The Prime Time defensive players of the week

Prime Time’s pick

LB Hayden Reed, Sr., Gaither

Last year, Reed made his mark as a running back at Plant. 

Now, he is on a new team with an entirely different role. 

The Gaither newcomer’s primary goal involves stopping running backs. 

As a linebacker with the Cowboys, Reed has adapted well to the change. So far, the Army commit ranks second on the team in tackles with 19. In last week’s 34-14 win over Tampa Bay Tech, Reed was all over the place, finishing with nine tackles and a sack.  

Fans’ pick

OLB/SS Carson Schiavello, So., Clearwater Central Catholic

As a newcomer last season, Schiavello did not see much playing time on varsity. 

He assisted on one tackle. 

Schiavello’s role — and his stats — have already increased dramatically. 

With 20 seniors graduating, many on the defensive side, Schiavello took over as a starter on a young defense that includes a freshman, four sophomores, four juniors and a senior in the starting lineup. 

In two games, Schiavello already leads the team in tackles with 21. Last week, he recorded 14 of them and had his first career sack against Wiregrass Ranch. The biggest tackle came in the fourth quarter that resulted in a turnover on downs to give the Marauders the momentum they needed to pull out a 14-7 victory. 

The fans thought highly of that performance. Schiavello received more than 65 percent of the votes (5,339), well ahead of Countryside’s Leroy Lopez, who had roughly 24 percent (1,993 votes).