The PTP pick
DL Aiden Bell, Jr., Clearwater
For most of the season, Aiden Bell was forgotten. While Clearwater’s other defensive linemen ate up all the accolades, Bell hardly had a taste of fame.
He was used to walking (and tackling, stripping and sacking) in the shadow of others.
That was until last week when the spotlight finally found a player more accustomed to being in the shade.
Bell had four tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery against Pinellas Park.
That’s not all.
He also blocked a punt that he returned for a touchdown to help the Tornadoes snap a two-game losing skid with a much-needed 19-6 win.
The fans’ pick
LB Garrick Ponder, Jr., Seminole
Whether pursuing quarterbacks or picking them off, Garrett Ponder appears in the stat sheet on a regular basis. The Warhawks’ top defensive playmaker has recorded either an interception or a sack in four of the first five games this season.
Last week, Ponder honed in on his pass rushing skills, recording two sacks to go along with eight tackles against Hollins.
He also put up numbers on offense. The first-year starting quarterback threw for 134 yards and ran for another 30 and a touchdown to lead Seminole in a 16-6 victory.
The fans took notice. Ponder received more than 43 percent of the votes (5,545), finishing ahead of Clearwater’s Aiden Bell, who had 23 percent (3,051).
