Volume 6, Issue 14

05 AHS BOYS SOCCER RELOADS FAST

07 THE ALL-SP WINTER SQUADS

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05 AHS boyS Soccer reloAdS fASt

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RECHARGED AND RELOADED Albemarle boys soccer gets into gear

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ALL-SCRIMMAGE PLAY The 2014-2015 winter edition

GAME TIME Covenant baseball edges Woodberry

THE FUZZY MATH Decisions after high school are a struggle

vol 5 . issue 14 :: april 4, 2015

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VOL 6 . ISSUE 14 :: APRIL 5, 2015

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S TA F F Bart Isley, Creative Director Bob Isley, Infrastructure Director Ryan Yemen, Creative Editor O N T H E COV E R The Miller School girls basketball team M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T Local sports are the lifeblood of every community in America, and we’re here to reach beyond the basics and give compelling accounts about Central Virginia athletes to our readers.

CO N TAC T U S 4408 Ivy Commons, Charlottesville, VA 22903 [ e ] info@scrimmageplay.com [ p ] 434-202-0553

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Working hand in hand with Red Shoes Cville to support the Ronald McDonald House of Charlottesville.

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PREGAME

Same swagger

St. Anne’s-Belfield’s TaylorAnne Barry brings the ball up field in her team’s 8-0 win over Tandem Friends. The defending VISAA Division 2 champions are looking to maintain their success with a vastly different team that now features Barry at the helm. The senior had nine goals and seven assists last year. Against the Badgers she had a goal and three assists. The Saints are 2-1-1 on the season with a key 1-0 victory over Liberty Christian coming after the first loss of the year, a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Collegiate. ✖ (Photo by Ashley Thorton)

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u va d e pa r t m e n t o f o r t h o p e d i c s

| When every backhand gets returned with a nunchuck to the elbow

from a little karate guy, it’s time to call in the specialists. At UVA, we’re experts at diagnosing and treating even the most severe orthopedic problems. Make an appointment today and see what one of the top orthopedic programs in the region can do for you and your little unwelcomed foe. | uvaortho.com/appointment

Orthopedics

First Quarter Recharged and reloaded AHS looks to build on its 2014 success with more speed

By Ryan Yemen

T

Marcel Berry (above) is back at it for Albemarle after an amazing 2014 campaign. (Ryan Yemen)

{ EXPERIENCED } The Patriots return a slew of talent from last year’s state runner up run.

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S OPH OM ORES

JU NIO RS

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hey were the darlings of the spring jubilee last year. The Albemarle boys soccer team had an outstanding regular season, but not many outside of the program predicted just how far the Patriots would go.

Thanks to a dominating win over Thomas Jefferson in the Region 5A North semifinals and then a thrilling come-from-behind win over Mills Godwin in the 5A state semifinals, the Patriots got an opportunity to play for a second VHSL championship in three seasons.

With so much talent back from that storied playoff run, the Patriots might just have another big performance in them. Any run this team makes will start with one of the area’s most entertaining forwards, Marcel Berry. As a junior last year, Berry was about as creative as you could get. His speed set him apart from other great offensive threats, but Berry isn’t a sprinter. It was his footwork and ability to change direction, to stop and go, to make uncanny passes and of course, his knack at finishing at the goal that made him such a problem for opposing defenses.

“He’s such a creative player and he’s really always been that way,” said Albemarle coach Jeff Balnave. “His thoughts are a little different because he has that speed, that quickness to do things that other kids just simply can’t.

I think that gives him this imagination that allows him to dream other things.”

Berry and the Albemarle offense truly got rolling at the end of last year and out of the gate this year, it looks like the momentum is carrying over as he and junior Brendan Moyers continue to gel nicely and control the pace of the game. The Patriots scored 12 goals against their first three Jefferson District opponents and will get a great test when they return from spring break as they host archrival Western

Albemarle on Monday April 13. While both squads were the cream of the JD crop last year, they are some big differences, with the Warriors sporting a smaller roster physically and the Patriots putting together a team that’s faster than before.

“What’s different about this year is that while our starters are fast, the guys coming off the bench are every bit as near as fast,” Balnave said. “That’s kind of scary. We’ll see if that continues and we hope to just get better every game, but having so much speed, that’s a good problem to have.”

In addition to the thrilling Berry and Moyers, Albemarle is watching a handful of other athletes rise to the occasion early in the year. Sophomores Eliya Budugure and Junior Rivera-Hernandez and seniors Jesus Duran and Adonis Krasniqi have all had big games along with Berry and Moyers. So far it has made Albemarle especially deep and balanced offensively which should allow for Berry to string things together as he was so masterful at doing in the postseason last year.

“The younger players are really doing a good job of looking up to the older guys so far,” Balknave said. “The guys like Marcel, they’re always willing to teach. It’s nice to have that where they can show our younger players a trick or two.”

As fast and explosive as Albemarle’s underclassmen are, one or two tricks successfully handed down from Berry is going to make the Patriots every bit as entertaining to watch as they were last spring, if not more. ✖

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For more soccer coverage head over to our website at: www.scrimmageplay.com

College Update

We’ve gone digital

Former STAB standout finishing up with Wolverines

But you can have it in print too!

By Bart Isley The last time St. Anne’s-Belfield won a state championship in baseball, Kevin White was the squad’s catcher and the 2011 season’s hero, hitting a grand slam in the semifinal and a triple in the title game that set him up to score the go-ahead, game-winning run.

Even White’s quote after the game was storybook-type stuff.

“I don’t believe in luck or chance...I believe in purpose and providence. I feel as though we were meant to be here and it was meant to happen that way.”

White, the 2011 Scrimmage Play player of the year in addition to a slew of other high school honors, headed to Michigan to play for the Wolverines, and he’s been a key contributor in the lineup for Michigan since he arrived.

He started 27 games as a freshman, 45 as a sophomore (hitting .278 that year with 12 doubles and 19 RBI) and then 20 games as a junior. He’s also consistently hit during that span, establishing himself as a reliable fixture

in the lineup for Michigan.

This year, he’s logged 18 starts through the Wolverines’ first 27 games as part of the outfield rotation. He’s hitting .283 and slugging .450 on the year, with two home runs that are good for second on the team as well four doubles nine runs scored and two RBI. Michigan went 15-12 during that stretch.

For his career, he’s a .263 hitter and he’s started 110 games while undergoing a coaching change after his freshman campaign that brought Erik Bakich, formerly the head coach at Maryland, to Ann Arbor. White and the Wolverines won 30 games last year and tied for fourth in the Big Ten while also advancing to the conference semifinals.

Since leaving STAB, White has become an integral part of a big-time program, contributing in a variety of ways while also pursuing a degree from one of the country’s finest public schools. That’s an impressive feat by any measure. ✖

HOW TO GET A PHYSICAL COPY OF SCRIMMAGE PLAY Step 1 :: Click here and head to the MagCloud version of the magazine.

It’s going to look like this below:

BELOW » Now at Michigan, St. Anne’s-Belfield graduate Kevin White led the Saints to a VISAA D1 state title back in 2011. (Michigan Sports Information)

Step 2 :: Click the Buy Print button next to the magazine and follow instructions to order Step 3 :: Wait patiently by your mailbox Step 4 :: When it arrives, take it out and read or stash away to your heart’s delight!

Students First Champions Next

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www.covenantschool.org

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The end of the season was a bit hectic thanks to mother nature. However, that did not impede Central Virginia from reaching great heights this winter. Both the Miller girls and Blue Ridge boys basketball teams earned state titles. Swimming was arguably as strong as ever with multiple state title winners. And on the mat, one program produced its first ever state champion wrestler. With that in mind we proudly present our All-SP squads for a highly successful winter campaign.

Presented by:

Stories by Ryan Yemen and Bart Isley /// Photos by Ashley Thornton and John Berry

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- B OYS B A SK E T B A L L -

Montgomery-DeLaurier

Diakite

Spencer

Johnson

Armstrong

Morris

Hahn

Ingram

Katstra

Agee

Saylor

Early

Schroeder

Gage

Freeman

Woolford

FIRST TEAM Javin Montgomery-DeLaurier /// St. Anne’s-Belfield, Jr. Prep League POTY, first team All-VISAA D2, 20.1 ppg, 13.2 rpg, 4.2 bpg Mamadi Diakite /// Blue Ridge, Jr. First team All-VISAA D2, 10.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.9 bpg Scott Spencer /// Blue Ridge, Jr. First team All-VISAA D2, 11.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.7 spg Malik Johnson /// Blue Ridge, Jr. VISAA D2 POTY, 12.8 ppg, 5.2 apg, 2.8 spg Austin Katstra /// Albemarle, So. First team All-Region 5A North, All-JD, 18.9 ppg, 10.4 rpg Vinny Agee /// Fluvanna County, Sr. First team All-Group 4A, C23 POTY, 23 ppg, 11 rpg, 2.9 spg Jordan Saylor /// Charlottesville, Sr. JD POTY, Second team All-Region 4A North, 14.9 ppg, 6.1 apg, 2.7 spg Jeff Early /// William Monroe, Sr. First team All-C28, 16.6 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 1.8 bpg, 1.6 spg

HONORABLE MENTION J’Air Rawlings /// Orange County, Sr. Mica Girstantas /// Charlottesville, Sr. Isaiah Smith /// Madison County, So. Ron Alston /// Miller, Jr. Aamir Simms /// Blue Ridge, So. Rashad Brooks /// Monticello, Sr. Leon Ragland /// Buckingham County, Jr. Scottie Chambers /// Tandem, Sr. Matt Shobe /// Covenant, Jr. James Graves /// Madison County, Sr. Luke Neeley /// Woodberry Forest, Sr. B.J. Snead /// Goochland, Sr. Trey Cherry /// Louisa County, Sr. Jameel Wilson /// Fluvanna County, Jr.

SECOND TEAM Jared Armstrong /// Fork Union, Sr. All-Prep League, 15.8 ppg, 2.8 apg Parker Morris /// St. Anne’s-Belfield, Sr. All-Prep League, 12.7 ppg, 2.4 apg, 1.8 spg Jake Hahn /// Albemarle, So. First team All-JD, All-C16, 11.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 42 blocks Ryan Ingram /// Western Albemarle, So. First team All-JD, 14.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 4.3 apg Connor Schroeder /// Miller, Sr. All-VIC, 14.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg Caleb Gage /// Charlottesville, Jr. Second team All-Region 4A north, 11.8 ppg, 3.0 apg, 2.3 spg Lewis Freeman /// Fork Union, Jr. All-Prep League, 17.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg Keegan Woolford /// William Monroe, Sr. First team All-C28, 13.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.8 apg, 2.3 spg

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM Kareem Johnson /// St. Anne’s-Belfield, Jr. Speedy backcourt defender, 1.9 spg O’Brien Morton /// William Monroe, Sr. Excellent post presence for defensive minded Monroe, 2.0 bpg Michael Vale /// Western Albemarle, Jr. Versatile defensive stoppper in the paint, 7 rpg Juwan Carter /// Albemarle, Sr. Jack-of-all trades defender, guarded 1-4, 2.5 spg.

Leon Ragland /// Buckingham County, Jr. Led the Knights in all statistical categories

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- P L AY ER OF T HE Y E A R BOYS BASKETBALL

JAVIN MONTGOMERY-DELAURIER, ST. ANNE’S BELFIELD Forget the dunk against Collegiate that found its way to ESPN’s Top 10. It’s the numbers that are absolutely crazy.

It’s not just that St. Anne’s-Belfield junior Javin Montgomery-DeLaurier led his team in every statistical category. We see that a fair amount at the high school level. This year, in fact, Buckingham’s Leon Ragland and Tandem’s Scottie Chambers pulled off a similar feat.

What’s insane is that MontgomeryDeLaurier led the AREA in nearly every statistical category, and that’s something we’ve rarely seen.

The Saints’ star forward averaged 20.1 points, 13.2 rebounds 5.0 assists, 2.8 steals and 4.2 blocks per game.

Putting up those kind of numbers against the high level of competition that STAB faces in the Prep League is a tremendous testament to the kind of player he is. He notched a double double in every game except one, a clash with traditional private school power Benedictine. Three times, he made it a triple double, and in one game he was just three blocks away from a quadruple double.

He was the Prep League’s player of the year, the first in some time from STAB in a league that’s been home to players who went on

to suit up for North Carolina, Duke, Virginia Commonwealth and many others. Montgomery-DeLaurier has a slew of Division I offers from Texas, VCU, Richmond, Cincinnati, George Washington and Old Dominion. He’s drawn interest from many, many others.

He led the Saints into a threeway tie for the regular season Prep League title and a VISAA Division II state tournament berth, a run ended by an immensely talented Carlisle squad in a loaded division. He’s got another year and a stable of talent returning around him that’ll be a year older and wiser next time the Saints take the floor.

Throw on top of that that he’s already been a captain for two years as both a sophomore and a junior and he carries a 3.5 GPA in the classroom and it’s a little hard to believe, just on the numbers, that Montgomery-DeLaurier is even real.

That’s when that dunk comes back in the picture. The dunk that announced to people outside Central Virginia just how special Montgomery-DeLaurier is on the court. You can ask the Collegiate player on the receiving end of that slam just how real STAB’s junior is.

- COACH OF THE YEAR BOYS BASKETBALL

BILL RAMSEY, BLUE RIDGE The Blue Ridge basketball program doesn’t undergo too many rebuilds in the truest meaning of the word. While the Barons regularly replace Division 1 level talent on an annual basis, the overall product is usually still pretty exceptional. From the 2008-2009 season up until the 2011-2012 season, the Barons advanced to four straight VISAA final fours and played for three state titles. Last season, Blue Ridge had to take it on the chin as they broke in a bevy of younger players. It amounted to a two-win season. By the end of the first month of this season, that rough and tough campaign was a distant memory.

What Ramsey did this year for the Barons was find a way to make the new influx of talent mesh with what he had coming back. This was a very different looking Blue Ridge team and its star, junior Mamadi Diakite, now had a whole new group of athletes around him. Enter Scott Spencer,

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Malik Johnson and Aamir Simms among a list of many more. With just one ball and so many athletes that were used to being their school’s standout player, the job this year was to find a way to make the most each of these athlete’s time spent without the ball. Call it the high school equivalent of what University of Kentucky coach John Calipari deals with on a yearly basis now. One ball and an awful lot of talent. There needed to be something more, there needed to be chemistry for the Barons to compete back at the level this school is used to.

Ramsey found a way. Arguably the most balanced team this area’s seen since Madison County’s state title run back in ’09-’10, the Barons were a matchup nightmare for opponents. Not a single player averaged more than 12.8 points per game, at least five players averaged seven or more points. Five different athletes averaged three rebounds a game

or better. Five different players averaged at least one steal per game.

While Diakite and Simms’ size bolstered the front court, Johnson’s electric play at guard provided a spark that was missing the previous two years at Blue Ridge. Ramsey got Johnson to take advantage of the mismatches that the Barons’ size down low created. It turned Johnson into the team’s leading scorer (not exactly by a wide margin) despite the fact that he was able to evenly distribute the ball to Spencer, Diakite, Afanna Offor and Simms.

At the end of the day what Ramsey did was find a way to get great individual talent to mesh. That’s always easier said than done. Blue Ridge’s talent checked their egos at the door and as a result, they walked away state champions and sit poised to remain in contention for more down the road. At least if Ramsey has his way. ✖

- NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR BOYS BASKETBALL

JOE FOLEY, WOODBERRY FOREST As head coach Craig Dawson underwent another re-tooling of the Woodberry Forest roster after UVa commit Sacha Killeya-Jones’ transfer to Virginia Episcopal during the offseason, he seems to have found at least one major building block for the future with the emergence of freshman point guard Joe Foley.

Foley emerged as perhaps the area’s top young point guards, scoring eight points per game and pulling down 3.5 boards per contest while also running the Tigers’ offense efficiently and dishing out 5.0 assists per outing. He immediately gave the Tigers a backcourt presence they desperately needed.

The Tigers compete in the Prep League where almost every team features a top-notch point guard year-in and year-out. No backcourt in the league gets a night off, and Foley quickly proved he was up to the task. It was completely validated that he belonged in the fray when he unleashed a pair of 8-assist games against Collegiate and Trinity Episcopal in late January where he turned the ball over just four times in those two contests. That’s a whopping 16 assists with just four turnovers in the thick of the Prep League campaign, which is no easy task.

Foley managed to minimize his turnovers most of the year despite being a freshman, posting a 2.2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio against bigtime competition.

Throw in the fact that he’s adept at picking his spots to attack and showed a knack for shot selection beyond his years (47 percent from the field coupled with 75 percent from the free throw line) and Foley was a major bright spot for Woodberty. He’ll be further tested next year because the Tigers will have to work around the graduation of 6-foot-8 All-Prep foward Luke Neeley, who will leave a gaping hole in the frontcourt.

While the Tigers finished just a step below .500 and were on the outside looking in for the VISAA playoffs, Foley gives everyone reason to believe that things are headed in the right direction for Woodberry.

It’s clear that no matter who is lining up for the Tigers next year, they’ll be in good hands with Foley running the show. ✖

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- GIRLS BASKETBALL -

Barbour

Tinsley

Comer

Shephard

Riggleman

Taylor

Maloney

Harvey

Ballard

Steppe

Mallory

Maupin

Ragland

Childress

Hairston

Stutz

FIRST TEAM KK Barbour /// Albemarle, Sr. Jefferson District POTY, 23.8 ppg, 10.3 rpg Bri Tinsley /// St. Anne’s-Belfield, So. First team All-VISAA D1, 15.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 5.8 apg, 5.2 spg

Lilly Riggleman /// Miller, Sr. First team All-VISAA D2, 10.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3 apg, 2.4 spg Ashley Taylor /// St. Anne’s-Belfield, Jr. Second team All-VISAA D1, All-LIS, 12.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg

Meghan Comer /// Monticello, Sr. First team All-JD, 13.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.7 spg

Micah Maloney /// Miller, Jr. First team All-VISAA D2, 13.0 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.7 spg

Molly Shephard /// Monticello, Sr. First team All-JD, 14.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.3 bpg

Rebecca Harvey /// Orange County, Sr. First team All-JD, All-C16, 10.4 ppg, 5 rpg, 3 apg, 2.1 spg

Kendall Ballard /// Charlottesville, Sr. First team All-Region 4A North, 12.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.9 spg, 1.9 bpg Mailynn Steppe /// St. Anne’s-Belfield, Jr. First team All-VISAA D1, 15.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.4 spg Lexi Mallory /// Miller, Sr. First team All-VISAA D2, 11.5 ppg, 4.5 apg, 3.9 spg Emily Maupin /// Covenant, So. Second team All-VISAA D2, 21.5 ppg, 18.2 rpg, 4.2 bpg

HONORABLE MENTION Breon Washington /// Louisa County, Sr. Markiana Smith /// Orange County, Sr. Kiana Hudgens /// Orange County, Jr. Sara Meakem /// Covenant, So. Laine Harrington /// Orange County, So. Kiana Scott /// Monticello, Jr. Shae Hurt /// Buckingham County, So. Julia Haws /// Western Albemarle, Jr. Breanna Strother /// William Monroe, Sr. Zoe Graves /// Madison County, Jr.

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SECOND TEAM

Alajiah Ragland /// Charlottesville, Jr. Second team All-Conf. 23, 9.7 ppg, 2.1 spg Kiana Childress /// Fluvanna County, Sr. First team All-Region 4A North, All-JD, 12.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.5 spg Kendra Hairston /// Albemarle, Sr. Second team All-JD, 7.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.4 apg, 2.6 spg Kate Stutz /// Fluvanna County, Jr. HM All-Region 4A North, second team All-JD, 9.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM Kiana Scott /// Monticello, Jr. Key backcourt defender for JD champs, 2.0 spg Brooke McAllister /// Albemarle, Jr. Defended top-scorer for C16 champs Bri Jordan /// Charlottesville, Sr. Defensive stopper for C23 champs, 3.0 spg, 6.2 rpg Adrienne Darden /// Miller, Sr. True post player for VISAA D2 champs, 4.5 bpg Sierra Smith /// St. Anne’s-Belfield, So. Key post defender for state quartefinalist, 9.2 rpg, 1.4 bpg

- P L AY ER OF T HE Y E A R GIRLS BASKETBALL

KK BARBOUR, ALBEMARLE The scouting report was out well before the year began — to stop Albemarle, you had to throw the kitchen sink at KK Barbour. On a team where the Liberty bound senior was the key returning piece, it was easy in theory. Barbour could not have done a better job of wearing many hats. She was the team’s best post player, its best ball handler, its best defender, its best 3-point shooter.

And she did all of that in spite of the fact that just about everyone knew all of this before tipoff. How did it turn out? Is 23.8 points per game and 10. 3 rebounds per game good? Barbour, along with a lot of help from fellow senior Kendra Hairston who nursed a torn ACL and played with a brace throughout the season, managed to pace a supremely young and green Albemarle team to the same heights as she did her junior season. Albemarle finished just a game away from the Group 5A tournament. When she started out as a freshman, the Patriots were an also-ran in the Commonwealth District. In her last three years with Albemarle, she was arguably the most dangerous and dynamic player on the court. That this was the case this season on a team where there were so many growing pains is a testament to her ability to be that do-it-all talent on the floor.

Stopping Barbour meant keeping her out of the paint on both sides of the court, keeping a close watch on her bringing the ball up the court for teams that ran press on the Patriots, keeping an even closer watch on her from the perimeter. Defensively, she was the same force she’s always been, a reliable post player that stayed out of foul trouble on an undersized squad. Getting a shot over her was a difficult task. The Patriots’ transition game started with her rebounding. In every sense of the term, she was the keystone piece for Albemarle. Yet more than anything on the floor, Barbour was a leader for this team by example. She wasn’t overbearing on her younger colleagues. As the Division 1 talent, she bore the cross of countless schemes and played through them in a way to better her teammates. Barbour laid down a foundation this season that will inspire the rest of this young Patriots group she leaves behind to find a way to get the program to an even higher stature.

You can’t argue with her numbers. You can’t argue with her demeanor. You can’t argue with her effort. She’s the school’s all-time leader scorer, and yet she did it in a way that made all her teammates better players. If there’s one certainty going into next season, no player will be as missed like Barbour will be by Albemarle. ✖

- COACH OF T HE Y E A R GIRLS BASKETBALL

DAVE RABE, ORANGE COUNTY Dave Rabe had an awfully tough job for years. He waited patiently for this year’s core group of seniors in Rebecca Harvery and Markiana Smith to lead Orange County to a bountiful season. Just three years prior this group was winless. This season the Hornets followed their coach’s patience and intensity and turned it into a banner year where the Hornets qualified for the Region 5A tourament. It’s the first time Orange has made the region tourney since 2008.

Rabe’s work with the Hornets wasn’t just admired by the community in Orange, it was talked about by the coaches he beat this season. Monticello coach Josh McElhaney was outspoken when his squad lost its first Jefferson District game in two-plus seasons that he if he had to lose to one team it wouldn’t bother him if it was Rabe’s. A lot of that stems from McElheney and the Mustangs understanding of what it’s like to build from picking up the boot

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straps as Monticello was at the same bottom of the standings not so long ago.

The culture of winning that Rabe built this year was the ultimate reward for the seniors that he coached through so many tough seasons and schedules. The Hornets relished their position as one of the best in the JD and the playoff results. Getting through to Region 5A play seemed like a lofty goal just a few years ago for this group but this year the pieces all fell in the right place and Orange finally pushed through to the second level of the playoffs.

Rabe’s intensity during games was only matched by the speed and grit of his players. The Hornets played up tempo, they pressed, they were versatile offensively. This wasn’t one player doing all the heavy lifting, it was a true group effort, particularly defensively. And

while Rabe is always animated during games, win or lose, afterwards there few coaches more easy going and respectful of opponents and more important, more introspective of his own teams mistakes and success.

The bottom line is that there isn’t any coach in the Jefferson District that was either surprised or upset that Rabe and the Hornets were as good as they were. It was a long time coming and something that everyone could be happy about. And nobody could be happier about the season Orange had than his seniors which should make Rabe especially proud of the job he’s done not just this year, but in putting together such a long haul project.

A lot of sweat went into making Orange a playoff contender. This season’s success was no accident. ✖

- NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR GIRLS BASKETBALL

JAYLA DAVIS, ST. ANNE’S-BELFIELD Jayla Davis is fast, she’s quick and she defends. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg for the St. Anne’s-Belfield’s sophomore.

Davis filled a ton of roles for the Saints all year and became a vital part of STAB transforming into one of the most dynamic shows in girls basketball in recent memory.

Davis was a major catalyst for STAB’s success, giving the Saints another dynamic presence in the backcourt along with fellow sophomore Bri Tinsley, who appears to be one of the area’s most talented players. Without Davis, if Tinsley needed a breather, STAB would’ve had to slow the pace a little because Tinsley plays at a furious, relentless pace. But with Davis? The opposition got little to no break from the Saints’ electric running game.

Davis was also a defensive stopper, which allowed STAB some flexibility with Tinsley as well when they were on the floor at the same time as Tinsley wasn’t forced to mark the other squad’s top scorer. Instead, they had a backcourt that combined for nearly nine steals per game, creating a monster swing as defense turned into offense.

The sophomore guard averaged 7.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.4 steals and 1.3 assists per contest, and had a slew of huge games for the Saints. She had seven steals against Cape Henry, four steals and three assists against St. Gertrude in the state quarterfinals. She scored 20 against Saint John Paul the Great, showing the potential to become an impact scorer in the years to come.

Davis and the Saints’ run may have ended in the state semifinals against Bishop O’Connell as they struggled to get into an offensive flow for the first time since December. But the squad’s 20-game win streak that led up to that loss and the fact that so many key parts are back in the fold including Davis, gives reason for STAB to think that this year may have just been the beginning, not just for Davis, but of something special.✖

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- COMEB ACK AT HL E T E WINTER 2014

KENDRA HAIRSTON, ALBEMARLE Kendra Hairston was a big part of the Albemarle girls basketball team’s run to the Region 5A North quarterfinals in 2014 for the Patriots’ core as just a junior. Then this summer, while playing AAU basketball, the guard and team captain suffered an ACL tear and it seemed to spell the end of her high school career.

Hairston, however, refused to let that be the end of the line. The senior endured 3.5 months of physical therapy before finally deciding in October to wear a brace, play and have the surgery later. She managed to be her team’s second leading scorer and rebounder while leading the team in assists and steals per game. She even set a new career high in scoring with 20 points in late January against Powhatan.

“She is one of the most important players on our team this year,” said Albemarle coach Rachel Proudfoot. “Not due to her ability to score, but her intensity on defense, leadership on and off the court and the extreme effort she gives for the good of the team.”

Hairston sports a 4.66 GPA and is in the running for a number of academic scholarships, winning the team’s All-Academic award for three years in a row.That foundation of hard work and an ability to attack the task at hand was certainly a factor in making Hairston’s comeback happen, and it’ll surely pay off when that surgery comes around. ✖

TEAM SPOTLIGHT MADISON COUNTY FOOTBALL Kenyon Smith put in a lot of work playing football at Madison County, and now it’s paying off. Smith just earned a full scholarship to play at Glenville State next year, the first Mountaineer to earn a full ride since 1995. A 3.4 GPA student as well, Smith was an anchor for the Mountaineers in the trenches.

Best of luck with the Pioneers this fall!

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- S W IMMING -

WA H S G I R L S SWIM TE AM

GIRLS Remedy Rule /// Western Albemarle, Sr. VHSL Group 3A champions 100-butterly, 100-backstroke

BOYS Brian Hynes /// St. Anne’s-Belfield, Jr. VISAA second in 100-fly, 500-free

Brazil Rule /// Western Albemarle, Jr. VHSL Group 3A second in 100-freestyle, sixth in 200-free

Ben Holstege /// Covenant, Sr. VISAA second in 200-IM, fourth in 100-breast

Charlotte Rumsey /// Western Albemarle, So. VHSL Group 3A fifth in 200-IM, fourth in 100 breast stroke

Nick Switzer /// Woodberry Forest, Jr. VISAA second in 200-IM, fourth in 100-breast

Colleen Higgins /// Western Albemarle, Jr. VHSL Group 3A third in 100-breast, eighth in 200-IM

Chas Sigloh /// Woodberry Forest, So. VISAA fifth in 100-fly, sixth in 100-back

Kathryn Deane /// Monticello, Sr. VHSL Group 3A 16th in 50-free

Nathaniel Bennett /// Fork Union, Jr. VISAA third in 50-free, fourth in 100-fly

Maggie Woods /// Albemarle, Jr. VHSL Group 5A third in 100-free, fourth in 100-back Emma Lockman /// Albemarle, Sr. Group 5A state fourth in 50-free, 10th in 100-back Madison Noga /// Albemarle, Sr. VHSL Group 5A sixth in 500-free, ninth in 100-fly Kara Morgan McHaney /// Madison County, Sr. Group 2A champion in 100-fly, 200-IM Anna Hurdle /// Fluvanna County, So. VHSL Group 4A dive champion

SWIMMERS OF THE YEAR COACH OF THE YEAR 15 :: @scrimmageplay

Aaron James /// Western Albemarle, Jr. VHSL Group 3A second in 50-free and 100-free Brian Young /// Monticello, Jr. VHSL Group 3A ninth in 50-free, 10th in 100-free Hogan Harper /// Albemarle, Jr. VHSL Group 5A fourth in 200-IM, eighth in 100-fly Jonathan Robbins /// Albemarle, Jr. VHSL Group 5A third place in 200-free, 500-free Danny Parshall /// Louisa County, Sr. VHSL Group 4A dive champion

GIRLS: Remedy Rule /// Western Albemarle, Sr. BOYS: Brian Hynes /// St. Anne’s-Belfield, Jr. Dan Bledsoe and Sophie Hyman /// Western Albemarle

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2015 VISAA DIV. II STATE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS!

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- W R E S T L ING -

PAU L H U E M M E

Paul Huemme /// Covenant, Sr. VISAA champion at 160 lbs Bruce Schlegel /// Orange County, Sr. VHSL Region 5A North third place, C16 champion at 152 lbs Mark Cavazos /// Fork Union, Sr. VISAA champion at 220 lbs Mark Sizemore /// William Monroe, Sr. VHSL Region 3A East third place, C28 champion at 195 lbs Patrick Gehman /// William Monroe, Sr. VHSL Region 3A East runner up, C28 champion at 120 lbs Gabe Rody-Ramazani /// Western Albemarle, Sr. VHSL Group 3A third place, Region 3A West third place at 138 lbs Russ Hill /// Western Albemarle, Sr. VHSL Region 3A West third place, C29 champion at 132 lbs Dylan Berry /// Madison County, Sr. VHSL Group 2A second place, Region 2A East second place at 220 lbs

WRESTLER OF THE YEAR COACH OF THE YEAR 17 :: @scrimmageplay

Randy Rustick /// Louisa County, Sr. VHSL Region 4A North third place, C23 champion at 138 lbs Sean Alberts /// Louisa County, Sr. VHSL Region 4A North fourth place, C23 runner up at 182 lbs Trent Carr /// Orange County, So. VHSL C16 champion, Jefferson District champion at 113 pounds Jayln Simms /// Madison County, Jr. VHSL Group 2A third place, Region 2A East third at 126 lbs Gabe Farmer /// Madison County, Jr. VHSL Group 2A fourth place, Region 2A East third at 182 lbs Austin Sebetzki /// Fork Union, Sr. VISAA third place at 120 lbs Jared Engh /// Woodberry Forest, Sr. VISAA state champion at 145 lbs Shane Maryk /// Woodberry Forest, Sr. VISAA fourth place at 120 lbs

Paul Huemme /// Covenant, Sr. First ever Covenant wrestler to win a state championship Adam Mulcahy /// Western Albemarle Led Warriors to Conference 29 team runner up

ACADEMIC EDGE

S P O N S O R E D

B Y

H A R G R AV E

M I L I TA R Y

A C A D E M Y

W E S T E R N A L B E M A R L E ’ S T U C K E R O T T O WAY

Tucker Ottoway has followed in a long line of great tennis players to hold the No. 1 slot for Western Albemarle’s boys tennis team. Traditionally one of the area’s most loaded teams, the Warriors’ program racked up four state titles in six years from 2007 to 2012, and earning the top slot in the ladder in a loaded program is no easy task.

For two years, that’s where Ottoway has been, leading the Warriors as a two-time captain who won the Conference 29 singles title last season.

“He consistently exceeds the highest expectations while serving as a role model for the others on the team,” Ottoway said.

“He truly leads by example, by exhibiting class and respect.”

Ottoway brings a similar approach in the classroom where he sports a 4.2 GPA and has been accepted at the College of Charleston, Wofford, Furman, Clemson, Gettysburg and Elon.

Ottoway is considering heading the walk-on route in tennis at whatever school he attends.

He’s also translated his passion for tennis by working with QuickStart tennis, an educational program for youth players in Crozet.

Ottoway has worked his way to the top for the Warriors, and he’s now poised to continue that success as he takes the next step.

ABOUT HARGRAVE MILITARY ACADEMY Hargrave believes individual achievement is a gamechanger for all students, both on and off the field. With a college acceptance rate of 100% and a heavy emphasis on academics, your son will have competitive advantages ahead of his peers including leadership and character development.

The Academic athlete of the month is selected by Scrimmage Play’s staff with the consultation of coaches and athletic directors. To nominate an athlete email info@scrimmageplay.com

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Game Time Covenant 6, Woodberry Forest 3

By Ryan Yemen

Eagles’ starter Matt Shobe threw three shutout innings in a victory over Woodberry. (Ryan Yemen)

19 :: scrimmageplay

For three innings Woodberry Forest and Covenant found themselves in a pure pitchers duel. The last four innings was a knock-down drag out battle where both teams tried to make the most of the defensive miscues made on an awfully cold day. Thanks to a 3-run rally in the sixth where Covenant excelled playing small ball, the Eagles were able to slip past the Tigers, 6-3.

“It was the kind of game where the defense were going to make mistakes just because of the weather, cold hands,” said Covenant coach Jeff Burton. “For us the key was making fewer mistakes than Woodberry.

Today we gave away fewer free 90’s than they did and then in the sixth we situationally hit. That was big. The sacrifice bunts, the squeeze plays.”

Tigers ace Mitchell MacLindsay and the Eagles’ Matt Shobe were highly effective for their respective squads through the first three innings with neither pitcher giving up a run during that stretch. While the Eagles were able to put a handful of runners in scoring position, MacLindsay was able to help himself out of the jams as he picked up nine strikeouts over his 4.2 innings of work and surrendered just two hits. Shobe finished with a strong line of three innings pitched with just one walk and no hits to his four strikeouts.

In the top of the fourth Woodberry was able to draw first blood when MacLindsay singled. After a hit batter and a passed ball, a sacrifice from Jack Eades made it 1-0. In the next at-bat, Andrew Harris delivered another sacrifice to make it 2-0.

Over the next two innings Covenant was able to rally to take a 3-2 lead. It started in the bottom of the fourth with a single from Tyler Mahone followed by a stolen base and then a throwing error. That set up a Jake Haney sac

fly to put the Eagles on the board. Then in the fifth a walk to Sam Lepage led to a stolen base and a sacrifice bunt. Lepage scored on a passed ball moments later. Will Moore then drew a walk. Mahone then reached base on an error and another passed ball plated Moore to give Covenant its first lead of the game.

Woodberry was able to answer in the top of the sixth when Patrick McDonald singled. After another single from Eades and a throwing error, McDonald was able to score and tie things up.

All game the Eagles waited for their bats to come alive and that’s what happened in the bottom of the sixth.

“Everyday in practice right now what we work on is situational hitting,” Rose said. “I thought we really executed really well at the end.”

The rally began with Rose hitting a leadoff single followed by Trent Miller reaching on an error which plated Rose. Miller then scored on an RBI single from Blake Schaar. After a sacrifice to put Schaar on third base, Luke Burton successfully put down a suicide squeeze to make it 6-3.

“You hang a couple of breaking balls and get behind in the count, then you don’t play proper defense and that’s what you get — a 3-run inning on you,” said Woodberry coach Chris Holmes. “That kind of thing happens. I thought MacLindsay threw great for us and when he’s on top of his game he’s very difficult and our team feeds off of it. I think early in the game it took a while for both teams to warm up. And if you think about, both teams gave the other teams the majority of the runs. That happens at this time of year.”

The 3-run rally was more than enough for reliever Jake Haney to pick up the save as he sat down three of the four batters he faced in the top of the seventh. ✖

See a photograph you like?

Defensive stand Warriors goalie has more than one trick | By Ryan Yemen

At Scrimmage Play we pride ourselves on offering the best possible graphics Two years ago the Western Albemarle boys to Shin, who doubles as a Junior National Judo soccer team get was fueled its underclassmen medalist, we can our byhands on, in both our but has developed into one of the with sophomores and freshman bearing the area’s most versatile goalkeepers. magazine as well as at our website at brunt of the work load.

The netminder has shown he’s capable of Now two years later, forwards Aaron Myers making big saves, particularly in the team’s www.scrimmageplay.com and Alex Nolet, as well as senior defender two ties. In the first game of the season, Tom Rogers are all in their senior seasons and looking to earn a Region II bid, something that Orange County snatched away from them in the Jefferson District semifinals last season.

After the first month of play, the Warriors seem to have the defensive side of the equation figured out and junior goalkeeper Kai Shin is a big part of that.

Before Western went on its spring break, none of its four opponents were able to score more than once, a testament to the team’s play in the middle of the field, but also a nod

Shin endured wave after wave of Albemarle attack, but stood tall and showed no rust in the 1-1- tie.

But while Shin’s on the field because he can make stops, his strong leg has also been of great use as he’s able to easily clear the zone but also spark fast breaks all by himself.

The Warriors averaged a little over two goals per contest before the break, but if that average starts to increase, don’t be surprised if it’s because of Shin’s ability to contribute to the transition game. ✖

We want to make sure that our readers have the same opportunity to have these photos. If something catches your eye in either the magazine or on the web, you can order the photograph for yourself.

Whether it’s a 4x6 glossy print or a 13x11 mounted photo, we’ve got a full range of possibilities for you to choose from.

Simply visit our smugmug website at

scrimmageplay.smugmug.com Covenant 1/2 page

Western Albemarle’s Kai Shin hauls in a shot during his team’s 1-1 tie with Albemarle that kicked off the soccer season for both squads. (Frank Crocker)

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Overtime

The fuzzy math

Working out what to do next does not come easy

W

hen I was in high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up.

I didn’t know what college I wanted to go to. I didn’t know what I wanted to study once I picked one. I didn’t know where I wanted that to lead.

I didn’t know who I wanted to be.

While I’m sure there were a ton of people just like me in my graduating class, it felt exactly the opposite. I felt like I was the only one who didn’t really know.

Now I’m positive I couldn’t have been more wrong. I’m hearing more and more local student athletes opting out of the idea of playing sports in college as seniors, forgoing major opportunities in favor of something different in college. In some cases, their passing up a chance that they’ve worked to obtain for years. That they’ve spent a ton of hours practicing for. That their parents have spent a ton of money on. That they’ve made serious, serious sacrifices just for a shot at it.

And they’re opting out. In many of these cases, these are, of course, student athletes with a lot of options. These aren’t individuals who have one path, they’ve got a lot of different choices and some are choosing to push athletics to the side. To play club or intramurals and make their collegiate experience about something different.

I passed on that chance too (one single, small chance to be clear, nothing crazy, I’ve documented repeatedly in this space that I wasn’t a star by any measure) and I never really regretted it. For one, I’d spent four years of high school where sports were the dominant fixture in my life. I was ready to not be required to lift weights. Not to have to go to practice, not to have my time dominated by something I couldn’t easily change.

I needed that space because I had a ton of questions to answer even after choosing a college.

I needed to figure out...well, everything.

That’s not an easy process for a lot of us. I spent a lot of time, frankly, wandering around in college. My transcript itself reads like someone who is searching for something.

It also reads like Harry Potter’s because among other strange classes, I took the History of Witchcraft and they abbreviate that on the transcript to simply “Witchcraft.” Look, it was a weird time in my life.

I eventually, after a slew of false starts and even just straight up fighting what I knew might be the right path to pursue, found a calling. I say a calling and not my calling specifically because there are a lot of paths, and you’re eventually going to have choose one. I worry sometimes about telling people to pursue their passion. Sometimes your passion doesn’t pay well (or at all) and it can lead down some heartbreaking paths. Still, you should find a way to be passionate about whatever it is you do.

But know this. It’s okay not to know exactly what you want to do now, and it’s definitely okay to opt out of committing all the time required of a collegiate athlete in order to figure out what you want to do. To explore different interests. To join a club or pursue

22 :: @scrimmageplay

“It’s okay not to know exactly what you want to do now.”

something you didn’t have time to give a try because you were at an endless string of practices.

Staying committed to a sport is an admirable, admirable thing. I’m amazed at anyone who can do that, who can play seven years of youth and high school whatever and then spend another four years doing it again at a different level in a different environment.

That takes an incredible amount of dedication, focus and self-belief. That’s grownup decision-making.

But it also takes guts to change course. To alter your path and find a new direction. Or in my case, any direction.

That’s taking a risk. That’s a grownup, adult decision too.

And it’s good that you can make one of those too, because you’ve got a lot of those coming up. ✖

Bart Isley,

CRE ATIVE DIRECTOR

back talk »

Struggling to find your path?

Contact Bart at: bart@scrimmageplay.com

Success stories begin here.

Success Story: Mike Thomas Mike Thomas simply exploded his senior year in high school. While attending Woodland Hills Taft High located in Los Angelos, California, Thomas put together 1,656 yards on 86 receptions and scored 21 touchdowns. It motivated the Los Angelos Times to name him Southern California’s most improved player. It also made him the No. 98 receiver in the country according to Scout.com. Looking to help round out his recruiting profile, Thomas enrolled at Fork Union in the Fall of 2011 to play for celebrated coach John Shuman.

During his time with the Blue Devils Thomas further developed his skills as a receiver. He had 497 yards and seven touchdowns on 23 catches and vaulted the recruiting rankings to make him the country’s No. 4 overall prep school talent, and a four star recruit. That caught the attention of coach Urban Meyer at Ohio State.

As a freshman in 2012, Thomas played in 11 games and had three

catches for 22 yards. The following year, he redshirted. In both seasons he excelled in the classroom as he was named an OSU Scholar-Athlete twice. This season he broke out to lead the Buckeyes with 50 catches for 746 yards and nine touchdowns.

Against Alabama in the BSC semifinals, Thomas had seven catches for 66 yards and a touchdown to help Ohio State upset the Crimson Tide.

Thomas — along with roommate, quarterback and fellow Fork Union teammate Cardale Jones — then helped the Buckeyes lock up their first championship since 2002. Against heavily favored Oregon,Thomas had four catches for 53 yards in the win.

In just over three short years, Thomas has gone from a breakout season in high school to playing in the most important game in all of college football. He still has plenty ahead of him, but his journey’s been awfully impressive so far.

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