Your Mt Rushmore

[CRF4Dan]

We often debate who the best coach, who the best player was but we are going to get a bit more specific in this debate.

We are all fans of this or that school... If you could build a Mt Rushmore of the best in your football programs history, who would make the cut?

There are rules with this...
1 must be a head coach
1 must be a defensive player
1 must be an offensive player
1 can be a special teams, defense or offensive player... a wild card if you will.

So who makes your schools Mt Rushmore?

 

[SpartanOfYore]

We often debate who the best coach, who the best player was but we are going to get a bit more specific in this debate.

We are all fans of this or that school... If you could build a Mt Rushmore of the best in your football programs history, who would make the cut?

There are rules with this...
1 must be a head coach
1 must be a defensive player
1 must be an offensive player
1 can be a special teams, defense or offensive player... a wild card if you will.

So who makes your schools Mt Rushmore?

This is an excellent question. Thank you for asking it.

Salem’s Mt. Rushmore
Willis White - Head Coach
Four state championships, two state runners-up, sixteen playoff berths in twenty-one seasons (when playoff berths were still hard to come by). Hired to make Salem into a consistent winner, White did that, and then some.
Dennis Haley - Defensive Player
Haley was a force at both linebacker and tailback. Played on three state title teams in his four years on the varsity (‘96-‘99). The first ever Salem High grad to make a team in one of the four major pro sports leagues.
Andy Mullins - Offensive Player
Not great at any one thing, but very good at everything - especially winning. Mullins was the starting quarterback for two of the three best teams in school history, in 1998 and 1999; those teams posted a combined record of 28-0.
Joe Quinn - All-around
Quinn excelled on offense, defense, and special teams, rarely leaving the field from 2015 through 2017. The quintessential team player, Quinn was the best all-around player on three consecutive state championship teams.

Obviously, Salem has produced a lot of great players over the years, so this isn’t the only right answer. I’ll be interested to read what others say.

 

[numb3rs]

This is an excellent question. Thank you for asking it.

Salem’s Mt. Rushmore
Willis White - Head Coach
Four state championships, two state runners-up, sixteen playoff berths in twenty-one seasons (when playoff berths were still hard to come by). Hired to make Salem into a consistent winner, White did that, and then some.
Dennis Haley - Defensive Player
Haley was a force at both linebacker and tailback. Played on three state title teams in his four years on the varsity (‘96-‘99). The first ever Salem High grad to make a team in one of the four major pro sports leagues.
Andy Mullins - Offensive Player
Not great at any one thing, but very good at everything - especially winning. Mullins was the starting quarterback for two of the three best teams in school history, in 1998 and 1999; those teams posted a combined record of 28-0.
Joe Quinn - All-around
Quinn excelled on offense, defense, and special teams, rarely leaving the field from 2015 through 2017. The quintessential team player, Quinn was the best all-around player on three consecutive state championship teams.

Obviously, Salem has produced a lot of great players over the years, so this isn’t the only right answer. I’ll be interested to read what others say.

Maybe not a popular name now, but I would make Brad Bradley the All-Around player for Salem. He was a four year starter and standout at CB and WR. Every #3 for Salem since then is a tribute to is legacy.

 

[CRF4Dan]

This is an excellent question. Thank you for asking it.

Salem’s Mt. Rushmore
Willis White - Head Coach
Four state championships, two state runners-up, sixteen playoff berths in twenty-one seasons (when playoff berths were still hard to come by). Hired to make Salem into a consistent winner, White did that, and then some.
Dennis Haley - Defensive Player
Haley was a force at both linebacker and tailback. Played on three state title teams in his four years on the varsity (‘96-‘99). The first ever Salem High grad to make a team in one of the four major pro sports leagues.
Andy Mullins - Offensive Player
Not great at any one thing, but very good at everything - especially winning. Mullins was the starting quarterback for two of the three best teams in school history, in 1998 and 1999; those teams posted a combined record of 28-0.
Joe Quinn - All-around
Quinn excelled on offense, defense, and special teams, rarely leaving the field from 2015 through 2017. The quintessential team player, Quinn was the best all-around player on three consecutive state championship teams.

Obviously, Salem has produced a lot of great players over the years, so this isn’t the only right answer. I’ll be interested to read what others say.

That is what stirs up the debate is you have to trim a list to four... A lot of programs like a Salem, Phoebus, Hampton, Highland Springs, Varina, Hylton... so many great programs in the history of the state have had great players come through. It is all based on interpretation as to what is important to you... or what you witnessed with your own eyes.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

Maybe not a popular name now, but I would make Brad Bradley the All-Around player for Salem. He was a four year starter and standout at CB and WR. Every #3 for Salem since then is a tribute to is legacy.

Yes, Bradley would be a fine choice, too. I went with Quinn because I thought he would be the best representative from that incredible run of 2015 to 2017. A great three-way player who is also a super person (and I’m genuinely not implying that others aren’t good people).

There were so many names vying for those four spots. It’s difficult to even remember them all. When I hear “Mt. Rushmore”, I think “iconic” or “precedent-setting.” Looking at it that way, Willis White was really the only clear choice for me. I might have included Stephen Magenbauer as my fourth choice, if the rules of the post allowed for choosing more than one coach.

Also, I forgot to suggest that Salem’s Mt. Rushmore could be carved into the rocks above old Candy Stripe park on Shanks Street.

 

[BleedingNavy]

Awesome topic Danny and great job @SpartanOfYore. Here is my take on Dinwiddie. Two of my nominees played in Class 5, so many on this board may not know them.

Dinwiddie Generals:

Coach: Billy Mills

Dinwiddie's football program started in 1965. Since that time the Generals have accumulated a record of 301-275-7. Only three men have winning coaching records at Dinwiddie and Billy Mills leads them all. Coach Mills has an overall record of 127-46 (14 years) and is 22-11 in the playoffs. Mills has led the Generals to 12 straight playoff appearances. Mills has coached in the state finals on three occasions and is 1-2 (state title in 2013). He has 4 Region titles and 6 District Championships.

Offensive Player: Adam Morgan (QB) Four year starter for Coach Mills (2005-2008). 27-20 overall record as a qb, but was 23-4 his last two seasons. I will let the excerts from a 2008 Virginia Preps article say the rest.

William Massenburg
VirginiaPreps.com Senior Writer
Saturday the Phoebus Phantoms will face the Dinwiddie Generals for the division 5 state title in Blacksburg. Dinwiddie enters the game at 12-1 and Phoebus is an impressive 13-0. Both teams are led by their quarterbacks with a large supporting cast of players who make it all work for them. Phoebus is the obvious favorite but when you take time to look at the actual match ups they are a lot closer than you would expect. But the position that interests me is the quarterback position.
On Saturday you will see a quarterback that holds 4 state records. Surpassing greats of the last 10 years like Ronald Curry, Vic Hall, Sean and Mike Glennon, Peter Lalich, Aaron Brooks, Michael and Marcus Vick, EJ Manuel, Michael Robinson, Tyrod Taylor and the list goes on. All of these guys were highly recruited and rightfully so. You may have thought I was talking about Tajh Boyd. No I am talking about Dinwiddie quarterback Adam Morgan.
Adam Morgan is arguably the best quarterback in Virginia High School League history. Some may say thats foolish or crazy. But when you line him up against history what he has done can not be denied. Playing in Virginia most exciting division, division 5 Adam has started on varsity since he was a freshman. His team has increased in wins each season he has been under center. He is the state record holder for most career completions, most career passing touchdowns, most career passing yards, and most passing touchdowns in a season. Morgan is also his teams leading rusher.

Defensive Player: Corey Marshall

Marshall played defensive end for three years at Dinwiddie (208-2010). He was a 2 time all state and regional performer as well as a 3 time all district performer. He played in the 2010 Army Allstar game and was a three year starter at defensive tackle for Virginia Tech. His career statistics include 325 tackles 53 tackles for loss, 30 sacks, 1 interception, three fumble recoveries and a touchdown. Marshall once had 4 sacks in a game (school record).

All Around: Bet some readers thought I had lost my mind and forgot about this young man. K'Vaughan Pope was a four year starter on offense and defense for Coach Mills (2014-2017). The Generals accrued a 46-8 record during K'Vaughans tenure. K'Vaughan was a three time all state, all region, and district performer. During his ninth grade and 11th grade years he made the top ten ESPN plays of the day. Popes offensive statistics include: 14 rushes 145 yards and 3 tds. 107 receptions 1,852 yards and 14 tds. Defensive stats include: 282 tackles, 56 tackles for loss, 9 sacks, 7 interceptions (2 tds), and 5 fumble recoveries (1 td). Pope also excelled on special teams where he had 2 kickoff returns for tds, 1 punt return td, 4 blocked punts (1 td), and 8 blocked extra points/fg's (1 td). Currently plays outside linebacker at Ohio State.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

Awesome topic Danny and great job @SpartanOfYore. Here is my take on Dinwiddie. Two of my nominees played in Class 5, so many on this board may not know them.

Dinwiddie Generals:

Coach: Billy Mills

Dinwiddie's football program started in 1965. Since that time the Generals have accumulated a record of 301-275-7. Only three men have have winning coaching records at Dinwiddie and Billy Mills leads them all. Coach Mills has an overall record of 127-46 (14 years) and is 22-11 in the playoffs. Mills has led the Generals to 12 straight playoff appearances. Mills has coached in the state finals on three occasions and is 1-2 (state title in 2013). He has 4 Region titles and 6 District Championships.

Offensive Player: Adam Morgan (QB) Four year starter for Coach Mills (2005-2008). 27-20 overall record as a qb, but was 23-4 his last two seasons. I will let the excerts from a 2008 Virginia Preps article say the rest.

William Massenburg
VirginiaPreps.com Senior Writer
Saturday the Phoebus Phantoms will face the Dinwiddie Generals for the division 5 state title in Blacksburg. Dinwiddie enters the game at 12-1 and Phoebus is an impressive 13-0. Both teams are led by their quarterbacks with a large supporting cast of players who make it all work for them. Phoebus is the obvious favorite but when you take time to look at the actual match ups they are a lot closer than you would expect. But the position that interests me is the quarterback position.
On Saturday you will see a quarterback that holds 4 state records. Surpassing greats of the last 10 years like Ronald Curry, Vic Hall, Sean and Mike Glennon, Peter Lalich, Aaron Brooks, Michael and Marcus Vick, EJ Manuel, Michael Robinson, Tyrod Taylor and the list goes on. All of these guys were highly recruited and rightfully so. You may have thought I was talking about Tajh Boyd. No I am talking about Dinwiddie quarterback Adam Morgan.
Adam Morgan is arguably the best quarterback in Virginia High School League history. Some may say thats foolish or crazy. But when you line him up against history what he has done can not be denied. Playing in Virginia most exciting division, division 5 Adam has started on varsity since he was a freshman. His team has increased in wins each season he has been under center. He is the state record holder for most career completions, most career passing touchdowns, most career passing yards, and most passing touchdowns in a season. Morgan is also his teams leading rusher.

Defensive Player: Corey Marshall

Marshall played defensive end for three years at Dinwiddie (208-2010). He was a 2 time all state and regional performer as well as a 3 time all district performer. He played in the 2010 Army Allstar game and was a three year starter at defensive tackle for Virginia Tech. His career statistics include 325 tackles 53 tackles for loss, 30 sacks, 1 interception, three fumble recoveries and a touchdown. Marshall once had 4 sacks in a game (school record).

All Around: Bet some readers thought I had lost my mind and forgot about this young man. K'Vaughan Pope was a four year starter on offense and defense for Coach Mills (2014-2017). The Generals accrued a 46-8 record during K'Vaughans tenure. K'Vaughan was a three time all state, all region, and district performer. During his ninth grade and 11th grade years he made the top ten ESPN plays of the day. Popes offensive statistics include: 14 rushes 145 yards and 3 tds. 107 receptions 1,852 yards and 14 tds. Defensive stats include: 282 tackles, 56 tackles for loss, 9 sacks, 7 interceptions (2 tds), and 5 fumble recoveries (1 td). Pope also excelled on special teams where he had 2 kickoff returns for tds, 1 punt return td, 4 blocked punts (1 td), and 8 blocked extra points/fg's (1 td). Currently plays outside linebacker at Ohio State.

View embedded media

Very nicely done!

 

[freeatlast2013]

Marcus Parker RB Salem, who had a short stint in the NFL, was never the same player after hurting his knee.
Matt Anderson was a bruising RB at Salem who simply ran over Lafayette in state title.
Andre Hairston RB Salem , one of the greats. He had 220 yards in state championship against Harrisonburg, needed better grades.
Tony Spradlin a great receiver who simply did not drop the ball.
Also, cannot forget big Alex Light, former Richmond player and now Green Bay Packers.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

Marcus Parker RB Salem, who had a short stint in the NFL, was never the same player after hurting his knee.
Matt Anderson was a bruising RB at Salem who simply ran over Lafayette in state title.
Andre Hairston RB Salem , one of the greats. He had 220 yards in state championship against Harrisonburg, needed better grades.
Tony Spradlin a great receiver who simply did not drop the ball.
Also, cannot forget big Alex Light, former Richmond player and now Green Bay Packers.

Marcus Parker RB Salem, who had a short stint in the NFL, was never the same player after hurting his knee.
Matt Anderson was a bruising RB at Salem who simply ran over Lafayette in state title.
Andre Hairston RB Salem , one of the greats. He had 220 yards in state championship against Harrisonburg, needed better grades.
Tony Spradlin a great receiver who simply did not drop the ball.
Also, cannot forget big Alex Light, former Richmond player and now Green Bay Packers.

Who are your Mt. Rushmore choices, then? And remember the rules - one has to be a head coach, and one a defensive player.

Also, as of right now I would say with certainty that Marcus Parker never made a final NFL roster, but I’d be happy to be proven wrong. Can you provide a link to proof that he played in the league? I just did a fifteen-minute internet search and found nothing.

 

[southbottomU]

Willis White, Stephen Magenbauer, Marcus Parker, and a mule representing all the offensive linemen over the years

 

[mike salem]

I don't have the history like Spartan of Yore does, but my list would be:

Coach- Willis White
Defense- Dennis Haley LB
Offense- Marcus Parker RB
Wildcard- Noah Beckley QB

 

[1MoreHokie]

Gonna get some 12 Angry Men posts but here goes

Dennis Haley
Marcus Parker
Noah Beckley
Mags

- Haley is just my default choice on D because I genuinely struggle to think of a good #2. He made the pros, was one of the then few FBS-level players in Salem history.
- I went with Parker because we didn't see enough of Ramsey. Ramsey had to wait in line a bit longer than most would in his scenario (for reasons both in and out of his hands) and that's what puts him behind for me. Parker was the first big name out of Salem and he's got arguably the longest-lasting legacy of any player.
- My 3rd pick was between Beckley and Nic Schmitt, P/PK. Schmitt's leg was legendary and it got him to VT where he was a multi-year starter and it could have gotten him to the NFL if he had not chosen a different career path. Ultimately, and this may be because of the recency of his play but Beckley, to me, is the greatest QB Salem has ever had and that's why he's in there for me.
- And here comes the controversy. I went with Mags because I have a hard time quantifying intangibles when it comes to coaches so I went with the metrics and Mags simply outdoes White. I also think it's harder to win in this current environment with everyone playing where they should than years past (this counts for earlier Mags' years as well). Mags had a better record, more titles, he matched the 3-peat, he got them to 4 straight finals. I won't sit there and tell you that picking Willis is wrong, though, but I think an argument can absolutely be made for Mags and so I did.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

Gonna get some 12 Angry Men posts but here goes

Dennis Haley
Marcus Parker
Noah Beckley
Mags

- Haley is just my default choice on D because I genuinely struggle to think of a good #2. He made the pros, was one of the then few FBS-level players in Salem history.
- I went with Parker because we didn't see enough of Ramsey. Ramsey had to wait in line a bit longer than most would in his scenario (for reasons both in and out of his hands) and that's what puts him behind for me. Parker was the first big name out of Salem and he's got arguably the longest-lasting legacy of any player.
- My 3rd pick was between Beckley and Nic Schmitt, P/PK. Schmitt's leg was legendary and it got him to VT where he was a multi-year starter and it could have gotten him to the NFL if he had not chosen a different career path. Ultimately, and this may be because of the recency of his play but Beckley, to me, is the greatest QB Salem has ever had and that's why he's in there for me.
- And here comes the controversy. I went with Mags because I have a hard time quantifying intangibles when it comes to coaches so I went with the metrics and Mags simply outdoes White. I also think it's harder to win in this current environment with everyone playing where they should than years past (this counts for earlier Mags' years as well). Mags had a better record, more titles, he matched the 3-peat, he got them to 4 straight finals. I won't sit there and tell you that picking Willis is wrong, though, but I think an argument can absolutely be made for Mags and so I did.

I don’t see much controversy, really. It’s all just our opinions, and as you say, a good case could be made for either White or Magenbauer. Both were great high school coaches. I came within an eyelash of putting them both up there; the only reason I didn’t was that I was trying to follow the guidelines of the OP.

As I indicated above, to me Mt. Rushmore implies “founding father.” Not necessarily the greatest (though maybe), but someone who did something important, or set a precedent that paved the way for those who followed. That’s why I went with White. He made Salem High football what it is, and Magenbauer built upon that.

I came within an eyelash of having Marcus Parker as my fourth Rushmorian. Schmitt and Beckley (whom I agree is Salem’s best-ever qb) are also excellent choices that I considered. In fact, if carving weren’t already well along - I had a crew get started down at Candy Stripe Park this morning - I might substitute Beckley for Quinn. All are worthy selections. The younger Ramsey is probably the greatest natural talent to ever wear the maroon and silver, but I wouldn’t consider him for inclusion on Salem’s Rushmore.

 

[CRF4Dan]

I don’t see much controversy, really. It’s all just our opinions, and as you say, a good case could be made for either White or Magenbauer. Both were great high school coaches. I came within an eyelash of putting them both up there; the only reason I didn’t was that I was trying to follow the guidelines of the OP.

As I indicated above, to me Mt. Rushmore implies “founding father.” Not necessarily the greatest (though maybe), but someone who did something important, or set a precedent that paved the way for those who followed. That’s why I went with White. He made Salem High football what it is, and Magenbauer built upon that.

I came within an eyelash of having Marcus Parker as my fourth Rushmorian. Schmitt and Beckley (whom I agree is Salem’s best-ever qb) are also excellent choices that I considered. In fact, if carving weren’t already well along - I had a crew get started down at Candy Stripe Park this morning - I might substitute Beckley for Quinn. All are worthy selections. The younger Ramsey is probably the greatest natural talent to ever wear the maroon and silver, but I wouldn’t consider him for inclusion on Salem’s Rushmore.

I applaud you Spartan fans... you'll have really made this topic interesting.

Where are the rest of fans though? All these schools in Class 4 and all we have had thus far has been from Salem and Dinwiddie folk.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

I applaud you Spartan fans... you'll have really made this topic interesting.

Where are the rest of fans though? All these schools in Class 4 and all we have had thus far has been from Salem and Dinwiddie folk.

You should pose the question on the Class 1 and 2 fall sports boards - they’d be all over it.

 

[mike salem]

This is an excellent question. Thank you for asking it.

Salem’s Mt. Rushmore
Willis White - Head Coach
Four state championships, two state runners-up, sixteen playoff berths in twenty-one seasons (when playoff berths were still hard to come by). Hired to make Salem into a consistent winner, White did that, and then some.
Dennis Haley - Defensive Player
Haley was a force at both linebacker and tailback. Played on three state title teams in his four years on the varsity (‘96-‘99). The first ever Salem High grad to make a team in one of the four major pro sports leagues.
Andy Mullins - Offensive Player
Not great at any one thing, but very good at everything - especially winning. Mullins was the starting quarterback for two of the three best teams in school history, in 1998 and 1999; those teams posted a combined record of 28-0.
Joe Quinn - All-around
Quinn excelled on offense, defense, and special teams, rarely leaving the field from 2015 through 2017. The quintessential team player, Quinn was the best all-around player on three consecutive state championship teams.

Obviously, Salem has produced a lot of great players over the years, so this isn’t the only right answer. I’ll be interested to read what others say.

Joe is a good choice for all around. There are so many good choices. I went with Beckley, I could also have went with Viante Tucker. I agree with White as the coach that started it all, but Mags is right there for me too.

I do think Ramsey was the most talented player I personally saw at Salem. As a Sophomore he played DE and set the record for sacks with 14¹/². He was also the best RB I saw at Salem. (I didn't get to see Parker)

 

[courtlandcougars1987]

Courtland

Ken Brown head coach
Tim Canada Defensive Player
Charles Anderson Offensive player
Stephon Banks Special teams/overall most talented

4 state championships for Brown, back in the 80's during the Cougars hey day, there was no better or more feared foursome than these guys.

 

[SFUWO]

Who are your Mt. Rushmore choices, then? And remember the rules - one has to be a head coach, and one a defensive player.

Also, as of right now I would say with certainty that Marcus Parker never made a final NFL roster, but I’d be happy to be proven wrong. Can you provide a link to proof that he played in the league? I just did a fifteen-minute internet search and found nothing.

I believe he was with Cincinnati but was cut before the yr started

 

[SpartanOfYore]

I believe he was with Cincinnati but was cut before the yr started

Thanks.

 

[cutnjump]

Based on criteria and considering full body of work(high school, collegiate and pro) my picks at GW Danville would be
Coach - Alger Pugh
Offense - Herman Moore
Defense - Buddy Curry
Wildcard - Ferrell Edmunds

My apologies to a lot of other names that could be included as well.

 

[BleedingNavy]

Some good choices. GW Danville would be tough for anyone close to the program. So many outstanding players. Heck, my dad said the 1968 GW team was fantastic and I can attest to the 1981 and 1982 teams. Moorman, Harris, Covingtons..... Studs.

I would like to hear from the Pulaski folks. They too had some studs back in the day.

I realize PH Roanoke is not in Class 4, but most everyone knows their history. Here's my take.

Coach: Merrill Gainer. 1973 State Championship. Willis Whites mentor.

Offense: Alvin Comer, quarterback. Played at VMI and still holds many school records.

Tim Dudley, running back. Set 20 school records. High school All American. Played one season at VA Tech and transferred to Hampton University.

Defense: Scott Hillman. Starting DE and fullback. Played and started at UVA. Cut by the Lions in preseason.

Shannon Taylor. All State lb. Played at UVA and the NFL.

CO-All Arounds: Bobby Blankenship. 3 year starter. Played safety, wide receiver, and quarterback (senior year). Played VA Tech until getting hurt. Never played competative golf, but tried out and made the 1986 VA Tech golf team. Fantastic baseball and basketball player as well.

Banard Basham, tight end and defensive end. Played at VA Tech. Played on one of the best state basketball championship teams ever.

 

[cutnjump]

Some good choices. GW Danville would be tough for anyone close to the program. So many outstanding players. Heck, my dad said the 1968 GW team was fantastic and I can attest to the 1981 and 1982 teams. Moorman, Harris, Covingtons..... Studs.

I would like to hear from the Pulaski folks. They too had some studs back in the day.

I realize PH Roanoke is not in Class 4, but most everyone knows their history. Here's my take.

Coach: Merrill Gainer. 1973 State Championship. Willis Whites mentor.

Offense: Alvin Comer, quarterback. Played at VMI and still holds many school records.

Tim Dudley, running back. Set 20 school records. High school All American. Played one season at VA Tech and transferred to Hampton University.

Defense: Scott Hillman. Starting DE and fullback. Played and started at UVA. Cut by the Lions in preseason.

Shannon Taylor. All State lb. Played at UVA and the NFL.

CO-All Arounds: Bobby Blankenship. 3 year starter. Played safety, wide receiver, and quarterback (senior year). Played VA Tech until getting hurt. Never played competative golf, but tried out and made the 1986 VA Tech golf team. Fantastic baseball and basketball player as well.

Banard Basham, tight end and defensive end. Played at VA Tech. Played on one of the best state basketball championship teams ever.

Good list. Probably would consider Chris Combs as well but, your choices are very good. Been friends with Alvin and Bo for 25+ years and they are in any PH discussion. Shannon is unfairly penalized in some discussions by some old guard at PH but, he was a multi sport star and deserving of the recognition, in my opinion.

That 68 GW team sent multiple guys to UNC as well as guys to NC State, Duke, Maryland, Nebraska and South Carolina along with guys to Hampden Sydney and Macon, if memory serves me correct.

You referred to the 81 and 82 teams and that doesn't even cover David Wilson, Nate Poole, and a couple of other guys that had at least a cup of coffee in the NFL.

 

[cutnjump]

Some good choices. GW Danville would be tough for anyone close to the program. So many outstanding players. Heck, my dad said the 1968 GW team was fantastic and I can attest to the 1981 and 1982 teams. Moorman, Harris, Covingtons..... Studs.

I would like to hear from the Pulaski folks. They too had some studs back in the day.

I realize PH Roanoke is not in Class 4, but most everyone knows their history. Here's my take.

Coach: Merrill Gainer. 1973 State Championship. Willis Whites mentor.

Offense: Alvin Comer, quarterback. Played at VMI and still holds many school records.

Tim Dudley, running back. Set 20 school records. High school All American. Played one season at VA Tech and transferred to Hampton University.

Defense: Scott Hillman. Starting DE and fullback. Played and started at UVA. Cut by the Lions in preseason.

Shannon Taylor. All State lb. Played at UVA and the NFL.

CO-All Arounds: Bobby Blankenship. 3 year starter. Played safety, wide receiver, and quarterback (senior year). Played VA Tech until getting hurt. Never played competative golf, but tried out and made the 1986 VA Tech golf team. Fantastic baseball and basketball player as well.

Banard Basham, tight end and defensive end. Played at VA Tech. Played on one of the best state basketball championship teams ever.

I agree on Pulaski. As an outsider I would say Joel Hicks, offense King Harvey or Gary Clark, Defense not real sure, wildcards probably Jeff King, Chris Kinzer and Shayne Graham. I would defer to local Pulaski expertise to correct my errors/omissions.

 

[BleedingNavy]

I agree on Pulaski. As an outsider I would say Joel Hicks, offense King Harvey or Gary Clark, Defense not real sure, wildcards probably Jeff King, Chris Kinzer and Shayne Graham. I would defer to local Pulaski expertise to correct my errors/omissions.

@cutnjump King Harvey and Clark are prized choices and you can't go wrong with Kinzer or Graham.

Josh Calfee-rb and Jeff King are two other Cougar options on offense.

Rodney Landreth was a very good db and who could forget the Cougars two way lineman Todd Granthem. I think he is a defensive coordinator at Florida now??????

Tons of choices for Pulaski. Do you remember Michael Porter? Great athlete that starred on the hardwood.

 

[redzone4us]

Some good choices. GW Danville would be tough for anyone close to the program. So many outstanding players. Heck, my dad said the 1968 GW team was fantastic and I can attest to the 1981 and 1982 teams. Moorman, Harris, Covingtons..... Studs.

I would like to hear from the Pulaski folks. They too had some studs back in the day.

I realize PH Roanoke is not in Class 4, but most everyone knows their history. Here's my take.

Coach: Merrill Gainer. 1973 State Championship. Willis Whites mentor.

Offense: Alvin Comer, quarterback. Played at VMI and still holds many school records.

Tim Dudley, running back. Set 20 school records. High school All American. Played one season at VA Tech and transferred to Hampton University.

Defense: Scott Hillman. Starting DE and fullback. Played and started at UVA. Cut by the Lions in preseason.

Shannon Taylor. All State lb. Played at UVA and the NFL.

CO-All Arounds: Bobby Blankenship. 3 year starter. Played safety, wide receiver, and quarterback (senior year). Played VA Tech until getting hurt. Never played competative golf, but tried out and made the 1986 VA Tech golf team. Fantastic baseball and basketball player as well.

Banard Basham, tight end and defensive end. Played at VA Tech. Played on one of the best state basketball championship teams ever.

I may be wrong, but i believe that 1973 Patrick Henry team had an outstanding defense. I think they had 10 shutouts in 13 games and shutout all 3 opponents in the playoffs.

 

[mike salem]

From fourseasonsfootball.com

1973 9/7 Elizabethton, TN 41-0
1973 9/15 Huguenot 40-0
1973 9/21 Cave Spring 41-0
1973 9/28 William Fleming 19-14
1973 10/5 Andrew Lewis 10-0
1973 10/12 Robert E. Lee Staunton 37-7
1973 10/19 Northside 49-7
1973 11/2 Jefferson, Sr. 55-0
1973 11/9 Franklin County 21-0
1973 11/16 Clifton Forge 38-0
1973 11/23 E. C. Glass 17-0
1973 12/1 T. C. Williams 9-0
1973 12/8 Lafayette 23-0

 

[MrSir#5]

AMHERST
Coach- Mickey Crouch
Coach Crouch brought a winning tradition to the county. Teams in the 90's feared Amherst county football. They went up to spotsylvania and got out coached bad in his first state championship game but that didnt happen often. The following year in 95 he lead the team to the schools first state championship. In 98 they made another run to the finals to lose to Hampton during their state championship runs. Chose him over Abell because of what he did against 3A opponents until they played Hampton.
Offense
Peter Rose- one of the most athletic people I've ever been around. During his jr and sr years he ran circles around defenses. Threw the ball well but didn't have to often. AA state player of the year.
Defense
Camm Jackson- all state LB that set the standard for what a Amherst LB is supposed to be. Had a scholarship to va tech where he tore his knee up and never enrolled back in school. You can watch him play on some of Amhersts old youtube videos from 95. Number 21. Also an excellent Rb.

All around
Maurice Clark- explosive, big running back from the 94-95 teams. Probably the best running back to play at Amherst. All state running back his senior year. I believe he rushed for 1800 yards. Played in the east west all star game where he was the MVP for the west team. Went to Eastern Kentucky and was later picked up as a free agent by the jets.

 

[BleedingNavy]

I may be wrong, but i believe that 1973 Patrick Henry team had an outstanding defense. I think they had 10 shutouts in 13 games and shutout all 3 opponents in the playoffs.

You are correct @redzone4us! Nice job. I actually did some research/math (prior to seeing Mikes post) and the Patriots outscored their opponents 400-28. Ouch! I also learned that Merrill Gainer who coached in West Virginia and Virginia won an astounding 90% of the games he coached. Now that my friends is what legends are made of.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

Some good choices. GW Danville would be tough for anyone close to the program. So many outstanding players. Heck, my dad said the 1968 GW team was fantastic and I can attest to the 1981 and 1982 teams. Moorman, Harris, Covingtons..... Studs.

I would like to hear from the Pulaski folks. They too had some studs back in the day.

I realize PH Roanoke is not in Class 4, but most everyone knows their history. Here's my take.

Coach: Merrill Gainer. 1973 State Championship. Willis Whites mentor.

Offense: Alvin Comer, quarterback. Played at VMI and still holds many school records.

Tim Dudley, running back. Set 20 school records. High school All American. Played one season at VA Tech and transferred to Hampton University.

Defense: Scott Hillman. Starting DE and fullback. Played and started at UVA. Cut by the Lions in preseason.

Shannon Taylor. All State lb. Played at UVA and the NFL.

CO-All Arounds: Bobby Blankenship. 3 year starter. Played safety, wide receiver, and quarterback (senior year). Played VA Tech until getting hurt. Never played competative golf, but tried out and made the 1986 VA Tech golf team. Fantastic baseball and basketball player as well.

Bernard Basham, tight end and defensive end. Played at VA Tech. Played on one of the best state basketball championship teams ever.

“Bernard Basham, tight end and defensive end. Played at VA Tech. Played on one of the best state basketball championship teams ever.”

You are referencing the 1987-1988 Patrick Henry Patriots. I don’t want to divert what is a very good thread away from its topic, but I just wanted to say that that PH team was the best public high school team I’ve ever seen play, in person. I saw a few of their games that season, including the victory over a very talented team DeMatha team at the Roanoke Civic Center.

The crazy thing is, unless I’m off in my memory, Basham didn’t even start for that team. Melvin Davis, who seemed like one badass dude you would not want to mess with, started at center. Percy Covington and Curtis Blair, who went on to successful careers at VMI and Richmond, respectively, were the guards. Russell Turner, who would later star at Hampden-Sydney in DIII and is now the highly successful head coach at UC-Irvine, was one forward. And who was the other forward? Let’s see now.....oh yeah. Some guy named George Lynch. Played on a National championship team at North Carolina, and had a 12-year career in the NBA. He was pretty good.

We’ll never see another team like that in Virginia public high school basketball. It probably hasn’t even been possible for the last ten or fifteen years, with the mass migration of top talent to the private schools.

I also remember seeing Michael Porter of Pulaski County play. He went the JUCO route, then played his last two years at St. John’s.

Okay - back to football! I would also like to hear from some of the Cougar faithful. Good comments all the way around, Navy.

 

[BleedingNavy]

@SpartanOfYore, the 1972 and 1973 Petersburg High School basketball teams were pretty special. They had a fellow by the name of Moses Malone who starred there. I saw them play twice as a kid. My dad always said he wanted to see Petersburg with Malone play Benedictine. The Private School giant that always whipped one his buddies Bob Ayersman's Roanoke Catholic team. Benedictine (Richmond) was loaded: John Kuester (UNC), Mark Crow (Duke), Rhea Saltz (VCU), Les Henson (VA Tech) and others I don't remember..

I found this in an archive from the Progress Index: "It was (Benedictine) one of the best high school teams I have ever seen. It was that same year that there was group trying to arrange a game between Moses Malone’s state championship team to play Kuester-led Benedictine team. But the game never came to fruition."

 

[cutnjump]

“Bernard Basham, tight end and defensive end. Played at VA Tech. Played on one of the best state basketball championship teams ever.”

You are referencing the 1987-1988 Patrick Henry Patriots. I don’t want to divert what is a very good thread away from its topic, but I just wanted to say that that PH team was the best public high school team I’ve ever seen play, in person. I saw a few of their games that season, including the victory over a very talented team DeMatha team at the Roanoke Civic Center.

The crazy thing is, unless I’m off in my memory, Basham didn’t even start for that team. Melvin Davis, who seemed like one badass dude you would not want to mess with, started at center. Percy Covington and Curtis Blair, who went on to successful careers at VMI and Richmond, respectively, were the guards. Russell Turner, who would later star at Hampden-Sydney in DIII and is now the highly successful head coach at UC-Irvine, was one forward. And who was the other forward? Let’s see now.....oh yeah. Some guy named George Lynch. Played on a National championship team at North Carolina, and had a 12-year career in the NBA. He was pretty good.

We’ll never see another team like that in Virginia public high school basketball. It probably hasn’t even been possible for the last ten or fifteen years, with the mass migration of top talent to the private schools.

I also remember seeing Michael Porter of Pulaski County play. He went the JUCO route, then played his last two years at St. John’s.

Okay - back to football! I would also like to hear from some of the Cougar faithful. Good comments all the way around, Navy.

Your memory is not off. Basham was a regular off the bench. Also, Curtis Blair was instant O off the bench as well. He, Percy Covington and Ronnie Pendleton were essentially a 3 guard rotation particularly when Percy got injured for a while. That PH team is certainly in the discussion of all time VHSL teams as are several others including the Moses Malone Petersburg teams Bleeding Navy mentioned. DeMatha was loaded and headlined by Jerod Mustaf. Some people close to the PH program felt GW with Herman Moore and several others was comparable to Alonzo Mourning and Indian River and in the discussion of the best teams PH faced that year. PH had a strong run in the late 80's and early 90's and played a lot of good teams including DeMatha and Oak Hill. Woody had a solid staff including some former stars like Mike Franklin and Bo Blankenship.

 

[BleedingNavy]

Dick Kepley had some good teams and players in the early 80's. Hagan, Harley, Blankenship, Beavers, Chuck and Chris Kepley. I could go on and on.

@cutnjump do you remember the 1979-1980 Stonewall Jackson Junior High team? Center - Bob Harley, Power Forward -Bo Blankenship, Forward - Jeff Elkins, Guard -John Beavers, Mancie Brown Guard and sixth man NCAA basketball official Roger Ayers. We were 13-0 and never let anyone get closer than 15 except Andrew Lewis and their stud freshman Richard Morgan. The only reason I bring them up is because of the talent on that team.

I grew up, hung out and played sports with all of them and William Byrd stars Micky, Angelo, and Antonio Hardee. Great time for athletics in the Southeast part of Roanoke.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

Dick Kepley had some good teams and players in the early 80's. Hagan, Harley, Blankenship, Beavers, Chuck and Chris Kepley. I could go on and on.

@cutnjump do you remember the 1979-1980 Stonewall Jackson Junior High team? Center - Bob Harley, Power Forward -Bo Blankenship, Forward - Jeff Elkins, Guard -John Beavers, Mancie Brown Guard and sixth man NCAA basketball official Roger Ayers. We were 13-0 and never let anyone get closer than 15 except Andrew Lewis and their stud freshman Richard Morgan. The only reason I bring them up is because of the talent on that team.

I grew up, hung out and played sports with all of them and William Byrd stars Micky, Angelo, and Antonio Hardee. Great time for athletics in the Southeast part of Roanoke.

I worked with Drew Kepley for a few months right after college. Chuck’s older brother, he was another good PH player.

Morgan would have been in seventh grade in ‘79-‘80, but I guarantee you he could fill it up at that tender age. He graduated from Salem in ‘85. My older brother (an excellent hoopster in his own right) was good friends with Richard’s older brother Charlie, who graduated from ALHS in ‘73 as the school’s all-time leading scorer. Through Charlie, we started hearing about Richard’s prowess on the hardwood from the time he was about ten years old.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

Your memory is not off. Basham was a regular off the bench. Also, Curtis Blair was instant O off the bench as well. He, Percy Covington and Ronnie Pendleton were essentially a 3 guard rotation particularly when Percy got injured for a while. That PH team is certainly in the discussion of all time VHSL teams as are several others including the Moses Malone Petersburg teams Bleeding Navy mentioned. DeMatha was loaded and headlined by Jerod Mustaf. Some people close to the PH program felt GW with Herman Moore and several others was comparable to Alonzo Mourning and Indian River and in the discussion of the best teams PH faced that year. PH had a strong run in the late 80's and early 90's and played a lot of good teams including DeMatha and Oak Hill. Woody had a solid staff including some former stars like Mike Franklin and Bo Blankenship.

For the life of me, I do not remember Pendleton as having played on the ‘88 championship team at PH. He graduated from Roanoke College in ‘91, so perhaps he was a senior in ‘86-‘87 for PH, and that was when Blair backed him up? I resumed going to RC games regularly in ‘91 - I had attended sporadically starting in the late ‘70’s - and I do remember watching Pendleton play for the Maroons.

I recall Mustaf for DeMatha in that epic clash with PH. IIRC, future Virginia Cavalier Ted Jeffries also played for DeMatha in that game. I’d like to find a roster for that team, as I’m sure there were several other Stag players that went on to play college ball.

Woody Deans, in addition to being an excellent basketball coach, seems to be a genuinely nice guy. I’ve run into him a few times, and played softball against him. He always came across as a good, solid person.

 

[cutnjump]

For the life of me, I do not remember Pendleton as having played on the ‘88 championship team at PH. He graduated from Roanoke College in ‘91, so perhaps he was a senior in ‘86-‘87 for PH, and that was when Blair backed him up? I resumed going to RC games regularly in ‘91 - I had attended sporadically starting in the late ‘70’s - and I do remember watching Pendleton play for the Maroons.

I recall Mustaf for DeMatha in that epic clash with PH. IIRC, future Virginia Cavalier Ted Jeffries also played for DeMatha in that game. I’d like to find a roster for that team, as I’m sure there were several other Stag players that went on to play college ball.

Woody Deans, in addition to being an excellent basketball coach, seems to be a genuinely nice guy. I’ve run into him a few times, and played softball against him. He always came across as a good, solid person.

He was on that PH team. Often overlooked in recaps just like Melvin Davis because of more celebrated teammates who had higher profile collegiate careers. I think Pendleton was on the All Decade team(90s) for Roanoke College. Not sure what the calendar difference you bring up might be. He could have possibly graduated undergraduate early. I do not have a roster but, the picture of that team hangs above the trophy case as you enter the school.

 

[cutnjump]

Dick Kepley had some good teams and players in the early 80's. Hagan, Harley, Blankenship, Beavers, Chuck and Chris Kepley. I could go on and on.

@cutnjump do you remember the 1979-1980 Stonewall Jackson Junior High team? Center - Bob Harley, Power Forward -Bo Blankenship, Forward - Jeff Elkins, Guard -John Beavers, Mancie Brown Guard and sixth man NCAA basketball official Roger Ayers. We were 13-0 and never let anyone get closer than 15 except Andrew Lewis and their stud freshman Richard Morgan. The only reason I bring them up is because of the talent on that team.

I grew up, hung out and played sports with all of them and William Byrd stars Micky, Angelo, and Antonio Hardee. Great time for athletics in the Southeast part of Roanoke.

I know the names of the Stonewall(now Fishwick) guys and Morgan. Played in local adult leagues against and/or with a lot of those guys(Mickey, Bo, Chuck, Drew, the twins Ramon and Damon, Charles Hill, Martin Skelley, etc.).

 

[wikki]

AMHERST
Coach- Mickey Crouch
Coach Crouch brought a winning tradition to the county. Teams in the 90's feared Amherst county football. They went up to spotsylvania and got out coached bad in his first state championship game but that didnt happen often. The following year in 95 he lead the team to the schools first state championship. In 98 they made another run to the finals to lose to Hampton during their state championship runs. Chose him over Abell because of what he did against 3A opponents until they played Hampton.
Offense
Peter Rose- one of the most athletic people I've ever been around. During his jr and sr years he ran circles around defenses. Threw the ball well but didn't have to often. AA state player of the year.
Defense
Camm Jackson- all state LB that set the standard for what a Amherst LB is supposed to be. Had a scholarship to va tech where he tore his knee up and never enrolled back in school. You can watch him play on some of Amhersts old youtube videos from 95. Number 21. Also an excellent Rb.

All around
Maurice Clark- explosive, big running back from the 94-95 teams. Probably the best running back to play at Amherst. All state running back his senior year. I believe he rushed for 1800 yards. Played in the east west all star game where he was the MVP for the west team. Went to Eastern Kentucky and was later picked up as a free agent by the jets.

Great post. Abell was the best coach Amherst had in my opinion, can’t imagine what would be if he would have stayed

 

[SpartanOfYore]

He was on that PH team. Often overlooked in recaps just like Melvin Davis because of more celebrated teammates who had higher profile collegiate careers. I think Pendleton was on the All Decade team(90s) for Roanoke College. Not sure what the calendar difference you bring up might be. He could have possibly graduated undergraduate early. I do not have a roster but, the picture of that team hangs above the trophy case as you enter the school.

Well, I hope this isn’t going too far, or beating a dead horse, etc, but this was one of those rare, rare instances where I thought I might actually be right about something. And, I had to prove to myself that I wasn’t nuts. So, I emailed Patrick Henry’s head basketball coach, Jack Esworthy; this is his kind reply, unedited:
“Ron Pendleton NOT a member of 87-88 PH state champ team -
Had to get confirmation !!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

 

[1bburgfan]

Coach Dave Crist, * William Lacy Brown was never the head coach but a legend we would of fought a chainsaw for. offensive player Sidney Snell defensive player Darwin Herdman all around Cole Beck

 

[numb3rs]

Coach Dave Crist, * William Lacy Brown was never the head coach but a legend we would of fought a chainsaw for. offensive player Sidney Snell defensive player Darwin Herdman all around Cole Beck

Jerome Trussell should rate at least an honorable mention. I still have bad memories of how he single-handedly wrecked Salem on both sides of the ball in the 1989 state semifinals. And, he did the same thing to Courtland in the state championship.