Hampton Is All Business
by Andy Hilton, recruit757
QB David Watford (Photo: Dan Trevino)
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
WVU Works Hampton Roads Through Beatty
Jay Parchman, Contributing Correspondent
Chris Beatty (courtesy WVU Sports)
If you monitored high school football in Hampton Roads in the mid-2000s, you certainly remember the name of Chris Beatty. Beatty had success as the head coach at Salem High before moving to the same position at Landstown High School. It was at LHS where Coach Beatty really made his mark leading the Eagles to three state championship game appearances and one title.
Now the recruiting coordinator at West Virginia, Coach Beatty has made “home” a prime recruiting priority. Already this year, WVU is in double digits for scholarship offers to local players. Unfortunately for the Mountaineers, several have already committed to Atlantic Coast Conference schools. Those include three to Virginia: Clifton Richardson (Menchville), Caleb Taylor (Phoebus), David Watford (Hampton), and David Dean (Green Run). In addition, Daquan Romero of Phoebus is a North Carolina commitment.
It appears that Mike London’s arrival at Virginia has impacted WVU’s effectiveness with local players. However, it would still be a mild surprise if WVU is shut out since there are several outstanding offers to prime area players such as Travis Hughes of Kempsville (LB 6-1 230), Quinta Funderburk of Oscar Smith (WR 6-5 205) and Demetrius Nicholson of Bayside (WR/DB 5-11 170). All three of those players have double digit scholarship offers. Hughes and Nicholson have kept their recruitment open to this point, but Funderburk recently narrowed his list to five: West Virginia, Florida, Michigan, Penn State and Arkansas. Outside of WVU, there’s not a regional school in the bunch for Funderburk.
Expect to see the Mountaineers offer more local players as Coach Beatty understands firsthand the quality and depth of talent that exists here. WVU’s commitment list is only around five players right now, so they’ll have the room to add.
Beatty made a splash with the 2009 class in obtaining signatures from three local players: Shawne Alston and Domenik Davenport of Phoebus and Logan Heastie of Great Bridge. Though Davenport and Heastie have departed Morgantown, their signings did make a buzz that carries over. WVU is also recruiting other parts of the Old Dominion.
WVU is hot after prized prospect Lafonte Thourogood, Quarterback at Ocean Lakes High School. His style of play would seemingly be a natural in Morgantown. As we have reported, David Watford, QB at Hampton committed to Virginia this past weekend. Without defections at UVa or position reassignments, this would have to work in WVU’s favor in recruiting Thourogood. As it stands now, UVa looks to have a glut of young QBs.
Thourogood has already announced that he’s narrowed his list, leaving just two others in competition with Arkansas and Virginia Tech. Though Arkansas can offer a spot to play in the Southeastern Conference, arguably the best college football conference in the nation, Fayetteville, AR is well over 1,000 miles from home. Logically speaking, it looks like a Hokies vs. Mountaineers battle that was a classic rivalry on the field when Tech was still a member of the Big East. Thourogood might be tempted to play far from home, but the smart money would be on a team closer to home.
- Jay Parchman
David Watford Picks UVA
Chalk another one up for the home team.
David Watford of Hampton High School has verbally committed to the Virginia Cavaliers. Watford (6-2 185) becomes the 20th player to commit to Coach Mike London and the Cavaliers in this recruiting class, and he becomes the first quarterback in Virginia’s 2011 class.
Coach London has aggressively recruited the state since his arrival in the off season. Of the 20 players verbally committed to Virginia, twelve of them are in-state recruits and six of them are 757 area players. Watford joins David Dean (Green Run), Caleb Taylor (Phoebus), Ross Burbank (Cox), Kameron Mack (I.C. Norcom) and Clifton Richardson (Menchville). Richardson’s commitment to Virginia has been debated, but as of now he’s penciled in as a Cavalier next season. National Signing Day is February 2, 2011. That’s the first day that recruits and colleges can official cement scholarship agreements with a signed letter of intent.
Watford’s commitment to Virginia is unique or unusual for several reasons. Firstly, Virginia already has six quarterbacks on it’s roster including four quarterbacks from the 2010 recruiting class. This year’s starter, Marc Verica, is a senior and will exhaust his eligibility after this season, but the depth chart will still be clogged unless Coach London moves players to other positions. Secondly, Hampton High School hasn’t sent a player to Virginia since Marques Hagans in 2001. Coach Mike Smith of Hampton has sent a number of players to Virginia Tech in the past ten years, most notably current Hokie QB Tyrod Taylor.
Oddly enough, Marques Hagans is Watford’s first cousin. Like Hagans, David Watford wears number 5 for the Crabbers.
Watford had narrowed his decision down to West Virginia, Virginia Tech and Virginia, and made his announcement at a press conference held at nearby Christopher Newport University. Watford will be a fantastic fit at Virginia academically. He currently holds a 3.8 GPA and is enrolled in the International Baccalaurate program at Hampton High School. The “IB” program is internationally standardized and recognized as an academically ambitious and rigorous course of study.
Reading Between The Lines on Watford, Thourogood Recruitment
QB Lafonte Thourogood of Ocean Lakes (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757.com)
At first, you might think the two players are unconnected. One is the star quarterback for the Hampton Crabbers, playing in the Peninsula District. The other is the star quarterback for the Ocean Lakes Dolphins, playing in the Beach District. Look closer.
Both David Watford of Hampton and Lafonte Thourogood of Ocean Lakes are rising seniors. Both have been courted and offered by multiple colleges. Watford’s offer list includes Virginia, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. Thourogood claims offers from Tennessee, Arkansas, UNC, NC State, West Virginia, Stanford, Virginia and Virginia Tech. There’s some cross over in that group, but look even deeper.
Thourogood has reported that his list has been narrowed down to Virginia Tech, Virginia, West Virginia and Arkansas. Arkansas is a relatively new addition and a wildcard in the bunch.
Watford has narrowed his list to UVA, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. He’s set to announce his decision on Saturday in a ceremony at Christopher Newport University.
Here’s how the circumstances stack up. Both QBs are highly desirable and very unlikely to pick the same destination. Watford’s head coach, Mike Smith, has sent players to Virginia Tech including their current quarterback, Tyrod Taylor. Virginia Tech’s recruiter for the area, Curt Newsome, used to coach against Mike Smith when Newsome coached at neighboring Kecoughtan High School. Virginia Tech is still the “big dog” in-state school and Watford would be a good, traditional “get” for Coach Frank Beamer. Beamer has no fewer than four quarterbacks on his roster now, but it’s not at all unheard of for Beamer to move a player off the QB depth chart and into another position.
While UVA Coach Mike London would love to have Watford, London already has 19 of a projected 25 scholarships committed already. London has six quarterbacks in his system now after giving scholarships to four QBs in the 2010 class. Marc Verica is London’s only senior signal caller. Face it, there’s a glut of quarterbacks at Virginia. London could move two of his QB prospects to other positions and still have plenty of depth.
That leads us to Thourogood’s status. First of all, it’s interesting to note that Tennessee was not enticing for Thourogood. His teammate Justin Hunter committed to the Vols in the 2010 class. He’s stated an interest in Virginia Tech, Virginia, West Virginia and Arkansas. He’s also stated that he has no desire to move out of the quarterback position. Thourogood has announced that no decision is imminent, but that he’ll decide before the start of the season. That should mean that Virginia’s out from a depth chart standpoint no matter how much he likes the coaches there and the Charlottesville campus. If Watford commits to Virginia Tech as anticipated, then it should mean that Tech is out for Thourogood. That leaves West Virginia and Arkansas.
Arkansas is a late arrival and they should lose their starting QB Ryan Mallett to the NFL draft after this season. Arkansas’ depth chart is a little more shallow than most at the QB position and there could be a possibility for Thourgood to earn playing time early. At West Virginia, there’s the Chris Beatty connection. Beatty coached Landstown High School only a few years ago and Beatty sports tons of connections in The 757. The Mountaineers will be led by sophomore Geno Smith this season, and they have 2010 class QB phenom Barry Brunetti of Memphis waiting in the wings.
Arkansas is truly a quality wildcard, but expect proximity and familiarity to win out. Thourogood looks like a future Mountaineer. Watford should be a Hokie. It could make for an interesting VA Tech/WVU game if we can ever get that rivalry going again.
David Watford Video Posted on Facebook!
As a “soft opening” of the recruit757.com site, you’re getting see some of the video that will be featured on recruit757.com.
A video highlight package from Hampton’s 2009 game against Phoebus shows David Watford working hard against the State Champs. Because the Crabbers are battling against Phoebus, you won’t see a lot of downfield passes. Hampton spread their offense that game so that they could neutralize some of Phoebus’ speed. The Crabbers fell to the Phantoms in that game 17-0, but the Hampton/Phoebus rivalry is always hotly contested.
Watford has been at the helm for the Crabbers since the departure of Tyrod Taylor. Watford hopes to follow in Taylor’s footsteps and is already receiving interest from Virginia Tech and UVA. In the clip, you’ll see some of the short passing game and scrambling ability of Watford. Hampton doesn’t lose many players from last year, so they should be stronger than they were in 2009. …not that their 2009 playoff appearance is anything to sneeze at.
Hampton QB Watford Entering Crucial Period
David Watford (Photo: Rob Ostermaier)
David Watford has always been a quiet kind of guy. His leadership is evident, but he likes to “show it” rather than “say it” on the field. His grades in the classroom show it as well. Watford is an International Baccalaurate student at Hampton with a 3.7 GPA. For those unfamiliar with the rigors of the IB program, let’s just say that it’s an internationally recognized program of excellerated learning that also emphasizes community involvement and significant project work and presentations. It’s no cakewalk.
Watford seems to have the world in front of him at the moment. While he has no scholarship offers yet, the schools are watching and he’ll soon be camping. Virginia Tech picked Tyrod Taylor out of Hampton a few years ago. Coach Beamer may look to grab this Hampton QB as well.
Watford has a busy spring and summer lined up that will put him in front of Virginia Tech coaches and the coaches of a number of other prominent schools. Count UVA, Richmond, East Carolina and Virginia Tech as interested. The list is certainly growing.
One of the biggest events in the offseason plan for Watford is an Elite 11 quarterback camp at either Ohio State or Alabama. Tyrod Taylor took a similar path in 2006 and wound up in the national Elite 11 showcase in Los Angeles that year. Additionally, Watford will attend two Nike camps, a Football University camp, and one-day camps at both UVA and Virginia Tech. Don’t be surprised if other camps and events make it onto his list.
Watford passed for over 1,500 yards with 16 touchdowns and 8 interceptions in 2009. Those aren’t stellar numbers, but Hampton was a very young team last year. In spite of their youth, the Crabbers made it to the playoffs and lost a stunner to Lake Taylor in the Division 5 Eastern Region Semi-final. Both Hampton High and David Watford will have grown immensely from last season, and they’ll look to knock Phoebus off of their perch in 2010.
Phoebus will have the edge to repeat as District, Region and State Champions, but Hampton will definitely be a team to watch. They might just go as far as David Watford will take them.