Harrison Settles In As A Chief
by Andy Hilton, recruit757
Rex Harrison (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
Rex Harrison put up good numbers for the Tabb Tigers last year. Harrison threw for 1065 yards in 10 games with Tabb last year and almost brought them to the playoffs. A last minute touchdown by eventual State Finalists Bruton ended the Tigers season at 6-4. Harrison was awarded 2nd Team All-Bay Rivers District honors as a junior quarterback in his first year with the Tigers.
Harrison played for Tabb only one year. He had played for Nansemond-Suffolk Academy in his sophomore year. Now in his senior season, Harrison has found a home in Kempsville.
It’s not completely unusual for players to transfer in the offseason. Sometimes they do it because of family circumstances. Sometimes they do it in order to better their recruitment prospects. In Harrison’s case, it’s likely the latter.
Kempsville was a playoff team last year in the super competitive Beach District. As competitive as the Bay Rivers District is, it doesn’t offer the higher level of competition that Harrison will see week in and week out as a Kempsville Chief.
We caught up with Rex and talked about his new team, his recruiting, and how he was settling in at the Beach. His first impressions of the team and his new situation were all favorable. “The transition has been smooth. I like it a lot. I like the new system, I like my teammates and I think we’re going to have a good year,” said the quarterback.
The new system at Kempsville is going to be a little more complex than the system at Tabb, but it will also allow Rex to showcase his talents for college coaches. “At Tabb we ran the Wing-T which involves a lot of reading the corners as you roll out. At Kempsville we’re running the Spread and I (formation), so you have to read the whole defense which is good for college,” said Harrison.
College coaches have had to follow Harrison along his path. Now they’re going to see a new side of Rex. “I’ve been in touch with the coaches that had been recruiting me and they’re very excited that they get to see me in a spread look. It’s a lot better for them to see if I can make the reads and make the throws.”
The college list for Harrison remains at NC State, UVA. “UVA said they have a scarcity of scholarships, but they might offer me if they decide to take a second quarterback in this class,” said Harrison. Hampton QB David Watford has already committed to the Cavaliers.
“I had visited Elon, but they had a quarterback commit already. Marshall and ECU are planning to see me in my first game here at Kempsville. Richmond, JMU and William & Mary are still in the mix. I talk to Coach Kepa (Tribe Offensive Coordinator). North Carolina was in the mix, but they’ve had a quarterback commit,” Rex said.
Of his current schools under consideration, NC State catches Harrison’s eye. “NC State said they would offer me if Steven Rivers (Phillip Rivers’ younger brother) committed somewhere else and he committed to LSU Monday. Hopefully I’ll be hearing from them soon,” said Harrison.
Rex is looking forward to a new season and a new competitive situation. What’s getting him jacked? “We have a lot of talent this year. We’re excited. Joey Droll (SR 6-0 190) is playing some tight end. We have Cody Mister (SR 5-10 160) who’s pushing me at the quarterback position. We have Travis (Hughes) and a few other guys… we’re loaded on offense.”
Kempsville certainly has depth at quarterback with the addition of Rex Harrison. Harrison is more of a true quarterback, where as Kempsville’s backups have played other positions. Joey Droll started at quarterback for much of last season but is a capable wideout and tight end. Cody Mister also started four games at quarterback last year. All three players are seniors this year, which might leave Coach Jamaine Paddyfoot in a bit of a lurch once he loses this year’s senior class. They’ll cross that bridge next year.
In the meantime, Rex Harrison is looking to field more offers and holds out hope that the offer from NC State comes through. For the team, the first priority has to be the August 27 opener against Salem, which is only two weeks away.
- Andy Hilton
“New” York in the BRD
by Andy Hilton, recruit757
Alex Johnston (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
The Bay Rivers District has always been a bit unpredictable. York High School’s best shot at making a surprising run this year is to use that instability to their advantage.
York has finished in the top half of the district for most of the past five years, but the Falcons haven’t won a district title since 2003. Since that season, the Bay Rivers District has had four different champions in six seasons. In fact, four different champs in the last five years.
Coach Doug Pereira’s not looking at this year as an opportunity to win it, but he does admit that the title is up for grabs. “It’s an interesting season for us as well as everybody in the Bay Rivers because we all have some big time players that have moved on. In a sense, we are all rebuilding. We (York) are pretty happy with who we have coming back. Our quarterback, Alex Johnston (JR 6-0 170), is the team leader. He runs that offense. Because of injuries, he got plenty of playing time (as a sophomore) and lead the district in passing. We’re happy to have him back. We have a good core of skill players on offense. We’re very confident because as long as we stay healthy, we’re deep,” the coach said.
At the QB position, Alex Johnston is one of the main threats but he offers a different look than Ben Edwards did last year. Those passing numbers are no fluke. They came in a limited number of games after Edwards went down with injuries but the opportunities were enough for Johnston to establish himself. “Alex is a capable runner. (He’s) not quite the threat that Ben was, but he’s more of a threat passing which allows us to do some things, but we really haven’t changed our offense (with Alex at QB),” explained Coach Pereira.
York is solid at the skill positions as they have been for years. Quarterback and do-everything guy Ben Edwards is replaced by Johnston, but the offensive line remains a bit of a question mark. “On the offensive line we have one returning starter and that’s Hayden Crockett (JR 6-4 275). He’s a very solid lineman. We have some other guys who are going to be solid, but for the time being they’re inexperienced,” Coach Pereira stated.
York players at practice (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
Defense can be tough to come by in the BRD. In fact, York averaged 35 points of offense per game in the regular season but gave up an average of 32 points a game. As a fan, that can be exciting, but as a coach that can be frustrating. This year’s York defense might struggle to keep points off the board. ”We have two returning starters on defense this year, so we’re going to have a lack of experience. I feel pretty good about what we have. We have some athletes out there. We’re a little faster top to bottom on defense. We have some big guys in Cody Hendrickson, Johnny Cruz and Hayden Crockett that are going to help us solidfy that D-Line. Just like with the offensive line, the defense is going to have to meld together soon,” said the coach.
Recruiting traffic in the BRD is significantly lower compared to the power districts in metro Hampton Roads. Still, there are quality players that come out of the Bay Rivers District. While schools haven’t started flocking to York yet, there are players worth pursuing. Coach Pereira set the record straight. “It’s always hard for us to get a lot of attention being one of the smaller schools, but Alex Johnston’s going to get some attention. We have a senior, Tre Thomas (6-0 190) who’s going to play middle linebacker for us this year and he’ll play running back on offense. Tre is starting to get some peeks by some schools, even some of the larger schools, so we’re excited for him. We have a couple of seniors that are going to be small school guys, and we have some juniors who are going to be getting looks soon like Hayden Crockett, Anthony Honey and Jake Norman (RB 5-9 170). ”
The BRD always offers a competitive schedule and there will be upsets along the way. That’s part of what makes the district fun to watch. The Tabb, Grafton and Poquoson games will always be big, neighborhood rivalries for York.
“All of the York county schools are big games for us. You can count Poquoson in with that. The thing about the Bay Rivers is that there are no freebies. You have to be ‘on’ every week. It’s hard to get in there and blow anybody out, or get blown out. It’s always a tight district. I can name nine teams that are going to give us trouble this year. It isn’t just one or two, it’s practically all of them. That’s just how it goes,” said the coach.
Coach Pereira is realistic about his team’s chances this year. In any other district, you could predict a losing season for York. In the Bay Rivers, all bets are off.
- Andy Hilton
Tabb’s Haislip Ready For Offers
by Andy Hilton, recruit757
LB Ian Haislip (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
The Bay Rivers District is perhaps the most competitive in the area. From year to year it’s tough to predict who’s going to win the district. In fact, over the past five years, the district has had four champions: Lafayette twice and Bruton, Poquoson and Grafton once each. Tabb has finished in the top half of the district in each of the last four years, but hasn’t pulled out a District Title yet. It’s tough winning the Bay Rivers. At times it’s even tougher for the players in the BRD to get the attention they deserve.
Ian Haislip is a gutty, gritty middle linebacker for the Tabb Tigers. He’s coming into his senior season and should be fielding offers now. The colleges are interested, but no one’s jumped… yet. “I’m feeling pretty good (about the season and about recruitment). I’m looking at a couple of Division I-AA schools right now in Richmond and Old Dominion. Coaches are talking to me here and there, so we’ll see how it goes,” said Haislip.
In the summer between the junior and senior years, camps become extremely important. It’s a chance for college coaches to get a close up look at a player’s true size, agility, speed and other measurable skills that make the difference in being offered and being put on the back burner by a college. Haislip has hit some camps and opened some eyes this summer.
“I’ve gone to Virginia, Virginia Tech, William and Mary and Old Dominion so far. I have no offers yet, but a lot of interest from Old Dominion and Richmond. They’ve said if I do well in my senior season then I could play myself into a scholarship.”
That gives Haislip extra motivation to perform at a high level in his senior season. Don’t leave out the opportunity for Division I-A offers during the season as well. Players like Haislip can get noticed by plenty of schools beyond the range of the few that started recruiting him. Once one school offers, many others often jump in.
The key for Ian is getting that first offer in hand.
- Andy Hilton
Dolphin 7×7 Ends With Home Team Win
First Flight takes on Deep Creek (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757.com)
It’s only fitting that the home team gets to take home the big trophy once in a while. In the case of the Dolphin 7×7 Passing Tournament at Ocean Lakes, it wasn’t much of a surprise.
Ocean Lakes was one of fourteen teams scheduled to play, and while one or two teams bowed out (most notably Maury due to bus issues), the competition was excellent. There were a few concerns, but overall the teams involved got a great amount of game time in and got to play some teams that they would never see otherwise. Atlee, Hopewell and Thomas Dale came down from the Richmond/Petersburg area. First Flight High School came up from the Outer Banks. There was also representation from the Beach District, Peninsula District, Southeastern District and the Independent schools of the area.
Pool A featured First Flight, Deep Creek, Grassfield, Hopewell and Atlee. Deep Creek vs. Grassfield was the rivalry game of the pool. Deep Creek took advantage of the absence of Grizzly starting QB Tyler Clark and two-way players Dwayne Windley, Rudy Rudolf and Tony Patrick. Pool A had some great competition, but the stronger teams of the day were in Pool B.
Pool B had Tabb, Western Branch, Warwick, Princess Anne, Atlantic Shores, Thomas Dale and Ocean Lakes pitted against each other. Atlantic Shores was strong until injuries slowed down the Seahawks. Two significant injuries knocked AS players out for the day, leaving the team a bit thin. The impact of injuries showed greatly when the Seahawks took on Ocean Lakes in early afternoon play. Ocean Lakes had too much depth and easily handled Atlantic Shores.
Ocean Lakes High School readies to play (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757.com)
In fact, Ocean Lakes spent much of the day rotating between three quarterbacks: Lafonte Thourogood (their senior starter) and two backups, junior Tamaric Crews and sophomore Andre Dessenburg. The receiving corps was deep for the Dolphins as well. Their rotation perhaps saved their strength and allowed them to continue their steady play throughout the day.
All four semi-finalists from the tournament came from Pool B. QB Donnell Staton led the Warwick Raiders into a semi-final matchup against Western Branch while Division 6 defending State Champion Thomas Dale High School faced off against Ocean Lakes. In the semi-final round, the Bruins of Western Branch managed to beat Warwick and Ocean Lakes knocked off Thomas Dale. That set up an unpredictable championship game pitting Ocean Lakes against Western Branch.
The final was hotly contested and a close affair with Ocean Lakes pulling out the win by a touchdown. Salem proved that they’re a team to watch out for by beating Oscar Smith at the 22 team Peanut City Shootout last month. Also last month, Wilson High School pulled out a surprise by pushing Phoebus to the brink in the Hampton University 7×7 Passing Tournament. Has Western Branch made a statement with their appearance in the Dolphin 7×7 Passing Tournament final? It would certainly add another element of intrigue to the Southeastern District if Western Branch bounced back this fall.
Dolphin 7×7 Passing Tournament Pictures Posted to Facebook!
Josh Mann and Stephen Brown of Ocean Lakes (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757.com)
The Dolphin 7×7 Passing Tournament pictures have been posted to Facebook! There were fourteen teams competing at Ocean Lakes today including Deep Creek, Grassfield, Warwick, Western Branch, Princess Anne, Tabb and Atlantic Shores, plus out-of-the-area teams like First Flight, Atlee, Hopewell and Thomas Dale. The day was hot and so was the action.
The results will be posted later tonight, plus you’ll get more stories and video from the day. Check out recruit757 on Facebook and please become a fan while you’re there. Thanks for stopping by!
Rex Harrison Off to Oscar Smith
Tabb QB Rex Harrison (Source: Facebook)
It’s a story that’s been brewing for weeks. It’s out in the open enough now to somewhat call it official. Rex Harrison will transfer out of the Tabb school district in York County and plans to attend Oscar Smith High School in the fall. Coach Matt Lawson confirmed that Harrison has already officially left the Tabb squad and sophomore Dan Schiele will quarterback the Tabb Tigers in the fall. Lawson’s biggest concern now is finding a suitable backup for Schiele.
If everything goes as expected, Harrison could be the answer to Oscar Smith Coach Rich Morgan’s quarterback conundrum. Since the departure of quarterback Phillip Sims to Alabama, Oscar Smith had big shoes to fill at the position. There is no lack of talent on the offensive side of the ball at Smith, but the quarterback position was a bit of a question mark. Jaylin Williamson has performed well in 7 on 7 competition this summer, but Williamson is 5-9 and will have a hard time seeing over his linemen in a true game on Friday nights. Williamson led the Oscar Smith JV squad to the district title last year and is ready for the challenge at the varsity level this year. At the least, the addition of Harrison would help Oscar Smith’s depth chart.
Moving to Oscar Smith would help Harrison in his recruitment as well. Recruit757 covered his recruitment last week in a story you can see here. With offensive weapons like Quinta Funderburk, Jaston George, Darius Jennings and J.C. Coleman, Harrison would have much more to work with at Oscar Smith. Additionally, Harrison would get more college attention by playing at Oscar Smith, and that’s no slight to Tabb.
When asked recently about the possibility of Rex Harrison moving into the Oscar Smith District and playing for the Tigers, Coach Rich Morgan had no comment on the situation. As of now, Harrison is not enrolled yet and certainly not playing for Oscar Smith. When and if that comes together, Harrison would have to make the team on his own merit and compete for playing time. At 6-3 200 pounds and with several years of varsity experience at quarterback, Harrison would likely be a welcome addition to the Oscar Smith squad.
Again, if it happens…
New Highlight Videos Posted to Facebook!
QB Larry Joshua of Landstown High School
As a follow up to the Tommy Reamon/Landstown story and to the story on Rex Harrison’s recruitment, I thought it would be appropriate to post some highlight videos of Rex and of Landstown’s senior QB, Larry Joshua.
In the Tabb highlights, you’ll get to see some of Rex Harrison’s contributions to one of the biggest rivalry games on the Bay Rivers District schedule. The York Falcons have won the game two years in a row in a thrilling manner thanks to the heroics of Ben Edwards. Edwards is gone this year, will the Tigers even the score?
In the Larry Joshua highlight clip, you’ll see Landstown’s QB succeed against the vaunted Oscar Smith Tiger defense. Granted, Coach Morgan was working out some kinks last Wednesday night, but the Tigers looked a little weaker against Joshua and the Landstown offense. Coach Reamon will have the Eagles ready to go this fall.
Enjoy the videos, photos and other features on Facebook. While you’re stopping by, please become a fan of recruit757 on Facebook. …and let us know what you’re up to! We’re ready for football season already!
Tabb QB Harrison Gaining Interest Far and Wide
QB Rex Harrison of Tabb High School
Rex Harrison could be arguably the biggest college prospect in the Bay Rivers District this year. Harrison’s Tabb team will be a contender. While Poquoson could be the favorite to win the district, Tabb will tally up their share of wins and college recruiting visits this fall. They’re expected to be a playoff team.
Harrison (SR QB 6-3 200) is developing into a solid Division I recruit. If he shines as expected in his senior year, Rex will earn a number of scholarship offers. We caught up with Rex recently to discuss his summer schedule.
His school year finished up very well academically and that puts him in a good position for scholarship offers from schools like William and Mary, Richmond, Virginia and Duke. He’s spent most of June visiting colleges and camping. “So far I’ve been to Virginia Tech, North Carolina, NC State, Virginia, Duke and Elon. All of those (visits) went extremely well. Sine then, I’ve been in touch with Coach Willis and Coach Bible from NC State, Coach London and Coach Lazor from Virginia, and Coach Shoop from North Carolina. I’ve also spoken to Coach (Dennis) Erickson from Arizona State several times over the phone. They’re extremely interested,” said Harrison.
While Rex is courting interest from BCS schools and his stock is rising steadily, he’s keeping his options open. Schools can very quickly express interest then end up filling their positions of need with sudden commitments. Virginia has already received 19 verbal commitments and could be full very soon. Harrison is smartly keeping his avenues open and is considering Division I FCS schools as well. “Elon, Towson, Old Dominion, William and Mary and Coastal Carolina have been very aggressive,” Rex reported. …and those schools should be aggressive. After all, at 6-3 200 and game experienced, Rex Harrison will be quite a catch for the school that gets him.
How are offers coming along. “I am hoping to have a few offers soon. I believe I am on the verge. In the off-season I have worked very hard and I’ve gotten my 40 time down to a 4.72. My shuttle’s down to a 4.36, they clocked that at NC State,” said Harrison.
Harrison is getting interest from the PAC-10, the ACC and from FCS schools. Where does he see a fit? “Ever since I was little, I’ve wanted to play in the ACC. (I want to be) relatively close, so my family is able to come and see me,” Rex shared with us. That doesn’t rule out interest from new schools, or even a change of heart if the right offer comes along.
QB Dan Schiele (Photo: Jon Fritz/recruit757.com)
Looking down the road, there’s already a rumbling that Harrison’s backup at Tabb may be ready to step into his shoes immediately. Because of all of the camping Rex has done, rising sophomore QB Dan Schiele (pronounced SHE-lee) has gotten a lot of spring reps, including the opportunity to lead the Tabb team at the Peanut City Shootout 7×7 recently. What does Rex think of the kid? “Dan has a bright future at quarterback. I have worked with him three days a week on throwing through out the off season.” Schiele will be ready should the opportunity arise. Recruit757.com correspondent Jon Fritz reported that Tabb Head Coach Matt Lawson spoke highly of Schiele at the Peanut City Shootout.
There’s lots of anticipation around the Tabb program and around Rex Harrison’s prospects for college recruitment. Quarterback should be of no concern for the Tigers in 2010.
7×7 Tourney Stories On The Way
Indian River QB Corwin Cutler scans the defense as HU Assistant Coach Devan Hill looks on (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757.com)
Today was the day for two big seven-on-seven passing tournaments: one at Kings Fork and one at Hampton University.
The Kings Fork “Peanut City Shootout” event featured Oscar Smith, Grassfield, Salem, Great Bridge, Menchville, Tabb and Kings Fork among others. The HU event featured last year’s passing tournament champ Phoebus, plus Kempsville, Indian River, Churchland, Kecoughtan, Wilson and more.
The Hampton University coaching staff ran the tournament and got a good look at the talent for all eight teams on hand at the Hampton tournament. There will be a number of stories rolling out over the next few days, plus photo galleries and video clips. Keep an eye on recruit757.com for recaps of all the action.
VHSL Schedule Released – Bay Rivers Edition
Tabb vs. York is good Bay Rivers Football! (Video Still by Andy Hilton)
As far as most of the region is concerned, the Bay Rivers District might as well be the wild, wild west. Many have heard of it, few know a lot about it, and those who don’t are missing a lot.
The schools in the Bay Rivers District are some of the few Class AA teams in the region. Where the “seven cities” offer schools with enrollments from 1200 to 2500, Bay Rivers schools lie just to the west of the most densely populated portion of the region and have more of a small town feel. The schools in the district generally have enrollments from 700 to 1200. With the exception of a couple of schools such as New Kent and Smithfield, the schools are hardly in a rural setting, but the atmosphere on a Friday night is admittedly different from games in Hampton, Norfolk or Virginia Beach.
The competitive environment is different as well. On any given Friday, you really can see anyone pull out a win. Parity rules in the Bay Rivers District. Last year, Bruton lost games in district to Grafton (6-4) and Jamestown (4-6), yet went all the way to the State Championship game for Division 3 before losing to Northside (Roanoke). This is the same Bruton program that hadn’t reached the playoffs since 2000 when they lost in the first round and finished the season 7-4. Prior to last season, they had only one season with a winning record since that 2000 season. Bruton finished 6-4 in 2008; hardly an indication that the foundation for a State Championship contender was being laid. To give you another idea of how unpredictable the Bay Rivers District is, in their preseason ranking the Daily Press picked Bruton to finish 8th put of ten teams in the district last season.
Bruton loses a lot of seniors from their 2009 team including Lorenzo Taliaferro (RB/LB 6-2 200), D’Andre Parker (WR/DB 6-2 190) and Jackson Neve (WR/DB 5-10 170). In the Bay Rivers District teams rarely just reload after losing senior leadership. Expect the Panthers to regress a bit in 2010. Bruton opens their season against Southampton in a game they should be able to win.
Smithfield made a solid showing in 2009 and finished with an 8-3 record after falling to Chancellor (Fredricksburg) in the first round of the Division 4 playoffs. Senior linebacker Boden Fuller will move on to Army; one of the few Bay Rivers District players to sign with a Division I-A school. Running Back Montrell Johnson moves on as well… he was selected as the Region I Offensive Player of the Year in 2009. Both will be missed by the Packers. Smithfield takes on “neighborhood rival” Surry in the season opener. Surry’s a Division 1 Tri-Rivers District team and should be outmatched in the game.
Tabb narrowly missed the Division 4 playoffs last year and has an excellent shot at a playoff run this year. They lose RB/DB Corey Patrick, WR/S Chris Ham and Lineman Julius Wormley to graduation, but the Tigers will get senior leadership on both sides of the ball from QB Rex Harrison (6-3 185) and ILB Ian Haislip (6-2 210). Tabb opens their season against Division 4 Amherst County.
The Poquoson Islanders may be the closest thing to sure playoff bet that you’ll ever find in the Bay Rivers District. The Islanders return many key players including rising junior Dylan Hill (RB/MLB 6-2 185) and rising seniors Luke Hill (QB/MLB 5-11 190) and Taylor ”Tee” McConnell (QB/DB 5-10 170). Poquoson made the Division 3 playoffs last year and even advanced, but their overall record of 6-6 was a bit disappointing after winning the BRD title in 2008. Poquoson starts their season with a home game against Division 5 Central District playoff team Dinwiddie. Dinwiddie handled the Islanders easily last year in the opener, but it’s a game where Poquoson has far more to gain than the Generals do. Dinwiddie is playing down two levels when playing the Islanders.
Here’s the season schedule for the Bay Rivers District:
Friday 9/3: Bruton @ Southampton; Dinwiddie @ Poquoson; Smithfield @ Surry; Amherst County @ Tabb; York @ Greensville
Friday 9/10: Surry @ Grafton; Brunswick @ Lafayette; New Kent @ King William; Windsor @ Warhill: Jamestown @ John Marshall (9/11)
Friday 9/17: Bruton @ New Kent; Jamestown @ Grafton; Poquoson @ Lafayette; Warhill @ Smithfield; Tabb @ York
Friday 9/24: Smithfield @ Bruton; Grafton @ Poquoson; York @ Jamestown; Lafayette @ Warhill; New Kent @ Tabb
Friday 10/1: Lafayette @ Bruton; Grafton @ Warhill; Jamestown @ Poquoson; York @ New Kent; Smithfield @ Tabb
Friday 10/8: Bruton @ Grafton; Warhill @ Jamestown; New Kent @ Smithfield; Poquoson @ York; Tabb @ Lafayette (10/9)
Friday 10/15: Jamestown @ Bruton; Grafton @ Tabb; Lafayette @ New Kent; Poquoson @ Warhill; York @ Smithfield
Friday 10/22: Bruton @ Poquoson; New Kent @ Grafton; Tabb @ Jamestown; Warhill@ York; Smithfield @ Lafayette (10/23)
Friday 10/29: Warhill @ Bruton; Grafton @ Smithfield; Jamestown @ New Kent; York @ Lafayette; Poquoson @ Tabb
Friday 11/5: Tabb @ Warhill (11/4); Bruton @ York; Lafayette @ Grafton; Smithfield @ Jamestown; New Kent @ Poquoson
Friday 11/12: Bruton @Tabb; York @ Grafton; Jamestown @ Lafayette; Warhill @ New Kent; Poquoston @ Smithfield