Longview's defense thrives on speed, and few players display that trait better than senior free safety Corey Bartley.

Bartley made 20 tackles for the second consecutive week and blocked two kicks in Longview's 30-14 home-opening win against North Little Rock this past Friday. For his efforts, Bartley is the ETSN.fm Dairy Queen Defensive Player of the Week.

Bartley's first-quarter PAT block was his second of the season, while his fourth-quarter punt block resulted in senior defensive end Jalen Porter scooping up the ball and scoring from four yards to put Longview up 28-14.

"He's instinctive. He plays fast," said Longview coach John King. "He's in the position where our safeties should be our leading tacklers with the style of defense we run with funneling things to the safeties."

King said Bartley's speed, instincts, and quickness allow him to overcome a 5-7, 155-pound frame. Despite his size, he's one of Longview's fiercest hitters.

Bartley and junior strong safety Stephan Maxey give the Lobos one of the best safety duos in the state. Bartley had 98 tackles last season, while Maxey had 88 as a sophomore.

"Typically our better tacklers and better football players play the safety spots," King said. "You've got to have people with knowledge of the game, good instincts, and communication skills to get everybody on the same page."

Longview (1-1) hosts rival Marshall (0-2) at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Dairy Queen Defensive Players of the Week

Sept. 6-8: Corey Bartley, FS, Longview
Aug. 30-Sept. 1: Coby Bradford, DE, Hallsville

 

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