McFadden’s prep career to be cut short
Advertisement
Text size: small | medium | large
By Dave Fawcett
Published: April 16, 2008
Although classified as a sophomore academically after starting school late and then being held back a year, McFadden will turn 19 in July of 2009. The Virginia High School League’s age rule for eligibility states that “the student shall not have reached the age of 19 on or before the first day of August of the school year in which he/she wishes to compete.”
Osbourn head coach football coach Steve Schultze said he was aware of McFadden’s situation when McFadden enrolled at Osbourn and has been preparing to help get him ready to graduate a year early from high school so McFadden can enroll in college in the fall of 2009.
Schultze said colleges have already expressed an interest in McFadden, who is expected to be re-cruited as a defensive back.
With a shorter time frame now to get ready to graduate from Osbourn a year early, McFadden will increase his course load to meet college eligibility requirements, Schultze said.
An all-Cedar Run District choice at quarterback last season, McFadden rushed for 987 yards and 10 touchdowns and threw for 411 yards and two touchdowns. Overall, he had 1,805 multi-purpose yards and 15 touchdowns. He was also second-team all-district as a defensive back.
As a freshman, he was a second-team all-Cedar Run selection at defensive back on the Eagles’ Group AAA, Division 6 state championship team.
DOBRATZ SIGNS
Eric Dobratz, the Potomac News and Manassas Journal Messenger’s All-Area punter and place-kicker, has signed with Division II Shepherd.
Dobratz, a three-year kicker for Potomac who was a key member of the Panthers’ run to the Group AAA Division 5 state final, was 49 of 51 in extra points and 8 of 12 in field goals this past season. He also placed 75 percent of his kickoffs in the end zone.
As a punter, Dobratz earned all-Group AAA honors from the Associated Press after averaging 40.3 yards per punt and placing 13 punts inside the opponent’s 10-yard line.
His longest punt of the season was a 66-yarder in the state semifinals.
Potomac head football coach Tony Lilly said Dobratz’s choices were down to Division I Temple or Shepherd. Temple talked to Dobratz about walking on, but Shepherd offered him a better chance to come in and kick right away.
“He has huge potential,” Lilly said. “He had never bought into being a football kicker until last year.”
Dobratz had been a soccer player first, while playing football on the side. But after suffering a head injury at a soccer practice in August, he was told by doctors that if he continued to play soccer and suffered another head injury, he could incur brain damage.
Dobratz is also good friends with Deante Steele, a Potomac graduate who was a freshman on the Shepherd football team in the fall.
The Rams (10-2) finished the season ranked No. 8 in the final D2Football.com top 25 media poll.
KALOKOH STILL LOOKING
Lilly said Mulku Kalokoh is weighing offers from two junior colleges in Kansas, Coffeyville and Dodge City. Kalokoh is also interested in Reedley College (Calif.), where former Hylton standout Darius Reynolds is playing quarterback.
A second-team all-Group AAA choice by the AP as a utility player this past season, Kalokoh rushed for 1,230 yards and scored 15 touchdowns, while also catching 20 passes for 330 yards and four touchdowns. He finished as the area’s second-leading scorer with 146 points.
MOVING ON
The Division 6 and 5 state football championship games will not return to the University of Vir-ginia.
VHSL executive director Ken Tilley said the rising cost of playing the games at Scott Stadium was the deciding factor in looking elsewhere after having them at Virginia for one year.
“It was the only reason,” Tilley said. “It wasn’t because we didn’t have a great experience there. The participants all enjoyed it. The only drawback was that the costs were considerably more than had been originally proposed to us.”
Tilley said the new facility would have to meet minimum capacity requirements of 6,000 for Di-vision 5 and 7,000 for Division 6.
Stadiums at the University of Richmond, Old Dominion and William & Mary are not available, but Tilley said Virginia Tech has expressed an interest in hosting the games.
“The proposal is very favorable,” Tilley said. “The only drawback and concern was the distance and to a certain extent the weather.”
Tilley said the VHSL will tour sites to make sure they meet the requirements. The VHSL will then make a decision at its executive committee meeting May 7th.
Post a Comment
The commenting period has ended or commenting has been deactivated for this article.
Can't find what you're looking for? Try our quick search:
