Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

If someone wants to make a case for the defense, the evidence could come from the Southeast All-District football team.
The Ironton Fighting Tigers (11-1) have been dominant with a third straight Ohio Valley Conference title and fifth in six seasons thanks to its defense.
Leading the defense are Ironton senior defensive lineman Nate Cochran and senior linebacker Angelo Washington who shared the Division5 Defensive Player of the Year award as selected by the Southeast Ohio Prep Sports Writers Association.
The Fairland Dragons (10-1) were runners-up in the OVC and both Fairland and Ironton are in their respective regional semifinals of the postseason playoffs on Saturday.
Ironton is looking to make a third straight berth in the state title game that has led to a pair of runner-up trophies the past two seasons.
The Dragons have been led by senior linebacker J.D. Brumfield who was named the Division 6 Defensive Player of the Year.
Garnering the other individual award locally was Symmes Valley Vikings’ head coach Rusty Webb who guided the team to only the second unbeaten regular season in school history.
Symmes Valley was 9-0 with one game cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols.
The only other Vikings’ team to go unbeaten was the 1989 team coached by Merril Triplett.
The 6-foot-3, 300-pound Cochran has been a force in the middle of the Ironton defensive line with his brute strength, commanding double and even triple teams on virtually every player and thus freeing up the linebackers and other linemen to make plays.
The 6-1, 225-pound Washington moved from defensive end to linebacker this season and was one of the team’s top tacklers. Washington plans to play next season at the University of Kentucky.
The 6-foot, 195-pound Brumfield had 71 tackles, 31 assists with 6 sacks, 7 tackles for a loss and 2 interceptions. A two-way player, he also led the team in rushing.
A complete list of the Southeast All-District team is on Page 3B.