inside look at the weekend of 904 to VT

(if you look at this pic directly above wheatley #24 one of my kids is right in the middle of the pic how he got in there ill never know lol but there he is having the time of his life)

let me preface this with I am not writer, never have been, made a good enough grade in English in school to get out of school and not have to ever look back. that being said I wanted to write something up to give you guys an inside look at how my weekend went for the UNC game and try not to bore you to death at the same time so below will be my best attempt to do so. I'm going to write it more as a story/ run down of how the weekend went, the experience from my eyes and ill try and give you some insider hokie info along the way.

before I get started I want to give you guys some back info, I work the reg 8-5 shift as loan closer for a mortgage company during the day, coach high school football, and am in the process of building up a scouting service with a partner of mine (so hopefully I wont have to work the reg 8-5 anymore) which involves watching tons of kids film from all over north florida and south ga. it makes for some really long days and nights. Thursday oct 17th was no different, on Thursdays my highschool team has morning practice 6am-7:30am before school just walk through for Friday nights, follow that up by running straight to work and punching the clock for the man. Thursday night is usually my one free night a week (we have practice every other night) so I try and watch a little football and relax, my partner for my scouting service and I usually get together have a few beers and watch some film while half heartedly tunning into a snoozer of a game on NFL network or ESPN. Last week was no different except over the last couple weeks a TON of college coaches have been reaching out some looking to fill some holes at the last min of their 2020 class and some trying to get an early jump on some underclassmen as everyone is dropping midseason highlights right now so weve been hard at work, Thursday night was catch up night for us. We were up till about midnight when I decided I needed to get home and get some rest, I probably laid my head on the pillow around 1am Friday morning. Friday was a big day, its usually our busiest day at work and the last few months the mortgage market has been booming, ive been working some long hours. My highschool team, whos ranked #8 in the power polls for the region (although we are getting treated like UCF because we have defeated 2 other teams in the top 10 one being the #4 team and our only loss coming to the heath shuler coached and navy shuler 3* app st commit lead Christ school in achville NC in week 2) was gearing up for a Friday night show down coming in at 6-1 and playing against a Baldwin football team that was ahead of us in the power polls and sitting at 7-1 lead by 3* wr Xavier McGriff FIU commit former VT recruit. I'm plugging away at work trying to get everything done so I can get out the door at 5, we take the field at 6 for warmups. I have a reservation for a 15 passenger van with enterprise so I run over there getting there about 5:15. Fill out all my paperwork get everything done, doing my walk around all that good stuff and the employee tells me "this van has a recall on it we cant rent it to you, we have no other vans on the lot but our driver will be back soon and he has a van" what choice do I have at this point but to wait for him. well soon turns into 30 min and by the time the guy got there with the van I was in a panic watching every min drop off the clock. I take the van and bolt! I'm out! headed to University Christian so I can change and get ready for the game.

Friday night lights! got to love them! 7:30 kick off, we pulled out a big win 41-31 and improve our record to 7-1 and move to #1 in the RPI for the state in 1-3a as foundation academy who was previously #1 lost on the night as well. game ends around 10ish ive got a couple kids from UC that I'm taking with me up to VT, they shower up in the locker room after the game Ive got a couple kids meeting me at the school for the trip and ive got a couple kids meeting me at my house, a couple kids I have to pick up. About half way through running around getting everyone picked up I realize this van that they gave me isn't going to fit 14 kids. because its a 12 passenger van, I run to the airport switch the vans out for my original reservation, and get back to getting all these kids gathered up. by the time we got on the road from jacksonville florida headed to orangeburg south Carolina (about 3.5 hours) it was 1am. If you've ever met a high school kid there is 2 things that never fail. 1 they are ALWAYS hungry and will eat you out of house and home. we hit a McDs on the way (about the only thing open this late, sure could have used some of those hardies coupons guys!) and they are the slowestttttt ive ever been too, although I'm sure it doesn't help when 14 kids order a total of 20 double cheese, 10 mcchickens, 12 milkshakes, 14 fries, and 8 fruit punches lol. the 2nd thing is you cannot stop at a gas station just for gas and a quick pee. gas station stops are an ordeal, its best to lock them in the car lol. they buy every snack imaginable, why??? I have no clue, didn't you just eat 7 double cheeses and now you need a bag of sour gummy worms, 3 bags of chips, and 4 gatorades later and another 30 min stop, got us into orangeburg around 5am where we stayed at a hunting lodge of one of my buddies that could accommodate us all. obviously originally the plan was to get there around 2am not 5am lol. I let the boys get about 2 hours of sleep as I told them 7am wake up call, its about 4.5 hours to Blacksburg from orangeburg and recruit check in was 1pm. I wanted to try and get their a little earlier so I could show the kids around a little and let them see more than just lane stadium and the practice facility. we hit the road around 8 after them struggling to get up, I was running on about an hour of sleep.

7am about to get on the road to Blacksburg from orangeburg SC. don't these guys look excited!

NOON! my buddy daryl dungee (some of you may know him) and the ashby family invited us over to their tailgate near center street so we roll up on them and they pulled out the spreadddddd! I love the way hokie nation opens up their arms to everyone. its a lot to ask for to roll up on someone with 14 kids (see above about the way they eat) the kids hung out and ate good! I mean the ashby family really hooked it up! they had the grill going good with BBQ chicken of course everyones got the bo'jangles spread and plenty of other food. The kids ate and talked football with the the ashbys for a little bit before we headed out toward the lane for check in. on the walk the kids caught center street and the party that is and wanted to check it out. we headed over there and walked around for a bit, I think its important that the kids get to see all aspects of VT and what the college life is like aside from just football. obviously its a little bit of a crap show by then when you get a bunch of college kids drinking all day and unleash them in a big mosh pit. but the croots interacted with some of the folks over there and had a pretty good time just kinda soaking it all in and people watching. we hung out for a bit and headed out.

now for the meat of the weekend! the part everyones been waiting for. unfortunately I don't have any real insider info or great stories to tell you here. I wish I did. we arrived at check in for recruits/prospects they take all the kids measurements, (they do this everytime they step on campus) we go hang out at the indoor practice facility. all the coaches are dressed in their sundays finest and making the rounds talking to all the kids and parents respectively. mission BBG is catered and the kids who just cleaned out the ashbys tailgate are now cleaning out the indoor. where do they put it?!?!?!!? shesh. they have cornhole, basketball, ladder ball, etc, and other tailgating games set up, projector screens set up with the other games around the county on, a photo opp back ground and the hokiestone jerseys out for pics, a couple tables set up for academic qualification information and things like that. I spent most of my time talking with coach wiles, coach Hamilton, and jack tyler, we really didn't talk about anything to much I kinda one by one filled the kids in to make sure they all got time with the coaches, some just meeting them for the first time and some regulars or guys that they have been in contact with. Jack Tyler is a guy that does a great job bridging the gap for us, hes really friendly and outgoing and his roll in recuiting cant be understated atleast on game days. the coaches have ALOT to do and ALOT of recruits on hand to get around too, don't want anyone coming back saying "so and so didn't talk to me" we all know how that goes. I personally really enjoy talking to jack I don't pry for info but hes by far the most forth coming lol. Ive been nudging to find out anything I can on the new DC but no one is budging. Jack said they are working on it though and that they don't want to implement major changes to a defense that's worked so good for so long. what that means who knows.

pregame pic by 247sports

Around 230 (or an hour before game time) they usher all the kids out to the field for pregame. this is one of the best parts of the experience, as lane starts to fill up they walk down the tunnel that so many greats before them have walked through and the butterflies start to build, maybe its just in me because I know what it means, but I can see the excitement start to build on the kids as well, they stop and see what names they can recognize on the name plates in the tunnel, they ALL smack the hokie stone rock above the tunnel before the walk out. its a moment when all these kids are really trying to be cool and act cool but that hokie stone gets them everytime. they turn into a 7 year old hokie fan kid. don't worry it gets me too. lol. pre game on the field is a unique experience, most of the kids spending it pointing out the size of certain guys, they are all in awe of how HUGE devine diablo is and looks on the field, and how small some other guys are like tayvion Robinson. comments like shesh I wouldn't wanna go across the middle on that guy or I'm the same size as that guy (yeah but can you run a 4.45) often get echoed. besides that its a chance for the kids to get some pictures snapped of them, camera after camera walks by and snaps pics and you know todays social media kids love that stuff. For me personally as a coach, I try and watch jafar williams as much as possible and his pregame rituals and how he goes through warm ups and coaches guys up and things like that. it really is surreal seeing it up close.

tyree sanders

15 min before kick off they usher us up into the stands and to our seats, tyree tried to sneak away and get in on the enter sandman line. security wasn't having it lol. being a long time hokie myself and seeing and being a part of enter the sandman many of times from many different parts of the stadium, I really don't think the recruits get the full experience of it. I think maybe its because they are surrounded by recruits and the recruits aren't "losing their freaking minds" so the immediate ear noise and jumping isn't right on top of you and all around you in close quarters. regardless I have never heard any of these kids be anything but nostalgic by the entrance and as expected all walk away talking about it.

Kickoff! we all know how we started out, and ill be the first to admit in my head I'm thinking awe man here we go duke all over again and if we get blown out its not a good experience for anyone. ye of little faith we turned it up and started playing some dang hokie football again. all the kids were really into the game, I mean listen, I try and be as professional and poised as possible on these trips but the fan comes out! but I wasn't alone as the kids were just as into it as me. I cant tell you how good that makes me feel about hokie nation and about the way these kids feel about hokie nation. some of these kids have been on a lot of visits to different schools and a lot of different atmospheres but to see them yelling on third downs at the top of their lungs for an entire game and coming fans of VT is HUGE for me. I absolutely LOVE it. it shows that they are whether they know it or not investing their heart into Virginia tech. You couldn't ask for a better game to be at from a recruiting stand point. thank you hokie nation for that and thank you hokie football for that. one thing that stood out to me is a lot of the kids with me where saying "coach we are storming the field if we win they cant stop up" I had to tell them, look kids 2 things lol. 1 "we don't storm the field when we beat UNC that's not an upset we always beat them they are like UVAs little brother" and 2 "were recruits lol we can go on the field after the game and they wont stop us we don't have to jump the wall there is a gate right there". after the QP for 2 and the win run we went down and got on the field. the emotion that was on the field from everyone was unbelievable. jham almost killed me running around hugging anyone in sight, the sound of you guys! singing exit light. it was absolutely freaking an amazing experience. in the moment you are so hype and excited its hard to soak it all in but man, speechless. it took a lot to come down from that and the next few min were kind of a blur to be honest. Just so caught up in the emotion and win you lose track of everything else.

9 different highschools from 904 all in one picture

on field post game video I took. a little wild. was pretty freaking excited haha

The calm after the storm..... post game somewhere between the final whistle of the game and hanging out by the locker room there is a lost gap of time. I'm not sure what happened but that lost gap was maybe the best 15-30 min ive ever experienced. We hung out at the locker rooms waiting on chamarri conner to change as we had plans to get up with him after the game and all hang out for a little bit, (and by hangout I mean let the guys party while I sleep in the van for bit) again its just one of those things, I think its just as important for the kids to get a feel for the Virginia tech life off the football field as much as on, so I give them a little freedom to hang out and do somethings, I know chamarri personally and he takes good care of them and keeps an eye on them I'm obviously not letting the kids drink or anything like that on the trip but I do want them to see first hand all aspects of VT. While we were waiting on chamarri coach wiles spent a good bit of time talking to us all just kinda letting us know when hed be down to jacksonville again, when he wanted us to get back up, talking about how the kids seasons were going and letting them know he would be checking in on them, and just chopping it up. its fun to have a great relationship with these coaches but I think a lot of times people expect you to report back with "coach wiles told me the new DC is torian grey and we are starting QP next week and whit said we are bringing back the hokie pokie in the 3rd quarter and president sands has no banned all paper products from lane stadium in an attempt to stop the paper airplane madness while also installing wireless modems to every seat in the stadium so we all have our own personal wifi access" but a lot of the times the convos are just good conversation and continuing to build those relationships and you don't get a ton of insider info. every once In a while you will but I never push for it because the relationship to me is more important that info, that's the reporters job ya know.

LONGGG NIGHT! After we left the stadium chamarri told us he had to go grab some grub and change clothes and everything and hed hit us up in a few. You know what that means to these boys? GRUBBB time!! again lol, we ran over to the IHOP in Christiansburg and grabbed some food and ate until heading over to a house party off main st. I went inside with the kids just to survey the scene make sure nothing crazy was going on or anything I didn't want them being involved in, it wasn't a real busy party looked more like a gathering. QP was there. you know doing what super bowl MVPs do. getting all the girls lol. sorry croots aint much hope for yall when you are at a party with a bunch of current VT football players and you are still in HS hate to break it to you. I let them all hang out for about an hour while I copped some Zs because running on 2 hours of sleep since Friday morning will get after ya and we had to drive back to orangeburg later that night. We hit the road headed back to orangeburg around 1am. getting us back to the cabin around 6/6:30 had a lot of rain on the way back so was trucking along at minimal speeds. when we hit OB we crashed hard. I let them sleep in some until around 11ish and then we headed back to jacksonville getting in around 3 and getting everyone home. As soon as I got home I turned on the reply of the game and got through about the tre turner TD before I was out like a light until Monday morning work alarm clock went off.

from a recruiting stand point I don't think you could have asked for anything better from Virginia tech, lane stadium, the coaches, the players, the fans, anyone involved. it was an amazing experience for the kids they all walked always VT football fans. tyree sanders went out of his way to talk and connect with other recruits at the game and has been talking to a lot of them since he got back. hes all in on VT and is hard on the recruiting trail for us. I knew he was in on VT but I think after last weekend he is ALL completely ALL in.

I'm coming up for the wake game but I'm just bringing my son, my GF, tyree, and keonta for that one. its a lot of work getting all these kids up there and a lot of responsibility, I need at least one game where I can relax and just enjoy being a hokie fan for a minute.

pitt game ill try and bring a group up though once I get with the coaches and see whod theyd like me to bring.

hopefully its not to long winded. it was an exciting experience for me and its hard to put it all into perspective what all went into it and how awesome it was. if you have any questions ill do my best to answer them. I appreciate all of you taking the time to read. I hope that the fact that I'm not an English major doesn't make it to difficult to navigate and that you all enjoyed.