At the recent Fairfax County and Northern Virginia Football Hall of Fame Banquet, Episcopal senior wide receiver/defensive back/kick returner Danny Coale was selected as the Northern Virginia Private School Football Player of the Year.
Coale will play collegiately next season at Virginia Tech in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Coales high school coach, veteran Mark Gowin, also received the Tom Davis Meritorious Service Award for the energy and time that he has devoted to youth football in the Northern Virginia area.
This upcoming fall gridiron season will be Gowins 20th at the helm of the Maroon program. Gowin is also the athletic director at Episcopal.
Mike Lalli (Ireton 88), who currently is the head coach of Chantilly, won the Division 6 Coach of the Year Award. Lalli led the Concorde District Chantilly Chargers to the Northern Region title last fall. Lalli (Notre Dame 93 – played for Lou Holtz) coached Ireton in the fall of 98, 99, 00 and 01.
Alexandria represented
Alexandria was heavily represented at the Banquet as Herman Boone of the legendary Remember The Titans Fame and former TCW 90 standout linebacker Keith Burns were both inducted into the Hall of Fame. After playing junior college ball, Burns attended Oklahoma State University (Stillwater) and then played a decade-plus in the NFL.
At the March 20 Alexandria Sportsmans Club Basketball Night, both senior post Mike Davis and sophomore guard Tiara Ruffin-Pratt (both of TCW) were honored as the Athletes of the Month. Both Davis (who played for head coach Ivan Thomas) and Ruffin-Pratt (who played for head coach George Porcha) had banner seasons.
Independent selections
Maurice Sumpter (TCW 03) has been selected to the 06-07 Division One All-Independent Mens Basketball Second Team. Sumpter, a guard, has played four varsity seasons for Longwood University (Farmville, Va.).
This past season, the former Titan averaged nearly 17 points per game.
In addition, Sumpter averaged nearly six rebounds per game for the Longwood Lancers.
Saints look for big year
The St. Stephens & St. Agnes girls lacrosse program, under the leadership of veteran head coach Kathy Jenkins (last years ISL Champion) will once again be the team to beat in the ISL this season.
Some of the top players that Jenkins will rely on include senior goalie Lauren Thomas; senior defenders Liz Downs and Mia Hurrin; senior center Molly Millard and senior attacks Katherine Denkler and Abigail Holden.
The boys lacrosse program, under the leadership of second-year head coach Andy Taibl, will also be very competitive in this spring. Some of the top players Taibl will rely on include senior goalie Mark White; senior defenders Mike White [twin brother], Tony Trenga and Max Brindle; senior midfielders Andrew Conner, Danny Locke, Steve Dewey, T.J. Johnson, Phil Mullins, Greg Perkins and Bryant Smith as well as senior attackers Tommy Murray, Teddy Seifert, Eric Gresham and Sheff Richey.
