Defensive Player of the Week

Carson Cunningham

Freshman, Loyd Star

You don’t often hear high school coaches talking about freshmen ahead of the season, as they know that the big jump from junior high football to the varsity ranks isn’t an easy one to make. Loyd Star head coach Adam Smith and his staff knew they had a gamer in freshman linebacker Carson Cunningham when he made the move up during spring practices.

A freshman linebacker, Cunningham has started from week one and become a reliable hand for the Hornet defense. Last week in a 42-0 shelling of Wilkinson County, Cunningham led the way with 14 tackles, including two for a loss. For his play in the road victory, Cunningham has been named The Daily Leader Defensive Player of the Week.

The scouting report on Cunningham ahead of the season from the staff was that the freshman isn’t scared of contact and understands the angles needed to run down a ball carrier. What’s helped is Cunningham has a handful of older, more experienced guys that fit that same model in senior Luke Cotten, senior Zack Cotten, and junior Cooper Creel. The Hornet defense will look to stay hot this week when they host Amite County in a Region 7-2A pairing.