Tucarora’s Michael Burnett named NFL High School Coach of the Year

635895877206555225-TuscaroraCoachOfYearBurnettLOUDOUN CO, VA (Washington Redskins) – The NFL and Washington Redskins announced today, Head Football Coach Michael Burnett of Tuscarora High School in Loudoun County, Va. is the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year. The award was created to honor exemplary high school football coaches who demonstrate a commitment to player health and safety, and the integrity, achievement and leadership exemplified by the winningest coach in NFL history, Don Shula.

Nominated by the Redskins, Burnett was one of three high school football coaches selected as finalists from a group of coaches nominated by NFL clubs and players. As the national Shula Award winner, Burnett will receive $25,000 from the NFL Foundation, $15,000 of which will go to his high school’s football program. He will be a guest of the NFL during Super Bowl 50 and be recognized at a media availability with Coach Shula on Friday, Feb. 5. Burnett will also walk the red carpet at the 5th Annual NFL Honors, a two-hour primetime special airing nationally on Feb. 6, the night before Super Bowl 50.

“It cannot be understated the importance a great High School Football Coach has on the overall development of young men,” said Redskins President Bruce Allen. “I am so proud that Coach Burnett has been selected to receive this prestigious honor; he is truly deserving!”

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Snowpocalypse not a “snow day” off for DMV athletic departments

While snowball fights took the place of athletic events during “Blizzard 2016″, athletic departments and school officials were forced to put their thinking caps on. Tons of games across the DMV were put on hold as any chance of commuting was blurred by heavy snowfall.

Montgomery County athletics specialist Jeff Sullivan had a big hand in coordinating the hundreds of athletes and long list of events for which there was no option but to move play to different days. Sullivan said the process was helped through responding to weather reports before the harsh elements arrived.

“This started last week once we got the idea that we were gonna get slammed. We always try to work in advance…be proactive. So, we moved up the weekend’s contests and we moved Friday’s basketball to Thursday,” Sullivan explained.

For Montgomery County schools, those shots were, for the most part, out of the hands of on-campus administration. Rather, the county’s central office made the final say about game rescheduling after discussing the severity of impending storms. Throughout the decision-making process, communication was kept constant with school athletic directors and officials. This method of decision-making is unique though to winter sports, as facility constraints for winter events make “wholesale moves” easier.

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Gatorade state cross country runners of the year announced

635890579475852781-DrewhunterrunnerSelect cross country athletes across the country were recognized Friday morning for their outstanding achievement, in athletics, academics, community involvement and character.

Read below to learn more about Tristan Colaizzi of D.C, Drew Hunt of Virginia, and Eric Walz of Maryland!

D.C.:

WINNER: Senior Tristan Colaizzi; Georgetown Day School
Specifics: Distance Runner; 6-foot-1; 145 pounds

Athletic, academic and community achievement: Tristan raced to the D.C. State Athletic Association individual championship this past season with a meet-record time of 17:12. The district’s returning Gatorade Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year, Colaizzi also won the Mid-Atlantic Conference championship. He placed second at the DCXC Invitational, third at the Maryland/D.C. Private School championships and 19th at the Foot Locker South Regional championships. Colaizzi has maintained an A average and while doing so, he has volunteered locally on behalf of charity road races and participated in mission trips to Ethiopia and the Navajo Nation.

COACH’S PRAISE: “Tristan is remarkably talented, but his success comes mostly from hard work, great instincts and a fiery, competitive drive to push himself,” said Georgetown Day coach Anthony Belber. “His resilience has been even more impressive than his ability, and he’s inspired so many of his teammates.”

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VIDEO – No. 18 Paul VI takes on No. 2 St. John’s

Newly named McDonald’s All-American, senior guard VJ King, and the 18th-ranked Panthers (12-6) traveled to No. 2 St. John’s (15-2) on Tuesday night for a WCAC showdown.

In front of a packed arena, the Cadets jumped out to an early lead through the help of the three ball. Just a couple minutes into the second quarter, St. John’s held the nine-point advantage, with 21 of 25 points coming from beyond the arc. The Panthers continued the ‘catchup’ game as the Cadets took advantage of possessions and drained shot after shot.

The Panthers took their first lead of the game in the third quarter, going up 40-38. But, the Cadets fought back, using perimeter play yet again to make it a 51-49 game.

Cat-and-mouse became the theme until St. John’s eventually defended their home court and beat Paul VI 62-57.

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Local standout QB Dwayne Haskins changes college plans

635887453875367418-DwayneHaskinsEditedWhat would’ve been Maryland’s biggest quarterback get in school history announced today that his plans have changed.

Excitement for the 2016 football season has been swirling around College Park since last May, when the nation’s seventh-rated pro-style QB in Bullis’ Dwayne Haskins committed to the Terps. As head coach Randy Edsall was removed from his position in October and the program continued to lose games, Haskins stayed publicly committed to the Terps.

However, a lot has happened personnel-wise within the program since the Terrapins’ season ended in December. Former Michigan assistant coach D.J. Durkin was brought on board as the new head coach and assistant coaches have also recently been added to the staff.

As changes were being made in College Park, Haskins began conversations with Ohio State and Monday, shared via Twitter that Columbus will now be his next landing spot. According to the Bullis senior, this new opportunity has been a long-held dream.

Three DMV-area players named McDonald’s All-Americans

Throughout Maryland, Virginia and D.C., sixty-four high school basketball players were nominated as potential ‘all-stars’ of prep hoops to play in the prestigious McDonald’s All-American game.

Paul VI’s VJ King, DeMatha’s Markelle Fultz, and Riverdale Baptist’s Kaila Charles will all head to Chicago’s United Center on March 30 to show off their skills on a nationally-televised stage, as ESPNU will feature the event. With hundreds of players nominated nationwide, the DMV is well-represented with three players selected. In fact, it’s the first time since 2007 that two boys from the area were selected at once.

The boys’ and girls’ teams are both split into ‘East’ and ‘West’ squads, totaling 12 players each.

Friday, before the Riverdale Baptist Crusaders notched their 20th win on the season over Archbishop Spalding, Maryland commit Kaila Charles shared her three goals for the year, one of them being the McDonald’s All-American selection. Though the 6’1″ guard is as humble as they come, she felt pretty solid about her chances.

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Nation’s No. 2 Riverdale Baptist jet-sets, studies their way to success

635883215995216041-SamCaldwellSam Caldwell saw the telephone, and his eyes fixed. As tears welled up, memories flowed from the past.

Sam Caldwell saw the telephone, and his eyes fixed. As tears welled up, memories flowed from the past.

“I’m retired Navy…with four combat tours,” Caldwell said.

The former Naval Officer-turned-basketball coach recalled a team trip to Germany, where the Crusaders traveled to take on a dose of international competition. But the experience was about so much more than basketball.

“When we were there, we stayed at Ramstein Airforce base and I took them to the USO which was the last stop before I went to Iraq. There was a little special moment for me there because it was the first time I got emotional in front of my team.”

‘Emotional’ makes sense. Standing there at Ramstein, Sam Caldwell’s mind and heart raced, connecting the fears that flooded his younger self with the present reality.

“I saw the phone I used to call my wife…that day long ago, I wasn’t sure if that would be the last time I’d speak to her.  Just blew my mind.”

But Caldwell made it through his years of service and today, uses his platform as a coach to relay lessons learned and values strengthened to the young women he leads on the court. Currently, that group is 19-1 and ranked second in the nation.

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