Football: Stone Bridge Standout Gouveia to Play at James Madison

Ashburn (Feb. 22, 2011) - Stone Bridge High School senior Kyle Gouveia, an all-around leader for the Bulldogs back-to-back runs to the VHSL Division 5 state title game, has committed to play football next year at James Madison University.

Gouveia becomes the fifth Bulldog to commit, joining teammates Rob Burns (Virginia), John Cheritis (Washington and Lee), Calvin Hollenhorst (Coastal Carolina) and Spenser Rositano (Boston College).

The recruiting process between Gouveia and James Madison happened late and rather quickly according to the Bulldog in an interview Tuesday as he said the school asked him to make a visit on Saturday and then an offer was made and accepted. The Dukes envision Gouveia, a linebacker in high school, as a safety in college.

"I'm excited, playing defense is what I love," said Gouveia, who also played offense and special teams for Stone Bridge. "I've always been more a defensive kind of guy."


Gouveia was the co-Defensive Player of the Year in the Northern Region as Stone Bridge won 14 straight games before falling to Phoebus in the finals for the second straight season.

The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Gouveia registered 119 total tackles on the season and had two sacks, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and five interceptions. The fact that Gouveia was viewed as undersized probably kept offers from larger Division I schools away and that could provide motivation for the player from a football family -- his cousin Jeron, another big-time Stone Bridge alumni, plays at Virginia Tech.

"I think it was my size and my speed," said Gouveia about the lack of other offers. And asked if this would serve as motivation in college: "Oh, I will definitely play with a chip on my shoulder."

James Madison has had seven consecutive winning seasons -- and a 21-16 stunner over Virginia Tech in the fall that made national headlines -- at what was formerly known as the NCAA Division I-AA level and Gouveia joins former Stone Bridge teammate Daniel Allen who appeared in nine games and made a start as a redshirt freshman cornerback.

Another local player with the Dukes is freshman linebacker Brandon Lee of Park View.

The James Madison University football team will have five home games along with a road game at Football Bowl Subdivision school North Carolina on its 2011 schedule.

JMU will open the season on the road in Chapel Hill, taking on the Tar Heels on Sept. 3. This will be the second-ever meeting between the two programs. The Dukes will then return home to open the renovated and expanded Bridgeforth Stadium on Sept. 10, hosting Northeastern Conference runner-up Central Connecticut State. A road trip to four-time defending Big South Conference champion Liberty is next on Sept. 17 to wrap up non-conference action.

Madison heads on the road to open Colonial Athletic Association play, traveling to Williamsburg, Va., to play defending CAA co-champion William & Mary Sept. 24. JMU then comes back to Bridgeforth for a three-game homestand, starting with Richmond on Oct. 1 for Homecoming. The Maine Black Bears follow on Oct. 8 with the third being the Family Weekend contest against Villanova on Oct. 15.

Following an off-week, the Dukes will make their first trip to Norfolk to take on CAA-newcomer Old Dominion, Oct. 29. Another road game follows at New Hampshire, Nov. 5., before JMU returns home for Senior Day on Nov. 12 against Rhode Island in the Rams first trip to Harrisonburg since the 2006 season and the first meeting since 2007. The regular-season slate wraps up on Nov. 19 at Massachusetts.

"It's the most challenging, if not difficult, schedule we have ever had," JMU Head Coach Mickey Matthews said. "Having two road non-conference games against top-flight opponents, and having three of our last four on the road with two of those being in New England, makes it a daunting task."

The 2011 Division I Football Championship Playoffs will begin Nov. 26, with the 20-team bracket wrapping up with the 2012 NCAA Championship Game in January 2012 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas.