Tigers football recruits include four area players
Published 7:59 am Saturday, May 30, 2020
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Hampden-Sydney College (H-SC) 21st-year Football Head Coach Marty Favret has announced his incoming recruiting class that brings 57 newcomers to the program, including four from area high schools.
An H-SC Athletics press release noted the overall class includes one transfer collegiate student-athlete and 56 first-year collegiate student-athletes from across Virginia, as well as North Carolina and South Carolina. They are set to join the Tigers beginning with the 2020 football campaign.
The area student-athletes include Nathan Brickhill and Garrett Hafley, from Buckingham County High School; Blake Barker, from Cumberland County High School; and Elijah Warner, from Fuqua School.
Hafley was a difference-maker on the line for the Knights, making the 2019 All-James River District First Team as a defensive lineman. Brickhill was a key presence in the secondary and made the all-district second team at defensive back. They helped the Knights complete their return to form last year, as the team finished 10-2, advancing as far as the regional semifinals.
Though the Dukes have struggled in recent years, Barker was a stalwart on the line during his high school career, helping facilitate the success in the trenches the program experienced.
Warner was a standout quarterback and defender for the Falcons, garnering all-state selections on defense, offense and special teams this past season, during which he led Fuqua to a 9-2 overall record. He helped lead the Falcons to berths in the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division III state championship game in 2017 and 2018.
Favret, who is the second-winningest coach in H-SC history with 131 victories in 20 seasons and a five-time Old Dominion Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, said in the release he feels he and his staff checked all the boxes with the class of 2024 — speed, size, playmakers and terrific student-athletes.
“There is no question that this influx of talent will help us right away,” he said in the release. “Kudos to my staff and the faculty/administrators that helped make this happen during this highly unusual recruiting season.”
The release included the complete list of incoming football recruits that is listed below. The list is alphabetical and includes players’ respective high schools.
Joe Ambrosi, St. Anne’s-Belfield School
Blake Barker, Cumberland County
Griff Barlow, Middle Creek (North Carolina)
Junior Barrera, Middle Creek (North Carolina)
Braeden Bowling, Green Hope (North Carolina)
Nathan Brickhill, Buckingham County
Cam Chandler, T.L. Hanna (South Carolina)
Dalton Collins, Clover Hill
Jaron Concepcion, Deep Creek
Kadari Cuffee, Grassfield
Darien Davis, Jefferson Forest
Jacob Elliott, Northside
Teddy Forde, Northern Guilford (North Carolina)
John Corey Fraser, Fork Union Military Academy
Melik Frost, May River (South Carolina)
TJ Gates, Powhatan
Kevin Gholson, Patrick Henry-Ashland
Trey Gholson, Midlothian
Nathaniel Gilbert, Lafayette
Alex Green, Portsmouth Christian School
Dorian Green, Magna Vista
Garrett Hafley, Buckingham County
David Haley, Maury
Taylor Herrera, Rock Ridge
Dylan Huggins, Liberty-Bealeton
Jaylin Jones, Rustburg
David Jorgensen, Eastern View
Tobias Lafayette, Porter Gaud (South Carolina)
George Langhammer, Patrick Henry-Roanoke
Chase Larmon, Atlantic Shores Christian School
Iceysis Lewis, Blue Ridge School
Will Matejowsky, Cary (North Carolina)
Braxton Mergenthal, Cedar Ridge (North Carolina)
John Mill, Cosby
TJ Minter, Thomas Dale
Amos Nickens, Rock Ridge
Ryan North, Brookville
Thomas O’Connor, West Point
Will Pickren, Wando (South Carolina)
Max Pietrykowski, Hampton
Bobby Pinello, Salem
Andrew Puccinelli, Benedictine College Prep (Wingate University)
Jack Reno, Paul VI Catholic
James-Ryan Salvi, Lord Botetourt
Hayden Shinn, Hilton Head Christian Academy (South Carolina)
Jason Southern, Eastern View
Alex Spangler, Eastern View
Jacob Stockton, Franklin County
Tramell Thompson, Blue Ridge School
Trevor Wade, Fluvanna County
Ricky Walker, Oscar Smith
Elijah Warner, Fuqua School
Patrick Watson, Manchester
Jamahdia Whitby, Jamestown
Brice Wilson, Nelson County
McKay Wilson, First Baptist (South Carolina)
Justice Wright, Appomattox County