Virginia Catholic League -- Not Happening in 2016-17; Future Uncertain

The proposed Virginia Catholic League will not be forming for the 2016-2017 school year, and opinions vary as to whether the league will be conceived at all.

Under the initial concept, the four Catholic high schools from Northern Virginia (Bishop Ireton, Bishop O’Connell, Saint John Paul the Great, and Pope Paul VI), Benedictine from Richmond and Bishop Sullivan in Virginia Beach would merge to form a separate athletic entity.

The possibility of creating such a league was the topic of a Washington Post story on January 7, 2016 by Brandon Parker, and was published a week after five of the six school’s athletic directors met at Saint John Paul the Great in Dumfries to discuss the idea. The idea of a six-team VCL became realistic in late 2015 as O’Connell withdrew its football team from the highly competitive Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC). For a school to compete as a full member of the WCAC, it must compete in either basketball or football, or both.

At the time, O’Connell Athletic Director Joe Wootten told the Post that the “exploratory committee of sorts” was engaged in “very preliminary” talks. He added that “this is more so something to look at two or three years down the road.”

Six months later, little seems to have changed, except that the formation of a VCL for the 2016-17 school year will not happen. As for the future, there is no certainty of the league forming, mainly because the first meeting has not developed into a second.

Bill Simmons, Athletic Director at Ireton, recently said, “I don't see this happening. We talked about football just to see and fill up our schedules. The developments at (Bishop) Sullivan make it less likely even that will continue. Northern Virginia schools can get all of that approach in the WCAC without going to Virginia Beach.”

Rich Hine, Athletic Director at Bishop Sullivan, told Recruit757 that the Crusaders will stay in the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools (TCIS), but that the football team will play an independent schedule, analogous to Notre Dame, which once competed at the college level in the Big East for all sports except football. At the time of the Post article, Hine noted that several WCAC teams had called him to explore the possibility of scheduling a game.

Bishop Sullivan’s entry into the upper echelon of prep football schools was cemented after the hiring of coach Chris Scott, who stepped down from the same position at Ocean Lakes after sporting an 86-10 record, while winning a state title in 2014. Several of Scott’s star players including Khalan Laborn, are also transferring to Sullivan, immediately making them one of the better teams in Virginia, private or public.

Ryan Hall, Athletic Director at Benedictine, also stated that the league “will not happen” next year, but left open the remote possibility of a future merger. Hall noted that there was a lot of work needed if a Virginia Catholic League was to be formed.

“We would need to sit down and draw up a mission and vision statement – one that matches with each school’s Catholic identity,” said Hall. “It’s not like you can schedule the games, hand out a trophy and call it a day.” He added that another meeting would have to be scheduled in the future to discuss these matters, and “that meeting has not happened yet.”

On the other side, Hall added, “We are definitely scheduling each other for football next year.”

Here’s how a Virginia Catholic League might look

1)    Benedictine (2015 record – 10-2 – VISAA Div. I State champions)

2)    Bishop Ireton (2015 record – 8-3 – VISAA Div. I runner-up)

3)    Bishop O’Connell (2015 record – 1-8, 0-7 WCAC, #12 in VISAA Div. I)

4)    Bishop Sullivan (2015 record – 4-6, 3-2 TCIS, #6 in VISAA Div. II)

5)    Pope Paul VI (2015 record – 2-8, #11 in VISAA Div. I))

6)    Saint John Paul the Great (2015 record – 7-4 - #5 in VISAA Div. I)

In fact, Ireton and Sullivan will square off in each team’s opening game, and Benedictine will open their season on August 27^th against John Paul the Great. Last fall, Ireton and Benedictine met in the VISAA Division I state final, a game that Benedictine won 35-6.

Currently, Ireton, O’Connell, John Paul the Great and Paul VI compete (John Paul the Great on a limited basis) in the WCAC, a league which will become more elite with the recent $16 million donation from Under Armour founder Kevin Plank (’90) to his alma mater, WCAC member St. John’s College High School. The money will be spread throughout the school’s programs, but can be used for capital expenditures, such as enhanced athletic facilities.

Benedictine competes as an independent school, and all six Catholic schools are also members of the Virginia Independent School Athletic Association (VISAA) as Division I or II participants. There are four divisions in the VISAA, and inclusion in Division I is defined by the enrollment of over 180 students per gender.

However, according to Hine, “VISAA determined, after the 2015 season, to consolidate the football teams into three divisions - from the four that were previously in play.  With that re-divisioning - Bishop Sullivan was moved up to Division I, and is now the smallest school in Division I.”  All other major VISAA sports have three divisions, while several (i.e. cross-country and track) are divided into two.

The six schools vary in size from 429 total students at Sullivan to over 1,150 at O’Connell.

Track Shorts - VOL III: McElroy, Holloway Win Multiple Events at 5A/6A State Track

With the completion of last weekend’s 5A/6A state track championships at Todd Stadium, many athletes saw their season end. A few standouts will be competing in the New Balance Nationals, which will be held on June 17-18 at North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro. Others will begin preparing for next football season, at either the high school or college level.

Henrico's Craig McElroy en route
to 5A state winning 6-6 high jump
(Photo by Mary Ann Magnant)

The 3A/4A state meet, held at Harrisonburg High School, was abruptly stopped with three events remaining, due to lightning. The original plan was to not complete the final events or crown team champions. However, after a social media backlash from frustrated athletes and parents, the meet resumed, and was completed on Wednesday. Phoebus won the 3A boys title, while Lafayette placed fifth in the 4A boys’ competition. A good portion of both team’s points came from stars of the gridiron, and their accomplishments, as well as other winners from the 3A/4A and 1A/2A meets, will be highlighted in next week’s edition of Track Shorts.

MEANWHILE, AT THE 5A/6A STATE MEET…

Craig McElroy Wins 5A High Jump and 110-Meter High Hurdles for Henrico

The 6-foot-5 McElroy put his height and slender frame to good use, winning two gold medals for Henrico at the 5A state meet.

The senior, who plays receiver and cornerback for the Warriors, captured both the high jump and 110-meter hurdles. McElroy also anchored the fourth place 4×100 relay team (42.64). As a squad, Henrico finished in fourth place with 35.5 points.

McElroy fell short of his goal to break 14 seconds in the high hurdles, but did clock a 14.35 for his winning effort, just .02 seconds from a personal best. In post-race comments, he made note of the humid and blustery conditions, which hovered over Todd Stadium on Saturday morning.

His winning high jump of 6-6 matched his best height, which he cleared at this spring’s Colonial Relays, held at William and Mary.

McElroy will have a final opportunity to earn new personal bests this season at the New Balance Nationals, where he will compete in the Emerging Elite high jump and Championship 110-meter hurdles. Presently, McElroy is verbally committed to compete at Norfolk State.

The Grant Holloway Show Continues

Competing in his final state meet, Grant Holloway added to his record of individual championships while leading Grassfield to a second-place finish in the 6A Boys classification.

Holloway, a University of Florida signee, won the high jump (6-6), long jump (25-5.75), and 110-meter hurdles (13.78), giving him a final tally of 11 individual state titles.

Grizzly Seth Harrell Places 2nd in Shot-Put

While Holloway was dominating the jumps and high hurdles, teammate Seth Harrell (OL/DL) put his own exclamation point on a sparkling junior year season. Harrell placed second in the 6A shot-put with a throw of 59-11.5. Benedict Draghi of Washington-Lee, the state leader in both the shot and discus, won the event.

Western Branch’s Micaiah Harris Wins 6A 100 and 200 Meters

As T.C. Williams’ Olympic trials sprint qualifier Noah Lyles sat on the sideline with a tweaked hamstring, the 6A boys’ sprints were wide open for contention.

And Micaiah Harris busted through the window of opportunity, winning both the 100 (10.66) and 200 (21.05) meters, helping Western Branch to a state title, the 18th and 19th for Coach Claude Toukene, as the Branch girls also won.

Harris, a junior who plays cornerback and free safety for the Bruins, will be the odds-on favorite to repeat the double gold performance next year.

Norris and Hagins Lead Bethel to 5A Boys Title

Isaiah Norris had a rough weekend. On Friday, the footballer (RB/DE) was sidelined from the first day of the 5A boys meet with food poisoning. However, on Saturday, he composed himself enough to win the 300-meter hurdles (38.59) at Todd Stadium, helping Bethel to the first-place team trophy, matching the one it won indoors.

Teammate Josh Hagins (OLB/RB) placed second in the 200 (21.77).

The 300-meter hurdle race also featured a second place finish from Hampton High receiver Burnell Pulley (39.04), seventh from Menchville running back/cornerback Malik Dixon (40.56), and eighth by Albemarle running back Arun Turay.

Nansemond River’s Waller Wins 5A 100 Meters

One week removed from his regional title in the 5A South 100-meter dash, Nansemond River running back Javon Waller broke the tape first again at the 5A state meet, covering the distance in 10.75, just .03 seconds ahead of Naukym Morton of North Stafford.

Lucas-Roscoe Wins 5A Triple Jump

Edison’s Greg Lucas-Roscoe, who played running back for the Eagles this past fall, captured the 5A triple jump with a distance of 46-6.5. Lucas-Roscoe also placed third in the long jump (23-1), helping the Eagles to an eighth place team finish.

Lee-Davis’ O’Connor Wins 5A Shot

Scott O’Connor of Lee-Davis helped his team to a third place finish (41 pts.) with a winning throw of 54-10.25 in the shot-put. O’Connor, a junior, who is listed in the football program as 6-2 and 200 pounds, played tight end and defensive end for the Confederates, who finished the 2015 season with a 10-3 record, losing in the playoffs to eventual state champion Highland Springs.

Looking at the RG 3 Revival in Cleveland - My Two Cents

RG3 Will Revive Pro Football Career – It Just Might Take a Couple of Rebuilding Years in Cleveland

The history of the NFL is filled with stories of high draft choices that turned into busts. For every Peyton Manning, there is a Ryan Leaf. For every Doug Williams, there is a JaMarcus Russell. Part of the intrigue with following the NFL draft comes from seeing which players will thrive, and which ones will fail. The same mentality causes many of us to slow down when we pass by a parked Ferrari, or a car accident.

Four years ago, Robert Griffin III was selected by the Washington Redskins with the second pick of the NFL draft. Immediately, the Baylor product made his presence known. In his debut, Griffin and the Skins throttled the New Orleans Saints 40-32 and the Texas-bred rookie threw for 320 yards and a pair of touchdowns while outplaying veteran Drew Brees. Weeks later, a breathtaking 76-yard touchdown run from scrimmage sealed a 38-26 victory over Minnesota. Riding a seven-game winning streak, the boys from Old D.C. won the NFC East and stormed into the playoffs.

However, Griffin, who had endured two knee surgeries as a collegian, would find misfortune again. Against Seattle, the sight of his knee buckling as he tried to recover a loose ball was only slightly less grotesque than watching Joe Theismann’s leg snap like a twig under the weight of Lawrence Taylor in 1984. The Skins lost to the Seahawks 24-14 to finish their 2012 season, but more importantly, they lost their franchise quarterback.

Griffin’s rushed approach to recovery did not endear him to many fans, especially after he got off to a slow start in 2013. It did not help that he had not played in any pre-season games, instead vowing to be “all in” when the real games started. The marketing campaign behind the “All In’ mantra didn’t do much to earn RG3 many new friends in the Washington locker room.

Forced to wear a cumbersome knee brace took Griffin out of his scrambling, play-action game. An ankle injury in 2014 didn’t help matters, and a public “feud” with Coach Mike Shanahan and his son, offensive coordinator Kyle, led to Griffin being benched, first with the Shanahan’s, then with new coach Jay Gruden, who opted to make Kirk Cousins the undisputed starter just before the 2015 season.

In all, the final three seasons of Griffin’s stay in Washington were rough – a 5-15 record as a starter and no passes thrown in 2015 say everything that needs to be stated.

Nevertheless, the past is the past, and RG3 has found a new home.

Unfortunately, it is Cleveland.

The Browns have gone through almost two dozen quarterbacks in the past 20 years, with a laundry list that reads like a retread roster, dotted by forgettable monikers such as Quinn, Holcomb, Weedon and Mirer. In a couple of years, Manziel will be added to the list. Cleveland is where quarterbacks usually go for hospice care until their pro career officially dies.

Yet not all is lost for Griffin. He has had a year to rehabilitate - his knee and his psyche. He could have taken his benching to the national media and allowed the Skins’ Ashburn training facility to continue being a soap opera, with daily tales of who wronged whom. Mike Shanahan, the supposed grown-up in the coach-player relationship for the first three years, could not seem to resist talking about his former QB to the media from time to time.

Instead, Griffin became a great teammate – a sounding board and brain to pick for Cousins, who excelled over the last nine weeks of the season – partly because he did not have to deal with a whiny, me-first teammate.

Griffin also has new Brown head coach Hue Jackson in his corner. Jackson went 8-8 in his year as head coach of the terminally dysfunctional Oakland Raiders, who inexplicably fired him after the season. Jackson is a player’s coach and a man of integrity. More importantly, he has a history of developing young quarterbacks, and Griffin is still only 26.

Will Griffin excel in Cleveland? My prediction is he will be fair, not an All-Pro, but the Browns will elevate to averageness (maybe 6-10 or 7-9), which still is a huge step in the right direction. However, he will honor his two-year contract, earn some bonuses and make enough improvement to become a solid quarterback, one who has good speed and improved drop back throwing ability. At 28, with his Browns contract completed, I see Griffin finally finding his professional niche when he is traded to the Cowboys to replace the retired Tony Romo. From there, Griffin should enjoy a successful pro career with longevity.

Menchville Boys Soccer Team's Season Ends in Heartbreaking Fashion With 4-Overtime Loss To Maury

NORFOLK – The 5A South boys soccer quarterfinals got underway on Tuesday afternoon at Powhatan Field with Kecoughtan and Menchville’s season ending as Hickory and Maury earned berths to a semifinal game, which will be played on Wednesday at 7 PM at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex.

The other semifinal matchup will feature Richmond teams Mills Godwin vs. Douglas Freeman at Deep Run High in Henrico County.

MENCHVILLE 4, MAURY 4 (MAURY WINS 3-1 ON PENALTY KICKS)

In a game that couldn’t be decided in regulation or four overtimes, it took a round of penalty kicks to decide the 5A South quarterfinal match between Maury and Menchville. In the end, Menchville’s season came to a bitter end as Gio Sakursky’s penalty shot sailed over the goal, capping a 3-1 win on penalty kicks for Maury.

Despite the loss, Monarch coach Brian Lybert had nothing but praise for his team. “They (Maury) fought hard. It’s the third time this season we’ve had to score in the last five minutes. I hate to see it end this way, but I couldn’t be more proud of our guys.”

Lybert had hoped that his team could pull out the win in overtime because “it’s always a coin toss with penalty kicks.”

Ali Jammi appeared to put the game away in the first overtime for Maury, when his shot from 10 yards out found the net with 1:12 remaining. But Taylor Fitzgerald answered in the next minute, scoring on an indescribable shot from outside of 35 yards, one that went inches over goalie Joey Schneider’s outstretched hands.

In the last minute of the second overtime, Maury standout Shamarr Perry gained control of a breakaway pass, with only Menchville goalie Ian Fitzgerald standing between him and the goal. But Fitzgerald stopped the shot, and then the two collided, leaving both players down on the field momentarily.

Perry opened the game’s scoring at the seven-minute mark, arcing a shot from the right wing, 20 yards away, one that eluded Menchville goalie Ian Fitzgerald and found its mark.

The Monarchs tied the game midway through the first half, as a long pass snaked through the Commodore defense, and Daniel Deanhoffer outran four Maury players, gained control of the ball behind the defense and drilled an easy shot into the opposing net.

Maury’s next goal was an accident. Defender Josh Johnson’s kick from 45 yards downfield bounced toward the goal. Fitzgerald ran out from the box to collect the ball, but ran into his defender, as the ball bounced a second time over his head and into the net as the Monarch defense helplessly watched.

With just over eight minutes left in the first half, Gio Zagursky’s grounder toward the net caught the Maury goalie off guard and he stumbled to his knees before stretching out fully just in time to watch the shot roll two feet wide of the goal. Maury took a 2-1 lead into halftime.

Menchville caught a break in the second half when Deanhoffer’s corner kick reached the front of the net. In the scramble for the ball, Maury was called for a foul, setting up a penalty kick from senior defender Brad Malarky. As Maury goalie Joey Schneider hedged to the left, Malarky buried a shot into the right side of the net, tying the game at 2.

Perry kept the Monarch defense off-balance throughout the game. On one exchange, he gained control of the ball 25 yards straight in front of the goal, dribbled in a wide semi-circle to within three yards of the left post and shuffled a pass toward his teammate in the center, who shot just wide of the goal.

But it was another Maury foul that gave Menchville control of the game. With 14:04 remaining, a Commodore foul in front of the goal set up a second penalty kick, this one by senior defender. Like Malarky earlier, Gregory also aimed, and found a soft spot in the back of the right side of the net. With Gregory’s goal, the Monarchs took a 3-2 lead.

But a mental error proved to be costly for Menchville. With 6:45 left, Perry stole a pass and took a soft shot on goal, one that bounced off Fitzgerald. As the goalie rallied and went after the ball, a defender interfered and kicked the ball upfield.

However, Maury’s Tucker Sanford got a hold of the errant kick and disposed of the ball in the no open net, once again tying the game, this time at 3.

Half: Maury 2-1. Goals: Menchville, Deanhoffer, Malarky, Gregory, Fitzgerald. Maury, S. Perry, J. Johnson, Sanford, Jammi. PK: Maury 3: Perry, Boukhriss, Sanford. Menchville 1: Gregory. No other game stats available. Records: Menchville 11-4-0, Maury 14-3-1.

HICKORY 3, KECOUGHTAN 0

In the opening game, the Kecoughtan Warriors faced a daunting task, squaring off with undefeated Hickory, the #1 seed from Conference 9.

Hickory’s first viable scoring chance came in the 28^th minute as midfielder Jake Pinello lofted a floater from the right side to the front of the goal where Aaron Riggs had a clear header opportunity. However, his shot was deflected off the foot of Trevor Stanius.

However, the Hawks’ persistence paid off 16 minutes later, in the form of a laser like shot from 15 yards off the right corner of the pitch, off the foot of Trey Smith, whose drive glanced off the left goalpost into the Kecoughtan net.

Hickory had other scoring opportunities in the second half, but the Warriors’ Conference 10 first team goalie Luke Messick blocked several in front of the net, keeping the game close.

Midfielder Brennen Burton had Kecoughtan’s best scoring opportunity in the second half with 17 minutes left to play, kicking a rocket from 25 yards away that sailed just right of the goal mouth.

The Hawks clinched the game when forward Joe Byrnes got between a bumbled exchange between Messick and a Warrior defender, gained control of the ball and was left with a wide open shot three feet in front of the goal, which he converted. Kristian Rinkus added a goal in the game’s final two minutes.

Half: Hickory 1-0. Goals: Hickory, Trey Smith, J. Byrnes, Rinkus. No other game stats available. Records: Hickory 15-0-0, Kecoughtan 8-8-2.

Track Shorts - Volume II - G. Holloway Dominates Again; Eagles on the Track; Poquoson 4x100 Sets School Record

As the high school track season entered its regional stage last weekend, a number of football players from all over the state came up with big performances on the track or field to earn all-Region honors, and in some cases, help their teams win a championship. Here are a few noteworthy stories from various regional meets over the past couple of weeks.

Holloway Leads Grassfield to 6A South Runner-up; Teammate Harrell Dominates Shotput

Grassfield’s Seth Harrell (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)

As expected, the most dominant performer of the weekend was Grassfield’s Grant Holloway. Holloway, putting the finishing touches on a monumental senior season, before heading to Gainesville and the University of Florida in the fall, won the long jump (25-5.5), high jump (6-8) and 300 hurdles (37.60), while anchoring the Grizzlies winning 4×400 meter relay (3:21.21).

Teammate Seth Harrell, a 6’3”, 320-pound junior guard on the Grassfield football squad, has been drawing looks from a number of colleges, including U. VA, which recently offered him a scholarship. However, on Friday, Harrell dominated a field of 24 shot-putters to win the event in 60-8.5, over six feet ahead of the runner-up, Mickey Anderson, also a Grizzly.

Western Branch won the boys 6A title, and had some help from its gridiron standouts. Tight end Maurice Davis won the discus (147-10), while offensive guard Donald Lanier placed fourth in the shot-put (49-2.25).

Among Northern Virginia athletes, Gar-Field’s Christopher Frederick, a 5’11”, 171 lb. junior receiver and cornerback won the 100 meters in 10.94. Frederick also posted a 10.83 in the preliminaries, and anchored the Indians’ winning 4×100 relay, which included James Currie, Keith Barbour and Theo Smith. Their time of 42.30 edged Stafford’s Colonial Forge by .12 seconds.

Norris, Hagins Propel Bethel to 5A South Region Title; NR’s Waller Wins 100

A pair of Bethel football stars, who hurdle with Coach Eddie Williams’ track team during the winter and spring, served as key components in the Bruins 5A South title performance last weekend.

Isaiah Norris won both the 110-meter (14.31) and 300-meter (39.31) hurdles, propelling Bethel toward its winning tally of 85 points, 14 ahead of runner-up Prince George. Josh Hagins placed second (22.03) in the 200, and fifth (11.01) in the 100.

Both Norris and Hagins were Honorable Mention players in Conference 10 last fall – Norris as a running back and Hagins as a 195-lb. outside linebacker for Coach William Beverley’s 6-5 Bruins, which made the 5A South playoffs, but lost in the first round to Indian River.

Warwick’s Travis Williams placed third in the 300-meter hurdles (40.29), almost a second behind Norris.

Nansemond River’s sophomore running back Jevon Waller earned a gold medal at the 5A South meet, capturing the 100-meter title in 10.79, a .22 second improvement over his seed time.

And Henrico’s tall and lanky cornerback, Craig McElroy enjoyed a stellar day at the Gloucester High track. McElroy won the high jump (6-4) and placed second in the 110-meter high hurdles (14.55).

Edison Ballers Kamara and Lucas-Roscoe Score for Eagle Tracksters

Longtime Eagle coach Ivan Chirinos has been fortunate with the array of football players who have come out to star for his Edison (Alexandria) team. This year, both Moses Kamara and Gregory Lucas-Roscoe contributed heavily to Edison’s success, both on the gridiron and track.

Kamara, a senior running back, was the workhorse of the Eagle offense, rushing for 973 yards and 11 touchdowns. On the oval, he is better known as a standout 400-meter runner, and one who recently placed second at the 5A North Regional with a time of 48.84.

“Moses does not look like the typical 400-meter runner because of his size (5’10” 183 lbs.), but here he is as one of the top 400 runners in Virginia 5A,” said Chirinos.

Lucas-Roscoe, who helped to back up Kamara in the backfield last fall, won both jumps with a 22-7.25 effort in the long jump and 46-8 in the triple.

“Greg has been involved in track since (he was) very young and as an athlete, he is able to do well in many other sports, football being one of them,” added Chirinos.

Poquoson’s 4 x 100 Sets School record at Conference 25 Meet; Nate Ward Excels in Track after Suffering Near-Fatal Football Injury

Nate Ward, Trevor Dunagan, Kenny Parks and Matt Blaser

The Poquoson foursome of Nate Ward, Trevor Dunagan, Kenny Parks and Matt Blaser broke the school’s 4×100 meter relay record at last week’s 3A Conference 25 meet in a time of 45.13.

For the day, Poquoson finished seventh among the 24 schools in the 3A East championships.

Blaser, a recruit757.com Honorable Mention at Wide Receiver, played in the annual Blue-Grey All-American Bowl last December, and will continue his playing career in the fall with VMI. Dunagan was a standout All-District safety with Poquoson and will attend Coastal Carolina in the fall.

However, Ward’s story is the most inspiring. After scoring a 14-yard touchdown against Jamestown early in the season, the running back collapsed on the sideline, the victim of a head trauma injury incurred during an earlier tackle. Eventually, Ward required three hours of surgery that evening to relieve the pressure on his brain, as the damage from the impact was thought to be potentially life threatening.

With his football career at an end, Ward transitioned to the track and became the Islanders fastest 100-meter runner this spring.

Courtland Linemen Dominate 4A East Throws

A pair of Courtland High throwers won both events at the 4A East championships.

Matt McDougal, a 6’2” 305 pound offensive tackle for J.D. Hall’s Cougars, won the gold medal for the discus with a toss of 147-8. Teammate Ben Beatty, a 6’3” 260 guard and defensive end, won the shot-put with a 59-3.75 throw to win by over eight feet. McDougall was second in the shot (51-1), while Beatty placed fourth (138-7) in the discus.