Hermitage understandably dominates this year's version of the All-Central Region team from

VirginiaPreps.com. The 13-0 Panthers racked up a whopping seven of the 28 spots on the

first team, including players on offense, defense, and special teams. They also earned five

additional spots on the second team. This is especially impressive considering our rule

about players only making the team at one spot (see below). That means that twelve

different players from the same school won first- or second-team honors.

D-5 regional champ Dinwiddie earned four first-team spots, while D-6 runner-up L. C. Bird and D-5 runner-up Hanover took three each. Manchester and Meadowbrook got two spots apiece.

The remaining seven bids scattered among an equal number of schools.

Now, a little bit of background: I've been putting together the All-Central Region Report

team since 2003. The original inspiration for its creation was to have an all-region team

that was truly elite and singular. That is, there would only be eleven players on offense,

eleven on defense, a kicker, a punter, and a return specialist. No multi-quarterback or five

running back teams.

Things have changed a lot at VirginiaPreps.com since 2003. Our presence and coverage has

spread significantly around the state. We're more active in Northern Virginia than ever

before. As a result, we now select all-region teams for each of the four AAA regions, not

just the Central.

Because of this, I'm taking some steps to standardize the All-CRR team. The first thing I'm

doing is adding "athlete" spots to both offense and defense, so that the team will have the

same structure as the units for the other parts of the state. Secondly, I'm releasing this

team the week before the state finals, rather than the week after, again so that it will be in

line with the rest of the state. Thirdly, I will name POY and COY in this article, rather than

in a separate piece later. Finally, instead of naming one COY as I've done in the past, I'll

again match the rest of the state and name one for each division.

Here are a few general points to keep in mind about the way we pick these teams.

Though it forces us to make tough choices each year, we lean more towards exclusivity than

inclusion as our team consists only of twelve offensive, twelve defensive, and four special

teams players.

 

The offense will include two players at the running back, wide receiver, tackle and guard

positions with one player named at quarterback, tight end, and center as would be the case

with a standard offensive set. Our one concession is to add an athlete position to be used

primarily as a "catch-all" where we include a player who, in our opinion, has to be honored.

This could be a guy who is good runner and receiver, but who doesn't quite fit at one

position, or a dual-threat quarterback, or, it could be a player who does have a well-defined

position, but there just happen to be a glut of great players at that spot in a given year. We

probably need to come up with a better word than "athlete," because it's not just for multi-purpose / utility-type players. In fact, this year's first-team spots went to a pure running

back and a pure defensive lineman, respectively. But those two were every bit as good as

the others at their respective positions, and deserved the nod.

Speaking of positions, we use the position for which the player was submitted in the all-district voting. So, a tight end who gets split out on a regular basis may still be a tight end

for our purposes.

 

The same rules apply to the defensive side of the ball. We opt for a 4-4 alignment, choosing

four defensive linemen, four linebackers, three defensive backs, and one athlete.

 

In the specialists spots, we select one punter, one kicker and two returners. Also note that

we do not name players to more than one position for our all-region teams. So, in the case

of someone like Brandon Rogers, who had a shot to make it as either a return man or a

defensive back, or Corey Marshall as an OL/DE, they could only make the team at one spot

by rule.

The one tradition I will hold over from the old All-CRR Team is designating multi-year

selections with asterisks. The number of asterisks equals the number of previous selections,

although no one this season has been selected more than a total of two times.

There were some really difficult calls this year. The toughest calls this year were

quarterback (as Chris Hall had a fantastic season), offensive guard, and athlete (whether to

put Hall, Deane Cheatham, or Kevin Green there), and linebacker (leaving off James

Santiago of Bird was very difficult, but I felt that there were three interior defensive linemen

who all needed to be on this team, so that accounted for the extra "athlete" spot). I made

mention of Hall, Green, and Santiago in a special recognition section.

In the end, and because we have a much more restrictive team in terms of personnel, some

deserving folks get left off. That's the bargain we make when we keep the team to such a

strict number, but that's the way it goes.

VirginiaPreps.com Central Region First Team Offense

Quarterback - Brendon Riddick, Sr. (Hermitage): A dual-threat quarterback, Riddick led

the regional champion Panthers in both rushing and passing. He's run for over 1,000 yards

and passed for over 1,400 yards with one game still left to play. He was also named

Colonial District Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season in 2010.

Running Back and Offensive Player of the Year - Yahkee Johnson, Jr. (L. C. Bird): At

a school rich in running back tradition, newcomer Johnson broke the single-season rushing

record with 2,313 yards on 344 carries, scoring 28 total touchdowns. POY was a tough call

over Riddick, Phillips, Chris Hall, and Cheatham, but Johnson gets the nod for his record-breaking season.

Running Back - Mico Phillips, Sr. (Meadowbrook): Phillips led the region with a 9.3

yards per carry average en route to a total of 2,026 yards in 10 games. He also scored 20

touchdowns for the Monarchs and had the highest single-game rushing total in the region.

Wide Receiver - Keith Johnson, Sr. (Petersburg): A big-play threat who averaged

nearly 20 yards per catch, the UR-bound Johnson saved his best for last. In his final game,

he caught eight passes for 142 yards and a touchdown in the regional semi-finals.

Wide Receiver - Chance Stone, Sr. (Lee-Davis): Stone had a region-best 77.3 yards

receiving per game average, catching a total of 39 balls for a Lee-Davis team that won five

of six down the stretch, including its last four contests.

Tight End - Trey Gardner, Sr. (Dinwiddie): Gardner was a key part of the potent

Dinwiddie passing attack, catching 20 balls in nine games for 412 yards and six

touchdowns, as well as blocking for Chris Hall and Andre Thweatt.

Tackle - Jake Goins, Sr. (Manchester): The 6-foot-4, 270-pound Goins is headed to

Virginia Tech next year, and with good reason. He led a very good Manchester offense that

put up nearly 30 points per game against stiff competition.

Tackle - Irabor Imobisa, Sr. (Meadowbrook): The University of Richmond commit

helped open holes for a very strong Monarch running attack, as Meadowbrook averaged 31.5

points per game during the last two months of the season.

Guard - Brad Goldsmith, Sr. (Hanover): The Hawks had one of the best offensive lines in

the area, and the highest-scoring offense in the region during the 2010 season. Goldsmith

was a major part of that as the Hawks scored 484 points in just 12 games.

Guard - Sam Tetterton, Sr. (Manchester): Another talented member of the Manchester

offensive line, Tetterton and his Lancer teammates scored at least 24 points in seven of ten

contests this season.

Center - Aaron Lewis, Sr. (Hermitage): Lewis was the anchor of a Hermitage offense

that got better and better as the year went on, and which has scored at least 40 points six

times so far this season, including a 42-point output in the state semi-finals.

Athlete - Deane Cheatham, Sr. (Hanover): No matter whom I put in this spot, I was

going to leave off either a district player of the year or Kevin Green. That's a lose-lose.

Cheatham takes the honor as Capital District POY, finishing with 1,590 yards rushing, plus

six catches for 87 yards, scoring a total of 29 touchdowns (27 rushing). He was also a great

punt returner, averaging 24.5 yards per return.

VirginiaPreps.com Central Region First Team Defense

Defensive Line - Diamonte Bailey, Sr. (Hermitage): A superb end and one of the

underrated stars of the D-6 regional champions, Bailey is a two-time All-Colonial District

pick who will continue his playing career at the University of Virginia.

Defensive Line - Corey Marshall, Sr. (Dinwiddie)*: All-everything Marshall, the top

defensive end prospect in the state, won Central District Defensive Player of the Year as the

Generals took district and regional titles.

Defensive Line - Alex Mosley, Sr. (Highland Springs): Mosley anchored a defense that

carried the young Springers during the early part of the season and eventually played a big

part in getting Highland Springs to the playoffs. The Springers held opponents to 12 or

fewer points seven times.

Defensive Line - JoQuon Roney, Sr. (Hermitage): A good run-stopper and pass-rusher,

Roney had 23 tackles for loss prior to last week's win over Bayside, in which he was a

significant force on defense.

Linebacker - Deon Clarke, Jr. (L. C. Bird): Clarke emerged as perhaps the best player on

a very strong Skyhawk defense, earning Dominion District Defensive Player of the Year

honors after recording a team-leading 67 solo tackles.

Linebacker - Josh Doggett, Sr. (Atlee)*: The Capital District Defensive Player of the Year

and two-time VirginiaPreps All-Region selection helped Atlee to its best season since 2003,

as the Raiders finished 6-4, holding opponents to 14 points or fewer in all six wins.

Linebacker and Defensive Player of the Year - Curtis Grant, Sr. (Hermitage)*: What

else is there to say about Grant? One of the best players ever to come out of the Central

Region, he's a repeat All-Region selection and a two-time district Defensive Player of the

Year. He was the leading tackler for the now 13-0 Panthers and will spearhead the defense

for Hermitage as the Panthers go for the second state title in school history.

Linebacker - Andre Thweatt, Sr. (Dinwiddie): The undersized but very tough Thweatt's

play as a running back got a lot of attention, but he was also the leading tackler for the

Central District and regional champion Dinwiddie Generals.

Defensive Back - Anthony Harris, Sr. (L. C. Bird)*: A repeat All-Region selection, Harris

picked off four passes this year and was first-team All-Dominion as both a defensive back

and at utility, while also being second-team at quarterback.

Defensive Back - Brandon Rogers, Sr. (Hermitage): Also an all-region caliber return

man, Rogers was the ringleader of a top-notch secondary that helped Hermitage shut down

opposing passing attacks en route to an undefeated record.

Defensive Back - Marzae Brooks, Sr. (Hanover): Brooks had a fantastic year for the

Capital District champs, racking up 43 solo tackles, three forced fumbles, three fumble

recoveries, and five interceptions - two of which he returned for touchdowns.

Athlete - Mo Gross, Sr. (Clover Hill): This is a non-traditional "athlete" pick, but Mo

Gross deserves it. He was a stellar defensive lineman for a unit that didn't give up more

than 14 points in any game during the regular season.

VirginiaPreps.com Central Region First Team Specialists

Kicker - John Stiebel, So. (Hermitage): Making tremendous strides from his ninth grade

season, Stiebel is a strong-legged, accurate placekicker that gives Hermitage a very reliable

scoring option anytime they're within field goal range.

Punter - Gaige Parolisi, Sr. (Matoaca): Parolisi has been as good a punter as we've had

in this area for the past two seasons. Accurate, good hangtime, and the athletic ability to

recover even in the face of a good rush or a bad snap.

Returner - De'Chavon Hayes, Sr. (Varina): Hayes rolled up some eye-popping total

yardage numbers this season, including 400+ in a big early-season win over Thomas Dale

with two touchdown returns of over 90 yards each.

Returner - Drakar Harvell, Jr. (Dinwiddie): An all-district returner and wideout, Harvell

averaged nearly 24 yards per kickoff return for the season, and scored a total of three non-offensive touchdowns on the season.

VirginiaPreps.com Central Region Coaches of the Year

Division Six - Patrick Kane (Hermitage): The Panthers entered 2010 with high

expectations, but Kane's team has met or exceeded each of them. Hermitage won the Colonial

District title in dominant fashion, then downed Varina and a very good L. C. Bird team to

take the regional title, continuing a decade of success that dates to the beginning of Kane's tenure. The Panthers then knocked off unbeaten Bayside in the state semi-finals. Hermitage is currently 13-0 and the #1 D-6 school in our state

rankings. They have a chance to become the first Central Region team to finish as an

undefeated D-6 state champion.

Division Five - Billy Mills (Dinwiddie): After the ground-breaking season Josh Just had at

Hanover, it's tough not to honor the Hawks' head man. But let's not forget that Dinwiddie,

too, completed the first unbeaten regular season in school history. After winning the

outright Central District title, the Generals defeated Clover Hill and then the previously-undefeated Hanover Hawks to earn a second regional title in three seasons. The Generals came within a whisker of ending the state-record winning streak of mighty Phoebus as well.

Special Recognition

Kevin Green, Sr. (Petersburg): Future Virginia Cavalier Kevin Green "wow"-ed opponents

and teammates alike with a 2,000-yard passing season that included a gutsy, regional-record-breaking performance in the playoff loss to Hanover. Green also ran for 751 yards

on the year.

Chris Hall, Sr. (Dinwiddie): Hall, who will suit up for Virginia Tech next season, won Central District

Offensive Player of the Year honors while leading Dinwiddie to the regional title, running for

1,056 yards and 21 touchdowns and throwing for 2,068 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Numbers like that made him a strong candidate for regional Offensive Player of the Year.

James Santiago, Sr. (L. C. Bird): Santiago was a 2009 All-CRR pick who barely missed

this season after a great season as a part of an excellent Skyhawk defense. He finished with

59 solo tackles and two interceptions for the year.

VirginiaPreps.com Central Region Second Team Offense

QB - Chris Hall, Sr. (Dinwiddie)

RB - Brandon Chiles, Sr. (Manchester)

RB - Demonte Gregory, Sr. (Petersburg)

WR - Anthony Brown, Sr. (Monacan)

WR - Darius Simpson, Sr. (Thomas Jefferson)

TE - Jevonte Jones, Sr. (L. C. Bird)

T - Preston Jeter, Sr. (Hermitage)

T - Denny Vaughan, Sr. (Dinwiddie)

G - Kevin Jennings, Jr. (Hermitage)

G - Brandon Robinson, Sr. (Lee-Davis)

C - Hunter Lee, Sr. (Hanover)

ATH - Kevin Green, Sr. (Petersburg)

VirginiaPreps.com Central Region Second Team Defense

DL - Avery Coleman, Sr. (L. C. Bird)

DL - Calvin Davis, Sr. (Lee-Davis)

DL - DaVaughn Lampkin, Sr. (John Marshall)

DL - J. P. Pearson, Sr. (Manchester)

LB - Brandon Robinson, Sr. (Lee-Davis)

LB - James Santiago, Sr. (L. C. Bird)

LB - Terrell Starkey, Sr. (Highland Springs)

LB - Kenneth Wagstaff, Sr. (Hermitage)

DB - Martin Smith, Junior, Jr. (Highland Springs)

DB - Blaize Torrance, Sr. (Henrico)

DB - Shamel White, Sr. (Hermitage)

ATH - Joel Caleb, Jr. (Clover Hill)

VirginiaPreps.com Central Region Second Team Specialists

K - Anthony Prevost, Jr. (Thomas Dale)

P - Ty Dettmer, Sr. (Manchester)

RET - Jamil McGinnis, Sr. (L. C. Bird)

RET - Triston Wright, Jr. (Hermitage)