Jaaber looking to spring into Division I competition, boosting the family legacy
Of Chesterfield County’s 11 comprehensive public high schools, Carver College and Career Academy is by far the newest — it’s now in its fourth year — and the smallest with 254 students.
Powerhouse Elexis ‘Lexi’ Edwards a force on national gymnastics scene
When all was well, an abundance of physical power helped Elexis “Lexi” Edwards climb to the top peg of her sport. Unwavering willpower kept her from losing her grip when hard times struck.
Panthers pounce all over Trojans
The rafters of Virginia Union University’s historic Barco-Stevens Hall are adorned with retired jerseys.
4 contenders for VUU QB post next season
Coach Parker contends he has four solid candidates to replace departing senior Darius Taylor as the Panthers’ signal caller.
Baseball great Frank Robinson dies at 83
The world of baseball has lost a legend. The great Frank Robinson died Thursday, Feb. 7, in Los Angeles following a lengthy illness at age 83.
Dynasty continues with Patriots’ 6th Super Bowl crown
No, the New England Patriots’ reign doesn’t really date to the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere’s Ride and the American Revolution. But it may seem like it to their weary opponents.
Gilmore rolls back to Richmond to boost VCU
Everything about Michael Gilmore is big — his height (6-foot-10), his wingspan (7-foot) and his shooting range (well beyond the 3-point arc). His basketball journey has been long, too.
Blue chip freshman Deshawn Goodwyn helping raise George Wythe’s stock
When a special freshman arrives at Richmond’s George Wythe High School, basketball Coach Willard Coker isn’t shy about elevating him to the varsity — even into the starting lineup.
12 selected for VIA Heritage Association 2019 Hall of Fame
The Virginia Interscholastic Association’s 2019 Hall of Fame is glowing with noted Richmonders. Basketball legends Bobby Dandridge and Charles Bonaparte, football coaching icon Willard Bailey and Chief Judge Roger L. Gregory of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will be among the inductees at a ceremony in Charlottesville on June 28.
Florida teen bench presses 355 lbs.
A search for the nation’s strongest teenage girl might lead to Union County High School in Lake Butler, Fla. That’s where Mahailya Reeves, a 15-year-old freshman, set a Florida state record on Jan. 26 with a jaw-dropping 355-pound bench press.
Teon Tiller turns Thomas Jefferson High into a contender
Don’t blink. Blink once if you’re guarding Teon Tiller, and the Thomas Jefferson High School senior is likely to whiz past for yet another bucket.
Richmond’s Ed Davis ranks among NBA’s lords of the boards
Native Richmonder Ed Davis ranks with pro basketball’s lords of the boards. Few players crash the backboards more relentlessly than the former Benedictine Prep and University of North Carolina standout.
Julius Campbell, Northern Va. football player made famous in ‘Remember the Titans,’ dies at 65
Julius Campbell, whose role as captain of the T.C. Williams High School football team in Northern Virginia was made famous in the movie “Remember the Titans,” died Friday, Jan. 25, 2019, of organ failure.
Quarterbacks Tom Brady, Jared Goff betting on a Super Bowl win
What would the Super Bowl be without betting and, with that, the office pool? You can lay a friendly wager on just about anything, ranging from who wins the coin flip, to how long the national anthem takes, to when — if ever — stoic New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick cracks a smile, to the game’s champion.
VCU’s Marcus Evans on course for record books
Virginia Commonwealth University’s leading basketball scorer, Marcus Evans, is back where it all started for him — in the 804 area code.
Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots headed to Super Bowl LIII
Rematch! The Los Angeles Rams will get a long-awaited chance for redemption in Super Bowl LIII when they meet the New England Patriots on Sunday, Feb. 3.
VSU men’s team wins Freedom Classic, while VUU Lady Panthers clinch victory
The Virginia State University basketball team started this season with a multitude of questions. Since then, it has come up with all the right answers.
NFL Conference finals players always have had flair
For Sunday’s NFL Conference finals, expect a steady diet of orchestrated end zone celebrations and other zany sideshows, minus the fear of penalty. It wasn’t always that way.
John E. Wilson, oldest living Harlem Globetrotter, dies in Chester
John E. Wilson, who was the oldest living Harlem Globetrotter, has died at age 91. Known as “Jumpin’ Johnny” for his uncanny leaping ability, Mr. Wilson died Friday, Jan. 11, 2019, at his home in Chester, where he was living with his son, John Wilson Jr., an assistant athletic director at Virginia State University.
MJBL players headed to Bahamas
Some local teenagers won’t have to wait until warm weather to play baseball. The Metropolitan Junior Baseball League is sending a team to Nassau, Bahamas, for games next week.
VUU, VSU revving up for Freedom Classic matchup Saturday
Virginia Union University’s basketball season has been given a jumpstart. When the Panthers trek to Ettrick on Saturday to play Virginia State University in the Freedom Classic, VUU will have new vroom under the hood.
Sophomore Roosevelt Wheeler is John Marshall High’s tall secret weapon
Young basketball players and teams generally are taught to work the ball inside for a higher percentage of shots close to the basket. That strategy is likely to backfire against Richmond’s John Marshall High School. Facing the Justices, the closer to the basket the opponents get, the higher the degree of difficulty becomes.
5 of 7 African-American NFL coaches sacked
African-Americans seem to be on the NFL’s endangered coaching list. Only two black head coaches remain in the 32-team league after five were fired recently.
Local teams return from Snoop Youth Football League Nationals with memories
Four area youth football teams returned from Los Angeles with no championships but with a treasure chest of memories.
Ferrell helps Clemson clinch national title, ready for NFL
Talk about going out with a bang. On what would be his grand finale, Clemson University’s Clelin Ferrell dumped the University of Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for a fourth down, 7-yard loss, snuffing Alabama’s flickering hopes.
Huguenot basketball team loses height, but not heart
A year ago, Huguenot High School had a mountain-sized basketball team, with a towering front line with players measuring 7-foot, 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-4. This year’s Falcons more resemble a foothill.
2019 Freedom Classic moves to VSU Multi-Purpose Center on Jan.19
The Freedom Classic Festival basketball game has a new home. The 24th annual event is moving to the Multi-Purpose Center at Virginia State University in Ettrick.
VUU’s Joe Taylor named to College Football Hall of Fame
Joe Taylor, director of athletics for Virginia Union University, has been selected for the 2019 College Football Hall of Fame.
CIAA fans — get ready for Baltimore
The CIAA Basketball Tournament is moving to Baltimore. The CIAA board of directors announced Tuesday that the men’s and women’s games will be held in 2021, 2022 and 2023 at Royal Farms Arena, an 11,100-seat facility in downtown Baltimore, about a block away from the Baltimore Convention Center and a short distance from the popular Inner Harbor.
HBCUs packing power for second half of basketball season
Virginia State University’s recent basketball success can be traced all the way to Chièvres Air Force Base in Belgium. That’s where Armond Griebe, who has given the Trojans a front court boost, grew up tall and strong overseas in a U.S. military family.
L.C. Bird’s Jaden Payoute to play in All-American Bowl
The state’s fastest high school sprinter is headed to Virginia Tech to play football. Chesterfield County’s L.C. Bird High School senior Jaden Payoute officially signed last week with the Atlantic Coast Conference school in Blacksburg.
Richmonders hoping to take Clemson to victory in College Football Playoff
It may be up to two Richmonders to achieve something no one else has been able to do — stop the University of Alabama. Keep your eyes on orange jerseys No. 99 and No. 12 for Clemson University in the College Football Playoff final on Monday, Jan. 7, in Santa Clara, Calif.
Ravens’ Lamar Jackson defies Heisman history, breaks record
If there is such a thing as a Heisman Trophy jinx, Lamar Jackson seems immune to it — so far. At least among African-American quarterbacks, the Heisman — college football’s ultimate individual award — hasn’t exactly spelled a yellow brick road to NFL stardom.
Actor Michael B. Jordan in spotlight for athletic role in ‘Creed II’
Michael Bakari Jordan has scored a cinematic knockout for his role as a boxer in “Creed II,” a sequel to the original 2015 film “Creed,” a continuation of the “Rocky” movies.
LA Chargers get new jolt with Coach Anthony Lynn
After a lengthy, listless period, the NFL’s newest Los Angeles franchise is all charged up.
VUU fans get Christmas gift in Jordan White
Virginia Union University basketball fans received a “White Christmas” in a way they weren’t expecting.
Dr. S. Dallas Simmons, late VUU president, to be inducted into CIAA Hall of Fame
The late Dr. S. Dallas Simmons, former president of Virginia Union University, is among seven people chosen for induction into the 2019 John B. McLendon CIAA Hall of Fame.
Noted female Little League pitcher signs with HU
Mo’ne Davis became a celebrity in 2014 by showing off her lively pitching arm in the Little League World Series.
Larry Doby on track for Congressional Gold Medal
Larry Doby, the first African-American to play baseball in the American League, is on track to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. The U.S. Senate has passed legislation to honor the former Cleveland Indians centerfielder.
Claflin Coach Ricky Jackson unafraid to outmaneuver his alma mater, VUU
Ricky Jackson said he is “proud to be a Unionite.” But that didn’t stop him from dealing his alma mater a recent basketball beating.
N.C. A&T wins Celebration Bowl
The crown for black college football will rest with North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, N.C., at least until December 2019. It’s becoming a tradition.
Gary Steele,Calvin Huey broke color barrier on Army-Navy football teams
The U.S. Military Academy’s football team, Army, is known as the Black Knights, but it wasn’t until 1966 it had its first African-American player. Gary Steele, a military brat whose father was a Buffalo Solider, broke the color barrier in West Point, N.Y., as a star tight end.
Maggie Walker’s Austin Wade stands out in two sports
It’s not so unusual for a high school athlete to play two sports. What is unusual is to be playing both sports at the same time. That’s the rare case with senior Austin Wade at the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School.
CIAA Basketball Tournament eyeing move beginning 2021
The CIAA Basketball Tournament might have a new host city in 2021. Following the athletic conference’s fall board meeting in Charlotte, N.C., it was announced Friday, Dec. 7, that Norfolk and Baltimore are in contention to host the tournaments, from 2021 thorough 2023, along with Charlotte.
Highland Springs wins state football title again
The Highland Springs High School football team members are running out of fingers to display their bling. The Springers captured their fourth consecutive Class 5 state championship title last Saturday with a 37-26 victory over Stone Bridge High School of Ashburn in Northern Virginia.
Wilder-Fury heavyweight title match ends in draw
Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury were each undefeated upon meeting last Saturday for the World Boxing Council heavyweight title in Los Angeles. After 12 bloody, bruising rounds, both were still undefeated as the bout was ruled a draw by three ringside judges.
Justices are 3A team to beat despite injury, transfer
No excuses necessary. John Marshall High School basketball Coach Ty White seeks no pity, although it would be hard to blame him if he did. Despite the team’s loss of 6-foot-10 Isaiah Todd, who transferred, and the temporary loss of 6-foot-10 Roosevelt Wheeler to injury, Coach White insists John Marshall is the team to beat in the state 3A division.
North Carolina A&T heading to Celebration Bowl Dec. 15
North Carolina A&T State University is making Atlanta a regular stop on its football travel itinerary. For the third time in the four-year history of the Celebration Bowl, the Aggies are heading to Georgia to play in front of a national television audience.
Lady Panthers’ ‘Towers of Power’ jump-start hoops season
There are at least three towers at Virginia Union University. A visitor can’t miss the brick and mortar tower — the 160-foot Belgian Building — in the middle of the Lombardy Street campus.
Anna Wilson suffers injury at Stanford game in Hawaii
Anna Wilson, sister of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, is doing well after a big scare in Honolulu.
