By Phil Murphy
Senior Multimedia/Content Manager, DigitalSports.com
**Teams are listed alphabetically.
ANNANDALE
Last Year: 7-4 (6-1)
Coach: **** Adams, 20th year, 117-61 career record
Returning Starters: 6 offense/7 defense
Key Losses: QB Cason Kynes, DT Shane Doty, TE/DE Pete Herring, RB John Copenhaver, OL/DL Victor Njomo
Although its seven wins last season were the most this decade, Annandale makes a strong case as the best Patriot District program in recent years.
The Atoms have, after all, won three of the last four district titles, including a tie last season.
After winning the district outright in 2005 and splitting it with West Potomac, whom it beat, in 2006, Annandale had to replace starting quarterback Nathan Cartagena and plugged in then-junior Cason Kynes in 2007. After a 4-6 season in his first year under center, Kynes never stepped off the field in leading the team to a tie atop the conference with West Springfield.
The steering wheel of the Atom offense is vacant and 20th-year Coach **** Adams will have two sets of hands steering the ship. Sophomore quarterback Tony Hysjulien is taller than Kynes and has a strong arm. Senior Rick Adams missed last season with shoulder surgery and will play both strong safety and quarterback. He will be used as a change-of-pace runner, but will keep defenses off-balance with play-action passes.
The favorite targets for both quarterbacks will be senior wide receiver Robb Potts — who will double as a cornerback — and first-team all-region junior wide receiver Melvin Robinson.
VirginiaPreps.com lists Robinson as the No. 2 prospect in the state in the Class of 2011. In 2008, he had 44 receptions for 1,130 yards and 12 touchdowns. In seven of the team’s 11 games, he broke the 100-yard plateau.
“He’s put on 10-15 pounds and he can make a lot of plays,” said Coach Adams of his blue-chip receiver. “He can do a
lot, we’ve just got to get the ball down the field to him. People may
overplay Melvin, but the Potts kid is pretty good.
“That helps us a
great deal. It’s just a matter of being able to develop a running game
and get Potts the ball.”
Added another district coach: “He’s the best football player in the district. He’s ****. He’s the entire package. I have a lot of respect for that kid.”
The Atoms also return starting senior running back Stacey Anderson this year.
As potent as the offense could be, the defense returns more starters and will be strong through the middle. Senior end Evan Griffin and junior tackle Bob Stevens will hold down the defensive line, hard-hitting senior strong-side linebacker Marquis Perez and junior middle linebacker Yari Mizouri will be among the team’s leading tacklers and senior free safety Nick Chuong and Rick Adams will lead the secondary.
Junior cornerback J.P. Jenkins and junior outside linebacker Nick Lalande were dominant on the junior varsity level last season and are called upon to make noise this year. This defense is an underrated unit.
Game to Watch: Week 7: Oct. 16 at West Springfield
LAKE BRADDOCK
Last Year: 5-5 (3-4)
Coach: Jim Poythress, 6th year, 47-36 career record
Returning Starters: 9 offense/9 defense
Key Losses: DE Kyle Merrell
At the high-school level, returning starters is a statistic that usually results in hyperbole. A low number causes media outlets everywhere to predict a down year, while a high quantity of returners vaults a team right to the top of preseason power rankings, whatever those mean.
Through two weeks of preseason, though, Lake Braddock is making believers of many. But sixth-year Bruin Coach Jim Poythress is being more cautious than optimistic, at least this early.
“It’s good news and bad news,” he said of his region-best 18 returning starters. “The good news is they’re back. The bad
news is they’re not back off some state championship team; they’re back
off a 5-5 team. The question is can they raise their level of play to
where they’re a championship caliber team.
“We’re waiting to see. The
jury is still out on that.”
Anonymous jurors around the district have seen the evidence, though, and are convicted.
“Braddock is going to be a handful,” one district coach said.
Added another: “[Former West Springfield Coach Bill] Renner is there and that’s going to help Braddock. They’ve run some pretty wacky offenses in the past.”
In the offseason, Poythress invited the recently-retired Renner to help install his offense at Bruin practices. In the last three years, under his tutelage, the Spartans amassed 1,408 points, 40.2 points per game, finishing first, second and first in Division 6 in 2006, 2007 and 2008, respectively.
With personnel that Poythress described as “perfect” for Renner’s system, it appears a match made in heaven. Having outscored its two preseason opponents, Gar-Field and Fairfax, 97-14, Lake Braddock may prove a match-up from the opposite end of the eternal spectrum.
“You’re adding a guy with, what, 20 years as a head coach,” Poythress said. “That’s a
wealth of experience … Looking forward, I think Michael Nebrich could be the best
quarterback in the region, definitely one of the best quarterbacks in
the region, there’s no question about that. If he can perform to his
capabilities and the kids catch the football, it’ll be fun.
“It’s
definitely a stretch for me because I’ve always been a couple-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust type of guy. Knocking them off the ball and maul people
has been my attitude. This is timing, finesse, I pretty much gave Coach
Renner cart blanche offensively and, so far, it’s been very impressive … Before we hired Bill, I knew this was the direction I knew we needed
to go.”
In 2008, the Bruins only returned three total starters, one on offense. Juniors and seniors littered the starting lineup on both sides of the ball and they finished in a three-way tie for fourth in the Patriot District.
At the forefront of those battle-tested in their youth is junior dual-threat quarterback Nebrich. Senior wide receiver, defensive back and back-up quarterback Ryan Curtis stands 6-foot-3, 220 pounds and will see time all over the field. But he broke his leg during basketball season and may not be fully utilized in the first couple games. Senior running back Osman Mansaray is poised for a breakout season, especially with one of the largest offensive lines in the region.
Senior tackle Khamrone Kolb is the highest-profile lineman for the Bruins. At 6-foot-6, 300 pounds, Kolb already holds nine Division I scholarship offers and is considering Connecticut, North Carolina, Penn State, Virginia and Virginia Tech. But Kolb is recovering from an ACL injury and may miss the season-opener against Langley Friday.
Opposite Kolb is fellow 6-6, 300-pound senior Jack Phillips and junior baby brother, Dallas Phillips. Senior guards Martin Quan, also a 300-pounder, and Timmy Baker are anticipated starters. At center, junior Dylan Evans moved from defensive end over the summer to add speed to the offensive line, and has adapted well. Senior Young Won will spell this corps of blockers. Defensively, senior defensive tackle Wasim Abassi leads a very physical unit.
Two new names to watch, with surnames familiar to Lake Braddock fans, are sophomore athletes Tanner and Tyler Quigley, twin younger brothers of B.J. and Casey Quigley, who earned all-region honors in football and girls’ basketball, respectively, in the last decade. The Quigley twins will torch the junior varsity ranks, but Poythress insists they will see some time on varsity, too.
Needless to say, hopes are high for the Bruins.
In 2008, Oakton returned more starters than any team in the Northern Region and took home a regional title. In 2007, Westfield had a region-best 10 offensive starters back and won the state title. This year, Lake Braddock leads the region in overall returning players. Whether or not the statistic will prove overrated is up for debate, but Poythress acknowledges this unit’s potential.
“I’m never satisfied ever really,” he said. “If you make the playoffs you think that’s good until you lose in the playoffs. I’d like to see this team compete for a district title and then compete at the regional level. Everybody always picks the Concorde teams and with good reason, I understand that.
“I think this football team has the talent to compete with those schools and do well. A lot of it depends on the mental status of our kids.”
Game to Watch: Week 5: Oct. 2 at Robinson
LEE
Last Year: 3-8 (2-5)
Coach: Robert Everett, 4th season, 10-22 career record
Returning Starters: 4 offense/5 defense
Key Losses: DE Anthony Nsekela, LB Kyle Addy, WR Shahram Obed
The highest-profile offseason transfer came when Paul VI standout running back Idreis Augustus elected to play his senior season closer to home at Lee. Augustus’ older brother, Zayd, was an impact fullback and linebacker in Lancer Coach Rob Everett‘s first season in 2006.
With senior running back Jazmier Williams coming off a 1,300-yard season and senior quarterback Greg Lopez entering his third year under center, the only Division 5 school left in the Patriot District features one of its most explosive backfields.
Augustus will line up in the backfield, in the slot and out wide, creating match-up nightmares wherever Lee wills. He rushed for over 2,500 yards and 26 scores in two years at Paul VI.
“The kid can flat out play,” said Everett of Augustus. “It’s a shame he’s only 5-8 or else he’d
have every school in the country offering him. I think with the
competition we’re going to play and what he’s going to be able to do
out on the field — because he’s been doing all that stuff at PVI
without any help — now you throw him in the backfield with Greg and
Jazmier. That’s pretty dangerous.”
At wide receiver, the Lancers have to replace two-year starter Shahram Obed, who led the team with 51 receptions last year. The next closest player had six catches.
Everett expects two newcomers to fill that void, and open eyes in the process. Senior Aaron Jackson missed last season, but brings his 6-foot-2 height back to the starting lineup. In the slot, sophomore C.J. Lewis brings sub-4.5 speed to the slot.
Senior tackle Justin Adams anchors the offensive line since last year.
Defensively, Lee will be led by a trio of Taylors: Senior outside linebacker Danny, senior safety Dante and junior safety Donovan. Joining those returners is senior cornerback Jameel Pitt, completing a secondary that rivals South County as the district’s best.
The defensive line, though, underwent a complete face lift.
Gone is all-region end — and Patriot District Defensive Player of the Year — Anthony Nsekela. This season, the Lancers will start four juniors. First-year defensive line coach Drew Bugden was put in charge of the unit.
Game to Watch: Week 5: Oct. 2 vs. Annandale
SOUTH COUNTY
Last Year: 6-5 (5-2)
Coach: Peter Bendorf, 5th year, 83-75 career record
Returning Starters: 3 offense/5 defense
Key Losses: DB/KR Karlos Morgan, RB/KR/DB Eric Dorsey, RB/LB J.B. Bullock, WR/DB Kyle Michaels, OL/DL Eric Tucker
South County has had three-straight 6-4 seasons, the last two of which result in No. 8 seeds — and first-round exits — in the Division 6 playoffs. While fifth-year Stallion Coach Pete Bendorf feels his team will be markedly improved from a year ago, he knows the Patriot District will be, too.
The key to getting that elusive seventh win — and avoiding the region’s top seed in the quarterfinals — is the play of third-year starting quarterback, senior Aaron Andrews.
“Aaron really has grown into the position from that first game against
West Po his sophomore season, where he got knocked sideways a little
bit,” said Bendorf, who won the Northern Region title at Oakton in 2002. “He’s very steady, very calm; he’s playing like a senior. He’s not
outstanding in any one thing, but he’s pretty solid in a lot of things.
“He runs the ball well, he throws the ball well, he’s a good
decision-maker, he’s very, very under-control and calm. His best
strength is his toughness.”
The strength of this team will be its secondary, headlined by two future Division I players. Senior free safety Andre Simmons is a three-year starter that runs a 4.55 40-yard dash and carries a 3.6 grade point average. Also a kick returner, he has eight current offers from D-I programs: Boston College, Illinois, Maryland, Northwestern, Rutgers, Vanderbilt, Virginia and West Virginia.
Junior whip linebacker and wide receiver Ronnie Van ****, who received three scholarship offers Sept. 1, the first day schools could send offer letters to juniors. Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Boston College all faxed offers to the school and Bendorf said Van **** received verbals from Virginia Tech and West Virginia.
Joining Van **** on the offensive side of the ball is senior slot receiver and kick returner Nico Doublet.
In the backfield, a pair of running backs look to replace Eric Dorsey, the team’s leading rusher and returner in 2008. Speedy senior David Jordan and sophomore Andrew Rector are assigned that duty. Rector played freshman ball last year and scored 24 touchdowns in eight games last year for a team that was 8-0.
Defensively, senior defensive end Antony Carabali added 20 pounds in the offseason and will play an integral role in trying to slow the potent offenses South County will face weekly. Carabali, at 235 pounds, has all the measurables, benching 325, squatting 500 and running 4.8 in the 40-yard dash.
Carabali will asked to spark this unit with his leadership and his play. The offensive and defensive line is somewhat undersized and Bendorf is searching for another impact player or two. He foresees sophomore Cody Smith and junior Mitch Woody playing both ways once their conditioning peaks, which Bendorf hopes is by midseason.
Game to Watch: Week 10: Nov. 6 vs. W.T. Woodson
T.C. WILLIAMS
Last Year: 3-7 (3-4)
Coach: Dennis Randolph, 3rd year, 7-13 career record
Returning Starters: 5 offense/4 defense
Key Losses: QB/P Zach Goehler (Alabama), TE/DE Brandon Burke, RB/DB Dominique Copeland
T.C. Williams only had three wins in 2008, but two were mighty impressive.
It beat Lake Braddock on the road, 20-3, to become the eighth-straight road team to win in that series and it beat West Springfield, minus Bryn Renner, 18-16, at home to keep the Spartans from an outright district title.
As great as their wins were, the Titans looked just as good in several of their losses. T.C. Williams led Oakton, 10-0, at halftime before allowing 26 fourth-quarter points en route to a 39-23 loss. And that was just two weeks after falling to Division 5 regional semifinalist Mount Vernon in overtime, 23-20, in the first game at their new stadium.
“Really, we could have won five of those games,” third-year Titan Coach Dennis Randolph said. “We had a really good
offseason. We played in 80 games over the summer at North Carolina,
Pittsburgh, Richmond, Virginia, we just played all over the place. We
actually finished first or second in every one of those, except UVA,
where we went 5-3 and lost to the two teams that played in the title
game.
“We won the Pittsburgh Tournament out of 32 teams. Hopefully,
that’ll carry over us. Seven-on-seven isn’t the same as regular
football, but 24 or 25 kids had success. We’re hoping that enthusiasm
they had playing the Pittsburgh tournament will carry over. And that’s
what you have to hope for, otherwise you’re doomed to the same fate.”
That was the case for most of this decade. T.C. Williams, once one of the elite programs in the country, has not had a winning record since it went 6-4 under Coach Bill Allan in 1995.
The player with the biggest impact this season will likely be the one with the biggest frame, junior two-way tackle Jay Whitmire, standing at 6-foot-6, 290 pounds. He could get up to six scholarship offers in the next week. Senior guard Luke Dorris missed last year with a broken foot, but is healthy in 2009.
Senior Prince Okigbo transferred in from Yorktown, where he was a tight end and defensive end, and will to move to middle linebacker. Senior DaJuan Douglas returns at the down line position and junior linebacker Kevin Isley returns, the only starting Titan linebacker to do so.
In the secondary, senior cornerback Darnell Roy joins two returning starters, senior safety Robbie Carter and senior cornerback Cortez Taylor. Taylor will be a much larger part of the offense at wide receiver than last season, as T.C. Williams must replace most of its starting skill position players.
A quarterback battle was settled under unfortunate circumstances in a scrimmage against Centreville Aug. 27. Senior quarterback Joe Hargrove had an edge on senior John Bray in an open competition for the starting job, but the big-armed quarterback broke his wrist against the Wildcats and will be sidelined six to eight weeks at least.
Bray, three inches shorter and 30 pounds lighter, will be thrust into a starting role and an early-season schedule that reads: Robinson, Mount Vernon, Oakton, Lake Braddock, West Springfield.
Game to Watch: Week 5: Oct. 2 at West Springfield
WEST POTOMAC
Last Year: 6-4 (3-4)
Coach: Eric Henderson, 6th year, 31-39 career record
Returning Starters: 8 offense/5 defense
Key Losses: QB Cole Walter, RB Daniel Baker, WR Kristian Rodriguez
West Potomac started 5-0 each of the last two seasons before going 2-3 and 1-4 to close out the 2007 and 2008 regular seasons, respectively.
This year, should the Wolverines go unbeaten through the first five weeks, they will have survived an early-season gauntlet that will move them to the top of every area poll.
Four of West Potomac’s first five opponents hosted first-round playoff games: Mount Vernon, Westfield, Chantilly and West Springfield.
“They were kind to us, weren’t they?,” sixth-year Coach Eric Henderson said. “When I first came to West
Potomac, it was just trying to get some W’s, get some momentum and
get kids to buy into the program. Now that we’re where we are at,
it’s a little more competitive.
“We certainly wanted to look at
Westfield or Chantilly — we didn’t really anticipate getting both. But
that’s okay. We’re well-conditioned, our kids are strong, they’ve
worked hard during summer, so we’ll see what happens.”
The entire starting offensive line returns in tact and will rival Lake Braddock’s star-studded unit. All five bench at least 325 pounds.
Henderson called 6-foot-3 senior tackle Matt Cunningham, who recorded nine pancakes against Washington-Lee, the best he has ever coached. And on Henderson’s resume is Connecticut redshirt freshman tackle Jimmy Bennett.
Henderson is also quite impressed with the maturation of 6-3 junior left guard Dan Carriker.
“Physically, he’s the strongest kid on the team pound-for-pound. And he’s 300 pounds,” said Henderson, the former line coach at Lake Braddock. “He’s got everything. He’s the real deal.”
The player they line protects changes this year as senior Colin Mathewson takes the reigns from graduated two-year starter Cole Walter (UVA-Wise). Mathewson has lost only two games in his three-year freshman and junior varsity career.
“Like we’ve done in the last couple years, we seem to find a talent and
we exploit that,” Henderson said. “I think our offensive line is pretty good and we’ve
got a couple running backs that are going to do a good job for us. So
you might see us run the ball a little more than we did with Cole.
“Cole
was a big-time quarterback, so we had to ride that. This quarterback is
a runner.”
Mathewson will be handing the ball off to a pair of senior running backs. Edward Johnson is an explosive back who recorded 500 yards last season as a backup and carried eight times for 130 yards in the Wolverines’ first scrimmage. Derell Lang transfers from Centreville to add some versatility to the backfield.
Henderson says they will be running more of a traditional, single back zone scheme that in recent history. But senior wide receiver Shawn Lee, who had 65 receptions last year, is faster and stronger than he was in 2008 and still projects as a solid fantasy pick.
Junior varsity veterans complete the receiving corps, juniors Jalen Dawson and Daryl Copeland. Henderson said Copeland’s speed was showcased in 7-on-7 tournaments and he should be considered a serious deep threat.
Defensively, two offensive linemen will rotate in at defensive tackle, 6-foot-6, 350-pound senior Akram Mohamed and 6-2, 280-pound senior Francisco Jiminez.
Returning seniors J.P. Marinelli and Eric Miller return at linebacker, Marinelli in the middle and Miller outside.
The secondary will be noticeably younger than the rest of the defense. It features two sophomores, a junior and a senior. Henderson said what the unit lacks in experience, it makes up for in athleticism.
Game to Watch: Week 6: Oct. 9 at W.T. Woodson
WEST SPRINGFIELD
Last Year: 8-4 (7-1)
Coach: J.T. Biddison, 1st year, 33-39 career record (Marshall)
Returning Starters: 4 offense/4 defense
Key Losses: QB Bryn Renner (North Carolina), WR Andy Stallings (Campbell), DL John Lockwood (Monmouth), LB Scott Van Buren (Campbell), RB Brandon Bailey, DB Auggie Tsibi-Gyan, WR Fabrice Kambinga,
DB Malick Diaw, C Will Mallon,
WR Tucker Tobin, OL/DL Andrew Leonzo
If one coach has an edge on Woodson’s addition to the Patriot District, it is the newest kid on the block: West Springfield Coach J.T. Biddison.
Biddison coached at Marshall for six seasons, in the Liberty District, and is entering his first season leading the Spartans.
“Trey, playing him over the years, he involves the talent he has,” said Biddison, 33-39 in his Statesmen tenure. “Three
years ago, they were double-wing, slot, high-fill, mid-line,
smash-it-in-your-face football. Last year, they were wide-open, spread
option, throw deep to Weizenheimer — whoever that guy was.
“They change
a little bit every year … I kind of know what’s he’s going to do, but
he knows what I’m going to do — at least, defensively. So it goes both
ways.”
Not only did the sidelines undergo an offseason makeover, but so will the highlight films.
Three-time all-region nominee — the 2008 Northern Region Offensive Player of the Year — Bryn Renner graduated and received a scholarship to play at North Carolina. He was one of four Spartans to earn Division I scholarships, joining wide receiver Andy Stallings (Campbell), linebacker Scott Van Buren (Campbell) and defensive end John Lockwood (Monmouth).
Vying to replace Renner under center, are senior Eric Schauder and junior Matt Prokop. Should Prokop win the job, Schauder will move out wide, where he was the third wide receiver last year. Schauder would join returning starter, senior T.J. O’Connell as favored targets. Biddison said West Springfield will be more balanced offensively than in previous seasons, but will revert to its high-octane approach in select situations.
In the backfield, senior Dan Collins returns after starting the final five games last season. In 2008, Collins rushed for 1,169 yards and 12 touchdowns, with 938 yards and nine touchdowns coming in those five starts.
Installing an updated defense will be assistant coaches Will Gardner and Brendan Campbell, who Biddison brought with him from Marshall.
Senior defensive back Ben Lockwood and senior linebacker Joey DeSantis are two of the four returners on the Spartan defense.
DeSantis is a third-year starter and returning first-team all-district linebacker. He recorded over 100 tackles in each of the last two seasons, including a team-high 133 last year.
He and West Springfield’s 30 seniors will be called on early, as Biddison’s first games in blue and orange will be a baptism by fire.
Its first three opponents are all regional finalists from a year ago, two are defending Northern Region champions: Edison, Oakton and Stone Bridge.
“They all have [a few] things in common: They have a lot of talent and they’re all coached really well,” said Biddison of his schedule, second only to Centreville in statistical difficulty. “They’re definitely going to test us, to find out where we’re at.
“Win or lose, we’re going to learn from every game and hopefully set us up for a great district run.”
Game to Watch: Week 8: Oct. 23 at W.T. Woodson
W.T. WOODSON
Last Year: 7-4 (6-1)
Coach: Trey Taylor, 4th year, 17-14 career record
Returning Starters: 7 offense/5 defense
Key Losses:
WR Max Waizenegger, FS Sam Burt
When in Rome…
In its first year in the Patriot District, W.T. Woodson will switch to a no-huddle offense, giving more control to second-year starting quarterback, senior Connor Reilly.
“We moved to the Patriot and it seems like that’s what everyone in the Patriot does,” fourth-year Cavalier Coach Trey Taylor joked. “I figured we’d just follow suit.”
Reilly committed to Temple over the summer and Taylor will give him much more freedom at the line of scrimmage. In fact, Taylor said he will rely on Reilly to check out of plays and call audibles if he doesn’t like what the defense is showing.
Joining Reilly in the backfield is one of the select few Woodson players who will play both ways, senior running back and linebacker James Johnson, a second-year starter.
Another notable two-way player is senior tight end and defensive end Josh Hogan, but Taylor said he would be featured more on offense.
The Cavaliers’ most substantial loss to graduation was easily second-team all-region receiver Max Waizenegger. The two-time all-district wide out also returned kicks and started at cornerback.
“I don’t think we’re going to find one kid that can do everything that
he did,” said Taylor, a West Springfield alumnus. “I think we’re going to have to spread it around amongst some
other kids. That being said, I think we have a better array of weapons
on the field this year that we can spread the ball around and get
things accomplished.
“I don’t think it will be a one-man show like it
was last year.”
Replacing Waizenegger, as promised by Taylor, is a pair of senior wide receivers: Mike Le and Brendan Breslin, a standout baseball player.
Senior running back Betrand Ngampa will step to spell Johnson and sophomore Jonathan Stokes will get spot carries in his first varsity season. The latter, a 5-foot-7, 185-pound bull, squats 450 pounds.
In the defensive backfield, Ngampa will start at free safety alongside senior strong safety Colin Dempsey.
Game to Watch: Week 10: Nov. 6 at South County
Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com
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