Blue White Illustrated

O ut along the bucolic outskirts of Alexandria, Va., fewer than 15 miles south of Washington, D.C., stands a pri- vate boarding school called Episcopal High. Founded in 1839, the 130-acre campus attracts about 440 motivated students from 20 countries and 30 states. As part of its mission statement, the school aims to share "diverse life experi- ences, ideas, and values" with its stu- dents in order for them to "learn humility [and] resilience." The school has been home to a pretty good football team, too, one that has only lost four games in the past three seasons and won back-to-back league champi- onships in 2015 and '16. Some of Episco- pal's top performers have gone on to earn big scholarship o9ers and have signed at places such as Michigan, Northwestern, North Carolina and Virginia Tech. The highest-ranked recruit in Episco- pal's Class of 2017, Jonathan Sutherland, enrolled at Penn State this summer. He was given four stars by Rivals.com and was ranked among the top 30 safety prospects nationally. A native of Canada, he chose the Nittany Lions over o9ers from Boston College, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin and many others. But star rankings and scholarship o9ers don't begin to describe Sutherland. His former head coach said he also embodies the values put forth by his prep school, adding that the Nittany Lions are getting more than just a good football player. Hired by Episcopal in 2012, Panos Voul- garis coached Sutherland throughout his high school career and watched him de- velop from a wide-eyed freshman, away from home for the 7rst time, into a savvy veteran who had the team's respect. It didn't take the coach long to recog- nize what type of person he was getting. A:er Sutherland made the decision to leave his home city of Ottawa, Ontario, to enroll at Episcopal, Voulgaris's 7rst im- pression was that he was about to start working with someone special. "Jonathan was very driven from the 7rst time I met him," he recalled. "He was eager to compete at a higher level and be a great teammate. He has continued to sharpen his skill set and has further de- veloped into a strong leader." The 5-foot-11, 191-pound Sutherland played a large role in Episcopal's title runs the past two years. His ability to cover the 7eld while also making plays on the ball carrier helped the Maroon 7nish with an undefeated regular season in 2016. "Jonathan is an excellent tackler," Voul- garis said. "He plays with fearlessness and is very physical. He will play sideline- to-sideline and give all-out e9ort on every play." Sutherland's athleticism is readily ap- parent when he heads toward the line of scrimmage to make a tackle or jumps in the direction of a passed ball. But it's his mental approach in the days leading up to a game that sets him up for success. "He is always ready and he has excellent focus," Voulgaris said. "As a coach, I al- ways knew what we were going to get from Jonathan because he practiced so hard. There are no days o9 for him. He was willing to play anywhere on the 7eld and always give maximum e9ort." That's why Sutherland's greatest im- pact wasn't always re8ected on the stat sheet. It's also why he will be sorely missed as he departs for Penn State, a place he visited every summer starting when he was in the eighth grade. "Jonathan set the standard in practice on a daily basis," Voulgaris said. "The challenge for our team is to practice with the daily intensity and e9ort that Jonathan did for the last three years. His example on the practice 7eld is what every coach looks for. When younger players see that level of intensity, it starts to spread." ■ Sutherland 'set the standard' in high school | THE SUTHERLAND FILE STATS Was a team captain as a senior, helping lead Episcopal to an 8-1 record and an Interstate Athletic Conference crown... Was a key player on a 7-1-1 conference champ as a junior HONORS Named a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, as well as the No. 12 player in Virginia and No. 27 safety nationally... Was a first-team All-State choice his junior and senior years... Named the IAC's Defensive Player of the Year in 2016... Second-team All-Met by The Washington Post Rivals.com CLICK HERE to see video of Sutherland in action. Barber's arrival delayed Damion Barber, a three-star de- fensive lineman in Penn State's Class of 2017, was not on the team's pre- season roster when it opened camp. But while coach James Franklin did not specify the reason for the player's absence, he did say that as of early August, he was expecting Bar- ber to be at Penn State this fall. "We're con7dent that Damion is going to be here," Franklin said. ■

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