Five UVa Recruits Capture Championships

Five members of the University of Virginia’s class of 2015 played in championship games this past weekend. All five came out victorious. Here is the rundown…

David Curry, Safety, 6’1”, 200 pounds, Buford (GA)

Curry had a 40-yard punt return for a touchdown as Buford rolled to a 55-10 win over St. Pius in the Georgia High School Association Class AAAA championship game last Saturday. The Wolves went a perfect 15-0 in the 2014 season.

Buford has now won 40 straight games, including 10 state championships in the past 14 years. Curry moves on to Virginia, where he is expected to play safety.

Nick Johns, Quarterback, 6’3”, 220 pounds, Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.)

Gonzaga defeated H.D. Woodson in the D.C. State Athletic Association Class AA championship game. Johns completed 7-of-18 passes for 120 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in the win. He added seven carries for 23 yards.

Gonzaga finishes the 2014 season with a 10-3 overall record. The Washington Post has 11 games worth of stats for Johns, who as a senior completed 108-of-173 passes (62-percent) for 1,486 yards with 13 touchdowns and five interceptions. The standout signal caller also rushed 45 times for 223 yards and five scores.

Jahvoni Simmons, Linebacker, 6’0”, 230 pounds, Ocean Lakes (Virginia Beach, VA)

Ocean Lakes’ first state title in school history didn’t come easy. The Dolphins held a 24-10 lead with 5:34 remaining in the 4th quarter of last Saturday’s VHSL 6A state championship game. Centreville, the defending state champion, responded with two long touchdowns to force overtime, where the Wildcats missed a field goal and the Dolphins had a 10-yard touchdown run from Arizona State-bound senior Jaason Lewis.

Simmons, a 6’0”, 220-pound middle linebacker, rarely came off the field last Saturday. He manned the middle linebacker spot as he always does, but he also played the majority of the game at fullback.

Juan Thornhill, Athlete, 6’1”, 180 pounds, Altavista (VA)

For the second consecutive season, Altavista defeated Essex for the Virginia High School League 1A state championship. This year’s contest was much closer, as the Colonels, who won 21-0 last year, held on for a 22-20 victory this time around.

Thornhill ran for one touchdown and threw for another in the first half, giving the Colonels a 14-7 halftime lead. He then busted a 40-yard touchdown run in the 4th, and Altavista led 22-14 late. Essex scored a touchdown but missed the 2-point conversion to give you the 22-20 final score.

Thornhill amassed 199 yards of total offense, including 100 yards passing and 99 yards rushing. He is expected to play defensive back – probably free safety — for UVa.

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Olamide Zaccheaus, Tailback, 5’8”, 175 pounds, St. Joseph’s Prep (Philadelphia, PA)

St. Joseph’s Prep captured a second straight WPIAL Class AAAA state championship with a 49-41 win over Pine-Richland.

Zaccheaus, an all-purpose back, hauled in a 56-yard touchdown pass for the game’s opening score. He later added a 3-yard touchdown run. Zaccheaus then picked off Pine-Richland’s Hail Mary attempt in the end zone with time expiring to secure the title.