FLINT, MI -- Junior linebacker Phoenix Dickson of Lapeer's football team has been voted the Flint-area Defensive Player of the Year by MLive-The Flint Journal readers.
Dickson received 33,194 of the 108,596 votes cast -- that's 30.6 percent -- to finish ahead of Linden senior linebacker Noeh Quesnelle, who received 30,154 votes.
Byron senior linebacker Jerry Hall was third with 23,016 votes, North Branch senior safety Nathan Farnsworth was fourth with 12,216 and Flushing junior linebacker Logan Walker rounded out the top five with 3,670.
Dickson helped Lapeer to a 9-0 regular-season record and its fifth straight playoff berth since the city's two high schools merged in 2014.
The Lightning reached the regional round of the football playoffs before losing 13-0 to defending Division 1 state champion Clarkston to finish with an 11-1 record. Against Clarkston, he had 18 tackles that included one sack and four for losses.
For the season, Dickson had 168 tackles that included five sacks and 31 for losses. He also had four interceptions, nine pass deflections and one safety.
Quesnelle had 97 tackles, including 11 for a loss, with seven sacks and one interception while causing six fumbles and recovering two fumbles.
Hall led Byron with 66 tackles, including 16.5 for losses. He also had 3.5 sacks, broke up two passes and recovered two fumbles.
Farnsworth led North Branch in tackles with 63, including four for losses, while intercepting seven passes and breaking up another nine.
Walker had 93 tackles, including 12 for losses, recorded one sack, forced three fumbles and recovered another fumble that he returned for a touchdown.