Friendly quarterback Joe Haden has verbally committed to Florida. Haden, a 5-11, 195-pounder, has been recruited by Florida as an “athlete,” according to Friendly assistant Marcus Berry.
“Coach (Urban) Meyer said they’d like to line Joe up in the slot one play, wideout the next, then quarterback,” said Berry. “There’s a lot of things they can do with Joe.”
Haden was Prince George’s County’s most prolific passer last season, completing 101 of163 attempts for 1,910 yards, 22 touchdowns, and five interceptions, leading Friendly (9-2) to a playoff berth.
Two other Friendly players have committed this summer. Wide receiver Vincent Hill has selected Akron while tight end Ricky Jenkins has made verbally committed to James Madison.
According to Berry, Haden was sold on Florida when he visited Gainesville last month during “Friday Night Lights,” a one-day camp to which the Gators invite their prospects. According to Berry, Haden ran 40 yards in 4.34 seconds, the fastest time in the camp.
“They had already offered, so Joe didn’t have to do anything,” said Berry. “But Coach Meyer challenged Joe. He said to him, ‘You can run if you want. But you probably don’t want to with all these fast Florida boys here.’”
Vaughn chooses Seminoles
Former South Lakes basketball player Julian Vaughn has verbally committed to Florida State, his father, Eric Vaughn, confirmed.
Julian Vaughn, a 6-foot-9, 240-pound rising senior power forward/center, transferred last month from South Lakes to national powerhouse Oak Hill Academy. He led the Seahawks with 21.4 points and 11.6 rebounds per game as a junior.
Blade takes reigns at Einstein
When Brady Blade relinquished his athletic director job at Bethesda-Chevy Chase last year, his 21-year reign was the longest of any A.D. in Montgomery County.
Apparently Blade didn’t get enough. He has accepted the athletic director job at Einstein, replacing Margaret Hedges.
“He wants to help Einstein turn this thing around,” said Einstein assistant principal Brian Thomas.
Einstein has had little success in athletics in recent years, but principal James Fernandez, made a splash in the spring, luring Richard Montgomery footballcoach Mike Bonavia.
Bonavia takes over a squad that has won five games in as many seasons. Over the same period, Bonavia guided RM to a 33-19 record and three trips to the playoffs.
Hayfield’s Gallagher resigns
Hayfield baseball coach Mike Gallagher has resigned, Hawks activities director Steve Kewer said Wednesday.
Gallagher, 25, led the Hawks to a 17-6 record in 2006 and a first-place tie in the Patriot District in his only year as head coach. Hayfield lost in the first round of the Northern Region tournament.
Gallagher owns and operates the Dominion Baseball Academy in Lorton, which provides instruction and fields several club teams, and wanted to devote more time to his business.
South County fortunes headed north
Last year at this time the school itself was a figment of their imagination. There was no finished gym. No weight room. No basketball camp.
One year later, the foundation of South County’s boys basketball team looks a lot more stable, especially after a 64-62 overtime victory over Westfield in the McLean Summer Basketball League championship on Monday.
Rising senior guard Matt Vane sank an open jumper with three seconds left to give South County, which opened its doors last September, a much-needed look at winning in pressure situations. The Stallions finished 3-19 in their inaugural season.
“There weren’t too many close games where we saw what that was like,” said Vane, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard who led South County in scoring at 17.4 points per game. “This summer it was a whole different story. We played top-notch basketball.”
