Lightly Recruited Morra Packs Punch for Bruins
By B.J. Koubaroulis
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, January 16, 2009; E07
In a Lake Braddock basketball practice this week, Dominic Morra finished off an intense, 10-minute, three-man weave drill with a right-handed layin that spun off the glass and through the basket.
But Morra wasn't done.
Without looking back to see his shot through the net, he ran to a white tarp divider that separated the junior varsity and varsity practices and delivered a flurry of punches -- a right cross, left hook and right uppercut -- that sent a series of loud pops throughout the Burke school's gymnasium.
The sequence was appropriate for Morra, a 5-foot-10 senior and four-year starter. He has approached each of the Bruins' first 12 games like a fight, using a body-punishing bevy of moves to earn himself an astounding 17.7 free throw attempts per game.
"I'm kind of good at [drawing fouls] and some of it's acting," said Morra, who is the area's leading scorer with 31.8 points per game.
Headed into tonight's key Virginia AAA Patriot District matchup at No. 9 T.C. Williams (10-2, 5-0), Morra has gone to the free throw line 212 times, hitting 159 (.750).
He has attempted 81 more free throws than National Christian's Dante Taylor, who is second in the area with 131 attempts. Landon's Christian Webster (118) and Westfield's Chris Kearney (117) are the only others who come close to Morra's eye-popping attempts.
"If you told me as a freshman and sophomore, when I was a natural point guard, that I would wind up averaging [31 points per game] or whatever it is right now, I would have told you you were crazy," Morra said. "But things have happened to our team that have changed the situation."
Lake Braddock's 13-man roster lists seven players at 5-11 or shorter.
"Our tallest player is 6-3," said Morra, whose back-court running mate is 5-4, 145-pound junior Patch McLucas.
The lack of height has forced Lake Braddock (9-3, 3-2) into a fast-break system, in which Morra has been encouraged by Coach Brian Metress to attack in transition and use his body to draw fouls.
"We're not as big, so if we can foul out their big players, we don't have to play the inside game anymore and we practice that," Morra said. "We practice playing without a post player. So if we can get their 6-6 and 6-7 [players] in foul trouble, well, the ball's in our court now."
In a 77-67 season-opening victory over Robinson, Morra shot 18 of 27 from the free throw line and fouled out five Ram defenders en route to his 50 points -- an area best for points in a game this season.
In the Bruins' first 12 games this season, 21 defenders have fouled out.
"I'm not always going to get the shot off, but I can always try to get a bump and a push to go to the line for two [points] and get someone in foul trouble, so it's more of a double-whammy for them," Morra said.
Morra credits his four years as a starter with helping him to identify situations and diagnose defenses on the run.
"A lot of teams now, since they've seen what I've put up, they are anticipating me coming," said Morra, who said he has faced all kinds of defenses. "Sagging man-to-man with a face-guard, zones, half-traps, full-court press. I've been in so many positions now that I can tell if [the defender] is close or if he has no chance of making the play on [me] and that just comes with all the time I've done it."
Whether he will play at the next level remains to be seen. Despite his scoring numbers, he has received tepid interest from area Division III schools.
Morra entered the program with high expectations and has always played with a swagger.
"I've been [called] cocky in the hallways since I was a freshman," said Morra, who led the Bruins in technical fouls as a freshman (five) and as a sophomore (four). "I think it's a swagger you need to have. But now, it's a different way that I carry myself. It's more with my game than with my talk."
Friday, January 16, 2009
Light Recruited Morra Packs Punch for Bruins
Monday, January 12, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Yarou, Mustangs Handle Titans
Yarou, Mustangs Handle Titans
By B.J. Koubaroulis
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, January 11, 2009; D02
WATCH VIDEO FROM THE GAME
Still learning the English language, Montrose Christian's Mouphtaou Yarou couldn't share in the jawing that was going on during the top-ranked Mustangs' 70-53 victory over No. 10 T.C. Williams last night.
For much of the game, he kept quiet, with his 6-foot-10, 250-pound frame in the post and his eyes locked on the basket. Then he spotted a Titans player storming down the middle of the lane in the third quarter.
Yarou's fourth block -- an offering he rose up on and swatted off the concrete wall behind the rim -- prompted an intimidating wail from the Villanova recruit and an equal gasp from the 1,700 fans at the University of Maryland's Comcast Pavilion.
"I like defense more than offense," said Yarou, in soft broken English following his 23-point performance, allowing mostly smiles and nods to speak for his effort.
He added eight rebounds, four blocks and three altered shots as the Mustangs (11-1) scored 14 of their 37 first-half points inside to end the winning streak of reigning Virginia AAA public school champion T.C. Williams (9-2) at five.
Yarou, a native of Benin -- a small country in West Africa bordered by Togo and Nigeria -- came to the United States last year on a student visa, following a dream of playing basketball that landed him at Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, Va.
Since his arrival in the United States, Yarou, who transferred to Montrose Christian this year, has grown two inches, put on 40 pounds and signed a national letter-of-intent with Villanova, where he'll join 6-8, 195-pound teammate Isaiah Armwood as part of a recruiting class ranked among college basketball's top five, according to both Rivals.com and ESPN.com.
The addition of Yarou "just releases the pressure off everybody else," said Armwood, who scored seven points and hit one of six Mustangs first-half three-pointers en route to a 37-24 halftime lead. "Nobody can stop him, I don't care who you are."
A soccer-crazed teenager in his native country, here Yarou has led the Mustangs to top 10 national rankings and is next in line among a star-studded list of NBA prospects who have come out of the Rockville school. Alum Kevin Durant was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft and that season's rookie of the year.
"I mean, we've had big guys here in my four years, but not a big guy like Mouph," Armwood said.
No. 1 Montrose Christian 70 No. 10 T.C. Williams 53
The Air Up There, Again: Mouphtaou Yarou's roommate, T. Jordan Omogbehin, is a 7-foot-1, 260-pound sophomore from Nigeria. Among the Ranks: T.C. Williams, led in scoring last night by Edward Jenkins (15 points), suffered its other loss, 59-58, to No. 9 Riverdale Baptist (14-3).
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Court Report: High School Basketball Notebook
Court Report: High School Basketball Notebook
By B.J. Koubaroulis
Special to The Washington Post
Thursday, January 8, 2009; VA08
Members of the Flint Hill boys' basketball team sat in the last row of bleachers at Paul VI Catholic's gymnasium early last month.
They wanted a good view of the court.
The Huskies made the three-mile trek from Oakton to the Fairfax private school to do some final scouting before their meeting the next day.Flint Hill's players watched as Paul VI suffered a 55-50 loss to Washington Catholic Athletic Conference power Bishop McNamara.
The next day, the Huskies extended Paul VI's skid, 64-58.The Dec. 20 victory put Flint Hill "in a position to say we can compete with anyone in the area," Huskies Coach Rico Reed said. "Some of our kids played along some of the kids at Paul VI, where some of my kids were reserves.
You're talking like Patriot League over Big East. The WCAC is renowned or known as the best conference in the country."No. 17 Flint Hill (8-2), which has won two of the past three Mid-Atlantic Conference titles, has become more than just a conference-dominator this season, playing a rigid out-of-conference schedule where it has earned victories over schools in five other leagues, including well-respected powers in the WCAC, MAC and Interstate Athletic Conference.
Saturday's 64-63 victory over Landon (7-3) gave the Huskies their third confidence-boosting win over an IAC team this season.
No. 17 Flint Hill (8-2) became the second team this season to hold McDonald's all-American candidate Christian Webster (27.4 points a game) to less than 20 points.
The Huskies are riding the return of four senior starters from last season's 24-6 MAC champion team: Chris Herlihy, Jeremy Glover, Doug Howard and Jawuan Lockhart."Chris Herlihy is really the backbone of what we do," Reed said of the 6-4 post, who has guard skills and sets screens and rebounds, but who also benefits from Flint Hill's up-tempo style and is averaging 13.8 points per game. "The rock is Jawuan Lockhart, because he is the toughest kid. He can be dominant by scoring, but on game day he sacrifices."
Glover, a 6-foot-3, 170-pound senior guard who is leading the team in scoring with 15.8 points a game, "has the strongest skill set on our team. His skill set is as good as any of the kids we've played against," Reed said.
Bulldogs, Majors Roll
Looking to replace some of the Virginia AAA Northern Region's most productive three-year starters, Westfield (9-1) and Mount Vernon (7-4) have not missed a step.Westfield, which lost the program's all-time scoring leader in Maurice Hubbard (Ball State) to graduation, won its holiday tournament, the Bulldog Bash, and entered the week on a seven-game winning streak behind Chris Kearney (19.9 points a game) and Peter Scanlon (11).
Without Marquel De Lancey (Old Dominion), last year's National District Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, Mount Vernon won its holiday tournament and entered the week on a five-game winning streak.
Four players -- Skylar Jones (16.36 points per game), Robert Coleman, Derek Pruitt and Jesse Konadu -- are averaging at least nine points per game. Robert Smith has developed into a floor-organizer, and 6-foot-5 Kyle Ricks, who also plays football, has given the Majors an inside presence.
"We had a four-game losing streak early on to some quality opponents, but I think it has helped us come together and learn a lot about each other," Mount Vernon Coach Alfonso Smith said. "I really feel we have about eight guys that can legitimately start."
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Chantilly's Friday Serving 30-day Suspension
Chantilly's Friday Serving 30-day Suspension
By B.J. Koubaroulis
Special to The Washington Post
Tuesday, January 6, 2009; E05
Chantilly's Adam Friday, the 20th-ranked Chargers' leading scorer, has been suspended for seven games for a violation of school policy, Coach Jim Smith confirmed.
Friday, a 6-foot-4 junior forward averaging 12.6 points per game, is not expected to return to the team until after he has served a 30-day suspension that started Dec. 21.
"Adam violated a school policy and he's serving his suspension and will be back with the team when that suspension is completed," said Smith, who declined to elaborate on the nature of the violation. "He was honest. He's serving his punishment and I think he is really looking forward to getting back with the team."
With 22 made three-pointers in seven games, Friday is the Virginia AAA Northern Region's leading three-point shooter.
Friday did not play in any of three games during the host school's Pohanka Chantilly Classic tournament last week and Chantilly (9-1, 2-0 Concorde District) suffered its first loss of the season to Landon, 72-60, in the tournament's championship game.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Webster's 28 Sparks Landon Over Chantilly
Webster's 28 Sparks Landon Over Chantilly
It was clear he was intent on getting his teammates involved. It was on this court last season when he learned a hard lesson in the value of sharing.
In last season's 94-86 tournament final loss to the Chargers, Webster scored half of his team's points -- a 43-point coming-out party that gave him 83 for the three-day 2007 event.
Monday, December 29, 2008
FiOS1, Verizon's Local TV Channel to Broadcast Two George Mason University Games
FiOS1, Verizon's Local TV Channel, To Do Live Broadcasts of Two George Mason University Basketball Games
FAIRFAX, Va., Dec. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon's FiOS1 local TV channel will broadcast live two George Mason University CAA (Colonial Athletic Association) conference basketball games in January and February from the university's Patriot Center here.
FiOS TV customers can see two exciting matchups -- on Jan. 5 when the Patriots take on Georgia State University at 5:07 p.m., and on Feb. 18 when the Patriots host Drexel University at 7:07 p.m.
"FiOS1 delivers content that demonstrates our commitment to local communities," said Michelle Webb, executive producer and general manager of FiOS1. "We're proud to bring our subscribers in the area live coverage of NCAA men's Division I college basketball as the Patriots battle it out on the court in two CAA conference matchups."
B.J. Koubaroulis will call both games along with Craig Esherick, a former Georgetown University head coach and assistant basketball coach and scout for the U.S. Men's Olympic basketball team at the Seoul Olympics in 1988.
The George Mason Patriots are led by head coach Jim Larranaga, the Patriots' and CAA's all-time leader in wins, in his 12th season with the school. Larranaga led the Patriots to the Final Four in March 2006.
FiOS1, Verizon's first local TV channel, offers a one-stop shop for local weather, traffic, news, sports and community features. FiOS1 is available on Channel 1 in the Verizon FiOS TV channel lineup in northern Virginia and parts of Maryland, and is available at no extra cost to Verizon FiOS TV subscribers.
READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Chantilly's Bench Comes Up Big
Chantilly's Bench Comes Up Big
Chantilly junior forward Matt Howerton wasn't quite sure how to react to the standing ovation he received as he strolled to the bench late in the fourth quarter of last night's 87-69 nondistrict victory over visiting Lee.
With his head down as he strolled off the court, he nearly missed the line of ou
tstretched hands as each of his teammates reached out to tap, high-five or chest-bump the unheralded backup.Concorde Giants: Chantilly has beaten its first two district opponents by 20 points apiece.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Mustangs' Balance Too Much For Paul VI
Mustangs' Balance Too Much For Paul VI
By B.J. Koubaroulis
Special to The Washington Post
Saturday, December 20, 2008; E07
It took a moment for Bishop McNamara senior Talib Zanna to realize he had been injured on his first shot attempt -- a pump fake that drew his defender's chin deep into the muscle on his right forearm, near his elbow.
It wasn't until midway through the following free throw -- an air ball that sent the rowdy crowd at Paul VI Catholic last night into a screaming frenzy -- that he realized he could barely move his arm.He turned, pointed to the limp arm and went to the bench for much of the first and second quarter of the third-ranked Mustangs' 55-50 win at No. 13 Paul VI. Coaches and trainers attended to him, and at one point an assistant coach gripped the back of the player's head as Zanna buried his face in his chest.
"I was scared," said Zanna, a 6-foot-9 Pittsburgh-bound forward who entered last night's key Washington Catholic Athletic Conference matchup leading the Mustangs with 16.5 points per game.
But even without Zanna for most of the first half, McNamara (5-0, 2-0) found its swagger, relying on nine different scorers in the win."Everybody stepped up," said George Mason-bound senior guard Rashad Whack, one of the area's top three-point threats, who led the Mustangs with 13 points last night. "Even though we didn't have a big man, we were able to defend the post and box out and play good defense."
With Zanna on the bench, McNamara relied on 6-7 junior forward Brandon Coleman to police the inside against a strong Panthers post presence in Raven Barber (Mount Saint Mary's) and Eugene McCrory -- a duo that Coleman helped hold to a combined 14 points. In the meantime, McNamara's speedy guards held Virginia Tech-bound point guard and All-Met Erick Green (11 points) in check.
"I don't back down when I get called into the game, I take it as an opportunity," said Coleman, who finished with seven points, six rebounds and one block.
Zanna returned late in the second quarter and came alive in the second half to score six of his eight points. He owned the inside with three blocks, two altered shots and five rebounds to help the Mustangs close out a tight second half, during which Paul VI (7-1, 2-1) cut the lead to two on four separate occasions but couldn't close the gap.
Paul VI entered last night's game averaging 65.8 points per game.
"Our goal is to keep teams under 55 points this year," Mustangs Coach Marty Keithline said.
No. 3 McNamara 55, No. 13 Paul VI 50
Running the Gantlet: In facing No. 17 Flint Hill (5-1) today, Paul VI will continue a four-week stretch during which it will face some of the area's best, including No. 1 DeMatha, No. 5 Gonzaga, No. 8 Riverdale Baptist, No. 11 Good Counsel and No. 6 O'Connell. Help at the Line: Paul VI shot 16 for 21 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Foul Trouble Doesn't Slow Down Eagles
Foul Trouble Doesn't Slow Down Eagles
Host Claims Gonzaga D.C. Classic Title
By B.J. Koubaroulis
Special to The Washington Post
Monday, December 15, 2008; E06
Gonzaga senior center Patrick Wolf hung his head as he pulled his white, sopping wet jersey over the bridge of his nose. His chest heaved as he tried to wipe the seemingly unstoppable stream of sweat that poured over his red-blazoned cheeks. Each step toward the locker room for his halftime rest looked painful.
A rugby player who is built more like an offensive lineman, the 6-foot-4, 230-pound redhead was trying to catch his breath after playing an uncharacteristically high number of first-half minutes in last night's 62-42 victory over St. John's (D.C.) in the Gonzaga D.C. Classic Tournament championship game at Bender Arena.
"I'm just not used to that many minutes, consecutively, but I'll take minutes when I can get them," said Wolf, who found himself in the thick of things midway through the second quarter as guard Tyler Thornton and starter Malcolm Lemmons were sent to the bench with two fouls apiece and the game tied at 17.
"This season is going to be defined by which guys step up," said Wolf, one of several role players who helped the No. 5 Eagles clinch their eighth title in the event.
As St. John's (3-2) looked to turn the Eagles' seventh turnover into a one-on-one, tiebreaking bucket, Wolf got back down court, slid his feet into position, crossed his arms over his chest and absorbed a game-swinging charge that brought the Eagles' bench to its feet and sparked a 9-6 quarter-closing run that put Gonzaga (5-1) up 26-23 at halftime.
Wolf was just one of several role players who helped the Eagles survive a strong St. John's push while Thornton (16 points) and Lemmons (10 points) were on the bench. Andrew Sterritt, Cahli Thomas and William Saffron played quality minutes and helped to alleviate defensive pressure on Princeton-bound forward Ian Hummer (13 points) and Cedric Lindsay -- a speedy guard who scored nine of Gonzaga's 15 second-quarter points and finished with a game-high 17.
"This is a game that we needed so that we can see who was going to step up when things got hectic," said Thornton, who returned in the third and scored 15 of his 16 to fuel a game-clinching 36-19 second half run. "We try not to compare ourselves to last year, but we can have the same success. We just have to approach it in a different way."
Last season, the Purple Eagles went 34-1 in winning the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference regular season, WCAC tournament championship, D.C. City Title game and the prestigious Alhambra Catholic Invitational tournament. Gonzaga closed the season on a dominant 17-game winning streak en route to The Post's No. 1 ranking as well as a number of top-five national rankings.
Wolf, Thomas and Sterritt are "all guys that battled on a team last year that won it all, and now it's their turn," Gonzaga Coach Steve Turner said.
In a third-place consolation meeting between two area teams, No. 14 Coolidge (5-2) rolled past Bullis (2-4), 68-43, on the strength of Florida Atlantic-bound senior forward Andre Mattison's 10 points, 10 blocks and 7 rebounds.
"He's going to be the focal point of our interior this year," Coach Vaughn Jones said.
South Lakes Shows That It's Still Strong
South Lakes Shows That It's Still Strong
By B.J. Koubaroulis
Caught in the doorway between the locker room and his office, South Lakes Coach Darryl Branch placed his open palm on senior guard Travis Williams's chest -- a near stiff-arm that jolted the 5-foot-10 senior guard.
d for a 50-39 victory over visiting Virginia AAA Liberty District foe Madison.Saturday, December 13, 2008
Ruffin-Pratt Hits 2,000-Point Mark
T.C. Williams Star Scores 34 to Lead Titans Past Edison
By B.J. Koubaroulis
Special to The Washington Post
Saturday, December 13, 2008; E07
T.C. Williams senior Tierra Ruffin-Pratt kept her wrist cocked high in the air after each of her three three-pointers fell through the net. She shook her head with a confident smile as she trotted down the floor after making a pull-up jumper, taking time to slap hands, pat backs and even play a few tricks on teammates and coaches near the bench during the Titans' 62-49 victory last night over visiting Edison.
More than the obvious talent, it was the 6-foot North Carolina-bound All-Met Player of the Year's attitude that spoke volumes about her health and the Titans' chances this season.
"The last two games my shot wasn't really falling and I wasn't scoring as much as I wanted to be, but my shot was going in tonight and I was happy," said Ruffin-Pratt, who scored 34 points and eclipsed the 2,000-point mark for her high school career.
Ruffin-Pratt scored 11 points and spearheaded a tenacious defense that forced Edison into 12 of its 24 turnovers during a furious 18-4 first-quarter run.
The victory pulled the Titans (1-2) out of a season-opening slump and served notice that the Alexandria school is once again a threat for a region title. The win against Edison (2-1), a team that has won two of the last three region titles and made two state final appearances since 2003, was a statement.
"This is a sign of how good we can be," said Ruffin-Pratt, whose Titans won 22 straight games last season before she separated her left shoulder and was sidelined as the team suffered a season-ending region playoff loss.
Ruffin-Pratt, who reinjured the shoulder during the under-17 USA Basketball national team tryouts in May, is wearing a shoulder brace to "keep it from slipping out again," she said.
"It's a lot of pressure off me now because all the college stuff is over, and now I can worry about being out on the court and just having fun my last year," said Ruffin-Pratt, who last month committed to North Carolina, ending a long recruitment that began when she was in middle school.
"This is the first time this year she's felt like that," said Cavanaugh Hagen, the Titans' third coach in four years. "Tonight was the first time seeing her go for a pull-up jumper with a hand in her face and knocking it down like she can."
Titans Boys Win
In the second game of the night's doubleheader, T.C. Williams's Edward Jenkins (19 points) and Ryan Yates (16 points) were two of nine Titans who scored in a 68-59 win over visiting Edison (1-4). The victory indicated that despite losing four college signees and All-Met Coach of the Year Ivan Thomas from last year's 29-3 state championship squad, the No. 16 Titans (2-0) are still a force.
"Our talent pool in Alexandria is deep, so we're going to be very good for a very long time," Yates said.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Eric Green Video
Eric Green Video
Check out this video I produced for Washingtonpost.com, where bright young talented journalist Matthew Stanmyre gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at his feature about Virginia Tech-bound point guard Eric Green, a senior who transferred from Millbrook to Paul VI in order to prepare himself for college basketball.
Video by B.J. Koubaroulis
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Colonial Beach Video
Behind the Scenes at Colonial Beach
The Post's B.J. Koubaroulis takes you behind the scenes at Colonial Beach, a 24-player football program that has become a rallying point for a small rural community of less than 3,300 located off the banks of the Potomac near Fredericksburg.
Video by B.J. Koubaroulis
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
In Fairfax, Two Sports In Jeopardy
In Fairfax, Two Sports In Jeopardy
By B.J. Koubaroulis
Special to The Washington Post
Thursday, November 20, 2008; E01
Fairfax County high school gymnastics and indoor track could be eliminated when the 2010 budget is adopted in May as the school district copes with a $170 million shortfall. School officials say the measure would affect about 2,600 athletes and save the county an estimated $471,000.
Schools Superintendent Jack D. Dale unveiled three budget proposals at a Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting last week. Each proposal called for gymnastics to be cut; indoor track would be nixed in the most severe proposal, which also included cuts of $219 million and the elimination of 1,500 county schools positions.
"There are going to be cuts," said Fairfax County Director of Student Activities Bill Curran, noting most of the cuts are not related to athletics. "We're looking at taking the impacts that we can survive and maintaining as many of our programs as we can."
Such a move, made in a county that has been ranked among the nation's wealthiest and with 24 of its 25 schools appearing on Newsweek's 2008 list of America's Top Public High Schools, is a consequence of the nation's economic crisis. Fairfax, a county with a median household income of more than $100,000, has experienced a steep decline in housing prices and anticipated property tax revenue, according to Curran.
"It simply isn't realistic to think we can operate with vast budget cuts and not talk about the athletics. It's all got to go together," Curran said.
Fairfax, however, appears to be the only county in the Washington area willing to cut sports. School athletic officials in Arlington, Loudoun, Prince William, Spotsylvania, Montgomery, Prince George's, Howard, Anne Arundel, Charles, St. Mary's and Calvert counties, and Alexandria and the District say they do not plan to eliminate any high school sports.
All of those jurisdictions except Loudoun offer indoor track; in Maryland, only Montgomery and Anne Arundel offer gymnastics.
Curran said Fairfax targeted gymnastics and indoor track for cuts because there were other avenues for those athletes to compete. "Gymnastics has it at the private level [club gymnastics], and track really had it in the spring," Curran said. "There are still some opportunities to run in the spring and for distance runners to do cross-country in the fall." According to the FCPS schools' budget cut proposal, cutting track would shave $250,000.
"I don't know why track would be targeted. Think about it -- it's so simple. For a poor kid, all you need is a pair of shoes and a good coach," said Herndon's Peter Sherry, who coaches the school's indoor, outdoor and cross-country teams.
Gymnastics cuts would affect approximately 125 female athletes and save the county an additional $221,000 through the elimination of 25 head coaching supplements, 25 assistant coach supplements, officials fees and transportation. In Fairfax County, a head gymnastics coach is paid a $4,000 stipend.
"We've seen a steady decline in participation over the past seven or eight years," Curran said of gymnastics. "It's been on the table for the past few years."
Curran said that 14 of 25 Fairfax schools fielded gymnastics teams last winter. In 2002, Fairfax County had 21 active teams and had more than 200 girls participating.
"Because [gymnastics] is not in every school, not everyone supports it," said W.T. Woodson Coach Mike Cooper, whose teams have won more than two dozen local and state boys' and girls' titles in his 25-year career. "Because some schools don't have a team, it's easy to say, 'Yes, let's cut it.' The schools that have it and support the program see that it's beneficial."
About 2,500 students participate in indoor track, which has long served as a catch-all sport for athletes looking for a way to train during the offseason.
"All of the sudden you are sending 2,500 kids out into traffic, out into the streets with nothing to do," Sherry said.
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Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Hobbled RB Clinton Portis unable to get Washington Redskins moving
Hobbled RB Clinton Portis unable to get Washington Redskins moving
By B.J. KOUBAROULIS
Special to the Star-Telegram
LANDOVER, Md. — Nearly three hours before kickoff, Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis was standing at the 20-yard line, sandwiched between two team trainers while head coach Jim Zorn, defensive coordinator Greg Blache and two other members of the coaching staff watched from the sideline.
Portis took his cues from the trainers, running routes and performing a number of other exercises in what appeared to be the equivalent of a tryout, all to prove that his sprained left knee, which kept him off the practice field during much of the bye week, was s
trong enough to carry Washington toward the top half of the NFC East and drop Dallas deeper into its basement.
But even with an active Portis (15 carries, 68 yards) on Sunday night, Washington managed just 228 yards of offense and could not overcome Portis’ counterpart, Cowboys running back Marion Barber, who finished with 114 yards rushing and a touchdown and was Dallas’ leading receiver with six receptions for 39 yards.
"I was surprised that [Portis] played because of the knee injury that he had, and if you looked at him on Friday, you would have thought no way," Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell said.
Portis’ first carry — a 5-yard burst — pushed him over the 1,000-yard mark in 10 games, the quickest he’s reached the milestone in his seven-year career.
But he also became the sixth premier back whom Dallas has held under 100 yards this season.
Portis rushed for 121 yards on 21 carries during the Redskins’ 26-24 victory over Dallas on Sept. 28, a result that left both teams at 3-1.
"Even with all the pain that he was going through, he still tried to give it his all," Campbell said of Portis.
With backup Ladell Betts (knee) listed as probable and Shaun Alexander and Rock Cartwright having combined for 14 carries and 36 yards in the previous nine weeks, Portis — the NFL’s second-leading rusher entering Sunday with 995 yards and seven touchdowns — "was out there fighting with his teammates," Campbell said.
"We’ve just got to score points," Cartwright said. "If we score points, we’ll win football games."
Portis was solid on the Redskins’ first drive — a 10-play, 49-yard in which he rushed five times for 29 yards, accounted for two first downs and broke a 9-yard run on fourth-and-1 from the 11-yard line to set up Campbell’s 2-yard play-action touchdown pass to Mike Sellers.
But Portis found little running room the rest of the game, which was bad news for Washington against its bitter division rival.
The Redskins have won five of their past eight games against the Cowboys, and in their three losses Portis either did not play or was held well under 100 yards.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Jason Ankrah, Quince Orchard, DE
Jason Ankrah, Quince Orchard DE
This week's Recruiting Spotlight is on Quince Orchard defensive end Jason Ankrah. Despite having only played three years, the 6-4, 245-pound rising senior holds plenty of scholarship offers, with Maryland among those schools on his list.
Jack Tyler, Oakton LB
Jack Tyler, Oakton LB
This week's Recruiting Spotlight features Oakton's Jack Tyler, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound linebacker who enters his senior season with 193 career tackles and three interceptions.
Following his junior year, when he recorded 113 tackles at inside linebacker and spent time at fullback, Tyler is expected to draw heavy recruiting interest this fall, already holding a preferred walk-on status at Virginia Tech and interest from other ACC and A-10 programs.
"He's always wanted to go to Tech, but I don't think he's closing the door on other programs," Oakton Coach Joe Thompson said.
Tyler is also a ranked swimmer in the Northern Virginia Swimming League and a starting defender for Oakton's varsity lacrosse team.
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