Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, December 25, 1993 TAG: 9312250098
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: HOLIDAY
SOURCE: By DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Many people now consider Jefferson Forest defensive back Anthony Poindexter to be the No. 1 college prospect in the state, but Poindexter also was the starting quarterback for the Cavaliers, state champions in Division 3.
So, what if a recruiter approached Poindexter with the idea of playing quarterback in college?
"I'd probably say `thank you' and go somewhere else," Poindexter, who operated a wishbone attack at Jefferson Forest, said.
Poindexter was a running back in little league, when he never imagined that he would have his choice of Division I-A programs, including several perennial powers.
"I never expected that," said Poindexter, whose older brother, John, is a sophomore quarterback in Ferrum College's wishbone scheme. "I started to hear from some people during the summer and then the calls started pouring in."
Poindexter, the first player from Jefferson Forest to be selected one of the top five prospects in the state by The Roanoke Times & World-News, is joined by three quarterbacks and running back Ken Oxendine of Thomas Dale in Chester.
Oxendine, generally mentioned with Poindexter as one of the top two prospects in the state, was a third-string fullback before approaching coach Vic Williams at the end of the 1991 season.
"He came to us and asked if we would consider him for tailback," said Williams, noting that Oxendine had 20 carries as a sophomore. "He basically had never carried the ball before. He was too big in sandlot. We didn't even start him until the third or fourth game of his junior year."
Oxendine responded by rushing for 1,551 yards and 19 touchdowns, and was no less impressive as a senior. After gaining 875 yards during the regular season, when he averaged fewer than 15 carries a game, Oxendine bulled for 612 yards in three playoff games, including 189 against eventual Division 6 champion Annandale.
Some schools have looked at Oxendine's size (6-feet-1, 212 pounds) and his relatively modest 4.6-second time for 40 yards and projected him as a fullback. There was no easier way to get eliminated from Oxendine's list, which includes Virginia Tech, Virginia, Georgia and Tennessee.
Poindexter is considering three of the same schools, with North Carolina taking the place of Georgia.
North Carolina is the choice of Huguenot High quarterback Anthony "Toney" Coles, another Richmond-area prospect with an interesting story. Coles played drums and trumpet in the Huguenot band before requesting a tryout at quarterback before his sophomore year.
Coles attended Virginia's summer camp and the Cavaliers were thought to be his favorite until they decided to recruit him as an "athlete." Coles marked the Cavaliers off a list of finalists that included Penn State, Georgia Tech, Boston College and Rutgers.
Tony Morrison, the All-Group AAA quarterback from Indian River High in Chesapeake, understands that his best college position may be in the secondary but he at least wants a tryout at quarterback, which has helped Michigan State, Virginia Tech and Maryland move to the top of his list.
"My gut opinion is, he'll be a defensive back," said Morrison's father, Jim, once the coach at Manor High in Norfolk, "but, emotionally, he wants to give quarterback a shot. He easily could be a very good college quarterback."
The final spot on the top five went to Ferguson High quarterback Aaron Brooks, a preseason All-American who passed for 2,103 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior. Brooks had a relatively unimpressive senior year, passing for 1,055 and only five touchdowns, but his arm and height (6-4 1/2) have kept the colleges interested.
"He does not want to go far away," Ferguson coach Tommy Reamon said. "He made that clear after he got back from Georgia Tech."
College recruiters reached a consensus on the top five, all of whom have scored better than 700 on the Scholastic Assessment Test, as required for a Division I scholarship. Also, they finished the season in one piece, another consideration.
Defensive tackle David Van Dyke from Robinson High in Fairfax made an oral commitment to Penn State before the season, which proved to be a wise decision when he suffered a broken leg in his team's final scrimmage. The Nittany Lions honored the grant, even though Van Dyke did not play all year.
Salem High running back Marcus Parker had emerged as a national recruit before suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament while playing softball in the spring. He required reconstructive surgery but was able to return for the final five games of the season and rushed for 124 yards and three touchdowns in only 10 carries against Christiansburg.
"I noticed his mail [from recruiters] dropped off," White said, "but, once he got back on the field, the only thing that held him back was conditioning. I thought he might favor his knee, but I never saw any adverse affect."
Virginia Tech is in the lead for Parker, whose other visits will be to Notre Dame and Wake Forest.
Tech and Virginia are two of the schools involved with Patrick Henry quarterback Shannon Taylor, whom some consider the most physically gifted player in the state. Taylor, a 6-6, 225-pounder, led the Timesland area in passing with 1,288 yards and also ran for 652 yards, but he has not yet met NCAA academic guidelines.
"Shannon is aware of all his options," Patrick Henry coach Ed Scott said. "We know that he is going to be offered and I expect him to sign at least a conditional letter-of-intent."
The Roanoke Times & World-News Top 25 includes four other players from Timesland - tight end Todd Wheatley from Alleghany County, defensive lineman Randy Dunnigan from Pulaski County, linebacker Chris Frith from Martinsville and defensive back Rodney Redd from Magna Vista.
Tech is in the lead for Wheatley and Frith, both of whom have Tech family connections. Dunnigan said West Virginia is his early leader and Redd indicated he is leaning toward North Carolina State.
The Wolfpack have made a big push into Virginia this year and may be the leader for post-grad defensive lineman Maurice "Mo" Anderson, an ex-Nottoway High star who has recruiters flocking to Fork Union Military Academy. However, Tech and UVa are on the most lists - 16 and 13, respectively.
There was a shortage of linemen in the state - at least quality, academically-qualified linemen - but there rarely have been more quarterbacks. Matoaca High's Craig Akins, though not widely recruited in this area, is one of the premier drop-back prospects in the country.
"I think he's been type-cast a little bit," Matoaca coach Pat Manuel said. "He'll thrive in a drop-back situation, but he could be a great option quarterback if he had to be."
Quarterback Matt Shannon from West Springfield would have been an ideal "sleeper of the year" until he was named All-Group AAA on the team picked by the coaches' association. As a result, the sleeper title went to running back Torrey Veney of Rappahannock.
"I looked forward to the day when I would have a Division I prospect," said Jerry Parrish, head football coach at Rappahannock, a 232-student Group A school located in Warsaw. "After 10 years, I finally got one."
by CNB