Cavalier Corner

February 2012

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uva recruiting FIVE CAVALIER COMMITMENTS TAKE PART IN POSTSEASON ALL-STAR GAMES BY DREW GOODMAN After two full seasons as the head coach of the Virginia football program, Mike London has proven to be a force on the recruiting trail. London and his staff signed the No. 25-ranked class in 2011, highlighted by five Rivals.com four-star recruits. Virginia is in the process of putting together its second straight top-25 haul in 2012, and the class was well represented in postseason high school All-America games. Virginia Beach (Va.) Ocean Lakes defensive end Eli Harold and Norfolk (Va.) Christian middle linebacker Kwon- tie Moore played in the U.S. Army All American Bowl Jan. 7 in San Antonio, while Norfolk (Va.) Christian defensive end Courtnye Wynn, Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha defensive end Michael Moore and Somerset (N.J.) Franklin running back Kye Morgan took part in the Sem- per Fidelis All-American Bowl Jan. 3 in Phoenix. U.S. ARMY ALL-AMERICAN BOWL Harold — who is listed by Rivals.com as a four-star prospect, the No. 1 player in Virginia, the No. 5 weakside defen- sive end nationally and the No. 50 overall player in the class of 2012 — is Lon- don's highest-rated recruit since arriving in Charlottesville. It did not take long for the 6-4, 215-pound Harold to make his presence felt in San Antonio. He was selected as a captain for the East team after drawing rave reviews from coaches and recruiting analysts in practice. "Harold is the smallest of the defensive ends, but he is very aggressive and doesn't shy from contact, dumping a few big tack- les on their backs on different occasions," Rivals.com recruiting analyst Mike Farrell noted. "He was also good off the edge show- ing his quickness in pass-rush drills, and he was effective at stringing out the run." Harold started at defensive end for the East team, recovered a fumble in the sec- ond quarter and made one tackle for a loss. The West defeated the East 24-12. During his final season at Ocean Lakes, Harold racked up 80 tackles and 16 sacks en route to Defensive Player of the Year honors in the Beach District, which is arguably the toughest in the state. He also compiled 1,146 yards of offense and to- taled 20 touchdowns. 26 ◆ CAVALIER CORNER Moore spent most of the time practicing with the defense at linebacker, but was ro- tated in at running back during the game. With the East team down 7-0 late in the second quarter, Moore bulldozed his way into the end zone from two yards out to cut the West lead to one point. In addition to the rushing touchdown, Moore also forced a fumble on defense and made two stops for the East team. He was one of few players who saw time on offense and defense, and earned recogni- tion as one of the game's "Unsung Stand- outs" from Rivals.com. "The 6-2, 243-pound Moore was tapped Virginia Beach (Va.) Ocean Lakes standout Eli Harold is rated as a four-star pros- pect, the No. 1 player in Virginia, the No. 5 weakside defensive end nationally and the No. 50 overall player in the class of 2012 by Rivals.com. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM "Each time I see him he continues to make a jump athletically," Farrell said of Harold. "This year, he's taken things to a different level on both sides of the ball. He could be an amazing wide receiver or tight end if he wanted to at the next level, and he can be a rush end or linebacker in any system. He dominated this season and is so strong despite lacking great size." London made a big addition to the 2012 recruiting class in April when 6-2, 243-pound Kwontie Moore gave his verbal commitment to the Cavaliers. Rivals.com ranks Moore as a four-star prospect, the No. 1 inside linebacker in the country and the No. 91 overall player nationally. After leading the Norfolk Christian in tackles for four years, Moore capped his prep career in the U.S. Army All American Bowl. "I was really excited to be selected," Moore said. "I feel like it was the best of the best that were going there. It was a honor." Moore and the rest of the U.S. Army All Americans arrived in San Antonio on New Years Day, six days before the game. The players woke up around 7 each morning to get ready for five hours of meetings and team practices. Norfolk (Va.) Christian's Kwontie Moore is listed by Rivals.com as a four-star recruit, the No. 1 inside linebacker nationally and the No. 91 overall player in the land. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM early in the week as a short-yardage back due to his experience playing the position in high school," noted Rivals.com, which also tabbed Moore No. 4 on its list of the East's top five performers. "Moore struck early by plowing in from the 2-yard line for the East's first score. Moore was also the starting middle linebacker for the East and came up with a big stop in the back- field early in the game when the West had driven down to the 2." Moore produced 109 tackles as a senior, helping Norfolk (Va.) Christian advance to the state championship game before coming up just short of a title. "Moore is a big, physical linebacker who can play downhill but also is surpris-

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