Newton's Tanner Holmes Wins ETSN.fm + Dairy Queen Defensive Player Of The Week

Tanner Holmes did in one game what any East Texas linebacker would call a pretty successful season.

Tackles for loss are hard to get, especially from a few yards in front of the line of scrimmage. Newton's junior defensive standout recorded six tackles behind the line in one game and had 17 total tackles to boot in a decisive 49-21 win against Franklin in the Class 3A Division II playoffs Friday.

Holmes (6-3, 215) is the ETSN.fm/Dairy Queen Defensive Player of the Week from the 2014 regional semifinal round.

The Eagles defense held up its end of the bargain from the start of the game. Holmes' squad was sitting pretty with a 28-7 lead at halftime.

Newton (10-3) will play Rogers (11-2) in the Class 3A Division II, Region III finals. The game will take place Friday at 7:30 p.m. inside Shenandoah's Woodforest Bank Stadium.

Holmes will enter the game with 154 tackles. Win or lose, it is likely he'll overtake Van linebacker Hunter Redmond, who only got to play one playoff game, for the most tackles by any East Texas player this season.

Newton and Waskom, which are positioned across from each other in the overall bracket, are the only two regional teams remaining in the Class 3A Division II playoffs. If both teams can win two more games apiece, they will meet for an all-East Texas state championship game.

The only other hope of two local teams meeting for a state title would be a game between Henderson and Liberty-Eylau in Class 4A Division I.