PENINSULA SPORTS CLUB 66th Annual EADLINER S IGHT H MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015 • NEWPORT NEWS’ MARRIOTT N AT CITY CENTER
H M S P Y
Henry Morgan OLD DOMINION RECYCLING
Aluminum • Copper • Steel • Iron All Types of Metals • Paper • Tires
BEST SERVICE FOR Roll Off Con tain ers for Industrial Plant Pick-up 723-0757 1618 West Pembroke Avenue • Hampton Off I-664 at Powhatan Park way Exit, then left on Pembroke Serving Hampton Roads for Over 50 Years OLD DOMINION A note from... Pe n i n s u l a Sp o r t s Cl u b Pr e s i d e n t RECYCLING Everette “Sonny” Seay, III
Welcome to the 66th Annual Headliner’s Night, and the Peninsula Sports Club’s opportunity to once again recognize many of the talented and accomplished sporting individuals from our area. Since the Club’s inception in 1949, one of the missions has been to honor annually persons who have devoted their time and efforts to advancing sports on the Peninsula and beyond. So this evening you Aluminum • Copper • Steel • Iron will hear and read about those selected this year. Some are at the beginning of their sporting journey, and others are in the midst of long and decorated careers which have brought All Types of Metals • Paper • Tires them to us tonight. Athletes with long lists of accomplishments; organizers, planers and a sport owner with many objectives reached; and one who has for years in printed word delivered many accounts of sporting events for our pleasure.
BEST SERVICE FOR Additionally, you will be introduced to those who have achieved in the class room, and will tonight have earned a scholarship for use in advancing their educational endeavors. For these young persons, we are especially proud to support them. They represent some of the Peninsula’s Roll Off Con tain ers finest student athletes, and with their scholarship will allow the PSC to have contributed over $160,000 to this Club project. for Industrial Plant Pick-up We, in the PSC, are proud of our contributions to the Peninsula sporting community, and invite any of you to join with us. I would encourage you to question any members present tonight about the PSC; to view our PSC website; and to visit our membership table located just outside this ball room for a membership application. We welcome anyone interested in becoming a member of the PSC to any of our events as they all are open to the public.
723-0757 On behalf of the PSC Membership, Board, Officers and myself, congratulations to all of our honorees, a thank you to each of you for attending, and the extension of an invitation to all to 1618 West Pembroke Avenue • Hampton attend a PSC event in the very near future. We look forward to having you!
Off I-664 at Powhatan Park way Exit, then left on Pembroke Most respectfully,
Sonny Seay Serving Hampton Roads for Over 50 Years
2015 Headliner’s Night - 1 2014 - 2015 Of f i c e r s President Everette “Sonny” Seay, III 1st Vice President Keisha Pexton 2nd Vice-Elect Michael Keech Treasurer Joe Sabol Secretary Bob Alexander Past President Bryan Weaver Di r e c t o r s Bill Badgett Bobby Hilling Andrew Ryan Greg Bicouvaris Rick Lugent David Thomas Bobby Brown Samuel Mayo Lori Woods Willie Brown Kyle McMullin Everette “Sonny” Seay, III Gordon Cooper Reatha Montgomery Horace Underwood Joseph Dusewicz Bud Porter Boo Williams Website Administrator: B. Carolyn Berry 2015 Pe n i n s u l a Sp o r t s Cl u b Fo u n d a t i o n Bo a r d President: Gordon Cooper Director: Bryan Weaver Secretary: Joan Powers Director: Everette “Sonny” Seay Treasurer: Joe Sabol Director: Connie Powers He a d l i n e r ’s Ni g h t Co m m i t t e e s Pr o g r a m ...... Colleen Messier Ba n q u e t ...... Keisha Pexton Reservations ...... Colleen Messier Pr o g r a m Wr i t e r /Ed i t o r ...... Michael Keech Vi d e o Pr o g r a m ...... Thomas Gentry Pa s t Pr e s i d e n t s 1949 - Herbert Morewitz 1971 - Frank Schwalenberg 1994 - Bill Smith William Van buren, Jr. 1972 - C.C. Duff, Jr. 1995 - Tom Lee 1950 - (Herbert Kelley finished term) 1973 - Tom Crenshaw 1996 - Willie Brown 1951 - Charles Karmosky 1974 - W.A. Bud Porter 1997 - Mary Jo Horton 1952 - Louis (Lolly) Aronow 1975 - Bob Tysinger 1998 - Mike Barber 1953 - H.V. (Bird) Hooper 1976 - Jerry Franklin 1999 - George Powell 1954 - Vic Zodda 1977 - Larry Turner 2000 - Boo Williams 1955 - Vaughn Mackey 1978 - C.J. Browne 2001 - Gordon Cooper 1956 - Bruce Barclay 1979 - Bill Copeland 2002 - Steve Veazey 1957 - Fred (Tootsie) Bashara 1980 - Ron Kubesh 2003 - Jim Healy 1958 - Elmo Stephenson 1981 - Bob Moorman 2004 - Jim Healy 1959 - Arthur Newsome, Jr. 1982 - Elmer Fisher 2005 - Michael Evans 1960 - L.W. (Duff) Kliewer 1983 - Nelson Ellis 2006 - Michael Evans 1961 - Bob Moskowitz 1984 - Glen Davenport 2007 - Horace Underwood 1962 - Dr. J.t. (Tommy) Jobe 1985 - Horace Underwood 2008 - Colleen Messier 1963 - Gene O. Howell 1986 - Bev Vaughan 2009 - Colleen Messier 1964 - George Walker 1987 - John Graham 2010 - Lori Woods 1965 - Richard W. Hudgins 1988 - John Graham 2011 - Lori Woods 1966 - W. Trible Wilkinson 1989 - Mickey Marcella 2012 - Bryan Weaver 1967 - John (Bucky) Marshall 1990 - Bobby Brown 2013 - Bryan Weaver 1968 - Godfrey L. Smith 1991 - W.A. Bud Porter 2014 - Sonny Seay 1969 - Monty Williams 1992 - Sam Vreeland 1970 - Jimmy Eason 1993 - Connie Powers 2 - 2015 Headliner’s Night ,
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2015
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2015 Headliner’s Night - 3 66th Annual He a d l i n e r ’s Ni g h t Pr o g r a m WELCOME ...... Everette “Sonny” Seay, III PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND INVOCATION ...... WILLIE BROWN Master of Ceremonies...... W.A. Bud Porter BOB MOSKOWITZ MEDIA AWARD ...... David Teel JULIAN RICE AWARD...... Menchville High School LEWIS ELMORE “RED” SIMPSON AWARD ...... Lafayette High School
Di n n e r GUEST SPEAKER...... Robert banks MOREWITZ SPORTS PERSON OF THE YEAR...... Henry Morgan SPORTS PERSON EMERITUS AWARD ...... Bobby Mears Henry Jordan AWARD ...... Deron Mayo CHARLES KARMOSKY AWARD ...... Horace Underwood SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT Award...... John Piggott Maurice Pierce OUTSTANDING High School FEMAle ATHLETE OF THE YEAR...... Kara Enoch JULIE CONN OUTSTANDING HIGH SCHOOL MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR...... Evan Sperling COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP...... Lucas Beissner Alexander Bochel Poppy Crawshaw Kelly Gazarik Martine Hunnicutt Taylor Smith Eric Taleghani Rambert Tyree Wayne E. Begor Scholarship ...... Garrett Robinson The APPRENTICE SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR ...... Ian Jones CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT UNIVERSITY ATHLETE OF THE YEAR...... Jalon Brown HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETE OF THE YEAR...... Vendula Strakova Thomas Nelson Athlete of the Year...... Christopher French The College of WILLIAM AND MARY ATHLETE OF THE YEAR...... Luke Rhodes OUTSTANDING IN-STATE COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR...... Kiara Porter OUTSTANDING IN-STATE COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR ...... Billy Russell OUTSTANDING OUT-OF-STATE COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR...... Adrienne Motley OUTSTANDING OUT-OF-STATE COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR...... Troy Williams CLOSING REMARKS...... Sonny Seay
4 - 2015 Headliner’s Night W.A. Bud Porter Hampton High School – Football, Co-Captain – All State – Most Valuable Back – Virginia East-West All-Star Game. William & Mary – Football –Running Back and Punter – All –Southern Conference Punter leading nation for 6 weeks. Fort Eustis “Wheels” – East e Coast Service Champions, National Service Champion s and Missile Bowl Champions m
– Defensive Back and Punter – Set Missile Bowl Punting record of 44.4 yards per kick. The C
Newport News Apprentice School – Assistant Football Coach 1967, 1968, 1971 -1974. Fort Hill, e e Virginia nationally known Fast Pitch Softball Team – 16 years catcher and outfi elder – Played in 1965 World Tournament, 1967, 1969 and 1973 National Tournaments – Called - w.a. b and caught perfect game in 1969 National Tournament against Mesa, AZ, only the 2nd perfect game ever in the National Tournament. Named to play in National Fast-Pitch All-Star games in Stratford, Conn. in 1970. One of only three Virginians to ever be invited. Elected to ASA Tidewater VA Softball Hall of Fame – 1990, Youth Football, Softball Coach – Big Brother & Big Sisters of Peninsula – Charter Board Member, Peninsula Boys & Girls Club – Past President, Board of Directors serving 32 years, Peninsula Stadium
Authority – Past Chairman, Parks & Recreation Authority – City of Hampton – Chairman, Denbigh Presbyterian d u Church – Served as President of Men, Deacon and Elder, Chairman - Lower VA Peninsula Athletic Hall of Fame. Member of: Historic VA Peninsula Region of Antique Automobile Club of American – Past President P
Virginia Classic Thunderbird Club, Heartland Vintage Thunderbird Club of America, Peninsula Sports Club – r e t r o Joined 1967, elected to Board of Directors in 1969 where he still serves. He has held the offi ces of treasurer, secretary, vice-president and president twice, fi rst in 1974 and again in 1991. He has chaired numerous committees in his 40 + years but is especially proud of heading groups to establish the Henry Jordan Award
and The Table of Champions. Bud considers it an honor to serve as Master of Ceremonies. Sports Club Honors: Special Achievement 1970 - Charles Karmosky Award 1993 - Morewitz Sports Person of the year 2000 Bud currently owns his own company, W.A. Bud Porter & Associates selling Employee Benefi ts. Prior to this he was the top salesman in the nation twice for the Home Life of New york. He placed in the top 10 nationally 13 times in 15 years. He was twice Keynote Speaker at National Conventions.
Robert Banks g
Who was the Columbus (Ohio) Touchdown Club’s High School Player of the t s e u year in 1982?
If you guessed Williamsburg native Robert Banks, who starred at Hampton s High School and Notre Dame, not Ohio State, you’re correct. He began his r e K a e P high school days at Peninsula Catholic before transferring to Queen Street.
Banks, named the Peninsula Sports Club’s Outstanding High School Athlete in 1983, was the seventh round draft pick of the Houston Oilers in 1987 and
fi nished his NFL career with the Cleveland Browns in 1990. He is a member of - r both the Virginia High School Hall of Fame and the Lower Virginia Peninsula Athletic Hall of Fame. t r e b o At Notre Dame, he spent two of his three years starting on the defense with Mike Golic of ESPN’s famed “Mike & Mike” radio show, fi rst at defensive end and then at outside linebacker. b He led Hampton High School to 35 consecutive victories and its fi rst back- to-back state titles in 1980 and ’81. Banks was the fi rst player in Virginia history s K n a to be named Associated Press all-state on both sides of the ball in consecutive years. Banks works and resides in Texas, but still visits the Peninsula to see his parents. He has worked in education for 16 years. He and his wife Cheryl have a son and a daughter.
2015 Headliner’s Night - 5 Henry Morgan It’s unlikely there’s a more modest and unassuming yet caring e a r owner of a baseball team than Henry Morgan of the Peninsula Pilots. He just doesn’t fi t the owners mold. Think Peter Angelos, George Y Steinbrenner, et al. Morgan considers himself the Pilots “caretaker” and insists on being identifi ed in that fashion on the team’s website staff listing.
t H e The Pilots play in the Coastal Plain League, which like its more
famous relative on Cape Cod features teams composed solely of active college players, who spend their summers competing with wooden bats in hopes of becoming professionals. Peninsula, one of o f 15 entries in the CPL, has won the last two league championships.
To get a better feel Morgan, who was thrust into a Coastal Plains League team ownership situation in 2000 after chairing the Peninsula Stadium Authority, consider his website comments after a regular season game in August of 2014. “Baseball fans are the best… Pilot fans are the best! Last night in addition to an exciting Pilots win in front of almost 2,500 fans who were totally in the game on a beautiful evening, the Pilots organization raised $2,000 for Bryan Robinson’s family.”
e r s oThat’s n the ideal environment that Morgan strives for at every Pilots game in a 67-year-old War Memorial Stadium he was instrumental in rejuvenating. A Peninsula game is all about family participation and
P helping the community get involved in making life a little better.
Jeff Scott has served as Pilots general manager for 10 years and has often experienced the effects of Morgan’s modest magic on Kentucky Ave. “Henry’s involvement with the Pilots has been astronomical,” Scott said. “He’s low key, but is a whiz at community relations. He spends entire games circulating in the stands and by night’s end has gotten to know something about a lot of fans that will keep many of them coming back to the park for another positive experience. P o r t s “His motto is building the franchise one fan at a time and with our championship success the last two
s years, we’re hearing more and more from fans who had no idea what was going on here and now are anxiously coming back. We really are a family.”
Morgan’s unwavering community awareness is evident in team activities that have raised thousands of dollars to help non-profi t organizations as well as unfortunate individuals whose lives have been dealt a severe blow by illness or injury. o r e w i t z m e r b e r t H
6 - 2015 Headliner’s Night H One of Morgan’s favorite times is at game’s end hanging out at the exit gate and having a final word with fans. “I see a father with a young son and hope that someday the son will return with a child of his own in tow.” Morgan said. He remembers the infant days of the franchise and thinking he’d be t r e b r e happy just housing some of the players for the summer and sitting back to watch games with a hotdog and a beer.
“We had no plan and I remember asking an early manager what I could do to help and his primary concern was getting a 7-foot-pitcher,” Morgan said. “But things slowly evolved with the help of then intern Mike Smith from Yale, who became an executive for several Major League teams. We got more competitive by 2003. Hank (Henry’s son) came aboard as general manager and when he took over as manager in 2007 he really connected with the players.” M
The triumvirate of both Morgans and GM Scott brought a much-needed consistency and stability to
the franchise mix. That continuity led to an easier chore securing quality players. The Pilots became z t i w a e r o playoff fixture and have been to the postseason nine consecutive years. Instead of weeks compiling a roster, the task is done in several days.
Largely due to Morgan’s efforts, Peninsula’s attendance average has climbed past 2,000 in a facility that holds 3,750. That number is far higher than many of the Carolina League professional teams that labored at War Memorial Stadium in the past.
The elder Morgan, like his son, is a big favorite of Pilots players. “Henry loves being around the players,” said his wife Sue, who also logs many hours helping behind the scenes. “It keeps him feeling
younger.” S
Morgan, whose day job was running two small construction companies, has always been a baseball p guy. His first coaching effort came in the Hampton-Wythe Little League in 1979. He eventually became league president. After 10 years, he moved on to coach the Hampton Post 31 American Legion team s t r o and in the Phoebus Senior League.
He earned the prestigious Bud Metheny Award in 2008 after devoting much of his life and resources to youth baseball activities. In 2013, he was named Daily Press Citizen of the Year. In typical Morgan
fashion he questioned his worthiness of the honor, saying the Pilots represented the community not P Henry Morgan.
The ‘’caretaker” won’t ever change, thank goodness. n o s r e
—Mike Keech
f o
t h e Y r a e
2015 Headliner’s Night - 7 Thanks for all you do for the people who love the game of baseball! GO PILOTS!! John & Ann Bane
8 - 2015 Headliner’s Night bo b mo s K o w i t z me d i a aw a r d 2015 Headliner’s Night - 9 Night 2015 Headliner’s David Teel Teel David New Jersey native David Teel, who came to the Daily Press in His work has been cited more than 60 times by the Associated and athlete accomplished most family’s the Jill wife his rates He 1984, is an eight-time Virginia Sportswriter of the year as voted by Association. and Sportswriters Sportscasters the National Football the Association, Writers Basketball U.S. Editors, Sports Press Writers Association of America and the Virginia Press Association. in 2014. the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame Teel was voted into daughter. observer. They have a 3-year-old most astute sports Media Award Past Bob Moskowitz Recipients * Have passed on 2012 *Bob Sheeran 2013 Sonny Dearth 2014 Chuck Hall 2009 Ray Price 2010 *Scotty Bowers 2011 Nate Milton 2006 Dave Fairbank 2007 Bob Hintz 2008 Jim Heath 2004 Greg Bicouvaris 2005 Wayne Block Menchville High School
Julian Rice thought of himself as a winner. In his mind, Newport News High School never really lost an athletic contest, no matter Julian Rice what the scoreboard said. Now, of course, there is no longer a NNHS and Newport News Trophy Intermediate has gone the way of all fl esh. 1969-70 Hampton Possessed with a hunger for statistical trivia, Rice developed 1970-71 Bethel a virtually unparalleled penchant for details concerning minor 1971-72 Menchvill league baseball and high school sports on the Peninsula, 1972-73 Menchville Newport News in particular. The point system used to select a 1973-74 Ferguson winner encompasses all Peninsula District sports. 1974-75 Menchville 1975-76 Menchville Nevertheless, his zeal and support for teams representing this area — once his beloved Typhoon was no longer in contention 1976-77 Menchville — made him a legend in his own time. 1977-78 Menchville 1978-79 Menchville Time ran out for the perpetual pipe smoker in 1967, and the 1979-80 Menchville Peninsula Sports Club decided to honor him with an award 1980-81 Menchville named for him in 1970. 1981-82 Menchville The roving, highly-coveted honor is awarded the Peninsula 1982-83 Menchville
r o P HDistrict Y Group AAA high school which has accumulated the 1983-84 Menchville most points during a year of competition. Tabulation is designed 1984-85 Menchville to follow systems embraced by college conferences. Schools t 1985-86 Lafayette now eligible for this award are Bethel, Denbigh, Gloucester, 1986-87 Lafayette Hampton, Heritage, Kecoughtan, Menchville, Phoebus, Warwick 1987-88 Lafayette and Woodside.
i C e 1988-89 Lafayette Rice, incidentally, was the Peninsula Sports Club’s fi rst 1989-90 Lafayette secretary. 1990-91 Lafayette r His enthusiasm for all sports and sporting events led to a 1991-92 Menchville perpetuation of the trophy. 1992-93 Denbigh 1993-94 Denbigh 1994-95 Lafayette 1995-96 Lafayette
u l i a n 1996-97 Menchville
J 1997-98 Menchville 1998-99 Menchville 1999-00 Menchville 2000-01 Menchville 2001-02 Menchville 2002-03 Menchville 2003-04 Menchville 2004-05 Menchville 2005-06 Menchville 2006-07 Menchville 2007-08 Menchville 2008-09 Menchville 2009-10 Menchville 2010-11 Menchville 2011-12 Menchville 2012-13 Kecoughtan 2013-14 Kecoughtan
10 - 2015 Headliner’s Night Lafayette High School
Like its Group AAA counterpart, the Rice Trophy, the Simpson Simpson Trophy symbolizes athletic excellence in all areas of competition at the AA level in what was the york River District and is now the Bay Trophy Rivers District. l Winners Red Simpson is a name synonymous with athletic excellence within s i w e the york River District, and the Peninsula. The kindly Newport News 1979-80 Poquoson native administered, taught at, and coached at two of the member schools, leaving never to be forgotten memories, records, and a 1980-81 Tabb number of pupils and players who returned to their alma maters to 1981-82 Tabb carry on his legacy. e 1983-84 Tabb
1984-85 york An outstanding athlete in his own right, his record in the javelin e r o m l 1985-86 Tabb throw stood for many years in collegiate ranks. At the University of 1986-87 Tabb Kentucky, he was mentioned on a number of All-American football 1987-88 Tabb teams, and played in the fabled East-West Shrine Game in 1938. 1988-89 Tabb His return to the Peninsula marked the beginning of his coaching 1989-90 Tabb career, as he served as an assistant to Coach Frank Dobson at The 1990-91 Tabb Apprentice School (he also played for a semi-pro team known as the “r 1991-92 Tabb Builders which had a number of former high school grid stars). 1992-93 Tabb 1993-94 Tabb After a stint in the Navy, he returned to coaching and led Poquoson High School to a State Championship in 1949. Along came another
1994-95 Poquoson d e 1995-96 york war, and Red served again in Korea (he retired from the Naval Reserve in 1965 as a Lieutenant Commander). 1996-97 Tabb ” s 1997-98 Poquoson Back home again after two and one half years serving his country, 1999-00 Poquoson he moved on to a new school in 1954. In 1958, his york High Falcons 2000-01 Lafayette won a league championship with a perfect 9-0 record, defeating
2001-02 Tabb some larger Group I Schools in the process. n o s P m i 2002-03 Lafayette 2003-04 Lafayette Red moved on up the administrative ladder in the educational system to Athletic Director, and later Assistant Principal, giving up his 2004-05 Lafayette fi rst love, coaching, but he left behind a record of championships, 2005-06 Lafayette of memories of him as a kind, honest, competitor; a man to be 2006-07 Lafayette emulated. 2007-08 Lafayette
2008-09 Tabb It is entirely fi tting that Poquoson High, where he fi rst coached in t 2009-10 Jamestown high school, should win the fi rst Simpson Trophy, and that Tabb High, whose Athletic Director Willard Hunt played under Red, and Head 2010-11 Jamestown Y H P o r 2011-12 Grafton and Coach Charlie Hovis, who began his coaching career under Red, should win the second Simpson Trophy. Jamestown 2012-13 Lafayette Red Simpson, a man to be looked up to and copied. We are proud 2013-14 Lafayette that he was with us.
Eligible schools are Bruton, Poquoson, york, Tabb, Grafton, Layfayette, Jamestown and Warhill.
2015 Headliner’s Night - 11 Bobby Mears
Newport News native Bobby Mears has devoted more than two decades of his talent, time and concern for young men through sports on the Peninsula.
From 1968-72, he served as an assistant baseball coach to Billy Cardwell and helped guide Newport News American Legion Post 25 to a pair of state championships and regional appearances. He managed Post 25 from 1973-75 and his 1973 team achieved the only unbeaten regular season in Peninsula American Legion history.
w a r d Mears also served as head baseball coach at The Apprentice School from 1972-74 after a one-year stint as an assistant coach
a under Cardwell.
In 1969, he began a six-year run as a scout for the Montreal Expos.
The Vietnam veteran also spent 13 years as a member of the Peninsula Board 125 of basketball offi cials as well as being a long- time fl ag football offi cial for the City of Newport News.
m e r iMears t u s also authored a successful baseball playing career. He was a star pitcher for both Newport News High School and Post 25. In 1961, he recorded the fi rst no-hitter in the history of Old Dominion e College, now Old Dominion University. He played for the Hampton Royals semi-professional team from 1959-62 and registered a win and a save during a doubleheader. e r s o n P P o r t s s
12 - 2015 Headliner’s Night Deron Mayo
When he’s not helping the Canadian Football League’s Calgary Stampeders win the Grey Cup Championship, Kecoughtan High and Old Dominion University alumnus, Deron Mayo is active in community service projects in Calgary.
Mayo’s most recent project was participating in the team’s annual McDonald’s McHappy Day fundraiser in May. The event had a special meaning for star linebacker Mayo because his wife Janelle has been working for the Ronald McDonald House for the past nine months. Families stay at Calgary’s Ronald McDonald House when they come to the city for their children’s medical treatment H
Mayo, who has played three years for Calgary, was the offi cial Y r n e spokesperson for McHappy Day.
“Having a personal connection with some of the families at the Ronald McDonald House makes raising money for them even more
exciting for me,” Mayo said on the Stampeders website. J
On the fi eld, the 225-pound defender sparked the 2014 Grey Cup n a d r o champions with 67 tackles, two tackles for losses, two sacks and two fumble recoveries. He contributed six tackles and a forced fumble in the championship game.
In March, Mayo, whose brother Jerod is a linebacker for the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots and a previous Henry Jordan Award winner, signed a contract extension with Calgary. a
“Deron has established himself as an excellent CFL linebacker and has become an important member of our defense,” said d r a w Calgary coach John Hufnagel. “He has the ability to play sideline and is consistently around the football.”
Mayo, 27, hungers for another championship. “Anything less than another Grey Cup will be a disappointment for us,” he said.
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Cal Ripken All-Star baseball team won the State Championship last a summer and played in the World Series.
Find Your Next Home at www.CBTraditions.com Horace has been active in the PSC since 1983 and has received PSC d r a w awards as an athlete. He is honored to receive this award but only do what he would hope all PSC members would do…that is to recognize Peninsula people who participate or promote sport activities or make outstanding contributions to perpetuate community athletics.
Carol Sobieski Deb Nye Sam Mayo Orrin Banner Sandra Hood Associate Broker REALTOR® Director of Business REALTOR® Associate Broker Development 869-3050 593-6433 Associate Broker 871-9466 598-1232 810-3821 WILLIAMSBURG NEW KENT LIGHTFOOT NEWPORT NEWS 4071 Ironbound Road 6215 Chesapeake Circle 312 Lightfoot Road 710 Thimble Shoals Blvd. 757-229-9595 804-557-3590 757-229-1507 757-926-4845 Coldwell Banker franchise offices are individually owned and operated. 2015 Headliner’s Night - 15 Maurice Pierce
The accolades keep coming for Maurice Pierce, Hampton University’s Director of Track & Field.
The product of Norfolk State and Warwick High will be an assistant coach for Team USA at this summer’s IAAF World Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Beijing, China.
Pierce, who has guided the Lady Pirates to 12 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference indoor championships, 10 outdoor titles and four cross country crowns in 13 years, will coach Team USA’s sprinters and hurdlers at the August meet.
w a r d “I’ve coached Olympians and world champions at the individual level, but from a team standpoint this is the highest appointment I’ve had.” Pierce said on the HU website. a
Pierce also had an instant impact on the Pirate men’s program, directing them to the 2013 MEAC outdoor championship in his fi rst year with them. The Hampton men also won the 2014 indoor title.
He has coached more than 20 All-Americans, including four in the last four Olympics. Under Pierce’s guidance, David Payne won the silver medal in the 110-meter hurdles in the 2008 Olympics.
He guided triple jumper yvette Lewis and sprinter Francena McCorory to a total of fi ve NCAA individual championships. C H i e V e m e n t a P e C i a l s
16 - 2015 Headliner’s Night John Piggott
John Piggott has run a long way since his 1983 graduation from Williamsburg’s Lafayette High School.
The professional runner, one of the initial inductees in the Virginia Peninsula Road Racing Hall of Fame, hung up his cleats after competing in his 175th marathon (a 26.2-mile race) in March of this year at Newport News. That’s 4,674 miles of marathon competition. s l a i C e P Piggott’s career highlights include 11 marathon titles, a career- best time of 2:30.10 and completing an amazing 17-race schedule in 2008 at age 43, including six races in a 36-day period. His best time in that span was 2:34.34 and his worst was 2:41.04. He had four top ten fi nishes in those six races.
He was ranked second in the USA Master 40 and older division in a 2007. In 2009, he fi nished with a No. 9 ranking.
His best memory is his second-place fi nish in his fi rst marathon t n e m e V at e i H C Richmond in 1995. He ran a 2:44.4 that day and had a surprise visit from his then three-year-old daughter at the fi nish line.
Piggott’s most interesting race came in 2010’s Shamrock Marathon at Virginia Beach. He deliberately started last among over 2,600 runners to raise money for Haiti, which had been ravished by an earthquake that killed 200,000 people. Piggott’s goal was to earn pledge money from every runner he passed in that race for Haitian relief. He fi nished seventh to make more than $7,000 for the Haitian cause.
He has served as an assistant track coach at Lafayette High school
and works in maintenance at Ford’s Colony. Piggott has a wife a Shannon and four children, Sharrryse, Shay, Daysha and John. d r a w
2015 Headliner’s Night - 17 Kara Enoch
In a senior season that was delayed by a broken foot, Tabb’s Kara
t H l eEnoch t e made a remarkable recovery capped by her being named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-American second team. a
“The All-American honor is very rare for the Hampton Roads area and means she is one of the top 30 plyers in the nation,” Tabb coach Wendy Wilson told the Daily Press.
Enoch, who earned a scholarship to Boston University, spurred the e m aTigers l e to their fi fth state championship in seven years. She totaled 25
f goals and 19 assists in gaining State 4A Player of the year honors. She
produced four goals and two assists in two state tournament victories despite suffering a severe ankle sprain a day before the semifi nals. C H o o l s i g H H
u t s t a n d i n g o o s t m
18 - 2015 Headliner’s Night J e i l u Evan Sperling C
In this era of single-sport specialization, Evan Sperling added a n n o dominant, three-sport fi nish to his Grafton High School career. The 6-foot-7 University of Virginia baseball recruit quarterbacked the Clippers in football, made the All-4A state fi rst team in basketball and was instrumental in Grafton’s repeat as Conference 19 baseball champions. o
In addition to his solid work on the mound this spring, Sperling g n i d n a t s t u sizzled at the plate. In a six-game tear en route to the conference crown and regional play, he produced 11 hits and 13 runs batted in. His size and arm strength quickly drew Virginia’s attention.
His basketball prowess included double-doubles in 20 games, while averaging 19 points and 14.5 rebounds.
H H g i s l o o H C
m e l a a e t e l H t
2015 Headliner’s Night - 19 Lucas Beissner
Not many high school athletes compete in a sport for the fi rst time as a junior and make regional competition in their senior year, while maintaining an A-plus grade-point average.
Recent Tabb graduate Lucas Beissner is one of those special individuals. A long-time football and lacrosse player, he added w a rwrestling d to his resume as a junior. He fi nished fourth in his weight class as a senior and advanced to regional competition. He achieved a
a 4.59 grade-point average and ranked eighth in the 2015 class of 277 students.
“I only wish he would have decided to wrestle earlier,” Tabb wrestling Coach Doug Roper said. “He excelled in my world history class and all the other activities he was involved in.”
Beissner plans to attend the University of Virginia and anticipates a career as a pilot in the United States Air Force. e C i P i e n t r C H o l a r s H i P s o l l e g e C
20 - 2015 Headliner’s Night Alexander Bochel
Recent Peninsula Catholic graduate Alex Bochel has a big fan in C the school’s science department chair Don Pollard. e g e l l o “Alex is a superb scholar-athlete in three sports, “raved Pollard. “He is aggressive and a thoughtful risk taker. His dynamic leadership and enthusiastic approach to sports are mirrored in his approach to academics. He is ready for life at the university level and will come out a winner.”
Bochel plans to attend Virginia Tech University where he will pursue a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a masters in s biomedical engineering. P i H s r a l o H C He achieved a 4.387 grade-point average and was ranked 15th in the Knights class of 2015.
Bochel excelled in cross country and also lettered in basketball and track. r t n e i P i C e a d r a w
2015 Headliner’s Night - 21 Poppy Crawshaw
To truly appreciate the depth of Poppy Crawshaw, one most go beyond the recent Poquoson High graduate’s many academic and athletic achievements.
Every fall and spring Saturday for the past three years, Crawshaw attended TOPSoccer where she plays her favorite sport with kids who w a rhave d mental and physical disabilities.
a “TOPSoccer has made me realize that making people smile is something I never want to stop doing,” said Crawshaw, who captained Poquoson’s girls’ soccer and basketball teams, earning all-conference honors in each sport.
Crawshaw’s club soccer coach Steve O’Neil introduced her to TOPSoccer.
“The TOPSoccer players absolutely love Poppy to work with them as she is very empathetic and ensures they have a remarkable day. She is e C i P i e n t a very caring person with a great sense of humor and personality.”
r Crawshaw ranked 15th in the Class of 2015 with a 4.37 grade- point average. She will attend either James Madison or Virginia Commonwealth University in pursuing her goal to become a computer information systems manager. C H o l a r s H i P s o l l e g e C
22 - 2015 Headliner’s Night Kelly Gazarik C Kelly Gazarik ranked fourth in Tabb High’s Class of 2015 with a 4.7 grade-point average, is a state champion fi eld hockey player and e g e l l o distance runner, a fi xture in several academic honor societies and plans to attend the University of Colorado-Boulder in pursuit of a career as a biochemical engineer.
Her outstanding performance in Tabb’s Governor’s School for Science and Technology includes Regional and State Science Fair honors. s Gazarik credits sports for teaching her leadership, teamwork and perseverance. P i H s r a l o H C
“Kelly desires to move into some aspect of biochemical engineering leading to her Ph.D. and with her amazing talents, organizational skills and attention to detail she will have no problem making her dreams come true,” said Tabb AP English Instructor Melinda Schenkkan. r t n e i P i C e a d r a w
2015 Headliner’s Night - 23 Martine Hunnicutt
Martine Hunnicutt epitomizes the ideal student athlete.
The recent Peninsula Catholic graduate produced a 4.7 grade-point average to rank third in her class and was only the second female in school history to have her cross country/track jersey retired.
w a r d A National Honor Society president and frequent community service volunteer, Hunnicutt is also a budding entrepreneur with her own cake
a business. She will attend the University of Virginia where she will study Kinesiology with an eye on a possible career as a physical therapist.
She led the cross country team to four consecutive VISAA State championships and had an immediate impact being named the Daily Press Cross Country Athlete of the year as a freshman. She also excelled in outdoor track as a miler and two-miler winning several state championships.
A leg injury as a sophomore proved to be a blessing in disguise for e C i P i e n t Hunnicutt as she learned rehab techniques that eventually improved her running form and speed. r “You can see the fi erce drive, determination and enthusiasm in her face and eyes when she runs, which is mirrored in her daily classroom work,” said Peninsula Catholic Science and Math Department Chairman Don Pollard. “She is a superstar at synthesizing information.” C H o l a r s H i P s o l l e g e C
24 - 2015 Headliner’s Night Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith didn’t know it C during the infant stages of her high school volleyball career e g e l l o as a freshman at Heritage, but quickly learned she could evolve as a person and a leader on and off the court.
“Sports made it easy for me to push my boundaries and step out of my comfort zone,” said Smith, s who began her climb to be the 2015 Heritage valedictorian P i H s and r a l o H C the Ironclad Conference Player of the year. “I made it my mission to go above and beyond in every practice and game to improve. That mindset transferred into my school work and extracurricular activities.”
Taylor graduated this month with a 4.18 grade-point average and must choose between eight college’s acceptances, including Coker College, Stevenson University and Guilford College. She has her sights set on obtaining a doctorate degree in psychology.
Her many school activities included helping develop the Bayport Student-Run Credit Union, r where she honed her skills in customer service, recruiting and banking transactions. t n e i P i C e a d r a w
2015 Headliner’s Night - 25 Eric Taleghani
Peninsula Catholic English teacher Mike Pilola knew Eric Taleghani was special long before he became his cross country coach.
“At an age where most of his peers just wanted to fi t in, right from the start Eric wasn’t afraid to let one of his (ninth grade honors English) classmates know that it was time to quiet down and listen up,” Pilola w asaid. r d “He was a huge factor in the success of that classroom being student-managed instead of teacher- managed. Despite his willingness
a to present an unpopular view, Eric himself has always been popular, well-liked and respected amongst his peers and faculty.”
Taleghani graduated No. 1 in the Peninsula Catholic class of 2015 with a 4.805 grade-point average. He plans to attend the University of Virginia with a goal of being an orthopedic surgeon.
He lettered in three varsity sports as a junior and senior. His forte was cross country where he led the Knights to a sweep of the TCIS, Catholic and VISAA state titles last fall. Taleghani also earned all-state honors e C ias P i ea n distance t runner in track. He was all-TCIS in basketball and led the team in rebounds. r He was most proud of spurring a mid-season turnaround that sparked the cross country team to its three-title or Triple Crown sweep in 2014.
C H o l a r s H i P s o l l e g e C
26 - 2015 Headliner’s Night Rambert Tyree
Rambert Tyree believes his best learning experience at Warwick C High School came in his junior football season when the Raiders en- dured two coaching changes. e g e l l o
“With all the turmoil (of losing two head coaches and their staffs in a seven-game span), I learned that through any and all adversity I must keep fi ghting forward with my head held high. It is very easy to give up when it gets rough, however it is much better to fi ght through and achieve success on the other side.”
Tyree achieved that success both on the fi eld as a team captain his s senior year and in the classroom where he maintained a 4.12 grade- point average to rank 28th in the Class of 2015. He also served as both junior and senior class president. P i H s r a l o H C
He expects to attend the University of Virginia and eventually run his own business, supporting both his family and the community.
“Rambert continually challenges himself with a determination I’ve rarely seen in a student,” said Louisa Slagle, his school counselor in the International Baccalaureate program. r t n e i P i C e a d r a w
2015 Headliner’s Night - 27 Garrett Robinson
Four years of varsity soccer at Woodside High School have helped
w a rGarrett d Robinson learn the value of hard work and given him an out- let to ease the pressures of the outside world for a while.
a Robinson is this year’s Wayne E. Begor Scholarship Award winner for the Peninsula Sports Club. Begor devoted much of his life to the development of young people in the Newport News Public School System. He was that city’s fi rst Director of Athletics for Public Schools.
Robinson plans to continue his education at James Madison Uni- versity and hopes to ultimately become a doctor in physical therapy.
Robinson’s 3.77 grade-point average earned him a No. 56 ranking
e C i Pin i e Woodside’s n t Class of 2015. He was the lone freshman to make the varsity soccer team and was an honorable mention all-district player that season. He went on to become a co-captain and was a second r team all-district selection as a junior.
He was senior class president and also amassed over 200 hours of volunteer service at Mary Immaculate Hospital and Old Dominion Physical Therapy Center. C H o l a r s H i P s e g o r e. b a Y n e w
28 - 2015 Headliner’s Night GET BACK IN THE GAME SPORTS INJURY CLINIC Our goal is to expedite your return to an active life. Physical Therapists experienced in sports injury assessment and rehab will evaluate injuries, provide acute care and direction to appropriate healthcare professionals when indicated.
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2015 Headliner’s Night - 29 Ian Jones
e a r With a senior season that saw him become the third four-time National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) All-American in
Y school history and end with academic honors through College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), Ian Jones will defi nitely go down as one of the all-time bests to wear an Apprentice School Wrestling singlet.
t H e Jones added another highlight to a stellar career by being named
the 2014-15 Apprentice School Athlete of the year by the Peninsula Sports Club. He becomes the fourth wrestler since 2000 to be named
o f Apprentice School Athlete of the Year joining Darrick Walker (2000),
Cecil Lee (2007) and Marcus Chevres (2012) to win the award. Jones will be presented his award at the Peninsula Sports Club Headliners Night on June 29.
His head coach for four years, Bruce Shumaker, is already lamenting the loss of his senior. “Ian Jones will be very hard to replace. Our wrestling team always liked our chances when Ian went on the mat for his bout,” said Shumaker. “I’ll take about 15 more wrestlers like him. Smart, dedicated and team oriented from the fi rst day. We already t H l e t e miss him.” A native of Painesville, Ohio, Jones fi nished his career in March by coming in fourth place at the a NCWA Nationals in Allen, Texas. With his fi nish, he joined Lee and Chevres as the only four-time NCWA All-Americans in school history. He ended his senior campaign with a 41-9 record with 20 of those wins by fall. In his fi nal season he had winning streaks of 12, 11 and nine while also becoming a four-time Virginia Sports Information Directors Association (VaSID) All-State selection making him the fi rst four-time honoree for the Builders.
For his career, he set a school record with 156 wins and ended second in wins by fall with 68. He was consistent throughout his four years with win totals of 32, 41, 42 and 41. C H o o l
Having an older brother who was fi nishing up his apprenticeship gave Jones an early look at the s school and what was expected of an apprentice, who in this case also wanted to continue his wrestling career. “With my older brother (Ramon) attending the school three years prior to me, I had heard a lot of things about the shipyard,” he said. “Simply enough the idea that I would be able to do something that I love (wrestling), have a job and get my education in one spot made my choice of schools easy.”
Facing the fact of coming to a unique school where you would be up early and work along with going to school and then get on the mat, Jones relied on his wrestling background to get through when times were tight. “Wrestling was the biggest help when it came to the transition into college and the work life. Wrestling kept me motivated not only on the mat but on the job eager to learn and be the best at what I was doing,” Jones said. “Waking up every morning at 5am to go to work can be a struggle, but knowing what I had to look forward to at the end of the journey to be able to participate in something that I absolutely loved made it all worth it.” P P r e n t i C e His supervisor in the Heavy Metal Fabrication department, Justin Fisher, spoke highly of the work ethic
a and commitment to safety Jones displays on the job. “Ian helped out in our safety section here and did a tremendous job working under Scott Dye. He defi nitely set the bar really high on this rotation,” he said. “Ian led the roll out of “Built to Move” here in our shop by working with Tidewater Physical Therapy
H e as he helped establish the administrative controls around the presses in x15. He was highly praised by SFA Director Barry Fallon on his follow up daily to get these controls in place. Safety was something Ian
t took seriously as an apprentice and now as a graduate. He continues to do well in all areas and strives to be the best.”
30 - 2015 Headliner’s Night 2015 Headliner’s Night - 31 They all have an outstanding record, exceptional accomplishments and distinguished careers in their sport. 2006: Bryan Cave, Tiny Laster, Jimmy Laycock, Dan Sinson, C.J. Woollum
2007: Charles Nuttycombe, Dale Roe, Gary Silvey, Leonard Thomas
2008: Richard “Pop” Pitts, Nelson Ellis, Charles Mikula
2009: Buddy Denton, Howard Wiseman, Reatha Montgomery, Findolph Taylor, Samuel Jackson, Skip Mollenhaur
2010: Dennis Koufoufas
2011: Marilyn Watkins, Al Dorner
2012: Wade Traynham
2013: Don Ellis, Jerry Morgan, Betsy Thomas
2014: Larry Estep, Max Gillespie, John Hatch, Melvin Jones, Trish Mitchell, Bob Schmidt
2015: Mike Evans, Bob Pearce, H. Lester “Bubba” Hooker, Paul Hoffman, Phil Janaro, Doug Baggett, John Harvell, Hilda Laubach
32- 2015 Headliner’s Night C Jalon Brown r e H P o t s i r H
CNU senior forward Jalon Brown became the fi rst player in program history to earn fi rst team All-American honors twice in his career when he was named to the D3soccer.com squad this fall. The Captains leading scorer was named to his second straight D3soccer. com fi rst team All-America squad, while also earning second team All-American honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). He is one of only two players to earn All-
American laurels three times in his career, and he captured fi rst team n All-Conference and All-State honors all four years.
A forward from Yorktown, Va., Brown fi nished with a t number r o P w e of program-best marks after an illustrious career at the top of a dominant offense. He is the Captains’ all-time leader in goals scored and total points, fi nishing with 52 goals and 134 points. The three- time Conference Player of the Year saved his fi nest season for last, scoring 47 points on 20 goals and seven assists. The 47-point effort is the second most in a single season at CNU, along with the 20 goals scored. u
He picked up his second straight CAC Player of the year honors after leading the league in total points and goals scored. He ranked Y i t s r Ve i n ninth nationally in goals scored and tenth in total points, while leading a record-breaking team offense that ranked third nationally in both categories.
During the year, Brown posted a pair of hat tricks and fi ve game- winning goals. He also helped guide the Captains to the second most wins in program history, and one of the fi nest overall marks at 19-3-5 for a 79.6% winning percentage. He helped the team score three
road victories in the CAC Championship Tournament, capturing the a fi rst league title for men’s soccer in the CAC, and led the Captains to their fourth NCAA Tournament National Quarterfi nal appearance. e t e l H t
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2015 Headliner’s Night - 33 Vendula Strakova
For the second straight year, Vendula Strakova was an AVCA All- America Honorable Mention and an All-East Region selection. She was
e a r also named the ECAC Offensive Player of the year, after picking up MEAC Player of the year and MEAC Tournament Most Outstanding Y Player honors for the second straight season. She was also named Hampton University Female Student-Athlete of the year. Strakova is the program’s all-time kills leader with 1,725 career kills, and her 691 kills this past season are the most in a single season in program history. t H e
Strakova ranked second in the nation in both total kills and kills per set (5.81), and her 6.54 points per set were also the second-best average among all Div. I players. o f
t H l e t e a n i Ve r s i t Y u a m P t o n H
34 - 2015 Headliner’s Night Christopher French
Christopher Alexander French has played soccer from the early age
of 3. He was a member of the Summit Christian Academy team that had t an undefeated soccer season in 2012. His commitment and joy for the
game, led him to continue playing soccer at Tomas Nelson Community s a m o H College (TNCC). Last fall, French was the starting sweeper (defense) for TNCC. His participation as a defender was pivotal for a defensive unit that defeated several four year college and university club soccer teams. He also had one assist from his defensive position. This spring at the Gators Student-Athlete Awards Reception, Christopher, received the Coach’s Award for Sportsmanship for his determination, dedication
and demeanor as teammate. French’s hard work and determination n on the fi eld transitioned to studies and life goals as well.
Christopher’s hard work on the fi eld was also displayed off the fi eld n o in s l e the classroom. He graduated from Thomas Nelson Community College on March 14th and was awarded the Associate of Science degree in Science. He completed 70 credits with a GPA of 3.37. His academic achievement in his curriculum of study has led to his acceptance to Virginia Commonwealth University and receiving a Merit Scholarship for Electrical Engineering. After completing his bachelor’s degree requirements at VCU, he intends to a continue his education, with the ultimate goal of achieving a Ph. D in Electrical Engineering. His career goal is to be a professor at either a community college or four year college/university to pay it forward with others who are interested in the STEM fi eld. e t e l H t
Christopher is being recognized for his achievements in athletics but his involvement in the community and his impact on the lives of others is life-long and more impressive. His personal and professional goals refl ect his actions in life. He has spent several years doing short-term mission work in New Mexico, Georgia, Florida, California, and England. After graduating from high school, he spent a year in England as a youth worker. The area where he volunteered, Middlesbrough, had been ranked as one of the most challenging places to live in the United Kingdom. As a youth worker, he co-facilitated after-school programs for children ranging in ages 5-14. He also went into schools and assisted faculty working with diffi cult students. His skill set as a football player (soccer) was indispensable to the communityand f o led him to coach a team. As a coach, Christopher was able to make connections to young people
that others were unable to reach. He spent many hours transforming a warehouse into a sports and activity center for the community. This center included a skate park, basketball court and use for e H t other athletic activities. He has also volunteered as a youth director for various weekend conferences helping to organize and entertain children for three day conferences. Christopher’s selection as the “TNCC Athlete of the year” continues a family tradition of athletic achievement. His grandfather, Buddy
Nagele received the Table of Champions honor from the Peninsula Sports Club in 1994 for umpiring in Y the Little League Girls Softball World Series. r a e His TNCC soccer coach, Dione James, expresses the following about Christopher, “There is no other student-athlete more deserving of the Peninsula Sports Club Award than this fi ne gentleman. He went the extra mile on the fi eld while still being an excellent student, which clearly indicated he knew where his priorities needed to be focused. He is a leader, listener, and hard worker who is passionate about everything he involves himself in especially sports. For him soccer is not just a sport, but an art! His sportsmanship and personal ethics are the primary reasons why Christopher Alexander French is Thomas Nelson Community College’s student-athlete recipient of the Peninsula Sports Club Award.”
2015 Headliner’s Night - 35 Luke Rhodes e a r JUNIOR YEAR (2014)
Y Team captain ... All-CAA First Team selection for the second consecutive season … VASID All-State First Team honoree … Led the team with 93 tackles … Also totaled 7.5 tackles for a loss, 4.0 sacks, fi ve PBU’s, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery … Posted 11 tackles in the season opener at Virginia Tech … Registered 11 tackles and a t H e
sack in the win versus Norfolk State … Recorded 11 tackles, nine solo, and 0.5 TFL at No. 4/6 New Hampshire … Totaled 10 tackles with a sack against No. 21 Richmond … Tallied a sack and a fumble recovery
o f in the triumph against Lafayette … Earned a sack, 2.0 TFL and a PBU in the overtime win at Stony Brook … Posted eight stops and a TFL at James Madison … Recorded six tackles and a forced fumble in the win at Hampton … Registered a pair of PBU’s in the win against Elon … Earned the John A. Stewart Winter Warrior Award for his work on the fi eld and in the off-season training program. SOPHOMORE YEAR (2013) Earned fi rst-team all-conference honors … VASID all-state fi rst-team selection … Started all 12 games and ranked second on the team with 98 tackles … Also posted 3.5 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, an t H l e t e interception, seven PBU’s and two forced fumbles … Ranked 12th in the CAA in tackles per game (8.2) and ninth in forced fumbles per game (0.17) … Honored as the CAA Defensive Player of the Week after
a totaling a career-high 13 tackles in the win against No. 16/17 New Hampshire … Recorded 12-tackle, 0.5- TFL performances at No. 14/17 Maine and Richmond … Posted 10 stops and a half sack in the win versus Rhode Island … Registered eight tackles and a forced fumble in the season opener at West Virginia … Also tallied eight tackles and a forced fumble in the triumph against Penn … Totaled seven tackles and a sack in the victory against No. 19/16 James Madison … Posted his fi rst career interception in the win at No. 15/21 Delaware … Preseason All-CAA selection …
REDSHIRT FRESHMAN YEAR (2012)
o l l e gOne e of the nation’s top freshmen, he was one of just 16 players selected to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List ... Honored as a third-team all-conference choice ... Appeared in all 11 games and earned nine starts ... Finished the season with 72 tackles, 4.0 tackles for a loss, a forced fumble and three PBUs
C ... Recorded 11 tackles and 1.5 TFL in the season opener at Maryland ... Posted a career-high 13 tackles and 0.5 TFL at James Madison ... Recorded nine stops, 1.5 TFL and a PBU against Lafayette ... Registered eight tackles, 0.5 TFL and a forced fumble at Towson ... Honored as the CAA Rookie of the Week after totaling eight tackles and a PBU in the win against Georgia State ... Selected as the W&M QB Club Rookie
a r Y of the year ...
FRESHMAN YEAR (2011) Redshirted as a scout team linebacker ...
HIGH SCHOOL Four-year letter winner as a running back/linebacker for head coach John Barton at Hollidaysburg & m Area High School ... Chosen to the Pennsylvania Sports Writers Class 3A All-State Second Team in 2009 and 2010 ... Finished his career as HAHS’s career record holder for touchdowns and points scored ... WPIAL All-Keystone Conference selection as a linebacker in 2010 ... Earned the team’s Blanket Award for being the squad’s most valuable player as a senior ... All Mountain Athletic Conference selection as a junior ... Named All-Mountain Athletic Conference as a sophomore ... Also four-year letterman of the Hollidaysburg Area High School basketball team ... Participated in Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) ... i l l i a m PERSONAL Son of Doug and Margaret Rhodes ... Father, Doug Rhodes, played football at Navy ... Cousin Justin
w Gildea played football at Temple ... Majoring in kinesiology with a public health minor ... Member of Sigma Mu Sigma.
36 - 2015 Headliner’s Night o Kiara Porter g n i d n a t s t u
All Kiara Porter does is get faster.
The Virginia Commonwealth senior All-American won four gold medals in the Atlantic 10 Outdoor Championships in May after totaling three golds in leading the Rams to their fi rst A10 Indoor title in February.
For those keeping score, that brings the Tabb High graduate’s total i
to 14 A10 championships in two years. The list includes, two 200 meters, n two 400 meters, two 4x100 relays and one 4x400 relay outdoors with two 60 meters, two 200s, two 400s and the triple jump indoors. -s e t a t “Kiara sacrifi ced her body and ran seven races in two days for a total of six wins and a third place in the 4x4,” said VCU coach Jon Riley after her effort in the 2015 A10 Indoor. “She rewrote all the A10 sprint records and helped the team to their fi rst championship.”
C Porter, who is relatively small for a sprinter at fi ve feet, uses her size for motivation. e g e l l o
“Being fi ve feet is very uncommon for a 400-meter runner, butit motivates me to defeat all the stereotypes of a typical 400 runner,” she said. “Despite my height, I was given a talent and will continue to give it my all every time I step on the track.”
f She qualifi ed for her third consecutive NCAA Outdoor Championship in the 400 meters with a school record-breaking 51.42 performance e to l a m e fi nish fourth in the recent NCAA East Quarterfi nals. a e t e l H t
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2015 Headliner’s Night - 37
e a r Billy Russell Y Billy Russell, a Woodside High School alumnus, played a key role in William and Mary’s trek to its First Colonial Athletic Association swimming championship. t H e
The junior freestyler fi nished second in both the 100 and 200 freestyle. He took third place in the 60 freestyle. o f
Russell also competed on four successful Tribe relay teams, including the meet record-setting 800 freestyle entry that posted a 6:31.07 clocking with him on the anchor leg. He also anchored the winning 200 medley relay and swam preliminary legs on the winning 400 freestyle and runner-up 200 freestyle entries. t H l e t e For the season, he posted the Tribe’s top individual times in the 50
a freestyle (20.5), the 100 (44.51) and the 200 (1:37.97) His 189.25 season point production was the team’s fi fth highest output.
a l e Russell, the fi rst man to break 45 seconds in the 100 freestyle in school history, won fi ve conference titles and set nine school records as a sophomore. m o l l e g e C t a t e -s n i
u t s t a n d i n g o
38 - 2015 Headliner’s Night o Adrienne Motley g n i d n a t s t u
A repeat selection, Motley obliterated any talk of a sophomore basketball jinx at the University of Miami.
The former Woodside High all-state performer started all 33 games in the backcourt for the Hurricanes, averaging 16.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists. She led the team in fi eld goals (214), fi eld goal percentage (49.2), free throws made (94), free throw percentage (76.4) and steals (47).
o Motley was the only Atlantic Coast Conference player to rank in the top 15 in scoring, fi eld goal percentage, free throw percentage and three-point percentage. t u
She was named fi rst team all-ACC and was the National Player of the Week on 1/12/15. - f o
She scored double fi gures in 29 games, including a 30-point performance in Miami’s fi rst round NCAA victory over Washington. -s e t a t In May, she was selected for the USA Women’s Basketball Pan American and World University Games Team Trials roster.
“This is a huge honor for Adrienne,” Miami coach Katie Meier said on the school’s website. “She C defi nitely fi ts the USA Basketball mold and is one of the nation’s elite players. She’s special because
she makes the right play with the ball and her defense has really, really improved.” e g e l l o f e l a m e a e t e l H t
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2015 Headliner’s Night - 39 e a r Troy Williams Y
Indiana rising junior Troy Williams has progressed mightily since his high school basketball days at Phoebus and Oak Hill Academy. t H e
After a learning freshman campaign for the Hoosiers, Williams started
o f 28 games as a sophomore forward. He responded well, averaging 13 points and 7.4 rebounds, while shooting 54 percent. Those efforts earned the 6-foot-7 Hampton native honorable mention All-Big Ten honors.
He was named Big Ten and Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week on Dec. 22. He recorded 11 points, 12 rebounds and four assists t H l ein t e the second round of the NCAA Tournament versus Wichita State for his sixth double-double of the season. a
Williams, whose uncle Marcellus “Boo” Williams starred at Phoebus High and St. Joseph’s University before his legendary run as an AAU a l e coach and administrator, looks forward to the coming season.
m Indiana has all its starters back and is getting preseason national ranking billing.
“When we found out everybody was coming back and found out about the recruiting class, it was a great feeling,” Williams said on the school’s website. “Everybody is happy and I can’t wait for the
o l l eseason.” g e C
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40 - 2015 Headliner’s Night Robert Allen, D.D.S. NNHS 51 Bob & Tricia Alexander Cleo & Bill Badgett Charlin Rhodes Bakey HS NC 56 George Balanis NNHS 60 J.T. Breeden NNHS 54 Kathleen & Willie Brown Robert “Bobby” Brown Billy Castelow NNHS 52 Wayne Castelow WHS 73 Terry & Gordon Cooper Granville “Heavy” Hall NNHS 54 Bones Haskin NNHS 51 Rhonda Smith Hicks HHS 76 Hilling Family Paul Hoffman W&M 80 Fred “Bass” Jones HHS 57 Jill & Mike Keech Jerry Landeree NNHS 53 Carolyn Langevin Joey Lawrence HHS 54 Carolyn & Mickey Marcella Donnie Marcella NNHS 82 Neil Marcella NNHS 83 Sam & Gail Mayo Emmet McNulty NYK 50 Frank More NNHS 56 Dale Muller NNHS 64 Glenn “Bird” Nelson NNHS 54 Al Norman NNHS 53 Joseph Poslik NNHS 53 W.A. “Bud” Porter, H.H.S. 58 Joe Sabol Carolyn & Sonny Seay Henry Simpson D.D.S. NNHS 54 Norman Snead WHS 57 Bette & Dave Thomas Pat & Horace Underwood Harvey Weinstein NNHS 57
Dick Carneal HHS 49 Henry Jordan WHS 53 Tommy Kanoy HHS 53 Raymond Langston NNHS 54 Frank Ottofaro NNHS 54 John Rayfield NNHS 57 Leon Veazey Grady Webb NNHS 54 Jamie Yacobi St. Vincent 47
2015 Headliner’s Night - 41 Boys & Girls Clubs of the Virginia Peninsula wishes Peninsula Sports Club great success on the 2015 Headliner's Night!
Congratulations to all of the local athletes being honored this evening for their achievements and dedication!
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Virginia Peninsula serves over 6,000 youth annually, ages 6-18, in the cities of Newport News, Williamsburg, & Hampton, and in the counties of Gloucester, York & Mathews. Our mission is “to inspire & enable all youth, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring adults.”
Now enrolling for the Summer Adventures Program! Shop or donate to our thrift stores located at 12621 Warwick Blvd and 1961 East Pembroke Avenue
Boys & Girls Clubs Administrative Offi ce 11825 Rock Landing Drive, Chesapeake Bldg Newport News, VA 23606 (757) 223-7204 www.bagclub.com www.facebook.com/bagcvp Contact us for a tour! 42 - 2015 Headliner’s Night Bryan Kersey
705 Mobjack Place Suite A Newport News, VA 23606
Phone: 757.595.7171 757.223.6591 Fax: 757.595.9215 757.223.1371
KSCBenefits.com Employee Benefits * Executive Benefits * Estate Planning * Consulting Home, Auto and Business Insurance Kersey, Sealey, Clark & Associates is a brokerage firm dedicated to providing insurance solutions for individuals and businesses throughout the Greater Hampton Roads area.
Our company focuses on what on what is important to our clients, which leads us to our corporate priority: Long-Term relationships based on reliable continuous customer service.
The Goal…is to be your first and complete source for insurance services. We are dedicated to quality customer service. We want you to call us as your first source for answers whenever you have a question about your coverage.
Kersey, Sealey, Clark & Associates realize and embrace our responsibility to our community by supporting numerous organizations. Check out our website for more information about our company. KSCBenefits.com
2015 Headliner’s Night - 43 44 - 2015 Headliner’s Night 44 - 2014 Headliner’s Night 2015 Headliner’s Night - 45 46 - 2015 Headliner’s Night 9 0 0
2 SUMMER LEAGUE
"BASKETBALL FOR THE COM MU NITY" Founded in 1982
YOU WOULDN'T TRUST JUST ANYONE TO DRIVE YOUR CAR,
SO WHY TRUST JUST ANY COMPANY TO IN SURE IT?
Don't trust just anyone to insure your car, see me: Boo Williams, Jr., Agent 1929 Coliseum Drive, Suite G Hampton, VA 23666 757-825-1490 Like a good neighbor State Farm is there.®
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (not in NJ) State farm Indemnity Company (NJ) • Home Offi ce: Bloomington, Illinois statefarm.com™
22 Q 2007 HEADLINER'S NIGHT 2015 Headliner’s Night - 47 Stephen Williams Owner-Stylist 121 West Whitman Avenue Newport News 23606 599-FIRE Like us on Facebook!
Honing
48 - 2015 Headliner’s Night TEAGLE INSURANCE AGENCY, INC. GLEN A. DAVENPORT, LUTCF PRESIDENT
(757) 595-8000
GLEN A. DAVENPORT Registered Representative
(757) 595-1070 [email protected]
11528 Jefferson Avenue.; Newport News, VA 23601 FAX (757) 595-3743
Securities offered through Transamerican Financial Advisors, Inc. LD049595-04/14 (TFA) member FINRA, SIPC Non-Security products and services are not offered through TFA TFA is not affiliated with Teagle Insurance Agency, Inc. 2015 Headliner’s Night - 49 50 - 2015 Headliner’s Night PENINSULA SPORTS CLUB TWENTY nIntH ANNUAL CAR PARTY NOVEMBER 20, 2015 Buffet Dinner 6:30 P.M. Over $10,000 in Prizes GRAND PRIZE $5,000 CASH Four $500.00 Cash Prizes ! Two $1,000.00 Cash Prizes ! Over 50 Prizes Knights of Columbus Hall ! 12742 Nettles Drive ! Newport News, VA Doors Open 6:00 P.M. ! Drawing 7:30 P.M.
To be an eligible prize winner, the owner of ticket must be present or represented at the time of the drawing. If the owner of the ticket is not present or represented by 7:30 P.M., ticket will be sold to the highest bidder and the proceeds retained by the Peninsula Sports Club. Ticket sales will be limited to 320 tickets. ALL PROCEEDS USED TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY ATHLETICS 2015 Headliner’s Night - 51 Kn i g H t s o f Co l u m b u s
Walter Pollard Council 5480 Fr. Michael J. Bader Assembly 2430 5480 Club, Inc.
We would like to express our appreciation to the Board of Directors of the Peninsula Sports Club and their members for the continued dedication and commitment to the youth of the Virginia Peninsula.
We also would like to express our continued support of your organization and its eff ort in support of the youth of our community.
52 - 2015 Headliner’s Night Crowne Plaza Hampton-Marina 700 Settlers Landing Road; Hampton, VA 23669 757-727-9700 Adam Tippet PSC Business Membership
Hotel Restaurant Regatta Grille Lower Level Lobby serving Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Dessert Hours: 6:00 AM—10:00 PM Hotel Bar & Lounge Latitude 37 Lower Level adjacent to the restaurant Hours: 4:00 PM—11:00 PM 757-727-9700 Ext. 123
Powell & Associates Realty, Inc. 758 McGuire Place Newport News, Va 23601 Rick Lugent, Owner 757-596-1661 Opens Daily at 9 AM for Breakfast Happy Hour 2 PM –6 PM LIBBY’S DESSERTS DAILY—ALL DAY! Congratulations
EVERY DAY IS A MIKE’S PLACE DAY! Peninsula Sport Club Like us on Facebook to receive the daily specials!
11006 Warwick Blvd, Unit 458, Newport News 23601 Honorees of 2015! ON THE CORNER!
Phone: (757) 599-5500
2015 Headliner’s Night - 53 Kenneth Bennett, Athletic Director Congratulations! Evan Sperling Julie Conn Outstanding HS Male of the Year Poppy Crawshaw Baseball wins VHSL 3A State Championship! College Scholarship Awardee Dan Barner, Athletic Director Home of the Islanders! 4460 Longhill Rd, Williamsburg, VA 23188 51 Odd Road, Poquoson, VA 23662 757-868-7123 (757) 565-0373
54 - 2015 Headliner’s Night John Ashley, Athletic Director Sue Wiker, Athletic Director “Many have the will to win, few have the will BUILD A LASTING FOUNDATION... Building a tradition to prepare to win. A champion trains when of excellence, one brick at a time. Take a look around no one is looking." The Champion Within you. Recent graduates, teachers, community leaders— someone has made a difference in your life and has Congratulations! impacted this community. Honor them. Remember Kara Enoch their achievements. Engrave their name and memory on a brick at any of our high schools or at the school Outstanding HS Female Athlete of the Year board office. Bricks purchased by the deadline will be installed during fall term in your selected location. Lucas Beissner & Kelly Gazarik Deadline: July 1 Go to the link below for more College Scholarship Awardees information: http://yorkcountyschools.org/yfpe/docs/ 4431 Big Bethel Road, Yorktown, VA 23693 BrickOrderForm.pdf 757-867-7400
2015 Headliner’s Night - 55 Business Glen Davenport, Teagle Insurance Rick & Libby Lugent, Mike’s Place Buddy Malish, Prestige Press Connie & Joan Powers, Powers Business Machines William Saunders, Wells Fargo Advisors Adam Tippett, Crowne Plaza Hpt Marina Institutional John Ashley, York High School Dan Barner, Lafayette High School Kenneth Bennett, Poquoson High School Todd Brooks, Christopher Newport University Maxwell Gillespie, HRA Gregory Henderson, Menchville High School John Jackowski, Peninsula Catholic HS Kyle McMullin, Christopher Newport University Corporation Keisha Pexton, The Apprentice School
Interested in a membership with the Peninsula Sports Club? We offer many types of membership from a Single to Corporation. Our club events include Milestone Awards Night, Car Party, Coach’s Night, Most Outstanding Player of the Year, and Headliner’s Night to name some. Please see Horace Underwood at our Membership table for applications and more information tonight or you can call him at 757-592-8848. Thank you!
56 - 2015 Headliner’s Night