Mellor seals Woodgrove win over Tuscarora

PURCELLVILLE, Va. -- Woodgrove High star freshman Dylan Mellor has helped propel the Wolverines to multiple victories by carrying the football all season but Monday against Tuscarora, the script was switched.

In a 22-16 win, Mellor's defensive effort was the difference as his late-game interception sealed the victory.

On offense, Mellor poured on 111 yards rushing with two touchdowns and a two-point conversion. He also added two catches for 11 yards, nine tackles, two pass break-ups, and that game-clinching interception with 53 seconds left to play.

In the second half, Mellor's key 14- and 16-yard runs on two third-and-long plays that sustained key Woodgrove drives.

The Wolverines now head into their final game of the season against rival Loudoun Valley at 5:45 p.m. on Nov. 1.

Different game, same Mellor

Dylan Mellor continued his torrid pace through the Woodgrove High School freshman football season with another standout performance.

Mellor, the 5-foot-11, 160-pound tailback/safety, torched the Skyline High defense with 176 yards rushing on just seven carries and four touchdowns. He also added one touchdown catch of 21 yards and one punt return for 22 yards in the win.

Defensively, Mellor racked up four tackles despite not playing on that side of the ball in second half.

Next up for the Wolverines is a home game against Heritage on Oct. 17 at 5:45 p.m.

Mellor shines in victory, breaks touchdown mark

Dylan Mellor scores three more touchdowns to grab the Woodgrove High School single-season touchdown mark

BRAMBLETON, Va. – Twenty-four hours after the scheduled game time, the Woodgrove High School Wolverines headed into hostile territory against an even more hostile opponent, Briar Woods High School.

The Wolverines came out victorious on the other side against arguably their toughest opponent to date.

Heading into Tuesday evening's game, the Falcons had not allowed a touchdown all season long. Briar Woods had also not allowed a touchdown to any Woodgrove offense in the program’s two-year existence.

To make matters even worse, the game – originally scheduled for Monday evening – was postponed to Tuesday night due to abundant showers in Northern Virginia, creating soggy conditions not conducive to scoring.

During the first quarter, it seemed as if the offensive struggles would continue for Woodgrove. Despite grabbing a line-drive kick that bounced off a Falcon defender and starting the game with the ball, Briar Woods held the Woodgrove offense to a loss of five yards on their first two possessions, while grabbing an 8-0 lead themselves.

The Wolverine offense bucked that trend however during their first possession of the second quarter as they scored the first touchdown on the Briar Woods defense all season.

Running back/safety Dylan Mellor took a direct handoff up the middle, bounced the ball to the outside and rumbled down the sideline, outrunning several defenders en route to a 70-yard touchdown rush. That score would not only be the first Wolverine touchdown against BWHS, but also set the Woodgrove High School single-season touchdown record at 13 in the process.

After trading scores, the teams went to the break deadlocked at 14.

Mellor, however, wasn’t done.

The third quarter opened with a bang on Woodgrove’s first possession as quarterback Billy Sheehan hit Mellor on a fly route down the field for a 52-yard pass-and-catch touchdown.

Woodgrove would not look back after taking the lead as they continually stopped the Briar Woods offense and held the ball for the majority of the fourth quarter.

Mellor would score nearing the end of the fourth quarter on a one-yard punch up the middle. Adding a two-point conversion via a Sheehan-to-Mellor pass, Woodgrove would increase their lead to 28-14. One more defensive stand and the Wolverines would win by that mark, giving the program their first victory over Briar Woods.

Mellor would finish the game with 108 yards on 13 carries with two touchdowns. His lone catch on the evening went for 52 yards and a score. Adding 40 more kick return yards, Mellor accounted for 200 total yards of offense, three touchdowns and a two-point conversion.

Defensively, Mellor accumulated 10 tackles and had a pass break up late in the game. He now has 70 tackles on the season with three PBU’s and two interceptions. Offensively, Mellor has 605 yards on the ground with nine rushing touchdowns and 160 yards through the air and four more scores on the season.

Mellor has 15 touchdowns on the year, good enough for the Woodgrove High School single-season scoring record. He still has four more games remaining on the season.

Woodgrove High School takes on Skyline High School this Monday evening at 6:00 p.m.

Mellor shreds Loudon County, ties TD mark

Freshman star ties school record for touchdowns in a season while leading the way in Woodgrove’s 35-20 victory over the Raiders

PURCELLVILLE, Va. – A week after starting running back/safety Dylan Mellor stole the show in the Woodgrove High freshman team’s decisive victory over Dominion High, Mellor topped even himself in Monday evening’s victory over Loudon County.
 
Mellor ran for 178 yards on 20 carries with one rushing touchdown while also catching four balls for 90 yards and two more scores. Adding kick return and punt return yardage, Mellor accumulated 326 yards of total offense in a game Woodgrove High (5-0) won 35-20 over Loudoun County High School.
 
Add a two-point conversion reception and Mellor single-handedly tied Loudoun County.
 
After an early score by County, Woodgrove found themselves where they hardly have this season, trailing. A calm, cool and collected Woodgrove offense took the field a play later and marched down the field for a score.
 
A series later, the Wolverines took the lead on Mellor’s first score – an option pitch he took 45 yards to the left side for the touchdown. Mellor squirted by two defenders near the line of scrimmage and sprinted down the left sideline untouched to give his team a 12-7 lead at halftime.
 
Mellor finished the first half with 115 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown.
 
Queue the second half; queue Mellor taking over.
 
Woodgrove’s first possession of the second half saw Mellor’s second touchdown, a 46-yard touchdown reception. Mellor grabbed a swing pass near the line of scrimmage and did the rest of the work with his legs and shifty footwork. A cut here, a cut there and Mellor sped past defenders, yet again up the left sideline, for his second score of the game.
 
A successful two-point conversion and Woodgrove was up 20-7. The game looked to be getting out of hand when, on Loudoun County’s next possession, a fumbled pitch recovered by Woodgrove was returned 70 yards for a go-ahead touchdown.
 
With Mellor’s two-point conversion reception after that touchdown, Woodgrove took a 28-7 late in the third quarter.
 
Despite that, Loudoun County came back out on offense poised and scored on their very next possession, making it a two-possession game.
 
A decisive fourth quarter drive by the Woodgrove offense was capped by a 26-yard touchdown reception by Mellor. An extra point later, Woodgrove propelled their lead to 35-14.
 
Despite a kickoff return touchdown by County on the ensuing kick, it was too little too late for the Raiders as the Wolverines found themselves on the winning spectrum once again. The Wolverines are now 5-0 at the midway point of the season.
 
As if adding 326 yards on the offensive side wasn’t enough, Mellor had himself a solid defensive performance on the evening as well. Mellor amassed 14 tackles and a pass-break up from his safety position.
 
At one point, Mellor ran down a Raider receiver that slipped by the Wolverine defense and stopped him before the goal line. Despite the long gain by County on the play, the Woodgrove stands erupted in louder cheers due to the effort shown by Mellor.
 
Heading into a game against Briar Woods High School next Monday, Mellor needs just one touchdown to set the Woodgrove High School single-season touchdown record. Mellor tied the record with his last touchdown against County, his 12th on the season.
 
Mellor now has 497 yards on 47 carries with seven touchdowns on the ground. He also has accrued 108 yards on seven receptions and three touchdowns through the air. Defensively, Mellor now has 60 tackles, two interceptions and two pass-break ups halfway through the season.
 
Mellor and Woodgrove travel to Brambleton, Va. this Monday to face off against Briar Woods at 5:45 p.m. EST.

Mellor dominates Dominion High

STERLING, Va. -- Starting running back/safety Dylan Mellor helped propel the Woodgrove High freshman football team to a 27-6 win over Dominion High Tuesday night.

The Wolverines are now a perfect 4-0 on the season thanks in large part to the do-it-all efforts of Mellor.

Woodgrove's star rusher finished the night with 142 yards and three touchdowns on just nine carries and one catch for 10 yards. Mellor registered 133 of those yards in the first half while helping push the Wolverines to a 20-6 halftime advantage.

He then emerged from the locker room and switched to quarterback for the third quarter with the game out of hand. Mellor did not have to play in the fourth quarter.

Defensively, Mellor posted five tackles from his safety spot.

Freshman Year Update

Dylan Mellor has kicked off his first year of high school football. Here's a breakdown of how Woodgrove HIgh School's freshman-football star is doing through the first three games of the season:

Game 1: 7 carries for 154 yards and 3 touchdowns; 1 punt return for 38 yards; 12 tackles, 1 pass deflection -- Woodgrove won: 36 - 6

Game 2: 6 carries for 9 yards; 2 receptions for 18 yards and 1 touchdown; 1 punt return for a 60-yard touchdown; 14 tackles; 1 interception return for 40 yards
Woodgrove won: 53 - 18

Game 3: 5 carries for 14 yards; 2-point conversion rush; 1 punt return for an 80-yard touchdown; 1 kickoff return for 40 yards; 15 tackles; 1 interception
Woodgrove won: 34 - 14

Woodgrove has outscored its opponents 123 to 38 through 3 games.

Jimbo Fisher Camp 2011

Dylan Mellor participated in the second session of the Jimbo Fisher Football Camp in late July.

While at the camp, Mellor competed at wide receiver where he was coached up by Florida State wide receivers coach Lawrence Dawssey. On the final day of action, Mellor caught three tough passes in the highly competitive 7-on-7 drills.

Coach on Mellor: 'Best hands I have seen in many, many years'

Dylan Mellor's Grass Roots Youth Football League season has come to a close and his head coach has shared some very kind words about his performance. Remember, this was Mellor's first full season in what is the "all-star" youth football league in the Washington D.C.-Northern Virginia-Maryland area.

It was also his first time playing the wide receiver position.

Here is a transcript of what Loudoun County War Eagles coach Rusty Markland had to say about about his top pass-catcher:

"For opposing teams he is called 'The Sleeper' for the simple reason you do not notice him until he is behind the defense with the ball in his hand scoring. Another unknown factor to most is that Mellor was the fastest player on the Eagle team. Mellor is a position receiver that will get you first downs and he is a deep threat…that combination is lethal. If the defense does not double cover Mellor he will make you pay. Probably the best hands I have seen in many, many years…nothing gets by him. He has baseball gloves for hands (huge) and seems to have superglue on his fingers…that with his speed and precise routes is remarkable. His talent went unnoticed for several weeks, he prefers to work his talent and not his mouth. If all the catches were added up on all teams I would select Mellor is the best overall receiver in the GYFL hands down. How we did not hear more of him in A League is a mystery, rest assured every GYFL coach knows him. Mellor has the talent and the character to transcend high school and play and learn on a much higher level in many ways, not just sports."

New Photos: Season finale

Here are some photos from Dylan Mellor's final game of the 2011 Grassroots Youth Football League 2011 season.

New Photos: Games 4 and 5

Check out the latest photos of Dylan Mellor in action for the Loudoun County War Eagles. All photos were taken by Cameron Mellor. (cammellor@gmail.com).

Game 3 photos: Dylan Mellor in action

Here are some photos of Dylan Mellor during Loudoun County's victory over Baltimore County on June 4.

All photos are courtesy of Cameron Mellor Photography (cammellor@gmail.com)

Mellor nabs second TD score of the season

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The second game on the Loudoun County War Eagles' 2011 Grass Roots Youth Football League schedule may have resulted in a different outcome than the first, but one key component remained the same: Dylan Mellor still lives in the endzone.

Mellor (14) caught his second touchdown pass in as many games despite the War Eagles' first loss of the season to the league's top squad, Prince George's County. Mellor's five-yard scoring play in which he used motion from the slot to generate just enough room to make the catch proved to be the only offensive points for Loudon County.

The Orlando, Fla. native finished the day with four catches for 70 yards while adding 60 yards on three kick returns. Mellor also posted five tackles from the safety position.

Next up for the 5-foot-11 athlete and his teammates is a matchup with Baltimore County on June 4.

Game 2 Photos of Dylan Mellor:

First game, first touchdown for Mellor

SEVERN, Md. -- Dylan Mellor's first official game after moving to Virgina from Orlando, Fla. couldn't have gone much better.

Sporting jersey No. 3 and starting at wide receiver, Mellor (age 14) posted the first touchdown of the season for the Loudoun County War Eagles in the team's season-opening win on May 21, 2011.

Mellor beat the defender off the line of scrimmage before running a go-route and hauling in what would be a 70-yard catch-and-run touchdown. He finished the day with two catches for 100 yards.

Photo Gallery: Grass Roots Football - April 11, 2011

Grass Roots football practice on April 9, 2011

Dylan (14 years old) is on the far right.