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'08 VA OL Kyle Long (Florida State baseball - Saddleback College - Oregon signee)

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Long lineage of success
Saints' tackle getting looks from top programs

By Macon Gunter / Daily Progress correspondent
October 26, 2006

Consider the convergence of an elite physical specimen, an impeccable pedigree and an unyielding desire to achieve anything imaginable.

Consider Kyle Long.

At 6-foot-7?, 285 pounds, the St. Anne?s-Belfield junior strikes fear into the hearts of his opponents. And why wouldn?t he? When asked what he likes most about football, Long responded: ?Football is a sport in which you are able to impose your will on the guy across from you.?

It is no wonder opposing teams run away from the mammoth lineman.

Long, 17, came to STAB from Western Albemarle before the beginning of his sophomore season, where he had been as successful on the baseball diamond as on the football field.

?If I could use one word to describe STAB, it would be opportunity,? Long said. ?It has given me the chance to improve academically and mature athletically and mentally.?

While Kyle has taken advantage of the tutelage of a tremendous coach in John Blake - and a Hall of Fame father in Howie Long - he also benefits from the guidance of his older brother, Chris, a defensive end at the University of Virginia.

?Chris drives me,? Kyle said. ?There are always comparisons being drawn between us but there is no comparison. He is always going to be the better football player and the tougher kid.?

Speak for yourself.

?Kyle has much more potential than I ever had,? said Chris, a co-captain at UVa. ?I?ve been

around a lot of football players and he has the talent to be special. The sky is the limit.?

The younger Long has garnered attention from every top school in the country and has received scholarship offers from many, including Ohio State, Louisville, and Boston College.

While Kyle is grateful for the interest, at the moment, he is more concerned with avenging a loss in last year?s state championship game.

?I want to do everything I can to help my team win a championship,? Long said. ?We?ve said from the beginning of the year that if we?re not first, we?re last. We felt like we let ourselves down, we let our families and all the fans down last year. We never want to feel like that again.?

This season, STAB (7-0), which will face fellow unbeaten Christchurch on Friday night, is ranked second in both the VIS Division II and Central Virginia rankings. Behind Long, tailback Colin Pehanick has broken the school?s career rushing record. Defensively, the Saints are allowing fewer than 12 points per game. Coach Blake?s fourth title in 10 years seems to be a distinct possibility.

?We?re just trying to go out there and earn respect every week,? said Long, who will match up against All-American and University of Virginia-commit J?Courtney Williams on Friday. ?We feel like we have something to prove and we want to show people that we can play ball.?
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http://www.dailyprogress.com/servle...le&c=MGArticle&cid=1149191354242&path=!sports
 
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[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif] UVa recruit can't stop St. Anne's
 [/FONT] [FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]
[/FONT] [FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]By Sean McLernon / Daily Progress staff writer[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif] [/FONT] [FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]October 28, 2006[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]

[/FONT] [FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]
[/FONT] [FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]J?Courtney Williams knew he couldn?t play at full speed after straining his hamstring in the first half against St. Anne?s-Belfield. That didn?t stop the 6-foot-4, 220-pound linebacker from making an impact on defense.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Williams, who verbally committed to play for Virginia next season, finished with five tackles, all in the second half, and came up with three key stops in third- and fourth-down situations against the Saints.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]It wasn?t enough for the Seahorses to get the victory, as STAB eked out a 21-19 win, but Williams did give the CCS offense an opportunity late in the fourth quarter. With five minutes left in the game, Williams brought down STAB?s Colin Pehanick on third-and-4 near midfield to force the Saints to punt with only a two-point lead.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]?Even with me being hurt tonight - I couldn?t really move well left to right - but I knew some of their plays and was able to make some key stops,? said Williams, who is ranked the No. 4 player in the state by TheSabre.com.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]It?s those on-field smarts - Williams calls it his ?football IQ? - that the linebacker said will be the biggest asset he brings to the Virginia football program next season.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Williams described his commitment to UVa as ?very strong.? He said he had some concerns about his academics but believes he can improve both his 990 SAT score and 2.8 cumulative core GPA. Last season, eight Virginia football recruits were turned away by the UVa admissions office.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]?I?m just hoping I get in academic-wise, especially with the situation last year with a lot of the recruits,? Williams said. ?I?m hoping everything?s fine and I?m firm at UVa right now.?[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Williams, who attended Virginia?s home loss to Western Michigan on Sept. 13, said it has been hard watching the Cavaliers struggle this season but believes that his class can help turn things around for Virginia.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]?It?s been tough, but Coach [Mike] London, Coach [Al] Groh, and Coach [Anthony] Poindexter, they keep me strong in everything, telling me this is the class,? Williams said. ?It?s a rebuilding year, everyone can see that. Jameel Sewell is stepping in at quarterback and he?s getting the job done.?[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Williams will likely play strong safety for Virginia and also plays tight end and tailback for Christchurch. He lined up in the backfield three times for the Seahorses, finishing with seven yards, a touchdown and a fumble. He also caught one pass for two yards.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Williams lamented his inability to get more done on offense, and said he could have done more if it wasn?t for the strained hamstring.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]?I average at least a touchdown every game, but I couldn?t really do nothing this game,? Williams said.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]On the defensive side, Williams broke up a goal-line pass on third down in the first quarter and stuffed Jack Thomasson on a fourth-and-3 on Christchurch?s 38-yard line late in the third quarter.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]?He mixes having a lot of speed with a lot of size and he?s a smart football player,? said Christchurch coach Ed Homer of Williams, who runs a 4.65-second 40-yard dash. ?Being as smart as he is and having some good size and good speed, he?s got not one huge thing, but several things that make him a great overall talent.?[/FONT]
 
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NO GO: Virginia's star defensive end, junior Chris Long, is a graduate of St. Anne's-Belfield School in Charlottesville. His brothers, Kyle and Howie Jr., are among the standouts this season for unbeaten STAB, which hosts Christchurch in the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association's Division 2 state title game Friday night.

Unfortunately for Chris Long, he won't be able to see the game. He'll be with his U.Va. teammates at a local hotel.

"I'm going to probably listen to a lot of radio, and my mom sends me text-messages," Long said. "I'll probably be nervous Friday night, more nervous about their game than ours."

Christchurch's top player is senior linebacker J'Courtney Williams, who has committed to U.Va.

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[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif] Size does matter on STAB's O-line
 [/FONT] [FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]
[/FONT] [FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]By Jay Jenkins / [email protected] | 978-7247[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif] [/FONT] [FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]November 16, 2006[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]It started and finished like any other practice, but at some point in August, St. Anne?s-Belfield coach John Blake made an introduction to his football team.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Jimmy Zunka, a former Saint that most players knew only from the retired jersey hanging in the school?s gym, made a rare visit to practice. In many ways, Zunka served as a pioneer for the program.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Sensing just how dominant Zunka was in the trenches, back in 1999, Blake took an idea and ran with it. Better yet, his ball carriers took it and ran with it.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]It looked simple on paper, yet proved to be quite confusing to opposing defenses. Blake had Zunka, an All-State selection in ?99, assume the role of ?strong guard? and had him predominantly line up on the strong side of the field.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]?We wanted to pull him all the time so we decided to put it in,? Blake said.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The following year, Blake put the plan on the backburner, at least for a little while.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]?About the fourth game of the year,? Blake recounted, ?I looked up and said, ?We have to go back to what works.??[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]STAB?s offensive line has used a ?strong guard? and a ?strong tackle? ever since.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Never during that time has Blake enjoyed the success in the trenches that he has this year. With the current unit, Blake can attack the strong and weak sides at his discretion without fear.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]That?s part of the reason the Saints (10-0) host Christchurch on Friday night for the VISAA Division II State Championship.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]?Those guys up front have done a super job this year,? Blake said.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]?Those guys? look like grown men. And depending on what STAB serves for lunch, the unit adds up to around 1,400 pounds of beef.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]?We have to be one of the biggest offensive lines size-wise in the state,? said Charlie Scott, who doubles as the offensive line coach and the defensive coordinator. ?There might be some bigger lines at the massive AAA high schools, but we have some massive size.?[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Size helps, even Blake admits that, but without talent the group would look like nothing more than a collection of bouncers.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Longing to return the state title game, a contest STAB lost in last year, the offensive linemen developed a bond. From lifting weights to offseason conditioning, the group grew tighter.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]?This year, we have been working out together and it has all been about the unit,? said strong tackle Kyle Long. ?We are the Big Cats. We are up front and we like to think we win the games.?[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The results speak for themselves. On the season, STAB?s offense is averaging a Hawaii Warriors-like 43.4 points per game, and average over 260 yards per game on the ground.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Colin Pehanick has been the biggest benefactor. Despite missing two games with a high ankle sprain, the senior tailback has 22 touchdowns and 1,325 yards on 104 carries.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Even junior tailback Jack Thomasson, who was called into duty when Pehanick was sidelined, has 82 carries for 904 yards.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Given those results, Scott and fellow assistant coach Dave Riddick keep the game plan simple for the offensive line, a unit that in addition to Long includes strong guard Obum Akunyili, center Elliott Harding, weak guard Hunter Thompson and weak tackle Torrey Payne.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]?With the backs that we have and the skill kids that we have, I need the guys on the offensive line to fire off and give me three hard steps,? Scott said. ?If we do that, the backs will do the rest.?[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Life in the trenches is far from glorious, especially since most of the unit sees double-duty on the defensive side of the ball.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Yet through it all, every member has displayed the will to win and, more importantly, the desire to get better.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]?We have times in practice where I have to be on my toes because the drills we do are advanced drills,? Scott said. ?We put them through a college/pro workout everyday.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]?They know their potential to be good, they want to be good and they do a great job of listening.?[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The average practice for the larger-than-life youngsters starts with what Scott called a ?conditioning agility circuit,? an exercise that last 10 minutes and includes four or five different maneuvers. It?s off the seven-man sled from there and a quick trip to the heavy bag.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]If all goes well, it finishes with run-blocking drills. Then, of course, the team practice period actually starts.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The work, which often includes offensive line-only workouts on Sundays, was something that the players agreed had to be done. If was worth it if the team was ensured of a shot at winning the school?s fourth state title and first since 2003.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]?When you are in high school and you are larger than the normal kids, like everybody on our offensive line is, you kinda think you are hot stuff.? Long said, ?That is until you line up against somebody who is just as big as you.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]?Then you have to respond to coaching. Day-in and day-out, we are just learning new stuff and we all feel like we are progressing.?[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]And, luckily, they have a vocal leader.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Harding, who lined up at strong guard last year, has made a smooth transition to center, where he makes the calls for his fellow linemen.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]It has not gone unnoticed to Blake.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]?Elliott?s been great,? Blake said. ?Overall, we have had some great centers here in my time, but being able to take care of the ball all the time is that little part that people forget about all the time. It is huge.?[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Thanks to Harding and his trench mates, STAB goes into the title game with confidence ? and lots of it.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]?We all have guys around us that are accountable and we are truly a unit,? Long said.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]?Coach Blake said it this week, ?We are a team. There is no I or me,?? said Payne, who is the youngest of the group as a sophomore. ?If you try to worry about individual stuff, we will lose.?[/FONT]
 
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WILD WEEKEND: Last Friday night, not far from Scott Stadium, Long's brothers -- Kyle and Howie Jr. -- helped St. Anne's-Belfield beat Christchurch for the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association's Division 2 state title.

The next day, STAB graduate Chris Long helped U.Va. beat Miami.

"It was a dream 24 hours," he said after the game. "I never dreamed I'd be playing the University of Miami, let alone beating them, and it was great for my brothers. I'm very proud of them."

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By Cory James...Kyle talks about his relationship with Brewster, Shugarts and Adams. He has written offers from Florida State, Florida, Clemson, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Ohio State, Kansas State, Louisville, Liberty and Villanova.
 
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