Let’s take a look back at the Division 1 bracket, specifically, and how all 64 teams rank in adjusted defensive scoring. Not only against each other following this regular season’s performance, but also against last season and their 3-year average on this side of the ball. First, some deeper context around the top 10 offenses and then the full 1-64 list below!
Humble Atascocita is the first of two District 21 teams that impressively sit atop this list. Coming into the year, no one outside of Humble would’ve predicted it’d be Atascocita garnering the top spot over district rival North Shore. What makes this defense so tough is that it starts right up front with all 375 pound two-gapper Samu Tuamanupepe who collapses just about every pocket he faces. If you scheme to go around him, you have top 2-3 linebacker in the state in Jadon Ducos patrolling the middle of the second level. Ducos is very fast sideline to sideline and doesn’t miss. The secondary is also full of first off the bus looking athletes.
North Shore has been a mainstay at or near the top of any top defenses list for a long time now and this year is no different. You can see in the table below that they’re right at the level of the last three year’s Mustang defenses that all walked away with rings on their fingers, ‘nuff said. Just a wonderful combination of size, speed, football IQ, and scheme year in and year out. The individual talent in the secondary has to be tops in the state with Jayven Anderson, Jacoby Davis, and soph Devin Sanchez.
Speaking of units with rings on their finger, we shouldn’t be at all surprised to find Austin Westlake right here. The front seven is once again anchored by 6’6 edge terror Colton Vasek who holds up just as well against the run as he does getting after the passer. Someone with his size and talent has the ability to completely wreck offensive game plans at this level and he usually does just that. What makes them so difficult to face is that the rest of the guys outside of him in that front seven specifically are very good, too, and they’re still riding two years worth of supreme confidence that they’ll shut down whomever lines up across from them.
Prosper was a solid defense one year ago and hit another gear from day one this season. Just like the few above them in this list, the Eagles are among the most well drilled defensive units you’ll see. The numbers certainly back that up, as they held good offenses like Rockwall and Denton Guyer to their lowest offensive outputs of the year. These aren’t isolated cases either, McKinney and Allen both struggled too.
Talk about edge benders capable of single-handedly blowing up offensive gameplans, Duncanville’s junior edge Colin Simmons does just that. This unit has held all but three opponents to 10 or less points and two of those happened during blowout junk time. Length, size, and speed that perhaps no one can match from front to back. Just a couple weeks ago, these guys completely dismantled a DeSoto offense that entered that contest as the #1 offense in AOS.