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Lake Taylor Smothers Indian River

by Andy Hilton, recruit757

Lake Taylor lost last week.  That probably stuck in their craw.  With one game down and one loss on their record, the Titans weren’t going to stay down for long. 

Indian River, on the other hand, is a team looking for a fresh start.  Coming off of a year where they finished 0-10, the Braves were anxious to get into a new season and prove that they have what it takes to win.  It will have to happen another night. 

Lake Taylor punished the Braves with their ground game on offense, kept the Braves defense on the field and never let up.   The Indian River defense held tough for a long time and kept the Lake Taylor offense out of the end zone for a good part of the first half.   Linebacker Torrein Edwards (SR 5-11 190) broke the ice by picking off a Corwin Cutler pass at the Braves’ 10 yard line and running it into the end zone untouched.  

As the game wore on, Darrion “Booty” Walton’s yardage piled up.   Lake Taylor Quarterback Donavan Powell (SO 6-2 185) aided the attack with his skill as a dual-threat quarterback.   When Walton wasn’t toting the rock, Powell was either taking the ball upfield on his own or dumping it off to his receivers in short, efficient passes.  Lake Taylor led 35-0 then tacked on a safety when Torrein Edwards struck again, blocking Indian River’s punt in the end zone. 

From there, Indian River was forced to kick off to Lake Taylor and the Titans ran out the clock.  Final score: Lake Taylor 37, Indian River 0.

Indian River’s schedule gets no easier as they face Oscar Smith on Saturday, September 11 at Oscar Smith at 3pm.   Lake Taylor plays Kecoughtan at 7pm next Friday night on the Peninsula. 

- Andy Hilton

Phoebus Ready, One Game At A Time

by Kellen Owings, recruit757

They may have two straight undefeated seasons and two straight Group AAA Division 5 championships, but Phoebus Phantoms’ coach Stan Sexton is focused on only one thing: the next game.  Sexton, who is undefeated as a head coach at Phoebus, has his group focusing on one game at a time, with little worry about a third straight state championship.

“First thing is, we’re not thinking about that (an undefeated championship season) right now at all.  We’re thinking about playing Gloucester this week,” Coach Sexton said.

“The big thing is with teenage kids, you can’t look ahead.  We have to look at what were faced with now, and right now our focus is playing the best we can against them and coming home with a victory.”

Coach Sexton says that the Phantoms aim to open it up more on offense this season.  While the team doesn’t intend to go away from the power running game they are known for, they want to counter defenses from stacking the box by airing it out more.

Charged with that task on offense is junior quarterback Eric Enderson (6-1 190).  Enderson beat out Jordan Roby, a transfer from Hampton, for the starting nod.  Enderson is used to high pressure situations, being an All-State kicker last year, who won three games for the team with kicks.  That grace under pressure should lend itself well to being the starting quarterback for a State Championship team.

Joining Enderson on offense is senior tight end Dequan Romero (6-1 215), a dangerous tight end and two way player.  Junior wide receiver Romond Deloatch (6-5 205) provides a big target in the passing game, and proved throughout the preseason that he can be a big weapon.  Running back Tyree Lee (SR 5-9 180) will replace Colby Goodwyn at running back, but he won’t miss a beat as the Phantoms continue to reload at the position year after year.  Receiver and returner Breon Key (SR 6-2 175) is an explosive playmaker and center Justin Williamson (SR 6-3 215) will anchor the offensive line.

The Phantom’s defense will continue to be a staple of the team and is coming off a season in which they allowed 6.1 points per game and forced six shutouts.  Romero will continue to wreck havoc on opposing quarterbacks, which is what he does best, posting 30 sacks last year.  Linebacker Caleb Taylor (SR 6-0 230) is back healthy after missing most of last season with a knee injury.  Says Coach Sexton, “So far in preseason he’s shown he hasn’t missed a beat. He’s as good as he was before, which is a big time player on defense.”

Breon Key will start at linebacker and Tyree Lee will play corner.  Anthony Haste (SR 6-3 190) and Justin “Boombox” Lyles (JR 5-11 225) will also provide some big hits at linebacker.  Senior Deshawn Arnold (6-1 185) will also start at corner.  All in all, the defense brings back eight starters and once again has the chance to be an outstanding unit.

There isn’t much on the recruiting front now that the season has started.  Romero has already committed to UNC and Taylor to UVA.  Tyree Lee is drawing interest from East Carolina and Marshall.  Williamson, as well as lineman Jonathan McLean (6-3 235) and Corey McKoy (5-10 275) are also getting looks from some 1-AA and D2 and D3 schools.   More interest will come as game film from this season becomes available.

While Coach Stan Sexton and his players may be taking it one game at a time, most of their opponents have the Phantoms circled on their schedules.  The coach knows it too, saying, “The only prediction I have is that we’re going to get the best from everyone we’re going to play.  So we got to be ready to play.”

Phoebus will be ready to play.  And if they play up to their potential, and listen to the old adage of “one game at a time,” their last game could once again be with a State Championship on the line.

- Kellen Owings

Hampton Is All Business

by Andy Hilton, recruit757

Hampton Head Coach Mike Smith is old school.   That’s one way to put it when a man is entering his 40th season as a head coach and has a 408-64-2 record.  All of Smith’s coaching has been done at Hampton High School.   Mike Smith IS Hampton Football.

The Hampton football program is in good hands.   Smith knows how to teach the Xs and Os.  His quarterback, David Watford, is a good student of the game.  Watford (SR 6-2 180) has matured into quite a quarterback.   He’s already gotten the vote of approval from University of Virginia Head Coach Mike London.   Watford will be on his way to Charlottesville after giving a verbal commitment to the Cavaliers.   There’s other talent on this Crabber team too.

Offensively, Hampton will get the job done on the ground.  Supporting Watford’s passing game is Daquan Charity (SR RB 5-10 175), Kavon Bellamy (JR RB 6-0 200) and workhorse Dallas Cogdale (JR FB 6-2 220).  Cogdale is a beast of a runner.  There’s not much east-west to his game, but with his size and strength, Cogdale can run over smaller defenders.  Get him to the second level of the defense and look out!  In fact, last year Cogdale was moved from linebacker to defensive tackle because of his size and strength.   Cogdale will go both ways again this year.

The O-Line is led by Trei Banks (SR 6-2 315).  The rest of the line lacks some of the size of Banks, but makes up for it in quickness and precision.  That line will its work protecting Watford and opening holes for bruising backs like Cogdale and the swift of foot like  Bellamy and Charity.  

Hampton moves the ball downfield via the pass as well.  Wide Receivers Jamall Brown (JR 6-1 180) and Daquin Moore (SO 6-3 180) will be primary targets this year.  The strength of Hampton’s running game will open up the pass and that will only make things easier for David Watford.

Defensively, Hampton benefits from a bevy of skilled players.  The linebacking corps is headed by Charity, Bellamy, and Lydell Washington (SR 5-10 205).  The D-Line is keyed by Cogdale and Terrence Mack (SR 6-0 205).   The line is small at Hampton but don’t feel sorry for them… see their speed on the field first. 

The secondary is capped by Brown and Moore, who both double as wide receivers and safeties.   Depth could be an issue for Hampton this year, but Coach Smith claims to have his Crabbers in the best condition ever, which he’ll need for a winning season and a playoff run. 

Outside of the recruitment of David Watford who’s already committed to Virginia, the recruitment of players has been a little quiet overall.  A few schools have shown interest in Cogsdale already, even though he’s just entering his junior year.  The seniors, Washington, Mack, Charity and Bellamy should garner lots of interest by the end of the sesason. 

This Hampton team is not one that’s going to intimidate their opponents the moment they step off the bus.   For the most part, they lack prototypical size as far as college prospects are concerned.  Still, this team wins.  What makes the difference?  40 years of coaching from Mike Smith.  

- Andy Hilton

Booker T. Pulls Away From Western Branch

by Andy Hilton, recruit757

It was a close game for three quarters.  Western Branch hung tough with the speedy Bookers for three quarters.   Booker T. Washington players have named themselves “The Greatest Show on Turf”.  The game was quite a show as the Bruins stifled Booker T. for most of the game.   In the fourth quarter, the Bookers came alive. 

The first quarter was scoreless, then Western Branch struck first, taking the lead 7-0.   Booker T. Washington answered quickly and tied the score at 7 before halftime.   At that point, both teams were confident, in spite of Western Branch losing their star running back Josh Marriner to a leg injury.   Later in the game, the injury was diagnosed as a broken right leg near the ankle.

Western Branch yielded a touchdown and a two-point conversion in the third quarter, but only trailed 15-7 going into the fourth.

The steady offensive attack of BTW wore down the Bruins.  A designed quarterback run by Booker T. Washington Quarterback Dominique Marsh put them up convincingly at 22-7 in the fourth quarter.   From there, the Bookers recovered a fumble and subsequently scored again on a Marsh TD pass to Lafayette Smallwood.   BTW converted the two-pointer to go up 30-7 and hung on from there.   Final score: Booker T. Washington 30, Western Branch 7.

Photos from the game are coming soon.   Keep an eye on the Facebook page for recruit757 and be sure to click “Like” on the page so you can get regular updates on your Facebook wall.  

- Andy Hilton

Lakeland Dedicates Season To Fallen Teammate

by Charlie Skees, recruit757

Throughout our long history, mankind has always had to succeed in the face of extreme adversity.  Situations sometimes get extremely difficult, but the only way to overcome is to try as hard as possible, no matter how much it hurts.

The 2010 Lakeland football teams will have to overcome more adversity than any other team in the Hampton Roads area.  Earlier this summer, a few short days before Lakeland began summer practices, one of their teammates, senior starting wide receiver/defensive back Tyquan Lewis was viciously, senselessly and tragically struck down, another local victim of a shooting, becoming another of the already much-too-long list of promising budding stars who were stolen from the world for no reason.

Unbelievably, the Cavaliers continued on this summer, holding summer camps and preparing for the season despite having indescribable pain due to the loss of their brother, teammate and friend weighing down on their hearts.

No matter how their season turns out, Lakeland should already hold as much pride in themselves as if they had won a State Championship merely for suiting up after having to deal with such a horrifying incident.

Coach Glenwood Ferebee has done a fantastic job getting his team ready to go after their tumultuous summer, and the team has a very solid base for excitement since, even though they have a plethora of young players, they only missed out on the playoffs on the final Friday of the season.  They will look to build on that success this year and, hopefully, seal the deal and punch their ticket to the playoffs.

“[Practices] have been going pretty good.  We had the loss of Tyquan Lewis so the kids have been down a little bit, but they’re starting to pick it back up.  What I expect for this season is to build on last season.  We don’t want to regress, we always want to get better.  We’re going to shoot for 7-3, 8-2, 9-1 [and try to return to the playoffs],” said Ferebee.

On both sides of the ball, Coach Ferebee expects continuity from last season, keeping a firm running game to wear down opposing defenses, and maintaining aggressiveness through their own defensive schemes.  He did add that they would throw a new ripple into their offense, but not stray too far from their scheme last year.

“[On offense], we are going to throw the ball a lot more this year than normally because our quarterback [senior Walter Boykins] is actually back, and he had a pretty good season towards the end of the [year] last year,” continued Ferebee, “so we are going to build on that.  Of course, we still have a powerful running back, we still can run the football as effectively as last year, but we don’t want teams stacking the box against us this year.”

As for players drawing college interest, Ferebee listed senior receiver Jaquan Demiel (5-9 160), as the main player getting scouted, as he already has offers from Hampton University for track.  Ferebee believed football offers would soon follow for the speedy Demiel.  Other than Demiel, Ferebee also mentioned senior safety Denzel Brown (6-2 180) as a potential candidate for recruitment by the end of the season.

Other than their college recruits, Ferebee believed that sophomore Raekwon Johnson (5-7 205) will be one of the biggest impact players on the team, and Johnson has already shown flashes of brilliance during Lakeland’s scrimmages.

“Raekwon Johnson is going to be a special player.  He played as a freshman last year, and I want to say that he finished the season with about 400 or 500 yards on very limited carries.  The past two scrimmages he’s averaged about 150 [yards] a game, and one of the [scrimmages] was against Lake Taylor.”

No matter what their record shows at the end of this season, the Lakeland Cavaliers will be praised as champions, as they seek to glorify their fallen teammate, who will not be on the field physically, but will be alive in the hearts and memories of every player and fan in the stadium come the first game.

“[Tyquan Lewis] is the theme for this year.  We are going to play this season dedicated to him,” said a somber Ferebee.

Lakeland will have to rally around each other as a team and a family in order to overcome such a devastating loss, but with their amount of dedication as well as their level of talent, the Cavaliers should have no problem in qualifying for the playoffs this season.

- Charlie Skees

Warriors Seek Redemption This Season

by Charlie Skees, recruit757

Football is an interesting game of streaks and momentum.   Whoever gets hot at the right time tends to have the greatest amount of success.  After struggling through a long stretch of losses last season, the Nansemond River Warriors found a groove towards the end of their schedule, picking up two wins in their final four games.

This season, they start on a clean slate and are confident that their late season upswing will lead to early, and more consistent, success in this coming season.  Though their schedule features several above-average opponents, including perennial juggernaut Oscar Smith, Head Coach Tracey Parker feels comforted by the fact that if his team plays unified football, they can match up with any team, no matter the difference in wins and losses.

Over the summer, Nansemond River has not changed anything drastically, keeping the traditional pace and tempo as any other summer, which will be good for the psyche of Parker’s team.  The coach did, however, state that the practices have been held with more energy than in seasons past.

“Practices have been normal summer practices, a little more upbeat and up tempo because of the end of last season,” said Parker calmly, “kids are really excited going into this year.  We’ve been working really hard, but again, it’s a matter of putting it on the field.”

Nansemond River’s defense this season will be bolstered by Senior defensive end Dewayne Alford (6-3, 220), who has already decided to attend Virginia Tech in the fall after fielding offers from several other schools, including Old Dominion University.  Alford joins an elite group of 757 players who either are attending, or have attended, Virginia Tech, and the outlook is very bright for his future.

Outside of Alford, Coach Parker did not pinpoint too many other players receiving college looks, reiterating the vitality of a team effort to the success of a football team.

“We are good by committee.  We are just a [strong] bunch of guys, and we’ve been telling the kids we are as strong as our weakest link.  We are looking to go out and work as a team, on defense we will work as a team, on special teams, and on offense we will play as a team.”

Again, as long as Nansemond River stands united under Coach Parker’s system, they will certainly succeed, and as long as the players give maximum effort and work side by side, every game will be a victory in one way or another.

Coach Parker mentioned that a lot of the players have not gotten much attention due to a lack of exposure, but they are making a concerted effort to get other Warriors recognized by more college coaches.

“We’ve got some other kids getting some looks.  Of course, we are going to send some film out after the first [few] ball games to some people, and hopefully that will solidify an opportunity [to play after high school].”

As for key players for this upcoming season, Coach Parker mentioned Jalen Thrower (SR 6-0 190), a defensive back and linebacker, and Geordan Cross (SR 6-3 220), who plays offensive and defensive tackle, as other candidates to draw college interest by the end of the season.

In order for the Warriors to see a renewed sense of success, even if victories have been elusive during the past few seasons, execution must be precise.  But with playmakers like Alford, Cross and Thrower, amongst many other less recognized yet equally important players, Nansemond River figures to be a strong competitor in all of their games this year.

- Charlie Skees

Denbigh Upends Heritage

by Andy Hilton, recruit757

Both teams found the end zone Wednesday night.  For most of the game, it looked like the only points on the board were going to be from a meeting of Heritage’s offense and Denbigh’s defense in the Heritage end zone. 

After a scoreless first half, Heritage was the first team to surrender points.   They fell behind 2-0 after a sack in the end zone.   The two offenses did a decent job of moving the ball downfield tonight, but miscues and missed opportunities were the order of the day.

Heritage moved the ball with a steady diet of Quarterback Andrew Warren handing off to running back Ronald Peden with a little bit of Khalid Abdullah thrown in.   Denbigh mixed it up with freelance runs by Quarterback Allen Simon and pass plays to Tight End Paul Gostomski and Devione Green.   Both teams struggled to punch the ball into the end zone.

In the first half, big defensive plays stunted offensive drives.  A Patrick Brown interception stopped a Denbigh drive late in the second quarter.   Denbigh’s O’Shea Bryant returned the favor with :53 left in the first half with an athletic pass deflection that essentially killed a Heritage drive.  The second half was more interesting.

With the first possession of the second half, Heritage tried and failed with a fake punt on fourth down.  That gave Denbigh the ball on the Hurricane 37.   On the ensuing play, Andre Watson ripped off a 31 yard run, putting the Patriots on the six.  From there, Watson was called on three more times but couldn’t run it in.  A failed pass to Gostomski on fourth and goal gave the ball back to Heritage on the two yard line.  Two plays later, Heritage QB Andrew Warren was sacked in the end zone by Stetson Williams.  

Heritage later missed a short field goal.   Heritage had more opportunities when Denbigh botched a flea flicker and turned the ball over.   Later in the fourth quarter, Denbigh was stripped of the ball at their own 30 yard line.   Heritage still failed to score.  Devione Greene hauled in a pass on 7 yard slant for a touchdown late in the game and Heritage’s fate was sealed.   Final score: Denbigh 9, Heritage 0.  

- Andy Hilton

Peninsula District Preview

by Andy Hilton, recruit757

The Peninsula District kicks off play tomorrow night as Denbigh faces Heritage.    Thursday and Friday bring more games from a district that plays the majority of its games in only two stadiums: Todd Stadium in Newport News and Darling Stadium in Hampton.    That gives PD football fans more opportunity to check out the opposition since it’s routing for Varsity games to be played on Thursday night, Friday night and even Saturday afternoon on the Peninsula.  

Maybe that’s why PD Football is so tradition rich.  Maybe that’s why the competition is so intense.  For whatever reason, Peninsula District football is certainly a crowd pleaser.

Playoff Bound:  These days, any PD Football conversation has to start with Phoebus.  They’re the team of the decade for Virginia Football.  In the last ten years, Phoebus has a record of 120-12 and has won the State Championship with an undefeated season three times in the decade.  Phoebus hasn’t been stockpiled with stars over the years, but the coaching staff there knows how to produce winners.   It’s only been more recently that colleges have caught on to the talent that’s there.  Sure, we’ve seen Tajh Boyd go to Clemson and Dominick Davenport go to West Virginia, but we’ve also seen Phoebus’ talent stay local and contribute at schools like Hampton and Old Dominion.  

Be sure of this… as sure as the sun rises in the east, Phoebus will be the team to beat in the PD this year.   Add quarterbacking to Eric Enderson’s duties of kicking and punting.  Watch UVA commit Caleb Taylor and UNC commit Daquan Romero command the defense.  Watch up and comers like Romond Deloatch and Justin Lyles make their contributions.  Phoebus always plays like a team  and this year will be no different.

Hampton is led by their own BCS-level commit.  Quarterback David Watford will be a Virginia Cavalier next year.  This year he has some unfinished business to take care of.  Not only did Watford watch his Crabber team fall to Lake Taylor in the second round of the playoffs on a questionable call last year, but Hampton has not beaten Phoebus in his time there.   Since Watford’s freshman year, the Crabbers have only managed six regular season points against the Phantoms.    Hampton will play well throughout the season because Coach Mike Smith has a talented young team that’s almost complete from last year’s squad.   Phoebus could be the only stumbling block for Hampton this year.

 Warwick moves up the ladder this year as a few other teams might have problems maintaining their position from last year.  Coach Juan Jackson has a solid offense returning, led by Quarterback Donnell Staton.   Staton has looked impressive in practice and in 7×7 work this summer, plus his receiving corps has gelled around him.  Line play is going to be key for the Raiders because the team has solid talent at the skill positions.   Warwick draws Menchville in the first week, then gets thrown into the fire with consecutive games against Booker T. Washington (who defeated the Raiders soundly in the ODU 7×7 semi-final), Phoebus, Woodside and Hampton.  From there the rest of the schedule is a downhill sprint by comparison.   They can’t get off to a 1-4 start and be pressured to make the playoffs.

Bethel graduated 27 seniors from last year’s team and 18 of them went on to college scholarships.  That’s quite a feat for any high school program.  While the scholarship offers are a source of pride, the gaping hole it leaves in this year’s team is tough to ignore.  Bethel breeds excellence however.  Their JV team went undefeated last year and a portion of that talent is coming up to the varsity level this year.   Bethel will pull it together again.   Their first five games are against teams that had a combined 13-37 record last year.   As long as they work out the kinks in the first half of the schedule, they should be well prepared for the second half when they face Woodside, Hampton, Menchville, Warwick and Phoebus.  Bethel could be 5-0 coming into the Woodside game and a victory over the Wolverines would give them a 6-0 record and the confidence they need to take on the Crabbers.

In The Hunt:  Woodside deserves to be considered as a playoff team.  Their solid showing last year landed them in the Division 6 Regional Final against Oscar Smith and almost got them to the State Semifinals.   Woodside was small and quick last year.  They’re going to be young, small and quick this year.   Woodside graduated their top skill position players in Aaron Evans, Jarrell Cooper and Marquis Frazier.   Fortunately, they have a wealth of skill position guys.  The line will make or break the Wolverines this year.    Expect more inconsistency than last year, but this year’s squad is a playoff team.

On The Rise:

 Kecoughtan is on the verge of turning the corner.   They were 5-5 last year and start this year with a new head coach.   Scott Woodlief has come back to the area in order to guide the Chiefs.  They have a wealth of talent, including two able quarterbacks in Bruce Bailey and Marcus Hofler.   Kecoughtan also boasts one of the regions best skill athletes in Aaron Mathews.  Coach Woodlief brings a new system in with him.  Will the Chiefs adapt?  If it doesn’t happen this year, Kecoughtan certainly has the talent to back in the mix again next year.

Room To Grow:  Denbigh went 5-5 last year after two consecutive seasons at 3-7.   Coach Marcellus Harris has the program headed in the right direction.  Now it’s up to the players to execute and the development will continue.   Denbigh started off the season 3-0 last year and have a legitimate shot at doing it again with opening games against Heritage, Granby and Kecoughtan.  Kecoughtan will be no pushover, but the Chiefs face Bethel and Lake Taylor in their opening pair.   Coach Harris acknowleges that his team won the games they should have and lost to better teams last year.  Their five losses were to playoff teams from the PD.   In order to break through this year, Denbigh has to beat some tougher opponents while continuing to win the ‘winnable’ games.

Menchville has been the Clifton Richardson show for some time now.   Opposing defenses can key on that, and Coach John Byron is doing his best to get the ball in Richardson’s hands while still keeping defenses guessing.  The talent on this Menchville team is developing, but it’s still young.  There’s plenty of speed on this team, but everyone else in the district has speed too.   What’s going to set the Monarchs apart?   They’re going to need consistent execution from players who aren’t proven yet.  Menchville won’t be able to coast through the season, but three of their final four are against Bethel, Hampton and Phoebus.  If the wins don’t come early, the sledding is only going to get tougher for the Monarchs.

Heritage has a State Championship to hang its hat on.  The only problem is that they’re ten years removed from that season and have only seen the playoffs once since that year.  New Head Coach Dan Tomblin comes in with high hopes, but realistic expectations.  It’s going to take some rebuilding, so the wins aren’t going to come right away.  Senior quarterback Andrew Warren will lead the offense, but he only has four varsity games under his belt.  Senior wideout Andre Cooper will be the top option for the passing game, but the majority of the offense should come on the ground as the Hurricanes run the triple option this year.   Tomblin will accentuate the positive, but this year is a development year for Heritage.

Gloucester has languished in the PD’s cellar for a few years now.  They’ve been consistent, with a 1-9 record each year from 2006 to 2008 before finishing 0-10 last year.  Coach Sonny Merchant inherited an undermanned team, which is odd considering that Gloucester is the only high school in the county.   The school has an enrollment of almost 2,000 but the wins haven’t come easily.  Gloucester hasn’t had a winning season since 1987 and this year will be no different.   From here, there’s no where to go but up. 

Expect the Peninsula District to put at least five teams in the playoffs.  The bottom of the district will have its struggles, but the top of the district will more than make up for it in their successes.

- Andy Hilton

Tomblin Looks To Revive Winning Tradition At Heritage

by Kellen Owings, recruit757

Ten years ago, the Heritage Hurricanes were state champions. To say they’ve fallen on hard times is an understatement, and their quick fall to the bottom of the Peninsula District is perplexing. The Hurricanes went 39-7 from 1999-2001, but have only one winning season and playoff berth since, and are coming off of back-to-back 1-9 seasons.

The Hurricanes however, believe they have the coach capable of righting the ship.  Dan Tomblin comes from Houston’s Dobie High where he was an assistant the last three years. He replaces Jason Robinson, who was 18-33 in five years at Heritage.

Tomblin also brought in former Phoebus assistant Ron Johnson to be the offensive coordinator and help revamp what was an ineffective offense last year.

“We changed up both the offense and the defense this year,” Coach Tomblin said. “But a lot of stuff we started in the offseason, as far as weight lifting to get the kids stronger.”     

Of his offense, Tomblin says, “We’re going to give the district a little bit of a different look this year.  The pace and the tempo that we run things is going to be a lot faster than how they’ve run things in the past here.” 

Gone is the spread offense that only produced 97 points last year, 59 of which came against Denbigh, Gloucester, and Menchville. In its place is a multiple formation option offense that will use Zone, Wing-T, and I-Option sets.

The defense will now be running a 4-3, which will give a little more structure to the defense, and will allow the Hurricanes to protect the gaps better.  The team switches from a 3-5-3, of which Tomblin says, “A lot of people run the 3-5-3, and that’s what they ran here before, but they weren’t real successful with it.”  In defense of the… defense, the Hurricanes’ offensive ineptitude put it in tough situations with three-and-outs and turnovers, forcing the defense to often play with a short field.  Tomblin hopes that a change in scheme and an improved offense will enable the defense to play better this season.

The offense is lead by senior quarterback Andrew Warren (6-1 190), who is full of talent, yet inexperienced under center, playing only four games for Heritage in two years.  However his talent is without question, he possesses a strong arm and has the speed and athleticism to excel in an option offense.  Senior Andre Cooper (6-0 190) will be Warren’s top target when the Hurricanes go to the air.  Junior Jordan Council (6-1 210) is the only returning starter on the offensive line, and while still an underclassman, he will be expected to provide leadership to a young, inexperienced group.

The option offense will feature a whole slew of backs, and Coach Tomblin plans to employ a running back by committee approach.  Seniors Ahmad Granby (5-5 145) and Trey Pearson, both of whom didn’t have a carry last season, will split carries at running back.  Ronald Peden (JR 5-9 220) and Patrick Brown (JR 5-11 210) will play fullback and handle some of the tough inside runs and first phase of the triple option.  Senior Jorien Russell (5-10 176) and Khalid Abdullah will also get carries as coach Tomblin says that all of his backs are going to get time this season.

The defense is lead by junior safety Mario Cofield (5-10 170), who will be the main presence in the secondary.  Sophomore Charlie Harrison (6-1 175) will start at corner.  Andre Cooper and Patrick Brown will play linebacker, along with strong side linebacker Jamal Jones.  The defensive line will be anchored by Council, and surrounded by younger, unproven players. Says Tomblin, “We have a lot of younger guys, so we’re just seeing what they can do, we’re doing a lot of rotating on the defensive line.”

Recruiting hasn’t picked up yet for the Hurricanes, as the team has a lot of underclassmen combined with the teams poor on field performance in recent years.  Andrew Warren will likely garner interest if he can play a full season, as talent wise he is probably one of the better quarterbacks in the Peninsula District.  Says Coach Tomblin of recruiting, “There really isn’t a lot of interest right now, but hopefully with the coaching changes and everything we’ve done here and with the new style of football that we’re playing, that will change.”

As for his goals, coach Tomblin is keeping them small in his first year.  “Our goal is to be 1-0 after Wednesday (against Denbigh), that’s it. We’re taking things one game at a time.”

A modest prediction is good for the Hurricanes, who still have a long way to go before they return to the top of the ultra-competitive Peninsula District.  There is much room for optimism however, with a new coach, new schemes in place, and a renewed optimism around campus.  Coach Tomblin says that enthusiasm for the team has been great with more players joining the team than Heritage has jerseys for.  He says he will make do, and won’t be cutting anyone.

With a solid young core, a good JV program that beat the varsity’s third string, and highly motivated players, the future looks bright for the Hurricanes. Says Coach Tomblin, “There’s definitely a future at Heritage; if not now, then definitely down the road.”

- Kellen Owings

Oscar Smith: One More Time

by Andy Hilton, recruit757

The Oscar Smith program under Coach Richard Morgan doesn’t rebuild, it just reloads.  That’s been the mantra for the past few years as the team has only gotten better and better.  Last year was a bit of a disappointment, only because the Tigers didn’t repeat as State Champions.  It might be fair to say that Oscar Smith has rubbed a few of its opponents the wrong way.   Total domination will make you bitter like that. 

Oscar Smith has appeared in six straight Division 6 Regional Finals and they have won the last three in a row.  After winning the State Championship in 2008 and being nationally ranked for the entire season last year, they were expected to march to the Championship game again.  Then the weather hit.   On Saturday, December 5, 2009, Oscar Smith was scheduled to play Thomas Dale of Chester, VA in the State Semifinal.   The field was drenched from steady rain and the temperature had dropped into the 30s.  The weather was bad enough to force the postponement of every other Division 5 and Division 6 playoff game that day, but Oscar Smith and Thomas Dale were forced to play.   Parts of the state were getting slammed with snow, but because the field wasn’t snowed in, the game was played.  Nevermind why the defending State Champion, undefeated Oscar Smith Tigers had to go on the road to face a two loss Thomas Dale team.  That’s another story. 

Both teams had to play on the same field that day, but the sloppy conditions favored the ground game of the Knights.  Wind and driving rain only made the conditions worse as the game wore on.  The Tigers air attack featuring Alabama bound Phillip Sims was grounded while Oscar Smith was forced to lean on their fast and elusive sophomore running back, J.C. Coleman.  Coleman couldn’t be fast and he struggled to be elusive in the miserable conditions.  As coaches and players stood in ankle deep puddles of water on the sidelines, Coleman gained almost 200 yards and scored a touchdown in the Tigers 20-17 loss. 

That was last year.

This year, Coach Morgan expects the same excellent in-season performance out of his Tigers despite the loss of Phillip Sims, Penn State bound lineman Evan Hailes and many other seniors that contributed to the success of Oscar Smith Football in recent years.    Morgan will have a few new players to rise to the occasion and a few familiar role players that will step up into bigger roles this year.

Two players that were far from minor players last year were Quinta Funderburk and Raysean Richardson.   Funderburk (SR 6-5 210) was the secondary receiver in the Tigers passing attack last year while Richardson (SR 6-1 220)  keyed the secondary behind Hailes’ line play in 2009.   This year, Funderburk is the senior leader of the offense while Richardson is the senior leader of the defense.  There are no lack of senior leaders on this team.

Jaston George (SR 5-10 160) will play on both sides of the ball as a wideout and as a cornerback.  George has already committed to Syracuse and the Orange will have themselves quite a player.  George is a tenacious and hard hitting defender, yet a quick and athletic receiver.  His hands will certainly be valued on the Syracuse defense next season. 

Beyond Funderburk and George, the receiver corps at Oscar Smith is quite an array of weapons.   Jayquan Darden (SR 6-2 180), Mylon Blueford (SR 5-11 160), Marquie Mays (SR 5-9 175) and Darius Jennings (SR 5-10 165) will all play as receivers on the offense and in the secondary on the defense. 

J.C Coleman (JR 5-7 175) will carry the Tigers in the ground game once again while a new face breaks into the rotation at quarterback. 

Phillip Sims’ departure created quite a stir in Tigerland.  Jaylin “J.J.” Williamson won the quarterback battle over the summer and will guide the Tigers through the season.  He has some big shoes to fill and at 5-9 150, Williamson can’t be expected to be the second coming of Sims.    Coach Morgan will be satisfied to see steady play and solid decision making out of Williamson this season.  The weapons are at his disposal.  All Williamson has to do is figure out how to use them without making costly mistakes. 

Opponents will see this as the year to take the Tigers down a notch.  It’s up to this year’s Tigers to see that it doesn’t happen on their watch.

On the line, Hailes and Corey Steward have graduated, but Oscar Smith has more strength waiting in the wings.   Michael Wyche (SR 6-4 300) has been touted by Coach Morgan as a player to watch.  Wyche didn’t get much playing time until later in the year last year, so colleges haven’t gotten much of a look at him.   Oscar Smith’s opponents haven’t seen much of him yet either.   They’re about to find out what Wyche is all about.  Joining Wyche as keys on the line will be Dontrell Holmes (SR 6-2 290) and Brandon Ruffin (SR 6-3 260).

As much as things change at Oscar Smith, much stays the same.

Jaston George has already verbally committed to Syracuse.   Quinta Funderburk has supposedly narrowed his field down to six schools and none of them are in-state schools, at least at this time.    Those schools are Arkansas, Clemson, Penn State, Michigan, West Virginia and Florida.   Florida would be an interesting pick because the Gators are already romancing Tigers’ junior running back J.C. Coleman.  It’s a little early in Coleman’s recruitment to make any predictions, but the departure of Funderburk to an out-of-state school is big.   Raysean Richardson is also a big name recruit, though he has academic issues that still need to be resolved.  If Richardson gets on track, he’ll currently have his choice of offers from Syracuse, Illinois, Temple and East Carolina, with the possibility of offers from Virginia or Virginia Tech if they still have room for him by the time Richardson’s ready to commit.  Mylon Blueford is yet another Tiger senior who is working hard on Division I-A offers.   Expect a big senior season under the bright lights at Smith to deliver more offers to Blueford’s inbox.

Oscar Smith has quite a senior class and could easily see four or five of their players commit to Division I-A schools this winter. 

They open their season on Labor Day Monday against Pickerington Central of Ohio in Columbus on the campus of Ohio State University.  The game will be televised on ESPN live at 3:30 that afternoon.   It’s just the start of another season of Oscar Smith Football.

- Andy Hilton