Sports

Village News Sports Top 5

By Josh Mathews on September 20, 2015 Football, Uncategorized

1. L.C. Bird (4-0) After a lackadaisical first half effort, the L.C. Bird Skyhawks woke up, scoring 28 points in the second half to put away Manchester 35-0. The Lancers won on a hail mary last year in week 10 of the season. Though dominant on defense, pitching their third shoutout of the season and just allowing a single touchdown to Thomas Dale in the fourth quarter, the Skyhawks are not without a chink in their armor. At times, the offense has struggled to produce for periods of time. That simply wasn’t the case of the second half, as J.B.…

Recaps: Week 2

By Josh Mathews on September 17, 2015 Football, Uncategorized

Thomas Dale 42, Varina 7 A week after struggling, Thomas Dale’s offense woke up and in a big way as the Knights cruised to a 42-7 victory over Varina in what most thought would be a tightly contested game. Junior quarterback, Matt Lawton tossed two touchdown passes – one to Christian Faber and the other to Mariel Jennings. Thomas Dale employed several running backs during the evening and all produced solid results. Grabbing the headlines was junior Max Oxendine, the nephew of Dale alum and former NFL running back Ken Oxendine as he rushed for 103 yards and two scores…

Malik Johnson shines on gridiron

By Josh Mathews on September 17, 2015 Football, Uncategorized

Malik Johnson, the younger brother of Indiana guard Robert Johnson (L.C. Bird/Benedictine) and former Bird standout running back Yahkee, had quite a football game Friday night. Known for his basketball skills at point guard, Johnson also plays cornerback and running back for the Blue Ridge School. Friday in a 50-20 victory over Hargrave Military Academy he returned a kick for a touchdown, hauled in a touchdown catch and scored a touchdown on the ground. As if that wasn’t enough, he had two interceptions, two sacks and five tackles. The 5–9 senior has offers on the hardwood from Chattanooga, Louisiana-Monroe and…

Through sports, Johnson survives the streets to lead Matoaca Warriors

By Josh Mathews on September 17, 2015 Football, Uncategorized

Matoaca coach Derrick “D.L.” Johnson went to see the box-office hit “Straight Outta Compton” twice in its opening week. Johnson applauded the movie because its closeness to the real thing – Johnson grew up in the tough Los Angeles suburb. Formerly an assistant coach at James River, Johnson took Matoaca’s coaching job when Pat Manuel retired after 29 years. The new coach has brought a message of using sports as a vessel to get to where you want to go in life. “I wasn’t a rapper,” said Johnson, who played offensive line at Long Beach high school. “That wasn’t my…

Village News Top 5

By Josh Mathews on September 14, 2015 Football, Uncategorized

1. L.C. Bird (3-0) The Skyhawks rolled over Midlothian 67-0 to maintain the top spot in the Village News Sports Top 5 poll. A good day on offense was had by all in the rout. Quarterback Jalen Elliott was 7-9 passing for 165 yards and two touchdowns, while J.B. Wright (131 yards, 2 TD) and Shedrick McCall (115 yards, 2 TD) both enjoyed 100-yard games against the Trojans (0-3). Flexing a strong defense, through the season’s first three games, the Skyhawks have actually allowed negative rushing yards. Next up: At Manchester (9-18) 2. Monacan (3-0) Despite starting quarterback Syour Fludd…

Jazzmine White jumps for the spike against two Meadowbrook defenders.

Soaring to New Heights

By Josh Mathews on September 9, 2015 Uncategorized, Volleyball

Birds of a feather flock together. That’s exactly what the L.C. Bird Skyhawks are trying to do in 2015, build a nest atop of the Conference 12 standings. So far, so good as both the boys and girls have started their season 5-0 as of press time. In recent years, L.C. Bird girls’ volleyball has grown into one of the more successful programs in the area. This season they are looking for their third straight region appearance and are gunning for another Conference 12 championship after winning one in 2013. “This year, I think we’re better off in a different…

Football Recaps: Week 1

By Josh Mathews on September 9, 2015 Football, Uncategorized

L.C. Bird 35, Thomas Dale 7 In a contest marred with turnovers, the L.C. Bird Skyhawks took care of business, dispatching Thomas Dale in front of a near-capacity crowd at Ed Karpus Field. Defense was the name of the game for two reasons. First, the Skyhawks’ D had a spectacular performance, scoring three defensive touchdowns. Defensive lineman Chris Hayden and cornerback Kumonde Hines returned fumbles for touchdowns, while Jalen Elliott intercepted a pass and took it to the house for six. The Skyhawks led 28-0 at halftime, but the Knights defense was much more competitive than the score showed. L.C.…

Village News Top 5: Football

By Josh Mathews on September 7, 2015 Football, Uncategorized

1. L.C. Bird (2-0) Defense wins championships. If it’s any indicator so far, the Skyhawks are headed for that fourth straight state title. After holding Meadowbrook to -12 total yards in week zero, L.C. Bird’s defense outscored their offense in the Battle of Chester. Kumonde Hines and Chris Hayden returned fumbles for touchdowns and Jalen Elliott had a pick six as the Skyhawks cruised to improve to 2-0. Speedy running back J.B. Wright had his second consecutive week of rushing for nearly 200 yards and Shedrick McCall (6-3, 220) is an excellent change of pace back, averaging about 90 yards…

New Kids on the Block

By Josh Mathews on September 5, 2015 Uncategorized, Volleyball

There was a group of new kids on the block in the gold bracket at the Richmond Volleyball Club showcase this weekend: the Monacan Chiefs. The Richmond Volleyball Club’s showcase tournament is the biggest volleyball event in the area with 18 boys teams that came to play for two days. Monacan burst onto the scene with a strong showing, upsetting Atlee to place fifth overall. The gold bracket included volleyball powers such as Princess Anne, Mills Godwin, Maury and Deep Run. “We’re going to keep working hard in practice,” said senior Garrett Carson. “I think these guys like winning so…

It Takes Two to Tango

By Josh Mathews on September 3, 2015 Uncategorized, Volleyball

To be the best, you have to beat the best. Colonial Heights did that on Monday night, defeating top-ranked and defending state champion Midlothian 3-1. “We know they are a good team,” said Colonial Heights all-state hitter Noah Murdock. “We could have been scared starting the season with them, but we played them well.” However, this time, it was a case of the teacher beating the student but it has not always been that one-sided. Both sides have scored decisive victories. It all began 30 years ago when Colonial Heights coach Mark Lee and Midlothian coach Randy Cox were playing on opposite…

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