Meet the 2022 All-Hawk Eye football defensive team

If defense wins championships, it's easy to see why the playoff qualifiers in the Burlington area all had stout defensive units.

WACO's defense held teams in check, allowing its powerful running attack to wear opponents down.

And West Central won its first state championship in football in large part because of its nearly-unstoppable offense, but also its often-overlooked defense.

While area offenses put up numbers in bunches, defensive players had some equally impressive numbers in their own right.

Here is the 2022 All-Hawk Eye football defense.

Defensive linemen

Colton Leichty, jr., WACO

Leichty was at his best when it mattered most. In the Warriors' semifinal win over Newell-Fonda, Leichty had 4 1/2 quarterback sacks and blocked a punt which led to a field goal. He finished the season with 90 tackles — 60 solo — 17 sacks, 27 tackles for loss, recovered four fumbles and intercepted a pass.

Brady Link, sr., West Central

The Heat were tough to score on most of the season, and Link led a stout line that held opposing teams in check until deep in the playoffs. While Link didn't put up big tackle numbers, he sometimes occupied two blockers, allowing Kaiden Droste and Parker Meldrum to make plays from their linebacker spots.

Ike Thacher, jr., Fort Madison

The Bloodhounds had a stellar season, advancing to the playoffs for the first time since the late 1980s. The Bloodhounds' defense was rock solid from start to finish, and Thacher played a big role. He had 39 tackles — 18 solo — five sacks and 13 1/2 tackles for loss.

Kyle Vorwerk, jr., Mediapolis

Mediapolis always had been known for stout defense and this year was no exception. Vorwerk was a big factor up front, where he had 39 1/2 tackles — 34 solo — with three sacks and 20 1/2 tackles for loss.

Linebackers

Cam Buffington, jr., Winfield-Mount Union

Buffington showed why he is a University of Iowa recruit, registering 95 1/2 tackles — 76 solo — with one sack and six tackles for loss. He also recovered a fumble and intercepted three passes, returning all three for touchdowns covering 112 yards.

Chett Mohr, jr., Mediapolis

Mohr, one of the top long snappers around, also got the job done on defense. He had 84 1/2 tackles — 69 losses — two sacks and 15 tackles for loss.

Hayden Segoviano, jr., Fort Madison

Segoviano seemed to be all over the field for the Bloodhounds all season. He totaled 63 tackles — 30 solo — six sacks and 10 1/2 tackles for loss.

Nolan Simpson, sr., Burlington

Simpson was the heart and soul of the Grayhounds, always playing with an edge. He finished with 43 1/2 tackles — 38 solo — and 6 1/2 tackles for loss and intercepted a pass.

Hayden Vandenberg, sr., West Burlington-Notre Dame

Vandenberg epitomized the Falcons' hard-nosed style the last two seasons. This year, he had 70 tackles — 44 solo — and 15 tackles for loss.

Defensive backs

Ben Egan, sr., Mediapolis

Egan was one of the premier defensive players in the area, finishing with 37 1/2 tackles — 31 solo — and five tackles for loss. He recovered three fumbles, returning one for a touchdown, and intercepted four passes, returning them for 53 yards.

Cory Jones, jr., Central Lee

Jones played a key role in helping the Hawks qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2016. He had 15 tackles — eight solo — and intercepted five passes for 96 yards, taking one back for a touchdown.

Parker Meldrum, sr., West Central

Meldrum was a heat-seeking missile on defense, always finding the ball. He piled up a ton of tackles and also recovered a fumble and broke up numerous passes in the secondary.

Mason Miller, sr., WACO

Miller is one of the best defensive backs to come out of southeast Iowa in some time. Miller finished with 34 tackles — 28 solo, recovered a fumble and led the state with nine interceptions.

Punter

Drew Miller, jr., Mediapolis

Miller drew plenty of accoladed for his placekicking, but it was his punting which was a vital weapon for the Bulldogs. He averaged 48 yards per punt on 24 kicks and was able to flip the field with one kick of his powerful right leg.

Matt Levins is a sports reporter for the USA Today Network in Burlington, Iowa, who has covered local sports for 32 years at The Hawk Eye. Reach him at mlevins@thehawkeye.com.

This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Meet the 2022 All-Hawk Eye high school football defense