It’s easy to see why Levelland boasted one of the toughest defenses in the area and maybe the state this season.

All you have to do is look at the tackles for loss.

The Lobos recorded 192 take downs behind the line of scrimmage this season and junior defensive lineman Zak Betancourt had an area-best 42 of them to go along with 150 tackles in total. He led six players with at least 18 tackles for loss this season toward an 8-3 record an appearance in the Class 4A Division II area round while also being responsible for

“I just told myself to go as hard as I can every play,” said Betancourt, who’s listed at 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds. “I wasn’t the biggest and that mentality kind of worked for me.”

Betancourt is the Lone Star Varsity Defensive Player of the Year.

The junior end caused a stir earlier this year after recording 23 tackles with 11 going for loss in a 29-27 win against Dalhart. MaxPreps.com initially rejected the stats when the Levelland coaches typed them up.

The win against Dalhart set the Lobos up to win the District 2-4A Division II championship two weeks later, 27-20, in come-from-behind fashion against a favored Estacado team. They didn’t allow a second-half point.

“I loved seeing my seniors get that win because we had not won a district championship in a while,” Betancourt said. “I loved seeing the team go as hard as it could and seeing how far we could go.”