Top 100: Bob Brower, Madison Everything, 1978
All-region selection in four sports, Brower remains legendary at Madison.
Bob Brower, a 1978 graduate and the only athlete ever to letter in four sports in one year at James Madison High School, is one of those legendary figures. The type of figure whose name has grown in local sports lore.
Top 100: Eric Sievers, Washington-Lee, Football, 1976
Generals tight end Starred at Maryland before flying `Air Coryell' in San Diego.
Think about some of the greatest NFL offenses of all time — the Cleveland Browns of the 1950's under QB Otto Graham; the 1983-84 Redskins who eclipsed the all-time mark for most points scored in a season; the Kurt Warner-led St. Louis Rams of a few years ago who moved the football and scored seemingly at will.
Top 100: Skeeter Swift, George Washington, Basketball, 1965
Skeeter `Legend' thrived on catcalls; was true showman for Presidents on basketball court.
For Skeeter Swift, there was magic with every step he took throughout his basketball career. It was as if the flamboyant, dazzling hard court sensation was meant to be where he was at each respective level of his hoops career.
Top 100: Wes Suter, South Lakes Gymnastics, 1982
Former Olympian was a pioneer in men's gymnastics, won 15 state titles.
Wes Suter, a 1981 graduate of South Lakes High School and 1988 Olympic gymnast, was so competitive that his physical education teachers had a game that they played with him — one in which he was an unwilling participant.
Top 100: Hummer Brothers Washington-Lee, Basketball, 1963 and 1966
Big Men siblings led `Little Generals' to prominence in 1960s.
In the early 1960's, the Washington-Lee High boys basketball team was a Virginia state power, thanks in large part to 6-foot-6 inch pivot player Ed Hummer. Hummer, a consistent scorer, rebounder and game-changer on defense, was the linchpin player who fueled the Generals to consecutive state 1A titles in both the 1961-62 and 62-63 basketball seasons.
Top 100: Pat Toomay, Edison, Football, 1966
Although he considered himself a basketball player in high school, Pat Toomay went on to have an amazing NFL career. He was a Super Bowl champion with Dallas, a member of a winless team with Tampa Bay and was coached by John Madden while in Oakland.
Top 100: Katie Smrcka-Duffy, Madison, Basketball, 1996
Record-setting Smrcka-Duffy showed competitive fire leading Madison to 1996 region title and two state finals appearances before college and pro career.
Katie Smrcka-Duffy was one of the most competitive athletes ever to come out of the Northern Region. If her play didn't show it, her mouth certainly did. Smrcka-Duffy was often the subject of media scrutiny even as just a junior and senior at Madison High School.
Top 100: Keith Burns, T.C. Williams Football, 1990
It almost seems as if Keith Burns of the Denver Broncos has been playing in the NFL forever. Well, the fact is, by NFL standards where a players' average playing career is about four years, he practically has been.
Top 100: Andy Heck, Woodson Football, 1985
After intimidating teams in the Northern Region, Heck went on to win an NCAA title and played 12 years in the NFL.
After he finished terrorizing the opposing teams' players in the Northern Region, Andy Heck spread his terror onto the top-program college stadiums across the nation. The 1985 Woodson grad's name is still spoken in reverence in the local football circles.
Top 100: Jeremy Ferry, Centreville, Wrestling, 1995
The sellout crowd of 3,850 at Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake gave Jeremy Ferry a standing ovation. The senior from Centreville high school had just won his 126th-consecutive match to earn his third-straight AAA individual state wrestling championship.
Top 100: Pete Schourek, Marshall, Baseball, 1987
Schourek catapulted Marshall to baseball success in mid-80's before 11-year MLB career.
Pete Schourek gained national notoriety in 1995 when he finished second to Major League Baseball pitching sensation Greg Maddux in the race for the National League Cy Young Award — awarded to baseball's top pitchers each year. Schourek nailed down 18 wins that season and picked up the Game 1 victory for the Cincinnati Reds in their eventual five-game series victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series.
Top 100: Rickey Harris, Centreville, Track and Field
When Centreville’s Rickey Harris was entered in a race, it was almost a foregone conclusion that he was going to win. "You almost got to the point where you didn’t watch him that much because you knew that he was going to win," said Centreville track coach Roy Ferri.
Top 100: Reggie Harrison, Washington-Lee, Football, 1969
Former Generals star had huge punt block in Super Bowl X.
Reggie Harrison found football fame as both a collegiate and a professional NFL running back. But he found his true love for the game as a high school standout at Washington-Lee in Arlington.
Top 100: Jay Franklin, Madison, Baseball, 1971
Northern Region's highest MLB draft pick continues 20-year battle with mental illness.
Each time that Jay Franklin takes a sip of his soda, he unwillingly flashes the scar on the bottom of his right arm. It’s a reminder to his mother, Pat, and sister, Trudy — sitting just feet away and listening to him tell his story — of just how bad things have gotten.
Top 100: Will Montgomery, Football
During his time at Centreville High School, there wasn’t a season that Will Montgomery didn’t excel in sports. In the fall, Montgomery was a leader on the offensive and defensive line for the Wildcats football team. During the winter, he was a starting basketball player that finished second on the team in rebounds as a senior.