Sunday, May 31, 2015

Chargers end regular season undefeated to capture the AFA Southern Conference Regular Season


PURCELLVILLE, VA- The Virginia Chargers completed a perfect regular season defeating the Maryland Phantoms 28-21 in an Atlantic Football Association battle at Woodgrove High School.

Charger QB Brandon Hyler passed for 3 touchdowns, 1 each to Billy Butterfield, Kenny Griffith, and Richard Carter.
Billy Butterfield 9 YD TD  Photo by James Murphy / Clarke County Sports
Hyler was 9 of 15 for 178 yards and added 42 yards rushing on 7 carries.

The Chargers will host the AFA Southern Conference 4th place finisher, not known at this time, next Saturday at Woodgrove High School. Check back for more coverage from last nights game.

Charger QB Brandon Hyler and Head Coach Louis Simmons Sr. spoke with Clarke County Sports after the game and the following interview can be viewed below.














Thursday, May 28, 2015

Shenandoah Hornets Football season tickets now on sale


WINCHESTER, Va. - Catch the Hornets Buzz!

It's almost time for football once again at Shenandoah University, and we want you to be a part of all the exciting action on Sprint Field at Shentel Stadium this fall!

The process of our 2015 football season ticket drive is underway and we would like to invite you to take part in NCAA Division III football in the northern Shenandoah Valley this year.

The Hornets, under the direction of third year head coach Scott Yoder, open the 2015 campaign at home on September 5 against 2013 NCAA playoff participant Gallaudet University.

Yoder's squad also hosts ODAC opponents Bridgewater, Catholic, Emory and Henry and Washington and Lee at home this fall.

The Bridgewater game, on October 3, is part of Homecoming Weekend.

For additional schedule information, please visit us at www.suhornets.com.
Until August 1, season tickets will be $40.00 per seat. This is a 33 percent savings off the per game price.

Season tickets will be $50 per ticket after August 1st and reserved seats for individual games may be purchased in the week preceding that home game for $12.00/ticket.

Thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you at Sprint Field at Shentel Stadium this fall. For more information, please call 540-665-4566 or email Donna Cates at dcates@su.edu.
Season Ticket Order Form

Shepherd University - Shepherd Football Announces Award Winners


SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. -- The Shepherd University football team announced its individual award winners at the annual spring game last Saturday at Ram Stadium.

Redshirt-freshman defensive end Myles Humphrey (Upper Marlboro, Md./Dr. Henry A. Wise) was named Rookie of the Year. Humphrey recorded 27 tackles with 15 solo stops. He had team bests of 13 tackles-for-loss and 8.5 sacks

Sophomore return specialist CJ Davis (Hagerstown, Md./South Hagerstown) was named Special Team Player of the Year. Davis had 22 punt returns for 287 yards (13.0 average) and a touchdown. He added 16 kickoff returns for  357 yards (22.3 average) and a touchdown.

Senior offenive lineman Isaiah Shelton (Temple Hills, Md./Charles H. Flowers) was named Lineman of the Year. Shelton anchored an offensive line that averaged 38.2 points and ranked third nationally in time of possession (35:29). He was named to numerous All-America teams and was one of just five offensive lineman selected to the 2014 AFCA Division II All-America Team.

Senior outside linebacker Levi Barber (Alexandria, Va./Edison) was named Most Valuable Player. Barber recorded 43 tackles with 29 solo stops. He added nine tackles-for-loss and a sack. An honorable mention Dan Hansen All-American selection, Barber also added three pass breakups and three forced fumbles.

A list  of 2014 Shepherd football award winners is shown below.

2014 Shepherd Football Award Winner

All-Americans

AFCA Division II Coaches All-American
Isaiah Shelton (OL) – First Team

Don Hansen
Isaiah Shelton (OT) – Second Team
Levi Barber (LB) – Honorable Mention
CJ Davis (CB) – Honorable Mention

D2Football.com
Isaiah Shelton (OL) – Second Team

AP Little All-American
Isaiah Shelton (OL) – Second Team

D2Football.com
Isaiah Shelton (OL) – Third Team
Jon Hammer (FB) – Fourth Team

All-Region
Daktronics
Isaiah Shelton (OL) – First Team
Levi Barber (LB) – First Team
CJ Davis (CB) – First Team

Don Hansen
Isaiah Shelton (OL) – First Team
CJ Davis (CB) – Second Team
Levi Barber (LB) – First Team
Hussam Ouri (OL) – Second Team
Jon Hammer (FB) – Third Team
Shaneil Jenkins (LB) – Third Team
CJ Davis (RS) – Third Team

BSN
Isaiah Shelton (OL) – First Team
CJ Davis (CB) – First Team
Jon Hammer (FB) – Second Team
Shaneil Jenkins (DL) – Second Team
Levi Barber (LB) – Second Team
Octavius Thomas (LB) – Third Team
CJ Davis (KR/PR) – Third Team

All-Conference
Isaiah Shelton (OL) - First Team
Hussam Ouri (OL) - First Team
Shaneil Jenkins (DL) - First Team
Levi Barber (LB) - First Team
Octavius Thomas (LB) - First Team
CJ Davis (CB) - First Team

Jeff Ziemba (QB) – Second Team
Allen Cross (RB) - Second Team
Jabre Lolley (RB) - Second Team
Billy Brown (WR) - Second Team
Jon Hammer (FB/H Back) - Second Team
Dameon Hairston (OL) - Second Team
Myles Humphrey (DL) - Second Team
Bernard Wolley (DL) – Second Team
James Gupton (LB) – Second Team
De'Ontre Johnson (LB) - Second Team
David Carter (DB)  - Second Team
CJ Davis (PR/KR) - Second Team

MEC Defensive Freshman of the Year
James Gupton

2015 MEC Players of the Week
Shaneil Jenkins (9-15) Defensive
CJ Davis (9-29) (Special Teams)
CJ Davis (10-6) (Co-Defensive)
James Gupton (11-3) (Defensive)


Reprinted with permission, for official story with Photo's from the event visit the Shepherd Rams site:
Shepherd University - Shepherd Football Announces Award Winners

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Robert Griffin III comments from May 26 from Redskins PR

May 26, 2015
Redskins Park

Robert Griffin III  Photo by Moe Murphy
On what improvements he noticed today:
“I think the word of the day from Coach Jay was, ‘Get better.’ Every day, you’ve got to come out and get better. As football players, you get tired of throwing on air, but as some people have told me, you never want to get tired of doing things the right way. So you continue to do it and continue to do it, and then we get out here and we get to get in a competitive environment. No pads and no tackling or anything like that, but at least you’re going against other players and you can see how guys react when someone is actually covering them.”

On having consistency this offseason:
“To have that consistency with your staff and the offense and all those things only helps. It’s been a couple crazy years, and we look forward to making sure that we don’t have that constant change any more.”

On being named the starting quarterback:
“For me, you have got to focus on what you can control. Apparently Jay felt like I was the best option that he had at quarterback, and I’m happy about that. We look forward to working together to help this team and lead this team in the right direction and create this culture change that we know we need to have. It involves being in this room, too, so we want to make sure we improve everything from playing on the field to our relationship with you guys.”

On the birth of his daughter, Reese, and what advice his teammates have offered him:
“It’s been fun. Alfred [Morris] had a son, and we talked and you know they tell you, ‘Hey, you’re not going to get any rest. It’s going to be extremely tiring.’ It’s true, but you have to look at it in a positive way, and for myself and Alfred, we love it. I love the fact that I haven’t had much sleep over the past couple of days and still have to come up here and talk to you guys and practice, so it’s just a special feeling when you can look at a kid and you’re basically looking in the mirror, you’re looking at yourself. That can bring a grown man to tears, so it did.”

On what he emphasized this offseason:
“Work on everything. Like I said, it’s good to have the same offense and the same coaches and work through building that relationship with those guys, so it’s really about that and doing what they ask you to do, working on little things that you know you can do to get better, and being yourself. The one thing you can’t do as a player is lose who you are, and I’m going to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

On Offensive Line Coach Bill Callahan:
“The guys love him. He’s a very detailed coach. We loved [Chris] Foerster – We miss you, Coach – but Coach Callahan has been awesome and I know those guys will take every bit that they’ve learned from Coach Foerster and every bit that they’re learned from Coach Callahan and apply it to their game. It sucks there’s turnover in the league, but he’s been awesome and we look forward to winning with him.”

On Quarterbacks Coach Matt Cavanaugh:
“He just helps sharpen our focus. It gives us an opportunity to have a guy that has eyes on us all the time, so that’s only a benefit and the more we work with him, I’m sure the better we’ll get.”

On the differences between his rookie season and the past two seasons:
“I could stand up here for 30 minutes and give you that answer, but I’m not going to. Those years have passed, and we look forward to doing more like what we did in ‘12 as far as from a winning standpoint. Now what the offense is and what it’s not going to be, that’s not my decision. We’re all working hard to make sure that we can have the best offense suited for this team. We just want to win, and that’s the main focus.”

Virginia Chargers vs Virginia Vengeance Photo Gallery

PURCELLVILLE, VA- Clarke County Sports staff photographers James and Matt Murphy were on hand at Wolverine Stadium in Purcellville to capture the action of the Chargers 35-12 victory over the Virginia Vengeance in Atlantic Football Association Action.





  For more photo's click Read Full Story link below

Redskins Coach Jay Gruden comments from May 26 from Redskins PR


May 26, 2015
Redskins Park
Photo by James Murphy / Clarke County Sports


On what he learned from his first season:
“I think you never stop learning as a coach. You know, you’re always going to learn something about your team, about yourself. The older you get, the more experience you get, so it was a learning experience last year. I think just knowing the players and the coaching staff around me, I have a better feel for what they can and can’t do and how we need to push their buttons a little bit more effectively to get more out of them. You have to battle, and coaching is getting the most out of your players and trying to figure out what buttons to push and I feel pretty good in that regard in Year 2.”


On the progress of quarterback Robert Griffin III:
“You know, today was his first day and last week – last couple weeks – we were throwing routes versus air. He’s doing fine. We’ll see how it goes. He’s just got to continue to put practice after practice together and show the consistency that we’re looking for.”


On how Griffin has handled the offseason so far:
“Robert’s got great work ethic, No. 1. That’s never been a question, you know? He works extremely hard. So I’m satisfied in that regard. He comes to work every day trying to get better. The rules allow us to do certain things and don’t allow us to do certain things, but he does a lot on his own. He gets himself in physically good condition to get ready to go.”


On if Griffin looks different than he did at the end of the season:
“You know, playing in the same system for the second year, usually the second year you have a little bit more confidence, a little bit more of an air about you that you should show improvement, lots of improvement – hearing the concepts and seeing the plays over and over again and dealing with the pressure and all that good stuff. I think Robert’s going to be fine, it’s just we have high expectations for the quarterback position and Robert in general. We expect significant strides to take place from Year 1 to Year 2.”


On linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, tackle Trent Williams, tight end Jordan Reed and wide receiver DeSean Jackson:
“Ryan [Kerrigan] going to be fine. He just got a scope – clean it out, but he’s going to be ready to roll soon. Trent [Williams] missed his flight out of Houston – it was canceled last night. Jordan Reed is getting checked; he just had a little bit of knee soreness, so we sent him down to get checked for his knee. DeSean is going to miss this week and he’ll be back next week.”


On Offensive Line Coach Bill Callahan:
“He is obviously a very good football coach. It’s well documented for what he’s done in his career and what he’s done for offensive line play in general – not just the teams that he’s coached but how he impacted the NFL in general. So he shows a great deal of confidence and a great wisdom amongst his players and expects a lot out of them, works the heck out of them. That’s what I like about him. I like that he’s taken every ounce of energy they’ve got out there. Every time that they have, they’re going to be with Coach Callahan working on something. During special teams period, you see the linemen are down there in the corner grinding. During individual before practice, they’re out there working on their footwork, their fundamentals. He meets with them early. He’s a very demanding coach but it’s something that we need and his presence is being felt already in a positive way.”
 
On cornerback DeAngelo Hall:
“He’s doing well. He’s coming along very fast from the Achilles surgery. I knew he would be. He’s at a stage of his career where he knows how important preparation is both on and off the field. Physically he’s got to get himself ready to go after that injury and it’s going to take some time but he has shown major, major improvements already and we’re very pleased with where he is right now with the thought of him being ready for training camp is exciting to all of us.”


On quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy:
“Yeah, it’s tough. They’re both good quarterbacks. Right now we don’t have a depth chart for the second and third teams. We’re going to let them split the reps up and go from there and then make a decision come game day. But I would like to see them push Robert and push themselves. I think being a quarterback in the National Football League, it’s your job to not only get yourself better but push the people in front of you. These two guys aren’t going to lie down and just hand the job over.  They’re going to do everything in their power to prove that they are starting-caliber quarterbacks in the National Football League.  Like I said before, they’ve all had a taste of being a starter in the National Football League and they all want it back real bad. So I expect all three of them to compete and make each other better.”

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Four Dukes earn NFL Free Agent Contracts, (Including Park View's Brandon Lee)



Brandon Lee  courtesy of JMU Athletics

HARRISONBURG, Virginia – James Madison football has four players that have received undrafted free agent contracts from National Football League squads. Safety Dean Marlowe will be with the Carolina Panthers, defensive end Sage Harold is going to the Kansas City Chiefs, defensive lineman Brandon Lee is being signed by the Seattle Seahawks and wide receiver Daniel Brown was picked up by the Baltimore Ravens.

One of JMU's three permanent captains in 2014, Marlowe was a First Team All-Colonial Athletic Association and Virginia Sports Information All-State honoree. He finished seventh among the league's defensive backs and 19th overall with 7.4 tackles per contest (a career-best 96 total) to go with four interceptions. He also had 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, five pass breakups and one fumble recovery. His best game was in the home victory against Towson, recording a season-high 12 tackles and one sack. In the regular-season finale against Elon, he had two interceptions, including one for a touchback, along with four tackles to help the Dukes seal a berth in the NCAA FCS Playoffs. Marlowe also made at least five tackles in six of the eight CAA games and 10 of the 13 contests overall. His play throughout the year earned him an invitation to the East-West Shrine Game as well as the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

Selected to the All-CAA First Team, Harold paced the Dukes' defense on the front lines, leading the league's defensive linemen and tied for 42nd overall in the CAA with 5.6 tackles per game (a career-high 73 total). He became just the 14th player in JMU history to record 10 or more sacks in a single season, a mark that is currently at a league-best 13.5 sacks. He also had 23.5 tackles for loss on the year, ranking second in the league and 11th in FCS football, while also forcing four fumbles on the season. A two-time CAA Defensive Player of the Week, Harold recorded nine tackles (including a career-high tying seven solos), 4.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks - which tied career highs for both tackles for loss and sacks and set career highs for both in yardage lost - at William & Mary. Harold played a big part in limiting the Tribe to just 274 yards of total offense at Bridgeforth Stadium on Nov. 1. He had two tackles, including a sack, on the Tribe's first drive of the fourth quarter to force a 3-and-out. Then on the final drive, he sacked the W&M quarterback on what ended up being the final play of the game. Harold also recorded a career-high 10 tackles twice this year in victories against Saint Francis and Stony Brook.

Lee had 36 total tackles (21 solos) along with 10.5 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks, five forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and three pass breakups, earning him Third Team All-CAA honors. He tied for the league lead with five forced fumbles and his 7.0 sacks (0.58 per game) tied for ninth in the conference. He had a season-high six tackles in the victory over Saint Francis in early September. Brandon was named The Sports Network National Defensive Player of the Week, CAA Defensive Player of the Week and College Sports Madness National Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts in the Dukes' 62-7 win over Towson. He recorded five total tackles, with 3.0 tackles for 19 yards of loss, including 2.0 sacks for 16 yards, and three forced fumbles resulting in two JMU takeaways. The second forced fumble directly resulted in points, as it was caught in the air by linebacker Rhakeem Stallings and returned 27 yards to put JMU up 20-0. Lee was a leader on the defense that limited Towson's Darius Victor, the second-leading rusher in the CAA, to just 37 yards on 12 carries and the Tigers' offense to just 234 yards of total offense while forcing four turnovers.

A Second Team All-CAA selection, Brown ranked among the league leaders in receiving yards and touchdowns this year, finishing with 42 catches for 564 yards and seven touchdowns on the season. Contributing to a record-setting year for the JMU offense in all major passing categories and total offense, his seven touchdowns rank fifth in the CAA while his 47.0 receiving yards per game were 13th. His top game of the year was in a home victory over then-No. 17 William & Mary when he made eight catches for a career-high 128 yards and one touchdown. He also had six catches for 67 yards and a career-high two touchdowns against Saint Francis.

JMU football opens its 2015 season on Saturday, September 5 against Morehead State.  Season tickets are available starting at $126 and include seating and parking for all six home games.  For more information visit JMUSports.com/tickets or call the ticket office at (540) 568-DUKE (3853).

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Monday, May 25, 2015

Happy Memorial Day from Clarke County Sports


The Clarke County Sports Game of the Week

PURCELLVILLE, VA- The Virginia Chargers have secured home field advantage in the Playoffs with their 35-12 win over the Virginia Vengeance last night at Woodgrove High School.

Former Manassas Park Cougar Michael "Moo" Roberts rushed for 113 yards on 16 carries and scored 4 touchdowns rushing and Brandon Hyler ran for 1 score and was 8 of 15 for 91 yards passing.

Dale Taylor had 2 receptions for 60 yards. Daniel and A.J. Orlebar each had 6 tackles.The

The Virginia Chargers defense had 4 interceptions and a fumble recovery.

The Clarke County Sports game of the Week is written and produced by Moe Murphy with camera operators James and Matt Murphy assisting on the broadcast. 

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Chargers win big, secure home field advantage for the playoffs



Michael "Moo" Roberts scores 4 TD's  Photo by Matt Murphy
PURCELLVILLE, VA- The Virginia Chargers moved to 9-0 and secured home field advantage for the playoffs with their 35 -12 victory over the Virginia Vengeance last night at Wolverine Stadium at Woodgrove High School.

Chargers running back Michael "Moo" Roberts scored 4 touchdowns and quarterback Brandon Hyler went in for the other score. The loss dropped the Vengeance to 7-2 with one regular season game to play.

Chargers QB Brandon Hyler  Photo by James Murphy


The Chargers will host the Maryland Phantom from the AFA Northern Conference next Saturday at 7:00PM at Woodgrove. The Phantom are the other team to defeat the Vengeance.


Below, Roberts and Head Coach Louis Simmons Sr. speak about the game.

The Game of the Week was written and produced by Moe Murphy and James and Matt Murphy assisted with photography and video.



Thursday, May 21, 2015

Washington Redskins Rookie Camp Video

ASHBURN, VA- The Washington Redskins held their 2015 Rookie Mini Camp this past weekend at Redskins Park in Ashburn. Clarke County Sports photographer's Moe and James Murphy were on hand to film and photograph this years morning practice.

Below is a taste of the morning session, followed by an interview with former VA Tech Hokie and 6th Round Draft Pick Kyshoen Jarrett.

Clarke County Sports continues to be the Shenandoah Valley's number #1 source for coverage of the Washington Redskins from nearby Redskins Park.


Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Jarrett compares Hokie Nation and Redskin Nation

REDSKINS PARK, Ashurn, VA- Washington Redskins Rookie DB and 6th Round Draft pick Kyshoen Jarrett spoke with Moe Murphy after Saturday Morning's Rookie mini camp practice. The weekend practices were held for all draft picks, invited 1 year veterans and CFA tryouts.

Jarrett a 5'10 200 DB from Tannersville, PA is glad to be a Washington Redskin and is looking forward to getting to work with the coaches and veterans at Redskins Park.

Please check back for more video and photo coverage from photographer James Murphy including Coach Jay Grudens morning press conference.


Clarke County Sports Game of the Week May 9, 2015


BLUEMONT, VA- The Virginia Chargers defeat the Germantown Gladiators 45-7 on a special Mothers Day Weekend edition of the Clarke County Sports Game of the Week. The Chargers moved to 7-0 with the win and defeated the Hanover Rhino's 41-6 last week to move to 8-0.

Michael Roberts rumbles for a score photo by James Murphy
The Game of the week is approximately 15 minutes and has video highlights of the game set to music and an interview with Chargers Head Coach and Co Owner Louis Simmons Sr.


James Murphy staff photographer / videographer of Clarke County Sports assisted with the production of the show.

The Chargers host the Virginia Vengeance who are in second place in the Atlantic Football Associations Southern Conference at 7-1.

Kickoff for this Saturday is 7:00PM at Wolverine Stadium at Woodgrove High School in Purcellville VA.



More info at The Virginia Chargers Official Website



Senator Russ Potts talks about the 50 years of the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Sports Breakfast

Winchester, VA- Former State Senator Russ Potts was on hand to speak with Moe Murphy before the 50th Annual Shenandoah Apple Blossom Sports Breakfast. Potts, along with Dick Kern were asked fifty years ago to come up with a gathering and it stuck.


"I know this is a personal choice, but Mickey Mantle has to be my all time favorite." Potts said. Below is the video. Check back for more coverage from the event.



Monday, May 18, 2015

Redskins make roster moves by Redskins PR


LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va.The Washington Redskins announced today that they have made the following roster moves:
The Redskins signed the following college free agents:
            T Tovar Allen
            LB Houston Bates
            QB Hutson Mason
            LB Dasman McCullum
            DL Daryl Waud

The Redskins signed the following free agent:
            LB Alonzo Highsmith

The Redskins waived the following players:
            T Brey Cook
            LB James Gayle (designated injured)
            QB Connor Halliday (designated left squad)
            DL LaKendrick Ross
            WR Tyler Rutenbeck



-REDSKINS-
ABOUT THE REDSKINS: Headquartered at Redskins Park in Ashburn, Virginia, and owned by Daniel Snyder, the historic Washington Redskins Football Club has won five World Championship titles including the 1937 and 1942 National Football League Championship games, as well as Super Bowls XVII, XXII and XXVI. Founded in 1932 as the Boston Braves in Massachusetts, the team changed its name to the Redskins in 1933 and relocated to Washington, D.C., in 1937. Since then, the team has become one of the most recognizable professional sports franchises in history, featuring multiple Hall of Fame coaches, 19 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (with nine others who also were Redskins) and becoming the first team in the NFL with an official marching band and fight song, "Hail to the Redskins." The Redskins have been owned by Dan Snyder since 1999, and beginning in 1997, began playing their home games at FedExField in Landover, Md.

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Washington Redskin Rookie Camp Photo's by James Murphy

ASHBURN, VA- Clarke County Sports staff photographer James Murphy was on hand on Saturday at the Washington Redskins Rookie Mini Camp held at Redskins Park in Ashburn. Below are some of James shots from the day.







click read full story for more photo's

Gruden pleased with rookie performances at Mini Camp



May 16, 2015
Redskins Park

The Washington Redksins Head Coach Jay Gruden was pleased with his teams performance in yesterday mornings Redskin Rookie Camp Practice held at Redskins Park, for Rookies, CFA tryouts and invited 1 year veterans. Below are the comments of Coach Gruden provided by the Washington Redskins PR Staff.  A video portion of the press conference  is provided by Clarke County Sports. To see the official  full length video provided by the team go to Redskins.com

On his impressions of the rookies so far:
“I think part of the plan is to throw them some information and see how they can retain it, and then see how they can translate the information they receive on the field. It’s a challenge for a lot of them. I think, overall, they made good impressions on us, a lot of them did. It’s exciting to see. They’ve worked extremely hard. They’ve  studied, and they go out there and practice with great urgency and tempo. So, I was impressed with a lot of them.”


On Preston Smith’s length:
“There’s no question. His length is what draws you to him initially, and then you watch him play, and he uses that leverage to his advantage. Especially in the run game, when people are at the point of attack, he does a great job of using that leverage to his advantage and then using that length in his pass rush. He can get people off of him, and then he has good hips and he can finish plays. Preston has been impressive.”

On if anything surprised him about Smith and Brandon Scherff:
“Well, first off, we’re in shorts, and we’re not going crazy hard tempo…  For Brandon, shorts is not what he wants. He wants the pads. I think he’s done some good things. Obviously, moving over to right tackle is not just a transition that’s going to be immediate and easy for him. He’s going to have to take some lumps, but the good thing about Brandon is he’s a very focused individual. He studies very hard, he takes coaching extremely well and he’s got the best coach to coach him up. But I think you see the progress from yesterday morning to yesterday afternoon to today, it’s a significant change for him already. And I think he’s going to continue to get better. And then Preston, I think what you see is what you get. You’ve got a tall, young kid with huge upside, and it’s our job as coaches to get that upside out of him and get him to work. I think for the first three practices, throwing at them what we’ve thrown at them, I think they’ve done good.”

On Smith’s transition from defensive end to outside linebacker:
“It’s going good. It’s a matter of getting the calls and dropping when he’s supposed to drop and rushing when he’s supposed to rush, and then playing the run and then transition his run to a pass rush. I think he’s doing a good job. I talked to him today about trying to get a little bit more suddenness to him, and he’s just saying, ‘I’m getting my bearings straight. I’m getting my plays down.’ You’ll see it once camp continues to hit and he gets more comfortable with the terminology, but I’ve been impressed with him.”

On Connor Halliday:
“Well, we brought in two quarterbacks here to look at for that fourth spot, but there’s no law that says we have to bring four. We have three guys who are going to really fight for every rep as it is, so in a way it’s not bad to have three. Connor, I can’t speak for the decision that he made. He just chose to jump on a plane and head to the house. I haven’t had a chance to talk with him yet. He just left me a voice message, but I’m sure he had personal reasons behind it. But moving forward, we have three quarterbacks on our roster. We’re looking at another two guys out here today, and one more practice today, and then we’ll make a decision about whether or not we bring four to camp.”

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Redskins sign draft pick Brandon Scherff


All 10 of the team’s picks from the 2015 NFL Draft now under contract

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – The Washington Redskins announced today that they have signed first-round pick Brandon Scherff. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

With Scherff’s signing, all 10 of the Redskins’ selections from the 2015 NFL Draft are now under contract.

Scherff (6-5, 319) started 36 of the 43 games in which he appeared at Iowa. In 2014, he received the Outland Trophy, given annually to the nation’s most outstanding interior lineman. Scherff earned unanimous consensus All-American honors and was named first-team All-Big Ten for the second consecutive season. He also won the Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year award in the Big Ten Conference.

Scherff, 23, was born on Dec. 26, 1991, and attended Denison (Iowa) H.S.

In addition, the team finalized the contract of cornerback Tevin Mitchel, whose agreement to terms was announced on Monday.

Friday, May 8, 2015

Chargers win big, move into first place

PURCELLVILLE, VA- The Virginia Chargers moved to 7-0 last night with a 45-7 win over the Germantown Gladiators at Wolverine Stadium at Woodgrove High School in Purcellville. The Chargers (7-0) took sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Football Associations Southern Conference, as co leaders the Virginia Vengeance were defeated yesterday by the Maryland Phantoms.

"It feels great," Chargers Coach Louis Simmons Sr said. "The Gladiators came here and played their hearts out, they were shorthanded, as we were, but we did what we had to do."

The Chargers got big rushing performances from Michael Roberts 88 yards on 9 carries with 2 TD's, and Akeil Smalley 100 yards on 10 carries with 2 TD's. Smalley replaced Roberts who had a hamstring issue.

QB Brandon Hyler helped his own cause with 48 yards on 7 carries and a rushing TD. Hyler was 8 of 16 for 168 yards including a 36 yd TD pass to Sherman Thomas.

The Chargers defense was near perfect again, as the lone score for the Gladiators came in the first half on a kickoff return for touchdown. Daniel Orlebar was credited with 2 1/2 sacks and leads the AFA in sacks with 13 1/2.
Alhaji Kanu 52 YD FG

One of the big highlights of was when Chargers kicker Alhaji Kanu hit a 52 yard field goal late in the second quarter.

The Chargers head to Hanover, PA this Saturday to face the Hanover Rhino's, before returning to Wolverine Stadium in two weeks to face the Virginia Vengeance.


Check back at Clarke County Sports for video highlights from the game, as well as game photography from James Murphy.... coming soon.



To check Chargers Statistician's Chris Cunningham Sr official game stats click the link below.
 
Chargers vs Gladiators Box Score and Game Stats


Thursday, May 7, 2015

Redskins General Manager Scott McCloughan comments on 2015 NFL Draft


May 4, 2015
Redskins Park

General Manager Scot McCloughan

Opening statements:
“I just want to say, from a starting point, 10 picks was excellent. You guys know I wanted 10 picks. The process, being the first time for me being here with the scouts, the coaches, the owner, Bruce [Allen], was excellent. We hit what we wanted to hit from the standpoint of not just good football players on the field, but off the field as well. That’s very important to me. I think the character off the field plays into a player going from good to great, and great to special. It was very important to me, especially in my first draft, to let the Redskin community and fans and everybody out there know that we all take pride in this and we take ownership in it and we got better because of that. The whole character, and we got some really good football players.”

On the decision to select Brandon Scherff and what it means for Morgan Moses and Tom Compton:
Washington Redskins General Manager Scott McCloughan
“The thing about it which is great, as soon as we drafted him, everyone thinks ‘OK, he’s going to be your starting right tackle, your starting right guard.’ No, no. He’s got to come in and earn the job. From the standpoint of the player himself? The whole package. It’s what I look for. I’ve been lucky to be around this league a long time, and seen players succeed that have that much ability, but also throw the character in there – the passion, the competitiveness, the toughness he has. I wanted my first pick to be here, no matter what, somebody that’s not just an impressive player, but an impressive person and somebody you can build around. Not only does he come in as a good football player, guys around him will be better because of the way he approaches the game.”

On if Scherff could play guard at some point:
“You know what, the best five are going to be out there. We drafted him as a tackle. That’s what he played in college. If it ends up, all of a sudden, he plays four or five years, six, seven years of tackle and then moves in to guard, it doesn’t matter to me. What matters to me is getting the best five up front out there so we can win games.”

On if drafting players known for size and toughness was by design:
“Well, it’s my philosophy. It’s a long season, and like I said prior to the draft, it’s a big man’s game. But also, it just happens the way our board was set was with the big guys at any position. But also you can see with [Jamison] Crowder and with Kyshoen Jarrett, it’s a smaller body guy, but still a really good football player. So it works out the way it did. I wanted size, of course, but I also wanted the football player, the whole package. That’s why it fell that way.”

On his assessment of his personnel staff and the draft process:
“I have assessed it, and I’m going to meet this week with Bruce tomorrow, and then we’re going to meet with Dan. But, again, I was very, very happy with it – the whole process. The guys bought in to it, the guys worked their tails off, and I could see the pride in them when we made the picks. That’s what I want. So as of right now, everything is status quo going forward.”

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Virginia Chargers remain undefeated as they start their playoff run

BLUEMONT, VA- The Virginia Chargers (6-0) remain undefeated as they posted another shutout at the hands of the Mid-Atlantic Raiders 39-0 at Stanton Field in Washington D.C. on April 25th.


The Chargers remain tied for first place in the Southern Division of the Atlantic Football Association with the Virginia Vengeance (7-0) in spring minor league football.


The Chargers will host the Germantown Gladiators (2-4-1) of the AFA Northern Division  this Saturday at their home stadium, Wolverine Stadium at Woodgrove High School , Purcellville VA. 7:00PM. 


A first place showdown with the Virginia Vengeance is setting up as the Vengeance will make the trip from Virginia Beach to Purcellville on May 23.


The strong start can be attributed to both coaching and production on the field.


"We feel very fortunate to have such a strong coaching staff with Donnie Rowland, Troy Wilt, Scott Dinant, Didymus Tate, and Dusty Hogbin," Owner and Head Coach Louis Simmons Sr. said. "Without their time and dedication we wouldn't be as strong in all areas as we are."


The Chargers have recorded 4 shutouts  Photo by Janette Cox
 The Chargers defense has posted four shutouts in six games yielding only 32 points in their six victories.


"First year defensive coordinator John Scott has completely turned our defense around this season." Simmons said.


Scott, a 2002 Handley Judge, is in his ninth season and was a standout back when the Winchester Tigers were playing at Feltner Stadium in Berryville and has been a rock with the Chargers.


"Our biggest contributors to the success of the Defense Line have been Kevin Owens (Briar Woods HS), AJ Orlebar (Appalachain State), Daniel Orlebar (Appalachain Sate), and Franklin Martin (JMU)," Simmons said. "Our linebacker help from Nick Ross (Chattanooga), Duriel Thomas (Herndon HS), and Tavan Mair (Sherando HS) have been key. Sherman Thomas, Larry Lucas (Woodbridge HS), Dwayne Fodderell (Fauquier HS) Paulo Barco (Heritage HS), and Gerel Nesbitt (Forest Park HS) have all been leaders in the defensive back core to shore up the pass defense."

Michael Roberts running strong.  Photo by James Murphy

The Chargers offense has been equally impressive scoring 149 points in six games averaging 25
points per game.


Offensively our running game with Michael Roberts (Manassas Park HS) has been strong the season," Simmons said.  "But we have suffered some injuries with Deric Dudinski (Park View) and Tony Twigg (James Wood). Receiving core wise Kenneth Griffin (Handley HS) and Dale Taylor (Heritage HS) Richard Myers (Handley HS) and TE Billy Butterfield (Heritage HS) are key players in the passing game. Our offensive line is one our biggest strengths with Louis Simmons Jr. ( Clarke County HS) Lamont Moore ( Shenandoah Univ.) Jeremy Payne (Handley HS) Ryan Swanger (Strasburg HS) and Tyler Heflin (Jefferson HS) who all give our quarterback Brandon Hyler (Jefferson HS) a solid front."


Special teams have played consistently adding to a successful all around team effort.

"Our Special Teams kicker Alhaji Kanu is having an outstanding season and is still looking forward to get to the next level." Simmons said.


The Chargers are hoping to use the fact that many local players from previous area schools are on the team and an undefeated season will help them to increase attendance at home games.

"We have had some great supportive sponsors this season Double D Towing, HIGH TECH Powder Coating, and Purcellville Orthopedic Physical Therapy." Simmons said.

Sherman Thomas CB/ Special Teams  Photo by James Murphy
The Chargers are also very active in giving back to the community through out the season and in the off season the coaches and players give back to the community with Toy for Tots game in December each year, assist with a fundraiser with South Hagerstown High School football program and multiple year football programs as coaches and holding clinics.

The teams official website is The Virginia Charger Official Website








Saturday, May 2, 2015

Redskins Coach Jay Gruden FInal Comments on 2015 NFL Draft

Redskins Park, Ashburn, VA- 

Coach Jay Gruden

On what he liked about the players selected on Saturday:

“We liked something different about all of them. Obviously, we got Jamison [Crowder] – we liked his big play ability. He can return punts, obviously. That’s obviously exciting. Very productive college football player, very tough, and he’s going to be an instant playmaker for us. So, that’s going to be a good one. [Arie] Kouandjio from Alabama, big, physical offensive guard. You talk about offensive line depth, you can never have too many big guys that can move the pile – powerful people. Knowing him and talking to him at the combine, he’s a very good person who works very, very hard. Very detailed in what he does, and he’ll be a good fit for us. Martrell [Spaight] the linebacker from Arkansas, very productive player. A one-year player who really did some things in college as a linebacker, physical linebacker. Makes a ton of plays. Very, very productive in the games that he played. Very exciting. He likes to hit, you can see that. He doesn’t back down from any contact. He’ll be a player to be reckoned with. I promise you that. Very tough player. And Kyshoen from Virginia Tech, the safety, similar type. A little bit undersized for a safety, he’s 5-foot-10 but when he brings it he brings it. He’s a tough guy. I think he’s going to be very good on special teams and he’s going to have to try to work his way into the lineup. But, very physical player, very productive player at Virginia Tech, and we like what we saw on tape. And we like his demeanor and the way he plays. Physically tough, makes up for not being 6-foot-2 or 6-foot-1 by his physical toughness and his ability to play special teams. And Tevin [Mitchel] at Arkansas, did a lot of work on Tevin. He had an excellent pro day, has excellent measurables, 6-foot tall. He was relegated mostly to playing nickel at Arkansas. But, I think with the measurables that he has, there is a role for him. He can run and did some good things at the nickel position. And Evan Spencer, you know obviously he’s Cole’s brother, who works here. We know a lot about him obviously, but he brings a different type of mentality to the receiver room. He’s a different type of player, he’s a physical player. Excellent special team player – excellent, excellent, excellent – and he’s going to make that room better. Very, very good, positive, tough football player. And Austin [Reiter] with the last pick at South Florida, you watch him on tape and he does some really good things. He’s a good solid center. He’ll come in and fit in the mix and come in and compete like the rest of these guys. I think the motto of this draft really is that these are all good football players, proven football players, very productive in college. Tough, love to play, and we’re excited to get to see them.”



On not taking any defensive linemen and if that is what he expected:

“No, that’s not what we expected. When we got Preston, you know he’s kind of a tweener. We addressed defensive linemen in free agency obviously. We have some good guys in house and we wanted to take maybe one or two of those, but we just felt the players that were available that we did take were a better fit for us at that time.”



Redskins Coach Jay Gruden
On why it was important to select players with strong special teams experience:

“Well, our special teams has not been very good the last couple years and it’s an area that we have to improve. You really only improve special teams by improving your depth and when your depth becomes improved then your special teams becomes improved. And the type of mentality that these guys have to have that Evan Spencer has, that Spaight has, that Kyshoen has, I think these are good fits for us and they’re going to come in and they know on Day 1 and know that [it is] ‘special teams one, position number two,’ that’s the way you crack into the lineup. That’s the way you crack into the NFL is by dominating special teams, making your mark in Coach [Ben] Kotwica’s room, and then when your opportunity is called out there at your position, you make the most of it. But, they all have to be good on special teams.”



On if the draft philosophy changed from last year:

“You know, obviously Scot was the lead dog. That’s the biggest change, but really we all had input. Obviously, he took everybody’s input, but not a lot of changes. It was just a matter of who was making the final decision. That’s really it. There weren’t any head-butting issues. Everything went along really smooth. Once the pick was made, we were all in and we were all really excited about the players we got. So there wasn’t any animosity, no bickering or any of that stuff. There was some conversation. When the pick was made, it was final and we all respected it and we were all fired up about it.”



On the type of player the Redskins coveted this year as opposed to last year:

“I think really the motto is he [Scot McCloughan] really preaches he likes tough football players, physically tough football players. You see that with the guys that we got. Matt Jones, obviously Brandon Scherff, Preston is tough guy, Kouandjio is tough guy, Martrell is very, very tough, Kyshoen is tough, they’re all tough football players. Evan is a tough guy and you want to have a physical toughness when you’re drafting football players, guys that love football and have a strong passion for the game. And you have to visualize a role for them. What’s their role going to be for your football team? Is it special teams year one? Develop them into a core starter? Is it competing for a starting job? Is it a nickelback, is it a safety, what is it? But, we do have a pretty good vision for all these guys. We are excited to get in the building and see what they can do.”