Rankings / Football

District 5-6A Safety Rankings: Joel Chang Leads a Loaded Week of Defensive Back Play

1. 1. Joel Chang — Hebron — A+

   Chang put together the best overall safety performance we evaluated this week.

   He finished with two interceptions, but his performance went well beyond the turnovers. Chang flew around the field as a tackler, showed excellent range and consistently put himself in position to affect the passing game.

   Hebron asked its secondary to play plenty of quarters while also using man-match principles and isolated man coverage around the slot. Chang handled those responsibilities extremely well. He could sit in coverage, match receivers underneath and still show the range necessary to make plays when the ball went elsewhere.

   The two interceptions were the headline plays, but the complete nature of Chang’s performance earned him the No. 1 spot.

   He covered. He tackled. He tracked the football. He affected multiple areas of the game.

   Chang looked like a complete safety.

2. 2. Adedamola “Damola” Adeogun — Lewisville — A+

   Adeogun gave Lewisville a physical presence on the back end and delivered one of the most complete performances of the week.

   He recorded an interception and was excellent against the run. Adeogun showed the strength to deal with slots and tight ends attempting to block him and consistently fought his way into the play.

   His coverage versatility stood out as well. He handled curl-to-flat responsibilities, played underneath routes and showed the ability to make plays farther down the field.

   When it was time to trigger downhill, he arrived with force.

   Adeogun delivered multiple physical hits, consistently supported the run and affected what the offense was trying to accomplish both underneath and downfield.

   The combination of an interception, coverage ability, physicality and high-level run support earned him an A+.

3. 3. Bowen Robertson — Flower Mound — B

   Robertson made two of the biggest defensive plays of the week for Flower Mound, coming away with two interceptions.

   Both plays showed the value of being in position when the football arrives.

   One interception came following a tipped pass, while the other came on a throw Robertson was able to capitalize on. Safeties still have to finish those opportunities, and Robertson did exactly that twice.

   His overall down-to-down performance was quieter than some of the other players on this list, which is why his film grade remains a B rather than being driven strictly by the interception total.

   But turnovers matter.

   Two takeaways can completely change a football game, and Robertson made the offense pay when opportunities came his way.

4. 4. Bryson “Deuce” Mathis — Lewisville — B+

   Mathis didn’t need an interception to make his presence felt.

   His biggest impact came in run support, where he consistently came downhill, closed space and got involved around the football.

   Mathis tackled well, played physically and gave Lewisville another dependable defender on the back end.

   That part of safety play can easily get overlooked when evaluations become too focused on interceptions.

   Safeties still have to fit the run correctly, fill space and prevent routine plays from becoming explosive ones.

   Mathis handled those responsibilities well throughout the game and earned a B+ for his performance.

5. 5. Mitsu Soeda — Flower Mound — B+

   Soeda’s box score may not immediately tell the story of his performance, but his film does.

   He played the safety position with physicality and discipline.

   Soeda was aggressive in run support, filled the alley, tackled well and delivered several physical hits.

   He also affected the passing game by helping create an interception, showing that his impact extended beyond simply making tackles.

   What stood out most was how complete his safety play was.

   When the run declared, he came downhill.

   When space opened in the alley, he filled it.

   When an opportunity developed in coverage, he affected the play.

   It was a physical, active performance that earned Soeda a B+.