Body Zone Physical Therapy Defensive Player of the Week: Lucas Myers
Body Zone Physical Therapy Defensive Player of the Week
To prepare for his first varsity season at linebacker for Twin Valley, Lucas Myers studied film of some of the top linebackers who excelled for his dad Brett at Middletown.
As a ball boy at Middletown, Lucas looked up to standout ’backers such as Gage Radabaugh, Blake Jacoby, and Hunter Landis.
Friday, in Twin Valley’s season-opener, Lucas played just like them.
He led a strong defensive effort that limited 1,500-yard back Dominic Giuffre of Schuylkill Valley to 79 yards on 17 carries in a 44-13 victory.
Lucas Myers recorded a team-high 11 tackles; no one else had more than four. Pretty remarkable for a freshman debut and well deserving of the season’s first Body Zone Physical Therapy Defensive Player of the Week award.
“I love his effort and I love the way he runs,” Brett Myers said. “In the end, you can’t teach speed.”
The 6-foot, 190-pound Myers is one of the fastest and fittest players on the team. In a one-mile run this summer he finished among the top finishers.
He’s always been at the head of his class when it comes to football. He’s one of four freshman on the Twin Valley roster but the only one who saw significant time in the season-opener. In addition to inside linebacker he played on all of the Raiders’ special teams.
It’s rare to see a freshman make such an immediate impact on a team expected to contend for a section championship but in Myers’ case it can’t be considered a huge surprise. He grew up around the game and competing with older brother Evan, a junior and three-year starter at quarterback.
“His effort, whether it’s lacrosse, basketball – it used to be baseball – or football has always been pretty different,” Brett Myers said. “His (youth) coaches always said he had a motor. Any of them I saw Saturday or Sunday (following the game) said: ‘Hey, I’m not surprised by that (effort against Schuylkill Valley).
“He’s no different than Evan: Loves to compete, loves to play. When you have an older brother, you follow those footsteps.”
Brett Myers prefers not to play too many sophomores or freshmen; he would rather go with more mature, experienced players. Lucas Myers plays older than his age, however.
“A kid who runs like this, playing linebacker, (you could see early in camp) he has a shot,” Brett Myers said. “His eagerness and his ‘want-to’ showed us that he’d be competing at a varsity level. During Heat-Ac, the first week (of practice), you could see: This kid can play linebacker on a Friday night.”
Giuffre set a program record last season with 30 touchdowns, many of them on long breakaway runs. The Raiders never allowed him to get past the second level of their defense. Giuffre’s longest run was 21 yards; he had just one other over 8 yards. His only TD came on a reception.
“Part of that is guys like (strong safety) Mason Marks and (outside linebacker) Drew Engle and (outside linebacker) Ethan Ameisen setting an edge to allow (our inside ’backers) to get to him,” Brett Myers said.
Players considered for Body Zone Physical Therapy Defensive Player of the Week honors are nominated by their coaches or by members of the MikeDragoSports.com coverage team.
Also nominated this week:
- Nathan Govan II, Exeter
- Bryce Gumby, Berks Catholic
- Christo Hunsicker, Wilson
- Brandon Jones, Gov. Mifflin
- Ethan Lafferty, Kutztown
- Kowalski, Schuylkill Valley
- Collin Niedrowski, Wyomissing
- Mason Semmel, Hamburg
- Josiah Urbaez, Muhlenberg
Selected last season as Defensive Player of the Week:
- Week 1: Jonathan Martin, Exeter
- Week 2: Nate Capitano, Wilson
- Week 3: Ethan Kryman, Daniel Boone
- Week 4: Nate Pashley, Exeter
- Week 5: Nafis Blythe, Berks Catholic
- Week 6: Nick Weitzel, Wilson
- Week 7: Ryker Jones, Wyomissing
- Week 8: Drew Eisenhower, Wyomissing
- Week 9: Mason Marks, Twin Valley
- Week 10: Lucas Palange, Exeter
- Week 11: Mason Semmel, Hamburg
- Week 12: Ryker Jones, Wyomissing
