Virginia High School Player of the Year: Tristan Leigh, James W. Robinson Jr. Secondary School

Tristan Leigh’s passion for the sport began before he ever put on football pads or made his first block. His father, Stanley, had played fullback at the University of Virginia and often regaled the older of his two boys with stories from his playing career.

“Since I was little, he would tell me stories about his playing days and what he loves about the game,” Tristan Leigh said. “That’s how I found my love for the game. It was always my goal and my dream to excel at football. I was going to put everything I had into it. I was fortunate to succeed.”

That success did not come easy for the DC Touchdown Club Virginia High School Player of the Year. When he first began playing tackle football in seventh grade, Tristan remembers that he did not start and played special teams.

But even then, Scott Vossler said, one could tell that Leigh was on the verge of something special.

Vossler, who is now the Robinson Secondary School football coach, was teaching an eighth-grade civics class. Robinson, which enrolls students in grades 7 to 12, does not sponsor middle school sports, but he noticed Leigh as the tallest in the hall and saw how Leigh stood out during a students vs. teachers basketball game.

“I would make a point to get to know the middle school students, because I felt that would help with getting them to come out for football,” Vossler said. “Usually big kids in middle school are awkward, but he was a smooth athlete at that point.”

Leigh played on Robinson’s freshman team as a ninth-grader, then became a varsity starter at offensive tackle as a sophomore. It did not hurt that he hit a growth spurt, adding four inches and becoming a 6-foot-5, 300-pound blocking machine. The college scholarship offers rolled in, first from Virginia and then from across the country. Leigh settled on playing for Clemson University.

“We knew he was going to be a big-timer,” Vossler said. “But as his notoriety has grown, his work ethic did not change. As the college recruiters came in, we told them, ‘Whatever you perceive his ceiling to be, he will reach it because he will be there doing what he’s supposed to do every single day.’ When you are talented and have that kind of work ethic, you have a chance to be real special.”

Washington Metro College Player of the Year: Jaret Patterson, University at Buffalo

Jaret Patterson had limited choices to play college football. Even after deciding to enroll at the University at Buffalo and play on the same team as his twin brother, James, Patterson was asked to grayshirt and delay his enrollment until the spring semester because the team had other options at running back.

In the three years since, though, few running backs – if any – have rivaled Patterson’s success on the field.

Even though Patterson was limited to six games this past season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he still enjoyed his third consecutive season with more than 1,000 yards rushing.

Against Bowling Green, Patterson rushed for 301 yards and four touchdowns. The next time out, Patterson had a game for the ages, rushing 36 times for 409 yards and eight touchdowns in a 70-41 win over Kent State. It was the second-highest rushing total in Football Bowl Subdivision history and tied the FBS record for most touchdowns in a game.

The following Monday, as Buffalo returned to the practice field, Patterson worked his way into the kickoff coverage drills at the beginning of practice.

“And he’s not even on the kickoff team,” then-Buffalo Coach Lance Leipold said. “That’s just the type of guy he is. He wants to go and get some work.”

It is similar to Patterson’s approach at Pallotti High in Laurel. Overlooked by many of the region’s top high school programs and considered undersized – he is now 5 feet 8 and 195 pounds – all Patterson did was chew up yardage and find his way to the end zone. As a senior, he rushed for 2,045 yards and scored 23 touchdowns – including a game against Riverdale Baptist where he gained 558 all-purpose yards.

After three standout seasons at Buffalo where his accolades included being named the 2020 Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year, Patterson opted to turn professional. He was not selected in the NFL Draft and signed as a free agent with the Washington Football Team.

“I feel like my game definitely translates to the next level and I haven’t even scratched the surface yet,” Patterson said in a recent radio interview. “I feel like I can be that versatile running back. At Buffalo, I wasn’t really required in the passing game, but I can do that. I can run routes, catch, return kicks, punts. I feel like I’m a hidden gem in this draft, but I wouldn’t want it any other way, because that’s how it’s always been.”

Maryland High School Player of the Year: CJ Eley, Howard High School

There was no magical moment or special ingredient that made CJ Eley into one of the region’s best football players. Rather, according to Eley and Howard High football coach Ross Hannon, it was simply a matter of development and maturity that helped Eley realize how to use his special talents.

“It was him maturing and expecting more from himself,” Hannon said. “He didn’t grow six inches or put on 40 pounds. It was a natural progression and development. We’ve had some great players before him and great teams and he saw what it took to be successful: Hitting the weight room and taking care of your body.”

As the traditional fall season was delayed until spring, Hannon challenged Eley to be ready if and when the Lions were able to take the field. Eley learned how to play multiple positions on offense and moved from cornerback to safety on defense.

The results spoke for themselves. In five games, Eley rushed for 550 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 10.2 yards per carry. He also caught 23 passes for 417 yards and two touchdowns and returned a punt for another score. Most opponents avoided kicking the ball to Eley; he had three returns for touchdowns as a junior.

“I think it all clicked because of my teammates and the environment around, and I probably became a little more confident in my ability and my leadership skills,” said Eley, who is the younger brother of NFL player Tavon Austin, regarded as one of the greatest players ever in Maryland high school football history. “And that helped me play better.”

“Everybody in Howard County knew he was getting the ball when we needed it and he didn’t disappoint,” Hannon said. “He’s just a dynamic kid, more explosive than everyone else. I wish there was some magic formula [to explain his improvement] – he’s had it in him. I think he was more determined this year, played with more confidence and realized he could dominate.”

Washington Metro High School Coach of the Year - Mickey Thompson, Stone Bridge High School

Photo Courtesy of Steven Holland, Holland Sports Images, LLC

Following his college athletic career, Mickey Thompson knew that he wanted to coach football. He just wasn’t sure that he wanted to be a head coach.

“I don’t know if you ever get really comfortable. I still don’t enjoy all the stuff that goes with being a head coach as much as I enjoy all the coaching,” said Thompson, who is the DC Touchdown Club 2021 Washington Metro Coach of the Year. “And I spend more time doing the other stuff than the coaching. But I do like having the final say.”

More often than not, that final say has led to victories for one of the winningest coaches in Virginia high school football history. After 10 seasons at Park View High in Sterling, Thompson followed his principal and athletic director to a new school opening in Ashburn in 2000: Stone Bridge High. There, Thompson has crafted one of the most successful programs in the nation.

“Everybody said I was crazy – Broad Run was 0-10 the year before, they hadn’t won in a while and now you’re opening another school and going to draw from that same group?” said Thompson, who played offensive and defensive line at the University of Virginia. “I saw it as an opportunity to go to a new community. I thought I would take a shot.”

It did not take long for that shot to land. In 21 seasons at Stone Bridge, Thompson has guided the Bulldogs to a 229-47 record with 16 district titles, 13 region titles and 10 appearances in the state championship game. Along the way, Thompson coached his three sons, as well as a handful of players who have gone on to the NFL, including Washington Football Team star Jonathan Allen, who was the DC Touchdown Club’s 2013 Virginia High School Player of the Year.

This spring, Stone Bridge won its second-ever state championship with a thrilling, 13-10 overtime victory over Highland Springs to complete an undefeated season. It was Thompson’s 300th victory as a head coach.

“Sometimes it really takes me longer to restart after the season, to forget about that season and move onto the next season,” Thompson said. “i thought this season would be a lot harder [finishing on May 1] but after winning and seeing a lot of new faces, I just want to get them going. I’m definitely a player’s coach.”

Washington, D.C. High School Player of the Year: Trey Jamison, Gonzaga College High School

There have been moments when Trey Jamison realized he was more appreciative of opportunities that once seemed routine, such as spending time with friends, working out and even just getting on the football field, where the Gonzaga College High School senior certainly made the most of his opportunities.

During this spring’s shortened season, the standout linebacker made 44 tackles and had three sacks, helping the Eagles to a 5-0 record. Jamison earned first-team all-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference honors and was named the DC Touchdown Club DC High School Player of the Year.

But perhaps making Jamison’s athletic success more impressive is what he did away from the field.

He was just 13 years old when his mother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. Jamison’s older sisters no longer lived at home, so the responsibility of caring for Kimmarie Jamison fell to Trey and his father, Vance.

“But if you didn’t know, he would never tell you,” Gonzaga football coach Randy Trivers said. “He never missed school, never missed a practice. Was a great leader, always optimistic. In the meantime, he was running back and forth, caring for his mom.”

“It was hard to see my mom go through things,” Jamison said. “There were a bunch of things I had to do to take care of my mom, things a high school kid normally wouldn’t have to do. It helped me persevere on and off the field and made me look at my opportunities differently.”

Kimmarie Jamison passed away in April 2020, though a memorial service was delayed until April 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A few hours after the service, Jamison was back on the football field, leading the Eagles to another victory. In the fall, Jamison will attend the U.S. Naval Academt and play football for the Midshipmen.

“He wasn’t a guy that grew up saluting, that thought he would be a military academy guy,” Trivers said. “He had a lot of opportunities because he’s talented athletically and academically. Navy has high-end football and is super-high academically and prepares you for a career. The most awesome thing about Trey is his strength and positivity regarding what he had to go through in his personal life. Trey is a special guy for sure.”