Vote Now: Who should be the South Florida Defensive Player of the Week (Aug. 31-Sept. 2)?
Chaminade-Madonna is out to prove it can be dominant on defense, as well as offense. American Heritage Plantation, as always, is difficult to score against, and Miami Central experienced a rare loss.
Those are three of the takeaways in week two of the 2023 high school season. No surprise, the traditional powers remain strong, even though Central had its 26-game winning streak stopped in a 39-35 loss to Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas. Even in a shootout, the Rockets still have one of the top defenses in the state of Florida.
The overall talent level of play in South Florida remains high, whether it’s from state championship contenders to teams who hope to compete for district titles.
Each week, SBLive Sports Florida recognizes standout performers. Now it’s time to decide which players stood out the most in our SBLive Sports South Florida Defensive Player of the Week poll. Vote now! Voting ends on Saturday, September 9 at 11:59 p.m.
Congratulations to last week's winner: Brendan Leal of Western.
(Reminder: Schools are encouraged to send their Player of the Week nominees to @JoeFrisaro on X, formerly Twitter)
Here are this week's nomination.
Darryl Desir, LB, Miami Norland: The Vikings breezed by Carol City, 66-0. There were many standouts on both sides of the ball. Desir, a 6-foot-4, 225-pound junior, paced the team with six tackles, with one for a loss.
Jayden Ford, KR, Miami Central: Central lost 39-35 to Bishop Gorman in a game with national championship implications. Still, don’t discount Central. The Rockets continue their pursuit of winning a fifth straight state title. Ford showed the Rockets’ big play abilities with a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
Kendarius Frazier, DE, Chaminade-Madonna: The Lions didn’t allow a touchdown in their 41-4 rout of Cardinal Gibbons. Frazier was a standout on defense with five tackles, and 1.5 sacks.
Tromon Isaac, CB, North Broward Prep: A freshman corner and wide receiver, Isaac made an impact in the Eagles’ 48-21 loss to Archbishop McCarthy. He caught six passes for 77 yards, and on defense had a tackle, a pass defensed and returned three kickoffs for 95 total yards.
Samari Reed, DE, Monarch: The Knights lost a tough one, 33-32, to Atlantic. Defensively, Reed stood out with two interceptions, including a return for a touchdown.
Evan Tempro, LB, Westminster Academy: Tempro made an impact on both sides of the ball, catching four passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. On defense, the senior linebacker logged eight tackles, 5.5 for losses, to go with 2.5 sacks in a 24-17 win against American Heritage Delray Beach.
Omar Thornton, LB, American Heritage Plantation: Heritage beat Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville), 27-14. Thornton was active, recording 10 tackles, including six solo, and he was credited with two sacks and three total tackles for losses.
Keidran Willis Jr., DB, Pembroke Pines Charter: In a 24-22 win over Coral Springs Charter, Willis had 10 tackles, one for a loss.
