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As high school football grew immeasurably across the country over the course

of the last decade, players in the state of Virginia turned in some of the most

memorable performances in the history of the VHSL with records being shattered

from year to year especially in the passing game as the spread offense has found

a home in the Commonwealth.

In naming an All-Decade, All-State team, the staff at VirginiaPreps.com spent

immeasurable time debating the merits of players from across the state's four

regions reaching out to coaches, selected media members and trusted sources from

the outskirts of Washington, D.C. to the North Carolina border in the South as

the number of players who pieced together incredible high school careers had to

be pared to twelve on each side of the ball to form this prestigious squad.

Some of the decisions were unanimous as some players stood head and shoulders

above their competition while other calls are still being debated after the

votes were cast. In any case, the goal was simply to find the best of the

best across the state and to honor all of those who participated in any game

played during the 00's.

Beginning with our Players of the Decade, VirginiaPreps.com proudly presents

the All-Decade All-State AAA Football team below...

Despite the fact that incredible and record-breaking performances were turned

in by Phillip Sims at quarterback and Elan Lewis at running back, no single

player in the state matched the jaw-dropping performances of the Landstown wide

receiver whose signature performance came in the 2004 state championship game

where he turned in a performance that simply may never be matched as the

Virginia Beach product rushed for 201 yards, caught five passes for 91 yards,

returned a punt 90 for one of his four touchdowns on the day and picked off

three passes on defense in totaling 476 all-purpose yards in his team's 47-20

win. During his high school career, Harvin caught 173 passes (4th

all-time) for 2,935 yards (7th) and 42 touchdowns (1st) adding 1,230 yards and

23 touchdowns on the ground in scoring 77 touchdowns and 462 points (8th) in his

three varsity seasons. He was named the Rivals.com Junior of the Year, was

rated the #1 prospect in the nation his senior season and participated in the

U.S. Army All-American game before continuing his football career at the

University of Florida. Harvin currently plays for the Minnesota Vikings

where he earned the 2010 Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

In discussing defensive players from across the Commonwealth, Brooks' name

came back as the most feared defender in the state more than any other including

from several of the players themselves as Brooks clearly stood out as the

decade's top performer on the defensive side of the ball. In 2001, Brooks

turned in one of the all-time great seasons by collecting 207 tackles (144

solo), 34 for loss and rushed for 848 yards and ten touchdowns for the Northwest

Region power program en route to earning the USA Today's National Defensive

Player of the Year honors. Upon graduation, Brooks participated in the

2002 U.S. Army All-American game then spent a year at Hargrave Military Academy

before enrolling at the University of Virginia where he earned All-American

honors his sophomore season. The Woodbridge product will begin his

fifth NFL season with the San Francisco 49ers in 2020 after being drafted by the

Cincinnati Bengals.

One need not look too deep into the VHSL record book to see why Sims earned the

nod as the quarterback of the all-decade team as the Tigers standout ranks as

the top passer in state history with 10,725 yards and 119 touchdowns, both state

records, while finishing second in Commonwealth history with 636 completions.

Not just a stat monster, Sims won titles too advancing to four straight regional

title games, losing only as a freshman, and leading Smith to the Division Six

title in 2008 as he broke the state record for touchdown passes in a state

playoff game with six scoring strikes completing 14 of 22 passes for 334 yards

in a 54-24 victory. Sims is now a freshman quarterback at the University

of Alabama.

The Phantoms running back was the no-doubt choice for first team all-decade

after posting back-to-back 2,000-yard seasons on the ground in his junior and

senior campaigns totaling 4,795 and 75 touchdowns in 2003 and 2004 combined to

finish his varsity career with 7,156 yards making him the all-time leading

rusher in AAA history in the state. A model of consistency, Lewis rushed

for over 100 yards in 37 straight games and he ranks as the top-scoring player

at the AAA level in the 00's having totaled 580 points in his career and the 242

points that he scored in 2003 ranks as the best in AAA history in the

Commonwealth as he scored 40 touchdowns in 12 games. After graduating and

participating in the U.S. Army All-American game, Lewis enrolled at Virginia

Tech.

The Westfield Bulldogs running back concluded his high school career with 6,384

yards on 750 carries (8.5 per attempt) and scored 90 touchdowns for the Northern

Region powerhouse program. As a sophomore, Royster totaled 1,690 yards

with 22 scores in helping the Bulldogs capture the 2003 Division Six crown then

followed that campaign by rushing for 2,160 yards and 30 touchdowns as a junior.

Like Lewis, Royster posted a second straight 2,000-plus yard season in 2005 as

he carried for 2,200 yards and 30 touchdowns his senior season. After

graduation, Royster joined the Penn State Nittany Lions program where he is

about to enter his senior season as one of the top-ranked college running backs

in the nation and is expected to be a contender for All-American and Heisman

trophy honors.

No player in the decade was a more dominating performer than Harvin (see Player

of the Decade above) as the Eagles star was ranked the #1 prospect in the nation

by Rivals.com his senior season after being named the National Junior Player of

the Year in 2004. In his final two seasons on varsity, Harvin caught 133 catches

for 2,329 yards and 31 touchdowns adding 1,230 rushing yards with 23 scores on

the ground and turned in one of the all-time great performances in VHSL history

when he accounted for 476 total yards and five touchdowns in Landstown's 47-20

win over Robinson in the 2004 D6 title game. Upon graduation, Harvin won a

National Championship as an integral part of the Florida Gators program before

moving on to the NFL where he won the 2010 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year

award for the Minnesota Vikings in 2010.

The Westfield Bulldog was selected as the AAA Player of the Year in 2003 as he

helped lead the Concorde District program to this first of their two Division

Six state championships this decade in 2003 as they notched a 14-0 season capped

by a 35-14 win over Landstown in the title game where he scored on a 1-yard run

and a 47-yard punt return. In his senior season, Royal snared 41 passes

for 875 yards and 11 touchdowns after hauling in 48 for 905 yards and 11 scores

his junior campaign. Overall, Royal totaled 1,815 yards receiving and 22

touchdowns while adding another 10 scores on return touchdowns. After

graduating, the Bulldogs standout joined the Virginia Tech Hokies program before

being drafted in to the NFL where he now plays with the Denver Broncos.

Named first team all-state by both VirginiaPreps and the AP his sophomore

season, Romero was a key component of a Phoebus team that won its first of

back-to-back championships catching 34 passes for a team that ended the season

ranked #3 in the country by Rivals.com. The following season (2009), the

then-junior earned first team all-state honors as a defensive end notching an

eye-popping 30 sacks. A two-way starter for the Phantoms since his

freshman season, Romero and his teammates have posted a 43-1 record over the

course of his three seasons on varsity and the Class of 2011 graduate will play

his college football at the University of North Carolina after completing his

senior season this Fall.

One of only two offensive linemen in the state to earn first team AP all-state

honors twice in his high school career, Alvarez remarkably earned his merits at

two different positions, once being named as a guard, the other time as a

tackle. He ranks as one of the most recruited kids ever in the Bulldogs program

as the 6-foot-5, 305-pounder secured offers from Division I programs up and down

the East Coast before signing with Virginia Tech. Then Bulldogs coach Lou

Sorrentio described Alvarez as a player with "good feet and a bit of a nasty

streak with a lot of upside."

A huge, overpowering offensive lineman who started for three years at

Meadowbrook, the last two of which featured regional title game appearances. The

6-foot-6, 336-pound Moses was a two-time all-state pick who was rated as one of

the top offensive tackle prospects in the country as a senior earning Parade

All-American honors. In 2008, he was ranked as the #2 prospect in the state of

Virginia by Rivals.com and this Fall, Moses will continue his playing career at

the University of Virginia.

A first-team All-State honoree and a two-time All-Metro pick, Armstrong was

perhaps the best of the myriad excellent offensive linemen to play at L. C. Bird

during the decade of the 2000's. Armstrong was a key player on back-to-back

regional championship teams, helping to pave the way for multiple 1,000-yard

rushers as the Skyhawks put up 596 points over the course of his junior and

senior campaigns.

As the Indians made their run to the 2002 Division Five state championship game

where they were bested by the Phoebus Phantoms, a large percentage of their runs

came behind Bradshaw, a 6-foot-5, 295-pounder who earned first team all-state

honors by captaining a line that allowed running back Thomas McClelland to

accumulate over 2,500 yards rushing. Bradshaw was a captain and two-year

MVP for the Indians and an all-district all-academic selection in both his

junior and senior seasons. Upon graduating, Bradshaw played his college

football at West Virginia.

The 6-foot-2, 290-pounder was one of only two Eastern Region offensive linemen

(and three in the state) who earned first team all-state honors twice in their

careers as the Hornets standout pulled the feat in both 2000 and 2001 while

playing for a Deep Creek program which won back-to-back regional championships

and scored 1,007 points in 27 games (37.2 per game) during that timeframe.

After graduating, Freeman played his college football at East Carolina

University.

A Parade All-American as an athlete, "Macho" rushed for 2,346 yards during

his senior season scoring 27 touchdowns and averaging an eye-popping 10.4 yards

per carry. Additionally, he scored four receiving touchdowns and racked up

751 yards and four scores in the return game for the Springers. Harris

graduated as the Central Region's all-time leading rusher with 5,320 yards and

he totaled 492 points on varsity. His senior season, Harris earned the

Offensive Player of the Year honors from the VHSCA and was named a first-team

running back and defensive back as well as second team kick returner on the

all-state team. Upon graduating, Harris played his college football at

Virginia Tech and currently lines up as a defensive back for the Philadelphia

Eagles.

A four-year letterman in football, Fassnacht was named the state's Defensive

Player of the Year as a senior and was a two-time all-state and three-time

all-region and all-district performer who notched 40 sacks in his varsity

career. He anchored a punishing defensive unit that led the Rams to the

AAA state championship his junior season, won a state champion wrestler and

helped lead the Rams to a state championship in lacrosse, a sport in which he

was named an All-American. The standout athlete was the first athlete ever

named a first team All-Met performer in three different sports and, upon

graduation, he enrolled at the University of Virginia where he played lacrosse.

The Phantoms star was named an All-American performer after helping his team win

back-to-back state championships in 2001 and 2002 scoring all four of Phoebus'

touchdowns in the '01 contest. Named the state's Defensive Player of the

Year in 2002, Adibi was the leader of a unit that limited opponents to less than

five points per game in recording an undefeated season finishing with 13.5 sacks

and 100-plus tackles with 31 for loss. After his senior season, Adibi

played in the U.S. Army All-American game before continuing his career at

Virginia Tech. Upon his college graduation, Adibi was drafted by and

currently plays for the Houston Texans.

An All-American selection, Graves was a four-year starter at Meadowbrook High

School who earned first team all-region honors his final three years on varsity

and was an all-state selection after recording 65 tackles, 12 for loss, nine

sacks, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and five blocked kicks his

senior season. Graves earned the regional Defensive Player of the Year

award in 2004 after helping the Monarchs capture the 2004 state championship and

was a two-way first team all-state selection the following season when the

program won the regional championship for the second consecutive season.

Upon graduating, Graves continued his football career by committing to Virginia

Tech where he has been a three-year starter.

A two-time first team all-state selection on the defensive line, Davenport also

earned second team honors as an offensive lineman his senior season. A

four-year starter for the Phantoms, his team's notched a 52-3 record during his

varsity career and collected state championships in both 2006 and 2008

outscoring opponents 720-53 during that '08 campaign earning the team the #2

ranking in the nation by Rivals.com. Over the course of his final two

seasons on varsity, the Phantoms standout recorded over 250 tackles and 35

sacks. After graduation, Davenport signed with West Virginia University

before transferring to Old Dominion where he will play this Fall.

Brooks helped lead the Bulldogs to two state championships during his three

years on varsity and, in 2001, compiled one of the great defensive seasons in

the history of the state by notching 207 tackles (144 solos), including 34 for

loss earning him the National Defensive Player of the Year award from the USA

Today. His Hylton teams suffered only one loss in three years. The

Bulldogs star played in the 2002 U.S. Army All-American game before continuing

his football career at the University of Virginia. Currently, Brooks plays

for the San Francisco 49ers after being drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals.

The 2002 Gatorade State Player of the Year, Hall was a four-year starter for the

Western Branch Bruins earning All-State and All-American honors following his

senior season at the Chesapeake school where he recorded 120 tackles, 23 for

loss and 10 sacks with three interceptions. In both his junior and senior

seasons, Hall earned the Defensive Player of the Year honor in the Eastern

Region and was an all-district selection his final three seasons on varsity.

Rated the #5 linebacker in the nation, Hall signed with Virginia Tech where he

earned All-ACC accolades.

A hard-hitting defensive standout for the Tigers, Jones earned Player of the

Year honors as a senior finishing his career as the school's all-time leading

tackler with 343 and leading scorer with 54 career touchdowns. Jones was a

two-time first-team all-state linebacker and was named the AAA Defensive Player

of the Year in 2008 after the Tigers captured the D6 state championship.

His senior season, the Tigers stud notched 119 tackles, 28 for loss with 10

sacks and four interceptions after collecting 141 tackles, 26 for loss with 11

sacks and five interceptions as a junior. After graduation, Jones signed

with the University of Virginia where he will play his sophomore season this

Fall.

Grant may finish his career as one of the greatest defensive players ever to

come out of the Richmond area - if not the greatest. He was an All-Central

Region Report, All-Metro, and All-State selection as a junior after recording a

single-season school record 159 tackles. Grant is rated as a five-star prospect

by Rivals.com, and is the #1 prospect in the entire state of Virginia from the

Class of 2011. Rivals.com analyst Mike Farrell described Grant as "a

man-child who is a vicious hitter making opponents pay when they come across the

middle."

As a junior, the Deep Creek star grabbed seven interceptions and was named the

Southeastern District's Defensive Player of the year award then followed that

campaign with a senior season during which he snared nine interceptions and

recorded over 100 tackles, 16 for loss earning first team all-state honors in

helping his team advance to the Division Six championship game. After

graduation, Hall enrolled at Virginia Tech where he earned All-American honors

before being drafted into the NFL where he now plays for the Washington

Redskins.

Ranked the #1 prospect in the state from the Class of 2003 and one of the top

ten cornerbacks in the nation, Brown was a first team all-state selection as he

led a Phoebus secondary that proved to be nearly impenetrable as the Phantoms

defense allowed only 69 points in fourteen games (4.9 per contest) in winning

the 2002 state championship, the school's second in as many seasons. After

graduation, Brown enrolled at the University of Virginia where he played

defensive back for the Cavaliers.

The Washington Post All-Met Defensive Player of the Year his senior

season, Gouveia was named a first-team all-state performer and the AAA Defensive Player of the Year

after leading the Bulldogs with seven interceptions, including two in the Division 5 state

championship game which the Bulldogs won 38-0. He also recorded

73 tackles during his senior campaign earning the Northern Region Defensive Player of the Year

award after collecting 76 stops, four interceptions and three forced fumbles as a junior

which also earned him

first-team all-state honors. After graduation, Gouveia signed with

Virginia Tech where he is expected to heavily contribute in their secondary this

Fall.

Robinson was a four-year starter for a powerful Varina program. He was a

two-time Associated Press first team All-State selection and a three-time

All-Metro pick. He helped the Blue Devils to the regional title in each of his

four seasons and was named All-Metro Player of the year in 2000. He was two-year

team captain, who totaled 211 career tackles, 18 interceptions and 13 sacks as a

safety. Robinson went on to a terrific career as the quarterback of Penn State,

named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in 2005. He's entering his fifth

season as a running back for the San Francisco 49ers.

The 6-foot-185 pounder was a three-sport standout for the Knights and earned

back-to-back first team all-state honors in both 2000 and 2001 and was listed as

the top punter / place kicker in the Atlantic region his senior season and the

#12 kicker in the nation by Rivals.com. After graduation, Hagan attended

the University of Virginia where he punted for the Cavaliers football team while

completing a stellar career for the school's baseball program.

With 29 successful field goals in his high school career, Jarrett ranks first

among AAA kickers in the decade for most field goals converted. During his

senior season in 2008, the Cox Falcons special teamer connected on 12

three-pointers, more than any other kicker in the state at any level, including

a 54-yarder. After graduation, Jarrett joined the University of Virginia

Cavaliers where he now participates as a sophomore kicker for the ACC program.

In 2006, Steele earned first team all-district, all-region and all-state honors

as a kick returner for the Panthers as the then-senior returned seven kicks for

touchdowns, none bigger than one for a second half score against the Phoebus

Phantoms to tie the state semifinal contest at 21 helping to push that contest

into overtime. Upon graduation, Steele joined the football program at

Shepard University where he has earned Division II All-American honors as a kick

returner.

No other player in the Central Region during the past decade has surpassed the raw athleticism of Mathis

having been named the All-Central District, All-Central Region, All-Metro, and All-State

kick returner in 2000. He went on to break two NCAA kick return records at

Hampton and ran the fastest 40-yard dash time in the history of the NFL Combine

before being drafted by the Houston Texans, making the Pro Bowl as a rookie.

The Phantoms head man for the first nine seasons of the decade, Dee captured

state championships in 2001, 2002, 2006 and 2008 as his four state titles double

his next closest competitor this decade. His 2008 team finished the season

ranked #2 in the nation and, over the course of his nine years this decade, his

teams notched two undefeated seasons and four one-loss campaigns in recording a

105-12 record from 2000-2009.

Westfield opened in 2000 and quickly rose to football

prominence as the school and Verbanic have only experienced one losing season,

that coming in 2001, in which the Bulldogs finished 4-5. The memories of that

season have more than been erased with the help of the success that followed during the

remainder of the decade as the Bulldogs have advanced to the

postseason for eight consecutive seasons and were undefeated Division Six

champions in both 2003 and 2007.

The Peninsula District program dominated the Division Five championship scene

throughout the decade capturing titles in 2001, 2002, 2006, 2008 and 2009 while

making regional title game appearances nine straight years winning six of those

including the last four. Over the course of the ten seasons, the Phantoms have

posted an overall record of 120-12 (.909 winning percentage) and incredible 28-4

mark in the postseason (.875).

Playing in what is perhaps the state's most competitive district from

top-to-bottom year in and year out, the Bulldogs have been the best of a very

good bunch as they are the only Division Six program in the state to have

collected two state championships (2003 and 2007) this decade en route to

posting a 94-23 record (.803). They've won two-thirds of their playoff games

(12-6) in the 00's and, during a three-year stretch from 2006-2008, posting an

impressive 7-2 mark in the postseason.

Related: All Decade All Region Teams: