It was a wonderful evening for Middletown (11-3) senior Derrick Singletary who was honored as the 2025 TriState Football Dayton Defensive of the Year, as TSF paid tribute to the area’s finest from Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Dayton and Southeast Indiana at the TriState Football Year in Review Show on Monday night, in front of a packed house at the Holy Grail in downtown Cincinnati.
Singletary was one of the most disruptive forces in Southwest Ohio for a Middies defense that allowed just 9.0 points per game on the way to the schools first ever regional championship. He tallied 56 tackles, 19.0 sacks, 30.0 tackles for losses, five forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and one interception. Those efforts also earned Singletary OPSMA Division I First Team All-Ohio and First Team All-TSF accolades.
Singletary, a Rice signee, finished his career with 137 tackles, 30.5 sacks, 52.0 tackles for losses, six forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception.
Other 2025 TriState Football Dayton Defensive Player of the Year finalists were seniors C.J Bryant (Middletown), Collin Isaac (Tippecanoe), Nolan Ogburn (Alter), Royce Rogers (Springfield), Riley Seibert (Butler), Evan Weinberg (Springboro), Jamarcus Whyce (Trotwood-Madison) and junior Jahmiere Daniels-Portis (Springfield). This is the 17th year of this award and Singletary is the first Middie to be named the TSF Dayton Defensive Player of the Year.
TSF Dayton Defensive Players of the Year
2025 – Derrick Singletary (Middletown)
2024 – Ronnie Butler (Xenia)
2023 – Reggie Powers III (Centerville)
2022 – Braedyn Moore (Badin)
2021 – CJ Hicks (Alter)
2020 – Delian Bradley (Springfield)
2019 – Tim Keseday (Springboro)
2018 – Moses Douglass (Springfield)
2017 – Kennedy Coates (Trotwood-Madison)
2016 – Kobe Vinegar (Trotwood-Madison)
2015 – Tobias Gilliam (Wayne)
2014 – Kei Beckham (Trotwood-Madison)
2013 – Vayante Copeland (Thurgood Marshall)
2012 – Mike McCray (Trotwood-Madison)
2011 – Mike McCray (Trotwood-Madison)
2010 – Trey DePriest (Springfield)
2009 – Cody Byers (Alter)
