Football

Top returning NCHSAA football stat leaders in 2024: 4A Sacks & Takeaways

HighSchoolOT is back with more football preview coverage in the spring. Today, a look at the best statistically returning defenders in the 4A classification.
Posted 2024-04-22T13:42:10+00:00 - Updated 2024-04-26T16:50:55+00:00
Kendric Davis of Palisades. West Charlotte jumped out to a big first half lead en route to a 28-19 win over Palisades at the Turf Kings event presented by The Army, Be All You Can Be Invitational on August 19, 2023 (Photo: Evan Moesta/HighSchoolOT)
By 
Joel Bryant

Throughout the month of April, we'll have some kind of football preview coverage released to HSOT Insiders each day.

Today is a look at the top statistically returning big-play defenders in the 4A classification. We are looking at three areas: sacks, interceptions, and forced fumbles. The only requirement is that they played in seven games last season.

In the past, we've done articles for top individual tackling returners. That will not be the case this season. Since stats aren't really standardized in high school and each team has their own way of doing it, there is not a good way to compare players' tackling from those in other programs. Some teams only report solo tackles, while other teams will have a handful of guys with over 100 assist tackles. This year, those articles will be team-based. They will rank the teams by the percentage returning from their group tackling production in 2023.

We are using the individual stats for Sacks/Game, Interceptions/Game, and Forced Fumbles/Game because those categories are more cut-and-dry (and to be honest, not as disputable as some of the tackle numbers that are reported). We are using the efficiency per-game stats because the bulk numbers like total sacks and total interceptions can be deceiving and don't always correlate year-to-year.

Note: If your player's stats have not been published to MaxPreps or have not been sent to me, they are not going to be included below.

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Top Returning 4A Defensive Leaders: Sacks per Game

Players are listed with their rising class year and school. Minimum 2023 games to qualify: 7. Ties broken by games played.

1. Tre Walker III, senior DE, Parkland — 1.7 Sacks/Game

2. Eddie Conover, senior OLB, Hough (transfer from Northwest Cabarrus) — 1.2 Sacks/Game

3. Robbie Whitney, senior DE, East Forsyth — 1.1 Sacks/Game

T4. Rocco Paolillo, senior LB/DE, Apex — 0.909 Sacks/Game (11 games played)

T4. LeDarrion Menter, senior EDGE, Hough (transfer from Northwest Cabarrus) — 0.909 Sacks/Game (11 games played)

6. Jadyn Fry, senior DE, Rolesville — 0.9 Sacks/Game

7. Tklyn King, senior OLB, Glenn — 0.875 Sacks/Game (8 games played)

8. Tyson Samuels, senior OLB, Parkland — 0.857 Sacks/Game (7 games played)

9. Kenyon Newkirk, senior DL, Laney — .808 Sacks/Game

T10. Jaxon Moore, senior DE, Northern Guiilford — 0.8 Sacks/Game (10 games played)

T10. Tyquan Richardson, junior DL, Garner — 0.8 Sacks/Game (10 games played)

12. Manny Lewis, junior LB, Marvin Ridge — 0.773 Sacks/Game

13. Alique Hart, senior LB/DL, Chambers — 0.75 Sacks/Game

14. Ebenezer Ewatade, junior DE, South Garner — 0.714 Sacks/Game

15. Xavier Lewis, senior DE, Rolesville (transfer from Leesville Road) — 0.708 Sacks/Game

Finalized schedules for the 2024 North Carolina high school football season

Top Returning 4A Defensive Leaders: Interceptions per Game

Players are listed with their rising class year and school. Minimum 2023 games to qualify: 7. Ties broken by most games played.

1. Currine Henry, senior DB, New Bern — 0.8 INT/Game

2. Kaleb Lott, senior DB, Hillside — 0.555 INT/Game

3. Deshaun Barton, senior DB, Overhills — 0.545 INT/Game

4. Kamar Fulton, senior DB, Hoggard — 0.5 INT/Game (16 games played)

5. William Miller, senior DB, Pinecrest — 0.5 INT/Game (12 games played)

6. Roman Hyland, senior DB, Charlotte Catholic — 0.5 INT/Game (8 games played)

7. Ivion Smith, senior DB, New Bern — 0.462 INT/Game

8. Tayden McPhatter, junior CB, Garner — 0.455 INT/Game

9. Nessiah McArthur, senior DB, Millbrook — 0.417 INT/Game

T10. Omarion Williams, senior DB, Western Guilford — 0.4 INT/Game (10 games played)

T10. Reginald Bush, junior DB, Lumberton — 0.4 INT/Game (10 games played)

T10. Antwan Brown, senior DB, Corinth Holders — 0.4 INT/Game (10 games played)

13. Zayvion Williams, senior LB, Southeast Raleigh — 0.38 INT/Game

T14. Marquis James, junior DB, Overhills — 0.364 INT/Game (11 games played)

T14. Jon Fijalkowski, senior DB, Charlotte Catholic — 0.364 INT/Game (11 games played)

2023-2024 North Carolina high school football coaching changes

    Top Returning 4A Defensive Leaders: Forced Fumbles per Game

    Players are listed with their rising class year and school. Minimum number of 2023 games to qualify: 7. Ties broken by most games played.

    1. Omarion Williams, senior DB, Western Guilford — 0.7 FF/Game

    2. Kendric Davis, senior LB, Palisades — 0.6 FF/Game

    3. Jordan Ledgester, senior MLB, Willow Spring — 0.4 FF/Game

    4. Frankie Williams, junior DB, North Mecklenburg — 0.38 FF/Game

    5. LeDarrion Menter, senior EDGE, Hough (transfer from Northwest Cabarrus) — 0.364 FF/Game

    6. Braylon Peebles, junior DB, Cardinal Gibbons — 0.33 FF/Game (15 games played)

    7. Laron Mills, junior DB, T.C. Roberson — 0.33 FF/Game (12 games played)

    8. Jasha Brown, senior LB, Berry Academy — 0.33 FF/Game (9 games played)

    9. Kamar Fulton, senior DB, Hoggard — 0.31 FF/Game

    T10. John Terry, senior DL, Topsail — 0.3 FF/Game (10 games played)

    T10. Joshua Basnight, senior DB, Hillside — 0.3 FF/Game (10 games played)

    11. Michael Griffen, sophomore LB, Chambers — 0.29 FF/Game

    12. Eddie Conover, senior OLB, Hough (transfer from Northwest Cabarrus) — 0.273 FF/Game

    13. Sherard Gilliland, senior DB, T.C. Roberson — 0.25 FF/Game (12 games played)

    T14. Jonathan Hinnant, senior EDGE, Rolesville — 0.25 FF/Game (8 games played)

    T14. Kei'Marius Hollie, senior CB, Willow Spring — 0.25 FF/Game (8 games played)

    T14. Joseph Blumberg, senior CB, Lake Norman — 0.25 FF/Game (8 games played)

    T14. Quintal Whitted, junior LB, Enloe — 0.25 FF/Game (8 games played)

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