Jim McGrath's "Writing on the Wall," featuring Virginia Peninsula Sports

A blog dedicated to the various high school, college, and community sports on the Virginia Peninsula. The continuation of my former weekly column with the DAILY PRESS and Virginian Pilot. VPS includes posts from my work with VirginiaPreps.com, MileStat.com, and other journalistic outlets. Please join me and send your stories of hope and triumph to jfmcgrath65@gmail.com.. My sports journey continues...please feel free to share the ride...

Results from Yorktown Freedom Run Memorial Day 8K

From the Peninsula Track Club

Below and attached are the award winners and full results for the 2024 YORKTOWN FREEDOM RUN MEMORIAL DAY 8K held on the tour roads of the Yorktown Battlefield on Memorial Day Monday morning, May 27, 2024. The race was sponsored by the Yorktown Rotary Club with proceeds going to the Yorktown Rotary Foundation for Youth Activities and Community Service.

The course started and finished near Surrender Field on the Yorktown Battlefield. The 8K loop course is USATF certified #VA14007RT and was run correctly by the runners. The Yorktown Freedom Run Memorial Day 8K is a Peninsula Track Club Grand Prix event, a Hampton Roads Super Grand Prix event, and was the 2024 Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) Virginia State 8K Championship.

The 2024 edition of the Yorktown Freedom Run Memorial Day 8K was held under partly cloudy and humid conditions with a temperature of 75 degrees at race start. A total of 201 runners entered the Yorktown Freedom Runs with 175 completing the 8K loop course on the scenic Yorktown Battlefield while 14 runners and walkers ran and finished the accompanying 5K fun run. There were no awards for the fun run.

Five new 8K age group course records for the Yorktown Freedom Run Memorial Day 8K were set today.

First Overall Male, Adam Otstot, 42 of Williamsburg VA set a new age group record for Men 40-44 with a time of 26:33 beating the previous mark of 26:51 that Adam himself set in 2023.

Second Woman Overall, Tamara Pelletier, 49 of Yorktown VA set a new age group record for Women 45-49 with a time of 33:46 besting the previous record of 35:01 set by Arlyne Spalla-Benson in 2015.

For Men 80-84, Ron Worthington, 80 of Bena VA set a new age group record with a time of 51:19, beating the previous record of 59:35 set by John Munday in 2021.

For Women 70-74, Joey Hallock, 71 of Virginia Beach, VA set a new age group record with a time of 41:57 beating the old record of 49:31 set by Babara Biasi in 2018.

Finally, Betty Brothers, 77 of Virginia Beach VA set a new age group record for Women 75-79 with a time of 44:05 bettering the previous record of 55:41 also set by Barbara Biasi in 2023.

Finish line and results services were provided by the Peninsula Track Club. A copy of the results, links to pictures from the race and listings for future road races can be found on the PTC website: www.peninsulatrackclub.com.

A copy of the results is attached to this e-mail both as text files (.txt) and as Word 2003 files (.doc).

The 2024YFR8Kwin files contain the age group award winners for the Yorktown Freedom Run 8K.

The full results for the Yorktown Freedom Run Memorial Day 8K can be found in the 2024YFR8Kall files.

Full results for the 5K Fun Run can be found in the YFR5KFunRunall files.

Bruce Davis

Peninsula Track Club

weatherwizard1@juno.com

=======================

2024 YORKTOWN FREEDOM RUN MEMORIAL DAY 8K

Yorktown Battlefield, Yorktown, VA

Memorial Day, Monday May 27, 2024 8:00 AM

Heritage Tops Menchville 21-20

NEWPORT NEWS – In both teams’ Peninsula District opener, Menchville, behind the power of Charlie Wilson’s 241 rushing yards, held on for a one-point win over city rival Heritage.

In a game married by 24 penalties, the Monarchs (1-1) were never in charge of the game until Corey Harris intercepted a Derrick Gurley Jr. pass in the game’s final minute. At the time, the Hurricanes (0-2) had just converted a 4th-and-3 from the 33, as Gurley’s pass was snared just inside the sideline by Sterling Anderson who landed right on the 30 before being pushed out of bounds.

The loss for Heritage overshadowed a sparkling game from Anderson, who scored on a 91-yard pass play, set up by Menchville’s failure to drop anyone back at safety. The senior also followed up Wilson’s 62-yard touchdown run with a 94-yard kickoff return for a score.

Wilson carried the ball 33 times, including eight for 51 yards on the game-clinching scoring drive. But the senior, who also plays free safety, was quick to recognize the defense.

“Defense wins championships,” said Wilson, who also made some notable tackles on Gurley (12 carries, 106 yards), who escaped the pocket on numerous occasions, leading to several games of cat-and-mouse with the Monarch defenders.

Coach Rodney Wilson praised his team, telling them after the game – “we could have given up, but tonight we showed our heart!”

Menchville held a tenuous 7-6 lead at the half, but passed up numerous opportunities to extend the margin. Three of Gurley’s first four passes were almost intercepted by Monarch defenders, and most of the seven first-half penalties came during long gains, including a 47-yard touchdown run by Amir Harrison, which was called back due to a holding call.

Yet, the Menchville defense held tight. Aside from a 70-yard dash by Gurley, the Hurricanes managed just 54 yards in the opening half. However, Gurley’s long run, from the Heritage 17 to the Monarch 13, set up an eight-yard pass between Gurley and slot receiver Zachary Ray, who connected on a crossing pattern. The Canes quarterback provided most of the offense for his team in the first half, with 93 rushing yards on six carries.

On the Monarch side, Harrison, who rushed for 104 rushing in the season opening loss to Western Branch, opted to hand off to Wilson, who picked up 108 yards rushing on 14 first-half carries.

Her. Men.

1st Downs 8, 14

Rush – Yds 20-115, 49-376

Pass Yds. 140, 29

C- A – I 6-19-2, 4-13-1

Punts – Avg. 5-31, 4-28

Pen. Yds. 10-65, 14-145

Fumb – Lost 2-1, 1-0

Heritage 0, 6, 7, 7 -- 20

Menchville 0, 7, 7, 7 -- 21

M – Shane Reimann 7 pass from Amir Harrison (Edwin Baker kick)

H – Zachary Ray 8 pass from Derrick Gurley Jr. (kick failed)

H – Sterling Anderson 91 pass from Gurley (kick failed)

M – Charlie Wilson 62 run (Baker run)

H – Anderson 94 kick return (Cunningham pass from Gurley)

M – Wilson 4 run (Baker kick)

Lionsbridge FC Reaches National Soccer Final

Lionsbridge FC 1, Villages SC 1 (Lionsbridge wins 4-3 on penalty kicks)

NEWPORT NEWS – On the biggest day of his team’s history, the newest member of the Lionsbridge FC delivered the most important kick in its five-year history.

Coleman Jennings nailed the fifth of five penalty kicks for Lionsbridge, breaking a 3-3 draw in the final round and sending the hosts to the USL League 2 national championship against Ballard FC, which will be held on Saturday in Seattle, Washington.

Jennings, who just joined the club last week, was even keeled about his new place in the team’s five-year history.

“I just wanted to deliver for the boys,” said Jennings, who hit a perfect line drive into the right side of the net sending the home crowd, which filled the TowneBank Stadium bleachers, into a frenzy.

Davide Materazzi, Sam Hall, and Andrew Bennett also scored on penalty kicks for Lionsbridge.

Jennings’s game-winner was preceded by a crucial save from goalie Tyler Hogan who stopped a grounder by Pedro Santos to keep the bonus round tied.

Asked if Santos tipped him off about which direction he might send the ball, Hogan said, “I know where I’m going before they (kick) it.”

For Lionsbridge (14-2-3), the win extended its streak to eight, as well as its home unbeaten run, which now stands at 32 games.

The win ends a rugged nine-day stretch for the Eastern Conference champions, who played four games, including two overtime matches this weekend, the first of which lasted until 1:30 am.

The first half was scoreless and highlighted by some rough-and-tumble play and few scoring opportunities. Villages’ Nicolai Muench had the first open shot at goal at the ten-minute mark, receiving a pass within ten yards of the Lionsbridge goal, with only keeper Hogan to beat. But his attempt from the near right side, hit the outside of the goal, getting caught in the netting.

Five minutes later, Lionsbridge midfielder Bennett hooked a 30-yard attempt over the Villages defense and directly toward the top of the Villages goal. But Mathias Tieppo leaped to bat the ball over the crossbar.

Play got chippy in the second half. At the 50-minute mark, a shoving match among several members of both teams broke out near midfield, and two minutes later, Lionsbridge’s Harri Rowe drew a yellow card for upending Muench.

“They’re a physical team,” said coach Chris Whalley. “I think we handled it well.”

Ironically, it was the hosts who eventually benefitted. Lionsbridge earned a free kick from 35 yards out after Sam Hall was pushed to the turf while dribbling. Bennett’s kick was recovered by Adam Kirkwood, who turned to deliver a line drive toward the goal. The ball hit the crossbar, but an alert Josh Baker dove to head in the rebound for a game tying score.

The good news was almost short lived. Villages dribbled into the Lionsbridge zone and sent a kick toward goal where the ball started bouncing toward the net, with Hogan caught five yards outside of the goal. Instinctively, he turned to chase the ball, which he managed to bat out of the crease with his right hand, saving what would have been the game-winning goal as the two clubs played to a 1-1 tie at the end of regulation.

York Drops State Softball Final

FREDERICKSBURG --- After defeating Brentsville and Cave Spring to reach the Class 3 state softball final, the York Falcons hope of claiming its first ever title fell just short on Saturday with the Falcons falling to Northside of Roanoke 3-1.

Still, for York, this season can be considered successful, as Coach Amy Hunter’s team overcame a 1-2 start with two Bay Rivers District losses and a fourth place finish in the district. Despite dropping the Class 3, Region A final to New Kent, the Falcons advanced to the state tournament as the A2 seed, and proceeded to topple a pair of #1 seeds to reach the final game.

The Falcons (18-8) were defiant to the end, scoring the first run of the game in the third inning. Brianna Petrolia walked, and scored on an RBI double from Morgan Hunter. The Falcons held the 1-0 advantage into the fifth inning when the Northside bats came to life. The Vikings struck for two runs, and added an insurance run in the seventh to claim the championship.

Sarah Witt performed admirably on the mound, allowing just two hits and striking out five, but fell victim to five walks, which put Northside runners in scoring position late in the game. For the season, Witt finished with a 2.43 ERA, while batting .485 and leading the Falcons in homeruns, slugging percentage and runs batted in.

Petrolia topped the Falcons in runs scored with 33, while Morgan Hunter hit .509 to pace an offensive arsenal that collectively batted a rousing .414. By comparison, Witt and Petrolia gave up a stingy .207 batting average to opposing batters.

Otstot, Spady Win Yorktown Freedom Run

From the Peninsula Track Club

Despite a rainy Memorial Day weekend, the 2023 edition of the Yorktown Freedom Run Memorial Day 8K was actually held under fairly good running conditions; overcast with an occasional mist and a temperature of 66 degrees at race start. 205 runners entered the 8K Run with 192 completing the 8K loop course on the scenic Yorktown Battlefield. 31 runners and walkers entered the accompanying 5K fun run with 27 finishing the 5K. There were no awards for the fun run.

One new 8K overall record and 11 new age group course records for the Yorktown Freedom Run Memorial Day 8K were set today.

For the second year in a row, a new course record for Women Overall was established. In 2022, Maria Spady, 31 of Hampton VA set the Women Overall record with a time of 30:27, beating the previous record of 30:57 set by Bethany Spector in 2021. In 2023, Bethany Spector, 33 of Virginia Beach VA returned the favor by beating the time set by Maria Spady and again setting a new Women Overall record with a time of 30:15 (6:05 per mile pace)

That time of 30:15 by Bethany Spector is also a new age group record for Women 30-34 which was also previously held by Maria Spady.

The second Woman Overall, Sabrina Little, 36 of Newport News VA set a new age group record for Women 35-39 with a time of 30:58 besting the previous record time of 32:49 set by Jessica Riggs in 2015.

The first Master Woman, Deelyn Robinson, 57 of Williamsburg VA set a new age group record for Women 55-59 with a time of 35:07, beating the previous record of 35:28 set by Mercedes Castillo-D'Amico in 2017.

Third Master Woman, Megan Schulze, 40 of Newport News set a new age group record for Women 40-44 with a time of 35:12 beating the old record of 36:14 set by Karen Sanzo in 2021.

Other age group records include Isabella Strumke, 9 of Toano VA who broke the age group record for Women 9 and under with a time of 32:49 bettering the record of 37:12 that Isabella herself set in 2022.

For Women 60-64, Becky Upton, 60 of Virginia Beach VA set a new age group record with a time of 40:25 beating the previous record of 42:11 set by Norma Phillips in 2021.

For Women 75 and over, Barbara Biasi, 75 of Yorktown VA established a new age group record with a time of 55:41. Barbara is also the current age group record holder for Women 65-69 (44:36) and Women 70-74 (49:31).

For the men, Overall winner, Adam Otstot, 41 of Williamsburg VA set a new age group record for Men 40-44 with a time of 25:51 beating the time of 28:44 set by Douglas Marshall in 2015.

For Men 10-14, Dillon DeMay, 14 of Poquoson VA set a new age group record with a time of 33:45 beating the previous record of 34:34 set by Jack Strumke in 2022.

For Men 60-64, Robert Whitaker, 64 of Yorktown VA set a new age group record with a time of 32:04 besting the time of 34:34 set by by Kelvin Anderson in 2021.

Finally, for Men 65-69, Pete Gibson, 67 of Murfreesboro NC set a new age group record with a time of 32:38 beating the previous mark of 34:33 set by Stephen Chantry in 2021.

Lady Captains Softball Makes Elite Eight (as seen in Daily Press and Virginian Pilot)

NEWPORT NEWS – The Christopher Newport Captains will move on to the NCAA Division III softball Elite Eight at Taylor Field in Marshall, Texas, starting June 1.

With one swing, Katie Currin made sure of it, helping CNU defeat Virginia Wesleyan 6-4 Saturday afternoon at Captains Park in a decisive Super Regional Game 3.

The Captains, who won 3-1 Friday in Game 1, needed one win Saturday to capture the best-of-three series. However, they lost Saturday’s first game by a 5-2 count, forcing Game 3.

With the season on the line, both teams matched up their aces. CNU opted for Kate Alger, Friday’s winner, and VWU reciprocated with Lauren Bible, who entered the game with a 15-1 season record.

CNU, which lost a coin flip and therefore batted first in Game 3, jumped to a 3-0 lead, then allowed the Marlins to chip away. VWU eventually tied the game at 3 in the fifth inning.

In the top of the sixth, Brooke Childress drew a walk to open the inning, and Kensley Hess beat out a bunt, putting runners on first and second. Kendall Bentley’s sacrifice put them on second and third, leaving CNU coach Keith Parr to make a gutsy decision to pinch-hit Currin for Abby Rochette.

“Katie has been good in these situations. She stays ready to play, and we needed hard contact,” he said.

Parr could not have asked for a better response as Currin entered the game and drilled the first pitch over the left-center-field fence, breaking open the game into a 6-3 CNU lead.

From there, Alger could relax a bit and finish out the proceedings.

“I am so happy for Katie. No one deserved it more,” Alger said. “(The home run) helped a lot.

Currin, named the Super Regional’s outstanding player, said, “We were talking about it in the dugout and I was looking (for an outside pitch). I was ready.”

Parr, hoping for Currin to bring home a run, appreciated the outcome of his decision, saying, “The home run was a big bonus.”

The Marlins (39-13) would score one more run but could not negotiate enough of a rally to pull even.

“We knew it would be a battle,” Virginia Wesleyan coach Brandon Elliott said. “Our team could have folded, but they did everything that was asked of them. I couldn’t be more proud.”

The CNU-VWU rivalry is unique as two teams have won four of the last five Division III championships. CNU is the defending champion after last season’s historic 47-1 season.

CNU’s conference rival Salisbury and Coe, from Iowa, will be two of the three other teams in Bracket 1 with CNU in the double-elimination round.

The equalizer

Virginia Wesleyan forced the third game behind the momentum of a four-run third inning that buoyed the Marlins to a 5-2 win.

CNU threatened to put the game away early, scoring both of its runs in the top of the first inning. Bianca Palmer-Scott led off with a single and promptly stole second base. Meredith Brickner advanced Palmer-Scott to third with a sacrifice bunt. Nicole Apai walked and reached second on a fielder’s choice.

Both runners scored when Hess’ grounder to first went through the legs of the Marlins’ first baseman into right field.

Virginia Wesleyan cut the lead in half in the bottom of the second when Caitlyn Myers drilled a Jamie Martin pitch over the center-field fence.

Sarah Prosser opened the bottom of the third with a chopper over Martin’s head and beat the throw to first. A stolen base followed, along with another high hopper from Laci Campbell that was bobbled by Martin, putting runners on first and third.

Campbell’s attempt to steal third was boosted when the catcher’s throw went into center field, scoring Prosser. Campbell would score next on Alison Pollack’s sacrifice fly.

Emma Adams singled and Emily Halloway came on to pinch-run, scoring on Myers’ triple. Myers scored the final run on a Julie Piotrowski double.

While Martin hit rough patches in the fourth, she settled down and held the Marlins scoreless for the rest of the game. However, the Captains’ bats never woke up. Emily Seale (16-6) gave up four hits for the win.

Trevor Binau Earns Top-10 Finish; Tribe Garners Fourth at CAA Championships

(From W&M Sports Dept.)

BEAUFORT, S.C. – For the second-straight year, senior Trevor Binau shot even par and earned a top-10 finish to lead four Tribe players in the top 20 at the Colonial Athletic Association Championships on Tuesday. As a team, the Tribe carded its second-best 54-hole CAA Championship total in program history on the way to finishing in fourth.

After a ninth-placing showing in 2022, Binau finished in eighth this year. He closed out the tournament with a 1-over 73 on Tuesday, wrapping up an even-par 216. After a 2-over 38 through his opening nine holes, Binau made eight-straight pars on the back nine, before birdieing the par-5, 558-yard 18th hole. For the tournament, he ranked fourth in par-3 scoring at 1-under and seventh in birdies with a team-high 10.

The Tribe shot a final round 292 (+4) on Tuesday, which was the third best final round in the tournament. W&M shot a three-round total of 878 (+14) for the second time in three years. The total is tied for the second best in the Tribe's 38-year history at the CAA Championship, trailing only an 859 (-5) in 2002.

UNCW held on to win the CAA Championship behind a 15-under 849, holding off a charging Elon (858). The Phoenix shot a 10-under 278 on Tuesday to move up to second place followed by Drexel (872). W&M finished in a tie for fourth place with defending league champion Charleston.

Graduate student Matthew Feinstein posted his best round of the tournament on Tuesday, carding a 1-under 71. He recorded six birdies during his round, including four-straight on holes 10, 11, 12 and 13 to start his back nine. Feinstein finished with the third-best single-season scoring average in school history at 72.69.

Feinstein and Hunter both finished in a share of 18th at 222 (+6). For the second-straight day, Hunter carded an even-par 72 that included a quartet of birdies. He increased his school-record of rounds at par or better in a season to 15.

Freshman Charlie Bundy shot a 76 (+4) in his final round and finished the tournament in 13th place. He finished third in the event with 38 pars, including 15 in the final round. His single-season scoring averaged of 74.1 was the fourth-best for a Tribe freshman in school history.

Freshman Davis Adams rounded out the Tribe competitors at the CAA Championships, finishing in 33rd at 230 (+14). He fired a 77 (+5) on the final day of the competition.

W&M closed out the season with a program-record scoring average of 292.24. It topped the previous mark of 293.8, set in 2021, by more than a stroke.

CAA Championships
Dataw Island Club
Par 72, 6998 yards

Team Standings
1. UNCW -15 | 849 (289-273-287)
2. Elon -6 | 858 (298-282-278)
3. Drexel +8 | 872 (285-293-294)
T4. William & Mary +14 | 878 (296-290-292)
T4. Charleston +14 | 878 (291-288-299)
6. Delaware +20 | 884 (300-291-293)
7. Towson +47 | 911 (307-291-313)
8. Monmouth +65 | 929 (313-299-317)
9. North Carolina A&T +67 | 931 (302-309-320)
10. Hofstra +105 | 969 (316-315-338)

Top 5
1. Patrick Sparks (UNCW) -11 | 205 (68-65-72)
2. Drue Nicholas (Drexel) -7 | 209 (71-69-69)
T3. Matt Doyle (Elon) -4 | 212 (72-69-71)
T3. Walker Isley (UNCW) -4 | 212 (76-67-69)
T5. Kieron van Wyk (CofC) -2 | 214 (70-69-75)
T5. Landon Durham (Elon) -2 | 214 (76-68-70)

W&M Results
8. Trevor Binau E | 216 (72-71-73)
T13. Charlie Bundy +4 | 220 (71-73-76)
T18 Logan Hunter +6 | 222 (78-72-72)
T18. Matthew Feinstein +6 | 222 (75-76-71)
33. Davis Adams +14 | 230 (79-74-77)

Harris Scores 35; Hampton Girls Win Class 4 B-Ball

Heading into the intermission at last Thursday’s VHSL Class 4 girls’ state basketball championship game, the Hampton team appeared to be supremely confident.

And for good reason. A 28-point second quarter had boosted their lead over Pulaski County from six to 20 points. The Crabbers held a 25-12 rebounding advantage over their physically taller opponent, led by Jaiden Hunter’s nine boards.

Proving they could dominate from the outside as well as inside, Hampton shot 58 percent (7 of 12) from three-point range. And adding the icing to the team’s cake, Region 4B Player of the Year Kennedy Harris had scored 22 points, including three on an ankle breaking crossover move, followed by a dribble between the legs, completed with a step back behind the trey line before firing off a perfectly arched ball that hit nothing but the bottom of the net 20 feet away.

For Crabber coach Shanda Bailey, whose team walked into the Siegel Center locker room holding a 45-25 lead and all the momentum, all that seemed to be left was the championship presentation.

The only problem was – nobody bothered to tell the Pulaski squad that their season was over.

Keslyn Secrist of the Cougars had scored 16 points in the first half. Now joined by Hannah Keefer, who would add nine in the third quarter, Pulaski made their run, outscoring Hampton 21-12 in the third stanza, and eventually whittling the lead all the way down to five points in the game’s final four minutes.

But Pulaski would get no closer than 63-58, and the Crabbers, behind perfect free throw shooting (14 of 14) for the game, managed to keep the ball away from the Cougars, drain their foul shots and hold on for the program’s fourth ever state title, with a 75-63 win at VCU’s “Stu.”

At the post-game presser, Pulaski coach Scott Ratliff could only express pride for his team.

“We played great for three quarters. The second quarter got us in a huge hole, but our girls didn’t quit. They showed a lot of heart and a lot of pride.”

Keefer, who led the Cougars with 23 points, seconded her coach’s sentiment.

“We were not scared (of Hampton) and did what we needed to do.”

Secrist, who finished the game with 22 points and 12 rebounds, was more emotional, realizing that Thursday marked the end of a long run for her team.

“I’ve known these girls all my life. Some of us have been playing together since the fourth grade.”

Hampton’s Harris led all scorers with 35 points. The George Mason commit converted 11 of 21 shots, including 5 of 9 three-pointers.

Hunter added 12 rebounds, while Coryan Tynes and sophomore Kaliya Perry combined for 15 boards. Speaking of the team’s success with rebounding, Perry, who scored 10 points, said that the “coaches put pressure on us.”

Bailey, who has been with three of the four championship teams (two as head coach, one as assistant to Coach David Six) admitted concern but knew that her team could hold on in the clutch.

“When they came out and scored those points to start the second half (8-0 run), I thought – whew! Are we trying to give this back?” But our girls remained poised. They didn’t get rattled.”

Pulaski 11, 14, 21, 17 – 63

Hampton 17, 28, 12, 18 -- 75

PULASKI (26-4) Huff 3, Lawson 8, Secrist 22, Keefer 23, Vest 7. Totals 25 8-11 63.

HAMPTON (25-3) A. Johnson 7, Foster 6, Harris 35, Tynes 6, Perry 10, Stratton 7. Hunter 4. Totals 26 14-14 75.

Three-pointers – Pulaski 5 (Lawson 2, Huff, Secrist, Vest). Hampton 9 (Harris 5, Foster 2, A. Johnson, Stratton). Rebounds – Pulaski 29 (Secrist 12), Hampton 38 (Hunter 12). Assists – Pulaski 14 (Huff 5), Hampton 11 (Harris 3).

Kecoughtan's Anderson Wins Class 5 Shot

As a 6-4 and 280 pound lineman, and playing in the rough-and-tumble Peninsula District, David Anderson has received many opportunities to transcend his football career from Kecoughtan High in Hampton to the next level.

He took a good one. Anderson will be heading to Duke.

A visit to Durham, NC sealed the deal.

Anderson loved Duke from the get-go. “They had offered me in January last year. Coach Zohn (line coach) came up to my school and offered me.” On the visit, “It was beautiful. The facilities were very nice as well as the school and the area. I had a lot of fun. I feel like the coaches understand me and we get along well.”

As Anderson waits to continue his football career, there is still some business to handle in his other sport --- track. Last weekend, the Warrior thrower won his third consecutive Class 5 shotput state championship. His toss of 59-2 was over eight feet longer than the runner-up.

Ironically, it was Jeff Super, the head football coach at Kecoughtan, that gave Anderson the idea to start throwing the shot and discus.

Super approached his young lineman in 2021 as COVID was still showing its presence. Knowing that the prospect of fall football was still sketchy, Coach Super presented Anderson with an idea. He should stay involved in athletics, and perhaps try something different. Why not throw the shot and discus for the track team?

“He’s always pushing me to do better,” said Anderson, of Super. “He’s never satisfied.”

Tossing the eight-pound ball for the outdoor track team did not come naturally for the young thrower; however, he did win three district meets with a best throw of 43-11.

Nine months later, he had improved by almost ten feet and claimed his first state championship at 53-6.5. A week later, he would tack on another foot at the Adidas Nationals.

An outdoor title would follow, as would a new best of 57-11.5. And now, Anderson has added on a third crown, and at 59-2, another foot and change. For the record, he won by over eight feet.

And as Anderson prepares for this season’s indoor Adidas Nationals, the new goal is predictable.

“I’d like to get 60 (feet),” said Anderson, who has also added almost 50 feet to his discus (best of 150-10) in less than two years. “If I get there, I’ll aim to keep improving.”

Now, the future Blue Devil has a choice to make. Unlike some other Division I schools, and many larger ones, Duke is willing to let their recruit play football and throw for the track team.

The thought of pulling double duty is being taken into consideration.

Said Anderson, “I’m still thinking about it. My schedule will probably be a lot different in college. But I did talk to the throws coach and the football coaches, and they said I would be able to do both.”

Jackson Sets CNU Lacrosse Record With 10 Goals in 22-8 Win Over Catholic

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Rewriting the record books with a historic assault, Brett Jackson set a new school standard with 10 goals while carrying the second-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team to a commanding 22-8 victory over Catholic on a sun-splashed Saturday afternoon at Jennings Family Stadium.

Tormenting the opposition throughout the contest, Jackson was nearly unstoppable on the offensive side of the ball. The sophomore sensation landed 10 goals, which broke the previous record of nine set only seven days ago by Andrew Cook at No. 20 Stevenson. He also added an assist on Saturday while finishing with 11 total points. That set a new program standard as well, topping the previous mark of 10 held by Cook and former All-American Dylan Rice.

Rounding out his historic appearance, Jackson collected three man-up goals during the game. That equaled the school record set by Ryan Merrell against Fontbonne on March 10, 2007 and matched by John Thompson against Coast Guard on March 13, 2015.

Not to be outdone, Coby Auslander added some history of his own. The senior star handed out seven assists, matching Thompson's record set against FDU-Florham on March 11, 2013. He also finished with nine total points, equaling the sixth-most by a Captain in program lore.

In addition to the offensive heroes, Ryan Young forced five turnovers, while Burke Widhelm and Brett Kropinski added three apiece. Overall, the Captains finished with 23 takeaways, equaling the 10th-most in school history.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improved to 4-0 on the season, while the setback dropped Catholic to 1-3.

Although the Cardinals stole an early 2-0 lead in the first quarter, the Captains immediately fired back. Fittingly, Jackson was at the forefront of the resurgence. In the fifth minute, Drew Miller pushed around the left pipe and drew a slide along the crease. With some space in the middle, Jackson grabbed a feed, stormed down the alley, and added a low-to-low laser for his first tally.

Just over a minute later, the hosts came back with the equalizer. Alex Brendes dropped a defender with a devastating screen. Taking advantage, Cook rolled over the top and buried a blast to knot the score at two.

Back on even ground, Christopher Newport capitalized on outstanding defensive work. First, Young de-sticked an attacker on the back end before Jackson whipped a screamer under the crossbar to snatch a lead. Thirty seconds later, after Ryan Cammarata came through with a diving takeaway along the right sideline, Campbell Pozin connected with Kropinski, who stormed up the turf and landed a rocket on the run.

From there, Jackson took over. With six minutes left, he converted his first man-up tally off a feed from Auslander. Later, he used a quick dodge to free up space on the way to his fourth strike before elevating along the crease and dunking on the doorstep to push the lead to 7-2 at the end of the period.

At the start of the second stanza, the Captains stepped up on the defensive end again. First, Zac Hanway came through with a huge man-down save before Widhelm jumped on the loose ball. Moments later, Young chipped in with a stick-lift to end another threat, while Brendes added a takeaway to force Shenandoah into a failed clear.

Meanwhile, the offense never lost its rhythm. Will Mercado joined the party after shaking a defender with a slick swim move before landing a downhill dagger. Then, Jackson came back for more while piecing together another three-goal spurt of his own.

Kicking off his rally, he fired a high blast after beating a defender who was late to close out on the right side of the field. Moments later, after an initial save by the visitors, the ball hit the turf on a failed clear. Scavenging for every opportunity, Jackson scooped up the roller, burst through the zone, and hammered from close range.

Continuing his assault in the 24th minute, he ran a perfect pick-and-roll with Auslander. Setting an initial screen, Jackson disrupted the defense just enough to let Auslander slip free. After rolling underneath, he collected the return feed and sniped from the center of the zone for an 11-2 advantage.

Pushing the lead to double-digits, Miller flashed his skills in the waning moments of the second period. First, he netted a goal after corralling a skip pass from Auslander. Shortly thereafter, he came back with a highlight-reel assist. Snatching the ball behind the crease, he sliced a no-look feed through the defense to Carson Hoffman, who shook the goalie with a pair of shot-fakes before depositing on the doorstep.

With time ticking down in the first half, Miller came back with one more tally. Young forced a turnover, grabbed the roller, and rumbled down the field on a quick clear. Looking to set up the attack, the senior defenseman shuffled the ball over to Miller, who whistled a worm-burner into the cage for a 14-2 halftime lead.

After the break, Auslander capped off a 15-goal run by the Captains with a man-up missile. Although Catholic finally found an opening just a few moments later, Christopher Newport kept its foot on the gas.

Adding an assist to his portfolio, Jackson drew the attention of the defense before dishing to Hoffman, who landed a lefty laser from the right side of the field. Later, Jackson snapped off a step-down screamer for his ninth tally before Easton Lanclos used a speed-dodge to cruise past the defense on the way to the team's 18th goal of the game.

Holding an 18-8 lead entering the final period, Christopher Newport put the finishing touches on a commanding victory. On the defensive end, Cook came through with a diving takeaway to stymie a midfielder in the early moments of the quarter. Ryan Almassian also bottled up an attacker, while Zack Sands came through with his second strip of the contest later in the stanza.

While the defense was silencing the Cardinals, the offense continued to shine. Auslander broke out a split-dodge to shake a defender on the way to his final tally. Just over a minute later, he came back with his record-tying seventh assist after dishing down low to Miller, who punctuated his night with a dip and dunk along the left pipe.

With little left to prove, Jackson came back for history with just under two minutes left in regulation. After Catholic was hit with a penalty, Christopher Newport made them pay again. At the top of the zone, Cook slipped a skip pass over to Jackson, who was planted on the right side of the field. Looking for the record-breaker, he buried a blast just inside the left pipe for his 10th tally of the contest.

Rolling towards the victory, the Captains added one last strike with a freshman connection. With less than 30 seconds remaining, two longtime teammates joined forces. Turning back the clock to their days at Great Valley High School, Daniel Siaton found Brady Mitchell along the crease for the final punctuation mark.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 66-27 advantage in shots and a 43-31 lead in ground balls. The Captains also won 18 of the game's 33 faceoffs. Cole Evans and Warner Cabaniss both won eight battles, while Dallas Pulliam added a pair of victories. Meanwhile, Hanway finished with eight saves, and Mason Bellinger came through with two stops in the fourth quarter.

Christopher Newport will return to action today when the team hosts No. 12 St. John Fisher at 4 p.m.