By Luke Krausse After a standout senior season, Thomas Dale football standout Phillip Allen Jr. committed to play at Old Dominion University. According to his Twitter account, @PhillipAllenJr1, this was the cornerback’s third collegiate offer, following Brevard (N.C.) College and UVA-Wise. “Phillip is long and athletic,” said Thomas Dale football coach Kevin Tucker. “He worked so hard to get his body into shape for the 2019 season. He lifted and did seven of seven to refine his craft; Phillip will not be outworked by anyone.” The 6-2, 175-pound senior added 35 total tackles last season, with nine pass deflections and…

By Luke Krausse Troy Lewis, a threat on both sides of the ball for Matoaca, has received his fourth offer. His latest comes from the Air Force. With his ability, Lewis has also previously received offers from William & Mary, Massachusetts, and Navy. In his junior season, Lewis had 672 all-purpose yards with five touchdown receptions and six total touchdowns. On the defensive end, he had 16 tackles and one interception. Lewis is a leader on his team, and he is always looking for ways to improve. The 6-3, 190-pound junior puts in a lot of work in the offseason,…

BY LUKE KRAUSSE Former L.C. Bird standout Mykey Anderson is set to transfer at the collegiate level.  Anderson was a part of UVA Wise’s roster for one season.   As a senior at Bird, Anderson received accolades for his play on offense, defense, and special teams. On defense he totaled 32 tackles and four interceptions, while on offense Anderson had over 500 total yards and four touchdowns to help Bird to a 7-3 season in 2018. “Mykey Anderson is a dynamic football player,” said L.C. Bird coach Troy Taylor. “Mykey had a great senior season for us, playing both at corner…

By Luke Krausse TJ Minter Thomas Dale offensive and defensive lineman T.J. Minter will look to make a strong debut at the collegiate level next season. The 6-3, 270 pound senior has committed to play at Hampden-Sydney. “T.J. Minter has been a great asset to Thomas Dale football,” said coach Kevin Tucker. “He constantly strives in the classroom.” “T.J. exemplifies what it means to be a great leader, teammate, and football.” Minter tallied 13 tackles in limited defensive action, but stood out most for his blocking at offensive guard. He protected quarterback Jasiah Williams and opened holes for running back…

Joe Sloan, who played quarterback at Thomas Dale in 2004 and 2005, is now the offensive coordinator for Louisiana Tech’s football team. “I am thankful to Coach Holtz for this opportunity,” said Sloan to Crescent City Sports. “He has done an unbelievable job of building the culture and program at L.A. Tech.” Sloan was hired at the Ruston, La., school originally in 2013 and worked his way up the coaching ladder. Previously, he was an offensive quality control assistant at South Florida. As a college player, he walked on at East Carolina and played in all 41 games as the…

Three Matoaca athletes have been offered roster spots on Division III rosters. Brendan Gray and Jimmy Hayden were given offers by North Carolina Wesleyan, while Gage Simmons attracted the attention of Bridgewater. In 2019, Gray rushed for 105 yards on offense, but stood out more on defense, finishing fourth on the team with 36 tackles and tallying three quarterback sacks. Hayden was an even bigger impact player on defense, placing second on the team with 63 tackles and 3 1/2 sacks. Simmons was an All-Region performer in 2018, but tore his ACL on the first play in Matoaca’s first game…

Jasiah Williams OFFENSE The University of Richmond commit had no experience playing the quarterback position when he was inserted into the lineup as a starter last year, but throughout this year, Jasiah Williams has bolstered the Thomas Dale offense, especially late into their season. Williams was named the Village News Offensive Player of the Year as he went aflame in Thomas Dale’s last six games of the season, putting up 23 total touchdowns in the six-game period, pushing the Knights forward to their eventual loss in the regional final to Oscar Smith. On the season, Williams threw for 1,111 yards…