Gloucester football has had a tough run in the Peninsula District. They haven’t had a winning season in more than a decade. They last hit the five win mark in 2005. Before that, it was 2000 when they also went 5-5. Nothing’s easy for the Dukes when they have to come down and play teams from Newport News and Hampton.
Rome wasn’t built in a day. The Deep Creek Hornets hit a low last year when the team went winless. They have a new outlook in 2012 and new hope of winning with former Grassfield Assistant Coach Calvin Copeland in the fold as the head coach of the football program. It may take some time, but this program’s going to turn around.
Ocean Lakes lineman Alex Skidmore is an imposing figure. The Dolphin tackle is excelling on the field and in the classroom, with a selection as an All-Beach District second teamer in 2011 and a perfect SAT score to boot. He’s a role model to his classmates and now all of the hard work is paying off. Alex landed his first athletic scholarship offer this weekend.
Congratulations to this week’s Freedom Ford Player of the Week, Quatez Ruffin of Phoebus High School. In the fan voting, Ruffin narrowly edged Ocean Lakes wide out Andre Dessenburg. All of the nominees had astounding performances last week, but Ruffin took the prize with his performance in an impressive win over Warwick.
The Monarchs had a blow out win in their opener on Saturday night, and ODU won big with recruits on Saturday as well. Many locals visited and the night was capped by a local commitment. Ocean Lakes DL Demetri McGill was in attendance. He discussed his interest in the home team and the other schools in his top five.
There’s still time to vote for the Freedom Ford Player of the Week on recruit757. Throughout the regular season, fans will select the Freedom Ford Player of the Week for the region. Go to recruit757 on Facebook now to register your vote.
On opening night of the football season, Old Dominion had a little uncharacteristic trouble early on. The Monarchs poured it on in the second half, outscoring Duquesne 47-3 in the final two quarters. ODU won on the field, rolling to a 57-23 victory over the Dukes. They also won in the recruiting game with a pick up of one of Oscar Smith’s top athletes.
After two scrimmage performances that were lackluster at best, Phoebus came into Friday night’s game against Warwick looking like a giant that might be ready to fall. The whispers had become a murmur. Now that game one is down, the whispers should be silenced. The Phantoms left no doubt about their chances to keep on winning.
With Labor Day Weekend approaching, many schools elected to play their games on Thursday night, leaving us with an abbreviated schedule on Friday. The start of a new season was an incentive for all. Some teams rose to the occasion while others fell short.
The Phoebus Phantoms hold a streak of four straight state titles. Last year, they showed a chink in their armor, but managed to win when it counted. Every year, a new Phantom squad feels the pressure of living up to the legend. Can this year’s team keep the spirit alive?