By Seneca Contomanolis
DigitalSports Richmond
The storms that played havoc with the field hockey district tournaments have passed and in it’s wake has left behind the final eight contenders.
Thomas Dale, Maggie Walker GS, James River and Lee-Davis come out as the top-seeds from their districts while Mills Godwin, Hopewell, Henrico and L.C. Bird will try to pull the upsets Monday.
Each team has a story behind their season and a reason for their success. Let’s take a look at the remaining eight.
|
Thomas Dale Knights
Central District
Coach: Beth Jaeckle
Record: 11-2
Final ranking: 1st
First round: vs. Godwin (Mon., 4 p.m.)
Key players: Loren Favale, Kelli Rodrick, Kelsey Whittleton, Julie Robertson, Carrie Jaeckle
Season recap: Two losses came early and against top-tier opponents Maggie Walker GS and James River. Avenged both losses by beating the teams during their second meetings. Favale has a nose for the goal and Whittleton leads the defense. Was to meet Hopewell in Central District tournament final but game was canceled due to rain.
|
Loren Favale and Thomas Dale finished No. 1 in the Top 10. |
|
Maggie Walker GS Green Dragons
Colonial District
Coach: Paige Hawkins
Record: 17-2
Final ranking: 2nd
First round: vs. Hopewell (Mon., 5 p.m.)
Key players: Deirdre Gill, Amarachi Eseonu, Moriah Brown, Elle Donnini, Kelsey Sawyer
Season recap: Gill leads the offense with 18 goals in the regular season. Eseonu and Donnini are also threats to score while Kelsey Sawyer is solid on defense. Lost to a weaker Manchester team and fell to Thomas Dale 2-1 late in the season. Won the Colonial Disrict tournament with a 3-2 overtime victory over Mills Godwin.
|
|
Deirdre Gill is the leading scorer for Maggie Walker GS. |
|
James River Rapids
Dominion District
Coach: Slade Gormus
Record: 13-2-1
Final ranking: 3rd
First round: vs. Henrico
Key players: Jenna Taylor, Nicky Mitchell, Hannah Schul, Gina Grimes, Lauren Traudt, Gracie Herbert
Season recap: Taylor is the Rapids main offensive weapon while Schul can also score goals. Traudt and goalie Herbert hold together the defense. Fell to Thomas Dale 3-2 after beating them earlier in the season and lost to Collegiate 5-1. James River tied Cosby at one early in the year but beat them 6-0 towards the end. Game against L.C. Bird in Dominion District title game was canceled due to rain.
|
|
James River was ranked near the top of the Central Region all season. |
|
Mills Godwin Eagles
Colonial District
Coach: Paige Whitten
Record: 14-3
Final ranking: 4th
First round: at Thomas Dale
Key players: Hayley Stough, Michelle Foley, Katy Fort, Morgan Stubbe, Paige Ricca
Season recap: All three losses came against Maggie Walker GS. Latest loss was a 3-2 overtime defeat in the Colonial District tournament title game. Stough (32 goals) is a goal-scoring machine while Foley, Fort and Stubbe create the other offense. Ricca is hard to get past in goal. Coach Whitten believes her team is playing very well right now.
Click here to view the preview for Henrico, Lee-Davis, Hopewell and L.C. Bird.
|
|
 Processing your request, Please wait....
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted on 27 October 2007 by redwan123.
Seniors Pace Mills Godwin
|
Simpson grabs two INTs and a big fourth down pass in win
|
|
1274003359
Mason Simpson & Travis Lane, 10/27/07
|
by Stephen M. Lewis
DigitalSports Richmond
Mills Godwin coach Will Kitchen won’t get much sleep Saturday night.
And that’s not a bad thing. His Eagles (4-1, 6-2) erased an 11-point deficit to defeat Deep Run, ranked ninth in the DigitalSports Top 10, 30-28 in a barn burner.
“We’re so excited about that, we want to jump out of our own skin,” a giddy Kitchen said standing on a soggy and smushy Deep Run field.
The Wildcats (4-1 Colonial, 5-3) seemed to have protected their home field after the terrific Antone Exum scampered in from 12 yards out.
Cameron Murray‘s extra-point made it 28-17 Deep Run with 2:17 remaining in the third quarter.
But Godwin went on an 11-play, 80-yard drive capped by quarterback Travis Lane‘s 11-yard touchdown pass to Blake Forlines.
|
| Mason Simpson and Travis Lane coverted a fourth down that helped Godwin to a 30-28 victory over Deep Run. |
|
| Jonathan O’Neal hit the extra-point for a 28-24 Deep Run advantage.
Fired up, Godwin’s defense forced Deep Run’s offense to the sideline in six plays. With 6:37 to go, Lane went to work.
|
He found James Craig for 23 yards on third-and-5, then hit Chris Fornataro (27 carries, 178 yards, two touchdowns) for 11 yards on the next play before the Eagles stalled – briefly.
The Wildcats forced a fourth-and-9 and all seemed lost for the Eagles. Of all plays, Kitchen called a play he put in one week ago, a flea flicker.
Fornataro grabbed a handoff from Lane and pitched it back to the senior signal caller, who found another senior, wide receiver Mason Simpson.
He had position over safety Exum and leapt and hauled in a 38-yarder as the Eagles were in business.
“I saw Antone sitting there so I knew it was going to just be a
jumpball,” said Simpson, who hauled in five catches for 70 yards, “so I
just did my best to get up there and catch it.”
|
|
Stephen M. Lewis/DigitalSports
Godwin’s Chris Fornataro (middle) ran for 178 yards and two TDs, including the game-winner. Deep Run’s Billy Skrobacz (40) and Derek Jackson (11) make this stop.
|
|
Said Kitchen of Simpson: “He makes plays. That’s why we’re in the position we’re in.”
Fornataro scored from four yards out on the next play as Godwin took a 30-28 lead following a failed two-point try.
|
Exum and Deep Run had 2:45 to work magic, but Simpson didn’t go for the allusion, picking Exum’s second offering of the drive.
Deep Run, Derek Jackson and three timeouts held the Eagles, giving the ball back to the Wildcats and E.J. Shelton (18 carries, 162 yards) with a little over 1:00 left.
But on a fourth-and-two from the 35-yard line, Simpson nabbed an Exum pass again as Godwin’s crowd went nuts.
“I’m so excited about our defense I could hug everybody twice,” Kitchen said. “Now we’ve got two more opportunities.”
Patrick Henry, Godwin and Deep Run each has one district loss, chasing fourth-ranked Hermitage with two regular-season games left. |
|
Stephen M. Lewis/DigitalSports
The Godwin faithful anticipates Jonathan O’Neal’s kickoff. |
|
| The Wildcats face the Panthers (5-0, 7-1) next week, while Godwin travels to PH.
“There’s nothing about tonight that wasn’t tough,” said Deep Run coach Greg Kendall, who coached Godwin last season. “I think the whole West End can be proud of their teams. It was a great contest.
“There’s no surprise with Mason Simpson or Chris Fornataro or Travis Lane. They did what they do tonight.”
Mills Godwin 3 14 0 13 – 30
Deep Run 7 14 7 0 – 28
MG – FG O’Neal 24
DR – Exum 80 run (Murray kick)
DR – Snyder 22 pass from Exum (kick blocked)
MG – Forlines 82 kickoff return (O’Neal kick)
MG – Fornataro 3 run (O’Neal kick)
DR – Martin 1 pass from Exum (Exum run)
DR – Exum 12 run (Murray kick)
MG – Forlines 11 pass from Lane (O’Neal kick)
MG – Fornataro 4 run (pass failed)
RUSHING
Mills Godwin – Fornataro 27 carries, 178 yards, Lane 6-21; Deep Run – Shelton 18-162, Exum 17-132, Roberts 1-2
PASSING
Mills Godwin – Lane 13 completions, 19 attempts, 0 interceptions, 165 yards; Deep Run – Exum 5-14-2-66
RECEIVING
Mills Godwin – Simpson 5 receptions, 70 yards, James Craig 3-30, Tyler Lane 2-42, Fornataro 2-12, Forlines 1-11; Deep Run – Drew Daniels 3-45, Snyder 1-22, Brooks Martin 1-1, Shelton 1-(minus 2)
|
|
|
|
Processing your request, Please wait....
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted on 26 October 2007 by redwan123.
Football Postponements
|
Springers will host Confederates Monday at 7 p.m.
|
|
Highland Springs has postponed its Friday football tilt with Lee-Davis until Monday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m.
“We moved it because of the threat of lightning and thunder,” coach Scott Burton said. It is also Highland Springs’ homecoming. “If that occurs, we have to clear the field for a minimum of 30 minutes. I didn’t want to play that kind of yo-yo game when Monday’s forecast looks fine.”
The Springers (4-0 Capital, 7-0) have been ranked first in the DigitalSports Top 10 since the beginning of the season.
The Confederates (1-2, 1-6) have played well of late though their record doesn’t show it, losing by a point to No. 6 Manchester, 17-16, and 19-13 to Henrico a week later.
|
|
|
Stephen M. Lewis/DigitalSports
Highland Springs coach Scott Burton |
Friday score
No. 4 Hermitage 45, Douglas Freeman 0
Other postponements:
Saturday Games
John Marshall at J.R. Tucker, 1:30 p.m.
Midlothian at Monacan, 2
No. 2 L.C. Bird at No. 8 Cosby, 3
Mills Godwin at No. 9 Deep Run, 6
No. 10 James River at No. 6 Manchester, 7
Hanover at Atlee, 7
Monday Games
George Wythe at Huguenot, 4 p.m.
Henrico at Armstrong, 5
Thomas Jefferson at Patrick Henry, 5:30
Matoaca at Hopewell, 6
Lee-Davis at No. 1 Highland Springs, 7
Petersburg at Thomas Dale, 7
Meadowbrook at Colonial Heights, 7
Dinwiddie at Prince George, 7
|
Processing your request, Please wait....
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted on 25 October 2007 by redwan123.
Elementary My Dear Watson
|
Maggie Walker junior ends Colonial thriller in OT
|
by Stephen M. Lewis
DigitalSports Richmond
Of the many dangerous offensive weapons that Maggie Walker field hockey houses, Amanda Watson isn’t in the top three.
That’s not a bad thing with weapons like Amarachi Eseonu, Deirdre Gill (18 goals this season) and Elle Donnini on the field at the same time.
With all eyes on a Gill shot early in overtime, Watson took advantage, as her putback beat Mills Godwin 3-2 for the Colonial District tournament championship Thursday evening.
“It was sweet,” Watson, a junior midfielder, said. “I knew I better not miss it. I just took my time, was patient and hit it in.”
Neither team was patient when it came to scoring. Donnini struck early, 13:00 into the contest to start the ping-pong contest.
|
1271751986
Amanda Watson, Maggie Walker, 10/25/07
|
| Amanda Watson scored the game-clinching goal in a 3-2 overtime victory over Mills Godwin. |
Morgan Stubbe tied it nine minutes later on a double assist from Hayley Stough and Michelle Foley as the Eagles (14-3) wouldn’t go away.
|
“I think we just scored and we relaxed,” Green Dragons coach Paige Hawkins said. “We talked about playing continuously. When we score sometimes we relax.”
Gill struck early in the second half as the Green Dragons (17-2) tried to hold off many strong Godwin offensive opportunities.
But the dam broke, as Stough’s putback tied the contest at two with about 10 minutes to go.
“This was an awesome game. We took Maggie Walker to overtime,” proud Godwin coach Paige Whitten said. “We’ve never played overtime. We’ve never played 7-on-7. They [Godwin] are awesome.”
The Eagles had a few terrific chances as regulation inched near, but couldn’t convert.
|
|
|
Rachel Nichols and Mills Godwin fell just short in the Eagles’ first overtime game of the season.
|
That opened the door for Watson and the Green Dragons to hold off the Eagles.
“Godwin did a nice job,” said Hawkins, who led Maggie Walker to its third win over Godwin this season. This one the toughest. “Especially being the underdog. You always want to beat the big dog.
“My girls held and we played calm.”
The Green Dragons will host Hopewell, the Central District second seed, Monday at 5 p.m. in the quarterfinals of the Central Region tournament. Godwin will head to Thomas Dale, the final No. 1 in the DigitalSports Top 10, in a region-final worthy matchup.
“Our team is playing so well,” Whitten said. “We’re going to try to beat Thomas Dale. This’ll power us on.”
Mills Godwin 1 1 0 – 2
Maggie Walker 1 1 1 – 3
MG: Stubbe, Stough
MW: Donnini, Gill, Watson
Records: Mills Godwin (14-3); Maggie Walker (17-2) |
|
|
Processing your request, Please wait....
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted on 25 October 2007 by .
Offensive POW – Oct. 23
|
Jerrell White, Dinwiddie Generals
|
|
Height/Weight: 6-2, 180 pounds
Age: 16 Year: Junior
Position: Wide receiver
Performance: White caught a touchdown, returned a kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown and returned a punt 52 yards for a score during Dinwiddie’s 47-13 win over Petersburg.
Best trait: “Returning kickoffs and punts. I see the field real good and I do what comes to me.”
Favorite food: “Chicken from Buffalo Wild Wings.”
What you wouldn’t know: “I sing at church in the choir.”
Favorite NFL player: “Randy Moss, I like his attitude on the field.”
Favorite music: “Rap and R&B. I like Gucci Mane.”
Improve on: “I just want to get a little bit faster.” |
Dinwiddiefootball.com
Dinwiddie’s Jerrell White scored three TD’s against Petersburg.
|
|
Toughest team: “Meadowbrook last year. I only had 30 yards, I didn’t do good that game.”
Favorite class: “Math, I like dealing with numbers.”
Funniest teammate: “Wilkie Cox because when him and I get together we just laugh and joke around.”
On his performance: “I was just thinking they couldn’t stop me.”
Future: “I hope to play college football. Right now I am looking at Boston College and Virginia.”
– Seneca Contomanolis
|
Each Schlotzsky’s Deli player of the week will receive a free
combo
redeemable at the Schlotzsky’s at 11607 Midlothian
Turnpike,
Midlothian, Va. 23113; (804) 897-8880.
|
|
Congrats Jerrell!
|
|
|
Processing your request, Please wait....
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted on 23 October 2007 by .
Perfect Season
|
Knights top Chiefs to finish regular season without dropping a game
|
by Seneca Contomanolis
DigitalSports Richmond
When Thomas Dale volleyball coach Mike Walker handed his team the schedule this past April one game stood out above the rest of them: at Monacan.
The Knights knew even back then that the Chiefs would probably be the toughest competition they would play all season.
The
long-awaited match did not dissapoint as top-ranked Thomas Dale
defeated No. 3 Monacan 3-0 in front of a packed house that gave off a
playoff-like atmosphere Tuesday night.
“It’s a game we’ve all been looking forward to,” Knights senior David Cole said. “And the crowd makes it that much better and Monacan is a great place to play.”
Thomas
Dale finishes the regular season undefeated with a 19-0 overall record
and 10-0 in the Central District. The Knights did not drop one game all
season as they went 57-0.
|
1267577676
David Cole and Michael Blankenbecler, Thomas Dale, 10/23/07
|
| David Cole (left) had 11 kills and Michael Blankenbecler had 10 as Thomas Dale defeated Monacan 3-0. |
“That has never been a focus for us,” Walker said. “It just has happened. It is kind of freaky not to lose.”
The Knights dominated the opening game behind kills from Cole, Michael Blankenbecler and Alex Hoffman. A fired up Hoffman rarely gave the Chiefs an easy look at a spike and sent some spikes back with a few huge blocks. Thomas Dale easily won 25-13.
|
Game 2 looked like it could be more of the same as the Knights got off
to a quick 4-1 lead but Monacan (16-3) fought back thanks to Cody Robertson‘s spikes and Neil Raetz‘s hustle. Robertson had eight kills while Raetz had six digs.
Multiple
times the Chiefs closed the deficit to only two points but that would
be as close as they would get as Thomas Dale always answered with a big
point, taking the game 25-22.
“We should have started playing sooner. We got off to a tough start,” Monacan coach Hilary Clark said. “This team though keeps fighting till the end and never gives up.”
|
|
Monacan’s Cody Robertson (left) and Michael Koebel could not stop the Knights. |
|
The third game went back-and-forth as Bradley Johnston (17 assists, 7 blocks, 6 kills) came to life assisting his Thomas Dale teammates and Matt Ropelewski began to pick up his net play for Monacan. Forced to use a timeout after falling behind 21-18, the Chiefs came out of the break on 4-0 run to take a 22-21 advantage.
With Monacan looking to extend the match Blankenbecler came up huge again for Thomas Dale with a **** and Hoffman followed with a tough block for a point to go ahead 23-22. After Monacan tied the game at 23, Cole (11 kills, 3 blocks) smashed a **** and then provided a spike on the next rally that ended the match with a 25-23 victory.
|
“We just love playing here,” Blankenbecler, who finished with 10 kills,
12 assists and six blocks, said. “It’s a big-time rivalry. It gets you
pumped to play even harder.”
Said Cole: “We’re definitely happy
with the win but we know we really didn’t accomplish any of our goals
tonight and we still have to go out and play hard and go after it.”
Those
goals include returning to the state tournament for the second straight
year where they will have to play competition like Monacan in front of
huge crowds at VCU.
|
Bradley Johnston had 17 assists for the Knights.
|
|
“This was a tune up for the playoffs,” Walker said. “It is great to
play in an atmosphere like this and to play at that level for three
games. We’ve got other things we are after, we just can’t peak now. We
want to get back to the Siegel Center.”
Thomas Dale 25 25 25
Monacan 13 22 23
Records: Thomas Dale (19-0); Monacan (16-3) |
Processing your request, Please wait....
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted on 23 October 2007 by redwan123.
Boys Volleyball POW – Oct. 23
|
Matt Goodwin, Hanover Hawks
|
|
Height/Weight: 6-1, 180 pounds
Age: 17 Year: Senior
Performance: Had 44 assists, 13 digs and five kills in a four-game win over then-No. 6 Mills Godwin. Followed the next evening with 36 assists, 15 digs and six kills in a five-game win over district nemesis Highland Springs.
Season stats: Goodwin is averaging 26 assists, 11 digs, over three kills and a block per match.
Best trait: “My leadership.”
Character moment: “Last year in volleyball, I broke my foot at the beginning of the year. I wasn’t thinking about playing this year. I wasn’t expecting to have a good year and I just started playing well and I’m here now.”
Toughest opponent: “Our toughest opponent this year so far has been Highland Springs.”
|
|
Hanover setter Matt Goodwin
|
|
Pre-game ritual: “Before every game, I have to have at least two energy drinks.”
On winning district title: “It feels really good. It’s the
first time in our school’s history that has been accomplished. We
feel really good about it.”
Best advice: “To work as hard as you can all the time and to do the best you can at anything.”
Funniest teammate: “I would have to say there is three of them, Dylan Cole, William Faber and Chris Mays. Pretty funny bus ride for sure.”
Most wants to: “I want to be very successful in life and go to
college next year and get a good education and maybe play a little
sports in college.”
Future: “Either volleyball or basketball.
That’s the main reason I played volleyball because coach Rohr was the
coach and asked me to come out.”
– Stephen M. Lewis
|
Each Schlotzsky’s Deli player of the week will receive a free
combo
redeemable at the Schlotzsky’s at 11607 Midlothian
Turnpike,
Midlothian, Va. 23113; (804) 897-8880.
|
|
Congrats, Matt!
|
|
|
|
Processing your request, Please wait....
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted on 23 October 2007 by .
Defensive POW – Oct. 23
|
Torrean Crowell, Meadowbrook Monarchs
|
|
Year : Senior Age: 17
Height/Weight: 5-10, 170
Position: Safety/Linebacker, Running Back
Performance: Crowell had a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown and also had two rushing touchdowns in a 42-0 victory over Hopewell.
Best trait: “Being a leader. A lot of the time the leaders of the team get together to have meetings and they usually choose me to speak in front of the other players because I am a good speaker.”
Favorite music: “Hip-Hop. I like to listen to music that gets you motivated.”
Favorite food: “Chicken from Popeyes.”
Funniest teammate: “Chris Carter, when ever I am having a bad day I can depend on him to make me laugh.” |
| Torrean Crowell excels on both sides of the ball. |
|
Future: “I want to play at the next level. It doesn’t matter
what position as long as they want me to play. I would love to get out
of Virginia though.”
Improve on: “I want to learn every position.”
Favorite class: “Biology. I just like learning about the body and cells and atoms.”
|
|
Each Schlotzsky’s Deli player of the week will receive a free
combo
redeemable at the Schlotzsky’s at 11607 Midlothian
Turnpike,
Midlothian, Va. 23113; (804) 897-8880.
|
|
Congrats Torrean! |
|
|
Processing your request, Please wait....
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted on 23 October 2007 by .
Field Hockey POW – Oct. 23
|
Loren Favale, Thomas Dale Knights
|
|
|
Age: 17
Height: 5-4
Performance: Scored a goal to help Thomas Dale defeat Maggie Walker GS 2-1.
Favorite food: “Ice cream. Cookies and cream with sprinkles from Coldstone.”
Favorite music: “Any type but country.”
Best trait: “My spirit. I cheer on my teammates.”
What you wouldn’t know: “I went to homecoming and wore a dress for one of the first times.”
Improve on: “Shooting not where the goalie is. I tend to end up shooting at her sometimes.”
Toughest opponent: James River because they mover the ball around well. |
Loren Favale and Thomas Dale eat pasta before games.
|
|
Favorite class: “Physics. I like the people in the class. I like the teacher and it is easy. I also like lunch with the field hockey team. We have pasta parties on game days.”
Funniest teammate: “Kelsey Whittleton because she makes so many jokes.”
Future: “I don’t know where I am going to college but where ever I go I am going to play soccer. I want to go to a small school.”
|
|
Each Schlotzsky’s Deli player of the week will receive a free
combo
redeemable at the Schlotzsky’s at 11607 Midlothian
Turnpike,
Midlothian, Va. 23113; (804) 897-8880.
|
|
Congrats, Loren!
|
|
|
Processing your request, Please wait....
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted on 23 October 2007 by redwan123.
Girls Volleyball POW – Oct. 23
|
Alyssa Lang, Deep Run Wildcats
|
Age: 17
Performance: Posted six aces, 21 kills, 35 digs and two blocks in wins over No. 8 Douglas Freeman and fourth-ranked Hermitage.
Season stats: Lang averages nine kills and 15 digs per match for second-ranked Deep Run.
Best trait: “My tenacity.”
Funniest teammate: “Besides myself, I’d have to say Meghann [Forshey]. She says some pretty ditsy jokes and Callie Armistead will come in and say something really funny.”
Toughest opponent: “Frank Cox because they’re good. Their players have a lot of background experience playing volleyball, similar to us.”
Invite any three people to dinner: “Stacy Sykora, she played libero on the U.S. Olympic Team. Ed Ratleg, he’s 6-7 and he’s pretty cute and pretty good in volleyball. My kitty named Tigger. She’s important to me.”
What you wouldn’t know: “I enjoy watching The Weather Channel in my spare time. I don’t want to be a weather person I just like to keep up with the weather. I get weather text messages everyday.”
Pet peeve: “I **** when people step on the back of my shoe,
especially when I’m wearing sandals. I **** it when people stop in
front of me to talk in the hallway. I **** slow walkers. I don’t like
it when the teachers don’t hole punch papers. I can’t put them where I
want them to be.”
|
|
|
|
Pregame ritual: “We put our right hands in to pray before every match and our left hand to cheer afterward.”
Future: “I’m going to play volleyball in college [University of Maryland-Baltimore County]. I’m going to play libero and get an education there.” Lang is not sure of her major and won’t mind the position change. “If the bigger, stronger girls can do a better job, I won’t miss it at all.”
– Stephen M. Lewis
Each Schlotzsky’s Deli player of the week will receive a free
combo
redeemable at the Schlotzsky’s at 11607 Midlothian
Turnpike,
Midlothian, Va. 23113; (804) 897-8880.
|
|
|
Congrats, Alyssa!
|
|
|
Processing your request, Please wait....
Posted in Uncategorized
|
