Browsing: Football

A full season removed from the school’s first state championship in school history, coach Billy Mills guided a very young Generals team to a 9-3 record last year and a playoff victory over I.C. Norcom before falling to eventual champion Lake Taylor in the second round. “Last year we had lots of talent, but no leadership,” Mills said. “I love that group of seniors, but they could have been better leaders and we lacked consistency in the most inopportune times.” Despite the honest assessment of last year’s senior class, Mills says that this year this are notedly different as the…

Thomas Dale, showing improvement in each of the last three seasons, hopes to continue that trend this year. In 2012, the Knights uncharacteristically struggled to a 4-6 record. In 2013, a 6-4 squad made the playoffs. Last season, a talented bunch won nine games, including a first round triple-overtime playoff thriller against Riverbend (Spotsylvania) 45-42. The Knights fell in the second round to Colonial Forge (Stafford) 38-28 after holding a halftime lead. “We made some progress while dealing with a lot of injuries,” said sixth-year coach Kevin Tucker. “We were an unknown entity coming into last season.” Thomas Dale graduated…

After 29 years under the tutelage of coach Pat Manuel, the longtime coach retired, now, D.L. Johnson will take the reins of Matoaca’s program. A former coach in Eastern Ohio, Johnson takes a disciplined approach to the game and plans to elevate his team’s football IQ to help them execute on both sides of the ball. Matoaca struggled to get things going in 2014, finishing 4-6. “Matoaca has had the talent,” said Johnson. “We’re developing the football know-how, the football IQ.” The change has been easier for the younger players than the older players who were used to the old…

When Michael Birdsong takes the field for his first game as starting quarterback for Marshall University, there will probably be some jitters. When the crowd chants its famous chorus of “We Are Marshall,” there’s likely to be a shiver down his spine. On Sept. 6, it’s go time for the Matoaca graduate. “It’s crazy here,” said Birdsong, who transferred after playing the 2013 season at James Madison University. “Marshall is probably half the size of JMU but football is the heartbeat of this town.” Marshall has traditionally had a strong football program, but was marked by tragedy in 1970 when…

After transferring to Norfolk State from Old Dominion this past spring, Gerard Johnson was eager to get on the field and show what he could do. After a strong spring practice and game, former Virginia State head coach turned Spartans coach, Latrell Scott said that Johnson would be the team’s starting running back this fall, and he would have a shot to be a team captain. “He’s a D-1 running back and we’re going to give him the ball in anyway possible,” Scott said. “He’s capable of handling everything in our offense.” Johnson transferred to NSU after falling behind on…

All Thomas Dale offensive lineman Robert Snead wanted last year was one more snap with his teammates. Not only will the rising senior get that, but he will also play football at James Madison University in the fall of 2016. “I didn’t want to wait any longer,” Snead said. “It’s the type of school I’d want to go to even if I didn’t play football.” In recent seasons, Thomas Dale has endured its fair share of injuries. In the first quarter last year’s season opener at Cosby, Snead went down, and knew it wasn’t good. The strapping 6-6, 310 pound…

Ant Harris will get his shot at the NFL. While the L.C. Bird alumnus and former UVa safety was not selected in this past weekend’s NFL Draft- he was signed by the Minnesota Vikings in the frenzy of free agents signings that occur after the draft ends. “Proud to say my next home will be in Minnesota #GoVikings,” Harris said via his twitter account. Most mock drafts had Harris going between the fifth and seventh rounds, but getting drafted really only effects how much you stand to get paid through your initial rookie contract in the NFL, with the most…

According to linebacker Demond Bailey, one of Meadowbrook’s defensive leaders, there’s something different about this year’s version of the Monarchs. “There’s a big difference,” said Bailey. “The whole team is all in.” Bailey, who himself is a story of “being all-in,” comes back after a concussion knocked him out for the season in week three of last year. He will lead a defense that promises to be better to support an offense that will be filled with athletic weapons. Last year’s record of 6-4 left a bad taste in head coach Troy Taylor’s mouth. While not a bad year by…

Expectations are high for the L.C. Bird Skyhawks, who have now won back-to-back state championships, solidifying themselves as a dynasty in the Central Region. Currently on a 29 game winning streak as a program, Skyhawk Nation is looking forward to another successful year. “It’s really back to business as usual,” said Bedwell. “When we came into practice we weren’t thinking about last year anymore.” Many faces of last year’s team moved to the next level, including Terrance Ervin who is competing for the starting job at Norfolk State and former running back Earl Hughes, who’s getting reps at wide receiver…

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