Hunter Pahl, The Bee’s Defensive Player of the Year

Hunter Pahl, The Bee’s Defensive Player of the Year, is aptly named.

Opposing running backs and quarterbacks are the Del Oro High School linebacker’s favorite prey.

Offensive linemen are advised to approach with caution a player who brings a cage-fighting mentality to the football field.

“On the field he plays with a mean streak and a chip on his shoulder, which are compliments,” said Del Oro coach Casey Taylor. “He inspires his teammates when he gets physical.”

Regularly knocking opponents around helped the Golden Eagles senior earn his second consecutive Defensive MVP honors in the Sierra Foothill League. This year, he led his team in tackles with 78 and had seven sacks during the regular season.

“He was our strongest guy and had a tremendous work ethic on and off the field,” Taylor said. “He always played with a lot of emotion.”

At 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, he has average size for a high school linebacker. But he is a weight-room maniac whose training produced impressive results. In addition to his defensive accomplishments, Pahl scored 20 touchdowns this season as a running back.

He led Del Oro, playing one of the area’s toughest schedules, to an 11-2 record, a league co-championship with Granite Bay and a trip to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II championship game.

Taylor said Pahl wants to play defense in college, possibly at Sacramento State, which has made an offer.

“I know he’d loved to play in college,” Taylor said. “He can help a team at a weakside or outside linebacker spot or as a strong safety or rover.”

Rover.

Now that sounds like just the right position for a guy named Hunter.