Dominant Terrence Hanratty of Bernards named Central Jersey Sports Radio Defensive Player of the Year for 2024

When you play the Bernards football team, they’ll punch you in the mouth and ask if you want more.

It’s a way of life, and few embody that more than senior Terrence Hanratty.

He is a big reason why the Mountaineers reached their second straight sectional final this year, having brought home the North 2, Group 2 trophy a season ago with an overtime victory against Lakeland.

Head coach Jon Simoneau – who instills that attitude in his Mountaineers – calls him a “dominant middle linebacker,” adding that Hanratty made it nearly impossible for teams to run the ball – or score – on them.

The stats? 132 tackles, 100 solo. Two sacks, six TFLs, a forced fumble, three fumble recoveries and one interception.

Yes, he does it all.

What’s more impressive? Those numbers would be enough for any linebacker who played 12 games. But he only played in the second half of eight of them; that’s how dominant Bernards was this season, and Hanratty was a major reason why.

While he was on the field, Bernards allowed just 97 points through its first ten games.

Click below to hear Alec Crouthamel talk with Defensive Player of the Year Terrence Hanratty of Bernards:

Honorable Mentions:

• Julien Jones, Colonia: The senior linebacker moved from the outside to the inside this year, and registered 137 total tackles, along with three sacks, 14 tackles for loss, a pick, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. His total tackles put him No. 2 on the single-season list at Colonia, behind Eric Legrand.
• Anwar Witherspoon, St. Thomas Aquinas: Top defensive player, filling the graduation void left by last year’s CJSR Defensive Player of the Year, Christian Magliacano. He was all over the field, making plays sideline to sideline, in coverage, and behind the line of scrimmage. He totalled 105 tackles this season, along with 20 TFLs, four sacks, three picks – one for a touchdown, while also scoring on a kickoff return in the season opener down in Delaware against Mount St. Joseph (MD).
• Josh Stephens, Piscataway: The senior linebacker led the Chiefs with 132 tackles, giving him 211 over the last two years. An outstanding defender, he had 3 1/2 sacks and 16 tackles for loss on the season.