Palos Verdes cornerback Jalen Flowers is a sophomore phenom

Eighth in a series of stories profiling the best secondary football players by position. Today, Jalen Flowers, Palos Verdes Back defensive.

Jalen Flowers did a spectacular interception in one hand in an individual drill in the spring. He did not flow from the field, wavering his arms wildly or proclaimed that he has been the largest locking corner since Deion Sanders.

“I’m not really a speaker,” he said. “I let my game show it.”

It gives Palos Verdes High a defensive back of 6 feet 2 inches and 175 pounds with the rare competence to be able to stick to all the receivers. They can make movements, they can execute their best patterns, but escape from flowers does not occur very often.

His instincts, his framework and his receiver’s tagged knowledge play in a position in a position in which the errors of judgment or the non-compliance with an opponent can let the defender burn for a touch.

“He has a talent,” said coach Guy Gardner about the ability of flowers to cover the receivers. “We train her best we can, but most of the things he does, we haven’t trained. The way he behaves, covering the guys, the running routes, things came naturally. ”

He appeared during the summer of his first year and immediately noticed as someone with talents. “It was quite obvious,” said Gardner.

A 16-week season that led to a 2-A division state championship saw Flowers catch four passes for 58 yards and a touchdown in the final. He finished the season with 26 plated and an interception in his first full season playing on the defensive back and literally became larger each month.

“We don’t think he was a first -year student in the middle of the season,” said Garner.

Flowers has played football since the age of 6, so just an opponent has been trying to do on a football field surprises him.

“He really likes to play,” said Gardner. “You can see him when he plays. And he has a capacity given by God.”

There are so many defensive backs with offers from university football scholarships this season in southern California that you will get a different response every time you ask: “Who is the best?”

Madden Riordan, a commitment from the USC of Sierra Canyon, had 11 interceptions last season. Isala Wily-AVA of St. John Bosco had 72 plated in the second year with seven interceptions. Aaryn Washington, a junior of Mater Dei, managed 23 plated and three interceptions during a season 13-0. Gardena Serra has a defensive back trio towards the ranks of the college in Wesley Ace, Marcelous Ryan and Duvay Williams.

There are schools with multiple defensive backs, including St. John Bosco, Serra, Sierra Canyon, Mater Dei and Santa Margarita. No one is perfect. Even the best abandon a touchdown on occasion.

But be careful that the flowers are doing in its second season. Prepare for the train effect when people make their gift to stay close to the receivers and start discovering that it is not a stroke of luck.

And Flowers warns that it has not finished growing.

“I could have an inch or more in me,” he said.

Gardner said: “He puts work ethics with this capacity and continues to improve.”

Wednesday: San Pedro Dylan Moreno botter.

Defensive backs to watch

Davon Benjamin, Oaks Christian, 6-0, 170, Sr.: Oregon Commit reflected three interceptions for the touch last season

Havon Finney Jr., Sierra Canyon, 6-3, 170, Sr.: Lsu Commit is a great cornerback

Jalen Flowers, Palos Verdes, 6-2, 175, So.: He covers the receptors so close that he knows which erase they chew

Josh Holland, St. John Bosco, 6-2, 175, Sr.: USC commits with long arms and deception force

Derrick Johnson, Murrieta Valley, 6-2, 170, Sr.: Oklahoma Commit is a large and aggressive cornerback

Jéron Jones, Mission Viejo, 6-0, 195, Sr.: Washington Commit made big games and big plated

Devohn Moutra Jr., Gardena Serra, 5-9, 190, Sr. defensive player of the year of mission League

Madden Riordan, Sierra Canyon, 5-11, 164, Sr.: USC Commit had 11 interceptions

Aaryn Washington, Mater Dei, 6-0, 160, Jr:. Ready to take a production in production

Isala Wiley-Ava, St. John Bosco, 6-3, 195, Jr.: Had seven interceptions in the second year

Donte Wright, Long Beach Poly, 6-2, 170, Jr. Georgia Commit is fast, hard and intelligent