Discuss the Selections Here

Who doesn’t love an all-decade awards presentation? Team of the decade, game of the decade, TV show of the decade….all the awards are being dished out as 2009 comes to a close. With the high school Class of 2009 enrolling in college this month, how about selecting the D.C. area’s football players of the decade?

Eligible is anyone who played local high school football and graduated in the years between 2000 and 2009. And note: this is based primarily on your overall production. So if you threw for 10,000 yards in your high school career, then rode the pine for three years at William & Mary, you’re not going to be on the list.

QB: Joshua Cribbs, Dunbar, Class of 2001
How bad is the production of QBs in the DC area? This QB is playing WR in the pros. That being said, Cribbs was an outstanding QB at Kent State, and he led his squad in passing and rushing in each of his four years there.

RB: Evan Royster, Westfield, 2006
Marcus Mason, Georgetown Prep, 2003
Both had monstrous high school careers, both were All-Met players of the year, and both signed with Big Ten schools. Royster has the look of a first day draft pick at Penn State, while Mason transferred from Illinois to Youngstown State. In most cases, the D1 to D1-AA transfer is a death sentence. Mason, however, turned into a 1-AA All American and is now a Mark Stock-like Redskin preseason star.

WR: Arrelious Benn, Dunbar, 2007
Darrius Heyward-Bey, McDonogh, 2005
Eddie Royal, Westfield, 2004
Wow. Loaded. This trio has to match up with just about anybody. One top 10 pick, one second round pick, and one likely top 15 pick. Even the guys who didn’t make the cut (Derrick Williams and Deon Butler) are worthy of a mention.

TE: Vernon Davis, Dunbar, 2003
How many D.C. fantasy teams has Vernon ruined? The Dunbar-University of Maryland product is a hometown favorite and every year somebody in your league is going to take him five rounds too early. Watch. It’ll happen this year.

OL: Jared Gaither, E. Roosevelt/Hargrave Military Academy, 2005
Branden Albert, Glen Burnie/Hargrave, 2005
Jacob Bender, DeMatha, 2004
Quinn Ojinnaka, DeMatha, 2003
Pete White, St. John's, 2009
Along with quarterback, the weakest spot in D.C. football. While Gaither has Pro-Bowl potential and Albert was a first rounder, the rest of the list is composed of one fringe starter (Ojinnaka), one practice squad type (Bender), and one true frosh with potential (White at Maryland). I guess it could be worse.

DL: Shawn Merriman, Douglass, 2002
Derrick Harvey, Eleanor Roosevelt, 2004
Aaron Maybin, Mt. Hebron, 2006
Marvin Austin, Ballou, 2007
Who are these kids watching growing up? It couldn’t have been the Redskins, as these guys certainly didn’t learn their craft from watching the anemic Redskin pass rush of the past 15 years. Along with wide receiver, this is the most impressive group. Three high first round pass rushers and one hopeful All-American….not bad.

LB: Clint Sintim, Garfield, 2004
Navorro Bowman, Suitland, 2005
Rico McCoy, St. John’s, 2005
Jelani Jenkins, Good Counsel, 2009
An above average group. Most people might not know Sintim, as he played in the black hole that Al Groh has created down in Charlottesville. But unfortunately we’re going to get to know him, as the Giants used a second round pick on him this past spring. Bowman and McCoy are both first team All-American candidates, while Jenkins (potential superstar of the future) edged out Ahmad Brooks (potential superstar of the past).

DB: Vontae Davis, Dunbar, 2006
Joe Haden, Friendly, 2007
Kevin Barnes, Old Mill, 2004
Kenny Tate, DeMatha, 2008
This group could look a lot better three years down the road. Vontae and Barnes were drafted this year, while Haden has been starting since Day 1 in Gainesville. As for Tate, all Terrapin fans are hoping that Kenny Tate grabs the starting safety spot.