17 ALBEMARLE XC
FINISHES STRONG
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Ahead to round two Four teams are left after the first round of the VHSL playoffs. Who has enough left to move on? PAGE 07
VOL 7. ISSUE 6 :: NOVEMBER 19, 2015
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FiniSHeS Strong
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ONE LAST MATCH Goochland volleyball heads to Richmond
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FOUR REMAIN The survivors of the public football playoffs
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A SIMPLE PLAN Albemarle XC snags second at states
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GAME TIME STAB football beats Blue Ridge in state semis
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WIN, LOSS OR TIE Why the WFS/EHS deadlock is a good thing
Ahead to round two VOL 7 . ISSUE 6 :: NOVEMBER 19, 2015
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vol 7. issue 6 :: november 19, 2015
Four teams are left after the first round of the VHSL playoffs. Who has enough left to move on? page 07
S TA F F Bart Isley, Creative Director Bob Isley, Infrastructure Director Ryan Yemen, Creative Editor O N T H E COV E R Monticello’s Daniel Hummel 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
Point, set, match Covenant’s Eleanor Lee warms up prior to the Eagles’ VISAA D2 state semifinal match that Covenant hosted at the PVCC courts. Covenant went on to pick up a win and advance to the state final where the Eagles beat Hampton Roads Academy 5-4 in dramatic fashion. The state title was the first in Covenant’s history in girls tennis. ✖ (Photo by Ashley Thornton)
03 :: @scrimmageplay
ACADEMIC EDGE
S P O N S O R E D
B Y
H A R G R AV E
M I L I TA R Y
A C A D E M Y
MONTICELLO’S BRYCE MCGLOTHLIN
Bryce McGlothin is a critical part of the Monticello offense and defense as a receiver and defensive end. He’s a hard worker on the field, but his effort off the field is arguably more impressive. One B. That’s it. That’s the lowest grade of McGlothin’s high school run in the classroom so far. He has a 4.6 grade point average and is taking five advanced placement courses. He’s in the National Honor Society for Math and Spanish. It’s an impressive resume for a talented athlete, but one that didn’t happen by accident. “I’ve been trained pretty well by my parents,” McGlothlin said. “They’ve shown me that school comes first. They’ve shown me how to study hard so that I can make sure I have a bright future.” The Monticello senior is weighing his choices between Virginia, North Carolina, William and Mary, James Madison, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech. With what he’s done at Monticello, the school that wins out in that decision process is the one that is lucky. McGlothlin makes it look easy juggling both athletics and academics when that’s hardly the case.
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.
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First Quarter
One last match
Goochland volleyball heads to state title bout By Bart Isley
F
Bulldogs senior Madelyn Ott and her team are a win away from a state championship. (Bart Isley)
{ JUST WIN BABY } Goochlands win totals in the last three seasons
25
05 :: @scrimmageplay
K AR A EL DER
21 K201 AR3A ELD ER
201 4
201 5
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or almost every team, it gets harder once you’re in the playoffs. But the leap that Goochland’s volleyball team has to make is particularly challenging.
In a sport that thrives on being in rhythm like volleyball, the Bulldogs find it pretty easy to stay in rhythm during the regular season because in the James River District they rarely face a team even capable of taking a game off Goochland. This year, none of them did. So when Goochland gets into the postseason, particularly in the region tournament, things go from 0 to 60 for the Bulldogs quick. “It’s tough for us,” said Goochland’s Madelyn Ott. It may be tough, but Ott, the Region 2A East and Conference 34 player of the year, has lived through it before. In 2013 and 2014, the Bulldogs ran into a wall in the Region 2A East semifinals. The good thing about that is that when you know the level, when you know the obstacle, it’s easier to attack. It’s easier to plan. It’s easier to focus. Coming into 2015, the Bulldogs were locked in on making sure they got over the hump. “I think during practice we prepared for things like this we play where one side starts down and the other side has to get back up,” Ott said. “Or we scrimmage some of coach (Jennifer) Erixon’s college friends that have graduated already and it really prepares for games like this mentally.” Erixon also did a good job of keeping things interesting, sparking the Bulldogs’ creative fire in the days leading up to the region semifinal match. Whether it was a lineup change or a practice schedule adjustment, she helped keep Goochland alert. Suddenly they didn’t feel quite like they were cruising into the semifinal. “It’s a huge jump (into region play),” Erixon said. “They have been so driven and self-motivated this year which has been very helpful for
me and also very challenging for me. I present all these things in practices and I let them have insight into what they can do and then we go and play teams and win 25-4, 25-7 and 25-10. We don’t really get to practice all these things that we’ve worked on.” That tactic worked nicely and Goochland took nothing for granted. All that hard work paid off when the Bulldogs edged out R.E. Lee 3-1 to in the region semifinals. They won the critical game three that they couldn’t win against Riverheads in 2014, battling from way down to surge and take the win. Then they closed, rolling in game four as Ott continued a 19-kill assault while Alexis Wiggins had a big day at the net and setter Josie Summitt, a four-year starter at that spot who has seen just about everything ran the offense efficiently. “She’s just really calm and she just does a great job,” Ott said. “She’s been a leader for I don’t know how long and she’s just really worked at staying calm under pressure and getting everybody back together.” The Bulldogs followed that with a sweep of Stuarts Draft in the region title game to earn a region title and a home game in the Group 2A semifinals. They then dropped Glenvar 3-0, riding the win over Lee and the ensuing confidence surge right to the Siegel Center and the state final. That win was just that big for Goochland. “I really think it was honestly,” Ott said. “Most of us have been playing together for awhile now and we haven’t made it this far as a team. I think making it this far has really bonded us and when you have a good bond you have a lot of confidence in playing well together.” ✖
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College Update
We’ve gone digital But you can have it in print too!
A pair of former Warriors finish up strong at Randolph-Macon By Ryan Yemen They never lost a Jefferson District match in their time at Western Albemarle. Riley Martin and Katie Rossberg were a force to be reckoned with as they won four straight JD regular season and tournament titles. As it so happens, the two are still playing, and still playing together, now as seniors at Randolph-Macon. A 5-foot-6 setter, Martin broke all the setting records at Western Albemarle before graduating in 2012. She played in all 31 matches for the Yellow Jackets as a freshman. She finished second in assists with 542, while also knabbing 156 digs on defense. Always strong at the service line dating back to high school, Martin had 34 aces to round out a great freshman year. She followed that up by leading the team with 530 assists as a sophomore with 130 digs and 32 aces in 29 matches. Martin’s junior year saw her share time as setter but she still doles out 352 aces with 157 digs, 15 aces. Now a senior, she’s got 534 assists to her name and sits in fifth place for most assists all-time at Randolph-Macon. She’s
also in the top-10 for aces in a career. Rossberg, just like Martin, got started early for RMC. She had 113 kills as a freshman to go with 14 blocks and 45 digs. The 6-foot-1 outside hitter broke through as a sophomore with 243 kills to finish second for the Yellow Jackets. She also had 273 digs and 27 aces. As a junior she again was second on the team in kills with 325. She was third for digs with 280 and fourth in blocks with 26. Her 32 aces were second best as well. To keep things consistent, she’s second on the team with 359 kills as a senior, which is the seventh best total in Randolph-Macon history. She sits ninth all time for kills and was a first team All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference selection. Of course, those are the individual accomplishments. The senior duo has pushed Randolph-Macon into the NCAA Division 3 quarterfinals for the first time in school history. Warriors, Yellow Jackets, it doesn’t seem to matter who Martin and Rossberg play for, their teams just find a way to win. ✖
BELOW » Riley Martin (above the trophy) and Katie Rossberg (immediately right of the trophy) celebrate the Yellow Jackets’ NCAA quarterfinal berth. (Randolph-Macon Sports Information)
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FOUR REMAIN 7 :: @scrimmageplay
One week in the books, another rests ahead for the four surviving Central Virginia public schools. The four teams playing at home last week all advanced. There are two Jefferson District and two James River District teams left. Here’s what they face going forward. STORY BY BART ISLE Y AND RYAN YEMEN PHOTOS BY ASHLEY THORNTON, JIM RIDOLPHI AND RYAN YEMEN
Buckingham P. 09 Goochland P. 11
Round Two
Monticello P. 13 Western P. 15
FOR THE FOURTH SEASON IN A ROW, these four programs have found the second round of the VHSL playoffs. In so many ways, these four teams — Buckingham County, Goochland, Monticello and Western Albemarle — have been the model of consistency. The two James River District teams to advance are built on physical rushing attacks, with Goochland bringing a touch of unusual balance this season. The two Jefferson District teams left are versatile offenses with strong quarterbacks who can throw and run, and feature great athletes at the skill positions. It’s do or die for a group of seniors. Buckingham’s Leon Ragland has put together one of the best seasons we’ve ever seen from a running back behind a great offensive line led by Dyzhawn Perkins. Goochland quarterback Reid Chenault is the wild card for a Wing-T offense that has found its groove. Monticello’s defense, led by seniors Michael Crenshaw and Daniel Hummel, has embraced a change in philosophy in just the last month. And Western, with the core in tact from last year, is watching quarterback Sam Hearn and running back Oliver Herndon flourish once again. Three years in a row, these same four have been left standing. Three years ago, Goochland won a Group 2A state title. Two years ago Buckingham made it to the Group 2A final four. Last year Western Albemarle made a run to the Group 3A semifinals. Does one or more of these four have it in them to represent Central Virginia for a fourth straight year with a deep playoff run?
www.scrimmageplay.com :: 8
BUCKINGHAM THE BUCKINGHAM COUNTY COACHING STAFF can’t come out and say it, but we will for them — the Knights got jobbed in the playoff seeding. A team that went perfect through the James River District and didn’t lose after its season opening loss — a 14-7 one at that against the top seed in the Region 2A West playoffs in Appomattox, mind you — should not be heading on the road in the second week of the playoffs. But sometimes things like this happen. The Knights had an exceptional regular season, their best since 2009. However, they happen to be on the side of the group that is simply stacked. Any other year and this team might be the top-ranked squad. With that said, in the last two years the Knights have not let seeding faze them. Their run to the Group 2A final four was done mostly on the road, and a good chunk of the senior talent on this roster was integral in that run. When you’re built like Buckingham which is outstanding defensively and physically dynamic in the rushing game on offense, the venue doesn’t matter. If you haven’t been paying attention, running back Leon Ragland is
BREAKFAST When you run like Buckingham does, it means the offensive line is getting it done. Here are the season total of pancakes for the big guys up front.
PERKINS | MOORE | REST OF TEAM 9 :: @scrimmageplay
59.5
36 PANCAKES 38.5
KEY PLAYERS:
RAJHEEM HOLMAN, MICHAEL MABRY, DYZHAWN PERKINS, LEON RAGLAND ANTHONEE MOORE, BJ GOUGH
moving up the Central Virginia and VHSL record books right now. His 1,896 yards during the regular season not only lead Central Virginia, but have come on fewer than 200 touches. His 39 touchdowns are the best in the area as well, and by double the closest rusher. Ragland’s season is one for the ages, but one recent enough that harkens back to the year that Kenneth Johnson put together two years ago for the Knights. Yet he isn’t alone in toting the ball. Quarterback BJ Gough has 1,328 yards and is responsible for making the reads out of the Knights’ backfield. He’s been the game changer since he took over in week one. He’s 23-for-40 passing with 428 yards with six TD passes to just two interceptions should the Knights decide to work the ball through the air at some point. With the way he and Ragland run the ball, he gets a few chances each week to take advantage of a greedy defense that’s always going to stack nine in the box. Of course that production isn’t an accident. Maybe the most impressive thing the Knights have done is find a way to keep the offensive line in tune with last year despite losing three starters.
Michael Mabry (10) is an all-state lineman that anchors Buckingham’s relentless defense. Buckingham coach Craig Gill has coached the Knights to the second round of the playoffs each of the last six years.
Senior Dyzhawn Perkins leads the way and Anthonee Moore’s play has taken a huge step forward this season along with Kevin Hickman’s. Buckingham might be a run first team, but they do a nice job of changing formations, whether it’s running out of the spread or packing it in and operating out of the team’s favorite approach “Knight set”, the team’s goal line package that often comes out regardless of how far away the goal line is. On the other side of the ball, what can be said? All-Group 2A lineman Michael Mabry is an absolute force on the line and he draws an absurd amount of attention. That’s allowed Sean Ayres to have a breakout year as he leads the team with 9.5 tackles for a loss. Gough has been a tackling machine on the edge with 42.5 tackles and four for a loss to go along with two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. Hunter Edwards’ play at safety has been key for a unit that likes to pin its ears back and get in the back field. He has five passes defended and an interception. Daquarious Holman leads the cornerbacks with his six passes defended and three picks and has timeliness with five fumble recoveries. While Buckingham (10-1) deserves a better matchup than a road trip to Richlands (10-1), they at least have the tools on both sides of the ball. They’ve blown teams out for 10 straight weeks. They’ve got experience, humility and swagger. This is a physical offense and a hard-hitting defense. The Knights play fundamental football. And they have Gough and Ragland, as good of a one-two tandem that Knights have ever had. Two years ago this team faced a similar task in having to travel to Dan River. If Buckingham gets through this road trip, watch out. ✖ www.scrimmageplay.com :: 10
GOOCHLAND THE FIRST SIX WEEKS WERE a roller coaster for Goochland. The last five weeks? Perfection. The loss to Buckingham County on the road is well in rear-view, and the Bulldogs have only been tested once since. Behind a prolific offense that has the ability to grind out the tough yardage, melt away clock, and also sling the ball downfield when the mood strikes — Goochland has the talent on that side of the ball to carry itself to a road trip to play in Salem in December. Reid Chenault was a freshman quarterback splitting time with Jordan Jefferson in 2012 when the Bulldogs last played in Salem and won a Group 2A state title. Now as a senior, the offense flows through him, but in an interesting way. The Bulldogs are who they are — a team dedicated to running the ball out of their single wing offense. That’s never going to change under coach Joe Fowler, and why should it? The Bulldogs had nine playoff wins since 2011 coming into this postseason. So Goochland’s multi-facted rushing game led by Calvin Martin, Wyatt Smith and Marcus Burton is the elephant in the room for any defense looking to slow this team down. Martin averaged nearly a first
THOSE BACKS You might be able to slow one down, but there’s no slowing them all of them down — the committee.
MARTIN | SMITH | BURTON | REST OF TEAM 11 :: @scrimmageplay
745
515 YARDS 435
591
KEY PLAYERS:
REID CHENAULT, CALVIN MARTIN, KK TIMBERLAKE, CORDELL MADDOX, MARCUS BURTON, WYATT SMITH
down per carry during the regular season at 9.7 yards a touch. Burton did nearly the same at 9.1 yards in each rushing attempts. Between Martin, Burton and Smith the Bulldogs have three running backs with 400 yards or more with Martin’s 745 yards and 12 TD’s leading the way. But then there’s that cat-and-mouse game with Chenault. The fact that Goochland ran for 2,286 yards during the regular season is no oddity. It’s that the Bulldogs threw for 1,350 yards that sticks out. Chenault was 79-for-151 with 1,334 yards, 13 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Believe it or not, the bulk of his incompletions came in the team’s losses to Fork Union and Buckingham when the Bulldogs trailed heavily. Cordell Mattox and Scott Carter have given the Bulldogs a pair of 300-yard plus receivers with four touchdowns a piece, both capable of stretching the field for a long pass. Martin is as excellent a receiver as he is a running back and actually leads the team with 20 catches for 270 yards. At the end of the day, Goochland will go as far as its offense will carry it. At a clip of 228.6 rushing yards and 135 passing yards per game
KK Timberlake’s (40) presence on the defensive line is keystone to Goochland’s success on defense. Calvin Martin (3) leads a vaunted Bulldogs rushing attack that is absolutely on fire right now.
and 35.3 points per game, that’s a pretty long way if the defense can pony up too. On the defensive line, KK Timberlake is a 4-year starter who leads the way and was a key part of the state title run three years ago. Goochland has a great defender in Mattox in the secondary and an up-and-comer in Cole Nuckols. The secondary was young coming into the year, but in the regular season, the Bulldogs showed a knack for guarding against the pass, something opposing teams often have to resort to because the Bulldogs offense forces that card with the way they hog the ball. When you’re playing from behind, you have to score in big chunks against this defense. With that said, six different players have hauled in interceptions. What it boils down to with the way the offense rolls, is that this is a defense that just has to bend and not break. It has since the loss to Buckingham, and if it continues to play well, Goochland’s position at the top of the Region will serve it awfully well in these last two weeks of November. By virtue of getting the top seed in Region 2A East, the Bulldogs not only gave themselves a clear path to a good playoff run, they’ll also avoid seeing second-seed Clarke County, a substantial benefit. They face Greensville County which is coming off of back-to-back wins in the regular season finale and first round of the playoffs against Brunswick. The Eagles (7-4) have won big and lost big. Goochland has been there, but as we’ve seen in the second half of the season, that was a bit of a different Bulldog team. Peaking at the right time is key, and with five straight wins to its name, Goochland is sitting fairly pretty, playing host for now and sticking to its modus operandi — the other team can’t score if it doesn’t have the ball. We’ve seen this story before. So do the Bulldogs have another sequel ready roll out? ✖
www.scrimmageplay.com :: 12
MONTICELLO YOU HEAR THE BASKETBALL COACHES TALK about it all the time, and sometimes it translates to football — sometimes a loss is the best thing before the playoffs. The loss that Monticello took on the road just a little less than a month ago came at the hands of Louisa County, 27-7, with the Lions racking up 355 yards and holding the ball for nearly 35 minutes of a 48-minute game. It was a solid helping of humble pie, but one that Monticello has managed to make the most of. Since that October 24th game, the Mustangs have been in playoff mode as they needed wins over Albemarle and Powhatan to close out the regular season to put themselves in decent shape for the Region 3A West playoffs. Nobody questions Monticello’s ability offensively, even if they are in the first year of Jeff Lloyd’s spread attack. The Mustangs have always been gifted on that side of the ball, pretty much since they opened their doors in 1998. Monticello is here in the second week of the playoffs because of their defense right now. In the last three weeks including a 26-0 throttling of Albemarle, the Mustangs have given up just 16 points for an average of 5.3 points per contest.
1,106
THAT BALANCE Under Lloyd, the Monticello passing attack has caught up to the ever-present run game that the Mustangs have always had.
RUSHING | PASSING 13 :: @scrimmageplay
YARDS 1,452
KEY PLAYERS: DARIAN BATES, KEVIN JARRELL, DANIEL HUMMEL, TONY TALBERT, MICHAEL CRENSHAW
Monticello has allowed just two touchdowns in that same span, one of which came late in their Region 3A West opener with Waynesboro where the Mustangs rolled to a 25-6 win. So what’s the big difference? Scheme and personnel according to Lloyd. Since the Louisa loss, the Mustangs have gone to the defensive system that his Kettle Run squads ran, a 3-5-3 scheme. Monticello has a few big bodies up front and a tackling machine in Tony Talbert, but it’s strength is its secondary and in-between type athletes at linebacker that lean more towards speed and agility than size and strength. By going to the 3-5-3 and aggressive play calling that brings a heavy blitz on the edges of the field, Monticello’s swarmed quarterbacks, forced them to be bottled up in the middle and given them very little time to think. With Michael Crenshaw, Austin Haverstrom, Seth Weaver, Syreal Breckenridge, Bryce McGlothlin and Daniel Hummel, the Mustangs have depth and quality at corner and safety — more than enough to play solid man-coverage to open things up for the blitz. On top of that, Hummel has emerged as a solid punter, allowing the Mus-
Monticello’s offense has seen a boost from sophomore Kevin Jarrell’s ability to run and throw at quarterback. The defense, led by its secondary and linebacker Tony Talbert (54) have come on strong the last three weeks.
tangs to create field position advantages. But as great as the defense has been these last three weeks, you don’t win without scoring. Sophomore Kevin Jarrell has put together a breakout season with both his arms and legs. For starters, he’s 84 for 186 passing for 1,155 yards with five touchdowns. He’s only thrown six interceptions. He’s got 599 yards on the ground and 13 rushing TDs. With senior running back Darian Bates with 188 touches 1,009 yards rushing, another 130 yards receiving and 13 total touchdowns, the nucleus of the Monticello offense is solid. The offensive line has the beef to work with between Trevor Haislip, Tony Talbert and Danny Talbert. With that core, the Mustangs have a nice mixture of road graders and pass protectors. With Weaver and Reid Huffman leading the receiving corps, the Mustangs have a strong group of pass catchest that almost mirrors its secondary. The big bonus for the Mustangs as they struggled early in the first half with Waynesboro was seeing just how much their special teams gave them an advantage. Jeanluc Lapierre hits all three of his field goals in the win over the Little Giants, and wasn’t just hitting chip shots. He’s 7-for-11 on the year and has the leg to connect from 40 yards out. That’s huge as with each week passing, each point becomes harder to earn. At this time of year, the field goals, particularly from 30-yards out and more, make a big difference. Monticello (8-3) runs into a tough team in Lord Botetourt (10-1) for its Region 3A West semifinal opponent. But this is a team that opened up with a defending state champion in Lake Taylor. Obviously that was a steep learning curve for this team with a new coach, but Monticello has taken its licks, moved forward and made progress. It will be interesting to see how they meet the next challenge. ✖ www.scrimmageplay.com :: 14
WESTERN EVERYONE TALKS A LOT about improvement. It’s almost a given sometimes among coaches that a player will improve. That they’ll progress as they get older. That their skills will improve, that they’ll shoulder more of the load. How many times has a coach said “Wait until this guy is a senior?” But a lot of times, players don’t progress. Sometimes they even regress over that time. Whether it’s circumstance, injury, a plateau in growth or a desire not to put in the hard work it usually takes to actually get better, players too often end up right where they started. That’s why it’s worth noting that Western’s senior backfield duo, Sam Hearn and Oliver Herndon, because those two have just gotten better and better the last two years. They’ve taken what could’ve been a rebuilding period for Western football and helped turn it into two of the finest regular seasons and the deepest playoff run in the program’s history. Hearn, who didn’t get a chance behind center until he was a junior, was solid last year during the Warriors’ run. He threw for 1,930 yards
SHARED ROCK Breaking down where the Warriors’ 1,552 total receiving yards, in which hands they wound up.
VALE | DOMECQ | HERNDON | REST OF TEAM 15 :: @scrimmageplay
290
283 YARDS 419
560
KEY PLAYERS:
OSIRIS CRUTCHFIELD, SAM HEARN, OLIVER HERNDON, STEPHEN KUZJAK, SAM CAREY, MICHAEL VALE
and 18 touchdowns on the year and rushed for another 749 yards and 12 scores. That’s an impressive year by any standards, but as a first-year starter? It’s off the charts good. This season, his numbers were similar. Except that he did all that in just eight games of the regular season after an injury kept him out of the Charlottesville and Fluvanna matchups. Hearn completed a crazy 67 percent of his passes, almost entirely against strong opponents. He threw for 1,369 yards and 18 touchdowns. He rushed for 830 yards and eight touchdowns. But here’s the kicker. In eight games, with Western going 7-1, Hearn threw exactly one interception. One. In 2014, he had five turnovers against Louisa alone in a nightmare game. Hearn has been largely mistake-free and as efficient as he could possibly be, a huge leap forward. Herndon, on the other hand, has become more of a monster in the ground game than he was last year when he rushed for 1,242 yards and 18 touchdowns through the regular season and playoff run. Through 10
Western’s offensive line led by Sam Carey (66) has helped running back Oliver Herndon (22) to some amazing holes while also giving quarterback Sam Hearn (16) plent of time to find Michael Vale (80) and company.
games, which also includes some time missed due to injury, he rushed for 1,486 yards and 18 touchdowns at a clip of 8.5 yards per carry, nearly 150 yards per game. In tandem with Hearn and a strong offensive line led by Sam Carey and Jarrett Smith, Herndon has been responsible for the emergence of Western’s fierce ground attack over the last two years. Herndon is bigger, stronger and faster than he was last year. He’s also been efficient and essentially mistake free, fumbling just three times on 174 carries in the regular season. Hearn and Herndon aren’t the only ones who’ve improved either. On offense, Michael Vale has taken a huge leap as a receiver and Derek Domecq has also become even more of a threat. Henry Kreienbaum’s numbers are down from last year, when he earned all-state honors as a wideout, but he’s been valuable as a fill-in for Hearn when he was injured and has drawn a lot of attention from opposing defenses. That offensive line is opening up even bigger holes than it did in the past. Hearn’s completion percentage and lack of interceptions are both directly related to Western’s front five protecting them. They’re clearly working together better and taking care of business. If they can keep it up as the opponents get tougher and the games get closer, that’s going to make a huge difference for Western. Even the Warriors’ work on fourth down has improved with a solid punting unit (42.8 yards per punt on five boots by Domecq against Albemarle) that has made it extremely tough to get consistently good field position against the Warriors. See there’s a reason why the Warriors are still playing at this time of year again. Everyone on the roster keeps getting better. They aren’t willing to settle for where they are. They want to take the next step. ✖ www.scrimmageplay.com :: 16
A simple plan Led by Ryann Helmers, Albemarle managed to build slowly towards a big playoff push where the Patriots took second place in the Group 5A Championship S T O RY B Y B A R T I S L E Y | P H O T O S B Y A S H L E Y T H O R N T O N
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B
ack in August, Albemarle’s girls cross country team started a journey that required that they believe in the process — that a group dominated by freshmen and sophomores could stay committed to a method that wasn’t going to produce immediate results and that everyone could be patient and stick to the plan. ¶ That plan? Less miles, more rest, better results in the postseason ¶ We live in a day and age where athletes are praised and lauded for putting in extra work, where the quarterback who stays after practice or the shooting guard who takes 100 free throws before workouts are held up as examples of people willing to put in the effort. Albemarle’s coaching staff was asking your typical overachieving, driven Charlottesvillearea student athletes to do something that’s kind of counter-intuitive. They wanted the Patriots’ runners to put in less work and reap better results because they’d stay healthy and not get worn down. “Most of the girls totally bought into our training program, although there was a little push back from a couple of the girls,” said Albemarle coach Cathy Coffman. “Hopefully after experiencing the success ... they will completely trust in our process.” In a sport where how fast you complete the course is what matters, Albemarle’s girls cross country runners mostly willingly became the tortoise. They played the long game, running anywhere from 30 to 35 miles per week, and in some cases just 25 miles. By comparison, RunnersWorld.com’s sample summer training program is based on having high school runners running 45 miles a week by the end of summer (starting from 35 per week at the beginning) and for more advanced runners, suggests methods to get to 50 or 60 miles per week. Albemarle sophomore Gabriella Bock, in particular is a believer in the entire process. “I think it helps out a lot to just prevent us from getting injured. It’s just a really safe way to play the game,” said Bock at the start of the season. Safe and productive. That success Coffman mentioned? How about a Jefferson District title. A Conference 16 title. And after a fourth place finish in the Region 5A North, a huge bounce back in the Group 5A championships that ended in a runner-up finish. The Patriots went from fourth in the Ragged Mountain Cup at the start of the year (albeit behind some strong competition including fellow state runner-up Monticello, state champion STAB and state Group 3A fourth place finisher Western Albemarle) to number two in Group 5A state meet behind
champion Tuscarora. Ryann Helmers led that incredible race by the Patriots with an eighth place finish in a time of 19:17. Kenzie Lloyd took 11th with 19:38 and just behind her in 19th was Bock. Those sophomores got some help too, with two juniors, Halley Dillenback and Emma Weaver, taking 35th and 36th respectively to lift Albemarle into second place. They even pulled it off without sophomore Jenn Wendelken in the mix, consistently one of the squad’s top runners. She broke her toe the Wednesday before states after consistently running in the top five all season. “We asked all the girls to dig deep and find another gear,” Coffman said. “They did everything we asked of them and had the race of their lives on the biggest stage of their young running career.”
Kenzie Lloyd is one of four sophomores that made a huge difference for Albemarle in 2015.
Part of the reason that Coffman and her staff got that kind of buy-in is because of how close-knit the Patriots’ young runners are and how much ownership they already take in the program. With the sophomore core, that started last year, when a group of senior leaders led by Kelly Croonquist and Rachel Mutzabaugh who welcomed the freshmen into the fold. “I had two or three seniors (in 2014) that really took those freshmen under their wing and they were so selfless because if those freshmen weren’t there, those seniors would’ve been in the top seven,” Coffman said. “They weren’t because I had these five freshmen that hit it out of the park. I really
admired their sportsmanship and their integrity — it was just for the team.” Those older runners also helped speed up what may have been an eventuality too with some advice that was key for the young Patriots. Helmers pointed out that the older runners helped her and her classmates to control their nerves and have fun during a race. The young runners soaked it all in. It also helps that Albemarle’s lead sophomores are a true mix of athletes from a variety of backgrounds and personality types that seem to compliment each other nicely. Wendelken is a star lacrosse player, an allaround athlete who earned second team allstate honors in Group 5A last year while playing in the midfield for the Patriots. The demands of lacrosse that stretch into the summer for an elite player like Wendelken forced her to take a little longer to get in running shape, though she adjusted really well once she got in gear. “It’s great training for lacrosse,” Wendelken said. “It was definitely a struggle in the beginning but I’ve adapted pretty well to it.” Then there’s Bock, who brings a lot of energy to the squad, and has emerged as a consistent top three runner. “She really has the spunk of those four,” Coffman said. “She’s really outgoing, always smiling and always really excited.” Lloyd, who took 11th in the state, gives the group a tactical focus, an analytical mind that is looking to figure out a way to take things up a notch, to get the most out of her training. “She’s my thinker,” Coffman said. “She thinks about everything, every workout. She’s always analyzing.” Helmers, though, gives the Patriots a little fire, ready to get after it each time the Patriots get together to put in the work that helped get them to where they finished the season. As a group, they function awfully well in a pack, and that’s how they tend to finish, in quick bursts of red, white and blue uniforms. That pack is a big motivator for the Patriots. “It really does push us a lot because when we’re in a pack and we look over and see our teammates and they’re trying their hardest, we want to try our hardest and that keeps us moving along,” Helmers said. It took a lot to get the Patriots here this fast. Everybody loves it when a plan comes together. “We are excited to see what the next season or two brings for these talented, committed athletes,” Coffman said. “Times like this, when it all comes together and the athletes find joy and success in their running are priceless.” ✖
www.scrimmageplay.com :: 18
Game Time St. Anne’s 55, Blue Ridge 29 By Bart Isley
STAB’s Kareem Johnson hauls in a TD pass from Jalen Harrison in his team’s win over Blue Ridge. (Ashley Thornton)
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It doesn’t last long, but surviving it is critical. Dominating that stretch? That’s even better. “In a playoff game, if you can survive the first five minutes or get ahead? That’s huge,” said St. Anne’s-Belfield coach John Blake. “That’s really huge.” With an onsides mortar kick recovery on the opening kickoff that led to a touchdown and a Blue Ridge fumble that led to another score, STAB jumped out to a big lead to start the VISAA Division II semifinals Friday night, a lead they’d never relinquish in a 55-29 marathon game that took nearly three hours to play. The win vaults STAB into the state title game where they’ll face Trinity. “They got a good jump on us,” said Blue Ridge coach Tim Thomas. “It kind of took us out of our game plan.” The Saints capitalized on the onsides kick recovery to start the game when STAB quarterback Jalen Harrison scored from 10 yards out. Blue Ridge fumbled on their first offensive play after the ensuing kickoff and STAB wasted no time, with Harrison throwing a fade to Kareem Johnson down the sideline in the back corner of the end zone. Just five minutes and 17 seconds in, STAB was up 14-0. “We hadn’t been throwing the ball the last couple of games, just trying to save up,” said STAB’s Johnson, who scored three different ways in the game, adding an interception return for a touchdown and a kick return for a score in the second half. “We have a special call for the fade on that one and we know it’s going to work.” From there, things settled in for the rest of the half with a Tae Watts touchdown run getting Blue Ridge on the board while Javon Johnson got into a rhythm in his first action back from an injury. Johnson finished with 95 yards and a touchdown on 18 touches. His touchdown came with 2:35 left in the half and put STAB up 21-6 at the break.
The real action came in the flurry of a start to the second half as STAB’s Harrison hit Campbell Miller for a 55-yard touchdown on the first play of the third. Then Watts unleashed a big-time kick return on the ensuing boot to set up Malik Johnson for a 17yard touchdown run. But just 13 seconds later, Kareem Johnson took the kickoff to the house with an 82-yard touchdown run and extended STAB’s lead to 35-12. “We had some spurts where we’re moving the ball and we had some success but it’s really tough when you’re behind against a really good team like that,” Thomas said. “We just had to play catchup the entire time. The momentum never really swung in our direction.” One of those brief segments that gave the Barons a quick lift before reversing itself was when STAB forced the Saints into a fourth down near midfield. With a little more than five minutes to play in the third quarter, STAB lined up to punt and faked it, with Miller finding a wide open Cameron Carr and Carr scored from 50 yards out to give the Barons a 42-12 lead. Blue Ridge committed four total turnovers, too many to overcome. Blue Ridge quarterback Justin Armwood went 4 for 9 for 78 yards after coming off the bench when Malik Johnson started the game. Armwood also rushed for 39 yards and at times helped moved the offense. But for the most part, STAB’s defense held Blue Ridge in check, limiting the usually explosive Barons to just 201 total yards of offense. Miller had a big night for STAB with a touchdown catch, the touchdown throw on the fake punt and an interception. The Saints have qualified to play for a state title and will face Trinity Episcopal for the second straight year. ✖
TEAM SPOTLIGHT MONTICELLO BASEBALL Monticello’s baseball team volunteered at the Charlottesville Heart Walk in late October, supporting the community and representing Monticell High school well. Way to go Mustangs!
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Overtime
Win, loss or tie Why the latter in “The Game” isn’t so bad after all
E
veryone on the field, the sidelines and the stands wanted an answer, a definitive one. It’s been a while since the rivalry between Woodberry Forest and Episcopal mattered like it has these last few years. These last two years the two teams playing in the south’s oldest annual rivalry rather than the playoffs has meant the two best teams haven’t been in the VISAA Division I playoffs. Their participation in the VISAA postseason isn’t likely to change any time soon. But as a result of the 115th meeting between the Tigers and the Maroon, there was talk of changing something — the rules of “The Game.” That talk needs to end, at least for a period of reflection. So a tie in an event as big as this, just the ninth in the history of the relationship between the two is an odd, unfortunate rarity. The coaches hated it, the players hated it more and it was evident at midfield. These two had unfinished business and thank goodness cooler heads prevailed in the craziness that led up to the handshake line as it looked like a fight might have broken out and soured what was one of the strangest but most entertaining games I’ve certainly ever seen. Long story short, Woodberry went down 14-0, tied it up with two minutes to go and survived an insanely long field goal attempt. I thought it was going to overtime. The players did. The fans did. The officials and coaches though, they knew the rules. There was no overtime 114 years ago, and there would be none on that Saturday. But there was a lot of talk from both squads after the game and during the handshake line. Lots of it of about scrapping the rules, and trying to give the fans and players what they wanted — a decision. But thankfully the sanctity of this game was spared and a rash decision was not made. Maybe I’m the only one that likes this, but a tie game between these two isn’t just good, it’s great. Let me explain. For starters, when I was told that there would be no overtime, I was a bit shocked, disappointed. But when I was told it was because the same rules (within reason, obviously football helmets weren’t a thing in 1900) still applied from when this rivalry started, I instantly swung the other way. I liked it. If you want to know which of these teams was better on Saturday, the answer is simple — Episcopal was in the first half, and Woodberry was in the second. If those are the only two halves they’re allowed to play, then the tie was perfect. High school overtime would not have necessarily given us a true champion as the ball is set at the 10 yard line. A run-heavy offense like Episcopal would have loved that. Woodberry, a team that thrived on the open field passing attack, probably would have been at a disadvantage. Most everyone loves overtime in college over the NFL, and I’m one of those. But the overtime rules in high school, I’m not a fan. What I loved about this meeting between the these two was that it was determined the way football was meant to be played, from opening kickoff until time expired, no extenuating circumstances. Woodberry and Episcopal choose each year to do something noble by playing this defacto bowl game instead of playing in the postseason. But if either wants to change the dynamic that makes up this game, then they should just play this as their regular season finale and play in the playoffs. A change in the game is to throw away tradition and once you start that, do the roots matter at all? If eight other games were able to end in a tie and the tradition was
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“A change in the game is to throw away tradition and once you start that, do the roots matter at all?” able to continue, then why not now? Are we in that much of a need for instant gratification where we have to get a winner, a loser? What’s great about this rivalry is that it reminds us of how football was back in the golden era — yes there were ties. And it was also a reminder of how much everyone hates a tie. That’s not seen enough either. But on top of everything, what I liked about the 115th meeting with Woodberry and Episcopal was that it wasn’t the people on the field that won the day, it was the ghosts of the rivalry. The game was played as true as possible to the rules that transcend generations. Every member of both teams will talk about this game forever, more so than the years before. It was unique. It was fitting for these two. If you’re going to commit to something like this game, you don’t improvise at the end. So it’s 14-14. We never will know what might have occurred, and it’s that romanticism that makes this annual meeting so great. ✖
Ryan Yemen,
CRE ATIVE EDITOR
back talk »
What are your thoughts on the WFS/EHS tie? Contact Ryan: ryan@scrimmageplay.com
Success stories begin here.
Success Story: Xavier Holland Xavier Holland made a big impact at Fork Union as a prep basketball player. Holland was a key player for the Blue Devils from early on in his career as an excellent point guard who could distribute and score. He eventually earned All-VISAA Division I honorable mention honors as a senior. He also laid the academic and athletic base that Holland needed to put together a strong college career, a career that’s entering its final year as Holland suits up for his last season as a college basketball player. Since graduating from Fork Union, Holland played at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, where as a sophomore he was third on the team in assists. But Holland has truly found a home at Truett McConnell in the NAIA, a school in Cleveland, Georgia that competes in the Appalachian Athletic Conference. Last season as a junior, Holland started all 28 games for the Bears and was ranked 17th nationally in the NAIA’s Division II for assists per game at a clip of 5.04 per contest. He was also ranked 23rd in NAIA D2 in total assists. All that effort at point guard was enough to earn Holland second team All-AAC honors. Yet again, Holland is making a big impact on a program. He got that process going 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