FORK UNION
BLUE DEVILS PREP LEAGUE 2016 RECORD: 2-8 9/1 9/9 9/15 9/23 9/29 10/6 10/13 10/20 10/28 11/4
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Goochland Bullis Benedictine St. Stephen’s-St. Agnes Appomattox St. Christopher’s Trinity Episcopal Collegiate Bishop O’Connell Woodberry Forest
WHO’S GONE: BRENNAN GARRISON (OL/DL), ZACK PACE (OL/DL), AARON PACE (OL/DL) WHO’S BACK: IOSEFA PUA’AULI (RB/LB, PICTURED BELOW), LOGAN JUSTICE (WR/ DB), LUKE WILSON (QB/DB), HAYDEN MILES (QB/TE), WILL STUPALSKY (WR/DB) WHO’S NEW: JUSTIN MORGAN (OL/DL)
ST. ANNE ’S -BELFIELD
SAINTS
OLD DOMINION, 2016 RECORD: 3-6 9/1 9/9 9/5 9/29 10/13 10/20 10/27 11/3
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Hargrave Randolph-Macon Greenbrier Christian Nansemond-Suffolk Hampton Roads Covenant Hampton Roads Norfolk
WHO’S GONE: ISAIAH KILBY-SHARP (TE/LB), JUWAN WOODSON (RB/LB) WHO’S BACK: MYLES WARD (WR/DB, PICTURED BELOW),THOMAS HARRY (QB/LB), CHASE EMMERT (QB/DB), WILL EDELSON (OL/DL), CHRISTIAN SMITH (OL/DL) WHO’S NEW: LUKE ANTESBERGER (OL/DL)
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Blue Devils poised for a bump up When Mike Hooper took over last year, he only had a handful of returning players to work with. The Blue Devils went through some substantial growing pains last year, but there were also some glimpses that the future is looking bright. With so many players back into the mix, Fork Union fully expects to be able to compete for a Prep League title and get back into the VISAA Division I playoff hunt. Making matters easier this year for the Blue Devils is having Luke Wilson and Hayden Miles at quarterback. Miles can also play at tight end and Wilson can slide over to receiver, but just having a full year of experience for those two should pay dividends this year. With Logan Justice back at receiver and also playing some tight end, the Blue Devils have a reliable target that can move, and with the way that running back Iosefa Pua’aulli has run the ball the previous two seasons, look for the junior to see some stacked boxes that allow the Fork Union passing game to get some wide open looks. Pua’aulli has built quite the resume as a runner in just two years and returns for his junior season as one of the area’s most talented backs. Will Stupalsky is a viable option in the slot too and also kicks.
Just how much Pua’aulli can do on the ground is going to depend on how quickly Fork Union can revamp its offensive line. With Brennan Garrison, Zack Pace and Aaron Pace all graduating, the onus falls on Franklin Wallace and William Henry. The addition of Justin Morgan should give this unit some quality in the starting lineup as he checks in at 6-foot-2 and 236 pounds and is a technicallysound road-grader who can open up holes. Those same lineman will anchor the defensive line, giving that unit even depth from end to tackle. The Blue Devils are hoping to find the right fits at linebacker, a unit that returns Pua’auli as a roving force. They’ve also got Justice and Stupalsky in the secondary where the 5-foot-9 defender plays much bigger than his frame. The Blue Devils are branching out a bit schedule wise as they’ve added another public school, Appomattox, to the mix. That gives them two public schools that played in the VHSL Group 2A final four. That paired with their usual Prep League opponents gives Fork Union quite the challenge. That should make things interesting because this is a team that’s done making excuses and ready to step back into the spotlight. ✖
Saints ready to reverse course When St. Anne’s-Belfield football takes the field this fall, there’s a pretty simple way to get things going, to give the offense a jolt of energy. Find a way to get the ball to Myles Ward. On a team with an as-per-usual small roster, Ward is a tall, rangy, multi-dimensional threat, and those are exactly the kind of players that STAB coach John Blake has found ways to use in the past in a variety of ways, stretching back to Brian Linthicum on through Quincy September and Kareem Johnson. This year, they’ll look to work the ball to Ward in part during eight-man games as the Saints have shifted, at least this year, to three games in the eight-man format. Ward made a number of big-time plays as a sophomore, earning second team all-ODFC honors in the process. While Ward has clearly emerged as the top offensive option, there are other reasons to like that side of the ball for the Saints too. They’ve got a pair of capable quarterbacks in Thomas Harry and Chase Emmert, though Harry is on the shelf until late September with an injury from late in lacrosse season, which puts Emmert in the driver’s seat. Both are athletic, dual threat types who will force defenses to
account for their ability on the ground. They’ll get a chance to operate behind Will Edelson and Christian Smith, the veteran linemen the Saints will build around this year along with freshman Luke Antesberger. Edelson was a tremendous road grader for the Saints last year, helping clear the way for a 1,000-yard rusher last season. Doug Brooks steps into a starting role at tight end, taking over for Isaiah Kilby-Sharp. Tight end is traditionally a role that at STAB that has been a crucial part of the Saints’ ground attack as a blocker. If Brooks can clear the way for whoever ends up toting the rock (Gabe Sanok is a potential option there) and catch some balls from Emmert, he’s got the potential to be a key part of the offense. On defense, as is usually the case with the Saints’ roster, a lot of the same faces will play a big role. Smith is an active presence on the defensive front while Harry was one of the squad’s top tacklers as a linebacker. Davis will be a key part of the secondary. STAB has been lasered in on trying to improve their team tackling this fall and if that has picked up the pace, the Saints have an excellent chance to improve on last year’s 3-6 mark. ✖