College Corner: Stone Bridge Grad Ryan Johnston Grand Slams His Way to Two Awards for Concord University

College Corner with editor Noelle Dormio

Courtesy of Concord University

(May 23, 2012) - Stone Bridge High School grad Ryan Johnston, a freshman at NCAA Division II Concord University, was named 2nd Team All WVIAC by the leagues coaches and was awarded a Rawlings Gold Glove by the American Baseball Coaches Association.

Johnston started all 53 of Concord's games, topping CU with 10 home runs and 51 RBIs while batting .343 and slugging .611.  Two of his homers were grand slams.  Johnston's 10 home runs ranked 5th overall in the 15-team WVIAC.  He tied for the team lead in total bases, and finished with a .412 on-base percentage.  Johnson also tallied an 18-game hitting streak during the season.  Defensively, Johnston committed just one error in 53 games while alternating between first base and third for the Division -II Mountain Lions.

Johnston will play this summer for the Staunton Braves of the Valley Collegiate Baseball League.

Boys Soccer: Freedom SR Liam Thornhill to Play at NCAA Division II Concord

Aldie (April 20, 2012) - Freedom High School senior defender Liam Thornhill has committed to play soccer next year at NCAA Division II Concord University in West Virginia.

A native of London, England, Liam has played for the Eastleigh FC Youth Academy, which was the Southampton Division 1 Champions in 2005, and 2006, and won the prestigious Hampshire Cup championship.

After crossing the pond, Thornhill joined the Northern Virginia Royals, which went to the finals of the Super Y National Championships in 2010. Liam attended Freedom High School and recently played for head coach Richie Burke with the Braddock Road Youth Club of Virginia.

Baseball: Broad Run's Andrew Seigel Signs with Concord University

Ashburn (April 17, 2012) - On Friday night, following Broad Run High School’s 10-4 baseball win over Osbourn, Spartans senior outfielder Andrew Seigel signed an athletic scholarship to play baseball for coach Andrew Wright at NCAA Division II Concord University in Athens, West Virginia.

Football: Broad Run Celebrates Four Seniors to Play at College Level

Jackson Matteo, Derril Thomas, Caleb Lindsey and Connor Jessop are 4 big reasons why Broad Run football was so good the last four years!

More photos from the celebration

(Feb. 2, 2012) - Broad Run High School celebrated on Wednesday college signing day with four of its seniors heading to the college football ranks. Family,friends, teammates,coaches and staff packed the school's cafeteria to honor Caleb Lindsey, Connor Jessop, Jackson Matteo and Derril Thomas.

Caleb Lindsey proudly wears the VMI hat after signing

Lindsey, a tight end, linebacker, will play at NCAA Division I VMI; Thomas, a running back/DB, at NCAA Division II Concord University while Jessop and Matteo accepted preferred walk-on status with Jessop, a 3-year starter at quarterback who led the Spartans to a state title his sophomore year, heading to Virginia Tech and Matteo, an All-Met lineman heads to Virginia.

All smiles for Jackson Matteo who will be heading to Charlottesville

Matteo originally verbally committed to Temple before deciding to stay in-state. Jessop sat out much of his junior season with a broken collar bone but returned in the playoffs to lead the Spartans to the regional finals. He threw for nearly 2,000 yards and 16 touchdowns this season as Broad Run moved up to AAA.

Broad Run coach Griffis said Derril Thomas will be an impact player at Concord

Thomas, who stepped into the state title game as a sophomore after T.J. Peeler was injured early in that contest, and had a big impact, went on to score more than 40 touchdowns and account for 2,000-plus yards in the single wing offense of 2nd-year coach Matt Griffis.

3-years as QB1 at Broad Run, now Jessop will try and make a name for himself with the Hokies

Baseball: Stone Bridge Trio Celebrates College Signing

(May 23, 2011) - Stone Bridge High School held a college signing celebration for a trio of baseball players that will take the field next year at the college level. Ryan Johnston (Concord University), Mac West (Francis Marion) and Sid Harvey (Randolph-Macon) were joined by family, teammates and coaches in the school's library on Thursday May 19.

Complete photo gallery from this college signing.

Ryan Johnston


Sid Harvey


Mac West

Baseball: Stone Bridge to Hold Signing Ceremony for Three Players on May 19.

Ashburn (May 16, 2011) - Stone Bridge High School will honor three baseball players headed to the college ranks in a ceremony on Thursday, May 19 at 4:15 p.m. in the school's library.

The group includes Mac West (Frances Marion), Ryan Johnston (Concord), and Sid Harvey (Randolph-Macon).

West is having a good senior season on the mound where he has tossed a 1-hitter and 3-hitter.

Stone Bridge baseball coach Sam Plank: "Mac is excited about his decision to play for the No. 6 ranked Division II team in the country. Next season the Patriots will move to the beautiful New West Campus Athletic Complex, which will be one of the nicest Stadiums in the Region."

Also for Stone Bridge JJ White (Penn State) and Ty Lighton (UVA-Wise) were honored in an earlier ceremony.

Baseball: Stone Bridge Transfer Ryan Johnston to Play Next Year at Concord University

Ashburn (Feb. 1, 2011) - Stone Bridge High School senior Ryan Johnston, who transferred this school year from Broad Run where he was an All-District and All-Region DH, has committed to play baseball next year at NCAA Division II Concord University in West Virginia.

Johnston was also named second team Group AA All-State by the Virginia High School Coaches Association.

Concord, under first year coach Andrew Wright, was picked to finish 3rd in 2011 in the reconfigured South Division in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's annual pre-season coaches poll. Wright takes over for Kevin Garrett, who left the dugout to be Concord's Director of Athletics. In Garrett's 15 seasons, he elevated CU from also-ran to perennial power. His teams won a school-record 355 games, along with four division titles and a conference championship in 2001 – Concord's first in 40 years. The Mountain Lions qualified for the WVIAC Tournament in each of Garrett's final 13 seasons and reached the NCAA tournament in 2001, 2008 and 2009.