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News Archive: October 2004
Prep Football Devastated by Another Loss
By Cadet Matt Perry
It seemed like a sick twist of fate when the Fork Union Prep Football team lost to the Collegiate Cougars last Friday, when the Blue Devils were defeated, again, with less than a minute on the clock. This time, there were only six seconds left on the clock when the Cougars scored the touchdown that gave them the win. The final score was 21-20. Fork Union's only other defeat came from St. Chris, who took the lead with thirty-six seconds left on the clock. How ironic.
The first quarter was slow. The only score came from the Cougars, towards the end of the quarter. The Fork Union defense held The Collegiate offense on the 25, but on the field goal attempt FUMA was penalized for roughing the kicker, so Collegiate was given a few more attempts to decrease the distance between themselves and the goal. Fork Union D held them out of the endzone, but were unable to keep them of of the board. First blood had been drawn. The pace of the first was controlled by Collegiate, but in the second, FUMA clearly had control of the direction of the game.
Jamal Schulters broke out in the second quarter with a couple huge runs. In the first, he found a hole in the line, and carried the ball 52 yards before he was brought down. His second run was the run that put FUMA ahead, 7-3. Before the end of the half, Collegiate would kick another field goal, but at the end of the half, FUMA still had the lead. Schulters injured his ankle late in the second quarter, however, and would be out for most of the rest of the game.
The 3rd was a large defensive battle, where the only team that would break the lines was Collegiate, and they did this by kicking a field goal, which gave them the lead going into the 4th.
All of the thirst for action in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd quarters would be quenched in the 4th. At the beginning of the 4th, Richard Jenson, FUMA QB, arced a beautiful pass to Brandon Caleb, who, under major pressure, caught the ball, shook off the guy who was covering him, and scored a touchdown. Collegiate picked up the pace as well, scoring on a screen pass after a huge QB sneak dug them out of 3rd and long. On FUMA's Next drive, Steven Palmer broke through the line and ran it 57 yards, high-stepping at the goal line, to score Fork Union's 3rd touch down. The extra point was missed, and Fork Union had 5:30 to hold onto their five point lead, with a score of 20-15. Steven Wilson's deep punt put Collegiate deep in their own territory. A long pass attempt turned bad for the Cougars, when the pass coverage for FUMA swarmed the probable landing zone, where the ball tipped off several hands, and was brought down by Steven Palmer. FUMA had the game in the palm of their hands. Use a couple running plays, get a first down or two. It seemed so simple. FUMA had all but completely run out the clock when the Collegiate defense stopped them. There was less than a minute to go. They were running a passing offense. FUMA fans started to a sinking feeling deep down inside. Fear was developing inside with every yard that the Cougars gained. Fourth down. Last play. Fork Union's darkest fears came to life when a pitch to the outside turned into a pass, that was caught in the endzone by a collegiate receiver. Six seconds were left on the clock. The FUMA fans were silenced. Thats it. I'm finished. Final score: Collegiate 21, Fork Union 20. Fork Union Player of the Game: #3, Running Back/ Defensive Back, Steven Palmer.
Posted by , Monday, October 25, 2004 03:06 PM
Athletics
FUMA falls to Collegiate 21-20
With less than 10 seconds to go in the game, a trick play halfback pass to the end zone put Collegiate on top of FUMA 21-20 at the end of a hard-fought contest.
The game see-sawed back and forth as neither team dominated the scoreboard. A fourth quarter touchdown put FUMA in position to win and with three minutes to play, FUMA just needed to get first downs and retain possession. Near midfield, with 4th down and about four yards to go and two minutes left in the game, FUMA put Collegiate's back against their end zone with a good punt.
Collegiate was able to mount an effective drive, including a long reception to put them in scoring position. A trick play put the ball in the hands of their halfback who threw the winning touchdown pass into the end zone. FUMA broke up the extra point conversion to hold Collegiate to a one point lead. After falling on the kick-off to stop the clock with five seconds to play, the FUMA offense ran out of time on a long pass attempt.
With starter Tyrone Wilson on the sidelines with an injured ankle, and Jamal Schulters sidelined before the half with an ankle injury, FUMA counted on Curtiss Powell and Steve Palmer to move the ball on the ground. Powell blasted up the middle for first downs and Palmer put points on the board with some terrific carries for nearly 100 yards on the day.
The FUMA team played with a lot of heart and was well-supported by the Cadet Corps in the stands and on the sidelines. "I'm proud of this team," said Coach Sullivan after the game. "This team played with a lot of emotion and support for each other. We'll see St. Chris and Collegiate again this year."
Posted by CPT Dan Thompson, Friday, October 22, 2004 05:57 PM
Athletics
PG football game at Virginia Tech cancelled
The Varsity Football team's game at Virginia Tech was cancelled when the team was unable to reach Blacksburg on schedule due to a traffic stoppage on Interstate 81. An accident forcing closure of the heavily travelled highway made it impossible for the team's buses to reach Virginia Tech in time for the game.
Posted by CPT Dan Thompson, Friday, October 22, 2004 04:11 PM
Athletics
Preview of FUMA vs. Collegiate
The Daily Progress carried this nice preview of the prep football contest between FUMA and Collegiate to be played Friday, October 22, 2004, 3PM at FUMA.
Collegiate at FUMA
Time: 3 p.m.
Records: COL (6-0, 1-0); FUMA (5-1, 1-1)
Notable: A key game in the Prep League and the VISFA Division 3 playoff race. The Cougars, the defending state champions, ranks second in the VISFA D-3 poll, while FUMA stands fourth. Three of the four teams in the VISFA D-3 standings compete head to head in the Prep League (St. Christopher's is No. 1). The top four make the playoffs. Collegiate won last year, 24-14.
Collegiate: The pass-happy Cougars enter this game with playoff positioning on the line - they would prefer to have home field as they try for a state title repeat. Despite losing nine starters, coach Charlie McFall has his crew rolling. QB Russell Wilson (6-foot-1, 175-pound soph.) leads the offense. Other names to watch include TE/LB Devon Kelley and LB Ben Schewel. Collegiate has not lost a game since starting 0-2 last year - a streak of 14 games. That run includes wins over Woodberry and STAB this year.
Fork Union: Starting with today's game, FUMA has two of its last three at home. The Blue Devils bounced back from their first loss of the season by defeating Atlantic Shores last week, 41-21. Not surprisingly, senior tailback Tyrone Wilson led the offensive charge - he had 4 TD runs on runs of 15, 82, 11 and 10 yards. He finished with 146 yards on 14 carries. Wilson needs just 17 yards to go over 1,000 for the season. Also having good rushing days were Curtiss Powell and Jamal Schulters, who had 70 and 54 yards, respectively. Defensively, Schulters, Brandon Caleb and Stephen Palmer each had an INT to lead a solid effort on D.
Posted by CPT Dan Thompson, Friday, October 22, 2004 09:29 AM
Athletics
FUMA vs Virginia Tech
FUMA's PG Football team visits Virginia Tech this week. Read more about the game here.
Posted by MAJ John DeVault, Wednesday, October 20, 2004 04:50 PM
Athletics
Prep Football Takes Home the Win Against Atlantic Shores.
By Cadet Matt Perry
The Fork Union Prep Football team defeated Atlantic Shores last Saturday in an emotional game that ended with a FUMA victory of 41-21. The score leads one to conclude that the game was a blow-out, but in actuality it was really close....oh wait, no, no, it was a blow out.
FUMA received in the first half, and wasted no time getting their running game started. FUMA scored on their first drive as a result from a large run by Curtis Powell, and another run by Tyrone Wilson, who ran it easily into the endzone. The Atlantic Shores Seahawks would have their turn to show FUMA what they were made of. They pounded running play after running play into the FUMA Defense, and were in a position to score when their QB made a bad pitch that tipped off the hands of their running back, and onto the ground, where Curtis Powell dove on the ball, giving FUMA the ball back and the momentum of the game going into their next drive. It happened all to quickly. On the first play of FUMA's new drive, Tyrone Wilson ran it up the middle, and was gone. "No one can catch him," Devin "Goose" Roberts called out as he ran along the sidelines. The rest of the first quarter ended without further scoring.
The Seahawks would have the ball to start the second quarter, and on their first play they run it into the endzone. The score was now 14-7. After a nice return by #5, Jamal Schulters, Powell and Wilson get first down after first down, putting the Blue Devils in the Red Zone. On a quick pitch from QB, Richard Jenson, Tyrone Wilson stiff armed one man, who dropped like a rag doll, and added six more points to the growing FUMA lead. The Blue Devil D held the Seahawks' next offensive drive on their own forty yard line, and forced them to punt. The FUMA offense decides to break the no-passing trend late in the second quarter on a drive that incorporated all aspects of the FUMA offense, and eventually ended on a short run by Jamal Schulters. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was called after the touchdown, which moved the extra-point attempt back a few yards. The kick was missed, but FUMA had amassed a massive lead by the end of the first half.
At the start of the second, Brandon Caleb intercepted the ball, giving FUMA possession, but on the next play, FUMA fumbled the snap and gave it right back to the Seahawks. On a terrible pass by the Seahawks QB, # 3, Steven Palmer, intercepted the ball and took it all the way to the house, only to be called back because of a clipping penalty. Tyrone Wilson struck again, running it into the endzone of FUMA's 5th posession, and FUMA's 5th touchdown. Atlantic Shores shot right back at the end of the 3rd. Their touchdown, however, could be chalked up to a ridiculous amount of weak penalties. The score going into the 4th was FUMA-34, Atlantic Shores-14.
Things started to happen in the 4th quarter. The Refs started throwing flag after flag against Fork Union. Then, Tyrone Wilson was grabbed by the face mask, and his head was snapped back. There was no call. Complaining of sharp pain in his neck, Tyron would sit for the rest of the game. FUMA was forced to Punt. The Seahawks would score again on a drive of short passes, but it was not without the help of numerous more flags that were thrown by the officials against the Blue Devils. Tension was building on the FUMA bench, and they weren't going to take it. A great pass from Jenson to Caleb dug FUMA out of a 3rd and long, and on the next play, another pass to Caleb was taken al lthe way into the endzone, which put another 6 on the board for Fork Union. By this time, the flags had slowed down, and The Seahawks were getting desperate, trying to score by any means necessary. Their effort led to some gains, but it was too little too late, and the FUMA defense was able to hold the Seahawks' last attempt at the goal. It seemed as though the Refs were trying to sway the momentum of the game late in the second half, but the Blue Devils would remain strong, and perservered through adversity to take home FUMA's 5th win on the season. Final score FUMA - 41, Atlantic Schores - 21.
Posted by , Wednesday, October 20, 2004 03:04 PM
Athletics
Jr. Prep Steals Victory From Woodberry
By Cadet Matt Perry
The Fork Union Blue Devils Jr. Prep football came away with a Victory last Friday against the Woodberry Tigers. The Tigers set the pace for most of the game by always pressing on offense, which forced the Blue Devils to play a strong defensive game. Woodberry was often knocking the door of the goal line in the first quarter, but the Blue Devils forced a missed field goal and stopped a greedy 4th and goal attempt by the Tigers.
In the second, Woodberry Forest scored, bringing the score to 7-0, Tigers. The first half, all in all, was very slow. While it was fileld with many turnovers and big plays, they amounted to only one touchdown, which is very uncharachteristic for a Jr. Prep game. It was a war of attrition to this point, and Woodberry Forest had already made their move in the first half.
The second half was not much different than the first. 3rd quarter went by faster than I realized. There was no scoring. I had almost given up on the 4th quarter, but as soon as I started to lose hope, FUMA mounted a long passing/rushing drive down the field, which was led by Mario Scott, and John Howard. FUMA was knocking on the goal line, and a pass to Mario Scott looked like it was going to be intercepted because the guy who was defending Mario, and Mario himself, both had their hands on the ball. As they both came down with it, Mario ripped it free, and put FUMA on the board for six. The FUMA fans were in a state of ecstacy. They were back in the game. As I was sitting right in front of most of the Woodberry fans, I made sure to cheer extra loud, banging the bench with my hands, and yelling at the top of my lungs. Then came the extra point. I was sitting thinking to myself, ok so we will kick the extra point, stop them on defense, and hope to get close enough to kick a field goal. And then it happened. The Fork Union coaches made a choice that I could not have seen in a million years. They set up as if to kick a field goal, but after the snap, receivers went out on all sides. I never saw it coming, and apparently Woodberry didn't either because a successful pass was made to Mario Scott to put FUMA ahead by one point.
FUMA held off the Woodberry offense, and recovered a fumble, which allowed them to control the last couple, minutes of play. The FUMA offense would come within inches of scoring again, but never did, leaving the score 8-7, and leaving the Woodberry Tigers scratching their heads wondering what had happened to them in the past eight minutes.
The Jr. Prep Blue Devils take on someone this Thursday, but I have no idea who because I lost my notes. It really doesn't matter who they play really, because they are going to win.
Posted by , Tuesday, October 19, 2004 08:39 AM
Athletics
FUMA Alumnus centers UVA Football
Zac Yarbrough, former FUMA and current UVA student, gets ready for Florida State. Read more about Zac in this article.
Posted by MAJ John DeVault, Saturday, October 16, 2004 12:46 PM
Alumni
FUMA provides much needed flu shots for local nursing care facility
"It really could be a life and death situation for some of the people here," says Jane Pendergrass of the Ruxton Village Nursing Center in Fork Union, one of many groups affected by the current shortage in the supply of flu vaccine. The facility is home to sixty elderly patients and those recuperating from recent hospital stays, and had received none of the scarce vaccine for its high-risk patients.
Thanks to Fork Union Military Academy, those patients will be receiving their flu shots this year. The Academy provides flu shots each year for its nearly 600 cadets in grades 6 through 12, teachers, staff, and families.
When Lt. General John Jackson, President of Fork Union Military Academy, learned of the need at the local nursing home, he immediately established a new priority list for who would receive flu shots this year. First on the list: the patients and staff of the nursing center. Fork Union Military Academy provided all the immunizations the center required before it began inoculating its own cadets and high-risk faculty members, as specified in the guidelines issued by the Center for Disease Control.
"It really was a very generous thing to do," said Pendergrass. "I don't know what we would have done if they hadn't made their stock of vaccine available to us."
"It was the right thing to do," said General Jackson.
Posted by CPT Dan Thompson, Saturday, October 16, 2004 12:23 PM
General News
St. Chris over FUMA in soccer.
Despite a focused effort, the Blue Devils lost to St. Chris 3-1. Eddie Golden scored FUMA's only goal. The score at the half was a 1-1 tie, but St. Chris' offensive effort was just too much for FUMA to contend with. The team squares off with Benedictine on Friday at 4 pm.
Posted by MAJ Macek, Wednesday, October 13, 2004 06:16 AM
Athletics
Clash of the Titans Leaves FUMA Humbled
by Cadet Matt Perry
It was a cool day on the 8th of October when the Saints of St. Christopher took on the Blue Devils of Fork Union. It was a hard fought game, and in the end it was decided by a small error with mere seconds left on the clock. St. Chris took the game from the Blue Devils by a score of 23-17.
FUMA was the first to receive. Unable to do anything with their offense, they were forced to punt the ball. St. Chris powered their way down the field, and came within 5 yards of the goal line when their running back fumbled the ball, and #5, Jamal Schulters, recovered. FUMA wasn't able to convert anything on offense in the 1st, but their defense held the Saint's onslaught to just a field goal. With little time left in the first, FUMA's QB, Tienne Jefferson, made a bad pitch that was recovered by the St. Chris defense. Through a series of runs St. Chris had made their way deep into FUMA territory. The Blue Devil D stopped the Saints on 3rd down, ending the first quarter.
At the start of the second, St. Chris decides to go for it on 4th and 4, but FUMA defense said, "Not in my house." On St. Chris' next posession, #33 Curtis Powell, made two excellent tackles in an attempt to keep the Saints out of the endzone, but the Saints would not be denied the endzone this time. With the extra point, St. Chris made the score 10-0. FUMA's future seemed dismal with one minute, thirty seconds to go in the half, but on the Kickoff, Jamal Schulters juked out several defenders and sprinted 95 yards into the endzone. It was pure jubilation for the FUMA fans. At the end of the half the score was St. Chris- 10, Fork Union-7. It was anyone's game.
Due to good defense on St. Chris' first drive in the 3rd, FUMA had great field position for their next drive. St. Chris held the FUMA "O" to 4th down and inches. They decided to go for it. #33 Curtis Powell comes through in the clench gaining 5 yards for a much needed First down. FUMA got within Field goal range and that was all the St. Chris was going to give them, so FUMA was forced to settle for 3.
With 12 minutes left, it was tied 10-10. St. Chris had the ball on the 40, when a bad pitch was bobbled, and the FUMA defense swarmed the ball. Curtis powell recovered, effectively stopping the drive and swaying the momentum of the game in FUMA's direction. FUMA got first down after first down. They were lined up on the 30 yard line, when Tyrone Wilson swept around St. Chris' D-line and ran it 30 yards into the endzone with the help of tight end, #88, Larrin Webster, who did an amazing job of blocking. St. Chris was not about to give up. They had pushed their way into the redzone, and on their next play took a knife and jammed it into the hearts of the Fork Union fans by scoring a touchdown. With about a minute left in the game, FUMA took a time out to set up a strategy for their last drive. The next play Tyrone Wilson had a 20 yard run that put the Blue Devils dangerously close to field goal range. And then it happened. Long pass. Interception. Confused Offense. The St. Chris defensive back carried the ball back some 85 yards to score a touchdown for St. Chris with less than 10 seconds in the game. An enraged Curtis Powell sprints through the line and crushes the extra point attempt. On the kick off, FUMA attempted a series of runs, cutbacks, and laterals but it would prove unsuccessful. St. Chris had not only taken a knife and stabbed us in the heart, but they twisted the knife and pulled it out. Final Score: St. Chris 23, Fork Union 17.
Posted by , Saturday, October 9, 2004 01:14 PM
Athletics
FUMA's Jr. Prep Topples St.Chris
by Cadet Matt Perry
The Junior Prep Blue Devils went on to victory against St. Chris' Jr. Prep team last Thursday in 40 minutes of well played football. The Final score was 18-14, and the game was just as close as the score. Both teams played hard, but it was FUMA that posessed the extra magic they needed to take home one more slash in the win column.
The Junior Prep Blue Devils went on to victory against St. Chris' Jr. Prep team last Thursday in 40 minutes of well played football. The Final score was 18-14, and the game was just as close as the score. Both teams played hard, but it was FUMA that posessed the extra magic they needed to take home one more slash in the win column.
St. Chris won the toss, and opted to recieve in the second half. FUMA did nothing with their first posession, but when it was St. Chris' turn, they wasted no time, scoring on a long drive that would put the Blue Devils down 8.
In the second, St. Chris scores again on a 1st and goal. They went for two again, but their attempt was unsuccessful. FUMA was down 14 points. The morale was low on the FUMA side, but they were not about to give up. They needed to get some momentum. They needed somthing to happen. And then it did. On the kick off right after the St. Chris TD, #22 John Howard broke through the St. Chris defense and never looked back. FUMA went for the extra point, but they were denied. They still had work to do. The Blue Devil defense crushed St. Chris' next offensive drive, but on the punt return, the ball is fumbled, and St. Chris had the ball in the Red Zone, poised to score. Then, on the next play the Saints' QB makes a bad pitch, and FUMA's Robert Hembrick recovered. All 10 of FUMA's fans were going crazy. FUMA was unable to capitalize off of this gift, but it gave them momentum going into the second half.
St. Chris would start the second, and just before they were about to score, Robert Hembrick crushed their hopes of 6 when he intercepted the ball. FUMA would not let this opprotunity pass them by. On the subsequent drive the coaches decided it was time for an Air Raid. The pass from QB Michael Geraghty to Mario Scott was amazing, and Mario Scott burned his defensive back, and ran it 60 yards into the endzone to close St. Chris' lead to 2. The two point attempt was no good. FUMA attempted an onside kick, but they failed, and to add insult to injury they were charged with a penalty that added several yards onto St. Chris' already good field position. It seemed like St. Chris was going to score when their running back got the ball popped out of his arm, and #62, Michael harvey, catching the ball in mid-air, ran it all the way to the 50 before he was brought down. The FUMA O was closing in on the touchdown that would give them the lead when the siren signaling the end of the 3rd quarter sounded.
With 1st and 10, the QB put the ball in the hands of John Howard, who knew exactly what to do. His 30 yard run would score a touchdown and give the Blue devils the lead. Again, the 2pt. conversion was no good. It was time for FUMA's D to shine. St. Chris bombarded the FUMA D with running play after runnign play, digging their way to the 15 yard line. The FUMA D had to make a stand, and they did, stopping 3 of St. Chris' attempts at a first down or a touchdown. It was 4th down, and St. Chris had to go for it. They tried a reversal, but Michael Harvey read it like a book, and was there to smash the St. Chris ball carrier. It was FUMA ball with less than a minute on the clock. After a run by Howard, and a reception by Scott, FUMA's QB would take a knee, and let the final seconds tick off the clock. Jr. Prep takes on Woodberry next week at home, and when they come . . .the Blue Devils are going to bring it.
Posted by , Saturday, October 9, 2004 11:56 AM
Athletics
Dorien Bryant ('04 PG) performs at Purdue
Dorien Bryant, a freshman at Purdue has nine receptions for 156 yards and a touchdown as the number three or four receiver in an offense that uses a lot of four receiver sets.
Read more about it in this profile of Dorien Bryant published in the Courier Post.
Posted by CPT Dan Thompson, Saturday, October 9, 2004 11:24 AM
Alumni
More articles about the FUMA-St. Chris prep game
For more details on the FUMA-St.Chris prep game, read these articles in the Daily Progress and Richmond Times Dispatch:
Charlottesville Daily Progress: FUMA Falls to Saints
Richmond Times Dispatch: St. Christopher's 23, FUMA 17
Posted by CPT Dan Thompson, Friday, October 8, 2004 11:11 PM
Athletics
Prep Soccer Tops Trinity 2-1
Fork Union traveled to Trinity Episcopal school in Richmond for its 6th straight league match. Both teams were held scoreless in the first half, despite a barrage of goals sent toward the net. Trinity struck first in the second half off a well-placed corner kick met with a header. Walker Owen repaid the goal with two of his own soon after. FUMA came away from the day with its second consecutive win.
Posted by MAJ Macek, Thursday, October 7, 2004 08:38 PM
Athletics
Cross Country - A Midseason Report
The Fork Union Cross Country season started at a decided disadvantage when compared to other schools. While other schools typically start practice in early August the Blue Devils do not get to start until school starts in early September. Despite the one month deficit the Cross Country team is quickly making up for lost time. The beginning of the season saw only one Blue Devil penetrate Collegiate School's top eight, last week the team managed to get three in Collegiate's top five. Collegiate School is currently the number one ranked team in the State.
Leading the team is senior Andrew Rademaker. Rademaker is currently the number three- ranked runner in central Virginia. Last week at the prestigious William and Mary Invitational Rademaker gave chase to the defending VIS Champion Ryan Woodlee of Episcopal. Rademaker lost to Woodlee by just four seconds as the two were both in the top thirty of the A division. Giving the Blue Devils a strong top three are senior Mike Nowakowski and sophmore David Johnson. Currently a very young but talented group of runners is working to fill out the top seven for the state meet to be held on November 5th.
FUMA started the competitive season at the Ragged Mountain Cup where they finished in the top 15. FUMA then hosted 26 schools at the Fork Union Invitational. The team finished 14th and was led by Rademaker's top 10 finish. FUMA rounded out the month with meets at Saint Christopher's, VES and Woodberry Forest.
Practice has been very intense the past two weeks and the team is making drastic improvements. Expectations are that the Blue Devils may be a sleeper team in the last two weeks of the season.
Posted by CPT Dan Thompson, Thursday, October 7, 2004 12:52 PM
Athletics
VAIS announces first annual Festival of the Arts
FUMA will have 11 cadets performing in this special event, described below in this press release from VAIS:
from Wendi Spalding, VAIS (wendispalding@vais.org)
The Virginia Association of Independent Schools is proud to sponsor its first annual Festival of the Arts to be held at the Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, November 4, 2004. Show time is from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. "Telling Our Stories" will include vocal and instrumental ensembles from our member high school students. In addition, VAIS has engaged the talents of world-renowned composer, conductor and educator Stephen Melillo to offer a prelude to his newest work, "Beyond Courage ~ Then. Now. Always. A Documentary in Music." Mr. Melillo's original score is a story-to-music honoring the veterans of World War II. More information is available about Mr. Melillo and "Beyond Courage" at www.stormworld.com. This promises to be a truly unique and enriching experience. General admission tickets are available for $5.00 at the Carpenter Center for Performing Arts box office in advance as well as the evening of the performance. For questions, call VAIS at (804) 282-3592 extension 306.
Posted by CPT Dan Thompson, Thursday, October 7, 2004 11:55 AM
General News
Military academy prepped Cowboys trio for NFL, and more
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION
OF THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
08:33 PM CDT on Tuesday, October 5, 2004
By JEAN-JACQUES TAYLOR / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING - Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy sits on 650 acres of rolling hills and lush foliage in the middle of the state, the middle of nowhere in central Virginia, halfway between Charlottesville to the west and Richmond, the state capital, to the east.
Founded in 1898, Fork Union is a college preparatory boarding school for boys in grades 6 through 12 as well as postgraduate students.
It's also an institution known for producing football players. Lots of them.
Last year, Fork Union had 25 players on NFL rosters.
Three alumni play for the Cowboys.
Vinny Testaverde, Dexter Coakley and Eddie George all attended Fork Union. Each said it played a pivotal role in shaping their lives.
And they're not just talking about football.
When Testaverde, Coakley and George attended Fork Union, each found himself at a crossroads.
Fork Union helped direct them toward the right path. Here are their stories:
Vinny Testaverde
Vinny Testaverde had a great time in high school.
He was the stud quarterback at Sewanhaka High in Floral Park, N.Y., constantly lavished with praise. Every big-time college across the nation wanted his signature on its national letter of intent.
But Testaverde hadn't paid much attention to his studies, so his grade-point average suffered.
That limited his options.
Al Testaverde, his father, decided Fork Union would give Vinny the discipline he needed to succeed in life whether or not he played football.
So they scheduled a visit.
Testaverde and his parents spent a day touring the barracks and the campus. Al Testaverde was impressed; his son was not.
As they exited the property, Testaverde's father pulled the car over to discuss the visit.
"What do you think?" Testaverde's father said.
"Dad, there's no way I'm going there," Vinny said.
"Son, I've been pretty easy on you in high school. You're going there. This is the kind of place you need to be successful in life," his father said.
End of discussion.
Testaverde spent a year at Fork Union, where he played quarterback and learned the self-discipline that has helped him play 18 seasons in the NFL.
Then he went to Miami. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1986.
"When I talk to people about Fork Union, I tell them it was the best year of my life," Testaverde said. "It taught me discipline. It taught me how to be on my own. It taught me a lot of things that I use in my life today."
Dexter Coakley
Dexter Coakley knew his parents didn't have the money to pay for college.
Football was his way to an education and a better life. While his grade-point average was good, Coakley didn't have the SAT scores he needed to be accepted into a four-year college.
That left him with two choices: junior college or a post-graduate school such as Fork Union.
"I didn't want to go the juco route and lose a couple of years of eligibility," Coakley said. "If I went to Fork Union, I could get my SAT scores and play a high level of competition in football. It seemed to be the best choice."
Playing against junior colleges and Division I junior varsity teams, Coakley said he improved as a player.
Life in the barracks helped him grow as a person.
It wasn't just about raising the flag in the morning and lowering it at night. And it wasn't just about spit-shining shoes and making the beds so tight that a quarter would bounce 10 feet high.
It wasn't even about the constant marching. Or the uniform. Or the demerits.
Fork Union taught Coakley how to endure.
"You don't know how hard it is to have some 12-year-old kid bossing you around, but that's the way it is," Coakley said. "I packed my bags in my mind a thousand times, but I knew I couldn't go home. My parents didn't have the money to finance college. I couldn't let the scholarship I had at Fork Union go to waste, so I stayed."
He's glad he did.
Coakley received a scholarship to Appalachian State, and the Cowboys made him a third-round pick in 1997.
He has been a starter for seven years, played in three Pro Bowls and earned millions.
The kid from Mount Pleasant, S.C., has become a success.
"Fork Union taught me about accountability," Coakley said. "You didn't want to be the reason that the whole company had to march. You didn't want to be the reason that the parade didn't look right.
"It's the same way on the football field. You don't want to be the reason that the team lost or the defense gave up a touchdown."
Eddie George
Eddie George was being a knucklehead.
He knew it. So did his mother.
That's how he ended up at Fork Union.
Now, he's one of only 17 NFL running backs to rush for more than 10,000 yards.
And he owns the NFL record for consecutive starts by a running back with 130. The streak, which began with his first game as a rookie, ended last week because the Cowboys started the game against Washington in a five-receiver formation - not because of injury.
"I wouldn't be here in the position that I am without Fork Union," George said with a smile as he remembered his years at the prep school.
"I didn't want to go there. It was difficult. But at that particular time, that's what I needed, and my mom made sure I got it."
Donna George wanted her son to improve his schoolwork. And his attitude.
She thought Fork Union would provide the discipline he needed to succeed in life. George wanted no part of Fork Union.
"I went up early for football camp, and I was the only one there," he said. "I was coming from Philadelphia to the middle of nowhere.
"The TV wasn't working. There was no radio. I was in the barracks by myself. I don't know how I made it through that first night. I was ready to go home."
Three months into his first of three years at the school, he stopped fighting the system and piling up the demerits.
"I just had to get used to it. Every minute of the day was regimented," George said. "There was always something to do. You didn't have free time to sleep or do nothing."
George didn't start as a junior at Fork Union and had only one scholarship offer after his senior year, so he decided to stay for one more year of post-graduate work.
He earned a scholarship to Ohio State after the season. Three years later, he was the 1995 Heisman Trophy winner.
E-mail jjtaylor@dallasnews.com
FORK UNION'S FINEST
Here's a look at some current NFL players who attended Fork Union Military Academy:
Player, Team
Plaxico Burress, Pittsburgh
Dexter Coakley, Cowboys
Rickey Dudley, Tampa Bay
Eddie George, Cowboys
James Jackson, Cleveland
Dave Kadela, Carolina
Brian Kozlowski, Washington
Billy McMullen, Philadelphia
Roman Oben, San Diego
Chris Perry, Cincinnati
Terrence Stubbs, NY Jets (practice squad)
Vinny Testaverde, Cowboys
Ernest Wilford, Jacksonville
Visit this link for more picture of Testaverde, George, and Coakley from their days at FUMA.
Posted by CPT Dan Thompson, Tuesday, October 5, 2004 11:00 PM
Alumni
Prep Soccer Tops Blue Ridge School
Fall is in the air! The weather is changing and so is Fork Union's winless record. In a solid performance, the Prep Soccer team shut out Blue Ridge School 4-0 in their first season victory. Fork Union looked like a different team this time around as Walker Owen had 2 goals and Don Rowe and Will Bokhoven each scored one. The Blue Devlis travel to Richmond on Thursday to take on Trinity.
Posted by MAJ Macek, Tuesday, October 5, 2004 07:35 PM
Athletics
Prep Football improves to 4-0 on the season
Fork Union Military Academy's Prep Football team defeated Woodberry Forest on Friday, October 1, 2004, by a score of 21-7 to secure the number 2 spot in the Virginia Prep League.
Read more about this game in the Daily Progress article by Jay Jenkins.
Posted by CPT Dan Thompson, Monday, October 4, 2004 05:39 PM
Athletics
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