Chantilly’s (VA) varsity football squad is 2-0 following last Friday night’s victory over Osbourn Park, a great start for a team that went 0-10 in 2017 and is seeking its first winning campaign since 2012. One of the Chargers’ leaders and best players is senior tackle/defensive lineman James Pogorelc, who has also emerged as one of the most highly recruited lineman in the Commonwealth.

Pogorelc received a scholarship offer last week from the University of Virginia. The 6’8”, 270-pound senior boasts over 20 college scholarship offers in total, highlighted by schools from the Atlantic Coast (Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia, Wake Forest), Big Ten (Indiana, Illinois, Purdue, Rutgers), and Pac 12 (Arizona State, UCLA) conferences. An outstanding student, Pogorelc is considering opportunities from Ivy League schools Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton and Yale.

“It’s always been a dream of mine, since the time I was five years old and fell in love with the game,” Pogorelc said of playing major college football.

Pogorelc received college interest last fall and winter. However, his playing weight during the 2018 season was 235 pounds, and presumably many of the coaches of the major FBS programs that have now offered were waiting to see how he developed this offseason.

“My focus this past offseason was just eating a lot consistently and lifting every day,” Pogorelc said. “I wanted to put on a good amount of weight but do it in a way where I could still move around very well and not lose any athleticism.”

Pogorelc was successful in his offseason ventures. When he participated in The Opening Regional in Washington D.C. on May 5, he weighed 256 pounds. He posted a 4.68 shuttle time at the event while showcasing his talents as well, earning recognition from 247Sports.com as a top performer at the event. 247Sports now ranks him as a 3-star prospect and the no. 11 senior in Virginia.