Bayside linebacker says he'll play for Cavs

VIRGINIA BEACH

The University of Virginia coaching staff will have reason to celebrate this holiday weekend after Bayside linebacker Henry Coley committed to the Cavaliers.

Coley, 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, informed Virginia head coach Al Groh and assistant coach Latrell Scott on Thursday afternoon that he would be coming their way in 2010.

"Coach Groh and coach Scott were real excited," said Coley, a rising senior. "They told me they have something to be happy about this Fourth of July, so bring out the fireworks."

Coley chose the Cavaliers over offers from Temple, Louisville, Liberty, Navy and Richmond. He also had interest from Maryland, East Carolina, Duke and Virginia Tech.

Coley said he loved the atmosphere in Charlottesville and the coaches, but what won him over was how the coaches stressed academics.

"Football isn't everything," said Coley, who has a 3.1 grade point average and was getting interest from Harvard, Princeton, Columbia and Yale. "And I chose Virginia because of that."

Coley runs 4.6 in the 40 and can bench 350 pounds. A physical player, he can play all three linebacker positions.

"Virginia is getting a jewel," Bayside coach Darnell Moore said. "He deserves it because he works hard in the classroom and on the field. And he'll tell you that he's more than a football player. He is a student athlete in every sense of the word. So I'm satisfied for him, and I think Virginia is a good fit for him."

Joining Coley on the Cavs in 2010 will be offensive lineman Conner Davis, a rising senior at Deep Run High School in Richmond.

Davis, 6-5 and 245 pounds, is rated the No. 13 prospect in the state by Virginia Preps and picked the Cavaliers over Virginia Tech. Among the eight Division I-A programs to offer him were West Virginia, Maryland. Boston College and Syracuse.

Coley and Davis are the first two in-state players to commit to Virginia for the class of 2010.

Coley becomes the second Bayside player under Moore to go to an ACC school in the past three seasons. Quarterback E.J. Manuel is at Florida State.

"I'm just glad that football was able to open up all of these doors for me," Coley said. "Now I can just focus on what I need to do to get ready for college."

Larry Rubama, 757-446-2273, larry.rubama@pilotonline.com

Roanoke Times writer Dough Doughty contributed to this report.