Zi’Yon Hill was an unstoppable force on a Catholic High defense that stopped virtually every team it faced, including one featuring the state’s leading rusher and another featuring a dynamic young quarterback and strong running game.

Hill helped the Panthers go 11-2 overall and reach the Division III select school semifinals before bowing out to eventual state champion Riverside Academy. Catholic High’s only other loss was to Notre Dame, which was unbeaten until a semifinal loss of its own, and those were the only two games in which the Panthers surrendered more than 30 points.

The senior defensive lineman and UL-Lafayette football commit has been chosen as the Defensive Most Valuable Player for The Daily Iberian’s Best of the Teche Football Team for the second straight year after another dominant season.

Two things separated Hill’s senior season from his junior season, CHS coach Brent Indest said. First, he played about 10 pounds lighter, which enhanced his playmaking ability. Second was the “high motor” he played with, even moreso than his junior season, Indest said. While it’s almost a coaching cliche when talking about players who go at the game at a high rate, Indest said Hill “just was relentless” in taking down ballcarriers whether coming at them head-on or chasing them down from behind.

Hill, who had 75 tackles with a total of 25 sacks and tackles for loss, should put on about 15 or 20 pounds of muscle in college, his coach expects. He earned first-team All-District honors in the same district featuring LSU commitment Tyler Shelvin on the Notre Dame defensive front.

“Most of the Notre Dame kids said Zi’Yon was the best (defensive player in Acadiana),” Indest said. “The kid from Erath (Elijah Mitchell, who led the state in rushing) was a hell of a back, but for three years we held that guy under 100 yards, and Zi’Yon was a huge part of that. This year they even ran away from him, and he chased him down from behind.”

Hill is joined by four defensive teammates who helped CHS average 16 points allowed per game, including linebackers Trey Gary and Brandon Potier and defensive backs Taylor Hernandez and Ja’Vaughn Narcisse.

Gary had 105 tackles with two interceptions and 12 tackles for loss. Potier had 90 tackles, an interception and eight tackles for loss. Hernandez had 60 tackles and five pickoffs. Narcisse had 25 tackles and was the team’s top cover player. Linebacker Stephen Russell also had a standout year but was chosen as an offensive lineman for the Best of the Teche team after Indest said he was the team’s top lineman.

Gary showed up a little heavy for fall camp, Indest said, but worked off 15 to 20 pounds in the first month of the season and helped him become a dominant player in his own right.

“On many teams (Gary) would’ve been my best defensive player,” Indest said. “He’s a three-year starter. Both he and Brandon started in the Superdome (in the state finals) as sophomores.”

All his linebackers stood out, in large part due to the work by defensive coordinator Josh Dworaczyk, Indest said.

“Trey is a very instinctive player,” the coach said. “Brandon also does great. We asked a lot more of him this year. He plays Will linebacker, which for us is a hybrid between strong safety and linebacker. It’s a lot more difficult to play. He might cover a 160-pound slot receiver that runs 4.5 (seconds in the 40 yard dash) or if they come out in double tights (two tight end formation), he’s taking on a 300-pound lineman. Those three collectively, I don’t know if even at Carencro with the Dome teams I had if I had three better linebackers.”

Joining the CHS contingent on the Best of the Teche defense are a collection of standouts from the area’s football-playing schools.

Joining Hill on the line are Loreauville’s Trystyan Pierre (77 tackles, 5 sacks), Erath senior Joe Knight (4 tackles for loss), New Iberia’s Grant Mitchell and St. Martinville’s Ty Nelson, all first-team All-District picks.

Brant Young of Assembly Christian (86 t, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT, 1 kick return for touchdown), Brant Leslie of New Iberia and Caleb Jagneaux of Erath (68 t, 36 asst, 6 tfl, 3 sacks, 1 INT) were the other linebackers. Young was a first-team All-State pick for the Association of Christian Educators League. Jagneaux was his team’s defensive MVP, coach David Comeaux said.

The remaining defensive backs include Mason Granger of Erath (defensive captain, 44 t, 19 assists, 11 passes broken up, 4 INT with 65 return yards), Bricelun Joseph of New Iberia, Deondre Spencer of Westgate (36 t, 3 tfl, 6 INT, 1 F, 2 FR) and Jordan Cole of Loreauville (38 t, 4 INT with 1 TD). All were first-team All-District selections.

Flex players who could play multiple roles include Hans Hensgens of Highland Baptist (73 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1 interception), Caleb Fage of ACS (69 t, 9 sacks, 33 tfl, first-team ACEL All-State), Cristian Barard of West St. Mary (72 t, 11 tfl, 2 pbu, 3 sacks), Kharee Lockley of WSM (65 t, 6 tfl, 5 pbu, 2 sacks, 1 INT), Javorick Latula of New Iberia, Hunter Delcambre of Delcambre (41 solo tackles, 75 asst, 1 sack, 1 fr), Ernest Dejean of Westgate (62 t, 14 tfl, 4 sacks, 1 INT, 2 ff, 4 fr), Chandler Mixon of Highland Baptist (29 t, 1 tfl, 2 fr), Oteder Foster of Westgate (48 t, 12 sacks, 11 tfl, 4 ff, 2 fr), Bren Faulk of Erath (31 t, 15 asst, 14 pbu, 2 INT), Franklin senior Avontre Perro (69 tackles, 13 pass breakups, 1 interception, first-team All-District; 76-812 rushing, 22-255 receiving) and Franklin lineman Elijah Spain (75 tackles, 6 for loss, 2.5 sacks; 17 pancake blocks, 2 sacks allowed on offense),

Honorable mentions for offense and defense include New Iberia’s Devin Gabriel, Tylen Jones, Alex Mathews, Seth Landry and Troy Thibodeaux; Highland Baptist’s Ray Johnson Jr. and Hunter Reaux; Franklin’s Austin Gordon, Lamar Joseph, Roy Jackson, Christian Bias, Jarius Byrd, Jardyn McCoy, Kevin Ina, Gavin Dozier and Ejarion Gibson; West St. Mary’s Tristian Harris and Desmon Washington; Westgate’s Keith Lopez, Kayson Boutte, Darien Charles, Shannon Deal, Dontre Antoine and Jansen Mayea; Erath’s Jax Harrington and JP Touchet; Catholic High’s Ben Landry, Harrison Schexnayder, Warner Simon, Brendon Bellefontaine and Jacob Lanassa; St. Martinville’s Kevin Batiste, Travien Benjamin and Trevon Goings; and Centerville’s Peyton Nash, De’Andre Kinchen, Noah Verrett, Barrett Landry, Logan Broussard and Michael Ishcomer.