I started off leaving Charlottesville, VA about 10 hours before the game was going to start. At 10:51, I went in to a McDonald’s just to get some diet Coke. On the way, Dan Patrick was doing his sports talk show. He had an interview with Coach K of Duke an later, one of Todd Marinovich of Southern California.

At 11:36 I passed by Nelson County High School. At 11:45, radio 1400 had too much static to listen to.  Then, at 11:45, I turned the 1450, which is ESPN radio on the internet. The host is the controversial Colin Cowherd. He was asking his guest how he would explain Miami fans booing LeBron James. That’s not my problem though!

Cowherd then talked with Steven A. Smith, a well-known sports talk show guest. At 12:24, I stopped for gas and also got directions to the Virginia Episcopal School. At 12:51, I stopped at a restaurant to eat and ask for directions to
Virginia Episcopal School. It’s a nice-looking campus.

Ifeanyi Onyekaba, Class of 2013 at Richmond, VA Virginia Episcopal School was very impressive. His upper body looks like he’s been lifting weights for years. There’s no question that UVa or Virginia Tech could use Ifeanyi Onyekaba! On offense, he posts up, holds his position, waits for the ball, and simply dribbles around his man, power over his man, or just jumps up and dunks it with two hands!

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#74 is Mark Wilson, an athletic lineman.

[In the photo at left, is Class of 2012 senior,#4, Ken Ekanem of Centreville High, which played against Oscar Smith. It's interesting that he hasn't announced what college he will be attending.]

In another photo here is a junior, #74 Mark Wilson,  a tackle at Phoebus. He’s the one with high socks and a blue jersey.  Today was the end of the 2011-2012 high school football season in Virginia. It was played on the campus of the University of Virginia, and by 3:00 P.M. it was cold outside.

There were two games: in Division 5, Phoebus beat South County by a score of 20-10. In Division 6, Centreville lost to Oscar Smith by a score of 47-21. However, I go to see individual players, not teams or games really. And I concentrate on scouting 9th-11th graders. However, if there is a basketball player eighth-grader who is advanced, I’ll go to AAU and report on him.

At 12:07 P.M., the Phoebus-South County started. Phoebus is so good that EVERYONE on their football roster is good enough to be playing football after high school. Even the least-talented player on their roster is at least good enough to play at the Division III level!

I’m always looking for players who might be college prospects, in this case, players who are rising stars this year or will be next year in the 2012-2013 season. South County High has a ninth-grade team and a middle school team, yet on this year’s squad they have a whopping 97 players! So they have a lot to choose from for every position on the field.

I was impressed by Warner Hunter, a member of South County High’s team, and a member of the Class of 2013, who goes 5-8 195. He’s a running back. I was also impressed by many of the underclass prospects on Phoebus.  Walt Brantley, a member of the Class Of 2014 for Phoebus, is an offensive/defensive lineman. He’s 6-3 315.

Another player for Phoebus High who is a member of the Class Of 2013 is number 74, Mark Wilson, a 6-4 235-lbs . offensive/defensive lineman. Phoebus has another young lineman, this one of the Class of 2015 lineman Harry Lewis, 6-4 245. Phoebus won this game over South County by a score of 20-10.  Phoebus is now the Division 5 state champion for the 2011-2012 season!

The second game of the day started at 4:07 P.M. Oscar Smith High was playing Centreville High. Centreville High had two players who seemed to be big-time prospects for 2013: wearing jersey number 5 is Manny Smith, a 5-9 200 halfback, and #4,  defensive end-tight end Ken Ekanem, who is 6-4 245. But Oscar Smith reloads with college prospects every year. Wide receiver/defensive back Melvin Vaughn (Class of 2013) was listed at 6-1 210 and is a player to watch.  Tight end-defensive end Darren Flowers is a player who was listed at 6-1 210 and in the member of the Class of 2013.

Finally, a mere freshman (Class of 2015) for Oscar Smith, Deshawn McClease, is listed at 5-10 190 and scored on a 54-yard run in this game!

And Oscar Smith also has number 51, who is Shedrick Oliver, a member of the Class of 2013 who is listed at 6-3 210. He plays defensive end and offensive or defensive tackle. But there are countless college prospects on Oscar Smith High, which is why they have such great won-loss records each year. In today’s game, Zack Jones caught 3 passes for 85 yards.

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Heavily-recruited 6-2 Class of 2013 Anthony Barber on November 29, 2011.

[At left is the player I came to scout, Anthony Barber (in red jersey number 12) of the Class of 2013 warms up for the Heritage game.] Anthony Barber is ranked as the 4th best point guard in the Class of 2013 by ESPN.com, which ranks him 5 out of 5 stars. MaxPreps.com rates Anthony Barber as the 12th-best member of the Class of 2013! Plus, they rate him 5 out of 5 stars. Rivals.com rates Anthony Barber as number 24 in the Class of 2013, and has him listed as a 4-star recruit.

One thing is for sure: Anthony Barber won’t be going to the University of North Carolina: the Tar Heels have committments from point guard Marcus Paige from the Class of 2012, and just yesterday got a committment from Class of 2013 Nate Britt.

I drove from Charlottesville, Virginia to Newport News, Virginia during the afternoon, so that I wouldn’t have to look for Heritage High School in the dark! I had actually been to the Heritage High School gym once already, when I saw them upset Hampton in basketball over 10 years-ago.

I had left the house at 9:42, and listened to WKAV-1400, Charlottesville’s all-sports station. It was raining hard and the temperature was going down. I had brought with me some Diet Caffeine-Free Dr. Pepper, and some Lays potato chips.

I stopped at Citgo to buy more diet Coke to drink. On 1400, they were now talking about the fact that Urban Meyer, the former University of Florida head football coach, might be hired to coach at Ohio State.

In the Hampton-Heritage game, Hampton led the Heritage Hurricanes 18-8 at the end of one quarter. Hampton then extended their lead to 32-18 at the half. I kept track of Anthony Barber’s statistics for this game. Anthony Barber needs to work on his 3-point shooting and also free throws.

Hampton won this game 73-40. Hampton was very impressive, and looks like a candidate to win the state Group AAA championship this year, in my opinion.

Anthony Barber shot 5-10 from the floor (jump shooting and leading the fast break). He was 0-5 on three-pointers. From the foul line, he was just 3-7. He finished with 13 points. However, he was very unselfish, and only shot when he had a wide-open shot! He is a pure point guard, one who makes his teammates better!

As I was driving back to Charlottesville, Virginia after the game, I was thinking of who Anthony Barber reminds me of. He may be 6-3 instead of 6-2, and he’s gained some pounds. He had previously been listed at 165. Anthony Barber is not the next Allen Iverson (no one is) but he’s more of a pure point guard.

If Anthony Barber were to pick the University of Virginia or Virginia Tech, neither school has had a pure point guard like Anthony Barber! For whatever reason, he does not dunk the ball during games: he just lays the ball in to the basket without using the backboard for his layups. I’d say that he has the style of Washington Wizard point guard John Wall!

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Bucky Hodges throws during pre-game warmups.

[Number one at left is 6-6 230 Class of 2013 quarterback Bucky Hodges of Salem High School in Virginia Beach, VA.] On Friday, November 25, 2011, I started off the day by buying 8 packs of peanut butter crackers. (I love peanut butter crackers.)  As I was leaving Charlottesville, there was a man standing on the sidewalk on 29 North near the Barracks Road Shopping Center with a sign that read, “I need a ticket.” Although the Virginia-Virginia Tech game wasn’t going to be played until the next day, that was an indication of how big a game that was going to be!

I put my radio to WKAV-1400, a 24 hour-a-day sports station in Charlottesville. There was a substitute host named Damon Bruce, who was filing in for Jim Rome. Damon Bruce was saying that all of  teammates were to blame for his behavior: Ndamukong Suh has been fined 11 times for losing his temper! He explained that if Suh’s teammates had gotten angry about Suh”s previous episodes of losing his temper, then Su would have tried to control his anger so as not to be penalized during the games.

The game I was going to see was an Eastern Region playoff game, involving two Division 6 schools. I was going to the Salem-Oscar Smith game to see 4 underclass prospects. One wore jersey number 1 for Salem High: 6-6 220 blue-chip Class of 2013 quarterback Bucky Hodges. Another was his teammate, who wore jersey number 10, 6-1 175 Class of 2013 defensive back Kwamane Bowens. I also was there to see two Oscar Smith players: One was Zack Jones, who wears jersey number 3, and who is listed as a 6-0 185 wide receiver. He’s in the Class of 2013. The other was a member of the Class of 2014, #11, Jaylen Bradshaw, a 6-1 170 safety for Oscar Smith.

This was one of the best high school football games I’ve ever seen! Oscar Smith went ahead 35-7 at the half, and it looked like this was going to be one of those “keep the clock running” games. (The Virginia High School League has a terrible rule that requires any team that is leading by 35 points to keep the clock running at all times, even through complete passes or time-outs!)

But in the second half, Salem was a completely different team. Their defense stopped Oscar Smith cold on series after series. And on offense, Bucky Hodges and his teammates went up and down the field. Finally, Salem scored to make the score 35-34 (Oscar Smith leading). Instead of letting the game be decided in an overtime, Salem made the decision to go for two points. I think it was a good idea. However, it didn’t work. Salem’s running back tried to run around the left end for the two points, but was tripped up and tackled. So, that was the final score, 35-34, with Oscar Smith winning.

Bucky Hogdes ran for three touchdowns in this game. He gained 57 yards rushing on 11 carries.  He completed 15 out of 22 passes for 155 yards, and an interception.

I then headed back home to Charlottesville, where Virginia Tech and Virginia were to battle the next afternoon. I attended Virginia Tech for over a year, and eventually graduated from the University of Virginia in 1985. Go Hoos! Go Hokies!

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Finding high schools in the dark is not easy now that it’s no longer daylight so early. But I’m proud to say that I did not get lost driving  to Lloyd C. Bird, or on the trip back to Charlottesville, Virginia. I also did not have to dial 911 for directions.

Lloyd Bird High School’s Skyhawks upset the favored Varina High School Blue Devils in this game, 21-16.

#62 is Kris Wilson, a 6-4 285 lineman for Varina High. He's in the Class of 2013.

Varina High School featured University of Virginia-bound Maurice Canaday, who will likely play defensive back or wide receiver at UVa. But I was at this game to scout underclassmen.

I left Charlottesville and headed to this game. On the way to the game, I listened to AM radio station WKAV (a 24 hour-a-day sport station). On WKAV was the show called “The Loose Cannons.” The Loose Cannons were talking about poker, something I never have cared for when it appears on TV. I then changed stations to Charlottesville’s 97.5, also known as 3WV. They were playing a song by Judas Priest as I was on my way from Charlottesville to Chesterfield.

I got to the game at 6:21. Kickoff wasn’t until 7:30, but I’d much rather be early than late to a game, so I can watch the best players warming-up. It’s easier to take photos of them warming up than playing.

You can just look at Tim Harris and Kris Wilson and see that they have FBS potential. However, Kris Wilson is clearly not 6-4. I would say he’s about 6-2 or maybe a little taller. This upcoming Friday night I’ll go see another game to scout another prospect, probably in the eastern region of the state.

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Berecruited.com listed him as a 6-4 215. On November 3, 2011, I decided to go see him play football.  He’s being recruited by Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia, and North Carolina for football. However, once I got to Middlesex High School I went in to a convenience store, bought three local newspapers, and read about Middlesex High School. The front of one sports section showed the entire varsity and junior varsity football squads of Middlesex High School.

However, Ryheem Lockley was missing  from the photo. So there was no reason to stay and watch the game. I could not figure out why he wasn’t there.

When I got back home, I started conversing with high school football fans, and learned that Ryheem Lockley stopped playing for Middlesex High School after the third game of this season!

I don’t know why he left the team. The head coach of Middlesex High School’s varsity team, Josh Franke, emailed me and said, “Ryheem was no longer with the team after the third game. I’m sorry, but that is all I’m at liberty to say.”

Without Lockley, Middlesex had a disasterous season, going 0-10 this year: today they lost to Matthews High School 51-12.

Will Lockley play football for Middlesex next year as a high school senior? On Facebook he sent me this message: “No im not going to play for Middlesex next year. and yes Tech and UVA is still recruiting me.”

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This was a cross-town game of two high schools in Woodbridge, Virginia.

In the game, the Woodbridge Vikings defeated the home team, the Forest Park High Bruins, by a score of 28-7. I was here to report and scout Class of 2014 defensive lineman, Da’shawn Hand of Woodbridge High School. Hand had two quarterback sacks in this game.

Da’shawn Hand looks like an ACC-caliber football player already! You just never see a high school sophomore with the physical gifts that Da’shawn Hand has. Forest Park scored the game’s first touchdown, but then Woodbridge High took over the game. I’ve had a problem recently with finding my car after games, but fortunately I had no problems tonight. When you get to a high school game early, you have time to park exactly where you want, so it’s easier to remember where it is. But in a dark parking lot, if you show up at gametime, you can’t park where you want, you just have to find a space anywhere.

#54 is Class of 2014 defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand of Woodbridge, VA High.

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Wearing jersey number one is Class of 2013 Holland Fisher

(Number 1 at left is Clover Hill High School’s defensive back Holland Fisher) On October 21, 2011, I drove to to Midlothian, Virginia to see the Cosby High School Titans host  highly-recruited Holland Fisher of  the visiting Clover Hill High School Cavaliers, also from Midlothian. The game started at 7:30. Just one look at him enables you to see why he’s so highly-recruited and one of the best players in Virginia in the Class of 2013.

Holland Fisher already looks like a Football Bowl Subdivision defensive back. He has that body type. He’s listed at 6-2 195.

But his Clover Hill High team had a rough night, losing to Cosby High School 17-7. Clover Hill High School is now 5-2 overall and 3-2 in their district. This is disappointing considering that Clover Hill also has the state’s number one prospect in the Class of 2012, quarterback Joel Caleb.

Joel Caleb’s 11-yard touchdown run was Clover Hill’s only touchdown tonight. As for Caleb, there’s no telling what position he’ll play in college. In my opinion, he should be playing quarterback in college. However, he’s said that he wants to play wide receiver. And college coaches see him as a defensive back. He is uncommitted as to what university he’ll attend next year! However, he’s not considering Virginia Tech or the University of Virginia.

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6-3 190 defensive back/wide receiver Daquan Moore of Hampton, Virginia High is in the Class of 2013.

(Daquin Moore is wearing jersey number one in the photo at left.) I went to Darling Stadium on October 13, 2011 to see Hampton, VA High School take on visiting Newport News, VA Warwick High School. Warwick High is where Michael Vick played.

I went to scout Hampton High’s 6-3 185 Class of 2013 defensive back/wide receiver Daquin Moore. In a Facebook message, Daquin Moore told me, “I don’t really have a favorite college. I just like to watch certain games and players.”

Driving from Charlottesville to Hampton was horrible. The traffic was at a standstill, and I couldn’t figure out why. It might have been due to an accident, or to road construction. So, after leaving Charlottesville at 4:41, not only did I miss the 7:00 P.M. kickoff, but I didn’t get to the game until it was halftime and the Hampton High marching band was playing!

I learned that at the 9:41 mark of the first quarter, Daquin Moore had a 67-yard interception return for a touchdown!. Finding a defensive back (actually he plays safety at times for Hampton High who is 6-3 would be a good signee for any school. However, he’s a member of the Class of 2013 and still has more time. I see Daquin Moore as a defensive back at the college level, not as a wide receiver.

On my way home, fortunately the traffic was fine. There were no accidents or road construction crews slowing down drivers.

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#9 is running back D.J. Reid of Thomas Dale High.

There had been a big accident on Route 64 East, and there were even orange signs on both sides of the road that said “Accident Ahead”! Then, I passed a sign that showed that the left lane was coming to an end, due to road construction, and that cars had to all get in to the right lane. As a result, I didn’t get to Hopewell, where the Thomas Dale High Knights were playing  the Hopewell High Blue Devils, until around 6 minutes of the first quarter had passed.

In addition to Reid, a second member of the Class of 2013 I came to see was 6-5 300 offensive tackle Zachary Rhodes of Thomas Dale High. Zachary Rhodes wears jersey number 77. According to his coach, North Carolina State and Maryland have shown the most interest in him.

D.J. Reid rushed for 107 yards on 18 for the Thomas Dale Knights, and already has scholarship offers from Virginia and Virginia Tech.

D.J. Reid already looks like a college player. Hopewell has a strange-looking football stadium, which is surrounded by a cement wall on all sides.  Zachary Rhodes looks athletic-enough that I expect him to play in the ACC.

Thankfully, there was no traffic congestion on the way home from Hopewell High to Charlottesville, Virginia!

#77 is Class of 2013 offensive tackle Zachary Rhodes of Thomas Dale High.

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