Lexington (Ky.) Frederick Douglass 2027 wide receiver Kaden John made the long trek to West Virginia to compete in the Mountaineers one-day camp and was glad he made the trip.

John, 6-foot-0, 165-pounds, enjoyed having the opportunity to work with the coaching staff during the course of the camp, especially wide receivers coach Ryan Garrett.

“The coaching staff is amazing. They teach you a lot,” he said.

Garrett gave John some good feedback during the event and it’s something that stood out to him especially improving his technique and football IQ.

“I talked a lot to coach Ryan and he liked my route running and my 40 time,” he said.

John spoke with Garrett at the end of the camp and he said that he plans to watch his film and will then get back in touch with him in terms of his recruitment.

“I loved the coaching style and I loved the facilities,” he said.

John plans to return to West Virginia at some point in the future and also will camp at Kentucky and Marshall this summer.

Pittsburgh (Pa.) Bishop-Canevin 2027 linebacker Minikon Johnson was at West Virginia for the second 7-on-7 passing tournament of the summer and left with a scholarship offer in hand.

Johnson, 6-foot-2, 205-pounds, made the trek down with his teammates to compete in the tournament and felt that he performed well.

That was reinforced after he received word about the scholarship after speaking with senior defensive analyst and assistant linebackers coach Andrew Warwick.

And it held some significance because it was the first offer for Johnson.

After that, Johnson was able to speak with head coach Rich Rodriguez and a number of other coaches and left feeling good about his time on campus.

“I thought the visit to West Virginia was good. I liked everything about it,” he said.

Johnson is being targeted as an outside linebacker and the coaching staff was impressed with his size, along with how he moved and his ability to cover. His physicality was also a trait that the coaches highlighted as something that stood out.

The talented linebacker definitely plans on returning to Morgantown for another visit and the experience certainly left a positive impression of the Mountaineers.

“I love everything about that school and how they treated me,” he said.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Saturday is the 250th birthday of the United States Army and commemoration of the the 25-day, 600-mile march to Massachusetts to battle the siege of Boston in Shepherdstown.

U.S. Army Secretary Frank Vitale said that a militia of 98 riflemen was the start of what is now a world-class fighting force. A big leap from one of their first missions of mapping the United States during the Lewis & Clark expedition.

“Now, 450,000 soldiers are on active duty, making it the largest force, and with the reserves, we have over one million wearing the U.S. Army uniform,” Vitale said.

The Mountain State has a long history of service in the military, in fact one of the highest participation rates in the country. Additionally, soldiers in the West Virginia National Guard are deployed for floods and disasters at a higher rate than most states in the country.

“West Virginia has a legacy, a true history of military service,” Vitale said. “In fact, per capita, we’ve had more people serve this nation than any other state.”

Major General (Ret.) James Hoyer grew up in a family with a deep history of military service and even civilian employees in support roles of the military. His interest in the military was sparked by a story from his grandmother about the sacrifices made back home to support the troops during World War II. WVNG soldiers and Vietnam veterans Major Doug Richmond and LTC Charles Ledbetter got him interested in special operations, and a family friend told him how to make it happen.

“A gentleman by the name of Jack Yeager, who served in the West Virginia National Guard and was a family friend, told me I could serve in those roles in the National Guard, and that’s how I ended up where I am,” Hoyer said.

The 250th birthday of the U.S. Army should really be a celebration of the individual soldier. Hoyer pointed to the 81st anniversary of the D-Day invasion and the critical decisions that were made that set the chain of events in motion for the liberation of Europe.

“Individuals had to make decisions down at the soldier level that impacted our success as a nation, and being able to be a part of that is what being a part of the U.S. Army is all about,” Hoyer said. “What we ought to be commemorating and remembering on the U.S. Army’s birthday is the individual soldier and all of the families behind them.”

The freedoms we enjoy are only possible because of the blood and sacrifices of generations of soldiers and their families. The start of that long tradition will be remembered Saturday in Shepherdstown at Morgan’s Run Park with a commemoration of the Bee Line March from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“It goes back to the formation of the Continental Army, where those 98 militiamen left what is now Shepherdstown and marched 600 miles in 24 days to become part of the original formation of the Continental Army,” Hoyer said.