It took a trip to the NSU campus to convince Cox lineman Gabe Hollins. Hollins camped all over last summer, including camps for James Madison, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Old Dominion. Gabe was the stud of the Falcons’ line in 2012, and the big man is staying close to home.
Green Run Athletic Director Ryan O’Meara didn’t have to go far when it came to hiring a new football coach. Shawn Wilson stepped down at the end of the season. Wilson had guided the Stallions to several playoff appearances and a 37-25 record over six seasons. Green Run’s new head coach will be Jeff McGowan, who most recently was the head coach at Kempsville until the end of the 2006 season.
The Christopher Newport football program continues to build and grow, right in our own back yard. The 2012 recruiting class was a huge one for CNU, and several athletes from The 757 had huge freshman campaigns. The freshmen weren’t the only locals to star. The staff at CNU reminds us with a smartly produced highlight package from last season.
Bayside Head Coach Darnell Moore stepped down in December. The Marlins have been looking high and low for a head coach since then. There were over 100 applicants for the open position, but Bayside brass didn’t have to look far. Their ultimate hire was there all along.
Florida State has already pursued Class of 2014 top recruits Andrew Brown and Quin Blanding. Both have offers from the Noles. Now FSU is back in the market for more 757 talent. On Wednesday, they made offers to no less than three more local underclassmen.
Poquoson running back/defensive end Grayson Boyce has the look of a 2013 Bay Rivers District Player of the Year. He’s a two way starter for the Bull Islanders and he’s developing into one of the most dominant players in the district. Schools like Alabama and Old Dominion have been showing heavy interest since the middle of last year. Lately, other schools have been jumping into the mix.
After five seasons as head coach at Lakeland High School, Glenwood Ferebee is hanging up his whistle. The high school game has been good to him, but he’s moving on to take on new challenges at the college level.
Western Branch has a stable full of budding athletes, and Virginia Tech is on the hunt. Assistant Coach Cornell Brown visited Western Branch this week, getting his first complete look at the prospects on the Bruins’ roster. Several Bruin juniors are getting significant interest.
Ocean Lakes defensive tackle Demetri McGill made his commitment to the Terps in November. On Sunday, Head Coach Randy Edsall withdrew the scholarship offer. That leaves Demetri with three weeks before signing day to work out a new commitment. McGill has options, but the snub has Ocean Lakes Head Coach Chris Scott upset, and rightfully so.
By all measures, Oscar Smith High School had a successful football season. The Tigers finished the regular season 9-1, losing only to nationally ranked Byrnes (SC). In the playoffs, the Tigers advanced to the Eastern Region Final, losing narrowly to State Runner-up Ocean Lakes. Quarterback Dashawn Blow led the Tigers through their sixth straight season of an undefeated district record and their ninth straight District Championship season.