2021 Football Preview: 10 of the toughest defensive players in the Mid-Columbia

Almost every football coach will tell you that defense wins championships.

Keeping offensive units out of end zones is a key to victory. While offense usually gets the highlights, it is the defense that is the heart and soul of a football team.

I have a soft spot in my heart for great defensive players. When I put together my play-by-play covering a game, I always have a column for defense, and who made the initial contact to bring an offensive player down.

What stands out this season are a number of the jerseys called out on my play-by-play sheets last spring belonged to linebackers — and many of them return this fall for Mid-Columbia Conference football teams.

And another thing: Kamiakin should have a pretty darn good defense this season.

So here are 10 defensive players to watch this fall in the big-school ranks:

▪ Gerardo Alonso, linebacker, Chiawana.

One of my favorite players. When I write about putting down the number of the first player to make the tackle, I’m thinking of him.

He’ll be the heart and soul of the Riverhawks defense this fall, especially with DL Isaiah Anderson lost for the season with a shoulder injury.

▪ Deacon Boyce, defensive back, Richland.

Boyce was all over the field last spring for the Bombers. Coach Mike Neidhold can put him at a few different positions and he can play well at all of them.

But it might be best to put in at safety, where he can roam to where the ball is and come up hard to knock the carrier down. He’ll also be a wide receiver who should get a lot of targets.

▪ Sam Cadenas, defensive lineman, Hermiston.

A starter since his sophomore year, Cadenas is now a senior and should be considered one of the team leaders.

He’s also an outstanding wrestler, which means he can be pretty powerful with his moves on the line of scrimmage. Great punter too.

▪ Bronson Childs, linebacker, Kennewick.

Childs didn’t play last spring for the Lions. He moved out of state to get some in-person schooling and some fall football in. Now he’s back, and he’s one of the many big, talented players that Coach Randy Affholter has.

And with the Lions losing DL Carlos Orozco last spring to a knee injury, Childs’ return is fortuitous. At linebacker, Childs will be able to move in for the tackle while big guys like Ayden Knapik up front on the line clog up the play.

▪ Kale Crawford, linebacker, Kamiakin.

Another first-team LB this past spring, Crawford is a hard hitter who has a nose for the ball.

He’s also quick and can move sideline to sideline pretty well.

▪ Payton Graham, defensive back, Kamiakin.

An outstanding athlete who has already committed to playing baseball at Gonzaga University, Graham was a hard-hitting DB last spring for the Braves. He’ll also share quarterback duties with Henry Mercado, and Graham is also the punter to boot.

▪ EJ Hawkins, linebacker, Kamiakin.

Maybe this is why it’s so hard to move the ball against the Braves, and why guys like Crawford, Hawkins and Luis Salgado make so many plays: you can’t block all of them at the same time.

Hawkins is also great on pass route coverage and can get the timely interception when needed.

▪ Isaac Hoag, linebacker, Chiawana.

The Riverhawks always seem to have a strong corps of linebackers. Same this year with Alonso and Hoag.

It’ll be tough for offensive units to concentrate on stopping both of them at the same time.

Hoag is an outstanding hitter in both football and baseball.

▪ Luis Salgado, linebacker, Kamiakin.

Salgado is a senior, and he’s been a starting linebacker since his sophomore season. He’s always one of the first guys to the ball carrier. Now, while he was a backup to the now graduated Tuna Altahir last spring at running back, Salgado will get even more touches this fall.

▪ Kalani Steward, linebacker, Richland.

Steward got a lot of playing time last school year. His family moved to Orem, Utah, last fall when it looked like there would be no football played in the state of Washington. But then the family moved back, and Steward was able to play for the Bombers in the spring.

Bottom line: he got in a lot of reps, which made him even better. So much better that MCC coaches last spring voted the then-sophomore to second-team all-conference.

▪ Gabe Tahir, defensive back, Kamiakin.

Tahir was just a sophomore last spring, but he played like a senior. Opposing offenses found out real fast that they’d better not throw his way.

He’s a great cover corner and a strong tackler. He’s already drawing interest from Oregon, Boise State, UCLA, Penn State and Mississippi State. There will be more interest.

MCC and Sunnyside football schedules

All times 7 p.m. unless noted otherwise

Sept. 3 — Davis at Southridge (NL); Hanford at Chiawana; Kamiakin at Hermiston; Kennewick at Walla Walla; Pasco at Richland; Sunnyside at Prosser (NL).

Sept. 9 — Chiawana at Kamiakin.

Sept. 10 — Hermiston at Sunnyside (NL); Richland at Hanford; Southridge at Kennewick; Walla Walla at Pasco.

Sept. 17 — Hanford at Walla Walla; Hermiston at Chiawana; Kamiakin at Richland; Kennewick at West Valley-Yakima (NL); Pasco at Southridge.

Sept. 18 — Sunnyside at Skyview, 3:30 p.m. (NL).

Sept. 23 — Union at Chiawana (NL).

Sept. 24 — Kennewick at Pasco; Richland at Hermiston; Southridge at Hanford; Walla Walla at Kamiakin; West Valley-Yakima at Sunnyside (CBBN).

Oct. 1 — Chiawana at Richland; Hanford at Kennewick, 5 p.m.; Hermiston at Walla Walla; Kamiakin at Southridge, 8 p.m.; Post Falls at Pasco (NL); Sunnyside at Wenatchee (CBBN).

Oct. 8 — Eisenhower at Sunnyside (CBBN); Kennewick at Kamiakin; Pasco at Hanford; Richland at Mead (NL); Southridge at Hermiston; Walla Walla at Chiawana.

Oct. 14 — Hermiston at Kennewick.

Oct. 15 — Chiawana at Southridge; Eastmont at Hanford (NL); Kamiakin at Pasco; Richland at Walla Walla; Sunnyside at Moses Lake (CBBN).

Oct. 22 — Eastmont at Sunnyside (CBBN); Hanford at Kamiakin; Kennewick at Chiawana; Pasco at Hermiston; Walla Walla at Ridgeline (NL).

Oct. 23 — Richland at Southridge, 1 p.m.

Oct. 28 — Walla Walla at Southridge.

Oct. 29 — Chiawana at Pasco; Hermiston at Hanford; Kamiakin at Sunnyside (NL); Richland at Kennewick.

Nov. 5 — Sunnyside at Davis (CBBN).