Football: 2008 All-Permian Basin Defensive players

TREVOR OWENS, DL

MONAHANS, 6-1, 205, JR.

>> Key Stats: 101 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, 22 hurries, six forced fumbles, five sacks and four blocked kicks.

>> Willie says: The District 3-3A defensive MVP helped the unit keep Monahans in games, which aided the Loboes in their journey to the regional round of the Class 3A Division II playoffs. An athletic defensive end, Owens was consistent all season, and his four blocked kicks prove that his quickness off the line can be useful in many situations. 

TREVOR LEESON, DL

KERMIT, 6-3, 190, SR.

>> Key Stats: 105 tackles, 16 sacks, 45 hurries and three interceptions.

>> Willie says: Yellow Jackets head coach Gary Grubbs didn't sugarcoat it - Leeson, the co-defensive MVP of District 4-2A, was the team's best defensive player. Also a solid tight end, Leeson did things that few other players could do because of his athleticism. Three interceptions and the ability to get past big offensive tackles? A special talent for a defensive end. 

SCOTT REIMER, DL

SEMINOLE, 6-1, 185, SR.

>> Key Stats: 63 solo tackles, 2 sacks 4 tackles for a loss, 1 causes fumble.

>> Notes: The first team all-district defensive tackle was a two-way starter who helped the Indians share the District 3-3A title along with Monahans and Greenwood. The Indians, despite rebuilding most of their personnel, survived a rough schedule and put a scare into Abilene Wylie in the regional round of the Class 3A Division I playoffs. 

LONDELL SADDLER, DL

MIDLAND LEE, 5-9, 220, SR.

>> Key Stats: 30 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, three sacks.

>> Lee says: Saddler was one of the reasons that Midland Lee put the stingiest defense in District 2-5A on the field week after week, with his quickness off the end of the line forcing opposing running backs and quarterbacks to make quicker decisions than prepared for. 

KODY TENNISON, LB

ODESSA HIGH, 5-9, 185, JR.

>> Key Stats: 88 tackles, four sacks, eight tackles for a loss, four fumble recoveries and one interception.

>> Lee says: Tennison was one of the players that benefited from King's strategy of deferring to the second half if the Bronchos' won the coin toss. That meant that the OHS linebacker, on the kickoff team, got a chance to immediately get in the game and on several occasions he delivered huge hits to get his teammates pumped up. He's a sure tackler and has very good lateral movement in pass coverage. 

TREY THOMPSON, LB

MIDLAND LEE, 6-0, 175, SR.

>> Key Stats: 67 tackles, one tackle for a loss, one interception.

>> Notes: Thompson, the District 2-5A defensive player of the year, settled down the middle level of defense for the Rebels and dominated when needed in coming up in run support or getting to the corner to slow down opposing ball carriers 

JUSTIN MENDOZA, LB

CRANE, 5-11, 190, JR.

>> Key Stats: 111 tackles, four forced fumbles.

>> Willie says: Sometimes, because of its explosive passing offense, Crane's defense got overlooked. But the Golden Cranes weren't shabby defensively - they shut out high-powered Alpine in the teams' regular-season finale in Alpine - and Mendoza was a stud, averaging 13.6 tackles per game. Mendoza and Kermit's Trevor Leeson shared the district's defensive MVP honor. 

JOEY MENDEZ, LB

PERMIAN, 6-0, 178, SR.

>> Key Stats: 117 tackles, 14 tackles-for-loss, two forced fumbles and a sack.

>> Joel A. says: Mendez might have been Permian's most important defender this year. When team leader Jerome Leija missed five weeks with a knee injury, Mendez shifted from the outside to the middle and immediately developed a penchant for making big, game-changing tackles - see his fourth-and-1 stuff of fullback Blake Smith on Burleson's second drive. Also made his mark as Permian's most emotional player. 

JEROME LEIJA, LB

PERMIAN, 5-11, 198, SR.

>> Key Stats: 81 tackles, 12 tackles-for-loss, two sacks.

>> Joel A. says: Without a doubt, Leija was the best defensive player in District 2-5A. Forced to miss five games because of a knee injury, Leija came back against Burleson and promptly made 15 tackles, then followed that performance with 12 more tackles against Allen. Like his offensive counterpart, Sherard Ray, Leija had plenty of physical attributes, but he stood out because of his instincts and his penchant for crushing hits. No linebacker diagnosed plays so quickly and finished plays so violently. 

TYLER MINTS, DB

ODESSA HIGH, 5-9, 165, SR.

>> Key Stats: 76 tackles, five interceptions, three caused fumbles, four tackles for a loss and four pass breakups.

>> Lee says: Mints came to OHS three years ago as a quarterback and then made the move to defense in his junior season. This year, he was the quarterback of the secondary as the Bronchos moved to a different defensive scheme that allowed the defensive backs the ability to react to the ball and Mints responded to lead the team with five interceptions and made several key tackles in coming up in to support the run defense. 

ANTHONY McDOWELL, CB

PERMIAN, 5-11, 169, SR.

>> Key Stats: 61 tackles, 4 interceptions, 2 returned for touchdowns.

>> Joel A. says: Permian's secondary had plenty of players with speed, but McDowell might have been the fastest. More importantly, he made cornerback a physical position. Offensive players who met McDowell on the sideline always paid a heavy price. And he also had a penchant for making big plays. Besides the two interceptions he returned for touchdowns, McDowell made the kickoff recovery against Odessa High that effectively turned that game into a rout. 

DAKOTA GREEN, DB

IRAAN, 6-0, 165, JR.

>> Key Stats: 119 tackles, five interceptions and one interception returned for a touchdown.

>> Willie says: When Iraan's all-state safety, Zach Calvert, went down in the first game of the season, Green stepped in. Calvert never returned and Green didn't disappoint, becoming a standout in a unit filled with fine players as the Braves played all the way until the Class 1A Division II quarterfinals. 

ADRIAN PERTILE, DB

MIDLAND LEE, 6-0, 170, SR.

>> Key Stats: 43 tackles, two interceptions, one tackle for a loss.

>> Lee says: The interception numbers were not quite as gaudy as secondary-mate Hunter Byler, but that's because opposing offensive coordinators didn't throw in Pertile's direction as he was the preeminent shutdown safety in the area.