FIRST TEAM

• DL – John Archer (Seventy-First sophomore) – Already coveted by DI colleges Georgia, NC State, Florida State and West Virginia, Archer is a 6-foot-6, 325-pound nose tackle who forces double-teams routinely. He still had 31 TFLs among his 84 tackles this year, with 5.0 sacks and a pair of fumble recoveries.
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• DL – Hector Bautista (Seventy-First senior) – A relentless defender and the Best of 910Preps Football Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore, Bautista ranked among the U8’s top six tacklers with 118, averaging 8.4 per game with a whopping 29 for loss, including four sacks. 
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• DL – Justice Clifton (Terry Sanford junior) – The All American Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Clifton led the league with 28 tackles for loss and 11 sacks (50 yards lost), good for No. 6 in the 3A East. He also had 21 QB hurries and 90 tackles (57 solo) to average 7.5 per game.  

• DL – Marquan Footman (Cape Fear senior) – Footman had 8.0 sacks among his 16.5 tackles for loss, bringing someone down in the backfield in every game but one this season. He averaged 6.3 tackles per game for one of the top defensive teams in the state. 

• LB – Dontario Austin (Trinity Christian junior) – The NCISAA’s leading tackler with 147 (13.4 per game) for the state runners-up, Austin also had 16 tackles for loss and he defended two passes and forced a fumble in the state championship game. 

• LB – Kaleb Caraway (Gray’s Creek senior) – Caraway recently earned a Division I offer from Stetson after leading the county and the U8 Conference in tackles with 158, averaging a ridiculous 14.4 per game. 

• LB – Bryan Charles (Cape Fear senior) – His 90 solo tackles were No. 1 in the U8 and he had 121 total tackles (9.3 per game) on the season, with 19 tackles for loss and eight sacks plus two forced fumbles, a recovery and a pick.  

• LB – Donavan Frederick (Seventy-First senior) – The heart of a powerful defense, Frederick led his team with 38 solo tackles among his total of 126, with 28 TFLs and 4.0 sacks. He also forced two fumbles and grabbed a pair of interceptions. The two-time reigning Best of 910Preps Football Player of the Year on defense is also a two-time member of the all-county offensive team. 

• DB – Damien Gary (Cape Fear senior) – Ranked in the U8’s top five with a team-high 121 tackles, Charles averaged 9.3 per game with 19 TFLs and 8.0 sacks. He also had a pick, a fumble recovery and two forced fumbles.
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• DB – Christian Jackson (Seventy-First senior) – A dangerous playmaker, Jackson finished second in the U8 with 128 tackles (8.5 per game) with 9.0 for loss. He forced two fumbles, recovered one and blocked a punt this season.
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• DB – Nyrius Moore (Seventy-First senior) – The 3A state championship’s Defensive Player of the Game for Seventy-First, Moore forced and recovered a fumble in the title game. He caused five fumbles on the season and had 72 tackles – 17 of them for loss.  

• DB – Asa Robinson (Terry Sanford senior) – The AAC’s second-leading tackler had a team-high 115 for the champion Bulldogs (9.0 per game), 48 of them solo with 8.0 TFLs and 2.5 sacks. He also had three fumble recoveries, a blocked punt, and interception and a forced fumble.

Fayetteville Observer (Monica Holland & James F. Moore Jr.)