2021 Spring NewsTribune Defensive Football Player of the Year

Throughout his career in the La Salle-Peru Youth Football League, Levi Reed remembers coaches telling him and his classmates they would have an impact on the high school program.

“Ever since I was in fifth grade, all of our coaches kept telling us we were going to be the grade level that changed L-P football,” Reed said. “At the time, I was thinking, ‘Yeah, they probably say that to everyone,’ until we got to high school and kept doing well. Everyone realized this was our opportunity to change L-P football and bring it back to where it needs to be.”

Reed and his fellow players in the Class of 2021 did just that.

As juniors, they helped the Cavaliers to a 5-5 record and their first playoff berth since 2009.

This spring, in the COVID-19 shortened season, the Cavs went 5-0 — L-P’s first undefeated season since 1968 — with wins over perennial powers Morris and Kaneland.

Reed played a crucial role in that success.

As a disruptive force at defensive end, Reed recorded 33 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and four sacks for a defense that allowed 10.4 points, 60 rushing yards and 113.4 passing yards per game.

For all he accomplished this season, Reed is the spring 2021 NewsTribune Defensive Football Player of the Year.

He is the first L-P player to earn the honor since Wes Kostellic in 2003.

“With our defense, we want to get speed on the field and create issues for the opposing linemen to allow our linebackers to run free and make tackles,” said L-P coach Jose Medina, who was the NewsTribune Defensive Player of the Year as a linebacker at Mendota in 1994. “If you watch film, he did that. He created double teams. He created mismatches. At times, he was also getting triple teamed. By doing those things, he gave our linebackers opportunities to come up and make plays. It really helped our defense be pretty stout in run defense and he definitely caused some issues in the passing game too. He was a dominant presence using his speed and quickness.”

Reed said after his junior season he put his head down and went to work, and he credits speed drills and going to the gym five or six days per week for helping him succeed this spring.

“Our defensive line coach always talks about moves and what we can do to shed blocks, but I always thought the best way to shed a block was to not get blocked, so I always tried to get off the ball as fast as I could,” Reed said. “A lot of the time, they wouldn’t be able to touch me before I was in the backfield.”

Reed was only one of a handful of players back with experience on the defensive side of the ball after playing outside linebacker as a junior.

He started the spring at the same position, but defensive coordinator Pat Carney decided to move him to defensive end after the opening game.

“I have to give props where they’re due, coach Carney decided to move him,” Medina said. “We knew he was an athletic kid. We knew he could run. We wanted to find that next (NewsTribune All-Area defensive end) Nick Krolak in a way. (Carney) definitely made the right choice as far as moving Levi down to the line. The rest is history.”

Reed said the idea of him changing positions first came up after his junior season with so many of his fellow defenders graduating.

“The coaches were talking to me and looking at the players we had back and moving up,” Reed said. “They said we don’t have many middle linebackers and we’re missing a few spots. They told me anywhere I wanted to play, I could fill in. I told them I will go wherever the team needs me to go.”

That’s the attitude Medina wants as the Cavs look to continue their recent success.

“That’s the type of kid he is,” Medina said. “He’s willing to do whatever it takes for the team. That’s what we want out of our players.”