Star Times | Football: Defense

Geoff Meinken

Lynnwood, DL, 6-4, 260, Sr.

With size, strength and speed, Meinken played every position for the Royals except offensive lineman. He was in on 60 tackles, made six sacks and intercepted two passes, returning both for touchdowns. He has offers from Stanford and WSU.

Deandre Coleman

Garfield, DL, 6-4, 285, Sr.

Rivals.com ranks Coleman as the top recruit in the state, and it doesn't take a long look at him to understand why. He's large and athletic, and as one coach said, "he was unblockable." He had nine tackles for loss and three sacks.

'Alo'ofa Ta'a

Rainier Beach, DT, 6-0, 295, Sr.

Ta'a is so strong he picked up a Franklin player and threw him at the ball to try to block a conversion kick. The Metro League Sound Division defensive lineman of the year was in on 60 tackles and made seven sacks.

Anthony DeMatteo

Skyline, LB, 6-0, 190, Jr.

The KingCo 4A Crest Division defensive player of the year anchors a starting defense that has allowed only one touchdown this season. DeMatteo plugged the middle with 75 tackles (12 for a loss) and four sacks in the Spartans' first 12 games.

Andre Barrington

Federal Way, LB, 6-2, 207, Sr.

One of the top athletes in the area, Barrington was a big-play guy on both sides of the ball. A hard hitter on defense, he also rushed for more than 1,000 yards in leading the Eagles to state for the first time since 1976.

Jeff Gouveia

Auburn, LB, 5-10, 200, Sr.

The Trojans' leading tackler recorded 10 tackles for loss during the regular season and was voted co-defensive lineman of the year in the SPSL 4A North. He was also the offensive back of the year, scoring a school-record 31 touchdowns.

Kellen Matsuno

Eastside Catholic,

LB, 5-9, 200, Sr.

Matsuno was the Mountain Division defensive player of the year for the Metro League champions from Sammamish. A relentless player, he had 81 tackles and four sacks. He's not one of the state's biggest linebackers, but is one of the toughest.

Jamal Atofau

Bellevue, DB, 5-10, 190, Sr.

KingCo 3A's defensive player of the year did just about everything, playing several positions, blocking kicks, returning kicks and carrying the ball in Bellevue's wing-T offense. He has committed to WSU.

Nolan Washington

Kennedy, DB, 5-9, 170, Sr.

A Division I college prospect with outstanding speed and great instincts, he was voted defensive back of the year in the Seamount League. Washington showed his versatility on offense at quarterback, running back and wide receiver.

Carlo Lavoie

Auburn, DB, 6-0, 170, Sr.

With a school-record nine interceptions, Lavoie helped the Trojans go 11-1 and reach the Class 4A quarterfinals. He also played quarterback on an offense that averaged nearly 400 yards rushing and was voted all-purpose player of the year in the SPSL 4A North.

Kurt Stottlemyer

Bothell, DB, 5-10, 170, Sr.

Stottlemyer was co-defensive player of the year in the KingCo 4A Crown Division after playing cornerback and locking down opposing teams' top receivers. He finished with three interceptions even though teams rarely threw his way.

Trey Wheeler

Liberty, P, 6-0, 175, So.

KingCo 3A's all-conference punter averaged more than 42 yards per punt. Also an all-league quarterback, he threw for more than 1,800 yards and 12 touchdowns for the playoff team from Issaquah.

Dave Ward

Archbishop Murphy, coach

Ward took over a program that was disqualified from the playoffs in 2007 and recovering from the death of coach Terry Ennis. With a more pass-oriented offense, his second-ranked school near Mill Creek finished 12-1 and made the Class 2A state semifinals.