THE SPORTS DESK
High School Notebook: Cavs, Hokies still in mix for recruits
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.
DaeSean Hamilton and Steven Moss have scholarship offers from college football programs throughout the country.
So with the two in-state FBS programs struggling, the Fredericksburg-area standouts have other options.
Still, Moss and Hamilton said this week that the fact that Virginia and Virginia Tech are a combined 6–10 will have no impact on their college decisions.
Moss, a Chancellor junior offensive lineman, attended Virginia’s 16–10 loss to Wake Forest on Saturday. He told head coach Mike London he isn’t concerned that the Cavaliers (2–6) have lost six straight games.
“I told him the W’s and the L’s don’t really matter to me as much as the future of the program,” said Moss, who will visit South Carolina on Saturday. “I’m more concerned with how they’ll be doing when my recruiting class comes in.”
Hamilton feels the same way. The Mountain View senior wide receiver has offers from Virginia, Virginia Tech and 10 other Division I programs.
Hamilton said he hasn’t visited any schools this fall and has yet to set up official visits. He said he plans to make a college decision before National Signing Day in February. Hamilton said watching the Cavaliers and Hokies (4–4) labor “is not a big deal to me.”
“A lot of the teams that offered me have been struggling this year,” he said.
Moss picked up his 14th scholarship offer when Penn State coaches called him Tuesday night.
He plans to visit No. 1-ranked Alabama for its matchup with Texas A&M on Nov. 10. He visited No. 9 Ohio State when it defeated California earlier this season. Moss said he expects those schools to offer a scholarship at the end of the season.
Moss said that if the Crimson Tide and Buckeyes do deliver offers, he’ll weigh them equally with the other schools’. He said he’ll even consider Penn State, which is on probation for four years following the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.
“I’m not closing the door on any school,” Moss said.
EAGLES APPROACH TITLE
A Colonial Forge victory over Massaponax on Friday night would clinch a share of the Commonwealth District football title.
But the Eagles’ veteran coach Bill Brown said defeating the Panthers won’t be an easy task. Massaponax runs the triple-option offense, and Brown said it’s difficult to prepare a young team for.
“It’s challenging. They do a good job with the whole package,” Brown said. “They can speed you up or slow you down.”
Brown said he didn’t expect his youthful Eagles (7–1, 6–0 Commonwealth) to be in this position when the season started, but a switch to the spread offense from the wing–T has paid off. A win Friday combined with a regular-season-ending victory over Riverbend would clinch the title outright.
A NONDISTRICT BATTLE
While the Eagles and Panthers will square off in a district showdown, North Stafford (7–1) and Battlefield (6–2) will meet in an intriguing nondistrict clash.
Wolverines coach Joe Mangano said playing the Bobcats is “a win–win” for his program. Battlefield reached the Group AAA, Division 6 semifinals last season. It won the state championship two years ago.
Mangano said playing the Bobcats this late in the season regardless of the outcome should give North Stafford a boost heading into the playoffs. He said a loss to them last year help propel the Wolverines to their run to the Division 5 semifinals.
“We love playing them at the end of the year,” Mangano said. “It’s a great time of the year to play them.”
COUGAR GIVES ASSISTS
Courtland volleyball standout Bianca Rumbaugh broke the school single-season record for assists Tuesday night against King George. Rumbaugh, who recorded 34 assists against the Foxes, now has 563 this season. She has surpassed Emily Reese’s mark of 559, set in 2004.
Taft Coghill Jr.: 540/374-5526
tcoghill@freelancestar.com
