Terrell Corley has the moves in the backfield and the passion on defense to be one of Handley's top players this season. It won't hurt that he has two of his closest friends to take the field with once again.
Photo by Rich Cooley/Daily
WINCHESTER — When they were younger, Terrell Corley, J.J. Dorsey and Andre Ricketts used to play football together on the streets of Winchester. They’d play for hours and hours, until darkness set in and forced them to call it quits.
Now, years later and under the bright lights at Handley, the same trio is still playing together.
“It’s been fun because we played backyard football when we were younger,” Corley said. “We played little league [football]. We were on different teams, but it’s always fun to complete against them. Then we got to Daniel Morgan [Middle School] and played there together, and then we came here and played together.”
Ricketts is one of Handley’s top receivers and Dorsey, who is verbally committed to play at West Virginia University next fall, is the Judges’ star quarterback.
Last season, however, it was Corley who stepped up his game and staked his claim to a share of the spotlight.
Handley lost several key players after Corley’s sophomore season, so he went to more camps and hit the weight room even harder to prepare for his junior year and seize the opportunity.
“Last year, I worked really hard in the offseason because we were losing a lot of good quality players so I took it upon myself to do what I could to be a better player and do what I can to help the team,” he said.
Corley made a big impact on the Judges, especially on defense and special teams.
He had his big breakout game against Brentsville, where he had two interceptions, blocked an extra point and batted away a potential game-tying two-point conversion in Handley’s 28-26 win.
Handley coach Tony Rayburn said he wasn’t surprised at the year Corley had.
“He started when he was a sophomore, and you could tell he had instincts and athleticism,” Rayburn said. “He’s worked so hard to improve on the natural talents that he has. Sometimes kids that have ability get lazy, Terrell is the exact opposite.”
He finished last year with five interceptions, 38 tackles and blocked four extra points. He also made the AP Group AA All-state second team.
Another highlight of the season for Corley was a 102-yard interception return for a touchdown against James Wood. Corley’s athleticism has been a big help to his ability to block kicks.
“I come off the end so I feel like I can get a pretty good jump, especially if they don’t touch me,” Corley said. “Then it’s pretty easy to run and block it.”
Corley also pulled double duty and shifted to running back last season for the Judges, who had only 33 players on the roster.
He finished with 14 carries for 68 yards. This season the Judges plan to use him a lot more at running back, along with Jeremiah Wilson and Leonard Grant.
“Having him back there is nice,” Dorsey said. “He’s strong and he has moves. He’ll be able to break the long one sometimes. He can pass block, catch the balls out of the backfield. He’s a pretty good athlete.”
Corley said he’s always wanted to be a running back just like his uncle, Roger Corley, who was a standout for Handley.
While he likes being a running back, Corley said his first love is still at defensive back. Not only does he get to make interceptions, but he gets to tackle.
“I like everything about [football],” Corley said. “It’s the only sport where you actually get to hit people. It’s really great when you make a big hit or an interception and run it back. I like the contact.”
Handley’s roster doubled in size this season, as 66 players have come out, giving the team a reason for optimism after a 7-4 campaign. The Judges return most of the offense and the entire starting secondary on defense.
Handley has 18 seniors, most of whom have been playing together for a long time, and that is sure to be beneficial to its success.
“The chemistry between our guys, and it has to start with our seniors, is real good,” Rayburn said. “They get along real good, challenge each other and respect each other.”
Three of those 18 seniors began their football days playing in the backyard in their neighborhood. Now they’re hoping to guide their team to a successful season. Dorsey said it’s been great to see Corley’s game improve.
“We were raised on playing football, that’s how we got so good,” Dorsey said. “Over the years he has gotten better and better. Some of the plays he made last year was really outstanding I didn’t know he could do that. He had a couple interceptions and catches that I’ve never seen him do.”
