Nike SPARQ Combine - Baltimore
I took six of our junior football players up to Annapolis, Md for the Nike SPARQ Combine this past Saturday.
Attending the event were QB Chris Hall, LB/WR Darec Brooks, RB/LB Andre Thweatt, WR/SS Deandre Allen, WR/SS Brandon Taylor, and WR Trey Gardener. They all had good showings at the event and Chris Hall tied Sam Haskins top ever SPARQ rating for Dinwiddie with a 91.5 SPARQ rating.
Corey Marshall on “Washington Post Live”
Dinwiddie DE Corey Marshall joined Ivan Carter on the set of Comcast SportsNet’s “Washington Post Live” Friday April 2nd. Video is below.
5 Players Invited to Prestigious Nike Camp
Five Dinwiddie football players have been invited to the 2010 Nike Training Camp at Virginia Tech on May 8th. These camps are invitation only based on the 2009 season and recruitment potential. This will be the most I have ever had go to this event which usually only allows two per school max to go. The players are WR Trey Gardner, QB Chris Hall, LB Darec Brooks, DE Corey Marshall, and junior WR/FS Drakar Harvell.
Chris Hall has also been invited to the Elite 11 regional QB camp held at Ohio State University on April 30th, and will attend the event accompanied by WRs Trey Gardner, Deandre Allen, and Drakar Harvell.
Coaches Travel to Troy
We took our annual trip to Troy University for updates to the spread offense and to watch spring practice. We had a treat this year as we were able to watch former Dinwiddie WR Sam Haskins going through drills. Sam was working with the second team as an inside receiver (Y), he did very well and represented our school proudly.
Coaches that attended the trip were OL coach Buzz Edwards, WR coach Archie Tortorice, RB coach Jim Henderson, former WR coach Adam Fischer (now an OC in Minnesota), and myself. We drove down Friday morning watched practice, took Sam out to eat at the Santa Fe Steak House, got up Saturday attended position meetings, watched a couple of hours of film, watched the Troy scrimmage, drove back, got up Sunday and went to passing league at Hermitage. I’ve got some dedicated coaches!!!
Busy Saturday - March 20th
Saturday was a busy day for us as we had nine of our lineman attend the Central Region lineman camp at L.C. Bird High School accompanied by Offensive and Defensive line coach Buzz Edwards.
Players attending the camp were upcoming juniors Dionte Monroe, Taquan Kates, Kelvin Weaver, Derrick Jackson, Matt Oakley; upcoming sophomores Toddric Bugg and Jacory Fitzgerald; and upcoming freshmen Shawn Golson and Devyn Marshall. All did well and represented the General nation well.
Later in the day we had eight players invited to the 5 star academy at Highland Springs High School. Players attending the event were upcoming seniors Deandre Allen, Corey Marshall, Chris Hall, Trey Gardner, Brandon Taylor, and Darec Brooks; and upcoming juniors Drakar Harvell and Dionte Monroe.
Underclassmen Shine at Combines
Over the past weekend Drakar Harvell attended the Nike Combine in Charlotte, NC. He went to Charlotte instead of Baltimore where several of his teammates are going in order to allow himself to attend the National Underclassman Combine in Hampton, VA which happens on the same day as Baltimore. He scored in the 96th percentile for his class with an overall SPARQ rating of 82.47. He had a 4.75 electronically timed forty yard dash, a 4.2 pro shuttle, 28 inch vertical, and a 34 foot medicine ball throw. Great job Drakar, way to represent us well.
I took two underclassmen to Elkins Sports Performance this past Saturday for the Sportsweave Combine and both did well. Freshman Darius Johnson, who started at middle linebacker last year as a freshman, finished off his week with a great showing at the combine. Earlier in the week he dominated the liftathon for his class with a 305 bench, 265 power clean, and a 425 squat. On Saturday, he got 64 reps on the bench press and had one of the top vertical jumps of the day of 32. Also going to the combine was sophmore reserve defensive back Rodhem Roney, he had the top forty yard dash for the enitre combine. Congratulations men.
Dinwiddie Duo named to All-Star Game
Congratulations to Jason Ampy and Quintaze Jackson for being named to the Virginia High School Coaches Association All Star Football game in Hampton, VA on July 9th. Jason was named to the squad as an alternate linebacker while Quintaze was named to the first team as a wide receiver. This is the second year in a row that Dinwiddie has had the maximum two players selected for the squad.
Progress-Index Article on Dinwiddie Seniors
Special thanks to Thomas Dozier of the Progress-Index for his excellent article on Dinwiddie seniors Jason Ampy and Quintaze Jackson’s college choices.
LINK : Ampy, Jackson Secure Plans
Corey Marshall Chats With Tom Lemming
Corey Marshall was visited this past Sunday by Tom Lemming. Tom Lemming is recognized as the top recruiting analyst in the game today (see bio below).
Bio: Tom Lemming, a Chicago native, got his start as a stringer for suburban Chicago weeklies covering high school football games. In 1978, he began scouting football prospects, logging his findings in a newsletter he circulated to college coaches and fans alike. Tom Lemming was called “the mailman” as he delivered information about the best recruits to hundreds of college coaches and football fanatics by personally interviewing and scouting players from coast to coast. He continues his delivery by evaluating 1,200 of the top football recruits every year in his prep football tour, powered by NCSA. By traveling 50,000 miles from December through June with his tour, he diligently and tirelessly produces the Tom Lemming Prep Football Report, considered by many to be “the bible” of college football recruiting. He joined College Sports TV (CSTV) after spending decades as the leading preps analyst for ESPN. Lemming has written for ESPN, USA Today and Sporting News and currently has his own show, “Tom Lemming’s Generation Next,” on CSTV. Lemming also assists with the annual selection process of the top football prospects to participate in the US Army All-American Bowl Game and Combine hosted in San Antonio, TX.
Today recruiters still visit his home during the May evaluation period to watch film on players from across the country. Michael Lewis, author of The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game recognized Lemming as the “only national football scout in America.” To this day, Tom Lemming remains one of the leading experts on college football recruiting and high school talent.
2009 12th Man Award - Francis Knott
Congratulations to Mr. Francis Knott who received the 12th man award as the top supporter for the 2009 season. Past 12th man recipiants are Melvin Anderson (2005), Parker Simmons (2006), Chad Knowles and Babara Pittman (2007), and Joy Marshall (2008).
