Redskins In RVA: Head Coach Jay Gruden Press Conference Quotes

Beginning his third season at the helm of the Washington Redskins, head coach Jay Gruden took to the podium for the first time at the Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center in 2016 Wednesday afternoon. Here are notable quotes from the presser.

About the mood of the team heading into 2016:

"We made major improvements last year, and we continue to expect our team to make those improvements. We had a great OTA session, we just want to build off what we did during the OTA's."

On the loss of Junior Galette to another achilles injury this week:

"We're upset, obviously, more so for him as an individual. Just watching him work, how hard he had been training coming back from the previous injury and the attitude that he gave, and the excitement he was going to bring to this football team, only to see it cut short with another achilles, it's, ah, devastating is a good word. Injuries are part of the game, and we have to rebound."

On preparing Kirk Cousins for the season with a long-term contract not completed:

"He's got to get his body ready, his mind ready to play a tough NFL season. He's got a year out of film, He's got to study other people. He's a great football player, he made great strides last year. We're all excited about it. He's got to continue that progress. The contract will take care of itself. We won't have any conversation about his future contract, any of that stuff. All we're going to focus on is this year, him getting better and being the best quarterback he can possibly be."

On the running back situation after Mike Jones:

"We've got Chris Thompson coming back, he's looked good. Mack Brown we had last year on the practice squad, Robert Kelley (Tulane) is a rookie free agent we picked up, Keith Marshall (Georgia) we're excited about. So, we have some guys who we're ready to look at."

Camp officially opens to the public on Thursday, with walkthrough scheduled for 10:35am and full practice set for 3pm.

VHSL Realignment Journey Continues Next Week

The next step in the latest portion of an arduous process to realign the three hundred plus school members of the Virginia High School League (VHSL) will continue Thursday, August 4th when the Alignment Committee will meet in Charlottesville concerning appeals to the original proposal.

Many of the posted appeal requests, which can be seen here, will be voted on as a group rather than individually. One of them is from Atlee, looking to move from the 5A North Region to the new 5A Central Region. Atlee's request was originally heard, and approved for a recommendation back in January.

Patrick Henry was with Atlee in the appeal, but has since dropped out since new ADM figures, student population figures by school which helps determine which classification a school will belong to, were released in June.

Once the Alignment Committee concludes its work, the Executive Committee must review and approve at its September 21st meeting.

Here are all the proposed regions affecting Richmond-area schools. If approved, they will take effect for the 2017-18 school year, ending the current conference system and reinstating postseason tournaments at the district level that were last played for during the 2012-2013 season

6A "Region 2" (likely to be renamed): Clover Hill, Colonial Forge, Cosby, Thomas Dale, Franklin County, James River, Manchester, Riverbend

5A Central: Atlee, L.C. Bird, Deep Run, Douglas Freeman, Glen Allen, Mills Godwin, Henrico, Hermitage, Highland Springs, Lee-Davis, Matoaca, Meadowbrook, Prince George, J.R. Tucker, Varina

4A Central: Caroline, Chancellor, Courtland, Dinwiddie, Eastern View, Hanover, Patrick Henry, Huguenot, King George, Louisa, Midlothian, Monacan, Powhatan

3A Southeast: Colonial Heights, Lakeland, New Kent, I.C. Norcom, Park View-South Hill, Phoebus, Southampton, Tabb, Booker T. Washington, York

3A Northeast: Armstrong, Brentsville District, Culpeper, Hopewell, Thomas Jefferson, Manassas Park, John Marshall, James Monroe, William Monroe, Petersburg, Skyline, Spotsylvania, Warren County, George Wythe

2A South: Amelia, Arcadia, Bluestone, Bruton, Brunswick, Goochland, Greensville, King William, Nandua, Nottoway, Poquoson, Prince Edward, Randolph-Henry, Maggie Walker Governors School

2A Central: Appomattox, Buckingham, Chatham, Dan River, Floyd County, Fort Chiswell, Giles, Glenvar, Gretna, James River-Buchanan, Martinsville, Radford

1A East: Colonial Beach, Charles City, Chincoteague, Essex, Franklin, King & Queen, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, Northhampton, Northumberland, Rappahannock, Surry, Sussex, Washington & Lee, West Point, Windsor

1A Mid East: Altavista, Appomattox Regional Govenor's School, William Campbell, Carver College & Career Academy, Central-Lunenburg, Cumberland, Galileo, Stonewall Jackson, Rappahannock County, Riverheads

BASEBALL: Mechanicsville Wins Fourth American Legion Title In Five Years.....

A season-long rivalry between the two best teams in American Legion District 11 Baseball came to a conclusion Thursday night at Shepherd Stadium in Colonial Heights as Mechanicsville Post 175 used relentless offense to defeat South Richmond Post 137 16-6 in eight innings to win their fourth District tournament title in five seasons.

It's hard to believe that, back in 2012, Post 175 entered the District 11 Tournament having never won the title before.

CLICK HERE to read our roundup of the championship game and the Mechanicsville journey from the story posted overnight at our HanoverCountySports.net website.

American Legion Central: Final Tournament Results

Congratulations to Mechanicsville Post 175 for winning their fourth American Legion District 11 Baseball Tournament title in five years Thursday night, defeating South Richmond Post 137 in eight innings.

FINAL STANDINGS:

1) Mechanicsville Post 175:             10-2
1) South Richmond Post 137:          10-2
3) Lakeside Post 125F                       8-4
4) Lakeside Post 125                         7-5
5) West End Post 361                        4-8
6) Colonial Heights Post 284 Bucs   2-10

DISTRICT 11 TOURNAMENT 

FIRST ROUND (Saturday at Douglas Freeman HS):
GAME 1: #4 Lakeside Post 125 6, #5 West End Post 361 0
GAME 2: #3 Lakeside Post 125F 9, #6 Colonial Heights Post 284 Bucs 5 (game completed Sunday)

SECOND ROUND (Sunday, games at 7pm)
GAME 3: #1 Mechanicsville Post 175 11, #4 Lakeside Post 125 1 (8 innings)
GAME 4: #2 South Richmond Post 137 11, #3 Lakeside Post 125F 1 (7 innings)

THIRD ROUND (Elimination, Monday, games at 7pm)
GAME 5: #6 Colonial Heights Post 284 Bucs 7, #3 Lakeside Post 125F 6
GAME 6: #5 West End Post 361 6, #4 Lakeside Post 125 0

WINNERS BRACKET FINAL (Tuesday)
GAME 7: #1 Mechanicsville Post 175 11, #2 South Richmond Post 137 9

ELIMINATION BRACKET (Postponed To Wednesday due to storms)
GAME 8: #6 Colonial Heights Post 284 Bucs 5, #5 West End Post 361 2

ELIMINATION BRACKET (Thursday)
GAME 9: #2 South Richmond Post 137 5, #6 Colonial Heights Post 284 Bucs 1

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND (Game 1 Thursday)
GAME 10: #1 Mechanicsville Post 175 16, #2 South Richmond Post 137 6 (8 innings)

Top 10 Games of 2015-16: #1: Highland Springs Uses Hook and Lateral To Defeat Hermitage

Our top game of the 2015-16 high school sports season was, in our view, a clear-cut choice.

And, just like our #2 game released yesterday, the first portion bore no resemblance whatsoever to a classic confrontation. In fact, the first half of the 5A State Football Quarterfinal between Highland Springs and Hermitage on November 28th was a one-sided affair, as the Springers, in front of a huge holiday weekend crowd, built a 35-7 lead.

But the vast majority of the second half belonged to the Panthers, who scrapped and clawed their way back, tying the game at 35-35. But the Springers, opting not to play it conservatively when they got the football with less than two minutes to play, going on a drive for the ages that included some trickery, and a play from, not the star receivers, but from James Jackson, who made Highland Springs' version of "The Catch" with 9.2 seconds left for the winning score.

CLICK HERE to read our coverage of the game from November 28th.

You can also relive any of the Game of The Year on our YouTube Channel from our RVA Sports Network exclusive live coverage of the contest.

Highland Springs 42, Hermitage 35, the RVA Sports Network Game Of The Year for the 2015-16 season!

Top 10 Teams of 2015-16: #1: Hanover Baseball Makes It Three Titles in Four Years

When it is considered a disappointing season when you make it to a state tournament and lose in the semifinals, you know you have built a powerhouse program.

That was exactly where Hanover Baseball was in June, 2015, not at all content to see rival Glen Allen claim the 4A State Championship. So what did the Hawks do? They regrouped, some players healed from everything from minor injuries to Tommy John surgery, and, come March, began another surge with the sole goal being hoisting the trophy in Lynchburg.

What did Hanover accomplish in 2016? They began 4-0, lost what would be for the only time at the Forest Acres Classic over spring break in South Carolina, finished unbeaten in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and finished the season on a 20-game winning streak.

The regular season featured matchups with top teams in South Carolina, Deep Run, and comeback wins over two rivals in Atlee and Lee-Davis. The Conference 20 Tournament was a coronation with two huge victories. The Hawks survived a gutsy attempt from a feisty Louisa Lions squad in the 4A East Region Tournament opener, then broke open a game late to eliminate Lafayette and clinch a return to Charlottesville.

Less than twelve hours after the Lafayette win at home, Hanover hit I-64 to Williamsburg, disposed of Jamestown 11-0, and returned to Richmond in time for the prom. The following week, a return to Liberty University, first with a semifinal win over Kettle Run, then what looked to be for five innings an easy title win over Liberty Christian Academy.

But the final two innings of the title tilt were nothing less than a wild classic, making the 4A State Championship the #2 Game of 2015-16, as Hanover saw a 7-1 lead disappear in the sixth inning, answered with six runs of their own for a 13-9 lead after the 74-minute sixth, then held on for a 13-12 win.

The senior class for Hanover (seen in the first picture below) never played a season without, at worst, making a trip to the state tournament. A fair comparison would be the New England Patriots run from 2001-2004 with three Super Bowl titles in four seasons.. They have left a legacy which will be long remembered, and difficult to duplicate.

Congratulations to the Hanover Hawks baseball team, our #1 Team of 2015-16!

Top 10 Games of 2015-16: #2: Hanover Survives, Wins 4A State Baseball Championship

After five innings in the 4A State Baseball Championship game, there was no hint, no indication to the assembled fans at Liberty University's baseball stadium, that they were about to actually witness a "classic".

The Hanover Hawks seemed just moments, and officially, six defensive outs, from their third state crown in four years, leading Liberty Christian Academy 7-1. But the top of the sixth signaled the end of part one, and the start of a whirlwind 74 minutes that saw a huge lead vanish, but also saw the fortitude and grit of a team that hadn't lost in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a team that went from the brink of a title to the brink of watching a dream, in their grasp, slip away.

In the top of the sixth inning, the Bulldogs, against the cream of Hanover's pitching crop, chipped away and away at the Hawk lead, and, before the third out, Liberty Christian had taken a 9-7 lead. The momentum had swept to the other side. But though Hanover had enjoyed its fair share of comfortable victories during the season, they also had fought adversity, specifically in two comeback wins over Hanover County rivals Lee-Davis and Atlee.

They also wanted no part of seeing the script repeat itself regarding their lone loss of the season, where Hanover saw a mid-game lead wilt away in a 16-8 defeat at the Forest Acres Classic over spring break in South Carolina. The Hawks responded, striking for six runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth, ending the marathon inning back in front at 13-9.

The Hawks turned to senior Tyler Morgan, who had returned from Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss the 2015 season, to finish the job. But there was one more fight in the Bulldogs, who scored three runs and had the tying run at third base with two outs. But Morgan reared back and fired strike three for the final out, and the Hanover Hawks could breathe a sigh of relief as they raced onto the field for the traditional dogpile to celebrate not a coronation, but a come-from-behind 13-12 win.

Congratulations to Hanover Hawks baseball, winners of the #2 Game of 2015-16!