By Phil Murphy
Senior Multimedia/Content Manager, DigitalSports.com
**Teams are listed alphabetically.
FAIRFAX
Last Year: 4-6 (1-6)* Concorde District
Coach: Chris Haddock, 3rd Year, 6-14 career record
Returning Starters: 3 offense/7 defense
Key Losses: QB Abdul Amin, RB/LB Chris Regensburg, FB Ben McLennon, FS Alex Price, OL Josh Patterson
Fairfax moved into the Liberty District after posting a 1-23 record in district games during its four-year stay in the Concorde District.
“Certainly, we’re excited about it,” said Coach Chris Haddock. “And the reality is our players
don’t know the difference other than what they see in the paper. We’re
trying not to make a big deal about it because we know that we’re going
to have to play great football to beat these Liberty teams.
“It’s not
like we’re going to show up and walk all over anybody, that’s
definitely not going to happen. But from week-to-week, we think we’ll
have a better chance to compete with these teams. The teams that are in
the Liberty are more like us. Their student population, their athletic
population, the size of the school is much more similar to us than the
Concorde schools.”
The Rebels graduated four of their five starting offensive linemen, with senior center Nick Burton as the only returning starter. Fairfax, though, has Haddock’s highest number of players in uniform in his six years in the program — an approximated 150 for junior varsity and varsity combined.
Senior Jack Bechert steps in to replace two-year starter Abdul Amin at quarterback, and Bechert may see time at outside linebacker as well.
Junior running back Anton Burns, a standout last season on the Rebels’ junior varsity team, will see the bulk of the carries. In the trenches, Haddock will rely heavily on projected two-way senior linemen Jordan Yost and Richard Lowe.
With the bulk of its defense returning, the key for Fairfax’s success is getting its brand new offensive line to gel. Haddock tabbed that the determinant to increasing wins this season.
Game to Watch: Week 4: Sept. 25 at Langley
LANGLEY
Last Year: 5-5 (4-3)
Coach: John Howerton, 7th year, 51-41 career record
Returning Starters: 1 offense/6 defense
Key Losses: QB Danny Pritchett, RB David Helmer (Northwestern – wrestling), FB Derek Eklund, C Scott Jones (James Madison),
OG Garrett Moore (Penn), OT Martin Petras (Old Dominion), TE
Chris Sievers
Last year, Langley did little to tarnish its reputation as a Northern Virginia offensive linemen factory. All-state center Scott Jones, offensive guard Garrett Moore and offensive tackle Martin Petras all received Division I scholarships, bringing the total to 12 in coach John Howerton‘s six seasons at the school.
While sending three linemen to play at the next level earned Howerton a pat on the back over the summer, it also forces significant changes in the offseason. In addition to losing three three-year starters on their offensive line, the Saxons also graduated three three-year starters in their backfield: quarterback Danny Pritchett, fullback Derek Eklund and running back — and state-champion wrestler — David Helmer, who rushed for 1,200 yards in 2008.
Senior guard Ben Johnson is the only returning starter on offense.
“We’re big,” said Howerton, the longest-tenured coach in the program’s 45-year history. “We’ll always have some big kids. But they’re raw. I’m
hoping it’ll be a strength of the team. I work them and I’m trying to
get them there.
“I’ve got every recruiter in the region knocking the
door any time we have these linemen. For that, it’s been a gold mine.
Unfortunately, we don’t get a lot of the skill guys. But we’ve had a
1,000-yard rusher every year but once — we get a lot of hard-nosed
kids.”
Howerton is moving some pieces around to get experience on his offensive line, which has blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher in five of the last six seasons. Senior defensive lineman Rickhi Chaudry (6-feet-3-inches, 260 pounds) moves to the offensive side of the ball this year. Senior linebacker Joey Kiffe will also line up at tight end.
Senior center Aaron Sahm jumps into the mix, replacing Jones, while senior Tate Besougloff (6-0, 285) and junior Zack Buffkin (6-4, 245) round out the line.
The trio of three-year backfield starters will be replaced by junior quarterback Braden Anderson — a tall, drop-back passer — and a committee of running backs, which will come out of an ace set. Senior Abe Yi, who injured his anterior cruciate ligament last year, senior James McMichael, a transfer from the Potomac School, and speedy sophomore Marcus Harvey will all split carries. Senior Nick Amano-Dolan is also getting a look under center.
Fortunately for Langley, it returns its entire linebacking corps: Kiffe, senior H-Back and middle linebacker Austin Pritchett — who also tore his ACL last season — and outside linebacker Brian Clubb.
On special teams, junior kicker Farhan Khan should make a push for all-region honors this year.
“We’re extremely young across the board,” Howerton said. “Some kids will be seniors playing, but have never played varsity before. This will be the youngest team I’ve had since I’ve been here.”
Game to Watch: Week 3: Sept. 17 at Madison
MADISON
Last Year: 7-5 (5-2)
Coach: Gordon Leib, 12th year
Returning Starters: 3 offense/5 defense
Key Losses: QB Will Clarkson, RB/LB Kody Klugh, RB/DB Sasha Vandalov, OL/DL Christian Underkoffler, RB/LB C.J. Doumas, RB/LB Will Cybulski (torn ACL)
Madison’s list of players lost to injury reads far too much like an opening-day roster.
Senior defensive end Charlie Gilbert is shelved until Week 3. Senior two-way backfield starter Mike McCool is questionable for the senior-opener at Oakton. Senior tight end and defensive end Kevin Samson should be back by Week 1. Senior two-way lineman Jack Rowe is out a month with a shoulder injury and senior all-district linebacker Eric Leeson is unavailable until Week 3.
Oh, and two-way enforcer Will Cybulski was lost for the year when he tore his ACL in June.
Twelfth-year Coach Gordon Leib tabbed junior linebacker and tight end Ryan McGuire, two-way lineman Charlie Pence and linebacker and fullback Glenn Metz as integral devices in keeping the Warhawks’ season afloat in the meantime.
Leib is also calling on sophomore guards C.J. Kelliher and Dan Fowler, standouts last season on junior varsity, to contribute heavily.
The list of still-healthy returners is shorter, including two-way lineman Kejuan Kimble, who moved from center to tackle, senior running back Dennis Vasic, junior running back Ben Powers and junior cornerback John Clark.
Senior dual-threat quarterback Eric Roland steps in to replace two-year starter Will Clarkson under center.
Coach Leib said if his team can weather the early-season storm — which features games against Oakton, Yorktown and Langley in the first three weeks — his team will be in prime shape.
“I honestly think our defense is going to eventually be pretty darn good,” he said. “When Mike McCool comes back, we’ll have our whole secondary back. When Leeson comes back, our second level will be back. And when Charlie Gilbert comes back, three of our four down linemen will be back.
“Eventually, we’ll have eight returners on defense.”
If whispers around the district are right, Madison is the team most capable of challenging Stone Bridge’s three-year streak of spotless district play.
Game to Watch: Week 7: Oct. 16 at Stone Bridge
MARSHALL
Last Year: 4-6 (3-4)
Coach: Bill Lapthorn, 1st year, 0-0 career record
Returning Starters: 5 offense/6 defense
Key Losses: QB Harold Sweet (Shepherd), CB/WR/KR/RB Jamie Cleer
For the first time in six years, coach J.T. Biddison will not be patrolling the Marshall sidelines. He’s at West Springfield.
Taking the reigns of the program is first-time head coach Bill Lapthorn, who spent six years coaching at Cincinnati Winton Woods (Ohio) before moving to Northern Virginia to assist at South Lakes for two years before spending the last two at Marshall.
But do not expect a complete overhaul for the Statesmen, even with the new sheriff in town. And especially with defensive coordinator Joe Vargo still on staff.
“Coach Biddison and I see very eye-to-eye on how to run things and had a
very good working relationship before he made the move to West
Springfield,” said Lapthorn, who previously served as the team’s strength-and-conditioning coach. “So it’s been a pretty smooth transition for the kids.
There are a lot of the same expectations.
“The defense is the same, the
offense has [had] a few minor adjustments, so from the kids’ eyes there
aren’t a lot of wholesale changes.”
When asked about those minor offensive adjustments, Lapthorn was quick to respond.
“We’re going to score more points,” he joked.
Headlining the Marshall roster is senior three-sport star Andrew Embree, a second-team all-district nominee last year at both offensive tackle and defensive end. He also reached the regional championship match wrestling at 215 pounds and was among the best Statesmen lacrosse players.
Replacing three-year starting quarterback Harold Sweet is similarly-built senior quarterback Justin Stalcup, who started two games last year when Sweet was injured. Among Stalcup’s favorite targets will be senior wide receiver Jake Bennett, also the team’s top cover corner. Senior running back and linebacker Victor Vanegas dropped 15 pounds in the offseason and is looking sharp.
Lapthorn made a point to mention his extremely strong sophomore class.
The top Statesmen sophomore contributor is expected to be 6-foot-1, 306-pound right tackle Matt Crawford. Crawford is taking Embree’s spot on the line, allowing the senior to move to tight end and touch the ball on offense.
Game to Watch: Week 8: Oct. 23 vs. Thomas Jefferson
McLEAN
Last Year: 0-10 (0-7)
Coach: Jim Patrick, 2nd year, 0-10 career record
Returning Starters: 6 offense/6 defense
Key Losses: OL Billy Bell, RB/DB Kyle McColgan, WR Ethan Beckett, FB/DL Michael Shipley, LB C.J. Rogers (Emory-Henry)
For McLean, the program has nowhere to move but forward heading into 2009.
Coach Jim Patrick‘s inaugural season was a winless campaign, leaving him unsure exactly how his Highlanders would respond over the summer.
Fortunately, he only waited one day before getting his answer.
“It’s kind of hard to believe. I’d never gone through anything like
that before and I’m sure the kids haven’t,” said Patrick, an assistant at perennial power C.D. Hylton before accepting the McLean vacancy. “And if you’ve never gone
through it, it’s kind of hard to understand. It can be completely
demoralizing. When the season ended last year, we met the very next
day. And we didn’t know what we were going to get. Is everybody just
not going to come out, just say, ‘Screw it?’
“We had 100-percent
attendance at our meeting the next day. Kids were excited. And they
kept that excitement up until the season.”
The Highlanders will switch from the triple option they installed last season to a more traditional, single-back set. The move was made both for simplicity and to feature senior Riley Beiro, who was second-team all-district at both running back and kick returner.
Beiro averaged 8.0 yards per carry, while amassing 800 yards in the five games he played. He also returned a district-best three kickoffs for touchdwons despite missing half the season with injury.
His backfield mate, senior quarterback Will Hecht, also returns. Other anticipated contributors include two-way senior interior lineman Anthony Maestri, two-way senior lineman Billy Dvorkin and senior 6-foot-3 tight end John Fremermann.
Two surprise players who will open eyes are senior defensive end Joe Smith, who had five tackles for loss against Annandale but missed the latter half of the season with a dislocated elbow, and senior free safety Cameron Paine.
Paine attended McLean as a freshman and sophomore, but moved to Broadneck for his junior year before moving back to McLean in January. Paine may also spell Beiro in the offensive backfield.
While Patrick spent ample time listing players whom he expects will play significant roles in the turnaround — and an overdue, first career win — he made no bones about the Highlanders’ prime performer.
“We have a lot of guys returning that we expect a lot from,” he said. “But our real stud is Riley Beiro.”
Game to Watch: Week 1: Sept. 3 at Washington-Lee
SOUTH LAKES
Last Year: 2-8 (1-6)
Coach: John Ellenberger, 6th year, 12-39 career
Returning Starters: 5 offense/5 defense
Key Losses: ILB Josh Anderson
When his starting and backup centers went down this summer — sprained ankle and concussion, respectively — South Lakes Coach John Ellenberger, although disappointed, had to be relieved by the minor nature of the commonplace football injuries.
That is, in comparison to the injury suffered by standout two-way senior lineman Kevin Ball in the spring.
“For some reason during baseball season, Kevin decided to steal from
first to second base,” Ellenberger said. “And I said, ‘Kevin, you’re 6-foot-5, 260-pounds,
what the heck are you stealing a base?’
“He said, ‘Coach, it’s not how
fast you are. It’s the jump.’ I was like, ‘What?!’
“We give a hard time
and all the college coaches give him a hard time about it, too.”
Ball suffered a dislocated and broke ankle on his slide — shelving his attempt at the Seahawks’ all-time steals record. But aside from occasional swelling, he is fully-recovered. He even started in the Seahaws’ first scrimmage.
Quarterback Justin Zeller departs and will be replaced by senior Shawn Rana. Surrounding Rana in the backfield is a duo of young but experienced returning starters in junior running backs JaJuan Jones and Darius Smith.
Both Jones and Smith will see significant playing time on defense, as well, at outside linebacker and safety, respectively. Last year, Jones separated his shoulder and missed four games, but still had 697 yards and seven touchdowns.
While 11 starters graduated last year, Ellenberger asked that only one player be mentioned as a key loss, scrappy inside linebacker Josh Anderson. Anderson passed away last spring.
“He’s the one I’m going to miss,” Ellenberger said. “Josh was a great football player for us. We’ll definitely miss him. He was a great, great linebacker. He made every tackle for us last year. He read his keys great, I’ve never had a kid read the guards like he did.
“A team would run a counter and everyone on the defense would go right. And then there was Josh on the left making the tackle all by himself.”
Game to Watch: Week 4: Sept. 25 at Marshall
STONE BRIDGE
Last Year: 13-1 (7-0), Division 5 Northern Region champions
Coach: Mickey Thompson, 10th year, 163-56 career
Returning Starters: 0 offense/2 defense
Key Losses: RB/DB Daniel Allen (James Madison), BB/LB Travis Hannam, TE/LB Nate Ingersoll (Glenville State), TE/LB Mike Olson (Wake Forest), WR/DB Michael Prince (James Madison), WR/DB Nick Sheehan (Virginia Tech), TE/DL Brian Slay (North Carolina State), OL Trevor Springman (William & Mary) QB/S Patrick Thompson (Wake Forest), TE/DE Zach Thompson (Wake Forest), OL/DL David Wang (Virginia Tech)
Stone Bridge Coach Mickey Thompson, most years, is famous for his glass-half-empty account of his team’s outlook for the upcoming season. But while trying to keep up with the list of departed seniors — and the Division I programs they are headed to — one could not help but believe that absences will be felt, especially within a front seven that featured four ACC signings.
“We didn’t even have to coach,” Thompson joked. “We just had to throw the ball out.”
Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, they do not have much time to get situated. Their first of two scrimmages was rained out and their first three weeks of the season read: Westfield, Heritage (Loudoun County) and West Springfield.
While Thompson admits he is two-deep at every position, he is far from decided on his starters.
“It’s going take two or three weeks for me to figure out if everybody
is in the right place, what kind of adjustments we can make as coaches
to help them be better players and for them to get used to what we’re
doing on offense and defense,” said Thompson, who is 28-0 in district games since moving to the Northern Region in 2005. “It’s going to take that long.
“If we’re
good early, watch out. We’re going to be a lot better late in the
season.”
The rest of the Northern Region coaches appear split on whether this is the year that Stone Bridge comes back to the rest of the pack.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, they’ve never lost a Liberty District game,” one said. “Until that happens, they’re top dogs.”
Countered another: “I think Stone Bridge is in a rebuilding year. I think there will be
some good opportunities for teams within the district to potentially
knock Stone Bridge out of their top perch.”
While the Bulldogs only return two total starters from a year ago, Thompson estimates 11 of this year’s starters will be seniors.
He pegged senior linebacker Taylor Lambke, senior running back and defensive back Andre Best and senior two-way linemen Eric Volz and Mitch Freitas as the appointed in-huddle leadership for the defending Division 5 Northern Region champions.
Out of the huddle, expect junior running back Marcus Harris to provide some electricity. Thompson said Harris, who started two games last year, is the fastest running back he’s ever had.
The Bulldogs also bring back versatile junior Kyle Gouveia, the latest in the Gouveia dynasty, who will line up at quarterback, defensive back and wide receiver, at least.
Stone Bridge also added junior quarterback Brian Rody, a transfer from Heritage, to its arsenal. So what it lacks in experience, it makes up for in fire power.
“What we consider successful is whether we win a championship or not,” said Thompson, whose team has appeared in six consecutive Division 4 and 5 regional championship games dating back to 2002. “That’s a district championship, regional championship, some type of championship. I think I’d be selling us short if that wasn’t our goal every year.
“Once you quit winning those, I guess you have to re-evaluate what success is. Right now, that’s what we measure ourselves by.”
Game to Watch: Week 7: Oct. 16 vs. Madison
THOMAS JEFFERSON
Last Year: 4-7 (3-4)
Coach: Tim Puvogel, 4th year, 7-24
Returning Starters: 5 offense/4 defense
Key Losses: WR/P Evan Burch, S Mike Howard, OL/DL Matt Becker (Delaware), QB Ben Daly
Sometime in mid-October 2008, Thomas Jefferson found its stride, winning three of its final four regular-season games to clinch its first playoff berth since 2004.
It was the first time the Colonials had taken three of four games since September 2005.
“I think the enthusiasm certainly remains high,” said Coach Tim Puvogel. “I will share with you
that we have a very young football team. We’ll be starting eight-to-10
sophomores, including our quarterback.
“We’ll have at least a couple
sophomores in our defensive backfield.”
That quarterback is Kevin Karn, who replaces two-year starter Ben Daly.
Karn will have several experienced targets to shrink his learning curve, though. Senior running back Sy Rashid returns, as does senior wide receiver Alex Schmorhun. Rashid and Schmorhun will also see significant time at linebacker and defensive back, respectively.
Linebacker Adil Dittmer had the game-sealing pass deflection in Jefferson’s opening-week, overtime win over Falls Church last season and should take on a leadership role this year.
Juniors Jason Schwartz and Albert Khim will also make life difficult on Liberty opposition.
Game to Watch: Week 8: Oct. 23 at Marshall
Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com
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