From MileStat -- Ten Tales of Virginia State Track!! - #1. Edison's Kamara and Lucas-Roscoe Serve up Double Trouble for Eagles

As part of my work with MileStat.com, I recently provided 10 stories on the 5A/6A outdoor track meet. Since then, a few of the athletes (specifically Noah Lyles and Kate Murphy) have competed in the Olympic Trials and other national level meets.

Because of the remarkable showing of Virginians at other meets since States, MileStat has been able to publish only six of the ten so far. Starting tonight, I will begin posting the ten, in the hope that they will help encapsulate the experience that was the state meet.

From MileStat.com

After popular demand from XC and the indoor season, MileStat' Jim McGrath continues the feature of 10 stories from the state meet. He was at the 5A6A State Meet and had no instructions on what to cover, but needless to say these are all some interesting stories!

The Thomas Edison Eagle boys brought their own dose of double trouble to the 5A boys' state championships last weekend at Todd Stadium.

Carrying the load for Coach Ivan Chirinos' boys' squad from South Alexandria were long and triple jumper Gregory Lucas-Roscoe and 400-meter standout Moses Kamara.

Lucas-Roscoe, the 5A North champion in both jumps, opened his weekend by capturing the triple jump on Friday with a 46-6.5. He found Saturday to be more difficult, as he leaped 23-1, five inches off his best of 23-6, but finished third in the long jump, behind Nyrel Goodson (23-4.5) of Princess Anne, and winner Stephen Anderson (23-8.5) of Hickory.

It could have been something about the weather that hindered Lucas-Roscoe on Saturday.

"I wasn't feeling good at all," said the junior. "It was cloudy out, and I just didn't have it."

Asked if there was an underlying aspect behind the feelings of maudlin, he admitted, "I do feel better when there are clear skies; it might be a mental thing."

Regardless of the weather forecast for New Balance Nationals in mid-June, Lucas-Roscoe has his goals for the NBN meet set - 24 feet in the long jump and "47...48" in the triple.

Kamara also had a rough Saturday, placing 15th in the 400 (50.09), which was won by Bethel's star freshman Edward Richardson III in 48.69. Bethel won the 5A boys title with 65 points, while Edison finished eighth with 25.

Still, Kamara has a lot of athletics left in his future. The Eagle senior was the workhorse of the football team, gaining 973 yards and 11 touchdowns as the featured running back. His second place finish in the 400 (48.84) at the 5A North regional meet helped Edison to a fourth place finish with 55 points, just eight behind team champion Tuscarora. Both sports could be collegiate options. It just depends on where Kamara chooses to attend.

"I might be going to Norfolk State for track," said Kamara. "Or Saint Francis (PA). Their football coach came to visit me at Edison." At this stage, it is not known whether he will attempt to compete in two sports.

Part of Kamara's success in two sports comes from his stocky build. He was listed as 5'10" and 183 pounds last fall, which gives him a stocky presence, one that is good for football, but possibly a bit heavy for the 400.

"It's a good and bad thing," he admits. "I have muscles, but I get fatigued easier because of the weight."

Lucas-Roscoe also played football last fall, mainly as Kamara's relief at running back, and Coach Chirinos is happy to have both on his team.

"If you are an athlete, you should not limit yourself to just one sport, especially when you are young. Lifting to get strong for football is one of the main reasons (why) I don't get a lot of football players to come out for the track team," said the longtime Edison coach.

Chirinos is quick to point out one main difference between the two sports.

"In football and other team sports, I have seen the blame game after a poor showing - you did not cover me, or you did not pass me the ball. In track, it's you, the track, and the watch. Any mistakes you make are yours to recover from."

Photos by: John Herzog (left) and Mary Ann Magnant (right)

RecruitNoVA.com Gets Ready to Explode -- But Can They Preview EVERY Team?

The area of coverage for RecruitNoVA is highlighted
on this map, although I know we have contacted
Culpeper and Caroline High schools.

I'm not sure how this mission started. For the past ten months, I have complimented my regular load of covering high school and some college games for the DAILY PRESS with a number of previews and game features for Recruit757.com, a website started by Andy Hilton. The site has grown popular enough to where Andy has a mid-week segment of WAVY-TV 10, our NBC affiliate in Hampton Roads, where he reads down the Recruit757.com High School Top Ten.

Andy has been enhancing the homesite over the past year, and recently added two more elements - a Recruit804.com for the Richmond area, as well as the newly launched RecruitNoVA, designed to cover Northern Virginia football.

Being from Alexandria, I offered to honor Andy's request for more material by offering to provide some articles for the NoVA site. In simple terms, Andy's first request was major :)

I'm going to be doing a LOT of work for the RecruitNoVA site over the next few weeks. The first objective -- previews of almost EVERY public and private school football team in Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church, Fairfax Co., Loudoun, Fauquier, Prince William County, Culpeper, Fredericksburg, Stafford and Spotsylvania before the end of August. There are more than 80, so the bar has been set high.

Briar Woods, a 4A powerhouse from Loudoun County,
was the first to provide us with information. Therefore,
you get the first picture, although I am not positive that
this is from last year.

If you coach a high school team in Virginia, and are located within 50 miles of DC, you may be receiving an e-mail from me very soon. Attached will be a survey in which you will be asked to provide information about yourself, as well as your team. Please take the time to fill this out, or provide another survey that you have completed for another publication.

I can be reached at jim@recruit757.com or jim@recruitnova.com. Thanking the Northern Virginia coaches in advance for your help with this. it should be fun! -- Jim

Lafayette's Linn Elevated to AD: Will Coach Football in 2016

Lafayette football coach Andy Linn has amassed
a record of 56-8 as the Rams head whistle. 2016
will be his last season as he prepares to move
up to Athletic Director

As seen on ultimaterecruit.com

“Make no mistake, it was SUDDEN!”

To say that Lafayette football coach Andy Linn’s ascent to the Athletic Director position at his school had any kind of purposeful structure behind it would be a misnomer. However, upon further review, it makes perfect sense.

Asked if outgoing director Dan Barner and himself had ever talked about a possible transition, Linn, who was approved by the Williamsburg-James City County school board for his new position on Tuesday, said, “We used to talk about it very early on (his teaching career at Lafayette, which started in 1998). But it was never a discussion like, this is going to be your job someday,” he added. Linn will remain as the Rams football coach for one more season before devoting all of his energy to the administrative side of athletics.

The history between Linn and the outgoing Athletic Director goes a much longer way than many people may realize.

“Yes, during those first seven years (1990-1997), I was at Berkeley as a teacher and athletic director, and Dan (Barner) was the AD at James Blair. He helped me at the middle school level and was the guy that I called for help early on.”

Eventually, Barner took the AD job at Lafayette, and a year later, Linn came aboard as a physical education and health teacher, as well as assistant football coach.

It was ironic how the two stayed together at Lafayette for so many years, especially as Linn proved to be an instrumental part of the Rams’ gridiron success with the development of his offensive linemen. How come he didn’t move up to the head whistle sooner?

“I’m kind of a loyal guy,” said Linn, who spent 14 years as a football assistant before becoming the Rams’ head coach in 2011. “I could have applied for the Warhill job a couple of times or Jamestown on a couple of occasions. But I’m loyal to Lafayette and I was proud of what we had built.”

Eventually, Linn’s time came, and the former W&M lineman made a direct impact on the success of the Rams. Through his fifth year at the helm, Lafayette has sported a 56-8 record with four Bay Rivers District titles, a 3A state championship appearance (2014), and three consecutive undefeated seasons in the District with an ongoing 33-game winning streak

But fate was about to change Linn’s life, and even he was unaware of it.

“He (Barner) just decided that it was time (to retire),” said Linn of his former boss, who unexpectedly announced his retirement as the calendar was pushing May. Asked if he had given his eventual successor any hints of his plans to leave, or to give Linn a heads-up on the new job opening in W-JCC, Linn said no.

In an understatement, Linn added, “People rarely make a normal transition into a new job,” noting his own 19-year lapse between athletic department administrative positions.

And while Linn will be leaving the sidelines after next season, he is comfortable about leaving his program in the hands of current assistant coaches, such as Kyle Neve, Brian Sorrell and John Byron, who have served with him at Lafayette for many years, admitting that having them as current coaches “made a difference” when it came time to apply for the vacant AD position.

WOODSIDE (VA) To Open Football Season in Canton, Ohio

Woodside will be traveling to Canton, Ohio, site of the
Pro Football Hall of  Fame, to open their football season
season in late August, against the GlenOak Golden Eagles.

As seen on Recruit757.com

For the second straight year, the Woodside football team will be traveling for their sole non-conference game. However, this season’s trip should be more memorable than last year’s jaunt to Rock Hill, South Carolina, as the Wolverines will change course and head north to Canton, Ohio, site of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, to challenge the GlenOak Golden Eagles in both teams’ season opener.

Last year’s opponent, Northwestern, ended last season as a 14-0 4A state champion in South Carolina, and also won the state crown in 2013. They gave the Wolverines fits last August with their ability to match the high-octane offense of Woodside, as evidenced by their 47-23 win.

This year’s opponent, GlenOak may be a better match for Woodside. The Golden Eagles finished its 2015 campaign with a 7-4 record and opening round 41-13 playoff loss to Mentor High. GlenOak can score bunches of points (28.9 avg. last year), but also sported a defense that gave up an average of almost 23. This could work well for Woodside, a team that has averaged 33 points per game over the past three seasons.

Many of the featured players for Woodside will be back in action as the team opens its season in Canton. Quarterback Tyhier Tyler returns as the starting quarterback and last year’s leading scorer Tamir Walker will continue to get his share of carries in the Wolverines Wing-T offense. Other key returnees include Demetri Banks on offense and D’Angelo Chesson on defense. Chesson single-handedly kept the Wolverines in games against Bethel and Denbigh with key touchdowns, as Woodside finished their regular season 7-3 before losing a thrilling 34-27 double-overtime playoff opener to Grassfield.

Before they attack the Peninsula District schedule next year, they will have a chance to witness football history.

Wolverine coach Danny Dodson plans to take his team up “a bit early” to get in some sightseeing before the game on Friday, August 26^th, a wish that should be possible since school will not be in session until after Labor Day. The team will scrimmage against Lake Taylor (Aug. 11) and York (Aug. 18^th), before leaving for Ohio on Wednesday the 24^th.

One of their stops will be the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Dodson is hoping to pay the admission fee for all of his players, which is part of the $10,000 - $12,000 he feels the team will need to raise to cover the trip.

And after they get to Ohio, their next goal will be to cover the Yellow Jackets, and earn a key season-opening win before diving into their nine-game Peninsula District schedule.

TRACK SHORTS: VOL IV: PHOEBUS WINS 3A STATE TRACK TITLE

As seen at ultimaterecruit.com:

With some help from their football sprinters, the Phantoms of Phoebus High overcame a hard charging Blacksburg team to win the 3A track championship with 85 points. The meet took place during the first weekend and following Wednesday of June at Harrisonburg High.

JoMari Becnel, who rushed for over 1,200 yards
last fall as the Conference 27 Player of the Year,
recently helped the Phantoms win the 3A state
track title, with points in the 100, 200, long jump
and 4x100 relay

Originally, the meet was terminated with three running events remaining due to lightning over the field on Saturday. However, after VHSL became aware of the backlash being spread throughout social media because of the cancellation, and failure to crown state champions, the decision to reconvene was made, and the meet was resumed, and completed, on the following Wednesday.

The battle between the top two schools was razor-thin close, and before the meet’s final event, the 4x400 relay, Blacksburg held a half point advantage over Phoebus at 75.5-75. With the balance of the meet on the line, the Phantoms won the 4x400, as Maurice Brown, Daquan Lewis, Douglas Sessoms and Jaelen Williams won in 3:22.00, to earn 10 points, and seal the championship. Blacksburg placed fifth in the relay to earn four points and ended the competition in second with 79.5.

JoMari Becnel, star running back for Phoebus, expressed a sense of relief that the championship was able to continue.

“When I was told that the meet was cancelled, I was in shock. It felt unreal because I had never participated in a meet where it had been cancelled in the middle of events. And, because it was a state meet, it was a very big deal track meet,” said Becnel, who placed fifth in the 100-meter dash (11.19) and 200 (22.38). He also ran the leadoff leg for the Phantoms’ third place 4x100 meter squad (43.15), and placed sixth in the long jump (20-08).

“As a team we all felt sad and upset that there was no declared state winners being that we were leading in points as the meet got cancelled. Coming back to school that Monday, there was gossip going around that there was an article saying that the state meet would be resumed. I was happy and excited,” added Becnel.

Other Phoebus contributors from the gridiron included Daquan Lewis (first in 4x400 relay and third in 4x100, fourth in long jump), Jaelen Williams (won 300-meter hurdles in 37.60,  triple jump in 45-3.75, second in long jump, Justin Wright (fifth in 110-meter hurdles), and Douglas Sessoms (4x400, anchor for 4x100 relay).

“It feels great to finish as a state champion as a senior,” said Becnel. 

BOYD, BEATTY WIN 4A THROWS

Denbigh’s Gabriel Boyd won the 4A discus throw, as his toss of 163-08 topped his personal best by over two feet, and outdistanced Lafayette’s Tyler Jump (156-08) and Courtland’s Matthew McDougal (152-06).

Boyd, a Patriot running back and outside linebacker for Coach Marcellus Harris III, was the top seed coming into the competition and the six-foot, 205 lb. thrower did not disappoint. Boyd also placed seventh in the shot-put (48-07) to account for all 12 of Denbigh’s points.

Meanwhile, Ben Beatty of Courtland destroyed the field of 13 throwers to win the shot put by almost nine feet. Beatty, a 6-2, 240 lb. lineman for Coach J.D. Hall’s football team in the fall, scored with a throw of 61-01 that was just short of his 62-09 best, but well ahead of Caleb Bishop’s (Pulaski County) runner-up effort of 52-04.5.

Courtland placed seventh in the 4A team standings with 27 points. 

A TALE OF TWO RELAYS

Appomattox (2A) and Franklin (1A) both won the 4x100 relay, largely in part to runners who spent last fall as part of their school’s respective backfields.

For Appomattox County, winning a state title is nothing new. The Raider football team went 15-0 last fall and destroyed Clarke County 42-6 to take the 2A state championship.

Three members of that team – Phillip Fleshman, Trey Walker and Delonta Kelso, were juniors who played running back. In the spring, they combined with opening relay leg Shurka Henderson to win the 4x100 meter relay in 43.36, .57 seconds ahead of Dan River. As a team, the Raiders scored 37 points and took home the state runner-up trophy, as Richmond powerhouse Maggie Walker Governor’s School won with 84.

Franklin’s winning time of 43.33 was almost identical to Appomattox County. Bronco running back Javonte Baker led off the quartet, while fellow backfield member Quayshawn Jefferson anchored the team down the final straightaway. Jefferson also placed second in the 400 meters (51.18).

As a team, Franklin placed eighth, scoring 26 points. 

MIDDLESEX’S JOHNSON WINS 1A LONG JUMP

Sean Johnson, who played wide receiver and strong safety for Middlesex last fall, won the 1A long jump with a leap of 22 feet.

The 6’2”, 165 lb. Johnson also placed third in the 110-meter high hurdles (15.73), and high jump (6-3) to score 22 points for the Middlesex, who finished fourth with 45.75 points. During the fall, Johnson caught five passes for 128 yards for the Chargers, who finished the season with a 7-4 record.

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