HARRISONBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech junior Kevin Jones and
the University of Virginia’s Al Groh Wednesday (Dec.
17) received the top awards for the 2003 Virginia Sports
Information Directors Association Division I All-State Football
Team. Jones, a
junior running back, was named the state player of the year and
Groh the state coach of the year. The player of the year honor was the second for Jones, who also received the state’s Dudley Award. The tailback in 2003 ran for 1,494 yards and 20 touchdowns and led Virginia Tech to an 8-4 record and a bid to the Insight Bowl. He was a first-team Football Writers All-America, and he set team season and game rushing yards records (241 against Pittsburgh). Groh led Virginia to a 7-5 record, and his team will play Pittsburgh in the Continental Tire Bowl. He was named state coach of the year for the second straight season. Sports information directors from university and college division programs throughout Virginia took part in the all-state voting. Eleven offensive players, 13 defensive players and three specialists were selected in addition to the player and coach of the year. Virginia had eight players selected, Virginia Tech seven, James Madison four, Hampton three, William & Mary two, and Liberty, Norfolk State and Virginia Military Institute one each. Four players from Virginia, three from Virginia Tech, two from Hampton, and one each from Liberty and William & Mary were named on offense. Chosen from Virginia were quarterback Matt Schaub, tight end Heath Miller, guard Elton Brown, and running back Wali Lundy. Jones, center Jake Grove, and tackle Jimmy Martin were named from Virginia Tech; wide receiver Jerome Mathis and tackle Patrick Cheatham were selected from Hampton; guard Thomas Smith was selected from Liberty; and wide receiver Rich Musinski was chosen from William & Mary. Musinski was named for the third straight year, and Brown, Grove, Miller, and Schaub were repeat selections from last season. Jones was a first-team honoree in 2001. Three players from James Madison, Virginia, and Virginia Tech were named on defense where one player each also was chosen from Hampton, Norfolk State, Virginia Military Institute, and William & Mary. Named from James Madison were end Jerame Southern, linebacker Dennard Melton, and back Rodney McCarter. Selected from Virginia were lineman Chris Canty, linebacker Darryl Blackstock, and back Almondo Curry. Virginia Tech’s defensive honorees included lineman Cols Colas and backs Michael Crawford and DeAngelo Hall. Also named to the defensive unit were lineman Isaac Hilton of Hampton and linebackers Paul Carpenter of William & Mary, Derik Screen of Virginia Military Institute, and Kevin Talley from Norfolk State. Repeat selections on defense included Blackstock, Canty, Hilton and Southern. The team's specialists were Virginia placekicker Connor Hughes, James Madison punter Nick Englehart, and Hall, who was a standout kick returner as well as a defensive back for Virginia Tech.
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