Introducing The News-Press All-Area Football Defense Team
At the end of each season, The News-Press selects All-Area teams honoring the best athletes for every sport. Coaches from area schools are sent nomination forms and are asked to nominate and rate their athletes as well as those from other teams. That data combined with The News-Press' research led to the selection of the All-Area teams.
FIRST TEAM
Vanier Baptiste
School: Dunbar
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive line
Highlights: Baptiste showed his versatility on the dominant Dunbar defense on the team's run to the Class 3S Final Four this season. He posted 80 tackles, 20 tackles-for-loss, two sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble.
Jeremiah Dean
School: Bishop Verot
Year: Senior
Position: Linebacker
Highlights: A leader on an improved Viking defense, Dean recorded 59 tackles, seven tackles-for-loss, two sacks and two forced fumbles — not playing full games due to the team's 11 running clock victories. He also returned a fumble for a touchdown in the team's playoff game against Booker.
Michael "Mint" Edwards
School: Dunbar
Year: Junior
Position: Defensive line
Highlights: The defensive tackle led the Tigers in tackles-for-loss with 26 stops in the backfield. He also posted 74 tackles, six sacks, four forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
Bryan Fitzgerald
School: Fort Myers
Year: Senior
Position: Linebacker
Highlights: Fitzgerald was a tackling machine for the Green Wave — his 151 tackles were one of the highest marks in Southwest Florida this season. He also recorded a forced fumble and an interception.
Ryan Gadson
School: Bishop Verot
Year: Senior
Position: Utility
Highlights: The sticky cornerback was often tasked with covering opponents' best player, and he gave up less than 150 yards receiving. Gadson was also a star special teams player for the Vikings, often making tackles on his own kickoffs and producing 509 return yards, including three returns that went for touchdowns.
Kye Garcia
School: Dunbar
Year: Senior
Position: Linebacker
Highlights: The leading tackler on one of the toughest area defenses, Garcia proved himself as one of the most respected local players. He made more than 140 tackles, led the Tigers with 10 sacks, and recovered two fumbles, including one returned for a touchdown.
Victor Georges
School: East Lee County
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive back
Highlights: An impressive two-way player for the Jaguars, Georges littered the stat sheet all season long. He ended the year with 71 tackles, 14 pass breakups, seven interceptions, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a blocked field goal.
Luke Ghannam
School: Estero
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive back
Highlights: Ghannam was the most consistent playmaker on the Wildcats' defense that limited six opponents to 10 points or less in wins during the season. He recorded 45 tackles, six fumble recoveries, five pass breakups, four interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a pick-6.
Marcus Kelley Jr.
School: Mariner
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive back
Highlights: The senior safety was essential to a Mariner defense that helped earn the team's first district title since 1997. He finished the year with a team-leading 72 tackles, plus 11 tackles-for-loss, five blocked kicks, three sacks, three interceptions — two returned for touchdowns — and a forced fumble.
Vaughn Lennon
School: Fort Myers
Year: Junior
Position: Punter
Highlights: Lennon's average of 45 yards per punt was the fourth-best mark in the state this season. He punted 26 times for 1,171 yards with a long of 63 yards and had punts downed inside the 20-yard line 11 times.
Mike McDonald
School: South Fort Myers
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive back
Highlights: McDonald was a ball hawk for the Wolfpack, picking off six passes during the season, including five in a stretch of four games. He returned a punt, a kickoff and an interception for touchdowns this year.
Ryan Peterson
School: Bishop Verot
Year: Junior
Position: Defensive line
Highlights: Peterson was consistently active on the Vikings defensive line, leading the team with 19 tackles-for-loss and 7.5 sacks. He made 62 tackles, the second-highest on the team, and recovered two fumbles.
Leroy Roker
School: Bishop Verot
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive back
Highlights: The Ohio State signee made a quick impact with the Vikings, coming up with seven interceptions, including two multi-pick games. A rangy safety, he made 54 tackles, recovered two fumbles, and also returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
Adrian Stone Jr.
School: North Fort Myers
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive line
Highlights: Coaches schemed around the dominant Stone every week. He finished the season with 66 tackles, 17 tackles-for-loss, 19 hurries, seven sacks, two fumble recoveries and a blocked field goal.
Kelby Tyre
School: Dunbar
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive back
Highlights: The talented corner went up against the opposing team's top player weekly, and he picked off five passes and made 61 tackles. He played hero in the Tigers' regional final win against Naples, returning a kickoff for a touchdown for the go-ahead score as time expired.
SECOND TEAM
Micah Anderson, Bishop Verot
Henry Brown, Dunbar
Garyan Burger, Dunbar
Jaylon Christmas, Dunbar
Kendall Guervil, Fort Myers
Anthony Harris, Island Coast
Kelvin Jimenez, Mariner
Darryl Owens, Cape Coral
La'Viris Singleton, Dunbar
Blake Thomas, Cape Coral
Ethan Thomas, Evangelical Christian
Parker Turner, Bishop Verot
Quarice Vance, South Fort Myers
Javien White, South Fort Myers
Marquis Young, Lehigh
HONORABLE MENTION
Bishop Verot: Dwyer Camron, Macrae Thompson
Bonita Springs: Jack Patricca, Lee Thorpe, Tahj Van Hoose
Canterbury: Gavin Brady, Griffin Curran
Cape Coral: Darrion Jones, Derrick Oge, Tyler Rehm
Cypress Lake: J'lishawon Daniels, Dylan Moore
Dunbar: Ken'Dahrius Green, Hezekiah Jones, Waldy Nevelus
East Lee County: Noah Figueroa, Maxwell Jean-Louis, Michelot Pierre
Estero: Mason Palkovic, Gavin Postudensek, Justin Trometer
Evangelical Christian: Calvin Kress, Ethan Matheson, Derek Washington
Fort Myers: Brandon Glover, Kristian Schafer
Gateway: Curtis Hood, Derrique Mytial, Chacour Thomas
Island Coast: Kobey Babernitch, Jessiah Ferreras, Roberto Resendiz
LaBelle: Jacquay Bradshaw, Marquay Bradshaw, Wyatt Mills
Lehigh: Harkym Henry, James Little, Robert Raybon
Mariner: Clark Daley, Dennis Schmidt, Kameron Wilcox
North Fort Myers: James Johnson, Keenan Moore, Christian Weber
Oasis: Sean McFee
Riverdale: Jeremiah Bataille, Orville Jackson, Latroy Pender Jr.
South Fort Myers: Kam Bunting, Zajarrius Gibson, Jacoby Mason
Southwest Florida Christian: Braedyn James, Isaac Tanner
COACH OF THE YEAR
Sammy Brown
School: Dunbar
Highlights: Brown led the Tigers to the Class 3S semifinals for the second consecutive season, upsetting higher seeds in Golden Gate and Naples to reach the Final Four. Dunbar won five games by one score, including all three of their playoff victories.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Meet The News-Press All-Area Football Defense Team
