Thanks to all the parents who attended the 1/15/12 Cavalier Club Meeting.  If you were unable to make the meeting but would like to volunteer for anything B Team, JV and/or Varsity please email Sandi@SandiCodrea.com so we can include you in our email notification list.  Everyone is welcome to attend our next meeting . . .

JF Football Cavalier Core Club Meeting

Tuesday, February 21st

6:30 pm at JF Cafeteria

We are looking for volunteers in many facets to meet your availability and time and any ideas

to enhance our support of JF Football – Coaches & Players.

Coach Rice will be discussing goals and plans for the 2012 JF Football Season

and we would like you to be a part of our future success. 

  Congratulations to our 2011 JF Banquet Award Winners

Colby Tomlinson - "Jake Grove Lineman of the Year" Award

Tyler Fowler - "Anthony Poindexter Back of the Year" Award

Garrett Neal - "Hammer" Award

Ryan Gingrich - "#50 Dedication" Award

Dylan Sims - Special Teams MVP

Marcus Jones - Offensive MVP

Bailey Corell - Defensive MVP

Congratulations to Marcus Jones

WDBJ 7 RSM Athletic Scholarship

December 14th 2011

JF's Sims verbally commits to kick at UVa

Credit: Photo courtesy Sandi Codrea

Jefferson Forest senior Dylan Sims prepares to kick during the Cavaliers' VHSL Benefit Scrimmage against Halifax County in August. He verbally committed to Virginia last week.

By: Ted Allen | Lynchburg News and Advance  Published: December 22, 2011 Updated: December 22, 2011 - 12:09 AM

Jefferson Forest senior placekicker and punter Dylan Sims was offered preferred walk-on status by both Virginia’s and Virginia Tech’s football programs following a stellar season in which he converted all 50 of his extra-point attempts and five field goals.

He verbally committed to Virginia last week in part for the opportunity to play for former JF and UVa Cavalier Anthony Poindexter, who serves as special teams coordinator and safeties coach.

"I’m really excited," said Sims, who has a 3.95 GPA at JF and plans to study engineering or business. "I’ve been talking to Poindexter a lot and my recruiting coach, [Jeff] Hanson. Anthony set up a tour just last week for me. It was awesome. I felt like family up there."

Sims’ verbal commitment isn’t binding until he makes it official in writing on Feb. 1, National Signing Day.

"They told him he had a position on the team and as soon as he becomes a starter, he’ll get a scholarship," said Jeff Sims, Dylan’s dad. "[Poindexter] believes he can start at UVa right away."

"Anthony told me I have a chance to, hopefully next year if I can prove myself, be the kickoff guy because all three or their kickers are graduating next year," Dylan Sims added of placekicker Robert Randolph, kickoff specialist Chris Hinkebein and punter Jimmy Howell. Sims also averaged better than 40 yards per punt this past season at JF and 40 of his 50 kickoffs went for touchbacks. "But I want to hopefully work my way up to kicking field goals as well."

Sims started kicking at the age of 11 and Virginia and Virginia Tech have always been his two favorite college teams.

"Once he got those two offers, those were his dream [choices] to play at an ACC school," Jeff Sims said.

He said Virginia, where LCA graduate Mike Rocco is the starting quarterback, showed more interest in Sims than did Tech, where former Nelson County quarterback/punter Brian Saunders graduated following a stellar season punting in 2010.

"The experience of being recruited at UVa has been unbelievable," Jeff Sims said. "The amount of time that coach [Mike] London and Poindexter spent with him, … They’ve treated him like a quarterback, not a kicker. The facilities there are world class, and the coaching staff is world class as well."

He said Poindexter has always wanted to coach JF graduates, but never thought the first would be a kicker.

"[Dylan’s] a local kid going to play for a local legend," Jeff Sims said of Poindexter, who played defensive back for UVa and the Baltimore Ravens.

Sims had many more opportunities to show off his foot this past fall than he did in 2010, when JF finished 2-8. The Cavaliers did a complete 180 this season, going 8-2 in the regular season and 9-3 overall, falling to Broadway in the Region III, Division 4 championship game.

"He was pretty good his junior season, but JF was 2-8 and they rarely ever scored, so he got no recognition," Jeff Sims said, noting Dylan earned first-team all-Region III status both as a punter and a placekicker this fall.

His longest field goal this season was from 49 yards and three of his misses were from 55, 57 and 59 yards.

Last July, Sims hit back-to-back 50-yarders and placed eighth out of more than 200 placekickers at a Nike kicking camp in Las Vegas. He qualified by winning a Nike kicking combine in Charlotte, N.C., where he competed against 40 or 50 other kickers.

"That was awesome," Sims said of the Vegas trip, noting he also had an 81-yard kickoff that caught the coaches’ attention. "That was one of my best experiences."

He expects many more to come working with Poindexter at UVa.

Congratulations to All Region III Team – 12/10/11 – per Lynchburg News & Advance

First Team Offense

Marcus Jones – Utility Back

Dylan Sims – Place Kicker

Dylan Sims - Punter

Second Team Offense

Colby Tomlinson – Offensive Line

Honorable Mention Offense

Tyler Fowler – Running Back

Ryan Gingrich – Tight End

Alex Bennett – Offensive Line

Marcus Jones – Kick Return

First Team Defense

Marcus Jones – Defensive Back

First Team Defense

Marcus Jones – Defensive Back

First Team Offense

Tyler Fowler – Running Back

Marcus Jones – Utility Back

Ryan Gingrich – Tight End

Alex Bennett – Guard

Colby Tomlinson - Tackle

First Team Specialties

Dylan Sims – Kicker

Dylan Sims – Punter

Marcus Jones – Kick Returner

Second Team Defense

Garrett Neal – Linebacker

Michael Yost – Defensive Line

Chad Pinigis – Defensive End

Second Team Offense

Marcus Jones – Quarterback

Honorable Mention Defense

Mikey Wallman – Linebacker

Bailey Corell – Defensive Back

LJ White – Defensive Back

Honorable Mention Offense

Dominque Royal – Wide Receiver

Dalton King - Guard