is only a FR.
6) Gregory Hall DE #25 Sr. (Elizabethtown)
The D-Line for Elizabethtown was a huge reason they held North Bullitt to 7 Points in their opening weekend. Gregory was constantly keeping his teammates heads up, and was playing until the whistle. Gregory is clearly a well disciplined player who can only get better as his passion for playing and dominant fast paced playstyle is exactly the type of player you need at DE.
7) Tre Brown Tre Brown 6'0" | 220 lbs | DL John Hardin Highschool | 2022 KY #5 DL/FB Sr. (John Hardin)
Tre is an excellent defender with amazing speed, always getting past any solo blocker, completing 5 tackles for loss. Brown had a fumble recovery for 2 yards and 1 rush for 6, he is a defensive starter and a offensive player to watch. A D-Linemen with this much speed had a big impact on the game in several ways, a player who is sure to be on future lists.
8) Nolan Goodman #20 DE Sr. (Central Hardin)
Nolan was always initiating contact or was following up a hit on the line. Goodman was a solid DE with a presence on his side of the field, totaling 6 tackles. No matter where the run went, he’d find a way to get there, and got there for a TFL multiple times. CHHS had a lot of success from LBs and DBS, but Nolan Goodman was there best defensive linemen and rounds out the bruins top 5.
9) Gavin Young DT/DE #56 Jr. (Elizabethtown)
Gavin was helping his other team mates pressure the QB by splitting the middle of the pocket. Every play he comes off the line very hard, making ball carriers have to bounce around him or double team him. North Bullitt choose the latter, and Gavin was getting a good amount of the attention from the Eagles linemen. Still managed to plug holes and help pressure when he could, Young is a player we could see develop into a top prospect by the years end.
10) Mason Brandon #3 DE/OLB Sr. (Meade County)
Mason got himself in the mix often assisting 6 tackles, and one of those he forced a fumble. He also was able to blitz through for his own 1 TFL and 1 sack. Brandon was called on for this game to play a lot of defense and seemed to be better the longer he was out there. Despite 30 points allowed, Mason showed his skills and ability to adapt through a game.