The Herald’s 2019 prep football All-Area defense

Editor’s note: The Player of the Year and All-Area teams were chosen by The Herald sports staff based on coach recommendations, season statistics and first-hand observations.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Josh McCarron, jr., DL, Archbishop Murphy

McCarron posted an eye-popping 21 sacks, 30 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles as a game-wrecking defensive end. The three-star recruit anchored a stingy defense that allowed just 14.5 points per game and helped lead the Wildcats to the Class 2A state quarterfinals.

FIRST TEAM

Josh McCarron, jr., DL, Archbishop Murphy

Markus Selzler, sr., DL, Shorecrest

Selzler battled through an injury-plagued season to record 11 sacks and 18 tackles for loss. He helped anchor a defense that allowed just 17.7 points per game.

Branden Rodriguez, jr., DL, Monroe

Rodriguez totaled 12.5 sacks, 21.5 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, one pass breakup and one blocked field. He helped key a much-improved defense that yielded just 17.4 points per game.

Lincoln Davis, sr., DL, Marysville Pilchuck

Davis posted three sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss and an interception as part of a stingy defense that allowed just 17.2 points per game, including 10.7 points per contest in Wesco 3A North play. The standout defensive end helped the Tomahawks reach the 3A state quarterfinals.

Junior Robinson, sr., LB, Lake Stevens

Robinson totaled two sacks, 29 tackles for loss and one forced fumble before suffering a season-ending injury in the Week 10 playoffs. The standout linebacker was the quarterback of Lake Stevens’ suffocating defense, which posted five shutouts and yielded just 10.2 points per game.

Mauro Bejar, sr., LB, Marysville Pilchuck

Bejar recorded four sacks and 21 tackles for loss as part of a strong defense that allowed just 17.2 points per game, including 10.7 points per contest in Wesco 3A North play. The standout linebacker helped the Tomahawks reach the 3A state quarterfinals.

Ryan Black, jr., LB, Glacier Peak

Black posted one sack, one tackle for loss, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles. He anchored a defense that yielded just 19.5 points per contest.

Brayden Ulrich, soph., LB, Snohomish

Ulrich recorded seven sacks, 18 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, one interception and one safety. He helped lead a defense that made considerable strides from last season.

Kasen Kinchen, sr., DB, Lake Stevens

The three-star recruit and lockdown cornerback totaled two interceptions, 10 pass breakups and four tackles for loss in the Vikings’ talent-laden secondary. Kinchen, a two-way standout, helped Lake Stevens reach the 4A state quarterfinals and played an integral role in a smothering defense that posted five shutouts and allowed just 10.2 points per game.

Joe Gonzales, sr., DB, Lake Stevens

The Yale University-bound safety intercepted four passes and recorded eight pass breakups, one sack and two tackles for loss. Gonzales, a three-star recruit, helped the Vikings reach the 4A state quarterfinals and played a key role in a suffocating defense that posted five shutouts and yielded just 10.2 points per contest.

Joe Ennis, jr., DB, Archbishop Murphy

Ennis intercepted two passes and had 19 pass breakups, seven forced fumbles, two sacks and five tackles for loss. He helped the Wildcats reach the 2A state quarterfinals and played an integral role in a stingy defense that allowed just 14.5 points per game.

Desmond Fox, jr., DB, Shorecrest

Fox intercepted seven passes and returned two for touchdowns. He had three interceptions and two pick-sixes against Stanwood and helped key a defense that yielded just 17.7 points per contest.

Daniel Yoon, sr., P, Jackson

Yoon averaged 41 yards per punt, with a long of 58 yards. He pinned eight punts inside the 20-yard line.

SECOND TEAM

Zion Robinson, sr., DL, Archbishop Murphy

Robinson posted seven sacks and 15 tackles for loss, playing a key role on a stingy defense that allowed just 14.5 points per game. The two-way standout lineman helped the Wildcats reach the 2A state quarterfinals.

Austin Diaz, sr., DL, Marysville Pilchuck

Diaz totaled 6.5 sacks and four tackles for loss. He was part of a strong defense that yielded just 17.2 points per game — including 10.7 points per contest in Wesco 3A North play — and helped the Tomahawks reach the 3A state quarterfinals.

Jakobus Seth, soph., DL, Lakewood

Seth posted 3.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. The sophomore was part of a stingy defense that allowed just 15.3 points per game and helped the Cougars reach the 2A state quarterfinals.

Wyatt Hall, sr., DL, Lake Stevens

Hall recorded 11 tackles for loss and one sack as part of a smothering defense that posted five shutouts and yielded just 10.2 points per contest. Hall, also a standout four-year starting center, helped the Vikings reach the 4A state quarterfinals.

Blake Rybar sr., LB, Monroe

Rybar totaled four sacks, 12 tackles for loss, one pass breakup, one blocked field goal and one blocked punt. The standout linebacker anchored a defense that made considerable strides this season in allowing just 17.4 points per game.

Ben Grimes, sr., LB, Edmonds-Woodway

Grimes posted seven tackles for loss and anchored a defense that yielded just 12.3 points per contest in Wesco 3A South play.

Terren Pablo, sr., LB, Marysville Pilchuck

Pablo recorded three sacks and five tackles for loss. He was part of a strong defense that allowed just 17.2 points per game — including 10.7 points per contest in Wesco 3A North play — and helped the Tomahawks reach the 3A state quarterfinals.

Roman Savchuk, sr., LB, Mariner

Savchuk, a two-way standout, intercepted four passes and returned one for a touchdown.

Jordan Justice, sr., DB, Marysville Pilchuck

Justice intercepted six passes and added two pass breakups as part of a stingy defense that yielded just 17.2 points per game, including 10.7 points per contest in Wesco 3A North play. The two-way standout helped the Tomahawks reach the 3A state quarterfinals.

Davis Campbell, sr., DB, King’s

Campbell, a two-way standout, had seven interceptions.

Carson Chrisman, jr., DB, Lakewood

Chrisman intercepted three passes, including a pick-six in a 2A state quarterfinal loss to Hockinson. The two-way standout also had eight pass breakups and two tackles for loss, helping key a strong defense that allowed just 15.3 points per game.

Efton Chism III, sr., DB, Monroe

The Eastern Washington University-bound receiver also excelled on defense, intercepting two passes against eventual state semifinalist Woodinville and finishing the season with seven pass breakups. Chism III played a key role in a much-improved Bearcats defense that yielded just 17.4 points per contest.

Noah Thompson, sr., P, Mountlake Terrace

Thompson, a two-way lineman, averaged 41.2 yards per punt.