Lalich a cut above
West Springfield QB edges Hampton's Taylor as state's top recruit in annual ranking
By Jerry Ratcliffe / jratcliffe@dailyprogress.com | 978-7251
December 24, 2006

While the 2005 football recruiting season in the state of Virginia could have been labeled “The Great Escape,” with the top five prospects all choosing to exit the Commonwealth’s borders, the current 2006 campaign looks a little more like the norm.
Eight of the top 10 prospects on this year’s Gold List, a compilation by The Daily Progress of the state’s top 50 senior recruits, are staying home and have chosen either Virginia Tech or the University of Virginia. In fact, every player on the 25-man Gold List is decided about his college choice - Varina defensive end Jamar Jackson was the last to commit as he chose Florida State over Tech on Dec. 15.
Jackson’s decision went against this year’s trend of sticking close to home.
The 14th annual Gold List includes nine players committed to the Hokies and eight to the Cavaliers, with one undecided. West Virginia and Tennessee have collected two each, Florida State, Notre Dame, Clemson and N.C. State, one apiece.
The most noticeable trend in recent Gold List history has been the difficult choice of picking the state’s No. 1-rated prospect. It has almost been like picking 1A and 1B.
Last season it was Landstown High School’s dynamic wide receiver Percy Harvin over wide receiver teammate Damon McDaniel. In 2004, it came down to Highland Springs’ Vic Harris nudging out Gretna’s Vic Hall for the top honor, and in ’03 it was Robinson’s Olu Hall nipping St. Anne’s-Belfield’s Chris Long for the Player of the Year.
This season was no different in attempting to select one quarterback over another. It truly is a case of a 1A and 1B selection.
West Springfield’s Peter Lalich narrowly edged Hampton’s Tyrod Taylor, two of the top 12 quarterback prospects in the nation. Lalich is committed to Virginia, Taylor to Virginia Tech. Lalich is a pro-style, dropback passer akin to former Wahoo Matt Schaub, while Taylor is a dual-threat, running/passing combination of the Michael Vick style.
Together, they have provided plenty of excitement for fans around the Old Dominion the past few years.
Rounding out the top five were: Christchurch linebacker J’Courtney Williams (UVa commit); Jackson and Culpeper linebacker Terence Fells-Danzer (UVa commit).
Four of the next five-ranked players are all Hokies: Varina athlete Davon Morgan; Midlothian lineman Blake DeChristopher; Highland Springs defensive back Cris Hill; and Hulton offensive lineman William Alvarez. The other Top 10er was Stone Bridge offensive lineman Andrew Nuss, who chose the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.
Other than Culpeper’s Fells-Danzer, a handful of other Central Virginia prospects made either the Gold List or the Silver List (next 25) and several dot the state’s Juniors Watch List. Orange County quarterback Brad Starks, bound for Rich Rodriquez’s West Virginia offense, came in at No. 15, while big St. Anne’s tight end Brian Linthicum was right behind at No. 16. Linthicum is expected to sign with Clemson.
Lalich, who will quarterback in the East-West All-Star Game in Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 6 (ESPNU), passed for more than 6,000 yards in only 23 career games for Coach Bill Renner at West Springfield High.
The 6-foot-5, 235-pound quarterback threw for 3,134 yards and 33 touchdowns this past season.
He set a Virginia High School League record for the most all-purpose yards in a 10-game season, while two more of his marks ranked second all-time in state history - 8 touchdown passes in a game and 35 completions in one game.
He also took part in a record-setting shootout when West Potomac beat Lalich’s squad, 81-74 in four overtimes, but only after he passed for 459 yards and four touchdowns.
Lalich is a rare high school quarterback in that he has been tutored for most of his teenage days by famed quarterbacking guru Roger Thedar of San Francisco. Thedar has worked with many of the top quarterback prospects in the country during the past decade and likes what he sees in the Northern Virginia youngster, who was named after “Pistol Pete” Maravich, a close friend of Lalich’s father, Todd.
“I think Peter’s one of the best ones I’ve ever worked with, and he’ll be a great one in college,” Thedar predicted. “His accuracy is amazing. He’s right on the money. Peter has always had a quick release. You put all that together with his size, strength and his mental capacity, and it’s no surprise that so many schools were interested in him.”
Lalich could have committed almost anywhere, spurning offers from Florida, Florida State, Miami, Southern Cal, UCLA, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Georgia, Michigan, Penn State and many more. Instead, he looked down the road to Virginia, where he formed a special bond with Cavaliers’ first-year offensive coordinator Mike Groh.
The two talk regularly about offensive philosophy, reading defenses and his future role at UVa.
While Jameel Sewell started for the Cavaliers for the bulk of the ’06 season as a redshirt freshman, he has not been anointed a lock at the position for next season. Sewell, who is scheduled to have offseason wrist surgery and could miss some or all of spring practice, may get a battle from Lalich come next August.
That’s fine with Lalich, who said he just wants to help the team win.
“If I’m good enough, they said they’d give me a shot,” Lalich said in a mid-December conversation. “I’m just going to play as hard as I can and see where it takes me. I’m trying to learn [Virginia’s offense] the best I can right now. I can definitely point out what [defensive] coverage it is.”
Thedar, who once was the head coach at Cal, doesn’t think Lalich will have much trouble at the next level.
“He’s a kid who could play as a freshman in college,” Thedar said. “There aren’t a lot of guys you could say that about.”
Thedar isn’t the only one with that opinion. West Springfield coach Bill Renner, who spent five years in the NFL, echoed the quarterbacking guru’s sentiment.
“What makes [Lalich] stand out is his advancement of quarterback techniques,” Renner said. “When you take the arm strength with the accuracy, that’s really what makes him unique. He’s very accurate. He’s got all the throws and a quick release.”
Renner said that several college recruiters, many of whom had NFL backgrounds, commented that Lalich had the quickest release of any senior quarterback prospect in the country.
“You put all that together with the fact that he’s even more mentally superior than he’s physically skilled, and yeah, I think he can play as a true freshman,” Renner said. “Believe me, Peter Lalich is the real deal.”
Lalich said he fell short of one of his goals this past season, completing 70 percent of his passes. But of the 307 he attempted, he completed 68 percent. He was only sacked eight times and threw seven interceptions, although five of them were in the same game and all in the red zone, which aggravates him to this day.
“We still threw for 320 yards in that game, but they were dropping eight defenders into coverage,” Lalich said. “We couldn’t run and, when we got into the red zone, I had to throw it in tight places and sometimes it got tipped and got picked.”
He isn’t a cocky kid. In fact, he praised his receiving corps, which he called the best in the state and featured three players with more than 50 catches apiece, including one sophomore who had 55 receptions without a dropped pass.
One of his best nights came in the last game of the season when West Springfield put up 59 points on the best defense in the district. By then, Lalich was calling mostly his own plays, although the offense was somewhat simplified.
“We ran a no huddle in the last game with five set plays (four passes, one run play) and we just kept running them over and over again,” Lalich said. “That was a game to remember.”

Tyrod Taylor
Many experts consider Taylor to not only be the top quarterback but the top player in the state, and for obvious reasons. In fact, Rivals.com rated Taylor as the No. 2
dual-threat quarterback in the country.
After leading Hampton to a state title as a junior, Taylor accounted for 36 touchdowns in his final season as a Crabber. He passed for 1,538 yards and rushed for another 788 yards under the direction of coach Mike Smith.

J’Courtney Williams
Any doubts about Williams’ talent can be answered from a phone to St. Anne’s-Belfield coach John Blake. On its way to a state title, STAB was stuck squaring off against Williams and Christchurch twice.
Williams helped put Christchurch in the title game with a 15-tackle performance that was capped off by an overtime interception against LCA in the semifinal round of the playoffs.
Rivals.com rates Williams as the 12th-best inside linebacker.
He was one of two players from Virginia to be selected to play in the Army All-American Bowl, and plans to play in the contest next month despite a lower back injury suffered in a high school basketball.

Jamar Jackson
To say that Jackson helped his stock during his senior season would be an understatement. In fact, no player in the Commonwealth saw his stock climb like Jackson did as a senior at Varina.
Just ask Florida State coach Bobby Bowden.
After Jackson took all five official visits, Bowden made a rare appearance at a Virginia high school to help seal the deal with the four-star prospect. Jackson may wind up a linebacker at FSU.

Terence Fells-Danzer
Despite battling more than his share of adversity at Culpeper County, Fells-Danzer is rated as the fourth-best inside linebacker in the country.
The linebacker fought through an ankle injury as a junior and broke his hand in the first practice of his senior campaign. Yet through it all, he flourished on defense and occasionally at fullback.
Fells-Danzer showcased his athletic ability during his junior year with Culpeper’s track team - he finished ninth in the high jump in the Northwest Region, jumping 6 feet, and posted a 4.68-second 40 at the Nike combine at Penn State.

Davon Morgan
When Virginia Tech landed Morgan in July, it was quickly understood that the Hokies planned to use him as a safety.
A foot injury knocked him down to three-star athlete status - he was a four-star when he gave his verbal commitment - but he returned to play in four games for Varina (11-2).
Morgan, who also played quarterback, picked the Hokies over Tennessee and Michigan.

Andrew Nuss
Considered to be one of the best drive-blockers in the prep ranks nationally, Nuss is the 17th-best offensive tackle in the country by Rivals.com.
Nuss, who was selected to play in the inaugural Offense-Defense All-American Bowl on Jan. 4 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., helped Stone Bridge reel off a perfect record in the regular season.
While it remains unknown where he will end up playing for coach Charlie Weis, Nuss boasts great athleticism - he scored four touchdowns as a freshman at tight end.

Blake DeChristopher
Strength was never questioned after DeChristopher finished seventh in the state in the shot put at last year’s Group AAA meet.
Coupled with an excellent showing at a combine in Norfolk, he was rewarded with early scholarship offers from Virginia Tech and Maryland.
Ranked as the 35th-best offensive tackle in the country by Rivals.com, DeChristopher ultimately picked Virginia Tech over Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and others.

Cris Hill
Pick a position and Hill was willing to play it for Highland Springs.
While he is projected as a defensive back in the college ranks, Hill was also a standout at wide receiver and on special teams.
Long before his senior season, Hill showcased his talents in the opening round of the 2005 VHSL playoffs by returning a kickoff for a touchdown.
He is rated as the 16th-best cornerback in the country by Rivals.com.
He picked Virginia Tech over offers from Michigan, Ohio State, UVa and Tennessee, the only program besides Virginia Tech that Hill took an official visit to.

William Alvarez
Alvarez stormed onto the recruiting radar last summer after he became a first-time starter for C.D. Hylton at offensive tackle during the ’05 season. As a sophomore, Alvarez saw a majority of his action on the defensive line.
After sorting through numerous
offers and ruling out all SEC schools, Alvarez narrowed his choices to
Miami, UNC and Virginia Tech before eventually committing to the Hokies.
Thanks to a solid senior season - Alvarez was named to the Washington Post’s All-Metro first team and the AP’s Group AAA first team - the Northern Virginia native’s stock has climbed nationally.
Rivals.com rates Alvarez as the 26th-best offensive tackle prospect.

 

The Gold List
From staff reports / Charlottesville Daily Progress
December 24, 2006

TOP FIVE
Player Pos. Ht. Wt. School/Hometown Destination

1. Peter Lalich QB 6-5 235 West Springfield/Springfield VIRGINIA

2. Tyrod Taylor QB 6-1 200 Hampton/Hampton VIRGINIA TECH

3. J’Courtney Williams LB 6-4 212 Christchurch/Christchurch VIRGINIA

4. Jamar Jackson DE 6-4 225 Varina/Richmond FLORIDA STATE

5. Terence Fells-Danzer LB 6-0 227 Culpeper/Culpeper VIRGINIA

BEST OF THE REST
6. Davon Morgan ATH 6-0 185 Varina/Richmond VIRGINIA TECH

7. Andrew Nuss OL 6-5 290 Stone Bridge/Ashburn NOTRE DAME

8. Blake DeChristopher OL 6-6 300 Clover Hill/Midlothian VIRGINIA TECH

9. Cris Hill DB 5-11 170 Highland Springs/Richmond VIRGINIA TECH

10. William Alvarez OL 6-5 305 Hylton/Woodbridge VIRGINIA TECH

11. Max Milien ATH 6-1 200 Yorktown/Arlington VIRGINIA

12. C.J. Fleming DB 5-10 165 Highland Springs/Richmond TENNESSEE

13. Aaron Taliaferro LB 6-2 215 Gloucester/Gloucester VIRGINIA

14. Jay Smith WR 6-4 200 Lake Taylor/Norfolk N.C. STATE

15. Brad Starks QB 6-4 180 Orange/Orange WEST VIRGINIA

16. Brian Linthicum TE 6-4 217 St. Anne’s/Charlottesville CLEMSON

17. D.J. Thomas ATH 5-10 170 Patrick Henry/Ashland VIRGINIA TECH

18. Jared Detrick LB 6-2 235 Woodside/Newport News VIRGINIA

19. Khalil Latif OL 6-3 290 Manchester/Midlothian VIRGINIA TECH

20. Kris Burd WR 6-1 180 Matoaca/Chesterfield VIRGINIA

21. Jaymes Brooks OL 6-3 296 Denbigh/Newport News VIRGINIA TECH

22. Savon Frazier LB 6-0 209 Kempsville/Virginia Beach TENNESSEE

23. Brandon Hogan ATH 5-11 160 Osbourn/Manassas WEST VIRGINIA

24. Quillie Odom LB 6-2 200 Osbourn Park/Potomac VIRGINIA TECH

25. Anthony Mihota DL 6-5 258 Massaponax/Fredericksburg VIRGINIA

Note: All players on The Gold List have made a verbal commitment to their respective colleges.
 

QBs lead in-state haul for Hokies and Cavs
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

At no point before or after the 1997-98 school year has the commonwealth of Virginia produced two quarterbacks with the star power of Ronald Curry and Michael Vick.

Yet for all their brilliance, Curry and Vick didn't rank as the state's top two prospects that year.

That's where Tyrod Taylor and Peter Lalich have them beat.

Taylor and Lalich are the first quarterbacks to be rated 1-2 in The Roanoke Times' annual rankings of the state's top 25 high school football players. The newspaper has been rating high school players for more than 30 years.

That's music to the ears of Virginia Tech and Virginia fans, who watched an exodus of the state's top talent in 2005-06.

Taylor, a 6-foot-1, 180-pounder from Hampton High School, has made an unofficial commitment to Virginia Tech. Lalich, a 6-5, 225-pounder from West Springfield, has signed with UVa.

Not only that, the top five players are staying in state. That's not unprecedented or even uncommon. In 2003-04, the top five consisted of Olu Hall (UVa), Eddie Royal (Tech), Chris Long (UVa), Sean Glennon (Tech) and Kent Hicks (Tech).

That year, Tech and UVa signed 14 of the top 16 players and 16 of the top 25.

Two years later, the state's two Division I-A programs signed only nine of the top 25 in 2005-06.

Coaches, recruiting analysts, reporters and fans were all waiting to see what would happen this year.

"I think this is more the norm," Tech recruiting coordinator Jim Cavanaugh said. "We thought that last year was a one-shot deal, but there was also some hope involved in that."

When an unusually high number of players left the state last year, the tone was set by the state's No. 1-rated recruit, Landstown High School wide receiver Percy Harvin, who let it be known early that he was receptive to out-of-state suitors.

When players like Harvin, Westfield running back Evan Royster and Granby wide receiver Chris Bell indicated they were serious about leaving the state, it was an open invitation to college staffs who had not previously visited the Old Dominion.

"I'd never seen LSU at Highland Springs before," said Cavanaugh, the granddaddy of state recruiters. "Florida was here last year. I haven't seen them this year."

The Gators were mentioned early with Taylor and there were rumors of an unofficial visit to Gainesville, Fla., but Taylor never took that trip before committing to Tech on July 21.

Lalich had beaten him to the punch by nearly two months, having committed to the Cavaliers on April 25.

In most years, the Hokies and Cavaliers both would have gone after the No. 1 quarterback this year. This year, there was a quarterback to fit both of their styles.

Taylor brings athleticism and a strong arm in the mold of ex-Tech quarterbacks Michael and Marcus Vick. Lalich, though not lacking in athleticism, is most frequently described as a pro-style quarterback.

"Doesn't bother me," Lalich said. "Those guys get paid, don't they?"

Lalich's coach at West Springfield, Bill Renner, is a former Virginia Tech punter. He likes his guy, but he doesn't find it necessary to choose between the two.

"If you want to throw the ball down the field and you want to have a pro-style passing game, Peter Lalich is as good as anybody in the country," Renner said. "If you want to run around and do the Michael Vick thing, then you pick Tyrod Taylor. I learned that from [Lalich] being recruited and people saying, 'That's not the offense we run.' "

If you concede to the Tech staff that Taylor is the state's No. 1 recruit, as almost every recruiting service has rated him, you won't hear any complaints about Lalich being rated No. 2.

Tech-bound defensive back Cris Hill from Highland Springs is a clear-cut choice as the state's No. 3 prospect, but he's not close to Taylor and Lalich in most people's estimations.

Some of that comes from the growing perception that football is a quarterback-driven game. Yet surprisingly, neither Taylor nor Lalich was the All-Group AAA first-team quarterback.

That distinction fell to West Virginia recruit Brandon Hogan, the 5-11, 170-pound quarterback for Osbourn High School. Hogan had more than 4,000 yards in total offense (2,428 passing; 1,780 rushing) and accounted for 58 touchdowns (32 passing, 26 rushing) this fall.

"He's definitely the best player in the state," Lalich said.

Hogan is rated eighth on The Roanoke Times list, up from 18th in the preseason, but he still has not met NCAA guidelines for freshman eligibility. Plus, there are questions about whether he can play quarterback at his size at the Division I-A level.

"At West Virginia, he can," said Lalich, cognizant of the all-purpose style of current Mountaineers signal caller Pat White.

Virginia fans would be happy to compare Lalich to ex-Cavaliers quarterback Matt Schaub, but Lalich doesn't mind the Curry-Vick connection.

"Ronald Curry is my all-time favorite player," said Lalich, who comes from a basketball family and saw Curry for the first time at a holiday basketball tournament in Raleigh, N.C.

Curry was rated the No. 1 football prospect in Virginia in 1997-98, but Vick was only No. 3. David Terrell, a wide receiver from Huguenot High who enjoyed a nice career at Michigan, was No. 2.

Vick's coach at Warwick High School, Tommy Reamon, let it be known that schools recruiting Curry were not welcome to pursue Vick as an alternative. As a result, Virginia, the leader from the start with Curry, dropped out of the Vick sweepstakes.

Curry committed to Virginia in late August 1997, then changed his mind and signed with North Carolina in the spring, partly because of his desire to play football and basketball for the Tar Heels.

"Coach [Al] Groh told me the whole story," said Lalich, who has not given rivals a reason to keep recruiting him. "He let me know he didn't want the same thing to happen again."