Lucas Carmichael
Baseball
William and Mary
Carmichael was recruited by a litany of schools in Virginia. He ended up choosing the College of William & Mary. The senior felt as if it was a good academic fit, and said he loved the coaching staff. Carmichael burst onto the recruiting scene as a sophomore, hitting .465 with nine stolen bases. That year, he was named first team All-Region and All-State. The speedy, run-producing outfielder will be a key weapon once again for Matoaca as he looks to finish his career as a Warrior on high note. Carmichael plans on a business- or finance-related major.
Neelia Lynn
Girls Soccer
Maryville University
Lynn, a center attacking mid-fielder, decided head west to St. Louis. She’ll suit up for Maryville in fall 2020. She cited an excellent coaching staff that really seemed to care for her as a reason for choosing the Division II institution. Other interested parties included Florida Southern, Cal Poly, Troy University, Belmont University, and in-state Randolph-Macon. Lynn played her travel soccer for the Richmond Strikers.
Latroy Whitaker
Baseball
Radford
Whitaker was a force last year on the hill for Matoaca, and now he’ll take his talents to Radford. The hurler pitched to a 3.38 ERA, striking out 57 batters over 38 innings pitched. He was recruited by just about every in-state scho – think schools such as William & Mary, Norfolk State, VCU and Longwood but chose RU for one reason: they have his major, cubersecurity. Whitaker spent four years in RISE baseball’s program and has been selected to appear in the Virginia Commonwealth games. He’s a cerebral pitcher, who throws hard. His fastball sits between 87-89 mph and is accompanied by a change-up, slider and curveball.
Annie-Grace Louthan
Field Hockey
Mary Washington
Louthan, a team captain and senior for Matoaca’s field hockey team chose Mary Washington. She cited a beautiful campus, an excellent coaching staff, and being close to home as reasons why she chose to become an Eagle. Louthan received interest from many other schools, including Division I schools such as UVA. She also considered Christopher Newport. Louthan finished 2nd all-time in VHSL history with 117 career goals, scoring 36 of those goals as a senior. Both Butler and Louthan were key components in Matoaca’s first-ever state tournament berth in 2019.
Ally Butler
Field Hockey
Wake Forest
Butler, the goalie for Deborah Wallace’s field hockey squad, chose Wake Forest. She cited the coaching staff, a family feel and great academics as reasons for her to become a Demon Deacon. Injured throughout her senior season, Butler returned for the region semifinals and state quarterfinals. She’ll leave Matoaca holding seven VHSL records. Over her career, she tallied 401 saves, blocking 87.5 percent of her opponents’ shots on goal.
Samantha Denney
Softball
Richard Bland
Denney, a standout outfielder for coach Scott Driskill, will continue her academic and softball career at Richard Bland College. She cited that the school was a good fit for her academically and athletically, and that she’s always wanted to play for the Statesmen. In addition to being an offensive force and an excellent defender in the outfield, Driskill cited her being the ultimate team player – she always wants to do what’s best for the team, not what’s best for her.
