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Stonewall Jackson Looks for Repeat
Senior quarterback Ricky Milbourne is ready to emerge and lead Stonewall Jackson to the playoffs again.
(By L. William Kobelka For The Washington Post)
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"For a second year, we're expecting an awful lot, and sometimes you have to take a step back and remind ourselves that we're still playing with sophomores and juniors," Coach Mark Cox said. "It's hard getting them to realize that they're not playing JV any more and are going to be playing the Hyltons and the Stonewalls. You can only tell them so many times. They're going to have to experience it themselves and see how they respond."
Cox, who as a sophomore quarterbacked Annandale to a state title in 1978, might use as many as three signal-callers in any given game -- returning starter Corey Thacker, a sophomore; Stonewall transfer Gregg Martino, a junior; and Westfield transfer Chris Ahern, one of about 10 seniors in the program. All three candidates should figure prominently at one position or another.
Battlefield has about 60 players in its varsity and junior varsity programs combined and another 60 freshmen.
Culpeper Blue Devils
Culpeper has a new district (formerly the AAA Commonwealth), new coach (six-year assistant Greg Martz) and a new classification (Division 6). But will it experience a change of fortune? The Blue Devils are 11-21 since coach Lou Sorrentino left to go to Hylton.
"In a way, it's a new beginning for Culpeper," said Martz, an assistant on the Blue Devils' team that won the 1999 Division 5 state title. "We're trying to bring something back to Culpeper. It's a good football community with great fans, great support."
Senior defensive backs Ricky Strother and Donte Orange are two of the top returning players off a 3-7 team that scored a touchdown or less in six games.
Martz's predecessor, Randy Bove, is an assistant at Potomac this season.
Fauquier Falcons
Fauquier also is facing a season of change with a new coach Greg Hatfield (formerly of Central-Woodstock), a new classification (AAA after playing in the AA Northwestern) and a new district.
And a new offense. Hatfield is installing the spread attack that helped Central advance to the playoffs. Senior quarterback Zac Caito, who completed 28 of 91 passes last year, will run it.
Four of the Falcons' six losses last season came by a total of nine points.
Hatfield's predecessor, Tom Ferrell, is now an assistant at Liberty, Fauquier's lone in-county rival.
