THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 2, 1994 TAG: 9409020736
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 116 lines
Two of them have two shoeboxes full of recruiting mail. The third had a better idea: Why use a pair of shoeboxes when he could put all the letters into one computer-paper box?
Needless to say, the U.S. Postal service lugs a lot of mail these days to Western Branch's Todd Hollowell, Dre Bly and Steve Kelly.
The trio has made the northwestern corridor of Chesapeake a must-see for many college recruiters this year. Hollowell, Bly and Kelly have sparked memories of the famous 1987 Green Run recruiting class, considered the best at a South Hampton Roads high school.
Green Run's big three that year were Matt Darby, Keith Goganious and Alton Grizzard. Darby signed with UCLA, Goganious went to Penn State and the late Grizzard ended up at Navy. Darby and Goganious now play for the Buffalo Bills.
So what about the Western Branch trio?
``So much is predicated on what kids do as seniors,'' said one Division I coach who asked to remain anonymous (NCAA rules prohibit coaches from commenting publicly on recruits). ``You get their names as juniors, but what they do as juniors carries little or no weight. I want to see the film as a senior.''
Western Branch head coach Lew Johnston has been preaching this point to his touted players and their parents.
``It's exciting times for the kids and the program in general,'' John
ston said. ``This is the first time I've heard of recruits as opposed to prospects or even suspects, which are the words a lot of college recruiters use.
``I caution my kids all the time. I tell them it's like buying a car. These recruiters are just out looking. Until they sit down and make you an offer, none of it means a thing.''
The recruiters are doing plenty of looking at the three Bruins, particularly the 6-foot-7 1/2, 325-pound Hollowell, who plays offensive tackle.
``You can't overlook a kid with that kind of size,'' one said.
Hollowell might not be finished growing either. He's still only 16 (he turns 17 Sunday).
``Everybody in my family grows late,'' Hollowell said. ``I had an uncle who grew 3 inches after he got out of high school and is now 6-5.''
The 5-10, 170-pound Bly is a two-sport standout; professional baseball scouts are already gushing about him.
The lefthanded outfielder ran the 60-yard dash in an eye-popping 6.38 seconds at a Florida Marlins scouting camp two weeks ago at Dundalk Junior College in Baltimore. At the University of North Carolina's summer football camp, he was the fastest camper, clocked in a hand-held 4.29 in the 40.
But Bly admits he has work ahead of him to qualify academically. Should he qualify, he says he wants to pursue college football over professional baseball, despite the fact that he's been mentioned as a baseball player worthy of being drafted next spring.
``It's something me and my parents will have to sit down and talk about,'' said Bly, who plays wingback and defensive back for the Bruins. ``But I really want to play college football. I think all the time about playing defensive back and returning kickoffs and punts.''
The 6-3 1/2, 250-pound Kelly, a guard, realizes he has benefited by having talented teammates. Recruiters seeing film of Hollowell or Bly might end up noticing the lineman next to Hollowell or the guy making the block for Bly.
``It helps a lot to have talent like that around you,'' Kelly said. ``Then everybody gets recognized.''
Western Branch, however, doesn't have a monopoly on area talent.
The most recognizable recruit in the area, according to a consensus of recruiters, is Green Run quarterback Glenwood Ferebee.
``He's going to get recruited just on pure athletic ability,'' one recruiter said. ``Even if it's not as a quarterback, he can play receiver.''
Norcom's Rudy Howard has been tabbed by a slew of national publications as one of the top defensive backs in the country, but every recruiter asked said the NCAA's new Proposition 16 guidelines for freshman eligibility could be a stumbling block for Howard and many others.
The new guidelines could prevent a lot of players from immediately going the Division I or II route, leading some to junior colleges. Proposition 16, which came into effect this fall, calls for a minimum Scholastic Assessment Test score of 900 for a 2.0 core grade-point average and a score of 700 for a 2.5 GPA. A sliding scale will be used for SAT scores in between.
``That area always causes us problems grades-wise,'' one recruiter said. ``The SAT scores just don't measure up with other areas of the state, or the country.''
Last year was one of the leanest in recent memory locally. Only two players - Indian River's tandem of Tony Morrison and Shawn Foreman - signed with Division I-A football programs. Morrison is at Virginia Tech, Foreman at West Virginia.
Recruiters don't see this year's crop as being much deeper at the Division I-A level.
Only five players - Ferebee, Bly, Hollowell, Tallwood's John Vann and Booker T. Washington's Mike Basnight - are pegged by The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star as blue-chip recruits coming into the season.
Vann has shown exceptional pursuit speed as a linebacker. Recruiters love his sculpted 6-foot, 215-pound body. But the average fan might not know a lot about him since Tallwood has won only two games in two years of existence.
Then there's Basnight, the Bookers' lucky break who moved to the area from Columbia, N.C.
While at Columbia High, Basnight ran for more than 3,200 yards the last two years.
``Basnight's in Norfolk?'' one recruiter asked. ``I was wondering where he was. Yeah, he's a player.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
CHRISTOPHER REDDICK/Staff
Western Branch's Todd Hollowell, Dre Bly and Steve Kelly could be
the best one-school recruiting class the area has seen in years.
Color photo
RALPH FITZGERALD/Staff
Oscar Smith running back Nelson White looks for room to run against
Maury's defense Thursday. Maury won, 25-7. For details on this and
other area games, see Page C2.
by CNB