Eastern District Preview
by Andy Hilton, recruit757
Coach Hank Sawyer of Lake Taylor (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
Eastern District play is technically underway with the early season starts by Norcom, Lake Taylor, Maury and Norview. Fortunately, the results of those games won’t impact the district preview you see here. The Eastern District was competitive last year and will definitely be competitive this year, though the landscape is changing.
Playoff Bound: Lake Taylor is a periennial playoff contender and there’s no reason that should change this year. Coach Hank Sawyer knows how to get his team ready for the season. In spite of their week one loss to Battlefield last week, the Titans will be just fine come playoff time. Last year, Lake Taylor lost their opener to Battlefield, lost a 14-7 shocker to Maury mid-season, then continued on, stopping only when they fell just short to eventual Division 5 State Champion Phoebus. Lake Taylor gave Phoebus the closest game they had all year in a 20-19 nailbiter. You can expect that Lake Taylor will be ready for Maury when that game rolls around on October 15.
Speaking of Maury, they’re young but you can expect good results from them this year. Gone are the senior leadership of Steven Lawe, Darryl Waters and Keenan Lambert. Coach John Quinerly will have to expect a lot of his younger players this year. He trains them well. Despite a slip or two along the way, Maury should return to the playoffs. Senior QB Savoy Majors will command the team, but the running game led by senior Neal-Anthony Hale will set the tone for the Commodore offense. Defenses should key on the Maury run and force them into the passing game. It will definitely be run first, pass second for Maury this year.
Booker T. Washington met Maury in the final of the Old Dominion University 7×7 event this summer. Normally, you can’t put much weight in a 7×7 event, but considering that Lake Taylor, Phoebus and Oscar Smith all failed to make the Final Four while Booker T. and Maury did; we might have a reason to expect more from Booker T. Washington this year. The Bookers have had no lack of speed in the recent past, but this is Che Jacobs’ second season with the program and he has them turning the corner. Booker T. has some size to go with their speed this year and that will make them a formidable opponent. They missed the playoffs last year with a 5-5 record. In 2010, expect them to make the playoffs. It’s just a matter of the Bookers knowing what to do when they get there.
Kameron Mack (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
Norcom is another Eastern District team that made the playoffs last year and has every reason to expect to repeat. They have a BCS commit in the secondary. Senior Safety Kameron “Tweet” Mack will be a part of Coach Mike London’s Virginia Cavaliers squad next year. Mack isn’t even the star of the team. The strength of this year’s Greyhound squad is spread amongst a number of juniors and seniors. The receiving corp is solid. Running back Carlos Mills is fast and elusive. The line is anchored by bigger young men this year in Paul Nicholson and Lakendrick Ross. This team has playoff contender written all over it.
In the hunt: Churchland defines the term darkhorse, and that’s just how Coach Cedric Cradle likes it. Last year, the Truckers’ running game benefitted from two road graders on the offensive line in Ali Scott and Richard Coles. Both have graduated and the Truckers running backs will have to move the ball forward without them. Coach Cradle has already said that his new line should be able to push further into defenses than last year’s line. Will opponents see it coming this year? Expect the Truckers to have a winning season, but they’re not going to sneak up on anyone this year.
Remember Trucker fans, don’t read this as a ranking. Churchland isn’t my pick for fifth place in the Eastern District. I just believe that they have the highest potential to rise or fall on a hot streak. They’re in the hunt, but they have to make the right moves and win the winnable games in order to make it back to the playoffs.
Room To Grow: Norview could be an up and comer. They’ve looked solid in practices, including a strong showing in an August scrimmage against Oscar Smith where they trailed on 28-20 against Oscar Smith’s first string at halftime. Norview will have to focus on playing complete football in order to rise in the standings. This is Coach Tom Long’s first year with Norview, so expect some growing pains. The Pilots will be a far better team in November than they are now.
Granby is in year three with Coach Curt Brown and he’s molded the Comets into his team. They’re lacking prototypical high school size, strength and skill, but there are some moments of brilliance that will come from this team. Lineman Tyler Adamski will be the senior leader of this team and future Comet teams will show promise. Expect Granby to play well in stretches and there are a few winnable games on their schedule. Unless they jump up and surprise a few Eastern District teams, Granby will be relegated to the back end of the district again.
Wilson started the year 2-1 last year, but of that was adrenaline driven by playing in an on-campus stadium for the first time in the school’s history at Elmhurst Lane. The two teams they defeated were Menchville (2-8) and Nansemond River (2-8). Wilson has the potential to do better this year, but they’re going to be learning at the hands of a new head coach. Curtis Williams comes with experience from coaching at Norfolk State and has been a teacher at Woodrow Wilson for years. He knows the kids and they’ll follow his lead. Wilson will improve, but it will take time.
It’s very likely that the Eastern District could easily produce five playoff teams this season. Expect Lake Taylor to be solid once again, and you can expect Booker T. Washington to be the team to push Lake Taylor for the District Title. From there, a few rivalry games will determine the outcome of the district race and the seeding for the playoffs. Maury, Lake Taylor, Booker T. Washington, Norcom and Churchland will all battle each other mightily and someone’s going to come away with an upset or two this year. Those upsets will be the key factor in the district race.
Maury Ruins Norview’s Debut
by Andy Hilton, recruit757
Coach Q of Maury (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
Coach Tom Long has waited for this day for some time. Today was the official opening day of his career as a head coach. Coach Quinerly of Maury got the best of him today.
Norview has had some strong scrimmages this past month and has made progress in leaps and bounds this summer. Today, they took a smal step backward. Norview Quarterback Kwe’shon Williams managed to drive the Pilots to first downs on a number of occasions. The opening drive for Norview started at their 20 after the kickoff and the Pilots drove just short of midfield before stallling. The Pilots have little strength in the kicking game, and it showed as Coach Long consistently pressed on fourth down. On the occasions where Norview punted, the resulting field position didn’t leave them with much of an advantage.
Norview QB Kwe'shon Williams (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
Maury had a few miscues as well. In their first possession, they went three and out followed by a botched punt attempt, giving Norview possession on the Maury 38. Norview couldn’t take advantage of the field position as their second drive stalled on a failed fourth and ten. It wasn’t until Maury’s third drive that they actually took advantage of good field position. They drove 50 yards, capping it with a seven yard run by their fullback.
After breaking the ice, Maury somewhat consistently drove the ball downfield with their running game, and Norview had no answers on the offensive side of the ball. Maury forced a safety late in the first half and led at the half, 21-0.
In the second half, Maury continued to move down the field with their running game, reaching a score of 35-0. From that point, the clock became a running clock and the remainder of the game went quickly. Savoy Majors led the way at quarterback for the Commodores, but it was the running game and Neal-Anthony Hale in particular that carried Maury in a game of field position and ball control. Final score: Maury 35, Norview 0.
Maury goes to Petersburg next week to play the Crimson Waves on Thursday while Norview has another home game, this time on Friday against Hickory.
- Andy Hilton
Maury: Ready For Game One
by Andy Hilton, recruit757
Coach Quinerly Addresses His Players (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
Maury High School has a proud tradition in Norfolk. The Commodores have finished with a winning record four out of the last five years with the only hiccup being a 4-6 record in Coach John Quinerly’s first season at Maury two years ago. Now in his third season with the team, Coach Q is ready to move his team deeper into the playoffs.
Last year’s Commodores had a shot at winning the district title. Back-to-back losses to Booker T. Washington and Churchland in weeks eight and nine took Maury from 5-2 to 5-4. A season ending win over Granby put the Commodores over the top and into the playoffs. Quinerly hopes that the playoff run won’t be quite so dramatic this year.
Tradition at Maury has been a source of school unity and pride. The school was founded in 1911 and has seen its share of top athletes walking the halls. That tradition continues today. Coach Q confirmed that tradition matters with the current generation. “We have about 38 or 39 players (alumni) currently playing football on the college level and they always come back to the field for practice (in August). They come by to be an inspiration to our guys and that’s important.”
Maury had key losses from the 2009 team, most notably their interchangable quarterback/wide receiver combo of Darryl Waters and Keenan Lambert. Additionally, the Commodores also lost their top lineman, Steven Lawe, plus their punter Orion Hall and their placekicker Ryan Lee. Maury still has a wealth of talent on both sides of the ball.
“We have a bunch of guys that will get the job done. We have some size guys, we have some smart guys, a lot of disciplined guys, so the program’s doing well. We have a lot of skill guys back. Those guys are leaders and they’re doing the right things for us to win,” said Coach Quinerly.
Kevin Buchanan (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
The core of talent and experience at Maury starts with their running back, Neal-Anthony Hale (SR 5-10 180). They’ll also lean heavily on WR/DB Raheem Walker (SR 5-10 150) and DE Kevin Buchanan (SR 6-3 205). Maury also has a fresh start at quarterback with Savoy Majors (SR 6-0 190). “Savoy’s coming along well. He played at Maury in his freshman year, then had some home circumstances that kept him from playing the last two years. Now he’s back and he’s going to be a guy that goes on to play college ball. Savoy is a great kid and a coachable kid. It’s great to have a guy like him to come after Darryl Waters. I thought Darryl did a great job. Savoy will do a great job also,” the coach stated.
Colleges are coming into Maury to recruit football players. First and foremost they’re recruiting Neal-Anthony Hale. “Hale’s getting looks from William & Mary, Richmond, Brown and a few schools in the ACC. He’s getting looks from a few other Ivies as well. He has a 3.87 GPA and over 1100 on the SAT. Kevin Buchanan and Raheem Walker are getting similar looks. We already have some Division III schools looking at Savoy Majors along with Austin Peterson (SR WR/DB 5-11 175). We don’t have a bunch of seniors. All those guys will be playing on the next level next year. You never know where. Keenan Lambert fell to DI-AA (last year). It was unexpected, but it’s football,” Coach Q explained.
There’s few seniors on this team and there’s a tradition of winning at Maury. Where does that leave them for this year?
“We want to be better than we were last year, and right now we want to win our first game. I can’t focus on anybody else. We have Norview and I don’t know who Norview is. They have new coaches, we don’t have any film on those coaches, so we’re preparing for anything. We’ll be ready on August 28 at 1 o’clock,” said Coach Quinerly.
That says it all. The Commodores will be ready for the Pilots next Saturday.
- Andy Hilton
Practice Opens with Helmets On
by Kellen Owings, recruit757
A Maury Trio Listens To The Coach (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
Cleats click and clack as players jog from the locker room onto to the field, still covered in early morning dew. It’s the first day of football practice throughout Hampton Roads, and at schools throughout the area it’s the same scene; players rising bright and early for the beginning of two-a-days.
Many teams started the first session at 8 a.m. and running to 11. That was followed by a late afternoon practice from 3 to 6. This allowed players time to recuperate after the first practice as well as stay out of the sweltering summer sun. As with summer practices every season, the number one priority for coaches and trainers is to keep players hydrated and safe in high temperatures.
Grassfield tried to combat the heat by having practice at 5:30 a.m. They were the first team to hit the field this season.
At Cox, the first practices have the players in shorts, shirts, and helmets. Teams tend to focus on individual drills and walkthroughs in the early part of the season. Full pads and hitting will start at the beginning of next week, as teams gear up for their first scrimmages. Coaches for every program are stressing fitness and readiness, while also focusing on good habits such as discipline and simple hydration. Monday’s practice session at Cox included a talk from the team trainer about keeping cramps down and energy up with water and common sense.
Maury greeted the heat full on with two-a-day practice beginning at 2pm and ending at 8:30pm. Maury Head Coach John Quinerly ran through the schedule: “We’re in the weight room from 2-3pm, we’re on the board (chalk talk) from 3-3:30, then they dress out and are on the field at 4 o’clock.” The VHSL mandates a limit of five hours per day of practice, so the Commodores get a break in the middle of the session after some field work.
Cox Practice on Opening Day (Photo: Kellen Owings/recruit757)
On Tuesday afternoon, the team was addressed by Dyrri McCain, Maury alum and current Hampton University wide receiver. Coach Quinerly stressed the importance of alumni giving their time back to the program. “We have 38 or 39 guys playing on the college level and they always come back before going in for their first practice. I try to stop them for a minute of their time so my players can see where the college players came from and where they are now. It’s an inspiration to our guys. It’s very important.”
Scrimmages will start next Friday, August 13. Most teams will have two scrimmages and roughly twenty practices to gear up for the first games of the season on August 27. The Beach District starts their schedule with a full slate of games that Friday night. Since the Beach District has eleven teams, they play entirely inter-district with each team getting a bye week in a ten game, eleven week season. Most every other team starts their schedule late in the week going into Labor Day weekend.
The hard work starts now and continues until the last whistle of the regular season on Saturday, November 6 for local teams. For the best, their work will continue into the postseason.
- Kellen Owings (with contributions from Andy Hilton)
Powhatan 7×7 Photos Now on Facebook
Atlantic Shores breaks the huddle (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757.com)
Coach John Quinerly and Maury High School host their own weekly 7×7 league on Tuesday night and tonight was full of action, pitting Maury, Kings Fork, Atlantic Shores and Bishop Sullivan Catholic against each other. The heat on the artificial turf was brutal, but that just made the games hotter. With four teams going on two fields, no one had rest.
Maury was busy breaking in their new quarterback, Savoy Majors, and they were working with mostly JV players. Kings Fork had most of their complement of players, but the Bulldogs have a young squad that needs the work in preparation for the fall season. Bishop Sullivan is working with two young quarterbacks, Brandte McIntyre and Maryland transfer Brian Novak, both rising Juniors. Lastly, Atlantic Shores got good work in with college bound seniors Quentin Williams at quarterback and Will Wentz at receiver.
There will be more stories on these teams in the coming days. In the meantime, hop on over to Facebook and enjoy the photos from Tuesday night’s action. While you’re on the recruit757 Facebook page, become a fan! We love hearing about your interest in local football, so be a part of the group.
Norfolk Budget Cuts Affect 2010 Football Schedule
Video Still of Coach John Quinerly and his Maury team
Norfolk High Schools are looking to schedule games after the School Board passed along word that budget cuts would keep city teams from traveling out of the region for games next season. According to Maury High School Football Coach John Quinerly, several Norfolk High School Football programs are now making other arrangements to fill their schedules.
Out of the five Norfolk High Schools, Maury, Booker T. Washington and Norview High Schools are affected. Because the Eastern District is comprised of eight teams, district programs have to schedule three out-of-district games in order to play a complete ten game schedule. In 2009, four of the five Norfolk programs played teams from other regions in order to complete their schedules. Maury hosted Petersburg, Booker T. Washington hosted Petersburg, Norview hosted Meadowbrook and Lake Taylor went on the road to play Battlefield. Granby played all ten of its games in the region; their most far flung opponent was Gloucester of the Peninsula District.
Because of Norfolk Public Schools’ new restriction on travel, game contracts had to be cancelled. Lake Taylor will host Battlefield this fall, so their schedule is unaffected by the budget cut. Maury and Booker T.’s contracts with Petersburg had to be ended and so did Norview’s contract with Meadowbrook. For the 2010 season, Maury and Norview have resolved the issue by agreeing to play each other twice. Booker T. Washington has yet to schedule a tenth game for 2010. At this point, it may be impossible for Booker T. Washington to find a tenth opponent and stay in the region to play.
There’s been no word of other school districts applying the same kind of restriction to their football programs. Beach District teams have perhaps the best set up possible. In their eleven team district, all teams play each other once in a round-robin format. For better or for worse, travel is not an issue.
Maury High School Update
Coach Quinerly at Maury High School updated me today on a few items related to the Maury Football program….
Class of 2010 UVA signee Stephen Lawe (OL/DL 6-5 270) has been named to the East team for the VHSCA All-Star Football game. It’s quite an honor to play in the annual All-Star game. This year Group AA and Group AAA players will be combined so the game will feature players from Divisions three through six. Fans will get to see Bay Rivers players on the same team with players from the Peninsula, Southeastern, Eastern and Beach Districts. The full rosters for the All-Star game should be announced soon.
George Murphy (Class of 2010, OL/DL 6-1 265) has changed his college of choice. Murphy was once headed to George Mason on an academic scholarship and had decided to play club football at GMU. He has now changed his plans and will attend Chowan to play Division II football for the Hawks.
Neal Anthony-Hale (Class of 2011, RB/LB 5-11 185) has seen his recruitment heat up. Hale had shown early interest in playing for William and Mary, but is now in touch with Virginia and Duke. It seems as though Duke is making quite a push to get an early commitment from Hale. His work on the field and in the classroom put him in good position to be a Blue Devil signee by this time next year.
Lastly, Coach Quinerly is hosting his annual football camp for middle school and high school youth during Spring Break. The camp will run from 1-4PM on April 6 and 7. Contact Coach Q at Maury High School for more details.
Maury’s Lambert Commits to Norfolk State
Wherever Pete Adrian is today, he must be smiling. The 2010 recruiting class for Norfolk State football, is definitely one of the most talented and is also one of the most local recruiting classes ever for the Spartans.
Keenan Lambert (6-1 190) was a “do everything” athlete for the Maury Commodores and will now take his game just a few miles down the road to NSU. Lambert excelled at quarterback, wide receiver, defensive back and special teams for Maury Coach John Quinerly. Lambert will certainly be a fantastic fit for Coach Adrian.
Lambert was pursued by Virginia, Memphis, Marshall, Virginia Tech and Hampton. At Virginia, Lambert would have been paired up with classmates Steven Lawe, Ryan Lee and Orion Hall, who are part of the Cavaliers 2010 class. Memphis was also in on Steven Lawe, plus Lambert’s teammate Darryl Waters. Waters’ recruitment is still up in the air. Marshall was a little later in developing interest in Lambert, but coaching changes at Marshall hindered his recruitment there. Virginia Tech may have been an appropriate fit for Lambert since his brother Cam Chancellor was an established star for the Hokies. Hampton even had a shot at landing Lambert.
In the end, the Spartans won out.
Lambert joins the mix with other local 2010 recruits such as Charlie Ricks of Oscar Smith, Julius Wormley of Tabb, Darrin Marrow of Cox and Ali Scott of Churchland.