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Former Gretna gridiron star captains Cavaliers
Wednesday, August 6, 2008 3:12 PM EDT
Vicqual Hall, UVa. prepare for Aug. 30 opener
By ANDREW BOWLER/Womack Publishing Service
A former football star at Gretna High School is ready to lead his college team.
Vicqual Hall was named a team captain by University of Virginia Coach Al Groh, after a vote among the other players.
"It felt good that my teammates have a lot of trust in me and voted me a captain," Hall, 21, said.
Now the starting cornerback is ready to take the field and start his junior season.
Virginia, which finished last season with a 9-4 record, opens its 12-game 2008 season Aug. 30 at home against national power Southern California.
"We've got to work hard," Hall said.
Hall, an anthropology major at UVa, played quarterback at Gretna High School and won back-to-back state titles in 2003 and 2004.
He shattered every major offensive school record along the way and broke Ronald Curry's record for total offensive yards for the state of Virginia.
Curry is currently a wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League.
Hall, son of Rochelle Hall and Victor Calloway, totaled 13,770 yards of offense, which placed him fifth all-time nationally.
He passed for 8,731 yards and 104 touchdowns, both state records. He also rushed for 5,039 yards and 66 touchdowns.
The Hawks had a 47-5 record under Hall, including going undefeated in his final two seasons, for which he was named state player of the year both times.
Hall was a versatile player for the Cavaliers last fall.
He started at cornerback, was the holder for the kicking unit on special teams and also thrived at returning punts.
"I try to be a leader," he said. "I'm not as much of a vocal leader. I lead by example and try to do it the right way."
Hall ended the year with 58 tackles, one interception and averaged 10 yards on punt returns.
Another former football star from the area, Cedric Peerman, who played at William Campbell, was also named a captain by Groh.
A senior tailback, Peerman led the Cavaliers in rushing last year with 585 yards, despite missing much of the season with an injury. He had a career-high 186 yards in Virginia's win over North Carolina.
Virginia opened football practice Monday.
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