Virginia Peninsula Game of Week #3 - Willie Drew Throws For 4 TD's - Smithfield Trounces Bruton 55-0

YORK – A pair of second quarter turnovers sparked the Packers, who cruised to a 55-0 victory over Bruton on the road.

Willie Drew threw four touchdown passes, with two to senior standout Chris Pierce, while Will Robinson added 109 yards rushing on seven carries and a touchdown reception.

The Packers scored on their first possession, which was set up by a Kenneth Wilkerson interception that took the ball to the Bruton 17. After a Smithfield penalty, a Caleb Brodie 15-yard run was followed by another handoff to Brodie, who found a seam on the right side and scored from the 5.

Brodie also scored Smithfield’s next touchdown, snaring a pass from Drew and running across the goal line for a 30-yard score.

Bruton’s next two possessions proved to be fatal for their outcome. After a 33-yard pass from Greg Dockery to a leaping Keandre Richards ended the first quarter, a Panther runner heading up the middle was met with force by a Packer defender, and the football went flying. It was grabbed out of the air by Smithfield’s John Darden, who had nothing but open field in front of him, as he rambled 70 yards for the defensive touchdown.

Getting the ball again, the Panthers were again struck with misfortune. A swarming Smithfield defense smothered Dockery, forcing the football to hit the ground where it was scooped up by Jameek Jordan. The junior lineman rumbled 29 yards for a second defensive touchdown, giving the visitors a comfortable 28-0 lead. Drew’s nine-yard run later in the half made it 34-0 at the intermission.

Pierce, who went without a reception in the first half, blocked a Panther punt in the second half. Three plays later, Drew found him across the middle for an 11-yard touchdown, his second of the game.

SMITHFIELD – 14, 20, 14, 7 -- 55

BRUTON       -   0, 0, 0, 0       --  0

1^st Quarter

S -  Brodie 5 run (Tucker kick)

S – Brodie 30 pass from Drew (Tucker kick)

2^nd Quarter

S – J. Darden 70 fumble recovery (Tucker kick)

S – J. Jordan 30 fumble recovery (Tucker kick)

S – Drew 9 run (Tucker kick)

3^rd Quarter

S – Pierce 25 pass from Drew (pass failed)

S – Pierce 11 pass from Drew (Tucker kick)

4^th Quarter

S – W. Robinson 20 pass from Drew (Tucker kick)

         Smith   Brut

First downs;   13, 8

Rushes-yards;  23-241, 25-2

Passing yards;   117, 150

Comp-att-int;   5-9-0, 11-20-2

Penalties-yards; 10-95, 6-45

Punts-avg;      0-0, 3-25

Fumbles-lost;   2-0, 2-2

Allen Iverson to Enter Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday, September 9th

The “Answer” has found the Basketball Hall of Fame, and the corridors of the Naismith shrine may never be the same.

Allen Iverson was about more than basketball. Simply put, he changed the NBA. He changed the look, he changed the style, and he changed the heart. Some people hated him for it, but that’s how it usually works with polarizing figures. They’re either loved or despised.

Sometimes there’s a price to pay for being transformational, and Iverson almost lost his career because of it before he even got to college. The grainy footage from the Spare Times bowling alley in his hometown of Hampton, VA has been shown on an ESPN 30 for 30 special, as well as the Showtime network documentary on A.I. The tape fails to show whether he was involved in a brawl before his senior year at Bethel High School. Yet, there appears to be little doubt that prosecutors singled him out when making their case, and Iverson almost had to serve five years in jail. He did serve time at the Newport News City Farm before then-Governor L. Douglas Wilder pardoned Iverson.

From there, Georgetown coach John Thompson took a chance on the young man known as “Bubba Chuck,” recruiting him to become a Hoya. And the rest is history.

Just like with Kobe, even if you didn’t like Iverson, you had to respect his ability and his heart. He drove the lane with a lack of fear, challenging defenders who were as much a foot taller and 100-150 pounds heavier than the six-foot guard who weighed about 165. He hit the floor thousands of times, causing fans to gasp and coaches to cringe. But, he always got back up. Always.

Here’s a small man fact. Of the top 25 scorers in NBA history, only Iverson and Jerry West (6-2) are the players on the list under 6-foot-5. Iverson finished his career with over 24,000 points (26.7 per game), over 5,500 assists and close to 2,000 steals. He even grabbed 3,394 rebounds, almost four a game, amazing for someone who was always the smallest player on the floor.

Some people labeled him a ball hog, yet Iverson averaged over six assists a game for his career.

Here are Iverson’s three biggest contributions to the NBA. First, he made the small man scorer meaningful over the course of a career, a feat that had not been touched since the days of Nate Archibald with the Kansas City Kings. Second, he MADE the “crossover” move famous on the day that he broke Michael Jordan’s ankles with it. Finally, he changed the way players dress, the way they act; in fact, he changed the attitude of the game. Though some did not appreciate the baggy hip-hop clothes, tattoos and cornrows, there is little doubt that many other players (and fans) soon followed A.I.’s lead.

Iverson’s first stop on the Hall of Fame tour was in Philly. Although he played for four teams, he was and is a 76er. He had the opportunity to be introduced to the adoring Sixer crowd once again, and followed with a press conference where the now 40-year old got emotional when talking about his winding road to Springfield, Massachusetts, site of the Naismith museum.

“Imagine what I’m going to be like that day,” said Iverson, talking about the Hall of Fame ceremony.

For those who love Allen Iverson, Bubba Chuck, A.I. and the “Answer,” that day can’t get here soon enough.

Virginia Peninsula Game of Week #2 - A.J. Johnson helps James Monroe cruise to a rain soaked 43 - 7 win over York

From ultimaterecruit.com

YORK – At 5’5” and 150 pounds, A. J. Johnson was one of the smallest players on Bailey Field on Friday night. However, when the final gun sounded at the tail end of a James Monroe 43-7 rout over York, there was little question as to which player had the biggest impact.

Johnson, a tailback for the Yellow Jackets, rushed for 209 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries, including breakaway runs of 86 and 66 yards. The James Monroe defense added two scores as the visitors opened up a 29-0 halftime lead and cruised to victory.

For the game, James Monroe tallied 328 yards, including a whopping 310 on the ground over 33 carries. Junior Divyne Ford added 86 yards on 11 carries, and had a breakout run of his own, a 68-yard burst through the Falcon defense on the game’s second play.

On the other hand, the Falcons were held to 158 yards and eight first downs by a swarming Jacket defense that forced four turnovers.

Monroe (1-1), who was routed 48-10 last weekend by perennial powerhouse Dinwiddie, buoyed themselves with big plays, which seemed to happen successively. In all, the Yellow Jackets had four plays which covered over 50 yards.

On Monroe’s second possession, they were forced to punt, but the ball was caught at the Falcon five-yard line, and the York returner was dropped at the 3. Two plays later, a fumbled Falcon handoff was recovered in the York end zone by Monroe’s Elijah Baylor. The conversion failed, but the Yellow Jackets had a 12-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

On the ensuing play, York quarterback Ramsey Hayyat had his pass intercepted by Jaden Preston, who returned the ball 53 yards for a Jacket score. The sophomore had a rough outing, completing 6 of 15 passes for only 60 yards and two interceptions. Hayyat passed for almost 1,500 yards and 12 touchdowns as a freshman, and to his credit, he continued to gun sling at the Jacket defense fearlessly.

The next Monroe drive lasted only one play. Johnson grabbed the first handoff and sprinted 86 yards through the Falcon defense for his first score, as the Jackets opened up a 26-0 margin.

Yellow Jacket kicker Nolan Marine tacked on a 28-yard field goal midway through the second quarter to give his team a 29-0 lead at the half.

The Falcons opened the second half with a sense of urgency. Running a hurry-up offense, Cole Lytle carried on three successive plays for a total of 27 yards. On the next play, Hayyat faked a handoff to Lytle up the middle, and then dashed around the right side for a 39-yard touchdown – the Falcons’ longest play of the game.

The skies opened up and the rain started pouring midway through the third quarter, causing problems for both offenses who failed to move the ball with authority over each of their next two possessions. But Monroe regained their footing, as Johnson ran for touchdowns of 66 and 49 yards on the next two Jacket possessions.

Hayyat led all York rushers with 45 yards on 15 carries. Lytle added 37 yards on eight carries, all in the second half, as well as three catches for 31 yards.

JAMES MONROE – 26, 3, 0, 14 — 43

YORK – 0, 0, 7, 0 — 7

1st Quarter
JM – Ford 68 run (kick failed)
JM – E. Baylor fumble rec. in end zone (kick failed)
JM – J. Preston 53 int. return (Marine kick)
JM – A.J. Johnson 86 run (Marine kick)

2nd Quarter
JM – Marine 28 FG

3rd Quarter
Y – Hayyat 39 run (Elmauthaler kick)

4th Quarter
JM – A.J. Johnson 66 run (Marine kick)
JM – A.J. Johnson 49 run (Marine kick)

                 JM   York
First downs; 10, 8
Rushes-yards; 33-310, 35-102
Passing yards; 18, 60
Comp-att-int; 4-9-1, 6-15-2
Penalties-yards; 10-75, 5-25
Punts-avg; 5-27, 7-30
Fumbles-lost; 0-0, 3-2

Peninsula Game of the Week Preview - Bishop Sullivan (1-0) vs. Bishop Ireton (0-0) – Fannon Field, Alexandria, VA, Thursday, Sept. 1 @ 4 PM

New Ireton coach Kevin Barger and the Cardinals will have their hands full in this year's
opener against a new look powerhouse in Bishop Sullivan (photo by Jim McGrath)

In late July, recently hired Ireton Coach Kevin Barger was asked about the challenge of opening the 2016 season against Bishop Sullivan.

“You hear things like they have 11 Division I caliber players. But you can’t believe everything you hear,” said Barger.

And he’s right. In fact, it may be more than 11.

In reality, Barger is not at fault. To look at Bishop Sullivan’s team in 2015 was to see a 4-6 Crusader team trying to hold its own in the VISAA Division 2 classification. On the other hand, Ireton went 8-3 and made the VISAA Division 1 state final for a second straight year under Coach Tony Verducci.

What a difference a year has made.

It all started when Ocean Lakes coach Chris Scott, who had gone 86-10 with a 6A Virginia state title in 2014, abruptly left the Dolphins program, and was hired by Bishop Sullivan. What followed was a migration of star players to the tiny Catholic school (approximately 425 students) in Virginia Beach, such as Khalan Laborn (over 2,000 rushing yards and 32 TD’s in 2015), Tylan McElhenie, and Tahj Capehart (VA Tech commit) from the Dolphins program, followed by other transfers, such as all-state linebacker Teradja Mitchell from Bayside (Virginia Beach). An apparel partnership was formed with Under Armour, followed by a renovation of the Crusaders’ Finch Field. Quickly, a powerhouse was born.

Meanwhile at Ireton, the tide turned the other way. Verducci was not rehired under questionable circumstances. The official announcement stated that he had accepted an SES position with the Military Airlift Command (Verducci is a retired USMC Lt. Colonel) in Norfolk and would be unable to continue as coach. In fact, Verducci’s position had him commuting to Norfolk on Monday and Tuesday since last year, and the coach had no intention of resigning his position at Ireton. This led to an uproar from some Cardinal parents and alumni, which eventually led to an article about the circumstances surrounding Verducci’s dismissal by Mark Giannotto in the Washington Post last week.

Enter Barger, who spent the past seven seasons as an assistant coach at Catholic University. He brings a sense of patience to the cauldron on Cambridge Road, despite being hired late in the spring.

“I’m taking the time to get to know the players and figure out their strengths,” said Barger. He plans to install a Pistol offense, which should inject some life into the passing game.

Several key players will play both ways this season, including seniors Sam Smith (WR/CB), and Joseph Wenger (OT/DT). Otherwise, there are a number of question marks for Bishop Ireton, with the hope that many roles will be figured out quickly as a tough slate of games lies ahead.

Bishop Sullivan rolled past Liberty Christian 33-13 in its opener, which was not as close as the score indicates. Laborn ran for three touchdowns (40, 41, 49) of over 40 yards before halftime, as the Crusaders jumped to a 33-0 lead, which held until the game’s final eight minutes. McElhenie added an eight-yard touchdown run, while quarterback Tyler DeSue threw a 26-yard touchdown to Jamir Hudson.

Virginia Peninsula Game of the Week - Poquoson (VA) Rushes for 363 Yards; Wins BIG, 35-12, at Home Opener

It's time to start the "Wall's" weekly look at high school and college football games. Each week, I'll select a preview (I usually write 3-4), as well as a game summary for the week, or from the weekend. 

Last week, I covered two games. Phoebus, from Hampton, won, but looked sloppy in its 13-8 win over Wilson, a team that went 3-7 last season. I decided to highlight Poquoson, a team that finished 10-3 last year, and opened their 2016 campaign with a nice win over an overmatched team.

POQUOSON 35, SOUTHAMPTON 12

POQUOSON – Behind several breakaway plays in the first half, the Bull Islanders cruised to a season-opening 35-12 win over Southampton at home on Friday night.

The loss soured the return of Southampton coach Littleton Parker to the sidelines. Parker had retired from coaching in 2009, electing to serve solely as the Indians’ athletic director. But, in his first game in seven years, his team ran into a stiff Poquoson rushing attack that gained 363 yards on 44 carries.

Sophomore Colten Hicks made a ferocious statement on his first carry, running 49 yards for the Islanders first score. Tayriel Ruffin answered for the Indians, scoring on a 62-yard scamper to pull his team within a point. But Hicks followed up in the second quarter with a 70-yard dash that ended at the one-yard line, where Robert Henesey completed the drive with a single-yard plow through the center of the line, giving Poquoson a 13-6 lead.

Later in the half, Cole Jackson took a jet sweep to the right, broke to the center of the field, and then back toward the right sideline, scoring from 28 yards out.

Poquoson’s other score came when quarterback Jared Davis found Donovan Edwards just behind the front right pylon of the goal line for a four-yard passing score.

Southampton’s second touchdown came in the oddest of manners. Indian quarterback Andrew Blunt’s long pass was intercepted by defensive back Cayce Moore, who was running full speed toward the end zone. Moore’s momentum, coupled with an oncoming Indian tackler, caused him to run backwards for ten more yards. He was hit by a Southampton player, fumbled, and the ball rolled into the end zone where it was recovered by an alert Indian player, De’Von Tynes, who was playing split end and happened to be in the vicinity. Tynes’ touchdown closed the gap to 28-12, which is how the first half ended.

Hicks capped a six-play, 56 yard drive in the third quarter, gaining his second touchdown of the night with a three-yard run. The key play of the drive was Jackson’s 25-yard run on the previous play.

For the night, Hicks gained 194 yards on ten carries. Henesey was also over 100 yards on the ground, and Jackson chipped in 68 on seven carries.

SOUTHAMPTON – 6, 6, 0, 0 -- 12

POQUOSON -  7, 21, 7, 0 -- 35  

1^st Quarter

P – C. Hicks 49 run (Andersen kick)

SH – Ruffin 62 run (kick failed)

2^nd Quarter

P – Henesey 1 run (Palmer kick)

P – C. Jackson 28 run (Andersen kick)

P – Edwards 4 pass (Palmer kick)

SH –Tynes fumble recovery in end zone (run failed)

3^rd Quarter

P – Hicks 3 run (Andersen kick)

         SH   POQ

First downs;    8, 19

Rushes-yards;  32-130, 44-363

Passing yards;   65, 28

Comp-att-int;   5-15-2, 3-5-0

Penalties-yards; 5-40, 4-43

Punts-avg;      7-36, 3-26

Fumbles-lost;   0-0, 2-2