Manchester High football coach Tom Hall after 40-21 win over Thomas Dale in 2023 Region 6A semifinal
Longtime Manchester High football coach and Virginia Tech alumnus Tom Hall, one of the winningest VHSL coaches in Central Virginia with 193 career victories, has a particular affinity for “one-school town” programs.
So even before Hall in December stepped down after 25 years leading the Lancers, the wheels were already turning upon the path which would lead him to his next destination.
Hall on Tuesday confirmed that he will be the next head coach at Prince George.
Manchester Head Coach Tom Hall calls out to the Lancers as they play Midlothian at home Friday, October 14, 2022.
Former Royals coach Scott Girolmo took the post in November of 2020, and went 5-25 in three seasons at the helm before stepping down this offseason.
“Every coach, whatever sport you coach it doesn’t matter, you’re going to come to a crossroads where it’s either time to give it up, hang your whistle up forever, or it’s time for a change,” Hall said, adding that he made the decision last summer while on vacation with his family that the 2023 season would be his last at Manchester.
“I knew it was time for a change.”
Hall jokingly stressed that, when he stepped down, he never used the word “retire.” He had a strong conviction all along that the 2023 Lancers team was a poignant group with which to conclude his Manchester tenure. But he also hoped to return to the sidelines elsewhere before long.
Back in 2017, Hall spoke with current Royals director of athletics Bruce Carroll at the Big River Rivalry game.
He joked with Carroll, who served as Prince George head coach for 11 seasons before transitioning to AD, that in a few years, he’d come down to coach with him.
“I’ve always been enamored with one-school town football,” Hall said. “There’s something special about it, something different.”
Manchester High football coach Tom Hall after 22-7 win over L.C Bird
Hall met with Girolmo not long ago, and tentatively planned to join his staff. He didn’t want to be a distraction to new Lancers coach Jason Harrell, previously Hall’s defensive coordinator.
Rather, he felt a need to chart a new path at a program that would present a fresh challenge.
Then Girolmo resigned, and the path ahead was clear.
“They always say ‘Everything is done for a reason,’” Hall said. “I cannot tell you how excited I am. I love the whole process.”
In rebuilding the program at Prince George, Hall sees a challenge akin to that which he faced at Manchester 25 years ago.
Though recent Royals seasons have proven uphill battles, Hall sees a foundation of great kids and strong track and wrestling programs.
When Hall was an assistant coach earlier in his career, his teams competed against rural high schools such as Sussex Central, Bath County, Madison County and Powhatan County.
It was then that he began to fall in love with the purity of “one-school town” football programs.
“You just see, there’s a different level of intimacy between community and school,” Hall said.
“I think the coaches at the single-A level are probably the best coaches in the state. Because you have to coach the 30 or 35 kids that you have come out.
“You’re not going to have five-star kids that are on everyone’s watch list. You’re coaching kids that — the game of football is still pure, it still means something. Sometimes, when you get into a big area, people lose sight of what we do. We’re coaching kids to teach them about life, to teach them about the great game that we love.”
Manchester coach Tom Hall says the goal of the Commonwealth Coaches Association is a voice that will be “unified and heard” by the VHSL.
As of 2022, Prince George County’s population was reported at 1,964. The Royals play in Region 5C, and the VHSL website reports their enrollment at 1,333.
So though the school is technically in Metro Richmond, compared to other programs in Central Virginia, it certainly fits Hall’s affinity for “one-school town” programs.
Hall is in the process of putting together his staff and said fans can expect to see “some familiar faces that have been with me in the past.”
His Royals staff will include some his own previous assistants and some that have already worked at the school under Girolmo.
In the immediate future, Hall will be hanging out in the community, meeting local kids, putting them through workouts and ingratiating himself in the communal fabric surrounding the program.
Prince George’s last winning season was its final under Carroll, a 5-2 campaign in the pandemic-altered spring 2021 slate. Before that, the Royals went 7-4 and made the playoffs in 2019, the first time since 1998 that the program produced more than five victories in a season.
“Changing the culture, changing the way we approach things … my family, we’re all super excited for the challenge, and to go through the process,” Hall said.
“It’s been overwhelming how things have aligned. I’m very humbled and excited. I want to give the community of Prince George a program they can be proud of.”
Andre Clarke Jr., receiver/DB, Hermitage: The 6-1, 175-pound two-way standout is likely a corner at the next level, but he made plays all over the field for the Panthers in 2023. He’s been a name garnering buzz around the area since youth ball.
He’s listed by 247Sports as a four-star recruit and the No. 6 corner nationally in his class. Washington, Tennessee, Florida State and Minnesota are among Clarke’s strong offer list, plus West Virginia, Virginia Tech and ODU.
Brennan Johnson, linebacker, Highland Springs: The son of Springers coach Loren Johnson, Brennan, a first-team All-Metro honoree and the Class 6 defensive player of the year, dissects the game with a standout football IQ.
His older brother, Braylon, is a rising sophomore at Tech, and the Hokies are among a 247Sports offer list for Brennan (6-0, 190) that also includes Penn State, Virginia, ODU, Maryland and Appalachian State.
Bryce Yates, receiver/DB, Matoaca: After an electric junior season in which Yates caught 79 balls for 1,193 yards and 18 touchdowns and intercepted six passes, the offers have started to ramp up for the Warriors’ talisman. JMU, Duke, Pitt, ODU, Maryland and Appalachian State are among the offers listed by 247Sports for the 6-0, 170-pound first-team All-Metro and All-State selection.
Caleb Williams, defensive line, Matoaca: The All-Metro defensive player of the year was at the top of the scouting report for every opponent, said Warriors coach Fred Stoots.
And yet, the 6-5, 250-pound pass rusher and four-star recruit still amassed 95 tackles, 25 for losses, plus 15 sacks. Per 247Sports, the battle for Williams’ signature is a three-horse race between Penn State, Virginia Tech and South Carolina. Virginia and West Virginia are also part of a strong offer list.
Da’Mari Carter, receiver, Varina: Pitt, West Virginia and Indiana were among the offers to come in during January for the ascendant Blue Devil, who made a number of highlight-reel grabs last season. Virginia Tech, Duke and ODU are also among those schools listed on 247Sports for Carter, a 6-0, 195-pound athlete with an exceptional ability to high-point the ball in contested catch situations.
Darius Gray, offensive line, St. Christopher’s: A Max Preps All-American, first-team All-Metro pick and the co-Prep League player of the year, Gray has earned as many plaudits as any local underclassman in recent memory. It’s especially rare to see a lineman garner this level of hype at such a young age.
Also a standout basketball player, Gray’s footwork and agility at his size (6-4, 285) are worthy of the ‘unicorn’ moniker so popular in basketball.
His skillset at his measurables is mythically unique. The four-star recruit likely has his pick of the nation in terms of college destinations — Alabama, Michigan and Georgia headline an elite offer list that also includes Virginia and Virginia Tech.
Davion Brown, receiver, Trinity Episcopal: The legend of the 6-3, 185-pound talent nicknamed “Fat Rat” continued to grow this fall as Brown, despite missing three games, tallied 34 receptions for 584 yards and five touchdowns while carrying 29 times for 366 yards and three TDs.
The four-star prospect (247Sports) with eye-popping big-play potential holds offers from Michigan, Florida State, Penn State and UNC, plus in-state suitors such as the Cavaliers and Hokies.
Deuce Edwards, DB/receiver, Trinity Episcopal: Terrance “Deuce” Edwards is among the state’s top prospects in his class, and he scored five offensive touchdowns at receiver in 2023 while registering 33 tackles, three interceptions (one returned for a TD) and 14 pass breakups.
Virginia Tech, Louisville, Clemson, Oklahoma and Tennessee are the favorites to sign Edwards, per 247Sports. But his extensive offer list also includes the likes of Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State. At 6-1, 180 pounds, recruiting sites list Edwards, also a track and field standout, as a corner at the next level.
Dillon Newton-Short, receiver/DB, Matoaca: Many scouts seem to have caught onto Yates and Newton-Short (6-1, 195) in tandem, which makes sense given the fact that they’re teammates with similar skillsets. Another first-team All-Metro and All-State pick, Newton-Short caught 65 passes for 1,095 yards and 22 touchdowns and picked off five passes. His offer list is nearly identical to Yates’ — Duke, JMU, Pitt, ODU, Maryland, Liberty and App State are among the potential suitors.
Eric Byrd, running back, Highland Springs: A slippery, 5-8, 180-pound runner with standout gap instincts and elusiveness in tight spaces between the tackles, Byrd erupted onto the local scene this past fall with 1,591 yards rushing and 19 touchdowns on 175 carries. Scouts noticed — West Virginia, App State and Marshall have since offered, per Byrd’s X account.
Harry Dalton, quarterback, Dinwiddie: The All-Metro offensive player of the year had 42 total touchdowns and 2,900 total yards his junior season and is on pace to potentially set career touchdown and yardage records for the area.
Keep a close eye on Dalton’s recruitment in the immediate future — with an assortment of big-time offers, including Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, USC and Michigan State, it looks like the 6-0, 205-pound athlete can go just about anywhere he wants.
It’s unclear where Dalton plays at the next level — he lists himself as an athlete, is most dangerous as a rusher but boasts a strong arm and quick release and has even spent time at defensive back.
But what is crystal clear is the agreement among college scouts around the country: the kid’s a baller and may well be playing on Sundays in a few years. Per 247Sports, North Carolina is the leader for Dalton’s signature. Virginia and Virginia Tech also have offered.
JaySean Richardson, defensive line, Varina: The first-team All-Metro pick lived in opposing backfields as just an underclassman this fall, and scouts took notice — Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Pitt and Indiana are among the offers to come in for the 6-0, 280-pound force who dominates opposing lines at the point of attack with a quick first step.
Maddox Cochrane, offensive line, Benedictine: A first-team All-State and second-team All-Metro pick, Cochrane, also a rugby state champion, passes the eye test with aplomb at 6-7, 270 pounds. The Cadets’ left tackle was a leading force in their ability to grind opponents down in the trenches.
His recruitment has begun to accelerate after Cochrane on Jan. 23 announced he had picked up his first Division I offer from Pitt. 247Sports also lists offers from Virginia Tech and Duke, while last week Cochrane posted that Syracuse had joined his growing list of potential destinations.
Samuel Cohen, defensive line, Huguenot: This 6-3, 245-pound force has somehow flown a bit under the radar. But the second-team All-Metro pick had 44 tackles (18 for losses), six sacks and two forced fumbles this past fall, filling a leadership role as a captain for the resurgent Falcons under coach Charles Scott. Cohen has certainly piqued the interest of scouts — the three-star recruit’s offer list (247Sports) includes Georgia, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
Shamari Earls, receiver/DB, Thomas Dale: Earls was a second-team All-Metro honoree after an explosive junior season in which he piled up 888 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 37 receptions (24 yards per catch) while registering three interceptions, four pass breakups and 16 solo tackles at DB.
But his season was not nearly as explosive as his recruitment has become — in the months since the season ended, offers have poured in for Earls (6-2, 195), now a four-star recruit (247Sports) with an impressive offer list that includes Georgia and reigning national champion Michigan. Virginia, Virginia Tech, James Madison, Old Dominion, Liberty and West Virginia are also among schools to offer Earls, but 247Sports lists South Carolina as the current favorite.
Zach Joachim (804) 649-6555
zjoachim@timesdispatch.com
Deputy Sports Editor
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Manchester High football coach Tom Hall after 40-21 win over Thomas Dale in 2023 Region 6A semifinal
Manchester Head Coach Tom Hall calls out to the Lancers as they play Midlothian at home Friday, October 14, 2022.
Manchester coach Tom Hall says the goal of the Commonwealth Coaches Association is a voice that will be “unified and heard” by the VHSL.
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