HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Many D-II area players named all-state
Numerous area players earned all-state honors from the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association. Almost all of them were in Division II.
The first team included Atlantic Shores Christian junior wide receiver Collin Williams and a pair of Nansemond-Suffolk Academy seniors: offensive lineman Montae Brown, and kicker Henry Ross.
On the second team were Williams at defensive back, his Atlantic Shores classmate Levi Belford on the defensive lineman, and four NSA players: junior defensive lineman Josh Simpson, senior linebacker Shane Rogers Johnson, sophomore defensive back Nico Blackmer and senior defensive back Peyton Blair.
In Division I, Norfolk Academy senior defensive back Reed Fox made the first team. The second team included Norfolk Academy senior offensive lineman Hunter Winn.
In D-II, the Players of the Year were running back Jaziel Hart on offense and fellow North Cross senior Jase Rhodes, a back, on defense. The Coach of the Year was Dwayne Priest of North Cross.
The D-I Players of the Year were Trinity Episcopal senior Davion Brown on offense and lineman Darius Gray of St. Christopher’s on defense, and Benedictine’s Kurt Von Bargen was the Coach of the Year.
HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Many from area named Class 5 all-state
Numerous area girls gained VHSL all-state recognition in VHSL Class 5, where about half of the schools across Virginia are based in Hampton Roads.
Kellam libero Giulia Allison and her senior classmates Sophie Barnes and Riley Erwin made the first team after guiding the Knights to second place in the state tourney. Ocean Lakes senior Santina Martcheva and junior Lyla Shannon also made the first team.
The second team included Ocean Lakes senior Carmela Mendoza, Cox senior Kathleen Grosz, Woodside senior Anna Moody, Maury sophomore Margaret Manzer and Indian River senior Alyssa Carr.
Riverside senior outside and opposite hitter Nadiya Johnson was the Class 5 Player of the Year, and Riverside’s Reggie Cruz was the Coach of the Year after guiding the Rams to the title.
Grassfield boys capture state honors
In boys Class 6, Grassfield seniors Andrew Burke and Owen Griffiths, a libero, and junior Caedan Agustin made the all-state team.Cosby senior outside hitter Lennox Riffe was the Player of the Year, and Falls Church’s Rob Baily was the Class Coach of the Year.
Riffe, 6-foot-3, led the Titans to second place in the state tournament and will play for Randolph-Macon. He had 374 kills, 474 digs, 835 assists, 84 aces and 58 blocks over three varsity seasons.
Bailey coached Falls Church’s second-year team to a 16-7 record, third place in the National District and a Region B tourney berth.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Missouri QB to enter portal
Beau Pribula, who started 10 games at quarterback for Missouri this season, plans to transfer in January, a source told PowerMizzou. He then logically wouldn’t play for the Tigers in the Dec. 27 Gator Bowl against Virginia in Jacksonville, Florida.
Pribula, a 6-foot-2, 212-pound redshirt junior, came to Missouri after three years at Penn State. He threw for 1,941 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing 67.4% this season. He also ran for 297 yards and six touchdowns.
Tribe players gain more A-A honors
William & Mary cornerback Jalen Jones, a Deep Creek High graduate, and linebacker Luke Banbury were selected to the American Football Coaches Association FCS All-America second team.
It was the third All-America honor for Jones this season (Stats Perform, FCS Football Central) and the second for Banbury (Stats Perform).
ECU names North Texas aide as offensive coordinator
East Carolina named Jordan Davis the offensive coordinator on Blake Harrell’s staff. Davis has spent the last three years with North Texas, where he was the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach. The Mean Green (11-2) were the American Conference runners-up under Davis, a former Texas Tech receiver who has been an assistant coach at many stops.
MORE COLLEGES
ODU volleyball players gain academic awards
Old Dominion volleyball players Kate Kilpatrick, Adrienne Peji and Elisa Maggi were named to the Academic All-District team. To be eligible, athletes must compile at least a 3.5 grade-point average, compete in 90% of a team matches or start at least 66% of them.
In women’s soccer, Virginia’s Lia Godfrey and Laney Rouse were named Scholar All-Americans. They earned All-America honors on the field too, with Godfrey on the first team and Rouse on the fourth.
PRO SOCCER
FC Dallas picks 2 UVA players
Two Virginia Cavaliers were chosen by FC Dallas in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft: freshman Nicholas Simmons third overall and Umberto Pelà with the 44th pick.
Simmonds, a first-team All-American who had 10 goals and five assists, became the first Cavalier to be taken in the top three of the MLS SuperDraft since Tony Tchani was picked second overall by New York Red Bulls in 2010.
Pelà, named a first-team Scholar All-American on Thursday by the United Soccer Coaches, had four goals and six assists.
TENNIS
UVA’s Jodar upends Tien at Next Gen Finals
Virginia standout Rafa Jodar upended Learner Tien, a Californian ranked 28th in the world, Wednesday on the first day of the ATP Next Gen Finals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, before losing Thursday in round-robin play to Norway’s Nicolai Budkov Kjaer.
The tournament annually brings together eight of the world’s top players 20 or younger. There are unusual rules, such as best-of-five-set matches with short sets. Jodar, ranked 168th in the world, saved four match points to rally past Tien 1-4, 4-3 (7-3), 1-4, 4-2, 4-3 (7-4), but lost 4-1, 4-2, 1-4, 4-2 to No. 136 Budkov Kjaer.
Jodar will finish round-robin play Friday against No. 134 Martin Landaluce, a fellow Spaniard. Jodar is much more likely to advance to the semifinals if he beats Landaluce than if he doesn’t, though copious tiebreaker scenarios are in play.
https://www.dailypress.com/2025/12/18/many-area-football-volleyball-players-named-all-state/
