Chaminade’s Crothers, Heritage’s Thornton are Broward 2M-1M Defensive Players of the Year
Even with all of its explosiveness on offense, Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna’s defensive excellence is what elevated the Lions to becoming one of the most complete teams in the nation.
Senior defensive lineman Zachary Crothers was at the forefront of those efforts.
And although Plantation American Heritage fell a couple of wins short of its ultimate goal of winning a state championship, senior linebacker Omar Thornton was a major reason the Patriots once again had one of the most dominant defenses in the state.
As such, the Miami Herald is honoring both Crothers and Thornton as the Broward County Classes 2M-1M Co-Defensive Players of the Year.
Crothers, who recently signed with the University of Pittsburgh, was a force on the Lions’ defensive front throughout the season. He totaled 53 tackles including 22.5 for loss and was a constant threat in opposing backfields with 13 sacks in 10 games.
Crothers also returned an interception for a touchdown.
His performance in the Class 1M state championship game - a 56-0 blowout win over Clearwater Central Catholic - was no different. Crothers led Chaminade with a game-high eight tackles, 1.5 sacks and four tackles for loss.
Crothers, a three-star edge rush prospect ranked the No. 103 overall player nationally at his position by 247Sports, followed up a junior season in which he racked up 80 tackles including 24 for loss and 15 sacks in 12 games.
Thornton (6-0, 195-pounds), who grew up playing youth football with several of South Florida’s best including Chaminade’s Zaquan Patterson and Miami Central’s Lawayne McCoy, was no slouch himself, totaling 81 tackles including 14 for loss, eight sacks, two interceptions and a forced fumble.
Thornton, who is weighing a handful of FBS offers and said he plans to sign in February, had some of his best performances against top competition.
A versatile linebacker who can play both middle and outside and often dropped back to play safety, Thornton racked up double-digit tackles in games against Jacksonville Trinity Christian, Chaminade, Davie Western, West Palm Beach Kings Academy and Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons. He also had three games in which he recorded two sacks each.
“This was the kind of season that I was trying to have,” Thornton said. “I was trying to make things happen like this. I told my mom about winning Defensive Player of the Year and she was really excited.”
