Vote: Who should be SBLive's South Florida high school football defensive player of the week (9/25/2023)?
For all the offensive playmakers that Chaminade-Madonna and Miami Central have, the defense ended up being the highlight in the second half of their nationally televised game on ESPN2.
The Lions prevailed, 31-28, despite not scoring in the second half. Central, which trailed by 10 at intermission, managed just one touchdown in the game that became an instant classic.
A couple of key interceptions helped the Lions improve to 5-0. =Central made it a one-score game due to shutting out Chaminade in the second half.
But standout defensive performances weren't just on display at Nathaniel Traz Powell Stadium.
Top defensive performances were prevalent throughout South Florida.
Now, it’s time for you, the fans, to decide which player deserves to be recognized the most in the SBLive Sports Florida South Florida Defensive Player of the Week poll (Sept. 20-23).
(Reminder: Players, coaches and schools are encouraged to send their nominees to @JoeFrisaro on X).
Congratulations to last week's winner: Samuel Mitchell IV of Pembroke Pines Charter.
This week’s nominees are:
Jeremiah Alexander, LB, Pembroke Pines Charter: The Jaguars suffered their first loss, falling to 4-1, after being tripped up by West Broward, 24-7. In the contest, Alexander had 11 tackles, including one for a loss, and he added an interception.
Gabriel Birnbaum, DE, Monarch: It was an eventual week for Birnbaum, who announced he’s committing to Florida Atlantic. The senior also had two sacks and nine tackles for losses in the Knights’ 26-7 victory against Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
Kedrick Burley, LB, St. Thomas Aquinas: The Raiders made a statement in easily handling Treasure Coast, 42-6, on Friday night. Twice the game was delayed due to lightning, but St. Thomas dealt with all the adversity and dominated both sides of the ball. Burley recovered a fumble that set up St. Thomas’ first touchdown, which made it 10-0 in the first quarter.
Germaine Carter, DE, Miami Norland: There’s so many standouts on the Vikings’ defense, it’s hard to pick just one. Carter had a sack in Norland’s 57-12 blowout of American.
Shaddai Carter, DB, Columbus: The Explorers remained unbeaten by holding off Northwestern, 24-7. Carter had a crucial blocked field goal, and he also forced a fumble that helped Columbus put the game away.
Javier Frazier, DB, Dillard: In a mistake and penalty-filled game, Dillard held off Miramar, 14-7. Dillard had almost 200 yards in penalties, but still was able to make key plays when needed. Frazier twice had interceptions in the end zone, stopping potential Miramar scoring drives.
Ryan Geary, MLB, Cypress Bay: Cypress Bay blanked Nova, 40-0, and is now 4-1 on the season. Geary is a standout on defense and team leader. The senior averages 10 tackles per game.
Curtis Janvier, DB, Chaminade-Madonna: Interceptions are becoming common for Janvier. In the Lions’ 31-28 win over Miami Central, the junior defensive back had two interceptions, both in the second half. His interception with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter basically sealed the victory.
Justin St-Ange, LB, Archbishop McCarthy: The Mavericks took care of business against American Heritage Delray Beach, 41-24. St-Ange logged 13 tackles to lead his team.
Evan Tempro, LB, Westminster Academy: The Lions handled Pine Crest, 35-0, and Tempro made things happen on offense and defense. He had a couple of catches for 46 yards, and even had one rushing attempt for three yards. On defense, the linebacker paced his team with 12 tackles, including 2.5 for losses.
Amari Wallace, DB, Miami Central: The junior is a standout on Rockets’ defense filled with standouts. Central held Chaminade scoreless in the second half, and the play of Wallace is one of the reasons why. Wallace had a big interception in the third quarter after Chaminade had just taken over after causing a turnover.
