Five players from South Hampton Roads, led by a record-breaking running back, landed on The Associated Press Group AAA all-state football first team.
Salem's Kevin Whaley and Lyndell Gibson, Oscar Smith's Todd Harrelson and Perry Jones, and Maury's Vinston Painter were first-team selections made by a panel of sports writers and editors from around the state. The voting was released Thursday evening.
Nine South Hampton Roads players were named to the second team.
Whaley, a 5-foot-11, 175-pound senior running back and South Hampton Roads' all-time leading rusher, collected his second consecutive first-team all-state nod. The Beach District and All-Tidewater Player of the Year, finished the season with 1,661 yards and 25 total touchdowns in 13 games. His career rushing total, including playoff games, is 6,301 yards, and he's South Hampton Roads' all-time leader in regular-season and single-season points.
Gibson, 6-0 and 225 pounds, earned a spot at linebacker after being named Beach District Defensive Player of the Year for the second time. Gibson, second-team all-state as a junior, has committed to play at Virginia Tech.
Another future Hokie, the 6-5, 305-pound Painter, was a first-team offensive tackle for the second consecutive year.
Harrelson, a 6-1, 185-pound two-way senior standout for Oscar Smith, was selected to the first team at defensive back after finishing with four interceptions. At wide receiver, Harrelson had 61 receptions for 1,241 yards in 14 games, including a state-playoff-record 15-catch, 349-yard performance in a state semifinal loss to Westfield. He also was second-team all-state as a junior.
Oscar Smith's Jones, a 5-9, 185-pound junior, joined Gibson at linebacker. He set a school single-season record with 140 tackles and had 11 sacks and five interceptions.
The second team included Bayside quarterback E.J. Manuel, a senior who is headed to Florida State; Great Bridge junior wide receiver Logan Heastie; Oscar Smith junior Jarmara Gray at guard and Tigers sophomore defensive lineman Evan Hailes; Deep Creek senior Devin Arrington at tight end; Bayside senior defensive back Marquel Thomas; Lake Taylor senior defensive back Lenny Paiva and Titans junior linebacker Mike Privott; and Green Run senior defensive lineman Joe Jones.
The AP Virginia Group AAA Player of the Year and first-team all-state quarterback is Westfield's Mike Glennon, who led the Bulldogs to the Division 6 state championship and a 15-0 record.
Glennon passed for 2,548 yards and 32 touchdowns. He also ran for seven touchdowns.
Westfield's Tom Verbanic also was selected as the Group AAA Coach of the Year.
Virginian-Pilot high school sports editor Bryan Black and The Associated Press contributed to this story.






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