Football Preview 2019

SUFFOLK NEWS-HERALD

Football '19

Thursday, August 29, 2019

FOOTBALL '19

THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2019 | 1

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FOOTBALL '19

King’s Fork High School

Bulldogs seek success with new coach

BY NIQKO MARSHALL STAFF WRITER

2018 record: 6-6

After winning the Southeastern District for the first time in school history in 2017, the Bulldogs followed that season up with another playoff appearance in 2018. It wasn’t quite the season they had in 2017, but the Bulldogs remained very competitive.

This season will once again be an interesting one for the Bulldogs, because they are now under the direction of Coach Kermit Buggs after former coach, Scottie Littles, took another job.

Buggs comes to the Bulldogs program after years of experience at the high school and college level. He coached Surry County High School to a state championship and has been a part of prominent college programs across the country, most notably Penn State, UConn and most recently Old Dominion University.

After a few months building a new foundation with the Bulldogs football team, Buggs is looking

SUFFOLK NEWS-HERALD

Must-See Game

Sept. 20 — King’s Fork at Lakeland, 7 p.m.

This year’s rivalry between the Bulldogs and Cavaliers will look very different. Both King’s Fork and Lakeland have first-year head coaches, which will make for an exciting game as Coach Kermit Buggs looks to stake his claim in the city of Suffolk.

2019 Bulldogs schedule *All games begin at 7 p.m. unless noted

Aug. 30 — At Smithfield High School Sept. 13 — Vs. Indian River High School Sept. 20 — At Lakeland High School Sept. 27 — At Western Branch High School Oct. 4 — Vs. Nansemond River High School CAROLINE LAMAGNA PHOTO

The King’s Fork High School Bulldogs have a positive outlook this season with a new coach who has lots of experience.

forward to the season.

“I’m positive about this season,” Buggs said.

“Guys have been working hard and have been putting forth the effort and have been doing the things we’ve asked

them to do. We are a very young team, so right now we are just looking for guys to step up and getting these young players up to speed.”

King’s Fork returns some key contributors

from last season. They return Leo Wethington, who was an All-District and All-Region running back last season. The Bulldogs also return stout See BULLDOGS, 5

Oct. 11 — At Oscar Smith High School Oct. 18 — Vs. Great Bridge High School Oct. 25 — Vs. Hickory High School Nov. 1 — At Deep Creek High School Nov. 8 — Vs. Grassfield High School

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FOOTBALL '19

THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2019 | 3

Lakeland High School

Must-See Game

Sept. 13 — Lakeland at Oscar Smith, 7 p.m.

Cavaliers look for more wins

Lakeland visiting powerhouse Oscar Smith will be a mustwatch game on the Cavs schedule. Coach Joe Jones spent the last decade with program and is an alumnus of Oscar Smith. His first game back as a head coach will make for an exciting matchup between the Tigers and Cavs.

BY NIQKO MARSHALL STAFF WRITER

2018 record: 2-8

The Lakeland High School football team will have a new look this season after former coach Kevin Knight stepped down back in April. The Cavs will be under the leadership of former Oscar Smith High School assistant coach Joe Jones.

At 31, and his first year as a head coach, Jones is looking forward to building a solid program at Lakeland as he helped build at Oscar Smith both as a player and coach.

“I’m excited about where we are going as a program,” Jones said.

“Guys are working hard every day, and we are blocking out the noise and putting our heads down and just worked.

Where we are now from when I first got hired is amazing to see the progress. We want to continue to get better.”

Discipline will be the theme of the Cavaliers this season. Jones wants everything to be revolved around discipline, whether on the field or off the

2019 Cavaliers schedule *All games begin at 7 p.m. unless noted

Aug. 30 — Vs. Wilson High School Sep. 13 — At Oscar Smith High School Sep. 20 — Vs. King’s Fork High School Sep. 27 — Vs. Grassfield High School Oct. 4 — At Deep Creek High School SARAH MURPHY PHOTO

Lakeland High School’s Cavaliers are looking for more success this year in a difficult district where they are the smallest team.

field. With such a young Lakeland squad this year, Jones wants to make sure his team stays disciplined in all areas of their lives, because it’s going to help them become suc-

GO CHARGERS! HAVE A GREAT SEASON!!!

cessful on and off the field. Since taking the job back in April, Jones has also made a point for Lakeland to be active in the community. The team has held multiple com-

munity events and camps for children since Jones came on board.

Lakeland struggled last season on the field, but

Oct. 11 — At Great Bridge High School Oct. 18 — Vs. Hickory High School Oct. 25 — At Nansemond River High School Nov. 1 — Vs. Western Branch High School Nov. 8 — At Indian River High School

See CAVS, 5

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Nansemond River High School Warriors look to stay strong

BY NIQKO MARSHALL STAFF WRITER

PEANUT FEST

SUFFOLK NEWS-HERALD

2018 Record: 8-5

The Warriors head into the 2019 season under second-year coach Justin Conyers. After making it to the state semifinal in 2017, the Warriors continued their playoff appearance streak by advancing to the Class 5 Region A semifinals during 2018.

The Warriors are the reigning city champions and return as one of the more talented teams in the Southeastern District this year. In year two with Conyers, it is all about continuing to build on the foundation laid last season.

“Our goal is to just continue to keep growing and putting our stamp on the Southeastern District,” Conyers said. “We have a talented team, and we are looking forward to doing some big things. So, for me it’s all about continuSARAH MURPHY PHOTO ing to put my imprint on The Nansemond River High School Warriors are going into year two with Coach Justin Conyers and look the program and making to make the postseason again. sure we continue to progress. The ultimate goal is The Warriors have was among the Hampton and have added Elijah to go 10-0.” also added to the coachAskew as well.

They Roads leaders in sacks East Suffolk Sophisticated Steppers Nansemond River ing staff as well, hiring also expect good things last season and broke the returns a multitudeClasses of Classes held Monday 6 PM - 7 PM held Monday 6PM-7PM Nansemond River single- out of X’Zavion Evans, coach Lew Johnston to talent, which starts with Thursday 11 AM Noon - 12 Noon Thursday season11AMrecord12 of 19 sacks Mar’keese Greene and be the offensive coordiKeonté Cobb, the reign- East Suffolk Recreation Center East Suffolk Recreation last season.

The Center Warriors Nolan James. James will nator back in January. ing 2018-2019 Suffolk 138 S. 6th St., Suffolk, VA (Ercella “Peaches” Pittman) S. 6th St. Suffolk, Assistant, Vee Austin start at quarterback for the also VA return standout News-Herald 138 Male Fall CL DJ Pleasure White (music) Evelyn Wall, CL DJRashawn Pleasure White (music) Warriors as aEvelyn freshman.

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Must-See Game

Sept. 20 — Nansemond River at Indian River, 7 p.m.

The Battle of the Rivers has always been a quality matchup, and 2019 shouldn’t be any different. Aside from their city rivals, the Warriors consider the Braves to be a rivalry as well.

The Warriors knocked Indian River off twice in route to a regional championship in 2017.

The Braves sought revenge, defeating the Warriors twice in tough matchups in 2018. The teams could possibly see each other twice again this year.

2019 Warriors schedule *All games begin at 7 p.m. unless noted

Aug. 30 — At Norview High School Sep. 13 — Vs. Western Branch High School Sep. 20 — At Indian River High School Sep. 27 — Vs. Great Bridge High School Oct. 4 — At King’s Fork High School Oct. 11 — At Grassfield High School Oct. 18 — Vs. Oscar Smith High School Oct. 25 — Vs. Lakeland High School Nov. 1 — At Hickory High School Nov. 8 — Vs. Deep Creek High School

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Bulldogs: King's Fork has multiple college commits Continued from page 2

tackle DeVaughn Orr, who currently holds multiple offers from NCAA Division I schools.

Anchoring the secondary will be Garrett Williams, who committed to Temple University. He broke his leg last year and missed all of the 2018 season.

Leonta Johnson is expected to lead the way at quar-

terback for the Bulldogs, with Kahari Rodgers expected to be a playmaker on the outside. The Bulldogs have also added Notouris Knight.

There is a lot of talent on the 2019 King’s Fork team, with the strength most likely being on the defensive side of the ball.

There are veteran players

with a ton of experience who are excited to lead the team this season.

“We’re very excited for the season,” Orr said. “We have a lot of new faces and a lot of new talent.

We can’t wait to show our fans and supporters what everyone brings to the table.”

When Buggs was hired

back in March, he talked about passing down the things he has seen and learned at his previous jobs to show his players what it takes to play at the next level. With proper preparation and teaching, Buggs believes his first season with the Bulldogs will be something special.

Cavs: Lakeland hopes to bounce back Continued from page 3

five of their eight losses were decided by eight points or less. This season, the Cavs are hoping they can turn those close losses into wins.

Lakeland returns Kione Gremillion, who will start at quarterback this season, taking over for Tyquan Holloman, who was a four-year starter for Lakeland. At running

back, Damarion Jordan and Jailyn Hawkins are expected to be solid contributors. Jahkeis Sharpe is expected to add a strong dynamic on the defensive line.

“Most of our guys are still learning the game of football,” Jones said.

“All of ours have all the talent and the skill and all the natural gifts. Now

we are learning football and how to incorporate both those skills along with the mental part of the game.”

With Lakeland being the smallest team by classification in the Southeastern District, their yearly schedule is always tough. Most of the time, they don’t see a 3A team until the play-

offs. The Cavs have made the playoffs two of the last three seasons and have won at least one playoff game in those appearances. Jones has a ton of playoff experience and championship experience he can bring to the Lakeland program. The Cavs are looking forward to bouncing back strong in 2019.

Warriors: New offensive coordinator on board Continued from page 4

Johnston most notably coached NansemondSuffolk Academy to a state championship in 2015. During that season, Conyers was the defensive coordinator for the Saints. And in his high school days, Conyers played under Johnston

at Western Branch High School.

“He is a great mentor to me,” Conyers said.

“He has been very supportive of me over the years. He has been coaching football since before I was born, and I am happy to have him here. He

has done so many great things in his career, and I hope he does the same here.”

The five losses the Warriors took in 2018 were all to programs that went on to play in regional championships and state playoffs. Conyers feels

good about the team’s ability to learn from those situations and to turn those losses to wins against top teams this season.

“We proved we can win big games last year,” Conyers said. “Our goal is to compete with the top teams and beat them.”

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Nansemond-Suffolk Academy Saints hope to stay healthy

Must-See Game

Oct. 25 — Vs. Fredericksburg Christian School, 7 p.m.

The Saints and FCS will match up in late October for the Saints’ final regular season home game.

Last year, FCS pulled off a close win and went on to become the reigning Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division II state champions.

NSA and FCS both spent multiple weeks at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions in the state polls last year.

BY NIQKO MARSHALL STAFF WRITER

2018 record: 7-4

The Saints football team is coming off its best year under Coach Mike Biehl’s tenure. Last season, NSA started off 7-0 before losing the final four games of the season. Because of such a strong start last season, the Saints were ranked either first or second in the state polls throughout the season.

The Saints made the playoffs for the first time under Biehl but fell to North Cross School in the semifinals, which ended their season. Now in year four under Biehl, the Saints are looking to bounce back in a major way. One thing that wasn’t on the Saints’ side last year was the injury bug. Through the first seven weeks, the Saints were extremely healthy, which showed in their results. After that, injuries to key players put NSA in a tough position, and they weren’t able to finish the season how they wanted. Had they been healthy, the Saints very likely could have played in a state championship game. However, Biehl is excited to see what the Saints can accomplish.

“We have been building

SUFFOLK NEWS-HERALD

2019 Saints schedule *All games begin at 7 p.m. unless noted

Aug. 24 — At North Cross School, 3 p.m.

Aug. 31 — At Blue Ridge School, 2:30 p.m.

Sept. 7 — At Christchurch School, 1 p.m.

Sept. 13 — Vs. Isle of Wight Academy Sept. 20 — Vs. Portsmouth Christian School JEFFREY DAILEY PHOTO

Nansemond-Suffolk Academy’s Saints hope to stay healthy this year and have another strong start, having gone seven games before their first loss in the 2018 season.

this thing for four years now, and I feel like each year we have built on the season prior,” Biehl said. “It’s exciting to see how far we’ve come. This year, we will head into the season with the most

guys I have had on a roster here, so we have built up some nice depth and we have guys who will do some good things for us this year.”

The Saints return All-State back George

Pettaway, who is expected to be one of the premier players in the area. NSA also returns All-State starting quarterback Ian McAninley, who didn’t

Sept. 27 — Vs. Atlantic Shores Christian School Oct. 11 — Vs. Norfolk Academy Oct. 19 — At Norfolk Christian School Oct. 25 — Vs. Fredericksburg Christian School Nov. 1 — At Roanoke Catholic

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2019 | 7

Isle of Wight Academy

Charger football joins Metro Conference

BY STEPHEN FALESKI THE TIDEWATER NEWS

2018 record: 7-3

Football at Isle of Wight Academy will be a little different this fall.

That’s because this is the first year that the Metro Athletic Conference, of which IWA is a member, will recognize football as a conference sport.

According to IWA’s athletic director and head varsity football coach, Dale Chapman, there are only three other schools in this conference with varsity football teams: Atlantic Shores, Broadwater Academy and Portsmouth Christian.

“With the new formation of the Metro Conference in football, we would like to continue to be successful and win a conference championship,” Chapman said.

“With that being said, Atlantic Shores would now be the team to beat in our conference.”

As for his expectations of the team and the Chargers’ chances of achieving this goal, Chapman said, “We have a good mix of veterans and new players, predominantly in the sophomore class. We have a good amount of team speed at the skill positions and

2019 Chargers schedule *All games begin at 7 p.m. unless noted

Aug. 30 — Vs. Portsmouth Christian School Sept. 7 — At Fredericksburg Christian School Sept. 13 — At Nansemond-Suffolk Academy Sept. 20 — Vs. Hargrave Military Academy Oct. 4 — Vs. Broadwater Academy Oct. 11 — Vs. Norfolk Christian STEPHEN FALESKI/THE TIDEWATER NEWS

Isle of Wight Academy football is part of the new conference sport in the Metro Athletic Conference and also is a member of the Virginia Colonial Conference.

some decent size this year on offense. Our defense is loaded with experienced players and we are very excited about the possi-

bilities that may bring for our success this season.”

IWA is also a member of the Virginia Colonial Conference,

which includes Amelia Academy, Christchurch School, Brunswick See CHARGERS, 8

Oct. 19 — At Christchurch School, 2 p.m.

Oct. 25 — At Fuqua School

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FOOTBALL '19

SUFFOLK NEWS-HERALD

Chargers: Many notable returners Continued from page 7

Saints: Hope to win conference finish the season last year due to a shoulder injury. All-State offensive lineman Griffin Duggan returns to anchor the line. Christian Townsend, Adam Soper and Kemauri Spencer are expected to be key contributors as well.

NSA will again be

Assistant coaches this season will be Bryan Deitz, defensive coordinator; Bobby Thomas, special teams/offensive line/defensive line; Chris Hooper, assistant defensive coordinator; Jackson Goodman, wide receivers/assistant offensive coordinator; Georgie Smith, offensive line/defensive line; Dale Taylor, running backs/ defensive backs; and Ian Andrews, tight ends/ wide receivers.

As is tradition at IWA, all varsity and junior varsity players will train alongside each other during practice, participating in the same drills.

“We bring in all our level teams at the same time: middle school, JV and varsity,” Chapman

said. “All our players are coached with varsitylevel coaches and are expected to perform at a high level.”

The Chargers’ overall record last season was 7-3. They have a league record of 3-0.

Chapman, who has been IWA’s football coach for 27 years, has an overall record of 171-101.

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expectations are higher for us than ours. We have really built a respect for trusting the process and wanting to win each day.

You want to be in the spot where people expect you to be a playoff team, but it doesn’t happen if you don’t work hard for it.”

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regarded as one of the top teams in the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division II. “Anytime you have success, it raises the bar a bit,” Biehl said. “But that’s the thing about the program we’ve built; we don’t believe anybody’s

GO LD

Continued from page 6

Academy, Blessed Sacrament-Huguenot School, Fuqua School, Kenston Forest School, Richmond Christian School, Southampton Academy, Steward School and Tidewater Academy.

New to the Chargers this season will be quarterback Cade White, a 5-foot-11-inch sophomore, who will also play as a linebacker, and Shawn Rhodes, a 5-foot11-inch senior, who will be defensive back and wide receiver. Notable returning players include junior Colby Williams, senior Odin Bristol, senior Zack Stroud, senior Chip Darden, senior Andrew Holt, junior Seth Baker and junior Kody Kosiorek.

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