Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Heritage's Reed Prosser named Washington Redskins High School Coach of the Week

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – The Washington Redskins announced today that head football coach Reed Prosser of Heritage High School in Leesburg, Va. has been named the Redskins High School Coach of the Week for the week of Oct. 19.

Prosser has been coaching football for 19 years and is in his third season with Heritage High School. The Pride are currently 6 – 1 this season. This is not Prosser’s first coaching distinction, as he was named Hagerstown WHHG Coach of the Year in 2007 and the Northwest District and Winchester Star Coach of the Year in 2010.

In addition to coaching football, Prosser is also a full-time English teacher at Heritage High School. When asked how Coach Prosser motivates his student-athletes, Athletic Director Ron Petrella said that Prosser takes a team first approach to coaching and makes sure that all students get recognition for their role on the team.

“Coach Prosser truly understands that we are raising student-athletes,” Petrella said.

Each spring, Coach Prosser runs an introduction to high school athletics seminar for Cedar Middle School, which hosts 40 – 50 students. Coach Prosser brings other coaches and players from Heritage High School and talks to the middle school boys who are getting ready to transition into high school and are interested in playing football. In the seminar he discusses getting paperwork in on time, expectations of a high school football player and the importance of academics. The goal is to help prepare the students while also making them feel comfortable about the transition into high school.

Coach Prosser is a certified Heads Up Football instructor through USA Football and partners with youth leagues to teach coaches best practices for player safety.

Redskins High School Coach of the Week

The Redskins High School Coach of the Week program is designed to recognize and reward excellence in high school football coaching.

Each week during the 2015 high school football season, the Redskins will select one area high school head football coach as the Redskins High School Coach of the Week. The selection is based on the coach's continuing commitment toward promoting youth football, developing motivated student-athletes, overall community involvement and overall team performance and record.

Each of the coaches chosen throughout the high school season will receive a $1,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to their football program and a framed certificate signed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Redskins Head Coach Jay Gruden, Redskins President Bruce Allen and General Manager Scot McCloughan.

For more information on the Redskins High School Coach of the Week program or the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation, visit http://www.redskins.com/community or follow the Foundation on Twitter at @RedskinsCR or on Instagram @redskinsgiveback.

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Clarke County defeats Riverside 72-6

BERRYVILLE, Va.- The Clarke County Eagles defeat the Riverside Rams 72-6 on homecoming at "the Felt". Matt Dang and Jordon Turner, along with Coach Chris Parker speak after the game.



Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Derron Thomas named Redskins High School Coach of the Week


LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – The Washington Redskins announced today that head football coach Derron Thomas of Largo High School in Upper Marlboro, Md. has been named the Redskins High School Coach of the Week for the week of Oct. 12.

This is Thomas’ third season as head coach at Largo High School. Prior to being Largo’s head varsity football coach, Thomas coached for two years at the junior varsity level. Thomas and the Lions are currently undefeated with a 7 – 0 record. 

Largo Athletic Director Ayana Ball-Ward stated that Coach Thomas is respected within the Largo school community, both by student-athletes and coaches.

“[The players] take Largo football serious because of him,” Ball-Ward said. “[One of his strengths] is that being a younger coach, the students look at him as a big brother.”

In addition to football, Thomas also places emphasis on the importance of grades and community. He has created mandatory study hall hours for his athletes every day, both in and out of football season. Thomas is also involved with the Forestville Boys and Girls Club as well as the Kettering Largo Mitchellville Boys and Girls Club, bringing kids from the two locations out to attend practices and games throughout the season. According to Ball-Ward, Thomas grew up participating in after schools programs with the Boys and Girls Clubs,   increasing his desire to support their programs.

Additional community involvement for Thomas includes the “Stay Focused” free football and enrichment program run in Prince George’s County.

Redskins High School Coach of the Week

The Redskins High School Coach of the Week program is designed to recognize and reward excellence in high school football coaching.

Each week during the 2015 high school football season, the Redskins will select one area high school head football coach as the Redskins High School Coach of the Week. The selection is based on the coach's continuing commitment toward promoting youth football, developing motivated student-athletes, overall community involvement and overall team performance and record.

Each of the coaches chosen throughout the high school season will receive a $1,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to their football program and a framed certificate signed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Redskins Head Coach Jay Gruden, Redskins President Bruce Allen and General Manager Scot McCloughan.

For more information on the Redskins High School Coach of the Week program or the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation, visit http://www.redskins.com/community or follow the Foundation on Twitter at @RedskinsCR or on Instagram @redskinsgiveback.

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Wilson's Mark Martin named Redskins High School Coach of the Week

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – The Washington Redskins announced today that head football coach Mark Martin of Wilson High School in Washington, D.C. has been named the Redskins High School Coach of the Week for the week of Oct. 5.

Martin has been the head coach at Wilson High School since the 2011-12 season and lead the team to 35 victories during his time. Currently the Tigers are 5 – 1 and on a five game winning streak.

In addition to coaching football, Martin is also the Dean of Students at the high school. Wilson Athletic Director Mitch Gore emphasized that Coach Martin takes on the role of a “father figure” to his student-athletes and constantly goes above and beyond what is asked of him, such as taking student-athletes on college visits at his own expense. 

Wilson High School is also a participant in the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation’s Coaches in the Classroom (CITC) program. Through CITC, Martin created mandatory study hall hours four days a week for all of his athletes. As participants in CITC, the football team has volunteered at the Redskins Charitable Foundation annual Thanksgiving food distribution, Redskins Harvest Feast presented by Ryan Homes, assisting families in carrying their turkeys and groceries.

Coach Martin is also an alumnus of Wilson High School and is involved with organizing fundraisers with other Wilson alumni to fund the purchase of new helmets for the football program.

Redskins High School Coach of the Week

The Redskins High School Coach of the Week program is designed to recognize and reward excellence in high school football coaching.

Each week during the 2015 high school football season, the Redskins will select one area high school head football coach as the Redskins High School Coach of the Week. The selection is based on the coach's continuing commitment toward promoting youth football, developing motivated student-athletes, overall community involvement and overall team performance and record.

Each of the coaches chosen throughout the high school season will receive a $1,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to their football program and a framed certificate signed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Redskins Head Coach Jay Gruden, Redskins President Bruce Allen and General Manager Scot McCloughan.

For more information on the Redskins High School Coach of the Week program or the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation, visit http://www.redskins.com/community or follow the Foundation on Twitter at @RedskinsCR or on Instagram @redskinsgiveback.

Saturday, October 3, 2015

Q's Huddle Buzz Vol. 4 No. 5


WINCHESTER, Va. – Junior Qlyl Middelijn is in his second season of blogging out the football program. This week, Q previews the big game tomorrow night against Bridgewater.

It's Homecoming Week Hornets!! It's time for friends, families, and alumni to return to campus and enjoy all festivities and contests. We are hungry for our Saturday night contest against our rivals, the Bridgewater Eagles.

We couldn't ask for a more exciting game to play in. Both teams coming off a bye week, having two weeks to prepare for the game, all of the work has been put in now and it's time to execute. Domination of the game will be displayed thoroughly throughout the night.

Nothing will stop the Hornets from successfully winning this game, not outside distractions, definitely not the Eagles, not even the weather will stop from getting another W in our record column.

As I stated before, two weeks of practice has equipped us with the tools for victory, although I must say we've had two different type of practice weeks when referring to the weather. First week of practice was very sunny but also cool - perfect weather to play football. The second week of practice was a plethora of rain each day. It was very hard to catch the ball in the rain and remain warm as well. Also, the rain adds extra weight to the padding and clothing.

However, no excuses will be made. We will not disappoint our alumni. The alums will be very pleased with the outcome of the game. We ask that every one be dressed in all red. It's a #RedDawn type of night. GO HORNETS!!!

Provided courtesty of Shenandoah University Athletic Department

Visit SU Athletics at the link below:

Shenandoah University Hornets Athletics

This Week in College Football History: Oct. 5-11


As part of an ongoing series throughout the fall, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame posts This Week in College Football History, which takes a look back at some of college football's landmark moments over the last 147 years.
 

FEATURED MOMENT



Oct. 6, 1979

Florida A&M def. Miami (Fla.), 16-13

Tallahassee, Fla. 
Florida A&M with key leadership from College Football Hall of Fame offensive lineman Tyrone McGriff had won the 1978 NCAA Division I-AA National Championship, and the team and McGriff were out to prove they could hang with the big boys against Miami in 1979. The Rattlers did just that, going into halftime tied 13-13 with the Hurricanes. Florida A&M’s defense did not budge to Miami, who was led by quarterback Mike Rodriguez. The Rattlers took the lead on a 34-yard field goal by Vince Coleman with just under four minutes remaining. On the ensuing possession, the Hurricanes marched down to the Florida A&M three-yard line, but they were forced into a fourth-and-goal situation with just seconds to play. Miami opted to kick the tying field goal rather than go for the win, but Dan Miller’s kick narrowly missed, giving the Rattlers the upset. Florida A&M finished the 1979 season 7-4, and Miami finished 5-6.

OTHER NOTABLE MOMENTS 


Oct. 5, 1963

Illinois def. No. 4 Northwestern, 10-9

Champaign, Ill. 
Illinois defeated Northwestern for its first win over its in-state rival since 1959. The Wildcats took a 6-0 lead on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Tommy Myers to Tom O’Grady, but a high snap by Joe Cerne led to a missed extra point that would cost them. The Illini took a 7-6 lead after another special teams mistake led to a five-yard punt and a 32-yard touchdown pass from Ron Fearn to Jim Warren. Northwestern regained the lead on a 24-yard field goal by Pete Stamison, but Illinois kicker Jim Plankenhorn answered with another field goal to take the lead back. Late threats by the Wildcats were thwarted by the Illini defense, led by College Football Hall of Famer Dick Butkus. Illinois was captained by 1963 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Richard Deller. The Big Ten champion Illini and their coach Pete Elliott, a Hall of Fame quarterback at Michigan, would go onto defeated Washington in the Rose Bowl, finishing 8-1-1 with their winningest season since 1951. The Wildcats finished with a 5-4 record under Hall of Fame coach Ara Parseghian during his last season at Northwestern.
Oct. 7, 1995

Texas Tech def. No. 8 Texas A&M, 14-7

Lubbock, Texas 
College Football Hall of Fame coach R.C. Slocum and Texas A&M came into this game with a streak of 29-straight Southwest Conference wins, but the winning spree unraveled on one of the most iconic plays in Texas Tech history. With the two Lone Star State schools tied 7-7 in the final minute, Aggie quarterback Corey Pullig threw his third interception of the day into the hands of linebacker Zach Thomas, a 2015 Hall of Fame electee, who charged 23 yards for the winning touchdown. Texas A&M later upset Michigan in the Alamo Bowl, ending the season with a 9-3 record and a No. 15 slot in the final AP Poll. Texas Tech won a shootout in the Copper Bowl over Air Force to finish 9-3 as well and came in at No. 23. 
Oct. 8, 1988

Columbia def. Princeton, 16-13

New York 
Having not won a game in nearly five years, Columbia looked to snap a then-Division I-AA record 44-game losing streak. Princeton held a 10-9 lead early in the first half after a touchdown by halfback Kris Keys and two field goals by kicker Chris Luts. The Lions finally put points on the board after quarterback Bruce Mayhew lobbed the ball nine yards to tight end Matt Less for a touchdown, and Lions kicker Matt Pollard hit a 33 yard field goal to bring Columbia within one before halftime. Going into the fourth quarter, Luts booted another field goal giving the Tigers a 13-9 lead. The game winner came when running back Solomon Johnson took a handoff and ran two yards for a touchdown with 5:13 to play. The clock seemed to near midnight in this Cinderella story when the Tigers lined up for a 48-yard field goal in the last few seconds of the game, but Luts’ kick was just short of the goal post. The Tigers ended the 1988 season with a record of 6-4 and the Lions finished 2-8.
Oct. 9, 1971

Tulane def. No. 18 North Carolina, 37-29

Chapel Hill, N.C. 
The No. 18 North Carolina Tar Heels joined No. 14 Duke as the only undefeated teams entering the weekend, and both fell to their respective opponents. Tulane quarterback Mike Walker threw for 267 yards and fired four touchdown passes in the first half to build a 28-11 halftime lead. Walker’s first scoring strike to Bob Marshall marked the first time the Tar Heels trailed all season. UNC rallied behind two fourth-quarter touchdown runs by Goef Hamlin to trim the lead to 28-26, but Green Wave wide receiver Coleman Dupre put the game just out of reach with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. UNC featured 1971 NFF National Scholar-Athlete William Brafford. The ACC Champion Tar Heels wrapped up a 9-3 season with a 7-3 loss to Georgia in the Gator Bowl. The Green Wave finished 3-8. 
Oct. 10, 1953

Kansas def. Colorado, 27-21

Boulder, Colo. 
Kansas ran for a school-record 306 rushing yards against Colorado, beginning with a 66-yard trot to the end zone on the game’s first play from scrimmage by halfback Don Hess. Halfback Ralph Moody followed it up with a 12-yard scramble for a 14-0 first-quarter lead. A frustrated Colorado squad rallied in the second quarter on a one-yard plunge by Emerson Wilson after defensive back Frank Bernardi recovered a Kansas fumble in the red zone. The Buffs leveled the score when Ron Johnson returned Moody’s 57-yard punt 90 yards for a touchdown. Moody responded by gaining 45 yards during an 83-yard scoring drive that put the Jayhawks on top 21-14 to open the second half. After Gary Knafelc caught a 27-yard touchdown pass to tie the game once again, Moody scored his second touchdown to give Kansas the victory. The Jayhawks ended the season with a 2-8 record and the Buffaloes finished 6-4. 
Oct. 11, 1969

Vanderbilt def. No. 13 Alabama, 14-10

Nashville, Tenn. 
Vanderbilt entered the game without a win against College Football Hall of Fame coach Paul “Bear” Bryant since he took over the Crimson Tide in 1958. After the Commodores took a 7-3 lead at halftime, they fumbled on the opening possession of the second half, and Alabama took a 10-7 lead on a 19-yard sweep by George Ranager. The Crimson Tide looked to increase their lead to 17-7 when Vanderbilt defensive back Christie Hauck intercepted Scott Hunter in the end zone and launched a critical scoring drive. Vanderbilt quarterback Denny Painter threw for 59 yards and rushed for 15 yards to put the Commodores on the Alabama 11-yard line. Coach Bill Pace pulled Painter in favor of Watson Brown, who tossed the game-winning touchdown pass to tight end Jim Cunningham. Vanderbilt finished the season 4-6. The Crimson Tide finished with a 6-5 record after a loss to Colorado in the Liberty Bowl. 

College Football Hall of Fame offensive lineman Tyrone McGriff and the Florida A&M Rattlers upset the Miami Hurricanes 16-13 on Oct. 6, 1979, in Tallahassee, Fla.

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Clarke County defeats Central, Parker gets 100th coaching win

Jordon Turner scores     James Murphy / CCS
BERRYVILLE, Va.- The Clarke County Eagles defeated the Central Falcons 27-6 Friday, Sept. 25 at Wilbur M. Feltner Stadium as they started their 2015 Bull Run schedule.

Eagles Head Coach Chris Parker picked up his 100th coaching victory and was presented a game ball by Clarke Athletic Director and assistant coach Casey Childs.

"I remember vividly that first win," Parker said. "I was trying to get the program back and it's been a long haul, but this is a team milestone, I'm always about the team."

The Eagles (3-1) got two touchdowns from quarterback Jordon Turner on rushes of 6 and 2 yards. Turner ended up with 83 yards on 12 carries and was 2 of 4 for 25 yards passing.

Hunter Rogers led all rushers with 102 yards on 18 carries including a 3 yard touchdown run.

Jaxon Ottobre scored on a 41 yard touchdown run and 57 yards on 5 carries. Matt Dang added 60 yards rushing on 4 carries.

Jaxon Ottobre turns the corner  James Murphy
"This is one of the best teams I have ever played on, probably the best," Ottobre said. "Our line has been setting blocks all year and it's just going to continue."

Central (2-3) got a score from Hank Hoover on a 1 yard touchdown run.

Hoover ended up with 57 yards on 17 carries.

Central quarterback Jordon Hosaflook was 11 for 18 for 126 yards.

For more game photo's by James Murphy visit Clarke County Sports on Facebook

Clarke County Sports on Facebook

For video game highlights and post game interviews view the Clarke County Sports Game of the Week posted below:




Tuscarora's Mike Burnett named Redskins High School Coach of the Week

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – The Washington Redskins announced today that head football coach Mike Burnett of Tuscarora High School in Leesburg, Va. has been named the Redskins High School Coach of the Week for the week of Sep. 28.

Burnett has been the head coach at Tuscarora since 2010 and has been coaching football for 18 seasons. The Huskies have opened the season with an overall record of 5 – 0. During his time at Tuscarora, Coach Burnett has won 51 games, going 14 – 1 last season. He has also been named VHSCA AA Coach of the Year in 2008, Game day Magazine AA Coach of the Year in both 2008 and 2009 and the Washington Redskins Coach of the Year in 2008.

Tuscarora High School Athletic Director, Derek Farrey, explains that Burnett runs his program based off of three pillars: Commitment, Passion and Discipline. “He is one of my hardest working coaches,” said Farrey, who went on to say that Coach Burnett does anything he can to make the school a better community for everyone.

The Huskies are also involved with Tuscarora’s Peer Mediation Program, in which they volunteer with a school counselor in their free time to help alleviate issues on campus. Coach Burnett also believes the safety of his student athletes is paramount and has hosted a USA Football Heads Up Football coaching clinic with his staff to ensure the proper tackling techniques are being practiced.

Redskins High School Coach of the Week

The Redskins High School Coach of the Week program is designed to recognize and reward excellence in high school football coaching.

Each week during the 2015 high school football season, the Redskins will select one area high school head football coach as the Redskins High School Coach of the Week. The selection is based on the coach's continuing commitment toward promoting youth football, developing motivated student-athletes, overall community involvement and overall team performance and record.

Each of the coaches chosen throughout the high school season will receive a $1,000 donation from the NFL Youth Football Fund to their football program and a framed certificate signed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Redskins Head Coach Jay Gruden, President Bruce Allen and General Manager Scot McCloughan.

For more information on the Redskins High School Coach of the Week program or the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation, visit http://www.redskins.com/community or follow the Foundation on Twitter at @RedskinsCR or on Instagram @redskinsgiveback.