Dom DeFrancis has a simple goal when he makes a tackle.
“When they’re coming at you the next time, you want to make sure they don’t want to run into you,” he said.
That was easier said than done this season, as a plethora of ball carriers unwillingly ran into the junior linebacker.
Entering the Thanksgiving game at Hamilton West, DeFrancis’ 90 tackles led Steinert’s defense by a wide margin. He also had 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks (despite hardly ever blitzing) and an interception.
“Dom did the job exactly the way we envisioned when this role was carved out,” coach Thaddeus Richards said. “He’s done it at a really high level this season. He has benefit of playing behind a great defensive line that eats a lot of blocks, but in his own regard he’s gotta go make the plays and he’s done that at a really high level this year.
“He allowed for a lot of defensive success, especially in the run game. I have a lot of praise for his ability to go out there and execute what our defensive coordinator (Joe Washington) envisioned this whole defense would look like.”
DeFrancis began as a safety, but moved into Makai Blackstone’s spot at inside linebacker when Blackstone was injured and missed several games.
“Makai’s the leader of our defense,” DeFrancis said. “You got any questions, you ask him. It put some pressure on me, but I understood the assignment and what I needed to do and I got it done.”
He did it so well that when Blackstone returned, he remained at linebacker and as “kind of a safety hybrid, but I’m a run-first player.”
He’s actually a stop-the-run-first player, as most teams had difficulty rushing against Steinert. DeFrancis squeezes every bit of talent out of his small-but-sturdy frame, just as diminutive running back Isaac Pate does on the offensive side of the ball.
“I feel like we’re the poster board (for smallness) this year with Isaac and some of our defensive personnel,” Richards said with a laugh. “As a tackler, Dom’s fearless. He’s all of 5-foot-7, 170 pounds right now, but he plays very fast and violently at the point of attack. That transcends his weight. That’s his biggest attribute. He’s learning at getting better playing in space too.”
Pate’s toughness was enhanced as a sophomore when he saw time due to injuries. Steinert opened with two Shore Conference teams and Hopewell Valley last season.
“He got that type of exposure to the physicality, now he just plays with this fearlessness when he’s looking to make tackles,” Richards said. “I think that’s part of what makes him who he is.”
And just exactly who is he?
Like so many Steinert athletes, he was born in Kansas (said facetiously). He began playing baseball in the farm belt at age 2, and his family moved to Hamilton two years later. He joined Sunnybrae Little League, and played with a District 12 champion there.
DeFrancis continued to excel in high school, hitting over .350 for the varsity last year. Coach Brian “The Chef” Giallella is looking for even more this spring.
“He became a very good player for us both offensively and defensively in centerfield,” Giallella said. “He’s someone I expect will lead us in many offensive categories.”
For now, DeFrancis is leaning toward trying to play college baseball. But he has had a second sports love affair since age 10, when he began playing in Hightstown Pop Warner. He moved on to the Hamilton Revolution and was a safety/linebacker from the start.
“I’ve always loved playing defense more than offense,” DeFrancis said.
He played middle linebacker for the Steinert freshman team and recalled that, “I had a blast,” and he quickly caught the eye of Richards and Washington.
“From our perspective we saw a lot of raw talent but we saw a lot of ability that wasn’t refined just yet,” Richards said. “He carried the water for the freshmen as far as the offense went, and defensively he was a stalwart down there too. We were excited to get him up.”
After performing well in a part-time role last year, DeFrancis turned into a non-stop whirlwind as a junior.
“Body type-wise we knew we didn’t have the same body types we had in the past with guys like Remy Feniello (now at TCNJ),” Richards said. “We needed to be a little more creative and (Washington) devised this whole thing to allow Makai Blackstone and Dom to be the focal points in our defense because they are two of the better tacklers in our program.
“When Makai went down in Week Zero, a lot more was thrown on Dom’s plate specifically. He rose to the occasion throughout the year and got better as each week went on.”
DeFrancis credits his coaches and the defensive line of Division I recruit Jomel Kparway, Gabe Pena Bak, Gabe Roberts and Nate Horchuk for setting him up for success.
“I got put in a good spot and I’m just going out there, getting to the ball as much as I can, trying to help my team out and it’s a blessing to have the season I’ve had,” he said. “The line helped out plenty. I rarely get blocked by the second level. When the big guys are doing their work up front that leaves me with all the tackles. They do a lot of work for me.
“I was one of the few players coming back with varsity experience. They told me I needed to step up. I definitely figured I could do something like this. Last year in the first four games I led the team in tackles. I knew coming into this year it was definitely doable to lead the team.”
In comparing the 2024 DeFrancis to the 2025 version, Richards felt that as a sophomore he was still adjusting to the accelerated speed of varsity football. But the coach saw the raw ability and knew it was just a matter of refining it and getting Dom to play within a scheme. He suspected DeFrancis could rack up a high number of tackles and impact games the way he has this year.
DeFrancis has not been turned loose on quarterbacks often, as the outside linebackers are usually the ones blitzing. But when called upon, DeFrancis has done the job. As a run stopper, he is in constant pursuit of the ball carrier.
“He’s a high-energy, high-octane kind of guy,” Richards said. “He’s always got juice defensively. You talk about the phrase “flying around” in the football world; and you turn on the tape and that describes the way he plays.
“It’s no coincidence when he plays really well our defense really looks like a good defense. That’s a credit to him and the energy he plays with consistently. He’s got a high motor. And that speaks to his courage as well. There’s not anything he’s afraid to get into on the field between the whistles.”
DeFrancis also got a bit of offensive time at running back this year along with senior Jeff Debreus. But with Pate running wild, their carries were limited. That could change next year.
“As we get into the off-season we’ll look at it but he’s a positive candidate to take a much bigger role offensively next year,” Richards said. “Maybe we’ll see if he has that breakout offensive season like he had on defense this year.”
But if things stay the same, DeFrancis would have no problem with that. To hear him talk, he was put on this earth to play linebacker.
“I’ve always had a nose for the football and I’m always getting to the football,” he said. “When I came to the varsity level my coaches kind of perfected my technique.”
And what is his secret to bringing down ball carriers?
“Just having good leverage and putting someone down at first contact and not letting them get those extra yards,” he said.
The good news for Steinert is that many of its key defensive players return next year, and the seniors will be the first group to have all four seasons under Richards.
“We’ll have a lot of chemistry and have some people stepping up in spots that will do the jobs,” DeFrancis said. “I think we’ll have a good team next year.”
As for this year, Steinert carried a 7-3 record into its Thanksgiving game, when it was trying to win eight games for the first time since 2015. That was also the last year the Spartans won a playoff football game until defeating Red Bank in a Central Jersey Group IV contest this year.
“This season has been phenomenal,” DeFrancis said. “We have a special team. The team chemistry is off the charts. We’re a big family. Everyone knows each other, everyone is comfortable.”
DeFrancis also gets to know the opposition running backs. But he hardly tries to make them feel comfortable.