SANTA ANA – Jonathan Lockett‘s personal draw for the playoffs screamed with caution.
The Mater Dei cornerback faced, in succession, a virtual Southern California all-star receiving corps. The group featured Chris Davis of Oaks Christian, Sean Modster of Mission Viejo, Juju Smith of Long Beach Poly and Shay Fields of St. John Bosco.
If an Orange County defensive back ever encountered a “Group of Death,” it was Lockett in the CIF-SS Pac-5 Division playoffs.
“You just named four guys that are super-special athletes in their own sense,” Servite coach A.J. Gass said, “and he (Lockett) held his own, and actually, did extremely well.”
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• All-County First Team Offense
• All-County First Team Defense
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Lockett didn’t allow a touchdown pass in the playoffs to help Mater Dei reach a second consecutive Pac-5 championship game. He also found the stamina to contribute heavily on offense.
For his efforts, especially in the pressure-cooker of the postseason, Lockett is the Register’s Defensive Player of the Year.
“He had the propensity to come up big in big games,” Mater Dei coach Bruce Rollinson said. “When we needed a play, it seemed like Jonathan sensed it.”
The USC commit limited the prolific Davis to one reception in their one-on-one duel in the first round of the playoffs.
Lockett grabbed two interceptions against Mission Viejo, helping the Monarchs upset the second-seeded and previously undefeated Diablos, 21-14, in the quarterfinals. He grabbed both of his interceptions while covering Modster, a second-team All-County performer who finished with one reception.
In the semifinals, Lockett broke up two deep passes intended for Smith and nabbed an interception in the end zone in a stunning 30-0 victory against Long Beach Poly.
He capped the playoffs by limiting Fields, also a USC commit, to three receptions for 45 yards in the Pac-5 final.
“Every game, we matched him up against (the opposition’s) best player,” Mater Dei defensive lineman Malik McMorris said of Lockett. “It really helped out with him being able to lock down their best receiver and have (teams) go to their second, third and their fourth guy.”
While his postseason lockdowns will be remembered, Lockett also didn’t allow a touchdown in the regular season. His highlights included an interception in the end zone while in man coverage against Fields in the teams’ Trinity League clash.
The interception spotlighted two of Lockett’s best attributes: speed and smarts. The 6-foot, 180-pounder said he was tipped off before the snap that a pass was imminent when the Braves coaches on the sideline watched his positioning and Fields adjusted his gloves.
He also had watched on film Fields run a post-corner route for a score in a similar situation. Fields tried it again, but Lockett stayed with him and made the interception.
Rollinson said Lockett displayed a “rare blend” of confidence and cockiness.
“Which I love,” Rollinson said. “Some people call it swagger.”
Lockett finished the season with four interceptions and a school record-tying 13 for his career as a three-year starter. The Trinity League co-MVP matched the career record set by Brian Barajas in the early 1990s.
Lockett said he didn’t achieve his success on his own. He worked in tandem with his defensive teammates such as McMorris, who consistently applied pressure to quarterbacks.
“We knew we had good defensive linemen and good linebackers to get to the quarterback,” Lockett said. “(And) I think (defensive coordinator Eric) Johnson trusted the DBs more. He sent a lot of blitzes, and he trusted us that we could go man-to-man against the receivers.”
Lockett maintained his shutdown status despite also playing receiver and returning kickoffs and punts. He finished with 31 receptions for 557 yards, including a 90-yard TD reception against Long Beach Poly. He scored on a 73-yard reception to help spark a victory against Servite.
“It was pretty tough (playing both ways) because sometimes I got tired,” Lockett said. “Sometimes I think (opposing) coaches see me with my hands on my hips, leaning over breathing out, but it’s all good. I like the challenges.”
Team success was paramount for Lockett. While Mater Dei fell in the Pac-5 championship game to top-seeded St. John Bosco, he is proud the Monarchs (11-3) reached a second consecutive CIF final, a feat the school last accomplished in 1998-99.
“I definitely think we put (Mater Dei) on the map (again),” Lockett said. “After last season, people said we weren’t going to be really good in (2013) and I think we proved a lot of people wrong, especially after the Mission game.”
Lockett was a team captain his senior season, emerging as a leader who showed the way more by his actions than his words.
“He leads (by) his play and his play is high,” McMorris said. “When he talked, he really urged us to just go out there and do it for one another.”
And when it mattered most, no defender successfully handled as many challenges as Jonathan Lockett in 2013.
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com
