by Jim McGrath, recruit757
HAMPTON — In a game as wild and wooly as the weather surrounding it, the Red and Blue teams degrees, but ended with bouts of heavy rain and wind. In the end, it was the player who possibly traveled the farthest to participate that decided the game’s outcome.
of Virginia squared off at Darling Stadium on Sunday for the VHSCA All-Star Game. The players traveled from all over Virginia to take part in the game, which started with weather conditions of sunny and 75
With ten seconds remaining and trailing 27-24, the Red Team, coached by South County’s Gerry Pannoni, faced fourth down-and-three at the Blue 20-yard line. Pannoni looked in the direction of his kicker, Jordon Stout, from tiny Honaker High School, located deep in the southwest corner of the state, just 40 miles southeast of Elkhorn City, Kentucky. Earlier in the quarter, and with a chance to tie the game, Stout had attempted a 37-yard kick that cleared the crossbar and would have made the distance from 55 yards. However, the ball went over the goal post and was ruled a miss.
Stout would not miss a second time. His second 37-yard attempt was perfect, ensuring the tie.
“I was hoping for another chance,” said Stout, who is being recruited heavily by Virginia Tech, Arkansas and Bowling Green. “The first one went over the goalpost, and I thought they were going to call it good.”
Stout would have one more important kick, as the Reds’ special teams still had to make a stop on Hampton’s electrifying return man, Dazz Newsome, on the ensuing kickoff.
That prospect was not a guarantee. In the first quarter, Newsome had provided the game’s most exciting play. Standing at midfield awaiting a punt, the ball bounced ten yards in front of the Virginia Tech-bound Newsome, who looked as if he would allow the Red team to down the ball. However, on the third bounce, and amidst a trio of Red special teamers, Newsome grabbed the ball out of midair and started running through the middle of the coverage. Once he reached the 25, Newsome broke toward the right sideline and scored on an improbable 52-yard return, which gave the Blues a 14-3 lead.
On the final kickoff, Stout and the Red team managed to avoid Newsome by kicking the ball into the end zone. On the next play, Brady Dodson intercepted an errant Blue pass, but the Reds last-ditch pass with three seconds to go sailed wide.
The Red team got on the board first. After an interception gave them possession at the Blue 45, Jake Sturgill (Abingdon) found Elijah Smith (Stafford) for a 16-yard pass. A personal foul penalty gave the Reds an additional 15 yards, setting up a 1st-and-10 situation from the 14, and leading to Stout’s 32-yard field goal, giving Pannoni’s team an early 3-0 edge.
John-Luke Asbury connected with Trevon Stewart on a 45-yard TD pass, to put the Blue team ahead 7-3. Nevertheless, after Newsome’s touchdown, the Reds stormed right back, with Jack McDaniel (South County) finding Elijah Smith (Stafford) for a long 71-yard score to make the score 14-10.
Five of the game’s six touchdowns came on plays of 45 yards or more. In the second quarter, Sturgill connected with Kris Thornton (Osbourn) for a 59-yard touchdown. However, Aidan Marshall’s field goal with seven seconds left in the first half evened the score at 17.
The game was chock full of turnovers, including seven interceptions between both squads. Toward the end of the third quarter, Stafford’s Mondell Hampton got a hold of a Red pass and returned the ball 50 yards for a score that put the Blue team ahead 27-17, and within the grasp of putting the game away.
Yet the Red team remained resilient. After a Jason Scales pickoff gave the Reds possession at the Blue 23, it was Jamorya Cousin who ran the ball five consecutive times, with his fifth, a nine-yarder, pulling the Reds to within three points, and leading to the game’s decisive kick by Stout.
The VHSCA (Virginia High School Coaches Association) game, directed by Hampton’s legendary coach Mike Smith, has become the concluding contest of the All-Star games and unofficially marked the end of the players’ high school careers.
It was a point that was noticed by several of the participants, who were picked by a draft this year rather than being assigned to a team by geography.
A trio of South County players, quarterback Jack McDaniel, cornerback Veronta Jones, and lineman Cameron Lucas, stood in front of their bench 20 minutes after the game and looked back on their high school careers.
“It was the best four years of my life,” said McDaniel, who started the season as the Stallions’ backup, but ended up leading the D.C.-Metro area in touchdown passes with 36.
“I’ll miss the brotherhood aspect of it, the camaraderie,” added Jones, who like McDaniel, has attracted interest from a number of FCS schools in the Pioneer, Patriot, and CAA conferences.
“High school football shaped me as a person,” said Lucas. “The trials and tribulations made me more humble. I realized that others cannot be blessed with my size (6’7”, 310 lbs.) and opportunities.” Lucas is focusing his college effort on playing for an HBCU (Historically Black College & University), and has received the most interest from Norfolk State and Delaware State.
All three players expect to make their final decisions close to the official Signing Day in early February.
Quarterback Bryce Witt of 4A runner-up Dinwiddie was also reflective.
“It has gone by so fast,” said Witt, who has drawn interest from a number of Division II and II schools, including U. VA-Wise. Speaking of the game itself, he likened the experience to stepping up a level in competition. “You have a lot of fun meeting guys that you don’t know – the best athletes in the state. But, they’re a little faster, and better.”
– Jim McGrath
RED 10, 7, 0, 10 — 27
BLUE 14, 3, 10, 0 — 27
1st Quarter
Red: Stout 32 FG
Blue: Stewart 45 pass from Asbury (Marshall kick)
Blue: Newsome 52 punt return (Marshallkick)
Red: E. Smith 71 pass from McDaniel (Stout kick)
2nd Quarter
Red: Thornton 59 pass from Sturgill (Stout kick)
Blue: Marshall 26 FG
3rd Quarter
Blue: Marshall 37 FG
Blue: Hampton 50 int. return (Marshall kick)
4th Quarter
Red: Cousin 9 run (Stout kick)
Red: Stout 37 FG
Red Blue
First downs; 8, 10
Rushes-yards; 25-37, 20-43
Passing yards; 223, 94
Comp-att-int.; 10-27-4, 7-20-3
Penalties-yards; 2-20, 7-65
Punts-avg; 4-31, 5-38
Fumbles-lost; 1-0, 1-0
HAMPTON — In a game as wild and wooly as the weather surrounding it, the Red and Blue teams degrees, but ended with bouts of heavy rain and wind. In the end, it was the player who possibly traveled the farthest to participate that decided the game’s outcome.of Virginia squared off at Darling Stadium on Sunday for the VHSCA All-Star Game. The players traveled from all over Virginia to take part in the game, which started with weather conditions of sunny and 75
With ten seconds remaining and trailing 27-24, the Red Team, coached by South County’s Gerry Pannoni, faced fourth down-and-three at the Blue 20-yard line. Pannoni looked in the direction of his kicker, Jordon Stout, from tiny Honaker High School, located deep in the southwest corner of the state, just 40 miles southeast of Elkhorn City, Kentucky. Earlier in the quarter, and with a chance to tie the game, Stout had attempted a 37-yard kick that cleared the crossbar and would have made the distance from 55 yards. However, the ball went over the goal post and was ruled a miss.
Stout would not miss a second time. His second 37-yard attempt was perfect, ensuring the tie.
“I was hoping for another chance,” said Stout, who is being recruited heavily by Virginia Tech, Arkansas and Bowling Green. “The first one went over the goalpost, and I thought they were going to call it good.”
Stout would have one more important kick, as the Reds’ special teams still had to make a stop on Hampton’s electrifying return man, Dazz Newsome, on the ensuing kickoff.
That prospect was not a guarantee. In the first quarter, Newsome had provided the game’s most exciting play. Standing at midfield awaiting a punt, the ball bounced ten yards in front of the Virginia Tech-bound Newsome, who looked as if he would allow the Red team to down the ball. However, on the third bounce, and amidst a trio of Red special teamers, Newsome grabbed the ball out of midair and started running through the middle of the coverage. Once he reached the 25, Newsome broke toward the right sideline and scored on an improbable 52-yard return, which gave the Blues a 14-3 lead.
On the final kickoff, Stout and the Red team managed to avoid Newsome by kicking the ball into the end zone. On the next play, Brady Dodson intercepted an errant Blue pass, but the Reds last-ditch pass with three seconds to go sailed wide.
The Red team got on the board first. After an interception gave them possession at the Blue 45, Jake Sturgill (Abingdon) found Elijah Smith (Stafford) for a 16-yard pass. A personal foul penalty gave the Reds an additional 15 yards, setting up a 1st-and-10 situation from the 14, and leading to Stout’s 32-yard field goal, giving Pannoni’s team an early 3-0 edge.
John-Luke Asbury connected with Trevon Stewart on a 45-yard TD pass, to put the Blue team ahead 7-3. Nevertheless, after Newsome’s touchdown, the Reds stormed right back, with Jack McDaniel (South County) finding Elijah Smith (Stafford) for a long 71-yard score to make the score 14-10.
Five of the game’s six touchdowns came on plays of 45 yards or more. In the second quarter, Sturgill connected with Kris Thornton (Osbourn) for a 59-yard touchdown. However, Aidan Marshall’s field goal with seven seconds left in the first half evened the score at 17.
The game was chock full of turnovers, including seven interceptions between both squads. Toward the end of the third quarter, Stafford’s Mondell Hampton got a hold of a Red pass and returned the ball 50 yards for a score that put the Blue team ahead 27-17, and within the grasp of putting the game away.
Yet the Red team remained resilient. After a Jason Scales pickoff gave the Reds possession at the Blue 23, it was Jamorya Cousin who ran the ball five consecutive times, with his fifth, a nine-yarder, pulling the Reds to within three points, and leading to the game’s decisive kick by Stout.
The VHSCA (Virginia High School Coaches Association) game, directed by Hampton’s legendary coach Mike Smith, has become the concluding contest of the All-Star games and unofficially marked the end of the players’ high school careers.
It was a point that was noticed by several of the participants, who were picked by a draft this year rather than being assigned to a team by geography.
A trio of South County players, quarterback Jack McDaniel, cornerback Veronta Jones, and lineman Cameron Lucas, stood in front of their bench 20 minutes after the game and looked back on their high school careers.
“It was the best four years of my life,” said McDaniel, who started the season as the Stallions’ backup, but ended up leading the D.C.-Metro area in touchdown passes with 36.
“I’ll miss the brotherhood aspect of it, the camaraderie,” added Jones, who like McDaniel, has attracted interest from a number of FCS schools in the Pioneer, Patriot, and CAA conferences.
“High school football shaped me as a person,” said Lucas. “The trials and tribulations made me more humble. I realized that others cannot be blessed with my size (6’7”, 310 lbs.) and opportunities.” Lucas is focusing his college effort on playing for an HBCU (Historically Black College & University), and has received the most interest from Norfolk State and Delaware State.
All three players expect to make their final decisions close to the official Signing Day in early February.
Quarterback Bryce Witt of 4A runner-up Dinwiddie was also reflective.
“It has gone by so fast,” said Witt, who has drawn interest from a number of Division II and II schools, including U. VA-Wise. Speaking of the game itself, he likened the experience to stepping up a level in competition. “You have a lot of fun meeting guys that you don’t know – the best athletes in the state. But, they’re a little faster, and better.”
– Jim McGrath
RED 10, 7, 0, 10 — 27
BLUE 14, 3, 10, 0 — 27
1st Quarter
Red: Stout 32 FG
Blue: Stewart 45 pass from Asbury (Marshall kick)
Blue: Newsome 52 punt return (Marshallkick)
Red: E. Smith 71 pass from McDaniel (Stout kick)
2nd Quarter
Red: Thornton 59 pass from Sturgill (Stout kick)
Blue: Marshall 26 FG
3rd Quarter
Blue: Marshall 37 FG
Blue: Hampton 50 int. return (Marshall kick)
4th Quarter
Red: Cousin 9 run (Stout kick)
Red: Stout 37 FG
Red Blue
First downs; 8, 10
Rushes-yards; 25-37, 20-43
Passing yards; 223, 94
Comp-att-int.; 10-27-4, 7-20-3
Penalties-yards; 2-20, 7-65
Punts-avg; 4-31, 5-38
Fumbles-lost; 1-0, 1-0
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