Bradshaw shows how it's done for Paloma Valley defense

Paloma Valley linebacker Steven Bradshaw (42) has become one of the most dominant defensive players in the area. Photos by Kristi Jo Aguirre

Steven Bradshaw isn’t the loudest guy in the locker room, but set him loose on the football field and his teammates can see that look in his eyes.

“To be able to play defense, you have to have a nasty side to you,” said Paloma Valley High School’s 6-foot-2, 220-pound linebacker. “You have to be (ticked) off when the other side gains a yard on you.”

Polite and soft-spoken off the field, Bradshaw makes his presence known most when an opposing running back is headed this way or a quarterback tries to pass into his zone. His emotions come out in the form of hard hits, tackles for losses, interceptions and anything else required to stop opposing offenses.

He is a big part of the Paloma Valley team that will seek its first-ever victory over crosstown rival Heritage Friday night in the annual Menifee Bowl game (7 p.m. at Paloma Valley). Both teams are unbeaten in league heading into the regular-season finale.

In nine games, Bradshaw has made 74 solo tackles (115 total). He averages an impressive 12.8 tackles per game and has made two interceptions. A three-year starter, he has established himself as one of the leaders of a defense that thrives under first-year head coach Tom Tello, formerly the defensive coordinator at Heritage.

“I would describe our defense as an attacking style,” Tello said. “We’re working to build a climate where we can be successful, and we’re doing it. Bradshaw is the leader of that unit.

“He leads by example. He’s not a big rah rah guy, not a huge talker, but he does what he has to as a leader of the team.”

Bradshaw acknowledged that Tello has put his stamp on the defense with subtle changes that have translated into a new attitude.

“We’re more aggressive now,” Bradshaw said. “We play smarter. We have more options to throw different looks at offenses. They can’t just prepare for one thing.”

Bradshaw was a steadying influence for the Wildcats in helping to assure the players everything would be OK when a head coaching change was made in the middle of spring practice. He knew more about Tello than his teammates because he had watched his brother Matt play quarterback for Heritage when Tello was coaching there.

“My brother graduated at Heritage in 2013,” Bradshaw said. “That’s where he decided to go. He was the one to tell me to go to Paloma. He thought it was the best situation for me with people I knew here, just the best environment for me. But as a little kid, I was always down there on the Heritage sidelines, trying to watch. I knew of Coach Tello.

“When Coach Tello first came here, he gradually changed things. He let us know, ‘This is how things are going to go now.’ Naturally, some players are going to shy away from a new coach when they don’t know what to expect, but once everybody bought into what he was saying, it worked. He knows what he’s talking about.”

On top of everything else, Bradshaw has gotten on the scoreboard on the offensive side. He has carried the ball 6 times for 18 yards and 2 touchdowns.

“I’m mostly the fullback, so I mostly block,” Bradshaw said. “But I’ll convince (offensive coordinator Juan) Merida every now and then to get me a carry or two.”