05 POST 74 BASEBALL WINS 3RD STRAIGHT STATE TOURNEY
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VOL 6. ISSUE 22 :: AUGUST 5, 2015
College
Decisions
For the Class of 2016, major choices loom. We look at athletes that are about to or already have made the jump to play in college. PAGE 07
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x’s and o’s 21 05 07
THREE TIMES A CHAMPION Post 74 puts together another run
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COLLEGE SELECTION The Class of 2015 helps you decide
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GAME TIME Fairview brings home 2nd straight JSL title
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A PRACTICAL SUMMER Former athletes exploring new side of sports
College
Decisions
VOL 6 . ISSUE 22 :: AUGUST 5, 2015
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VOL 6. ISSUE 22 :: AUGUST 5, 2015
For the Class of 2016, major choices loom. We look at athletes that are about to or already have made the jump to play in college. PAGE 07
S TA F F Bart Isley, Creative Director Bob Isley, Infrastructure Director Ryan Yemen, Creative Editor M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T Local sports are the lifeblood of every community in America, and we’re here to reach beyond the basics and give compelling accounts about Central Virginia athletes to our readers. CO N TAC T U S [ e ] info@scrimmageplay.com [ p ] 434-249-2032
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PREGAME
Back to the grind Western Albemarle football takes part in its first day of training camp on August 3. The Warriors were the last public school standing in Central Virginia last year, advancing all the way to the Group 3A final four. With camp underway, expectations remain high for a program returning the bulk of its skill position players inlcluding tailback Oliver Herndon (pictured). While football kicks off on August 28, check back for Scrimmage Play’s extensive football preview which will be released soon. ✖ (Photo by Bart Isley)
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Orthopedics
First Quarter
Three times a champion Albemarle Post 74 wins third straight state tourney By Ryan Yemen
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Albemarle Post 74 celebrates after winning its eighth striaght District 13 tournament . (Ryan Yemen)
{ FOUR SCHOOLS } Post 74 Roster breakdown by school
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ith eight consecutive District 13 championships to its name, Albemarle Post 74’s presence in the American Legion Virginia State tournament has pretty much become an assumed occurrence.
Now after Post 74 rolled through the tournament unbeaten, going 4-0 and winning a pair of games in the ninth inning, the team’s presence at the American Legion Region tournament is becoming old hat too. As Post 74 heads to the Mid-Atlantic tournament on August 5 in Purcellville, VA, it does so with a handful of athletes who’ve been in this environment before. William Monroe graduate Keegan Woolford is in his fourth season with Post 74. So too is 2014 Western Albemarle graduate Jack Maynard. Throw in Monticello’s Jack Decker and one of Maynard’s former Warrior colleagues, Eli Sumpter and Post 74 boasts nearly half a roster with meaningful American Legion postseason experience. “We’ve just had great leadership across the board,” said Post 74 coach Mike Maynard. “Eli, Keegan, Jack Maynard, Jack Decker — they’ve all been here before and know how to lead the way. You bring in some young talent with that and they learn quickly how to win even though we’ve got four different high schools coming together.” Jack Maynard, who plays collegiate ball at Patrick Henry Junior College, has been nothing short of what he was during his time at Western — next to unhittable and an inning-chewing machine. He spearheads the top of the pitching rotation for Post 74. Sumpter, who now plays at Roanoke College, has come on as the team’s closer and managed to pick up three wins for his work in relief during the state tournament which netted him the Most Valuable Player Award. Those two collegiate arms paired with young high school talent have given Post 74 a nicelyrounded set of arms. Monticello rising junior Parker Heinemann has continued to excel after
his breakout season with the Mustangs. Monroe graduate Cody Spencer and Dragons rising junior Spencer Eldridge have been critical pieces of the puzzle too. “We’ve had great pitching all year and great defense,” Mike Maynard said. “We’ve finally started hitting the ball (in the district tournament) and I think that’s why it has all come together.” Dating back to 2013, Post 74 has won 12 consecutive games in the state tournament. With the Mid-Atlantic tournament getting underway this week, Post 74 will have its handsful with the top-ranked team in the country in Brooklawn, the 2-time defending national champions from New Jersey. But the double-elimination format ensures that Post 74’s trip won’t be a short lived one, allowing the younger members of the team to absorb a lot of meaningful baseball that will help them next spring. Each season Post 74 has seen young players break out and Eldridge is one of those new to the team that is soaking up all the experience and the pointers that the veterans have to offer. “You really have to learn how to pitch properly because you’re facing a lot of kids in college that just know how to stroke,” Eldridge said. “You have stay serious or you aren’t going to succeed at all. You joke around or slack off in a game and it’ll get bad.” With Maynard and Sumpter playing in their final seasons with Post 74, there will be a little changing of the guard next summer. However, as has been the case each of these last three years, there’s always been a new wave of talent ready to pick up the slack. ✖
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College Update
We’ve gone digital But you can have it in print too!
Former Knight wraps up impressive collegiate softball career By Ryan Yemen Marci Christian’s senior season in high school didn’t exactly go as planned — an injury knocked her out for the year and left Buckingham County missing her presence both on and off the field. However, Christian’s senior year in college? Well she couldn’t have played much better. After transferring from Longwood, Christian wound up at Charleston Southern and had a monster season as a sophomore. The former Knight played multiple positions for the Buccaneers in 2013, spending time at catcher, first base and both right and left field. At the plate, she was a force. Christian led the team with her .341 batting average. Her 34 runs scored were the fourth most in school history. She was second for the Bucs in RBI with 30. And her 15 homeruns and 109 total bases set a pair CSU school records. Flash forward to 2015 and Christian found a way to blow those numbers out of the water. This spring she hit 24 home runs to set
a new school record. She knocked in 59 RBI, had 50 runs scored (a new school record) and hit .324 on the year. Her on-base percentage was .500 and she had an oustounding slugging percentage of .873 with 124 total bases (again, breaking her own school record). The Bucaneers finished the year 31-28 with Christian leading the way. It was just the fifth time that CSU hit the 30-win plateau. The Bucaneers advanced as far as the Big South semifinals before their season ended. Christian earned All-Big South first team honors as a first baseman. Even though Christian’s college career is over, her name will loom large on the program as she owns those handful of single season records, but also holds the career record for home runs at CSU with 43 hit in just three years and career slugging and on-base percentages are the best in school history as well. Suffice it to say, Christian made a huge impact when she transferred to CSU. ✖
HOW TO GET A PHYSICAL COPY OF SCRIMMAGE PLAY Step 1 :: Click here and head to the MagCloud version of the magazine. It’s going to look like this below:
BELOW » Buckingham County graduate Marci Christian set a slew of school records at Charleston Southern University after an impressive senior showing . (CSU sports infortmaion)
Step 2 :: Click the Buy Print button next to the magazine and follow instructions to order Step 3 :: Wait patiently by your mailbox Step 4 :: When it arrives, take it out and read or stash away to your heart’s delight!
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? college Selection Story by Bart Isley and Ryan Yemen ][ photos by ashley thornton The college search process can be intimidating. There are a lot of different schools, a lot of campus options, a lot of places to consider. Throw in athletics and suddenly that decision gets quite a bit more complicated. If you want to play sports at the next level or even consider it, a whole new wrinkle enters the picture and can alter the entire landscape. In the following pages, we take a look at a number of recent Central Virginia graduates who have made a commitment to college athletics. We explore some of the reasons they picked those schools and some of the ways they made it happen. Welcome to Scrimmage Play’s first College Selection.
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THE IVY LEAGUES THERE’S A MASTERY TO USING athletics as a tool. Some of the best high school coaches in Central Virginia talk about sports that way. There is a tiny list of local athletes who have been able to make a career of playing the sport they love. There is a much more extensive list of local athletes who have used their particular sport to put them on a path to success in life by getting into a top-notch college. Maybe even a college they wouldn’t be able to get into without that sport. Using your sport as a path to an Ivy League education is a perfect example of that. Several local athletes made that journey happen this year. Woodberry Forest running back H.T. Minor is headed to Columbia to play football. Western Albemarle runner Annie Taylor is bound for Cornell, where her brother David, another former Western runner, is also a part of the Big Red Bear stable of distance athletes. A trio of STAB athletes is also headed to members of the Ancient Eight, with Julia Haney bound for Princeton’s girls lacrosse program (teammate Annie Cory will follow next year) while Parker Morris and Jake Allen will play baseball at Cornell and Harvard respectively. “A lot of it was reaching out to those coaches,” Allen said. “You can’t let them come to you in the Ivy League just because recruiting is so different for them. I guess the advice I’d give is to study hard, work hard and make sure you do your homework on those schools.” Ivy League institutions don’t offer athletic scholarships, but according to a 2011 piece in the New York Times, adjustments in the last few years to the way financial aid is handled at member schools has helped the Ivies’ athletic programs bring in elite athletes that previously wouldn’t have been able to afford to attend. Locally, there’s been an increase of late of players heading to the Ivies like STAB baseball’s David Spinosa to Columbia, Albemarle runner Ryan Thomas heading to Columbia and Blue Ridge basketball’s Darryl Smith going to Cornell. It’s not an easy process still despite the financial aid changes. There’s a different waiting period and nothing is completely official until late in those athletes’ senior years, much as it is for non-athlete students. That means student-athletes really have to trust the process because there’s an outside chance that something will fall through late in the game. “Coach (Chris) Sailer, who’s going to be my coach at Princeton, knows her stuff,” Haney said. “She only recruits players that she’s confident in but I definitely did have to trust the process. I had so much to look forward to and I didn’t want to mess anything up. I was never worried because (Sailer) had so much faith in me.” This year’s group of Ivy-bound athletes is the largest in recent memory and is an impressive group. They’re student athletes who’ve succeeded on and off the field and now they’ll get a chance to do more of that at some of the world’s most elite schools. “The opportunities that it’s going to build for me, I’m just so excited to dive into everything I can there,” Haney said. ✖
Above, Jake Allen will play baseball for Harvard next spring.
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Picking The sport
Above, Albemarle’s Cameron Green chose to play lacrosse at the University of DC.
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MAKE NO MISTAKE, choosing what sport to play in college is a pretty good problem to have. In a world where specialization seems to be running rampant, there simply aren’t as many multi-sport standouts as there used to be. That makes the collegiate athletic deciscion considerably less complicated for some. It’s an added wrinkle for those who excel in different sports. Again, these are good problems to have though. It means you’ve stuck with at least two sports, dedicating a great deal of time, energy and effort to them, and you’ve been able to play them at a pretty high level. But all that invested time and effort actually makes that decision to pick one over the other a pretty tough on to piece through. Albemarle’s Cameron Green had to make that selection, choosing between pursuing football or lacrosse at the next level. Green was a standout defensive back for the Patriots and even emerged as a deepball threat on offense as a senior. But when it came time to set his course, he opted to keep a stick in his hand and head to the University of the District of Columbia’s fledgling lacrosse program. “It was a tough decision deciding between football and lacrosse,” Green said. “Lacrosse is a passion of mine and I just decided it was the right sport for me.” Part of that decision was the fact that in football he’d have to specialize as a defensive back while in lacrosse he can make an impact all over the field for the Firebirds. “It’s the ability to play both offense and defense that excites me,” Green said. “At UDC I’ll get a chance to play both offensive and defensive middie. I’ll get to help my team on both sides.” Green chose the urban campus in D.C. as his destination for some key reasons, including coach Scott Urick. “He’s got a great background, a great lacrosse background,” Green said. “Going up there and visiting, the guys were really excited. I could see the program was building really quickly.” UDC has already tapped into Central Virginia with Blue Ridge alums Chase Fraser and Quinton Pavon playing big roles on the team. Now the Firebirds have their sites set on taking the next step. Green may be just the man to help, which could make UDC particularly grateful that he chose lacrosse. ✖
ACADEMIC EDGE
S P O N S O R E D
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ALBEMARLE’S JULIA HARTMAN
Albemarle girls lacrosse got a big-time season from senior Julia Hartman this spring, and it helped boost the Patriots to the state semifinals. The senior attacker even had a monster game in Albemarle’s heartbreaking loss to Deep Run in the Region 5A South title game, scoring five goals in the quadruple overtime thriller. Hartman also set the pace for the Patriots in the classroom, earning Academic All-American honors in the process. She’ll head to the University of Virginia this fall.
ABOUT HARGRAVE MILITARY ACADEMY Hargrave believes individual achievement is a gamechanger for all students, both on and off the field. With a college acceptance rate of 100% and a heavy emphasis on academics, your son will have competitive advantages ahead of his peers including leadership and character development.
The Academic athlete of the issue is selected by Scrimmage Play’s staff with the consultation of coaches and athletic directors. To nominate an athlete email info@scrimmageplay.com
1-800-432-2480 | WWW.HARGRAVE.EDU I M P R O V E D G R A D E S / 1 0 0 % C O L L E G E A C C E P TA N C E F I N D U S O N FA C E B O O K
Division Three
Above, Covenant catcher Gus Rose is headed to Roanoke College.
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SURE, COLLEGE IS A CHANCE to keep playing the sport you love. But when you can do that in a program that’s on the rise and get the chance to help transform a program and build a legacy, that’s a pretty unique opportunity. It’s a chance to do something special. Roanoke College’s baseball program appears to be that kind of program, having won 17 games last season, the second-most in the program’s existence, while nudging above .500 for the first time in team history. The Maroons are quite clearly a program on the rise, and under fourth-year coach Matt McGuire the team seems poised to take the next step and start competing for championships. That opportunity helped Roanoke attract a pair of local baseball standouts in the class of 2015 to join the program, with Covenant’s Jared Soisson and Gus Rose heading south. Both teammates pointed to the chance to be a part of that upward trajectory as a major factor in their decision. “They’re definitely on the rise, a lot of good athletes coming in this year,” Rose said. “I’m really looking forward to building that even higher.” For Soisson, it’s a chance to leave a lasting mark. “I was looking at a few schools and this was the one that was building up,” Soisson said. “That’s something that’s great to be a part of so you can leave a legacy behind you.” Rose and Soisson will join some other locals at Roanoke with Western’s Eli Sumpter, Monticello’s Will Decker and Connor Lilley and another Covenant alum, Clark Crutchfield all slated to be back for the Maroons. Sumpter’s experience at the school is worth noting. At Western he was a standout leadoff hitter and defensive stalwart. At Roanoke he’s developed into an excellent relief pitcher and there’s been no better showcase for just how much his game has changed than American Legion Virginia State Tournament where he won MVP honors for his work as Albemarle Post 74’s closer. “Going to college and playing better competition has enchanced my baseball IQ,” Sumpter said. “So I’m noticing a lot more of the little things that go on in baseball. Coming back and playing (in Legion) I know I’m bringing more to the table than I had last year.” This entire group of locals will get a shot at pushing things forward for Roanoke together, and that’s a unique chance. Never underestimate the opportunity of getting playing time, or like in Sumpter’s case, a chance to explore a new opportunity. ✖
Walking On in Division I UVA BASKETBALL COACH TONY BENNETT talks a lot about servanthood. It’s one of his program’s five pillars, and for Bennett it’s about embracing your role and doing whatever it takes to make your team better. There may not be any better example of servanthood in big-time college sports than the walk-on, and two of Bennett’s own walk-ons the last couple of years were local products Jeff Jones of St. Anne’s-Belfield and Maleek Frazier of Covenant. Walk-ons play largely for the love of the game, as their participation doesn’t come with a scholarship. It doesn’t come with much playing time. It doesn’t come with a lot of headlines or points. The reward is in the process of making their teammates better players -- helping them maximize their abilities. “What we do every day is the most enjoyable (part),” Jones said during the Cavaliers’ 2015 trip to the NCAA tournament. “It’s (about doing) what’s asked of us and we just go out there and do it.” Jones (who earned second team All-Scrimmage Play honors at STAB as a senior point forward for the Saints), Frazier and the other UVa men’s hoops walk-on group that also includes Woodberry Forest alum Caid Kriven are affectionately known as the “green team.” Their job is to push the Cavaliers’ top players in practice by running the impending opponent’s system and emulating their defensive style to try and disrupt the Cavaliers’ offense. Frazier had to work his way into being able to contribute in that way, though he’s been a part of the program from the time he arrived on campus. “My first two years I managed (because) I wasn’t at that level to be able to come into practice and contribute as much as the team needs,” Frazier said. “I definitely had to work hard to get to that level and be a contributing member of the team.” The work doesn’t stop there. Being a walk-on for a team like Virginia is a major mental challenge. Each week you’re getting a crash course in one or two styles of play and you’re being asked to emulate that style at a high level to give the Cavaliers’ first team a good look. “Like for Belmont (UVa’s first-round NCAA opponent) we were shooting a lot on the scout team so we could kind of have the green light for any shot that we want to take in practice,” Frazier said. Sticking with basketball without the potential personal accolades or significant playing time takes an incredible determination and a pure love of the game. That’s at the heart of both Jones and Frazier’s work as walk-ons. “When I was at Covenant, I just really loved basketball,” Frazier said. “I loved our team and coach (Ben) D’Alessandro had this mentality of
STAB graduate Jeff Jones now plays for the University of Virginia.
making us work harder whether it was basketball on the court or in the classroom. I just brought that with me, I knew whatever I wanted to do I wanted to work hard at it.” Walking on to a top-tier collegiate basketball squad may not be the first role or situation that many high school athletes think about when they think about playing college sports. But Jones and Frazier have gotten to enjoy some incredible highs along the way, including backto-back ACC regular season championships, an ACC tournament title in 2014 and two straight trips to the NCAA tournament, including the 2014 Sweet Sixteen appearance. “It’s a great chance,” Jones said. “I was never going to be on a top-five, Division I national-title contender basketball team (as a scholarship player). Which is just crazy to think about. It’s been a great ride for me.” And perhaps a path that more high school athletes from Central Virginia should consider emulating. ✖
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Coming from a small school
Above, Tandem’s Scottie Chambers was the first Badger to sign a NLI.
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FOR MOST PLAYERS, the path has been blazed ahead of them when it comes to playing college sports. Someone in the program has played at the next level in some capacity, so unless you’re at a relatively new school, it’s hard to be a pioneer. Central Virginia has its share of small schools, particularly on the private school spectrum. Miller and Tandem Friends fit that bill where there are only but so many programs, so many participants, so many opponents. There are also a handful of small private schools locally that don’t have athletic programs like the Renaissance School or Murray. Nonetheless, that doesn’t prohibit the standouts at those schools from getting a chance to pursue collegiate opportunities on the athletic end of things. Just because you’re at a small school doesn’t mean there aren’t avenues to continue playing. Scottie Chambers is a pioneer in that regard. Chambers was the first Tandem athlete to sign a national letter of intent to play at the next level when he signed in May to become a part of the Pfeiffer University basketball program. Chambers is a pretty good example of maximizing one’s opportunities. Despite the Quakers’ relative lack of college-athlete-producing history, he stood out and Pfeiffer found him, creating an opportunity that only a handful of Tandem athletes have enjoyed. And it’s pretty clear that being at Tandem actually helped shape his collegiate choice. “It’s a small school, I can get to know my teachers better,” Chambers said. “It reminds me a lot of Tandem. It felt like a good place to go.” Chambers transferred to Tandem from Charlottesville and found an ideal academic and athletic environment for him that allowed him to flourish. “It was a big difference,” Chambers said. “Going to class and hearing a teacher (versus) going to class and knowing a teacher. If you have trouble you can talk to them and ask for help.” Over two seasons he averaged 19.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.9 steals per game while handling a lot of the load on both ends of the court as a ball-handler and defender. While he knows he’s got work to do to compete at the next level with a big jump in competition ahead of him, he seems ready for the challenge. “(Pfeiffer is) real competitive, they went to the conference semifinals last year,” Chambers said. “I have to get my jumpshot down, I’ll be practicing my 3-point shot and my pull-up jumper over the summer.” Spoken like a true trailblazer. ✖
Heading Out west GOING FAR FROM HOME for college can be a serious challenge. A lot of high schoolers won’t even consider a school halfway across the country. St. Anne’s-Belfield girls lacrosse standout Audrey Schreck was pretty sure from the jump that going to the University of Denver wasn’t going to be a problem for her, even with a number of options available closer to home. “Honestly every aspect of it attracted me to Denver,” Schreck said. “The closer schools that recruited me I really enjoyed and them being close helped me think about them. (But) Denver sold me. For the school, for the athletics, for the coaches...I loved the outdoors so honestly the place itself was perfect.” Sure, it doesn’t hurt that Denver is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful, livable places in the United States with easy access to all that the Rocky Mountains have to offer. But Schreck knows too that that far from home, having a support system nearby is an important part of the puzzle. “I grew up in California so for some family, the flight is just two hours away,” Schreck said. “And my mom’s best friend lives in Denver and she’s like my mom away from home. I have a close relationship with her. If I need a homecooked meal she’s right there.” Schreck is joining one of the nation’s fastest-rising women’s programs. The Pioneers earned the program’s first NCAA tournament berth in 2014 where they advanced to the round of 16. Schreck was sold in part on what the coaching staff envisions for the program and the plans they have in place. Denver’s men’s lacrosse squad won the 2015 national title, proving that the institution has the capacity to compete for championships. For Schreck though, it’s not just what’s on the field that matters. She’s taking a big leap heading west, and she’s fired up about the possibilities. “It’s very exciting,” Schreck said. “I’m pretty independent so that’s why it wasn’t super-worrisome to go so far. It’s exciting to be on my own, and grow up and do my own thing.” ✖ Above, STAB’s Audrey Schreck is heading west to attend school at Denver University.
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Building A legacy
Above, Kendall Ballard is heading to play field hockey for Ohio University.
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SIBLINGS AND ATHLETICS. They go hand-in-hand, don’t they? The argument could easily be made that sibling rivalry is at the heart of every competitor, assuming they aren’t only children of course. Katherine and Kendall Ballard never got to play with each other at Charlottesville because of the age gap — Katherine was a senior in college when Kendall was in sixth grade. So for the younger Kendall, Katherine was more of a diety athletically than a rival. She was a mentor, and apparently a pretty good one. It’s safe to say that field hockey runs in their blood though as both wound up as All-State players that carried Charlottesville during their respective times with the school. So when the elder sister showed up at the younger sister’s signing day back in November, it was a special moment between siblings. “That was awesome that she came down just to see me sign a piece of paper,” Ballard said. “She taught me everything I know, ever since I was back in elementary school I would follow her around.” What made it more special? Well, in 2009, Katherine Ballard signed to play hockey for Ohio University. During her four years with the Bobcats, she scored 22 goals and she was All-MAC during her junior and senior season. She wore the number nine during her collegiate career. This fall, another Ballard will be sporting number nine and also be playing for Ohio University. “I wore her number through high school and now I can’t wait to do that through college,” Ballard said. Getting Kendall to Ohio wasn’t as easy as a task as you’d think. The problem for the Bobcats early on was that she was so good for the Black Knights there were plenty of suitors including Penn State and Syracuse. Eventually though, Ohio was able to draw Ballard’s undivided attention. “Ohio made me an offer I could not refuse,” Ballard said. “I know I love the school. I just feel like Ohio is a lot like CHS. It’s like home. It’s like family.” With Ballard coming in, it keeps the lineage of a Jefferson District field hockey player at the school going. Last fall, Western Albemarle graduate (2010) L.P. Desch, a former Scrimmage Play and Jefferson District field hockey player of year, finished up her career with the Bobcats after transferring from Old Dominion in 2011. Now it’s Ballard’s turn to represent the JD in Ohio. Establishing legacies at schools isn’t uncommon for a lot of families. Doing it through athletics though, that’s no easy task. Regardless, having an older sibling who’s gone through the recruiting process makes a big difference. And in this case, Ohio is awfully happy that they had Katherine in their corner to help land a deal with Kendall, the Scrimmage Play Career Achievement award winner for the class of 2015. ✖
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FCS Football Experience
Above, Griffin Davis is one of many former Mustangs to head to William and Mary.
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SO MUCH GETS put into the idea of being a Division I athlete — and by all rights, it is an accomplishment. But as time goes on, the Division I-AA experience — or the Football Championship Subdivision experience — often becomes a better opportunity. As Appalachian State showed in 2006 when it defeated Michigan in the Big House, or in 2010 when James Madison took down Virginia Tech in Lane Stadium, the gap between the FBS and FCS schools is not what it was 20 years ago. Many local athletes are figuring that out and William and Mary has been all too willing to recruit out of Central Virginia. The run down is actually pretty impressive — Bryan Stinnie (St. Anne’s-Belfield, 2008), Quincey September (STAB, 2009), Michael Graham (Monticello, 2009), Daniel Kuzjak (Western Albemarle, 2012), Jahlil Mosley (Monticello, 2012) and now one of Monticello’s most recent graduates, Griffin Davis, the 2014 Jefferson District Defensive Player of the Year. “When I visited I just felt like I had a strong connection with the coaches, with my new teammates,” Davis said of his decision to stay in state and play in Williamsburg. “Knowing I had friends, it helped knowing I could look forward and see them. We have an alumni base coming out of there and that helped make my decision.” And for many of the local athletes that wind up at playing for the Tribe, the sell is simple — it’s not too far from home, the academics are strong making a degree from William and Mary worth quite a bit, and finally that the school is a member of arguably the best conference in the FCS, the Colonial Athletic Association, which houses JMU and Richmond as well. “Obviously academics is a huge part of what they sell,” Davis said. “You’re talking about strong academics and a great football program. So yea, I wanted to go there to be able to make an impact academically and athletically.” The sell is the same at James Madison and Richmond, another pair of solid football programs that boast solid academics. Orange County standout Quintin Hunter (2009) finished his collegiate career at JMU and the Dukes brought in Charlottesville speedster Rashard Davis (2013) and Fork Union defensive end Brett Seigel (2013) and STAB’s Aaron Stinnie (2013). At Richmond, Woodberry alumnus KG Gaskins (2008) enjoyed a standout career and Fluvanna County’s Dashon Tibbs (2013) currently plays for the Spiders. The spread of local athletes between those three CAA schools helps elevate the interest in playing for incoming recruits. “The CAA is a great conference and there’s a lot of competition and I’m so looking forward to playing for the Tribe and trying to take down the rivals,” Davis said. “It’s just a great conference to be in at the FCS level and I couldn’t be happier that’s where I’m heading.” With each local athlete that heads to play at the FCS level in the state of Virginia, further interest grows from the youth that follows behind. The Griffin Davis’ at the William and Mary’s of the world has helped both the high school programs locally, and the colleges in the Commonwealth. It’s a win-win for everyone. And on top of it all, it’s an exceptional football experience. ✖
TEAM SPOTLIGHT COVENANT SCHOOL Most camps cost money, but not all of them. The Covenant School hosted a week of free basketball camps open to the public, K-5 this summer to help promote the sport and give back to the community. Great job Eagles. Open clinics like yours are an important piece of this area and help promote importance of philanthropy towards today’s youth. Keep up the good work!
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Best of luck to our 2015 student athletes as they embark on their college careers. Jake Allen
Baseball
Harvard University
TaylorAnne Barry
Women’s Soccer
Randolph-Macon College
Jeremy Benner
Baseball
Sewanee – The University of the South
Fritz Berry
Men’s Lacrosse
Trinity College
Molly Brooks
Women’s Squash
Bates College
Sadie Bryant
Women’s Lacrosse
Gardner-Webb University
Eric Buhle
Men’s Lacrosse
University of Richmond
Emily Carden
Women’s Lacrosse
Washington & Lee University
Gideon Elron
Men’s Lacrosse
Wesleyan University
Julia Haney
Women’s Lacrosse
Princeton University
Khalig Howard
Men’s Lacrosse
Denison University
Lang McNeely
Men’s Lacrosse
Rhodes College
Parker Morris
Baseball
Cornell University
Rhys Nordstrom
Men’s Squash
Bard College
Austin Park
Men’s Lacrosse
Amherst College
Lee Parkhill
Football
Christopher Newport University
Brodie Phillips
Men’s Lacrosse
Dickinson College
Rob Schotta
Men’s Lacrosse
Denison University
Audrey Schreck
Women’s Lacrosse
University of Denver
Bredt Stockwell
Football
Sewanee – The University of the South
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Game Time Fairview wins JSL title By Bart Isley
After battling it out in the 13-14 year old girls 100-freestyle, Crozet runner-up Colleen Farabaugh (right) congratulates Fluvanna Aquatics winner Hannah Brown. (Tom Pajewski)
19 :: @scrimmageplay
Depth led the way for the Fairview Swim Club in 2015. With just three high-point winners in any age group (with two of those coming in the same age group via a tie), the Seahorses managed to put together their second-straight Jefferson Swim League Championships title and the club’s 24th championship in 25 years. Fairview’s high point winners were Nick Switzer in the boys 15-18 year old group and Lucas Smith and Leo Tutovani’s tie in the boys 11-12 age group. Switzer swam on the 200-medley relay championship team that set a new JSL record, combining with Hogan Harper, Matt McHugh and John Messimer for the victory. Switzer also won the 50-breast, finishing just three-tenths off the record, and the 50-backstroke, while also snagging third in the 50-butterfly behind champion Bryan Hynes, a St. Anne’s-Belfield swimmer during the high school season. The Seahorses got runner-up high-point finishes from a quartet of female athletes in Gabby Tosi (13-14), Claire Moody (11-12), Laura Sikman (9-10) and Lucille Nicholson (8 and under). Crozet’s club finished second overall with 2,163.75 points while Boar”s Head put together an impressive third place showing with 2,094 points. The Boar’s Head got a huge boost in the boys 13-14 age group where August Lamb took the high-point award after a record breaking performance while teammate Noah Hargrove snagged the runner-up spot. Throw in a runner-up highpoint performance by Jackson Schundler for Boar’s Head in the 9-10 age group and it’s pretty clear how that squad boosted itself within striking distance for a championship. Aaron James also put together a boys 15-18 high point runner-up finish. The Western Albemarle standout placed second in the 100-IM, won the 50-free, won the 100-free
and swam on Boar’s Head’s third place 200free relay squad that took third. Forest Lakes’ girls swept the girls high point awards’ top two spots, with Maggie Woods winning the award while teammate Megan Jones took the runner-up slot. Both Jones and Woods swim for Albemarle High. Jones took the high-point title with a runner-up swim on the 200-medley squad, a third place in the 50-freestyle, a runner-up slot in the 50-breaststroke and a second place in the 100-free. Another Patriot and Forest Lakes standout, Maren Weathersby, tied Tosi for the runner-up high-point finisher in the girls 13-14 group. A slew of records were set at the meet as well. Fluvanna Aquatics’ Abby Harlow set new girls 100-freestyle and 100-IM records in the 11-12 year old group. Charlottesville City’s Avery Huang set new marks in the girls 9-10 age group in both the 100-freestyle and 100-IM. Fairview’s Tutovani set two new standards in the boys 11-12 age group, one in the 100-freestyle and the other in the 50free. Smith from Fairview set a new mark in the 50-backstroke and Sikman is now the record holder in the 9-10 girls 50-back. Thomas Heilman of Crozet’s squad broke the 50-free record for eight and under swimmers and tied the mark for the 25-butterfly. Boar’s Head’s Lamb set a new mark in the boys 13-14 100-free and 50-free. Colt Bloxsom set a new 25-backstroke record for the 9-10 year old boys. Even the relays weren’t exempt from the record-breaking. Six teams set new relay marks, with the Fairview 9-10 girls 200-medley team, the Fluvanna girls 11-12 200-medley relay, Fairview boys 11-12 200-medley, Fairview girls 15-18 200-free, Fairview boys 15-18 200-medley and the Fairview six and under mixed freestyle relay all setting new marks. ✖
See a photograph you like? Defensive stand Warriors goalie has more than one trick | By Ryan Yemen
At Scrimmage Play we pride ourselves on offering the best possible graphics Two years ago the Western Albemarle boys to Shin, who doubles as a Junior National Judo soccer team get was fueled its underclassmen medalist, we can our byhands on, in both our but has developed into one of the with sophomores and freshman bearing the area’s most versatile goalkeepers. magazine as well as at our website at brunt of the work load. The netminder has shown he’s capable of Now two years later, forwards Aaron Myers making big saves, particularly in the team’s www.scrimmageplay.com and Alex Nolet, as well as senior defender two ties. In the first game of the season, Tom Rogers are all in their senior seasons and looking to earn a Region II bid, something that Orange County snatched away from them in the Jefferson District semifinals last season. After the first month of play, the Warriors seem to have the defensive side of the equation figured out and junior goalkeeper Kai Shin is a big part of that. Before Western went on its spring break, none of its four opponents were able to score more than once, a testament to the team’s play in the middle of the field, but also a nod
Shin endured wave after wave of Albemarle attack, but stood tall and showed no rust in the 1-1- tie. But while Shin’s on the field because he can make stops, his strong leg has also been of great use as he’s able to easily clear the zone but also spark fast breaks all by himself. The Warriors averaged a little over two goals per contest before the break, but if that average starts to increase, don’t be surprised if it’s because of Shin’s ability to contribute to the transition game. ✖
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Western Albemarle’s Kai Shin hauls in a shot during his team’s 1-1 tie with Albemarle that kicked off the soccer season for both squads. (Frank Crocker)
Success stories begin here.
Success Story: Danny Aiken It’s without question the most specific and specialized job in football, and it takes unconventional skill and a special type of commitment. Long snappers might have one of the most interesting jobs in sports, and at the professional level, there are only 32 positions available, making it one of the hardest gigs to land. Danny Aiken came to John Shuman’s Fork Union’s postgraduate football team in 2006 where he began to focus on the position in addition to his role as a tight end. During his high school career, the Roanoke native played at Cave Spring where he was a quarterback and led the Knights to a 10-2 record as a senior, but was unable to acquire college offers at that position. After one season with the Blue Devils, Aiken was able to grab an offer from Virginia as a long snapper. Aiken appeared in each and every Cavaliers game including his freshman year in
2007 where he was flawless on 134 of his 140 snaps. By 2010 many NFL scouts had Aiken ranked as the top long snapping prospect in the country as he could snap at a ball up to 45 miles an hour and on average, could put the ball into a punters hand in 0.67 seconds. As a result, when the NFL lockout finished up in 2011 Aiken was scooped up by the Buffalo Bills, cut but then picked up by the New England Patriots. In his first three seasons as a Patriot, he played in all 48 regular season games and also the team’s seven postseason games. He was resigned by New England at the start of the 2014 season and earned a Super Bowl ring as the Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks. There might only be 32 long snappers in the league, but Aiken is now entrenched as one of them thanks to his time at Fork Union.
Fork Union Military Academy is the leading Christian military boarding school for boys in grades 6 - 12 and PG. www.forkunion.com — 1-800-GO-2-FUMA
Overtime
A Practical summer
Former high school athletes pick up meaningful work
I
worked a string of typical summer jobs during high school and college. Camp counselor? Check. Waiter? Check. Go-cart track operator? Check. Sure, maybe the last one isn’t that typical, but it was outside and about as easy as a job could possibly get. Once, rap mogul Master P rented out the park for his son Lil’ Romeo’s AAU basketball team and I had to tell Lil’ Romeo to slow down when coming through the station. He did not listen to me, probably because he was Lil’ Romeo and I was not. One thing all those jobs have in common is that they didn’t do much for my career after college. Sure, in small ways, they helped. I learned I didn’t want to be a teacher through being a camp counselor. I learned a lot about customer service as a waiter. In four years of college though, I didn’t work a summer internship. I didn’t use that time to explore fields I was interested in. In fact, it took until the very end of my third year in college for me to do any job that was helping push me toward a career and that was pretty clearly a misstep on my part. That’s why it was refreshing to see several former student-athletes that we’ve covered over the years exploring something they’re interested in by working as interns for the Charlottesville TomSox this summer. The debut season of Charlottesville’s new baseball team that’s part of the Valley League, an offseason college wood bat league, was made possible in part because of the work of a slew of former local high school athletes. From marketing to operations to on field entertainment, that group gained valuable experience and checking out a different side of the sports world. “I’m hoping to get into this side of sports,” said Colin Meissner. “I could go lifeguard at a pool and make some money this summer or I could do this and it’s something I enjoy.” Meissner played lacrosse at St. Anne’s-Belfield and now attends Elon University where he’s a strategic communications major with a minor in sport and event management. He served during the season as the Tom Sox’s in-game host and prior to the season helped with marketing efforts and partnerships. “Getting to work and see how a baseball team is run and how everything happens, it’s been an awesome experience,” Meissner said. Alora Henry, a former Western Albemarle girls basketball and lacrosse player, served as an operations intern for the Tom Sox this season. She was responsible for helping with the nuts and bolts of running the game, excluding the work on the actual field, which is handled by the Tom Sox’s players. The internship helped Henry in a number of ways, including one she didn’t really expect. “It really helps with connections because there are so many different people on the board of our team,” Henry said. “It’s been an interesting experience getting to know those people and other things they’re involved with in Charlottesville.” Teddy Wooten is a former runner from Monticello and now attends James Madison. He has one of the more unique roles for a Tom Sox intern. “I usually am the mascot, I’m the Chik-fil-a cow, so I have to race at least once a game,” Wooten said, referring to the running of the mascots against a variety of opponents, a facet the Tom Sox have borrowed to great success from the Major Leagues.
“I didn’t work a summer internship. I didn’t use that time to explore field I was interested in.” Despite donning a heavy suit in the heat and humidity, Wooten pointed to a solid work atmosphere as one of the hallmarks of the experience. “Overall it’s been really nice to have a wide variety of people to work with,” Wooten said. Other Tom Sox college interns that used to play high school sports in Central Virginia included Monticello alums Reid Dickerson, Jonathan Van Dyke and Cal Mincer, Charlottesville’s William Stevens and Western Albemarle alum Katie Lesemann. They’ve filled any number of roles, from driving ATVs and running errands around the complex at Charlottesville High to hanging outfield banners for Tom Sox sponsors. They’ve surely learned a great deal in the process. They’ve at least learned more than they would’ve trying to stop Lil’ Romeo from speeding down a go cart track. ✖
Bart Isley,
CRE ATIVE DIRECTOR
back talk » 22 :: @scrimmageplay
What are great summer gigs for students? Contact Bart: bart@scrimmageplay.com
LOADING 26 05 chAngE on thE vollEybAll court
26 Find thAt scholArship
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vol 5 . issue 2 :: august 26, 2013
2 0 1 4
For Volleyball hed: Serving it Up deck: Photo: One of the smoke-ball shots
Alter Egos Four of the area’s best can change the game in the blink of an eye page 7
FOOTBALL PREVIEW
scrımmageplay the central virginia sports authority
vol 6 . issue 1 :: august 25, 2014
A bevy of running backs take over in Central Virginia Page 9
The 2015 Football Preview Coming Soon