
NEWPORT NEWS — Nine members of the Christopher Newport University football team were recognized Thursday by the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID), as the organization released its annual all-state teams.
Two Captains, offensive lineman Amaan Miller and safety Noah Martin, were voted first team. Quarterback Connor Barry, running back Gunner White, wide receiver Colin Hart, offensive lineman Andrew Belford, linebacker Andrew Worsham, cornerback Eli Sherfield, and return specialist Trey Hayes received second team honors.
Paul Crowley‘s squad recorded a 7-3 record last fall and finished the season with a 5-1 mark in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), good enough for a second place finish in the league.
Miller, a fifth-year senior from Newport News, became the 13th CNU football standout to achieve All-American status when he was named third team All-America by D3football.com. He was a first team All-Region selection as well as first team All-Conference honoree in the NJAC. He concluded his career by starting all ten games for the Captains, and played in 43 games in his outstanding career, including a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2023. Miller led an offensive line that produced 30 rushing touchdowns and averaged 181 yards per game this season on the ground.
Martin, a sophomore safety from Spotsylvania, Va., led the Captains in tackles with 85 and passes broken up with 12. He also made four interceptions and recovered a fumble, and was named third team All-Region by D3football.com. He was also recognized by the Touchdown Club of Richmond as the commonwealth’s Defensive Back of the Year.
Barry, a sophomore from Vienna, Va., completed 68 percent of his passes and averaged 195 yards per game throwing the ball. Barry was named the Quarterback of the Year in the state by the Touchdown Club of Richmond, and was a first team All-Conference selection in the NJAC. He threw for 15 scores, and also ran for four, and was intercepted just twice.
Junior running back Gunner White, from Virginia Beach, crossed the goal line 15 times and averaged 68 yards per game rushing. He ran for 682 yards and averaged 4.9 yards per carry, and also caught 24 passes for 171 yards. He was honored by the NJAC as a first team running back following the season. Wide receiver Colin Hart, also a junior, caught 40 passes for 804 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 89.3 yards per game. The Ashburn, Va., native was also a first team All-Conference selection. Yet another junior, offensive lineman and Chesapeake product Andrew Belford, received the statewide honor after being a first team NJAC performer.
On the defensive side, senior linebacker Andrew Worsham and junior cornerback Eli Sherfield were recognized following terrific seasons in 2024. Worsham, from Glen Allen, Va., recorded 70 tackles with eight for lost yardage, and also registered three sacks for CNU. Sherfield, a native of Woodbridge, Va., tied for the NJAC lead with five interceptions, and also logged 166 yards in returns of those picks. He scored on a pick six in the season opener at Trine, and made three interceptions in the season finale vs. TCNJ.
On special teams, junior Trey Hayes received second team honors for his work on returns for the Captains. The junior from Sterling, Va., returned eight kickoffs for 211 yards, averaging 26.4 yards per return. He also posted 76 yards on ten punt returns for an average of 7.6 yards per return.
The complete list of VaSID honors for the 2024 season:
Major Awards
Coach of the Year: Pedro Arruza (Randolph-Macon)
Offensive Player of the Year: Steven Hugney (Shenandoah)
Defensive Player of the Year: Jalen Todd (Washington and Lee)
Special Teams Player of the Year: Kyle Ihle (Randolph-Macon)
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Alex Silvester (Southern Virginia)
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Joziah Campbell (Averett)
First Team Offense
QB: Steven Hugney (Shenandoah)
RB: Jacob Romero (Washington and Lee)
RB: Kwesi Clarke (Randolph-Macon)
WR: Ethan Dowdy (Hampden-Sydney)
WR: Cam Abshire (Emory & Henry)
TE: Landon Farriss (Randolph-Macon)
OL: David Munoz (Shenandoah)
OL: Harrison Donovan (Washington and Lee)
OL: Amaan Miller (Christopher Newport)
OL: Storm James (Randolph-Macon)
OL: Myles Bridges (Randolph-Macon)
First Team Defense
DL: Will Mahmud (Washington and Lee)
DL: Quincy Robinson (Bluefield)
DL: Wade Grubbs (Randolph-Macon)
DL: Owen Arruza (Randolph-Macon)
LB: Jalen Todd (Washington and Lee)
LB: Daniel Eliasek (Randolph-Macon)
LB: Matt Conroy (Shenandoah)
CB: Sean Perry (Shenandoah)
CB: Joziah Campbell (Averett)
S: Charlie Fleming (Washington and Lee)
S: Noah Martin (Christopher Newport)
Second Team Offense
QB: Connor Barry (Christopher Newport)
RB: Jalen Redfearn (Shenandoah)
RB: Gunnar White (Christopher Newport)
WR: Colin Hart (Christopher Newport)
WR: Broden Domenico (Shenandoah)
TE: Alex Silvester (Southern Virginia)
OL: Tyler Halliday (Washington and Lee)
OL: Andrew Belford (Christopher Newport)
OL: Deshaun Sharpe (Emory & Henry)
OL: Bruno Onwuazor (Virginia State)
OL: Dominic Gulli (Shenandoah)
Second Team Defense
DL: DeMarco Fleming (Bridgewater)
DL: Jeffrey Archeampong (Randolph-Macon)
DL: Brendan Wallace (Hampden-Sydney)
DL: Ethan Browne (Shenandoah)
LB: Tony Skinner (Randolph-Macon)
LB: Andrew Worsham (Christopher Newport)
LB: Kaleb Lundy (Emory & Henry)
CB: Brandon Evans (Randolph-Macon)
CB: Eli Sherfield (Christopher Newport)
S: Coleton Payne (Randolph-Macon)
S: Quentin Mankin (Randolph-Macon)
First Team Special Teams
Place Kicker: Kyle Ihle (Randolph-Macon)
Punter: William Hutton (Ferrum)
Return Specialist: Brandan Robinson (Bridgewater)
Second Team Special Teams
Place Kicker: Seth Deaton (Ferrum)
Punter: Riley Stubbs (Bluefield University)
Return Specialist: Trey Hayes (Christopher Newport)