Vote: Who is the Maryland High School Football Defensive Player of the Week? - Oct. 13, 2025

We’ve selected 10 nominees for your voting consideration

High School on SI

Here are the candidates for our sixth Maryland High School Football Defensive Player of the Week honoree of 2025.

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Congratulations to our last winner: Nate Bouffard of Fallston.

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Voting ends Oct. 19 at 11:59 p.m. PT. The winner will be announced in next week's poll.

Emet Choy, Northwest

Choy, a 6-foot. 180-pound junior linebacker, had 15 tackles in Northwest’s 45-7 victory over Seneca Valley.

Rondell Fauntleroy, Frederick

Faunteroy, a 6-2, 175-pound junior linebacker, had 10 tackles and two sacks in Frederick’s 42-0 victory over Tuscarora.

James Lee, Washington 

Lee, a 5-10, 229-pound senior linebacker, had 10 tackles in Washington’s 36-16 victory over Arcadia (Del.).

Zach Loewe, Fallston

Loewe, a 6-1, 175-pound senior safety, finished with 16 tackles in Fallston’s 21-15 victory over Bel Air.

Alex Miltimore, Saint James School

Miltimore, a 5-10, 180-pound sophomore linebacker, had 10 tackles in Saint James’ 51-34 victory over Maret School (D.C.).

Zahir Myrick-Brown, Atholton

Myrick-Brown, a 6-1, 170-pound senior safety, had eight tackles in Atholton’s 32-7 victory over Long Reach.

Tyler Owens, Saint Charles

Owens, a 6-foot, 280-pound defensive linemen, finished with 12 tackles and a sack in Saint Charles’ 24-22 victory over Northern-Calvert.

Gio Smith, Stephen Decatur

Smith, a senior linebacker, had 11 tackles in Stephen Decatur’s 38-0 victory over James M. Bennett. 

Damean Thomas, North Hagerstown

Thomas, a 6-2, 190-pound senior linebacker, finished with 12 tackles in North Hagerstown’s 28-20 victory over Williamsport. 

Semaj Washington, Westlake

Washington, a 5-10, 180-pound senior linebacker, had nine tackles in Westlake’s 28-0 victory over Chopticon.

About Our Athlete of the Week Voting
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals.Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports.Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.