HURRICANE JAKE...Jacob Dombroski | Dixie Flyers

ESPN 97.7 is counting down to kickoff by featuring a player a day until August 11th!

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Countdown to Kickoff Spotlight Player | Day 9

BY KERIC SEEGMILLER, ESPN 97.7

JACOB DOMBROSKI | DIXIE | SENIOR | LB

There’s a storm coming to Region 9 football. A quick check of the radar shows a 100 percent chance of a hurricane. And like all hurricanes, this storm is violent and powerful, and lays waste to all in its path. While southern Utah is not a common location for hurricanes to strike, this one is no stranger to the area. After bursting onto the radar last year, this storm never really left. It merely circled the area, picking up steam until it reached Category 5 status. Now, it’s ready to strike again.

Of course, I’m not referring to an actual hurricane. But I might as well be after the damage this Dixie Flyers linebacker inflicted on opposing offenses last year. Jacob “Hurricane Jake” Dombroski is every bit a “hurricane” on defense for the Flyers. He flies around the field with reckless abandon, tossing aside anything between him and the ball carrier. He has the speed to chase down the fastest of receivers, and the strength to win any one-on-one battle he encounters. If that’s not enough, he’s sneaky and nimble enough to remain almost invisible in the pass defense, lurking near the secondary to break up passes across the middle.

Hurricane Jake was just what the Flyers defense needed going into the 2022 campaign. After graduating three of their top five tacklers from the 2021 season, head coach Blaine Monkres and company needed someone to step up and help guys like Treven Alldredge anchor the defense. That someone was Dombroski.

After recording 18 tackles in limited varsity time as a sophomore, Dombroski exploded with 90 tackles (30 solo stops) in 2022, the second-most on the Dixie roster and the sixth-most in Region 10. Dombroski pummeled opposing offensive linemen on his way to 14.0 tackles for loss, a mark that ranked second in Region 10 and fourth in all of 4A, and 3.0 sacks. He also forced a fumble in the Flyers’ season-opener vs. Springville, and had a rip-six (ripped the ball from the ball carrier and ran to the end zone) touchdown that was called back against Hurricane after the play was prematurely blown dead.

Dombroski recorded at least 10 tackles three times in 2022, including a season-high 16 tackles in Dixie’s 17-13 win over Riverton, while tallying eight or more tackles seven times. Additionally, he never finished a game with less than six tackles. Along with the total tackles, Dombroski notched a tackle for loss in eight out of 10 games and had two or more three times, led by a season-high 4.0 TFL in the Flyers’ comeback win at Cedar.

This year, Dombroski is the undisputed leader, the captain of the Flyers defense, and he’s itching to get back on the field. Opponents beware. It’s time to start boarding up those windows. Hurricane Jake is on the doorstep, just waiting to unleash his fury.

COACHES COMMENTS

“Jacob’s deep love to play football is evident in all he does. This season we’re relying on him to be able to get our defense in the right place at the right time. He’s a coach on the field because of his intelligence. He’s a great teammate and is willing to do what’s best for our team. I am really excited to see Jacob exceed all he has previously done for our team.”