RICHMOND, VA — The Virginia Prep League (VPL) has officially released its 2026 All-Prep football honors, recognizing the standout student-athletes and coaches from the league for their exceptional performances this season.

Highlighting this year’s individual awards, Deacon Skogen, junior quarterback for Trinity Episcopal School, has been named the 2026 Virginia Prep League Player of the Year. Under Skogen’s dynamic offensive leadership, Trinity Episcopal School secured the title of 2026 VPL Champions.

St. Christopher’s School Head Coach Lance Clelland earned VPL Coach of the Year honors not only for his excellence in coaching, but also for his incredible perseverance and dedication to the program in the face of much adversity. Additionally, his team was voted the recipient of the 2026 VPL Sportsmanship Award, recognizing the program’s commitment to integrity, character, and fair play on the gridiron.

Quarterback

Deacon Skogen – Trinity Episcopal School

Running Backs

Jaheem Draughn – Woodberry Forest School

CJ Gray – Trinity Episcopal School

Aiden White – St. Christopher's School

Tight End

Marshall Hughes – Woodberry Forest School

Wide Receivers

KJ Harris – Trinity Episcopal School

Landon Hicks – Trinity Episcopal School

NYrobi Johnson – Woodberry Forest School

JJ Tidwell – St. Christopher’s School

Linemen

Oronde Beamon – Trinity Episcopal School

Landon Bell  – Trinity Episcopal School

Eli Isaacs – Trinity Episcopal School

Joshua Lord – Woodberry Forest School

Charlie Parker – St. Christopher’s School

JR Saunders – Woodberry Forest School

Kicker

Lucas Dengel – Woodberry Forest School

Athlete

Josiah Walker – Trinity Episcopal School

Linemen

Lance Clelland – St. Christopher's School

Parker Daley – Woodberry Forest School

Michael Gibbs – Trinity Episcopal School

Saadiq Pone – Trinity Episcopal School

Linebackers

Asa Arnold – Woodberry Forest School

Trey Cherry – Trinity Episcopal School

Bowan Ireland – St. Christopher’s School

William Litton – Woodberry Forest School

Defensive Backs

Marquez Bullock – Trinity Episcopal School

Mason Cherry – Trinity Episcopal School

Keondre Hudgens – Woodberry Forest School

Hugh Mack – St. Christopher’s School

CJ Rissmiller – Woodberry Forest School

Julius Strother – Woodberry Forest School

Athlete

Khalid Rainer – Trinity Episcopal School

Tommy Sanker – Woodberry Forest School

Punter

William Sterling – St. Christopher’s School

The Virginia Prep League is composed of schools that share a similar philosophy for interscholastic athletics. The League is a cooperative endeavor which seeks to recognize and promote sportsmanship and athletic excellence among its member schools. 

On Sunday morning, twelve of Woodberry’s international students hosted ten international students from Blue Ridge School for a friendly basketball. Coached by Lewis Affronti and officiated by Matt Blundin and Ty Adams, the teams displayed great energy, determination, and sportsmanship throughout two action-packed twenty-minute halves. The players on the bench stayed on their feet, cheering for every play and creating an atmosphere full of enthusiasm, camaraderie, and fun. The Woodberry Tigers took home the victory! Following the game, players from both schools gathered in the dining hall for a delicious brunch. The visiting Blue Ridge team shared how much they had enjoyed the event, and everyone is looking forward to making it a recurring tradition!

 

On Monday, our exchange and ASSIST students embarked on an inspiring trip to Washington, DC The group toured the US Capitol, explored the wonders of the National Air and Space Museum, and logged an impressive ten miles while exploring the National Mall. Along the way, students visited iconic landmarks, including the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial, and the White House. Throughout the day, the trip sparked rich, thoughtful discussions about global issues and politics, all energized by plenty of pizza!

The 50th Annual Woodberry Forest School Invitational Cross Country Meet, held September 25, 2026, carried special significance as the school honored David Trent Bloor P’81 ’83, former science teacher and cross-country coach.

David coached cross country at Woodberry Forest from 1968 to 1981 and founded the school’s invitational meet. A legendary runner at the University of Virginia in the late 1950s, he went on to build a remarkable coaching career that spanned five decades.

Before the meet began, Athletic Director Matt Blundin P’20 ’25 addressed the community to commemorate the 50th running of the Invitational and to honor Coach Bloor, who began the tradition. The tribute celebrated not only David’s accomplishments as a coach and runner, but also his lasting influence on generations of student-athletes and coaches. 

Please enjoy the video of the ceremony, photographs from the event, and historic photos of David at Woodberry. 

This past Saturday, the Clay Tigers competed in an ATA tournament at PSC, putting their skills to the test alongside shooters of all ages and experience levels.

 

They had some outstanding performances throughout the day. Charlie Cox took first place in the sub-junior division, while Bryan Li shot a perfect 25/25 to win the junior division. Several of our Clay Tigers also outshot adult competitors, a great testament to the time, dedication, and hard work they have put into their shooting. View the team's score sheet.

 

And, in keeping with Clay Tigers tradition, we’ll be shooting Bryan’s hat to celebrate his perfect score!

 

After the tournament, Xander Abraham, William Burris, Bob Li, Bryan Li, Daniel Murray, and Easton Tuck headed to Arrow Point to work with Combat Warriors, a charity organization that supports soldiers. The boys had the opportunity to help coach soldiers during their first dove hunt. Their knowledge, encouragement, and support made a real difference, with several soldiers successfully limiting out thanks to the boys’ coaching.

 

It was a great day of competition, camaraderie, and giving back. We’re proud of all our Clay Tigers for representing the team so well both on and off the range!

Woodberry Welcomes Author and Historian S. C. Gwynne as Fitzpatrick Lecturer

 

We are honored to welcome acclaimed author and historian S. C. Gwynne as our Fitzpatrick Lecture speaker. Gwynne is the author of our all-school summer read Empire of the Summer Moon, a New York Times bestseller and a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. The book also received the Texas Book Award and the Oklahoma Book Award.

 

In his compelling work, Mr. Gwynne explores the history of the Comanches and their forty-year struggle for control of the American West, while bringing to life the extraordinary stories of Cynthia Ann Parker and her son, Quanah Parker. Through meticulous research and vivid storytelling, Mr. Gwynne offers a fascinating perspective on the people and events that shaped the American frontier.

 

We are looking forward to S. C. Gwynne sharing his insights and helping our community engage with this important and complex chapter of American history and invite you to join us virtually for the livestream of the talk on Thursday, September 17 at 7:00 p.m.

 

Congratulations are in order for Matt Tilley ’99 who earned two Emmy Awards for his editing work on Alex Ovechkin: Drive to 895 and Hometown with Rachel Nichols: The Gr8 Chase, both produced by Monumental Sports Network. 

 

The films chronicle the renowned Russian hockey player’s journey to surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s NHL scoring record, featuring clips of each of the 895 goals that made him the all-time leading scorer. Matt has built a twenty-year career as a video editor across sports television, reality programming, and documentaries. Most recently, Matt started editing videos for YouTube creator Mark Rober, whose do-it-yourself science videos have attracted nearly eighty million subscribers to his platform. 

Chloe Appleby has joined the Woodberry Forest School communications office as an assistant director of communications.

In this role, Chloe will draw on her background in journalism and digital storytelling to uncover and share the stories that connect Woodberry with parents, alumni, donors, and the broader community. She will also lead our journalism class, mentoring the next generation of reporters for The Oracle.

Chloe earned a bachelor of arts in English from Davidson College and a master of science in journalism from Columbia University, where she graduated as the valedictorian of her class. She began her career as a content marketing intern at Wray Ward in Charlotte, North Carolina, before moving into writing and reporting roles at Red Ventures and, most recently, The Island Packet, where she covered local news. 

“We are very fortunate to have Chloe join our team,” said Mandy Alexander, director of strategic communications. “Her strong background in reporting is perfect for uncovering the human-interest stories that make the Woodberry experience so special.”

Chloe lives in the Walker Family Apartment with her fiancé, Joe Nero, who works as an assistant director in college counseling and coaches basketball, and their two cats.

We’re excited for the creativity, curiosity, and enthusiasm she’ll bring to our community. Please join us in giving Chloe a warm welcome! She can be reached by email at chloe_appleby@woodberry.org.