Peninsula District Preview
by Andy Hilton, recruit757
Phoebus Coach Stan Sexton (Photo: 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 QB Donnell Staton (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
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.
Kecoughtan Coach Scott Woodlief (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
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
New Pics Posted To Facebook
by Andy Hilton, recruit757
Kellam QB Gunnar Kane (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
We’ve been all around the area this week and we have photos from all over. Check out the recruit757.com page on Facebook and you’ll see photos from Menchville and York at Grassfield. We have photos from Cox and Atlantic Shores practices this week. We were at the Kecoughtan vs. Kellam scrimmage and the Warhill vs. Gloucester scrimmage on Friday night. You’ll soon see photos from the HU fan fest and scrimmage today. There’s lots of reasons to check out the recruit757.com page on Facebook. Stop by and become a fan by clicking “Like” on the page. You can even get to the recruit757.com Facebook page from the front page of recruit757.com.
Thanks for supporting High School Football in the area and thanks for checking out recruit757.com!
- Andy Hilton
Menchville: Last Round With Richardson
by Andy Hilton, recruit757
Coach John Byron (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
Menchville High School Football has had a tough run. They haven’t had a winning season since 1993. Head Coach John Byron came in five years ago to turn things around. It’s been slow going.
Coach Byron’s keeping things upbeat at Menchville. The Monarchs have one more year with blue chip athlete Clifton Richardson (SR 6-1 195) on the team, and they’re going to make the most of it. Richardson is the story at Menchville. More on Richardson in a minute….
Coach Byron is putting the Monarchs in a position to win games by spreading things out. They’re expecting opponents to key on Richardson in the offense and keep him away from the ball when he’s playing defense. The other 10 players on the field have to step up.
“For us it starts on defense. We have to be much more aggressive on defense and have 11 guys swarm to the ball on every play. Guys have to play fundamentally sound football. For us, it starts with discipline. We have defensive ends that go 6-3 plus, that’s Jordan Harris (JR 6-5 250) and Tavon Petteway (JR 6-3 205),” said the coach. Harris and Petteway will be great bookends for the defensive line. The Monarchs also have Tequoine Wright (DT 6-4 270) anchoring the line.
There are lots of interesting stories in the linebacking corps including a Crabber transfer, a sophomore starter and a newcomer from Germany. At linebacker the Monarchs will get continuity and leadership from Dylan Goodill (SR MLB 5-8 175). Takari Highsmith (SR 5-10 180), who’s a Hampton High School transfer, takes over at outside linebacker and the other OLB is sophomore Travon Eley (5-8 175). The “new guy” from Germany is Mike Linebacker Tyler Anderson (SR 5-7 230). He’s a fire plug of a player and an Army brat to boot. Tyler played organized football in Germany on a base youth team, but this will be his first year of High School football. “With Tyler we feel like we’ve found a diamond in the rough. He’ll come up and hit you and he’s got the size to back it up,” said Coach Byron.
The secondary for Menchville is full of skill. The key is Clifton Richardson at Safety and he’s surrounded by seniors Jarod Gunther (5-7 150) and Jontaz Atkins (5-7 150) at the corners. That senior leadership in the secondary should help Menchville in pass defense. “We’re going to play a 4-3 and move the strong safety around to different spots, playing some cover-2 and some man coverage out of that set,” Coach Byron explained.
Clifton Richardson (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
Of course the engine for the offense is Clifton Richardson. Coach Byron explains: ”We’re going to be a Pistol, Spread Option this year with Clifton at quarterback and at tailback we have Doug Jackson (SR 5-11 170). Doug is real quick. He hits the gaps fast for us on the midline and in the veer option. A lot of the guys in the secondary on the defense are also playing on the offensive side of the ball. Jontaz (Atkins) and Jarod (Gunther) are giving us that pitch look off the option. We picked up Martel Peden (JR WR 6-3 190) from the basketball team, he’ll be a deep threat for us.”
On the offensive line, Menchville only has two linemen returning after graduating three from last year’s team. “The guys coming back are doing a very good job and the guys coming in are picking up on the system quickly. The option also helps (the new guys) because they’re reading somebody. When you read somebody it allows us to get two blockers to the point of attack. We’re hoping that the option will allow us to spread it out and create some mismatches that will take a little heat off of our offensive linemen. That way, they’re not typically going up against defenses with eight or nine guys in the box play in and play out. The option is one of those things where not a lot of teams do it, so it’s tougher to prepare (to play against). One thing that’s tough on us stopping the turnovers. In triple option football, one of three guys can get the ball on any play, but there’s a chance for that ball to end up on the ground. We have to be just as disciplined on offense as we’re trying to be on defense, ” coach Byron explained.
Recruitment at Menchville is driven by Clifton Richardson and the attention he’s getting, but there’s other talent that’s getting noticed. “Tequoine Wright has great footwork playing at left tackle and defensive tackle. He’s getting looks from non-BCS schools like Temple. We feel like once he gets that first offer, his recruitment will take off. Taquon transferred to Virginia Beach after the season last year because his grandmother was sick. He kind of got lost in the shuffle. Now that he’s back with us we’ll see some of the attention pick up. Otherwise, we’ll have some DI-AA and Division II kids. Mitchel Lennartz (SR 6-2 250) plays right guard and defensive tackle for us and he has a 3.0 GPA and we feel like he’ll get some looks. We have two others in Jarod Gunther and Jontaz Atkins who are a little on the smaller side, but they have great speed and a great work ethic. They’ll get looks too,” said the coach confidently.
Schools like JMU, Richmond, William and Mary, Norfolk State, Hampton and Old Dominion come in to Menchville often. Other schools such as UNC and Maryland stop by to see Clifton Richardson, but the other players on the team get a chance to spend time with those coaches occasionally.
Menchville finished 2-8 last season and has had a tough time compiling wins. Coach Byron feels like Menchville has a chance to compete. “Hampton and Phoebus over the years have earned the right to be toward the top. But teams three through seven or eight could be anybody. Woodside lost a lot of players from last year. Bethel lost quite a number of seniors. Warwick lost some guys. Kecoughtan has a new coach, Heritage has a new coach… there are some new systems going in there. We’ll feel like we’re going to be in the mix. We want to get off to a good start. We have Warwick on September 4, from there we have Woodrow Wilson out of district. If we can start the season 2-0, then we’re going to feel like we can go out there and play with anybody. It all starts with Warwick and from there, we’re going to take it one game at a time.”
- Andy Hilton
Menchville’s Richardson To Take Official Visits
by Andy Hilton, recruit757
Clifton Richardson (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757.com)
Clifton Richardson has been touted as one of the jewels in Coach Mike London’s 2011 class at Virginia. When Richardson (QB/FS 6-1 195)committed to Virginia back in March, the buzz was significant. Richardson was one of London’s first blue chip verbals in the 2011 class. At the time, his commitment was a hot topic and has since been clarified as a soft verbal.
In recruiting parlance, a soft verbal is hardly a commitment. In fact, a verbal commitment isn’t truly a commitment but it is a non-binding agreement between the college program and the player. A soft verbal means, “I really like you and I plan on coming there, but I might change my mind.”
In other words, Virginia plans on having Clifton Richardson as part of their 2011 class. Clifton Richardson plans to be there, most likely.
That being said, he’s still going to see what else is out there. We caught up to Richardson last night at the Grassfield scrimmage, and he’s still looking around.
“I’m going to make my final decision soon. I’m going to take some official visits and make my decision after that.” Richardson then went on to list the schools he plans to visit. “Tennessee, West Virginia, Maryland, UVA and probably South Florida. I like Virginia because of the coaching staff. They’re going to turn that program around,” said Richardson. Clearly, he’s impressed with Coach London and his efforts to rebuild the Cavalier Football program.
West Virginia also has his eye. “I like Chris Beatty. He’s a great running back coach.” Richardson would obviously fit the mold as a speedy slot receiver or running back in the Mountaineer program.
”With Tennessee, I just met the new coach a few months ago. Coach Chaney’s a good guy.” Playing in the SEC and joining Ocean Lakes wide receiver Justin Hunter at Tennessee would be appealing to Richardson. Tennessee has a bit of rebuilding to do as well, but unlike Virginia, Tennessee hasn’t suffered losing seasons and may make a quicker recovery in spite of playing tougher competition.
Richardson went on to speak positively about Coach Tom Brattan at Maryland and Coach Skip Holtz at South Florida. “I’m going plan to visit them too. I’m going to try to take all my visits and make my decision in the fall.”
While Virginia is still a strong possibility for Richardson, he’s definitely going to look around and be sure of his decision.
Academically, Richardson still has some work to do. He has to take a few more classes that will help him with his core GPA and he plans to take the SAT in September. From there he’ll know where he stands with the NCAA Clearinghouse. Richardson remains confident about qualifying and is determined to stay focused on the field and off the field. “I had a rough night tonight, but I’m going to work that out and cut out the mistakes.” Richardson fumbled the ball a few times while at quarterback Monday night.
His Menchville team will need the best Clifton Richardson they can get on Friday nights. His college choices are looking forward to a focused and ready Clifton Richardson on Saturday afternoons. That will come soon enough.
Grassfield, York, Menchville Face Off In Grizzly Territory
by Andy Hilton, recruit757
York Senior Tre Thomas (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
The night was perfect for August football. The scrimmage action was exciting, even considering a few miscues along the way.
Grassfield, Menchville and York matched up in a duel between schools that will almost certainly never see each other in the regular season or the playoffs. At least not this year. York is in Division 3 playing in the Bay Rivers District. Menchville is Division 6 playing in the Peninsula District and coming off of a 2-8 season. Grassfield is in Division 6 playing in the Southeastern District and coming off of a playoff season where they lost to Oscar Smith in the regional semifinal. Menchville and Grassfield could hook up in the playoffs, but it’s not likely this year.
We can say that the expectations for each team are different.
York came in looking to play up to some tough competition. Junior quarterback Alex Johnston lead the team in several drives, but the Falcons netted no points against either the Monarchs or the Grizzlies. This kind of game experience will serve the York Falcons well when the season starts.
Menchville came in with a bit of a chip on their shoulder. The Monarchs are out to prove that they’re not just a one man team. QB/FS/ATH Clifton Richardson is the driver of the offense and the captain of the defense, but there are playmakers on the Menchville squad.
Lastly, the home standing Grizzlies have a different priority. They’ve risen quickly to become a contender in the Southeastern District. Now they’re grooming themselves to be the first district team to knock off Oscar Smith since Hickory did it in 2006.
The scrimmages were run with several limitations. First of all, there was no hitting the quarterback. Punting was optional, the ball could be placed downfield as an automatic punt if the offense wanted it that way. Also, the clock was run to give a 20 minute match between each pairing, starting with Grassfield vs. York.
Grassfield generally had its way with the Division 3 Falcons. The final was 14-0. Grassfield took a workman like approach and played steadily throughout the 20 minute exhibition.
Menchville then came on and practically matched the feat. The Falcons had few answers for the quickness of Clifton Richardson in the open field. Richardson was unable to complete significant passes and there were occasions where the York D-line or linebackers were able to penetrate for the sack. Menchville managed a 12-0 win. The Monarchs went for two both times and failed.
In the last regular matchup of the night, Menchville faced off against Grassfield. Dwayne Windley ripped off a 76 yard run in the first play from scrimmage, missing a touchdown only because of a late tackle by a Menchville DB. Grassfield didn’t score on that drive, but managed to keep Menchville on the ropes throughout the 20 minute session. The only score was by Grassfield on a two yard run by their fullback. The final was Grassfield 7, Menchville 0.
Both teams are still readying themselves for the start of the season. York starts off against Division 3 Greensville on Friday, September 3. The other two teams face off against district opponents in their first games. Menchville is at Warwick on Friday, September 3 and Grassfield starts of at Nansemond River on Thursday, September 2.
Photos and a few stories from the night will be posted soon.
- Andy Hilton
VHSL Schedule Released – Peninsula District Edition
Rodriguez Jones moved from Denbigh to Phoebus in the offseason, bolstering the Phantoms' offense
Many would argue that the Peninsula District is the most competitive in the entire region. It’s hard to argue against that. Phoebus has been dominant over the past decade, but that doesn’t blunt the consistent strength and competitiveness of programs like Hampton and Bethel. Kecoughtan, Woodside and Warwick will make plenty of noise in the PD too. The Peninsula District sent five teams to the Eastern Region playoffs last year. If they didn’t have to beat up on each other, the PD could have easily seen six of their ten teams in the playoffs in 2009.
2010 won’t be a carbon copy of 2009, but you can expect some familiar names at the top. Phoebus will be the favorite to repeat in 2010 and the Phantoms have a good shot at a third straight State Championship and undefeated season. Phoebus loses a number of key players from the 2009 championship team, QB Paul Morant, RB Colby Goodwyn, LB/RB Chaz Robinson and Lineman Micah Blakely among them, but the Phoebus program is established enough to reload. Defensive End Daquan Romero and Linebacker Caleb Taylor provide stability on the defensive side of the ball while last year’s P/K and backup QB Eric Enderson will take on the starting QB job. Denbigh WR and BCS recruiting target Rodriguez Jones will bolster the passing game along with class of 2012 target Romond DeLoatch. The running game for Phoebus should be solid with RB/DBs Tyree Lee and Justin “Boombox” Lyles in the backfield. Many of the key positions on offense will require players to step up in their responsibilities, but the Phoebus coaching staff should have them ready. Phoebus starts off with Gloucester but hits what could be a rough month with consecutive games against Woodside, Kecoughtan, Menchville and Hampton in weeks five through eight. Phoebus gets Bethel in the last week of their schedule.
The Hampton Crabbers are an intriguing bunch in 2010. They were young and a little unseasoned in 2009, but their growth from last year should show in the clutch. Hampton loses few seniors of consequence, KR/PR/WR/DB Dion Futch is perhaps the biggest contributor from 2009 that will be absent in 2010. The Crabbers finished third in the district and lost a heartbreaker to Lake Taylor in the Division 5 playoffs in 2009. This year could be different with the return of rising senior QB David Watford (6-2 180), rising junior Fullback and D-Lineman Dallas Cogdell (6-2 220). Hampton only had 13 seniors on the roster in 2009 so the underclassmen gained lots of experience. Hampton gets Bethel and Phoebus back to back, which will be tough on the Crabbers. Hampton goes to Woodside to kickoff the season and closes out the season with a four game run against Bethel, Phoebus, Kecoughtan and Menchville.
Bethel may be a bit of mystery in 2010. Coach Jeff Nelson had the greatest success in getting his seniors off to college in the 2010 class. There were in excess of ten Bruins (I’m missing an official count) that signed LOIs, and will head off to schools like Virginia, Old Dominion and Hampton to play college ball. Those departures leave Coach Nelson’s squad much thinner for 2010. Kendel Montgomery (RB/S 6-0 175) should carry a good bit of the offensive load next year.
Menchville benefits from athlete Clifton Richardson who will do his best to carry the Monarchs in his senior year. Richardson verbally committed to Virginia this spring, but that commitment is questionable. A one man team won’t win many games, so the pressure is on Richardson’s supporting cast to take some responsibility and carry the team to some upsets in 2010.
Woodside made it all the way to the Eastern Region Division 6 Finals in 2009, but fell to Oscar Smith. Coach Danny Dodson lost a good number of senior starters to graduation, so you could expect the Wolverines to take a step back this year.
Warwick should be on the rise. The Raiders have a tough stretch of games against Phoebus, Woodside and Hampton in weeks three through five after opening against Menchville and Booker T. Washington. If Warwick starts the season off on the wrong foot, their hopes for a playoff bid could be over early.
Here’s the Peninsula District schedule for 2010:
Friday 9/3: Denbigh @ Heritage (9/1); Hampton @ Woodside (9/2); Phoebus @ Gloucester (9/2); Kecoughtan @ Bethel; Menchville @ Warwick; Denbigh @ Heritage
Friday 9/10: Hampton @ Gloucester; Heritage @ Norcom; Lake Taylor @ Kecoughtan; Wilson @ Menchville; Phoebus @ Churchland; Warwick @ Booker T. Washington; Woodside @ Maury; Granby @ Denbigh; Bethel @ Norview
Friday 9/17: Churchland @ Hampton (9/16); Menchville @ Woodside; Warwick @ Phoebus; Gloucester @ Granby; Bethel @ Heritage (9/18); Denbigh @ Kecoughtan (9/18)
Friday 9/24: Heritage @ Phoebus (9/23); Bethel @ Gloucester; Denbigh @ Hampton; Woodside @ Warwick; Kecoughtan @ Menchville (9/25)
Frday 10/1: Denbigh @ Bethel (9/30); Hampton @ Warwick; Heritage @ Kecoughtan; Gloucester @ Menchville (10/2); Phoebus @ Woodside (10/2)
Friday 10/8: Hampton @ Heritage (10/7); Menchville @ Denbigh; Warwick @ Gloucester; Kecoughtan @ Phoebus; Bethel @ Woodside (10/9);
Friday 10/15: Bethel @ Hampton; Denbigh @ Woodside; Kecoughtan @ Gloucester; Heritage @ Warwick; Phoebus @ Menchville (10/16)
Friday 10/22: Woodside @ Kecoughtan (10/21); Warwick @ Denbigh; Hampton @ Phoebus; Menchville @ Bethel (10/23); Gloucester @ Heritage (10/23);
Friday 10/29: Denbigh @ Phoebus (10/28); Kecoughtan @ Hampton; Heritage @ Menchville; Bethel @ Warwick (10/30); Gloucester @ Woodside (10/30)
Friday 11/5: Menchville @ Hampton (11/4); Phoebus @ Bethel; Woodside @ Heritage; Denbigh @ Gloucester (11/6); Warwick @ Kecoughtan (11/6)
Clifton Richardson and David Dean Commit?
#10 Clifton Richardson (Photo: Diane Cebula)
UVA had another Junior Day this weekend and initial word out of Charlottesville is that they received a couple of commitments over the weekend. About 40 juniors from all around the state came for the festivities. The typical events are campus tours, a basketball game (in this case a loss to #22 ranked Maryland), and lots of camaraderie among the prospective recruits.
The biggest news coming out of the weekend is regarding Menchville athlete Clifton Richardson (6-1 195). According to sources, the Peninsula District burner with 4.4 speed has given a verbal committment to the Cavaliers. Richardson’s father, Clifton Sr., was quoted in the Daily Press as saying that his son had made a “soft committment” but that the younger Richardson hadn’t committed yet.
Richardson has the tools to become another Percy Harvin, so he would certainly add some needed punch to the Virginia offense. Richardson’s impact on his Menchville squad has been hard to measure since the Peninsula District is loaded with highly competitive teams. Menchville hasn’t been able to fight its way to the top of the district, but there’s no doubt that Menchville would be far worse off without him.
David Dean (6-1 270) of Green Run is a Defensive Tackle that Mike London has had his eyes on for some time now. Dean is a force on the D-Line for the Stallions and had claimed UVA as his leader weeks ago. Dean is also now rumored to be a Cavalier commit, which would give Virginia four commitments for the 2011 class.
All of this is unbinding, so you can expect that other teams could still make a run at both Richardson and Dean between now and National Signing Day eleven months(!) from now. It’s happened time and time again. Recruits make early commitments, change their minds, situations change… there are any number of things that could happen over the next eleven months. The commits are a feather in Mike London’s cap. He’s off to a good start. Just don’t count your chickens yet, Cavs fans. There are more offers and more recruiting battles to come.
Menchville Junior Clifton Richardson Gaining Offers
Clifton Richardson (in purple) (Photo: Diane Cebula)
He’s only a junior in high school. He’s 6-1 and 195. He has 4.4 speed, plays running back, wide receiver, and he’s not too bad on defense either. Clifton Richardson is already a man amongst boys.
He plays almost like a second coming of Percy Harvin. He’s not there yet, but soon he might be. Richardson can evade defenders, spin out of tackles and fly down the field once free. The bursts of brilliance Richardson shows are more than just glimmers of talent. Colleges are lining up for the opportunity to find out if Richardson can indeed become the player they think he will become.
Richardson already has offers from East Carolina, Maryland, Miami, NC State, Old Dominion, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. More offers will certainly come his way.
As good as Clifton Richardson is, he’s been a bit hidden. Menchville is not exactly a power in the Peninsula District where Hampton High School is legendary, Phoebus High School has dominated the last decade and Woodside High School has been on the rise. In a time where many of the best players look to transfer to the best schools in the area, and parent often move in order to make that happen, Richardson is proud to play for Menchville.
Don’t expect Richardson to be one to make his college decision early. While his list of offers is growing, he has vowed to cut the list down sometime over the summer. His dad has advised him to take it slowly and be sure of his commitment before announcing it. Richardson is likely to take all five official visits and may not announce a decision until January 2011. That means we can expect to hear a whole lot more about Clifton Richardson and his pending college commitment for some time to come.
Local Juniors Already Getting Noticed
The 2010 recruiting class hasn’t even been wrapped up yet, but local 2011 blue chippers are making unofficial visits and fielding offers.
This is the time of year where BCS level programs are laying the groundwork for next year. The area’s top recruits are already hearing from college coaches. Although no one’s committed yet, college programs would love to get commitments from the 2011 class already. Several local athletes are being courted in a big way.
Daquan Romero of Phoebus (Photo: Diane Cebula)
Virginia had its Junior Day on January 16 and invited somewhere near 30 athletes to campus for a look at the facilities, interaction with the coaching staff and a basketball game featuring the homestanding Cavaliers against the nationally ranked Miami Hurricanes. UVA won that one convincingly, 75-57.
Amongst the group of heralded juniors visiting Charlottesville was Phoebus’ Daquan Romero (DE 6-2 205) and Caleb Taylor (LB 6-0 215), Oscar Smith’s Raysean Richardson (LB 6-0 200) and Menchville’s Clifton Richardson (WR 6-1 195). That group has fielded offers from numerous schools already, but the list of notable juniors doesn’t stop there.
Lafonte Thoroughgood of Ocean Lakes (QB 6-2 220) has reported offers from North Carolina, Stanford, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia and Virginia Tech. Thoroughgood will have lots of options to consider.
Travis Hughes of Kempsville (LB 6-1 215) claims offers from Maryland, East Carolina, North Carolina, NC State, Penn State, Virginia and Virginia Tech. As of now, the early favorite is Maryland since his brother is already playing football there.
Demetrious “Tra” Nicholson (WR/DB 5-10 160) has offers from Duke, Maryland, Memphis, North Carolina, NC State, West Virginia, Virginia and Virginia Tech. Nicholson is another player with many options, especially since his academics are on track.
There are other regional standouts such as Quinta Funderburk of Oscar Smith (WR 6-2 190) , Brad Hudson of Great Bridge (QB 6-3 190), and Josh Mann of Ocean Lakes (C 6-3 270) that are already attracting attention and are sure to get early offers this spring.
The next week will yield some fantastic recruiting news for the 2010 class. After that, we won’t have to wait long for news on next year’s seniors.