The Blue Devil Report from Fork Union Military Academy's Athletic Department is your source for weekly updates on the Fork Union Blue Devils. Here's the latest from @FUMAathletics.

Contents:

• Athlete of the Week - Cameron Wheelhouse (Wrestling)
• Weekly Recap
• Featured Stories: PG Basketball, Wrestling, Baseball
• Lacrosse Preview
• PG Basketball Invited to National Prep Championship
• Athletic Academic Honor Roll - Term III
• FUMA Alumni Participating in the NFL Combine
• Next week's schedule

Athlete of the Week

Cameron Wheelhouse -- Wrestling

Wrestling's Cameron Wheelhouse has been selected as this week's Athlete of the Week. Wheelhouse was the lone Blue Devil to qualify for the National Prep Championship this past week.

The senior was Fork Union's first qualifier in several years.

"As a senior, Cameron knew this was a learning event for him. He was able to take everything he experienced and bring it back to the FUMA campus. This brings an extra level of excitement and enthusiasm to the program. The younger wrestlers look to emulate these accomplishments," said head coach Dean Hall.

Undersized in the weight class, Wheelhouse put forth a fantastic showing at 220 on the National stage, but lost both matches.

Weekly Recap

• Fri., Feb. 24 -- PG Basketball vs. Massanutten (at Hargrave) -- LOSS, 67-70
• Sat., Feb. 25 -- PG Basketball vs. Mount Zion (at Hargrave) -- WIN, 110-80
• Tues., Feb. 28 -- Prep Baseball at Virginia Patriots -- LOSS, 3-12

PG Basketball Ends Regular Season at Hargrave Tournament

Friday, February 24-25, 2017 -- Tournament Recap

CHATHAM, Va. -- The Fork Union Post Graduate basketball team concluded its regular season at the Hargrave Military Academy Tournament this past weekend.

The Blue Devils were edged by Massanutten Military Academy, 70-67, before downing Mount Zion Christian Academy, 110-80.

"Hargrave hosted a very tough tournament, which has prepared us for the National Tournament. We lost to a very talented Massanutten team Friday night by three, but were able to bounce back Saturday and get a good win against Mount Zion. We were very happy and fortunate to be able to end our regular season with a win," said assistant coach Ryan Borzager.

Against Massanutten, Fork Union was led by LePear Toles with 17 points, while Zach McIntire grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds. In the win against Mount Zion, Darian Peterson tallied 21 points, while Blake Burdack totaled eight boards.

The Blue Devils are one of 11 teams to qualify for the 2017 National Prep Basketball Tournament, which starts Tuesday, March 7 in New Haven, Conn.

Wheelhouse Competes at National Prep Wrestling Championships

Friday, February 24, 2017 -- Tournament Recap

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Fork Union qualified its first wrestler to the National Prep Championships in several years this past weekend as senior Cameron Wheelhouse competed in the 220 weight class.

Here are quotes from head coach Dean Hall:

"Prep Nationals was a learning and building experience for this team and our program. It shows the wrestlers the level of competition we are striving toward, and where we will be once the program really gets going."

"There were over 100 schools that participated at the Prep Nationals, including postgraduate athletes. So, the tournament is more difficult. Fork Union Wrestling plans on being a top-tier program, contending to win this event each year."

This is Coach Hall's first year at Fork Union. The Blue Devils finished second in the Prep League and eighth at the VISAA Championships as he was named Coach of the Year.

Baseball Kicks Off Season Against Virginia Patriots

Tuesday, February 28, 2017 -- Game Recap

HENRICO, Va. – The Fork Union baseball program kicked off its season against the Virginia Patriots, a team from the Central Virginia Homeschool Athletic Association, Tuesday.

Despite a 12-3 loss, Fork Union's head coach Rodney Carter was impressed with the team's play.

"Our pitching and at bats were productive all evening. However, our defense on the field and behind the plate will improve as we progress in live play. Overall, we are happy with the team's play and effort. Everyone understands we must improve on all the simple aspects of the game in order to stay competitive in our league.," said head coach Rodney Carter.

In seven innings of play, Fork Union threw seven of its nine pitchers. The top debuts on the mound came from an eight-pitch inning by Hayden Miles, followed by a 10-pitch inning from Andrew Hill. The duo both recorded a 0-hit, 0-runs scored appearance.

Brent Lowry, Zach Pace and Derek Teeter led the Blue Devils at the plate with two hits each.

Fork Union continues on the road this weekend when it heads to South Carolina for a three-game weekend starting Friday against Wilson Hall Academy. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.

Fork Union Lacrosse Set to Open Season Next Week

Season Preview

Fork Union lacrosse is set to open its spring schedule next week with a pair of local scrimmages. The Blue Devils host Covenant School Monday and Fluvanna High School on Wednesday.

"We are going to look for our offense to connect with each other, to play smart and to control the ball. Our defense needs to grow and understand the strategy we are trying to put in place," head coach Nate Thiel said about the two scrimmages.

With over 50 student-athletes participating, Fork Union's Prep squad will look to have a roster of approximately 25 players with eight returners, while Junior Prep will hold around 28 players.

"I am excited about the cohesion our team has shown. The team leadership has been amazing to watch grow. We have a fairly young squad with most of our players being juniors," commented Thiel.

Fork Union's Prep squad will play 17 contests, including seven at home. The Blue Devils will play all seven home games at the Stadium Field (Football Field). The 2017 season official starts on the road with Fuqua Thursday, March 9 at 4 p.m.

"We have a strong schedule this year, but I believe that we have a good chance to have a winning record for the second-straight year," concluded Thiel.

Swimming & Diving Leads Winter Sports in Athletic Academic Honor Roll

FORK UNION, Va. -- The Fork Union swimming and diving program led all winter sports in the Athletic Academic Honor Roll with 92-percent of its student-athletes earning an A or B for Term III. Every squad earned at least a 66-percent.

This is the second-consecutive term that swimming and diving has led with over 90-percent. In Term II, 100-percent of swimming and diving's student-athletes earned the honor.

The Athletic Academic Honor Roll is an award the Athletic Department releases every term for student-athletes earning either an A or B in their class. The Athletic Director's List is awarded for an A and the Captain's List is awarded for a B.

Below is the list of every sport:

Swimming & Diving - 92%

Athletic Director's List

Dalton Fowler*, Jack Greenspon**, Ahmed Khalil*, Samer Khalil*, Drew Leydig**, Mazen Youssef*

Captain's List

William Ebright*, Anthony Gemma*, Luke Gustafson*, Austin O'Conner*, David Pitts*, John Smith*, Timothy Warren*

Middle School Basketball - 86%

Athletic Director's List

Marcus Billingslea**, Cade Cyrus*, Logan French**, Kirko Kirkov**, Robel Lulseged**, Jackson Simon*

Captain's List

Kehinde Chandler*, Keaton Clark, Kennedy Lattimore*, Jackson Manglicmot**, Alexis Mendoza*, Denver Moore*, Cayden Williams*

Indoor Track & Field - 76%

Athletic Director's List

Sulaimon Abubakar-Shidi**, Thomas Betters**, Quinn Calahan*, Nathan Disbrow**, Nickolas Farrar**, Jared Giszack, Krishawn Henry, William Lot*, Blaine Marrs**, Steven Smith**, Michael Tidwell**, Abraham Ulrich**, Reynold Walbrook*, Jacob Wood**, Wenan Zhao, Benjamin Zwilling**

Captain's List

Edmund Acevedo**, Henry Asare, De'Andre Brockington*, Gavin DeMorro**, Giovani Desgrottes**, Nicholas DiGuilio**, Harrison Duncan*, Ebruba Etta**, Jonah Hamlin, Vincent Hatch, Andrew Hawley**, Nicholas Heath**, Joshua Julien*, Logan Justice**, Abel Lulseged, Austin McCusker*, Ian McGlamery**, Seth Robinson**, Chasyn Yescas*, Julien Yescas*

Prep Basketball - 75%

Athletic Director's List

Stephen Hamilton**, Hunter Seymour, Detwon Shelton, Dontae Thornton*

Captain's List

Denzel Hunter-Shaw**, Jonathan Ilori*, Antonio Pua'auli-Pelham*, James Pua'auli-Pelham*, Maccall Warner*

Wrestling - 70%

Athletic Director's List

Shereef Alkhateeb*, Hollan Biss**, Timothy Bolton*, Christopher Kaulfers, Victor Keelan, Nathan Krammes*, Lawrence Leary*, William Minor, Andrew Morris*, Franklin Wallace*, Benjamin Zhu*

Captain's List

Mathew Dively*, Corey Jameson, Maurice Khoury*, Emerson Mabry, Jacob Marks**, Charles McGregor*, Jonathan Muniz*, Tommy Pham**, Alec Schlink*, Gavin Tomchick*, Javion Watson

Junior Prep Basketball - 66%

Athletic Director's List

Blake Chiovaro**, Ford DeVault*, John Meheen*

Captain's List

Elijah Hawks, Chrishawn Hickman*, Dominic Palko, Iosefa Pua'auli**, Jonathan Villain**

** Denotes three-time honoree -- * Denotes two-time honoree

Three Fork Union Alumni to Participate in NFL Combine

Post Graduates Mack Hollins, Derek Rivers and Joe Williams

Three Fork Union alumni Mack Hollins (Class of 2011), Derek Rivers (Class of 2012) and Joe Williams (Class of 2011) have accepted the 2017 NFL Combine invitation and are participating in the event this weekend.

Mack Hollins

FUMA PG Class of 2011

Mack Hollins, a standout wide receiver from the University of North Carolina, is set to participate in the Combine on Saturday with the quarterbacks, wide outs and tight ends.

"Mack Hollins was a tall, lengthy receiver for us. In 2011, he totaled 35 catches with seven touchdowns and was a key factor in the two Hargrave Military Academy wins that year, with three touchdowns in both games. Overall, he is a great guy and had a fantastic career at UNC," said head post graduate coach John Shuman.

Derek Rivers

FUMA PG Class of 2012

Derek Rivers, a standout defensive end from Youngstown State, is set to participate in the Combine on Sunday with the defensive line and linebackers.

"Derek Rivers is one of our favorite players. He always had a smile on his face and always did the right thing. During his time at FUMA, he totaled 10 sacks and five tackles for a loss. He is another great guy who is very deserving of whatever his future holds. He was a valuable asset to our program," said Shuman.

Joe Williams

FUMA PG Class of 2011

Joe Williams, a standout running back from the University of Utah, is set to participate in the Combine Friday with the offensive linemen.

Williams already recorded some stats:

• 40-Yard Dash: 4.41 ** Second-Fastest Time
• Bench Press: 14
• Vertical Jump: 35
• Broad Jump: 125

Williams still needs to participate in the three-cone drill, 20-yard shuttle and 60-yard shuttle.

"Joe Williams was a phenomenal, explosive running back for us. He recorded 10 explosive plays en route to 1200-yards rushing. His persistence has paid off as he has had numerous stops following his FUMA career. He was a key player and was another valuable asset to our program. We wish the best for these three athletes," concluded Shuman.

Up Next in FUMA Athletics

• Thurs., Mar. 2-4 -- Swimming at VSI SC Senior Championships
• Fri., Mar. 3 -- Prep Baseball at Wilson Hall Academy (in SC) -- 7:00 PM
• Sat., Mar. 4 -- Prep Baseball at Carolina Academy (in SC) -- 11:00 AM
• Sat., Mar. 4 -- Prep Baseball vs. Robert E. Lee Academy (in SC) -- 1:30 PM
• Mon., Mar. 6 -- Prep Lacrosse vs. Covenant School -- 4:00 PM*
• Mon., Mar. 6 -- Junior Prep Lacrosse vs. Covenant School -- 4:00 PM*
• Tues., Mar. 7 -- Prep Baseball vs. Covenant School -- 4:00 PM
• Tues., Mar. 7 -- PG Basketball at National Prep Championship -- TBA
• Wed., Mar. 8 -- Prep Lacrosse vs. Fluvanna High School -- 4:30 PM*
• Wed., Mar. 8 -- Junior Prep Lacrosse vs. Fluvanna High School -- 5:30 PM*
• Wed., Mar. 8 -- PG Basketball at National Prep Championships -- TBA
• Thurs., Mar. 9 -- Prep Lacrosse at Fuqua School -- 4:00 PM
• Fri., Mar. 10 -- Indoor Track & Field at New Balance Nationals -- TBA

Bold and Italics denote home contests.

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