Football

Offers roll in for Hickman

By Josh Mathews on May 1, 2018 Football, Sports

They say when it rains, it pours. There may not be a truer statement for Matoaca High defensive end Immanuel “Manny” Hickman. Coming into this spring, the 6-3, 230-pound three star recruit didn’t have any scholarship offers. Now, he’s got a dozen. “He may be a bit of a later bloomer,” coach Jay Parker said. “But he is certainly getting all that he deserves now. The kid excels in the classroom and in the community, in the school and on the field. His grades and test scores are high, and he works just as hard on his game.” Since March,…

Tyree, D’Abreu making off-season headlines

By Josh Mathews on April 17, 2018 Football, Sports

Rick D’Abreu If you follow Thomas Dale High School football, you’re used to seeing the program churn out prospects who play at the highest level of college football. Running backs William Henderson, Rudi Johnson and Ken Oxendine went to North Carolina, Auburn and Virginia Tech, respectively. Then they ascended to the National Football League. Recently there have been Darvin Taylor (Florida State), C.J. Reavis (Marshall) and Talvis Robinson (Navy). Now, two prospects have been making waves. One of them is running back Chris Tyree, and the other is a name you may soon get used to hearing, linebacker Rick D’Abreu.…

Attorney for school officials files response to suit over football poster

By Caleb M Soptelean on April 10, 2018 Football, Schools, Sports

The attorney representing several school officials in a civil lawsuit brought over a championship football poster recently responded and asked that the suit be dismissed. Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Andrew J. Fulwider filed papers with the Chesterfield County General District Court on March 30. The inadvertent misidentification of a student (Jayson Shurland) on a football team championship poster that was the personal property of a school employee (guidance counselor Terrie Grubb) does not give rise to a legal duty between the defendants and plaintiff, Fulwider wrote. Defendants include L.C. Bird High School Principal Laura Hebert and Chesterfield County Public Schools officials…

Overcoming the odds: Dorsey commits to La-Lafayette

By Josh Mathews on April 10, 2018 Football, Sports

One website suggests that just one in 39 athletes will end up playing football at the Division I level. That’s 2.6 percent. That represents an average situation: average upbringing, average high school, average home life, a student with average academics, and an average injury history. What’s considered “average” depends on an endless number of variables including time, location and the person involved. Recently, when former L.C. Bird High School standout Daijuane Dorsey committed to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, he not only beat the odds, he destroyed them. “I want to thank all the coaches who recruited me,” Dorsey…

A football championship poster gone bad?

By Caleb M Soptelean on April 3, 2018 Football, Schools, Sports

A misidentified player’s photo on the L.C. Bird High School 5A football state championship team poster from 2013 has resulted in a parent filing a civil lawsuit against school district officials. David Shurland sued the school’s principal, Laura Hebert, along with Chesterfield County Public Schools officials Joseph Tylus, James Lane and James Holland in General District Court in January and requested $25,000 in damages. The poster in question, which Shurland said was located on a wall in an office lobby at the school, misidentified his son Jayson Shurland as Isiah Alvarez. The plaintiff said that the poster was eventually corrected…

LCB hires familiar face, Alabama makes offers to Beamon

By Josh Mathews on February 1, 2018 Football

When David Bedwell took the L.C. Bird athletic director’s seat last year, longtime assistant Tony Nicely was named interim coach for the 2017 season. Now, it appears that Skyhawks have found their replacement in a familiar face, former Meadowbrook coach Troy Taylor. “I’m excited to be going back to the school that I graduated from and played at,” Taylor said. Taylor began his career as an assistant under Bedwell back in 2000. From there, he was an assistant at Meadowbrook for seven years, winning a state title under then head coach Bill Bowles in 2004. When Bowles retired in 2008,…

Thomas Dale got rolled: Football is done

By Josh Mathews on November 22, 2017 Football, Track & Field

By Harrison Louis and Josh Matthews Manchester 41, Thomas Dale 7 It was tabbed as the local showdown that football fans had been waiting for two 6A foes, the second-ranked Manchester Lancers and the third-ranked Thomas Dale Knights at Lloyd Swelnis Stadium, both teams fresh off blowout victories where they put up 50 points. Thomas Dale their game in the first half, drawing with Manchester tied 7-7 with the game in the first half. The Knights defense was able to hold a balanced and skilled Lancers offensive attack at bay. Thomas Dale’s equalizing first-half touchdown was scored on a three-yard…

FOOTBALL RECAPS

By Josh Mathews on November 15, 2017 Football

Thomas Dale 50, Franklin County 0 Running backs Chris Tyree, A.J. Chavis, and Elijah Burns led a massive Thomas Dale rush attack, totaling 363 yards as the Knights rolled in the first round of the Region 6 playoffs over Franklin County, 50-0. Thomas Dale totaled an impressive 468 rushing yards in the bout, and the defense pitched a shutout. Special teams fired on all cylinders, too, as Jamarkus Wilson returned a punt for a touchdown to go with a receiving score from John Pierce. Defensively speaking, Zach Jacobs and Dusan Stjepanovic led the way with each eight tackles and two…

Football wrapups

By Josh Mathews on November 11, 2017 Football

MATOACA 38 PETERSBURG 22 In their last game of the season, the Matoaca Warriors hosted the Petersburg Crimson Wave. Thanks to Kyle Williams and the defense, Matoaca started off hot-putting up two touchdowns giving them an early lead of 14-0. The Wave quickly responded on assuming possession, going 70 yards on one play and cutting the lead to 6. Matoaca’s offense stepped back on the field and got two more touchdowns before Petersburg would score. The Warriors found themselves ahead 28-16. After halftime, Matoaca would allow a touchdown before scoring 10 more points to close out a 38-22 win over…

Football Recaps

By VN Staff on October 25, 2017 Football

by Louis Harrison Monacan 37, L.C. Bird 22 Going into Friday’s game, L.C. Bird had not lost to Monacan since 1998. The Chiefs were able to overpower the Skyhawks on their home turf winning 37-22. There was plenty of star power in the game, as Bird boasts the top running back in the area, C.J. Donaldson, while Monacan has a four-year starter quarterback in Syour Fludd, and perhaps the area’s second best rusher, Korey Bridy. L.C. Bird held the lead in the second quarter as quarterback Marcus Banks took off on a wild 90-yard touchdown run, making the score 14-10.…

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