recruitNoVA Senior Top 30 - #3 - Reuben (R.J.) Adams - Woodbridge

Heading into the regular season, recruitNoVA.com recognizes the top 30 senior prospects in
and around the Northern Virginia region. Continuing our countdown at number 3 is a dominating force on the offensive line, and one of the newest Penn State Nittany Lions – Reuben Adams.

#3 Reuben (R.J.) Adams (2020 OL 6-3 309) – Woodbridge High School

Adams has enjoyed a steady stream of offers ever since his junior year began. North Carolina started the connection when they offered late last year. This year, the offers have come a-rolling, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Wake Forest, Purdue, Florida State, Penn State, Michigan State, Pitt, William and Mary, Miami, Louisville, UAB, Navy and Vanderbilt have all thrown their hat (and scholarship offers) into the ring. In all, the tally has topped 25.

Many of the offers came after Adams played in the Under Armour All-American game in February. But at 6-3 and 309 pounds, it was not difficult for the guard to draw attention.

In the end, it took only a one-weekend visit in April to Happy Valley for Adams to make up his mind.

The recruitment of Adams continued a successful run by Penn State at scouring the talent in Prince William County. Since 2016, Nittany Lion Head Coach James Franklin and his staff have also successfully recruited Battlefield defensive end Brailyn Franklin, Hylton running back Ricky Slade, North Stafford lineman Nana Asiedu and his Wolverine teammate, running back Devyn Ford. Asiedu was forced to stop playing football because of a life-threatening heart condition, but Slade will be the featured back in what should be his breakout season.

For Penn State, assistant coaches Ja’Juan Seider (running backs) and Matt Limegrover (offensive line) earned the nod for swaying Adams to State College. Seider had recruited Ford, while Limegrover was responsible for bringing Aseidu into the Lions fold.

Although Woodbridge lost their first two games, the Vikings did break into the win column against Battlefield last weekend and hope to even their record with a win over Forest Park tonight.

recruitNoVA Senior Top 30 - #6 - Brendan Heatherman (Mountain View)

Brendan Heatherman (photo by Joe Barnes)

Heading into the regular season, we recognize the top 30 senior prospects in and around the Northern Virginia region. Continuing our countdown at number six is senior Brendan Heatherman of Mountain View.

#6 Brendan Heatherman (2020 TE 6-4 240) – Mountain View High

The Mountain View tight end is a prime example of showcasing well in camps and turning the success into multiple offers.

Heatherman started his ascent within the college spotlight at the beginning of 2019, with a strong showing at the recruit757 Uncommitted Senior Showcase, and followed up in March with another showcase performance at the recruit757/Sparta Science Showcase. Within two months of the Sparta camp, Heatherman had earned seven offers and visits to Temple, Syracuse and Old Dominion. The number swelled to over a dozen in April with the addition of Richmond, UConn, Harvard and Yale.

Soon after, the husky tight end made a verbal commitment to another group of Huskies, being the UConn team from Storrs. As he said after committing, “I knew that I felt at home and welcomed at UConn. The coaching staff are really good people, and I really liked the campus and the facilities, and all that they had to offer for academics and football,”

In Heatherman, UConn coach Randy Edsall will gain a prototypical college sized tight end, albeit one that needs to recover from an ACL that was torn in May. However, known for his side-to-side speed, it is widely anticipated that Heatherman will be ready to roll in the “Dog Pound” when UConn resumes its AAC schedule for the 2020 season.

Said one message boarder wrote on UConn’s “The Boneyard” blog site after seeing Heatherman’s junior year video – “he can block, get open and make catches. I like the pickup.”

Mountain View, looking to build on last year’s 7-5 mark without their star tight end, has started the season 3-0 and will host James Monroe of Fredericksburg tonight.

recruit NoVA Top-30 Seniors - #10 - Noah Kim - Westfield

Heading into the regular season, we recognize the top 30 senior prospects in Northern Virginia. Continuing our countdown at number 10 is Westfield quarterback Noah Kim.

#10 Noah Kim (2020 QB 6-2 170) – Westfield High School

One of the saddest season ending events from last season happened during the Class 6 state semifinal when Bulldog quarterback Noah Kim lay almost motionless after being sacked by a group of Eagle defenders. For the junior quarterback, the resulting broken fibula put an end to Westfield’s attempt to earn a fourth straight state title and snapped their 39-game winning streak. The Bulldogs fought valiantly with two fourth-quarter touchdowns reducing the lead to 35-28, and they were on the six-yard line of Freedom when their luck ran out.

Soon after the final whistle, attention turned to the future of their on-field leader and whether Kim would be able to play football again. From the sound of things, all is well this season for the tall, lanky signal-caller, as the Bulldogs are 2-0.

“Yeah, my leg is 100% back to normal. It feels like nothing ever happened to it,” Kim told recruitNoVA.com. He will enter this campaign with two main goals. The first came soon after he verbally committed to Virginia Tech, as doubters wondered why the Hokies would pursue a quarterback who barely tipped the scales at 170 pounds. Second, and more importantly, Kim would like to deliver one more state title to Chantilly, which would be his third.

He feels that players such as Taylor Morin, Joe Clancy, and Eugene Asante may be ably replaced.

“I’m very confident about this upcoming season and what we have as a team. I’d say to be on the lookout for Alex Richards, and Avery Howard Jr. at receiver. And Caleb Wheatland, E.T. Bushra, Tahj Summey, and Max Ahiakpo on defense, added Kim, who finished last season with over 1,800 yards passing and 23 touchdowns against only five interceptions. Isaiah Daniel also returns at running back and Kim himself has also packed on 15 pounds to weigh in closer to 185.

Now if only the season could start, and it will on August 30 with a home matchup against Battlefield.

“We are very hungry,” said Kim in a parting thought.

recruit NoVA Top 30 Seniors - #13 - Mitch Griffis (Broad Run)

Heading into the regular season, we recognize the top 30 senior prospects in Northern Virginia. Continuing our countdown at number 13 is Broad Run quarterback Mitch Griffis.

#13 Mitch Griffis (2020 QB 6-0 190) – Broad Run High School

Another quarterback on a redemptive winning mission is Mitch Griffis of Broad Run. Griffis and his Spartans may have suffered the cruelest blow of all in last year’s playoffs as they cruised through the first 12 games (only one loss by forfeit) as arguably the best team in Northern Virginia before getting drop-kicked by Stone Bridge in the regional final by the score of 35-6.

For his senior season, and third as the starter, Griffis is free of off-field football distractions; in fact, he verbally accepted an offer to Wake Forest 13 months ago, as the first Deacon commit from the Class of 2020.

In fact, Griffis, who plays under the tutelage of his father, head coach Matt Griffis, exuded optimism recently when talking about this year’s Spartan team.

“We have all been working really hard, and pushing each other a ton,” Griffis told recruitNoVA. “We have a great group.” Breaking down the Spartans in greater detail, he added, “We return a lot of skill positions, so we are pretty experienced there, and I think we can continue to build chemistry.”

Griffis noted some losses, especially along the offensive line, although he feels that Broad Run has some players ready to step up and step into the vacant positions.

Surprisingly, Griffis did not mention the loss of former backfield mate Tim Baldwin, who gained over 1,000 yards for the Spartans last year, but has since transferred to Patriot High School.

The Spartans (2-0) will look to add to their fast start tonight as they travel to Dominion (0-2), with new coach Drake Woodard.

19 Years Later -- Remembering Mikey D

Today marks the 19th anniversary of perhaps the most horrific day in modern American history - the day when over 3,000 Americans were killed due to the acts of cowardly terrorists. I still can't believe it has been this long.

Today, just like I've done every September 11th since 2002, I pause to remember one of our friends from my alma mater, Wagner College. Michael DeRienzo was one of my friends and TKE brothers who had moved on after college to become a finance type of person and one who worked for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 104th floor of the North WTC Tower on the day of 9/11/2001. To put our school's location in perspective, Lower Manhattan was right on the other side of New York Harbor from Wagner and many graduates had their senior picture taken from the roof of 15-story Harbor View Hall with the Twin Towers in the background. On that fateful day, many Wagner students were able to witness the explosions from their dorm room and the second plane appeared to have circled back toward Manhattan from just over the campus.

As a tribute, I wrote this piece for a special issue of the Wagnerian, our school newspaper which I was editor of in 1985-86. I also posted it to an online tribute website at the request of Ken Nilsen, fellow frater, and now Dean of Student Life at Stevens Tech in NJ. From this, Hank Nuwer, the site's caretaker, published it as part of a tribute to fallen fraternity and sorority members. Since then, Hank, a journalism professor and foremost authority on hazing and fraternal issues, has become a friend and mentor for me.

Anyhow, over the years, several people have asked for a copy of this tribute to our friend Michael DeRienzo, affectionately known as "Mikey D" to us at Wagner. On this, the day before the 10th anniversary of his death, in his honor, I would like to resubmit a writing from late in 2001, simply titled, Remembering Mikey D.

R.I.P. Michael DeRienzo -- 9/11/2001


Michael DeRienzo, Class of 1987, was one of many lost in Sept. 11 tragedy

xxx

I know that the tragic events of September 11th affected everybody that is going to read this. We continually feel the pain, and it is a horrible pain. Our hearts have reached out, and we feel for our families and friends.

The Wagner community lost good friends on that terrible day. Michael DeRienzo is the friend that some of us knew best, and with the help of his friends, I wish to tell you why our “Mikey D” meant so much to us.

Our Wagner history dates back 15 years or so, but the time frame really doesn’t matter. We did the same things as current students do. We played football on the Oval, painted the anchor for Homecoming, grabbed a bite in the Hawk’s Nest when the dinner menu looked bad, and as Tau Kappa Epsilon brothers, enjoyed our fraternity home. At that time, it was in a dark hallway under Cunard Hall.

Mike was a big part of our college experience. He was a Staten Islander and attended Wagner with his twin sister Lisa. They were very close, in a way that only twins can know. Their mother, Mrs. DeRienzo, also worked at Wagner, in the audio-visual department. She was a single parent, so it was just the three of them, and it must have been special to be that close on a daily basis.

Chris Ryan remembers Mike with one word – family. In January of 1986, the DeRienzos invited a large group of people over to their home to watch the Super Bowl. It was quite obvious to see how close they were. Last spring, Chris played the role of host when Mike and Steve Mehler passed through his home in Albany, en route to some skiing in Vermont. As he recalls, it was a meeting filled with big laughs, and big smiles. A couple of beers at Troy Pub, a quaint establishment where Chris is managing these days. A great visit. There was no reason to think it wouldn’t be repeated at a later date, but as Chris recalls, “I’m a handshaker, not a hugger. I’m glad I was a hugger that day.”

The day after the attack, Wade Appelman was stuck in Atlanta, GA, quite far from his home in Boulder, CO. There were no planes flying out, and a 22-hour car ride awaited. Wade began telling his work colleagues about his last “road trip.” Again, this dates back to 1986, more specifically, “Spring Break.” Wade, Raj Muthusamy, Dave Smolka, Pete Radigan and Mikey loaded their gear into Wade’s 1968 Mercury Montclair and headed to Ft. Myers, FL. To keep their expenses low, they spent a few days at Wade’s grandparents’ house.

Swimming in the family pool was fun, but Mike was getting edgy, so he invited Wade’s octogenarian grandfather out to a nice local restaurant… Hooters! Over a decade later, the grandparents still ask about the “nice boy that took Grandpa to that restaurant with the girls in the orange shorts.”

Mike had a sly sense of humor about him. I can recall bringing my then-fiancée’ to New York in 1990. A bunch of us went carousing through the city - Mike, Raj, Steve, possibly Brian Buckley, myself and my fiancée’ Ritz. Funny thing about our trips to Manhattan, during college and after; a visit to McSorley’s Pub always found its way onto the itinerary, and it certainly did so on this night. After  a while, my hollow leg filled up, and I had to excuse myself to go visit the trough (literally, it’s a ditch.) This was never a quick process at McSorley’s, with the single relief facility and the waiting line.

During my extended absence, one of the other customers decided to go talk with the single woman who, in spite of her engagement ring, looked to be alone. His advances were quickly shut down, not by Ritz, but my Mikey, who advised the gentleman that pursuing a conversation with “my wife!” was not a good idea. Embarrassed, the Romeo wannabe left.

Most often, Mike’s humor came out in a positive way. I always thought that Mike reminded me of Jerry Seinfeld, without the biting sarcasm. Years ago, Mike learned that I had taken up singing, country music nonetheless. For a New Yorker talking to a Virginian, he could have had a field day with this. Instead, his correspondences would ask whether I had met Garth Brooks yet. No, Garth never quite made it to the Cowboy Café on Route 1. 

Ernie Jackson has a much better recollection. Ernie and Mikey were fellow R.A.’s; in fact, his favorite memory of Mike was watching him perform the dreaded “Exterminator Duty,” required of all R.A.’s on Friday morning. Mike didn’t immediately understand Ernie. He was music major and played the guitar. Mike got a few laughs from that; after all, who goes to college to learn how to play the guitar? But it wasn’t mean spirited. In fact, after some time, it was obvious that it was his way of showing acceptance. It must have had some effect, as the two would laugh about those days later while riding the Staten Island railway from Dongan Hills. In Mikey’s honor, Ernie is having a custom guitar built and donated to Wagner College. From what I’ve heard, it’s going to be one awesome ax.

Ernie touched on some other points that I have heard many times in the three weeks since learning of Mike’s passing. His infectious smile, can-do attitude, positive outlook, they all existed. Tom Kettell mentioned Mike’s easy demeanor, and that was also a great part of Mike’s personality. But he possessed a charm that’s hard to explain.

Here’s one example of this. In the mid-1980’s, the Wagnerian office was located in Union 227. Its location made it the perfect shortcut to get to the cafeteria, and most of my TKE brothers traveled freely through the office before and after meals. Looking back, we should have charged a toll. This used to drive my dear friend and Wagnerian editor successor Mystica Alexander crazy to no end. But she did make mention of the fact that “well, at least Mikey D stops and says hi and how are things going? He’s probably the nicest of your fraternity brothers.” I may have to answer for this later, and the wording may not be exact, but the thought is there. Actually, it was Mystica who informed me of the tragic news of Mike’s death.

It was terrific to see that Mike turned into an accomplished adult. He graduated from Wagner in 1987, with a degree in business administration. After five years at U.S. Trust in Manhattan, he took a position as a broker with Cantor Fitzgerald, and worked on the 104th floor of 1 World Trade Center.

I only know one detail of Mike’s whereabouts on the morning of September 11th. He had arrived for work and was there at 8:46 AM, when a jumbo jet crashed into his building. He was at work and this was confirmed by a call from Todd Rutman, the father of Mike’s goddaughter. Mike assured Todd that they had heard an explosion downstairs and were leaving the building immediately. I don’t know the tone of this conversation, but I get the feeling that Mike was optimistic about his chances for survival that day.

A scholarship fund has been started in Mike’s name. Donations can be made out to the Michael DeRienzo Scholarship Fund, Wagner College, 1 Campus Road, Staten Island, NY 10301.

It is hard to confine the grief that we have all felt and are still feeling. There are other Wagner graduates who lost their lives on September 11th, and we mourn for Timothy Finnerty, Michael Clarke, Joseph Doyle, and Michael Cammarata. Although this is written for our friend and fraternity brother, the hurt is also felt for the people that we never had the opportunity to meet.

Our community at Wagner lost a great deal of innocence on September 11th. It is saddest to realize that some of our most innocent friends and family members were the ones who died. To our friend, Mikey D., we pray for your soul and for your family. You were a great friend to many of us, and we will greatly miss you. Goodbye, friend.

recruitNOVA Top 30 Seniors - #17 - Danny Garrity - Stone Bridge

Heading into the regular season, we recognize the top 30 senior prospects in Northern Virginia. Continuing our countdown at number 17 is Stone Bridge lineman Danny Garrity.

#17 Danny Garrity (2020 G/T 6-7 310) – Stone Bridge High School

At last March’s recruit757/Sparta Showcase at Redskins Park, Stone Bridge coach Mickey Thompson confided that he felt his team (12-3, Class 6 state runner-up in 2018) would be better in the upcoming season because they had more experience, especially at the skill positions.

Looking back at Thompson’s comment, there was logic, which should be expected from someone who has won over 200 games in just 16 seasons. Mason Tatum would be graduating to the Apprentice School, but Billy Wiles had gotten some time under center and looks ready to take over the offense in 2019. At running back, Nick Mell and his 1,200-plus rushing yards would be leaving, but Jared Cole (recruitNoVA’s #30 athlete) had also gained over 1,000 yards, and averaged over 12 yards per carry, so the tailback position is still set.

Yet Thompson harbored one legitimate concern. He had guys who were playing well for him, but not enough people seemed to be aware of who they were.

And while he didn’t mention his large guard/tackle by name, Danny Garrity would be a perfect example of one of those players.

At 6-7 and 310 pounds, the senior carries the same body frame of another tackle who made a name for himself in Ashburn – Joe Jacoby. Like Jacoby, Garrity is somewhat soft-spoken, and wears glasses on occasion. In fact, if one did not know his size, he could be mistaken for a future doctoral candidate.

From the looks of the schools who have invited him to visit, the notion is not far-fetched. To date, Garrity has visited Duke, Villanova, Richmond, UConn and Temple.

Yet, it does not appear that any schools have offered yet, a shame considering that Garrity is ranked as high as #3 among Virginia HS linemen on some scouting sites, and played interference for a running attack that compiled almost 290 yards per game in 2018.

It shouldn’t take much longer for Danny Garrity to make it to the top of some college recruiting lists. Maybe this is where it starts.

recruitNoVA Top 30 Seniors - #19 - Kealey Davis (Freedom)

Heading into the regular season, we recognize the top 30 senior prospects in Northern Virginia. Continuing our countdown at number 19 is Freedom lineman Kealey Davis.

#19 Kealey Davis (2020 DE/T 6-3 270) – Freedom High School

In order to duplicate the effort which landed them in the Class 6 championship game, Freedom
(Woodbridge) will have to find a way to replace Prince William County’s all-time leading rusher, Tyquan Brown.

Just as importantly, the Eagles will also need to find a Hog from their ranks, a blocker and lineman who can fill the very large shoes and jersey of Josh Fuga, who has taken his 6-foot-2, 308-pound frame to Blacksburg to play for Virginia Tech.

Kealey Davis aims to be that player.

As the strongside defensive end for Coach Darryl Overton’s Eagles, Davis played a key role on a defense that allowed only 12.2 points per game during a 13-game winning streak that bridged the opening game loss to Lake Taylor and state championship defeat at the hands of Manchester. He was also a tackle for the offensive line that allowed Brown to rush for over 2,000 yards last season, and past 6,700 for his record-breaking prep career.

This year, our #19 player, along with teammate Vershon Lee, will be the standout players on both sides of the ball, and will define how much times quarterback Quest Powell will have to make offensive decisions. As both are considered to be among the top-10 linemen in the state, the Eagle offense expects to replicate its 38-point per game average from 2018.

Davis has see demand for his services at the next level rise. The dozen teams who have expressed interest have mainly been FCS schools, with Hampton, Norfolk State and Buffalo making offers.

Freedom will begin its 6D regional championship defense on August 30 with a home game against Hayfield, a team they defeated 29-19 in the second round of last year’s playoffs.