Countdown to Kickoff: Millbrook Pioneers
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I'd be surprised if Millbrook is worse than 8-1 going into the last game of the regular season, and 9-0 is a great possibility. Kettle Run and Liberty will be tough games but I don't see many teams on their schedule who will be able to slow down their offense.
Savon Smith is a gamer! Looking forward to watching him play this year.
High-powered offense propels Pioneers
Millbrook’s Savon Smith was dangerous both carrying and catching the football last season. Smith rushed for 693 yards an 14 touchdowns on just 70 carries. He also pulled in 52 catches for 823 yards and eight touchdowns.
Winchester Star file photo
For once, members of the Millbrook football team would like to spend some time on Thanksgiving with their second family by actually playing football.
If a high school football team can advance to the third round of the playoffs, it gives itself a chance to practice on Thanksgiving. For each of the last three years, the Pioneers have come up one win short of making that a reality.
In 2015, Millbrook lost to Jefferson Forest to finish 8-4. In 2016, the Pioneers lost to eventual state champion Salem to end the year 10-2. After getting a first-round bye, Millbrook’s season was brought to an end in the second round for the third straight year by Sherando with a last-minute 35-32 win to drop the Pioneers to a 9-2 record.
“When we went away for camp [to Powhatan School in Boyce on July 26 before reporting to Millbrook on July 30], we did a lot of talking in group meetings instead of just letting them hang out with each other,” said Millbrook coach Josh Haymore, whose team went 5-1 in Class 4 Northwestern District play, losing to the Warriors in the regular-season finale to finish second. “[The second-round losses] is what everybody talked about, especially the older guys. ‘We’re tired of losing in the second round. We’re good enough to able to go.’
“Savon [Smith] hit it on the head. He said, ‘I want to go to the playoffs, and I want to play on Thanksgiving. I want to practice on Thanksgiving and have Thanksgiving dinner with my brothers.’ When he said that, people were like, ‘That’s it. Let’s do it.’ I think the momentum would carry us further if we got the chance. They’ve got the hunger.”
Smith — a wide receiver/running back/cornerback — was a key contributor on each of those teams, so his stomach is growling particularly loud.
“Getting past the second round is driving us as a team,” Smith said.
Millbrook’s explosive wing-T offense (eight returning starters) will go a long way toward making that a reality.
Smith — who has scholarship offers from NCAA Division I Georgetown and Division II UVa-Wise — headlines the group. The Winchester Star’s 2016 Offensive Player of the Year as a running back also became a receiving threat in 2017. The first-team All-Region 4C selection caught 52 passes for 823 yards and eight TDs and rushed 70 times for 693 yards (9.9 average) and 14 TDs.
Like Smith, junior Gavin Evosirch (53 carries, 561 yards, 7 TDs; 21 catches, 318 yards, two TDs, second team all-district) starred in the slot position in 2017.
Senior Noah Robinson (92 carries, 622 yards, seven TDs) was an all-district honorable mention as a tailback.
Junior wide receiver Jordan Jackson (20 catches, 311 yards, 4 TDs) earned second-team all-district honors. T.J. Spain, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound transfer wide receiver from Tennessee, is also expected to play a big role, as well as senior Daniel Torres.
“The guy who’s really stepping up right now is Jordan,” Haymore said. “The good thing right now is he’s giving us some depth in the slot and receiver. He’s moving back and forth. He can go in and play slot, and then that puts a different guy at wideout. If you watch him on the basketball court, he’s a smart athlete.”
Millbrook also returns four starting offensive linemen — junior left guard Tyler Duckstein (6-1, 220, all-district second team), senior right guard Kelvin Enriquez (5-10, 220), junior left tackle Zach Harrison (6-3, 275, honorable mention all-district), and senior right tackle Zach Clowser (6-1, 240). Senior Noah Myers (5-11, 225) is the leading candidate to start at center.
Millbrook loses quarterback Isaac Brown (now at Richmond as a wide receiver), a second-team all-state all-purpose selection last year, but Evosirch showed his potential when he stepped in for an injured Brown in the second half of the playoff game against Sherando and nearly led the Pioneers to victory.
Evosirch, junior Michael Buza, senior Caleb Benner and sophomore Aidan Haines were all being considered for the starting quarterback job during the preseason. As of Aug. 10 — one day after Millbrook’s first scrimmage with Heritage — Buza had not practiced in the preseason because of an injury.
On defense, Millbrook will likely will need strong production from its line because of the loss of four graduating starting linebackers, including second-team Class 4 all-state selection Brandon Shingleton (team-high 131 tackles).
The Pioneers lost second-team all-state defensive lineman Myles Bruce to graduation, but the Pioneers return several experienced players in Clowser (36 tackles, four for loss), junior Michael Villa (32 tackles, three for loss) Harrison and Enriquez. Sophomore Dalton Tusing should also be key on the line.
Senior Tyrek Talley (sixth in the area with 105 tackles last year, three sacks) returns as the team’s Mike linebacker.
“I expect the same thing that we got from him last year,” Haymore said. “We just want him to be a leader out there.”
Players who will likely flank Talley this year are senior Jacob Young, Robinson and sophomore Diante Ball.
Returning starters in the secondary for Millbrook are Smith at cornerback (27 tackles, one interception) and Evosirch (42 tackles) at free safety. Millbrook also will look to Jackson and Torres at corner. Haymore said Spain and Haines should also play at safety.
Haymore said he never wants his team to peak too early, so he doesn’t expect exceptional play in his team’s first scrimmage of the year. But he was pleased with how a defense that lost more than half its starters from last year started things off in its scrimmage against Heritage (Leesburg) on Aug. 9.
“I thought they played pretty well,” said Haymore on Aug. 10. “We’ve got to get a couple of the guys playing faster and the group as a whole finishing plays sometimes. Heritage went on a couple drives, but if we tighten up on our fundamentals those drives will come up short pretty quick.”
Millbrook will be breaking in a new kicker and punter this year after the graduation of Sam Nicol and Brown, a first team all-district selection who led the area in punting average (37.0). Haymore had yet to decide on who will take those responsibilities as of Aug. 10.
Smith has been one of the area’s most dangerous returners since he was a freshman, and he earned second-team all-district honors as a punt returner last season.
Millbrook opens the season at 7 p.m. on Friday at home against Jefferson (W.Va.).
- By ROBERT NIEDZWIECKI The Winchester Star
Millbrook’s Savon Smith was dangerous both carrying and catching the football last season. Smith rushed for 693 yards an 14 touchdowns on just 70 carries. He also pulled in 52 catches for 823 yards and eight touchdowns.
Winchester Star file photo
For once, members of the Millbrook football team would like to spend some time on Thanksgiving with their second family by actually playing football.
If a high school football team can advance to the third round of the playoffs, it gives itself a chance to practice on Thanksgiving. For each of the last three years, the Pioneers have come up one win short of making that a reality.
In 2015, Millbrook lost to Jefferson Forest to finish 8-4. In 2016, the Pioneers lost to eventual state champion Salem to end the year 10-2. After getting a first-round bye, Millbrook’s season was brought to an end in the second round for the third straight year by Sherando with a last-minute 35-32 win to drop the Pioneers to a 9-2 record.
“When we went away for camp [to Powhatan School in Boyce on July 26 before reporting to Millbrook on July 30], we did a lot of talking in group meetings instead of just letting them hang out with each other,” said Millbrook coach Josh Haymore, whose team went 5-1 in Class 4 Northwestern District play, losing to the Warriors in the regular-season finale to finish second. “[The second-round losses] is what everybody talked about, especially the older guys. ‘We’re tired of losing in the second round. We’re good enough to able to go.’
“Savon [Smith] hit it on the head. He said, ‘I want to go to the playoffs, and I want to play on Thanksgiving. I want to practice on Thanksgiving and have Thanksgiving dinner with my brothers.’ When he said that, people were like, ‘That’s it. Let’s do it.’ I think the momentum would carry us further if we got the chance. They’ve got the hunger.”
Smith — a wide receiver/running back/cornerback — was a key contributor on each of those teams, so his stomach is growling particularly loud.
“Getting past the second round is driving us as a team,” Smith said.
Millbrook’s explosive wing-T offense (eight returning starters) will go a long way toward making that a reality.
Smith — who has scholarship offers from NCAA Division I Georgetown and Division II UVa-Wise — headlines the group. The Winchester Star’s 2016 Offensive Player of the Year as a running back also became a receiving threat in 2017. The first-team All-Region 4C selection caught 52 passes for 823 yards and eight TDs and rushed 70 times for 693 yards (9.9 average) and 14 TDs.
Like Smith, junior Gavin Evosirch (53 carries, 561 yards, 7 TDs; 21 catches, 318 yards, two TDs, second team all-district) starred in the slot position in 2017.
Senior Noah Robinson (92 carries, 622 yards, seven TDs) was an all-district honorable mention as a tailback.
Junior wide receiver Jordan Jackson (20 catches, 311 yards, 4 TDs) earned second-team all-district honors. T.J. Spain, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound transfer wide receiver from Tennessee, is also expected to play a big role, as well as senior Daniel Torres.
“The guy who’s really stepping up right now is Jordan,” Haymore said. “The good thing right now is he’s giving us some depth in the slot and receiver. He’s moving back and forth. He can go in and play slot, and then that puts a different guy at wideout. If you watch him on the basketball court, he’s a smart athlete.”
Millbrook also returns four starting offensive linemen — junior left guard Tyler Duckstein (6-1, 220, all-district second team), senior right guard Kelvin Enriquez (5-10, 220), junior left tackle Zach Harrison (6-3, 275, honorable mention all-district), and senior right tackle Zach Clowser (6-1, 240). Senior Noah Myers (5-11, 225) is the leading candidate to start at center.
Millbrook loses quarterback Isaac Brown (now at Richmond as a wide receiver), a second-team all-state all-purpose selection last year, but Evosirch showed his potential when he stepped in for an injured Brown in the second half of the playoff game against Sherando and nearly led the Pioneers to victory.
Evosirch, junior Michael Buza, senior Caleb Benner and sophomore Aidan Haines were all being considered for the starting quarterback job during the preseason. As of Aug. 10 — one day after Millbrook’s first scrimmage with Heritage — Buza had not practiced in the preseason because of an injury.
On defense, Millbrook will likely will need strong production from its line because of the loss of four graduating starting linebackers, including second-team Class 4 all-state selection Brandon Shingleton (team-high 131 tackles).
The Pioneers lost second-team all-state defensive lineman Myles Bruce to graduation, but the Pioneers return several experienced players in Clowser (36 tackles, four for loss), junior Michael Villa (32 tackles, three for loss) Harrison and Enriquez. Sophomore Dalton Tusing should also be key on the line.
Senior Tyrek Talley (sixth in the area with 105 tackles last year, three sacks) returns as the team’s Mike linebacker.
“I expect the same thing that we got from him last year,” Haymore said. “We just want him to be a leader out there.”
Players who will likely flank Talley this year are senior Jacob Young, Robinson and sophomore Diante Ball.
Returning starters in the secondary for Millbrook are Smith at cornerback (27 tackles, one interception) and Evosirch (42 tackles) at free safety. Millbrook also will look to Jackson and Torres at corner. Haymore said Spain and Haines should also play at safety.
Haymore said he never wants his team to peak too early, so he doesn’t expect exceptional play in his team’s first scrimmage of the year. But he was pleased with how a defense that lost more than half its starters from last year started things off in its scrimmage against Heritage (Leesburg) on Aug. 9.
“I thought they played pretty well,” said Haymore on Aug. 10. “We’ve got to get a couple of the guys playing faster and the group as a whole finishing plays sometimes. Heritage went on a couple drives, but if we tighten up on our fundamentals those drives will come up short pretty quick.”
Millbrook will be breaking in a new kicker and punter this year after the graduation of Sam Nicol and Brown, a first team all-district selection who led the area in punting average (37.0). Haymore had yet to decide on who will take those responsibilities as of Aug. 10.
Smith has been one of the area’s most dangerous returners since he was a freshman, and he earned second-team all-district honors as a punt returner last season.
Millbrook opens the season at 7 p.m. on Friday at home against Jefferson (W.Va.).
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