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mokenamessenger.com opprairie.com sports SportS<br />
The the orland Mokena park Messenger prairie | december December 7, 2017 | 37 45<br />
FooTball (deFenSe)<br />
22nd Century Media chose the best football student-athletes based on coach recommendations and player<br />
statistics in its seven-town southwest suburban coverage area to place them on one super team — Team 22.<br />
The team features student-athletes from Lincoln-Way Central, LW East, LW West, Providence Catholic, Andrew,<br />
Lockport Township, Tinley Park and Sandburg high schools. This is the defensive squad.<br />
— Compiled by 22nd Century Media staff<br />
FirST Team<br />
Defensive Line<br />
Devin O’Rourke, senior, LW East<br />
80 tackles, 25 for losses, 14<br />
sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1<br />
fumble recovery. SWSC Defensive<br />
Player of the Year. All-SWSC. The<br />
defensive end played at an All-<br />
State level all season long.<br />
Linebacker<br />
John Christensen, senior, LW East<br />
128 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1<br />
interception, 1 fumble recovery.<br />
All-SWSC. Whether playing middle<br />
or outside, Christensen made<br />
things incredibly difficult for<br />
opposing offenses.<br />
Defensive Line<br />
Jaden Hacha, senior, LW East<br />
63 tackles, 13 for losses, 8<br />
sacks. All-SWSC. The defensive<br />
tackle combined with Devin<br />
O’Rourke to make life miserable<br />
for opposing offenses.<br />
Linebacker<br />
Sam Rost, senior, Provi<br />
151 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1<br />
fumble recovery, 1 sack, 8 QB<br />
pressures. All-CCL. Rost led the<br />
area in tackles, and his turnover<br />
potential is not to be understated.<br />
Burns phoTography<br />
Defensive Line<br />
Nick Skentzos, senior, LW West<br />
71 tackles, 10.5 for losses, 5.5<br />
sacks, 1 forced fumble. All-SWSC.<br />
The Warriors’ standout defensive<br />
tackle lived up to his position’s<br />
namesake this season.<br />
Linebacker<br />
Matt Granberry, senior, LW Central<br />
59 tackles total, 12 for losses,<br />
4 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, 2<br />
interceptions. All-SWSC. As part<br />
of a well-rounded defense that<br />
split the work, Granberry still<br />
stood out.<br />
Burns phoTography<br />
Defensive Line<br />
Ameer Aqel, junior, Andrew<br />
63 tackles, 15 for losses, 7<br />
sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 2 pass<br />
breakups. The Thunderbolts’<br />
defensive standout was<br />
dangerous all year.<br />
Linebacker<br />
Declan Carr, senior, LW East<br />
108 tackles, 23 for loss, 3<br />
forced fumbles, 1 recovery.<br />
All-SWSC. Ball-carriers whose<br />
unfortunate fate wasn’t meeting<br />
John Christensen often found the<br />
formidable Carr instead.<br />
Second Team<br />
DL: Dylan Davalos, senior, Provi<br />
56 tackles, 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 3<br />
recoveries. All-CCL.<br />
DL: Mike DeHaan, senior, Andrew<br />
30 tackles, 5 for loss, 6 sacks, 5 pass<br />
break-ups, 2 forced fumbles. All-SWSC.<br />
DL: Mark O’ Reilly, senior, LW Central<br />
30 tackles total, 8 for losses, 3 sacks.<br />
All-SWSC.<br />
DL: Haleem Ajibola, senior, Lockport<br />
42 tackles, 8 for losses, 2 forced<br />
fumbles. All-SWSC.<br />
LB: Tommy Piekarz, senior, Andrew<br />
92 tackles, 12 for losses, 5 sacks, 2<br />
forced fumbles. All-SWSC.<br />
LB: Logan Anderson, senior, Provi<br />
105 tackles, 1 fumble recovery, 4<br />
sacks, 1 interception.<br />
LB: Mariano Sori-Marin, senior, Provi<br />
88 tackles, 5 sacks, 2 hurries, 1<br />
interception. All-CCL.<br />
LB: Alex Hirschfield, junior, Sandburg<br />
70 total tackles, 6 for losses, 6 sacks,<br />
3 knocked down passes, 1 interception.<br />
All-SWSC.<br />
DB: Cole Griffin, senior, Andrew<br />
72 tackles, 2 for losses, 2 interceptions,<br />
1 sack, 1 forced fumble. All-SWSC.<br />
DB: Peyton Nigro, senior, LW Central<br />
39 tackles, 54 interception return<br />
yards, 1 fumble recovery, 1 defensive<br />
touchdown, All-SWSC.<br />
DB: Steven Meyer, senior, Provi<br />
75 tackles, 3 interceptions (all in<br />
playoffs), 1 fumble recovery, 4 passes<br />
knocked down.<br />
Defensive back<br />
Tai Gannaban, senior, Andrew<br />
90 tackles, 2 for losses, 1<br />
interception, 1 forced fumble.<br />
All-SWSC. Gannaban’s<br />
defensive play helped keep the<br />
Thunderbolts in the hunt almost<br />
all season.<br />
Defensive back<br />
Jake Price, senior, LW West<br />
82 tackles, 17.5 for losses, 3.5<br />
sacks, 3 pass breakups, 233<br />
yards on kickoff returns (29.1<br />
per return) for 1 touchdown, 42<br />
yards on punt returns with 1<br />
touchdown. All-SWSC.<br />
Defensive back<br />
Max Cesario, senior, LW East<br />
78 tackles, 3 for losses, 3<br />
interceptions, 1 forced fumble.<br />
All-SWSC. Whether playing strong<br />
safety or free safety, Cesario<br />
came up big for the Griffins in<br />
terms of forcing turnovers.<br />
Honorable mentions<br />
DL: Jake Pott, senior, LW Central;<br />
Tommy Mulhall, senior, Lockport;<br />
Ben Ravetto, senior, LW East;<br />
Dylan Shelton, junior, LW East; Moe<br />
Jumah, senior, Sandburg; Nicholas<br />
Orlando, senior, Sandburg.<br />
LB: Nick DeGregorio, senior, LW<br />
Central; Jose Marban, junior, Tinley;<br />
Ryan Robbins, senior, LW West; Bo<br />
Hamlin, junior, Lockport; Brett Widule,<br />
senior, LW Central; Joey Markasovic,<br />
senior, Provi; Liam Markham, senior,<br />
Provi; Josh Urbanski, senior, Tinley Park;<br />
Jim Cozen, senior, Lockport.<br />
DB: Jaimie Marines, senior, Sandburg;<br />
Jon Savage, senior, Lockport; Matt<br />
Murphy, senior, LW West; Ricky Kwak,<br />
senior, Sandburg; Sean Callaghan,<br />
senior, Andrew; Hunter Valentine, senior,<br />
LW West; Josh Dyke, senior, Andrew;<br />
Aaron Krockey, senior, Provi; Kwaku<br />
Appiah, senior, LW East; Dugan Bolsoni,<br />
senior, LW East; Anthony Lullo, senior,<br />
LW West.
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