On loaded defense, Daily Chronicle 2019 Fans' Choice MVP Dominguez still makes his mark

SYCAMORE – It seemed like every spot in the Sycamore front seven was occupied by a playmaker. There wasn't a lot for the secondary to do.

That didn't really slow down Manny Dominguez.

The senior safety still managed 51 tackles on the year, including 16 in an overtime win over Montini in the postseason. He also intercepted two passes. Factor in his more than 1,200 yards of total offense, and the result is the winner of the Daily Chronicle 2019 Fans' Choice MVP.

After the Spartans knocked off Montini, 16-13, in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs, they lost to Boylan in the quarterfinals, 19-16. Despite running the final 35 plays on offense, the Spartans allowed the Titans to return two fumbles for touchdowns in the fourth quarter for the win.

"I would say it went alright," Dominguez said of the season. "At the end of the day me and my teammates look at it from the team perspective. We didn't get where we wanted to go, which was the state championship. But individually I'm proud of what I accomplished and how hard I worked in the offseason to do it."

The Spartans gave up 78 points in 12 games this season. Even in the playoffs, no team scored more than two offensive touchdowns against Sycamore.

And on a team in which a defensive tackle, Joey Wolny, managed 76 tackles, hits were hard to come by, by the time someone got to the third level.

Not that Dominguez was concerned with that, he said.

"There's not better feeling as a safety than watching all my guys stop the run for no yards or negative yards," Dominguez said. "That's the stuff you love as a safety. It's not my job to make tackles. I love to hit people but it's a good feeling when my guys dominate."

Sycamore coach Joe Ryan said there were plenty of games this year where Dominguez played one half, as the Spartans secured the running clock in a blow out win – six to be exact. He also missed the DeKalb game, a 13-0 loss to the Barbs.

But he said with guys like Preston Ruud (119 tackles), Jason O'Donnell (96), Wolny and others ahead of him, there's only so many hits to go around.

"On this team it was a race to get to the ball carrier," Ryan said. "And when you're at the third level and trying to beat some aggressive players to the tackle, it's hard to be the guy in on that tackle."

Ryan said Dominguez was strong on the edges, a downhill player who was hard to account for in blocking schemes as he could come from multiple angles.

And on offense, Dominguez ran for 664 yards and six touchdowns – both second only to quarterback and Daily Chronicle 2019 Football Offensive Player of the Year Grant McConkey. He had a team best 20 catches, 576 yards and eight touchdowns.

"He was a difference maker on both sides of the ball," Ryan said. "That's tough to do nowadays. He played on both sides of the ball and was a major difference maker for us in both roles."

Dominguez is still waiting to make his decision on college. He said while he has offers from smaller schools, he's trying to play at the NCAA Division I level.

"I've worked really hard on being a really good football player," Dominguez said. "I feel like I deserve a shot at playing Division I ball. I hold myself to that standard. I am set on playing Division I."

Even though he said he usually doesn't weigh in on where his players should go at the next level, Ryan did say he feels that Dominguez can fit in well at college football's top level.

"I don't go out in front of my skis very often, and usually I leave it up to college coaches to figure out where a player fits in," Ryan said. "But I've seen a lot of football players over the years and where they usually fit in. ... I know this is a DI type talent and someone will miss out on him and/or someone is going to get a diamond in the rough. There's something to be said about guys with his talent level that love to play the game. It's not always a player's talent level matches his love of the game. But his talent does match how much he loves the game. That makes him an even better player."

Daily Chronicle Fans' Choice MVP Nominees

• Manny Dominguez, sr., S/RB, Sycamore

• Trenton Kyler, jr., QB, DeKalb

• Kyle Thompson, sr., RB, Hiawatha

• Tristan Mangum, sr., OL/DL, Genoa-Kingston

• Sam Pryor, jr., OL/DL, Kaneland