Pankovits returns to Salem Avalanche

Posted Nov30, 2007 at 02:53 PM

Jim Pankovits will be back for a third season as the manager of the Salem Avalanche, the Houston Astros announced on Friday.
Pankovits led Salem to the playoffs the past two seasons, a feat completed just once in the previous 18 seasons before his arrival in Salem.

Trainer Eric Montague is also back for another season. The new hitting coach for 2008 will be Alex Eckleman -- an all-Big Ten performer as a second baseman for Ohio State who played nine seasons of minor-league ball.

No word yet on the new pitching coach.

-- Katrina Waugh

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Hokies comment on defeat

Posted Nov29, 2007 at 12:24 AM

Mark Berman here from Penn State, where the Virginia Tech men's basketball team fell to Penn State 66-61 on Wednesday night in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge.
There will be a game story in Thursday's paper and a follow-up story with plenty of quotes in Friday's paper, but here are some comments by the Hokies to tide you over until then.
Geary Claxton, the eighth-leading scorer in Penn State history, got in foul trouble and had just eight points. He was averaging 22 points but was just 4-of-10 from the field. Jamelle Cornley was averaging 12 points but had just four points Wednesday.
"If somebody would've told me we would've held Claxton and Cornley to [12 points combined] ... I probably would've thought we would've won the game," Tech coach Seth Greenberg said.
"We've got to be a little more disciplined in terms of our defensive principles and we've got to be more consistent with our effort. We played hard, but I think the hardest thing to teach young players is understanding you've got to play every play."
Tech fell to 2-3. Penn State improved to 3-3.
The Hokies cut the lead to 48-47, 50-49, 54-51, 58-55, 60-59 and 64-61 but Penn State never lost the lead in the second half.
"They're young, like we are," Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. "They had us sideways for a little bit and then we got straightened back out and our young kids made some big plays."
Greenberg again started two freshmen and played five freshmen. He played three freshmen down the stretch - Hank Thorns, Malcolm Delaney and Jeff Allen - along with Deron Washington and A.D. Vassallo.
Tech trailed 38-28 at halftime
"We lost it in the first half," Delaney said of the game.
"We've been having a lot of bad shot selection during this course of this little three-game losing streak we've been having, but hopefully we could work on that," Thorns said. "That's something that could be fixed."
Tech did play poorly in the first half, but Greenberg and the players did not blame their play on having had to fly from Anchorage to Salt Lake City to Atlanta to Roanoke on Sunday, when they returned from the Great Alaska Shootout.
"We need to come out and play harder in the first half," said Allen, who had 18 points and 14 rebounds.
Tech did play better in the second half. The Hokies shot 37.1 percent from the field in the first half but 52 percent in the second. PSU shot 53.3 percent in the first half and just 40 percent in the second. Six of the Nittany Lions' seven 3-pointers came in the first half.
"Defensively, we were a little bit more disciplined, a little tougher" in the second half, said Greenberg.
"We started playing much harder," Washington said. "That's something we've got to work on, to try to do it the whole game."
Nine of Tech's 15 turnovers came in the first half.
"We were lax with the ball," Washington said.

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Hokies down at halftime

Posted Nov28, 2007 at 10:27 PM

Mark Berman here from Penn State, where the Virginia Tech men's basketball team trails 38-28 at halftime.
Turnovers and Penn State 3-pointers have hurt the Hokies.
Down 16-13 with 12:06 left in the first half, Penn State went on a 22-6 run to build a 35-22 cushion with 4:00 left in the half. Penn State had four treys in the run and scored three baskets off tunovers in the run. The Nittany Lions ended the run by scoring 10 straight points.
The Hokies look very much like the young team that they are.

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You might not be able to watch Packers-Cowboys

Posted Nov27, 2007 at 11:26 PM

One of the biggest games of the NFL regular season will take place Thursday night when Green Bay visits Dallas, but most folks here won’t be able to watch it. The game will air on the NFL Network, which is only available in this area to satellite customers and to those who get digital cable from Cox or Comcast. If you only have expanded basic from those cable companies, or if you get cable from JetBroadband, Citizens Cablevision, Rapid Cable or Media One, you’re out of luck. You will also be out of luck next Thursday when the channel airs the Redskins’ game against Chicago. Another highlight of the NFL Network’s schedule is New England’s final regular-season game against the Giants. — Mark Berman

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KD honored

Posted Nov26, 2007 at 02:56 PM

NC State’s Khadijah Whittington was named Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week after posting double-doubles in three games.

Whittington led NC State to a perfect 3-0 finish last week, including the tournament title at the Junkanoo Jam Lucaya Division in Freeport, Bahamas.

Whittington averaged 20.7 points on 65.7 percent (23-for-35) shooting to go along with 12.3 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 1.7 blocks per game on the week. The senior from Roanoke, Va., was named Tournament MVP after averaging 25.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 1.5 blocks, while shooting 69 percent (20-for-29) from the floor in two convincing wins over Eastern Michigan and Washington State in the Bahamas.

The forward added an 11-point, 13-rebound effort in a mid-week 80-47 win at home over Arizona. Whittington now has recorded an ACC-leading seven double-doubles on the season, one in every game thus far this season. With the three double-doubles on the week, the veteran now has 26 on her career.

NC State will return to action for the inaugural Big Ten/ACC Women’s Basketball Challenge on Thursday, Nov. 29. The Wolfpack welcome Illinois for a 7 p.m. ET tip-off.

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Virginia Tech blog

Posted Nov24, 2007 at 11:39 AM

-Hokies win 33-21

-Jud Dunlevy hits his fourth field goal of the day, this one a 26-yarder that puts the Hokies up 33-21 with 4:56 remaining.

-Tyrod Taylor runs one in on third-and-goal from 5-yards out, and the Hokies extend their lead to 30-21 with 11:50 remaining in the fourth quarter. Both quarterbacks delivered again on that drive. Sean Glennon hit Josh Morgan for 25 yards on the second play of the series.

-Jameel Sewell runs one in from 2 yards out, cutting the Tech to 23-21 with 2:51 remaining in the third. Huge third-down conversion on that drive: Jonathan Stupar diving to snare a 17-yard pass on 3rd-and-12.

-Jud Dunlevy tacks on a 29-yard field goal to give the Hokies a 23-14 lead with 7:51 to go in the third. The score was set up by a blocked punt by Davon Morgan. That's Tech's second blocked punt of the season.

HALFTIME: Highly entertaining game so far, as Tech heads to the locker room with a 20-14 lead. Tech's offense continues to move the ball well, just as it did the previous three games against Georgia Tech, Florida State and Miami. Both Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor have played to their strengths, with Glennon completing 8 of 12 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown. Taylor has run for 20 yards and a touchdown while completing three of four passes for 24 yards.
Haven't heard much from Virginia's Chris Long today. That's a tribute to Tech's much-improved offensive line. I haven't given that line enough credit for the resurgence the past three weeks, but they've been as big of a difference as anything. Virginia has three sacks -- all by linebacker Clint Sintim -- but Branden Ore is getting some running room. He's got 48 rushing yards on 10 carries so far.
Defensively, the Hokies stood firm in the latter half of the second quarter. Brandon Flowers had a key interception to set up Glennon's touchdown pass to Royal, stepping in front of Maurice Covington to snare a high pass. They also put some pressure on Jameel Sewell, who is 9 of 14 for 87 yards and has been sacked twice.

-Sean Glennon hits a streaking Eddie Royal over the middle for a 39-yard touchdown, giving the Hokies a 20-14 lead with 12 seconds remaining in the first half. Glennon is closing in on 200 passing yards already.

-Jameel Sewell runs one in from 8 yards out to give the Cavaliers their first lead of the game, 14-13 with 6:35 left in the first half. The Hokies got pushed around on that drive. The Cavs' line was physical and the backs kept their legs churning to pick up extra yards. On the previous drive, the Hokies looked like they were heading in for another score when they tried a double pass involving Sean Glennon and Eddie Royal. The pass to Royal connected. Royal's pass? Not good. It was short and off the mark, an easy interception for Chris Cook.

-Big response to the Simpson touchdown. Sean Glennon goes up top to Eddie Royal deep over the middle for a gain of 56, helping set up Jud Dunlevy's 37-yard field goal with 34 seconds remaining in the first. That ups the Tech lead to 13-7.
Glennon is 5-for-5 for 102 yards.

-Mikell Simpson scores on a 27-yard run to bring UVa within 10-7 with 2:37 remaining in the first quarter. Nice block on Vince Hall by Jonathan Stupar to help open the hole. Tech's defense got a little soft in the middle on that drive, allowing a pair of 22-yard passes.

-The offense is cranking again, no matter which quarterback is in there. Jud Dunlevy tacks on a 20-yard field goal to make it 10-0 Hokies with 5:47 remaining in the first. It's early, but Branden Ore looks better than he has all year. I think we say this every week, but I think he's gotten a little bit better every week. He had an 8-yard run on that drive that would have gone for minus-2 early in the season. There was no hole on the right side of the line, but he bounced outside and picked up nice yardage. Tyrod Taylor had shifty 9-yard run that should have been a loss, too.

-Oh, that crafty Frank. Tech couldn't have started the game much better, getting a 41-yard punt return from Justin Harper -- taking the reverse handoff from Eddie Royal. Four plays and two quarterbacks later, the Hokies are in the end zone. Tyrod Taylor runs it in from 9 yards out, and with 12:12 remaining in the first, it's 7-0 Tech.

PREGAME: We're going to try something a little different today. Doug Doughty will blog from the Virginia perspective (what the Wahoos are doing right, wrong, etc.), while I will blog from the Virginia Tech perspective. Don't worry: You're just as likely to find fast-food references in my blog as his.

With about 20 minutes before kickoff, they're introducing the Virginia seniors. Largest ovation, of course, was reserved for No. 91.

So you thought Black Friday at Best Buy was a mad scramble? You should have seen the UVa students sprinting toward the prime seats when the Scott Stadium gates opened a little after 10 a.m. Won't be a lot of late arrivers to this one, I can assure you.

-- Aaron McFarling

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UVa blog

Posted Nov24, 2007 at 11:21 AM

Virginia's last drive ends with 2:00 left. There will be no comeback this time.

*****

Sewell comes back with 4:56 left and completes a 2-yard pass to Josh Zidenberg. Now, Zidenberg limps off.

*****

Glennon throws a Hail Mary that Josh Hyman catches for a 31-yard gain to the UVa 19 as Chris Cook falls down. Two observations: The UVa secondary has been really inept and Glennon is going to haunt the Cavaliers forever.

Tech leads 33-21 after Jud Dunlevy's fifth field goal with 4:56 left.

*****

Tyrod Taylor outruns Jermaine Dias to the flag for a 5-yard touchdown run that makes it 30-21 with 11:50 left.

Tech gets in scoring territory on back-to-back 25-yard plays, with Vic Hall involved in the coverage on the first play and missing a tackle on the second. Hall later knocks away a pass in the end zone, but there's no question the Hokies are picking on him.

One play into Virginia's next possession, Jameel Sewell is knocked out and replaced by freshman Peter Lalich, making his first appearance in three games. Mikell Simpson has now returned after turning an ankle on the previous drive.

A facemask penalty on Jordy Lipsey negates a completion to Maurice Covington that would have given Virginia a first down at the Tech 43.

Sewell is warming up behind the UVa bench. Time is running out on the 'Hoos.

*****

Just when Tech beat reporters were starting to mock Virginia defensive end Chris Long, Long sacked Sean Glennon and caused a fumble that teammate Antonio Appleby recovered at the Tech 28.

Jon Stupar makes a spectacular sliding catch to give Virginia a first-and-goal at the 2 and Jameel Sewell scores one play later to pull UVa to 23-21 with 2:51 left.

Now, Long gets another sack and UVa takes over at its 26 with 1:02 left in the third quarter.

*****

Now you know why Al Groh didn't nominate ACC-leading punter Ryan Weigand for the all-conference team. The Hokies take advantage of Weigand's slow delivery for a Davon Morgan block, resulting in a Tech recovery at the UVa 26 and a 29-yard Jud Dunlevy field goal to make it 23-14 with 7:51 remaining in the second quarter.

Special teams have played a major role in 10 Tech points.

Vic Hall already has been beaten twice this quarter. Tech has six receptions for 118 yards at Hall's expense.

*****

Tech burns Vic Hall again, this time on a 56-yard pass from Sean Glennon to Eddie Royal.
Byron Glaspy is late in providing safety help, but Tech settles for a 37-yard Dunlevy field goal to make it 13-7 after one quarter.

*****

Back-to-back 22-yard completions to Maurice Covington and Jon Stupar gives UVa a first down at the Tech 28. On second-and-9, Mikell Simpson bolts 27 yards for a touchdown to make it 10-7 with 2:37 left in the quarter. UVa's blocking is much improved. Stupar gets a great block on Vince Hall on the touchdown run.

Now Dowling has a parka over his head. Concussion?

*****

The Hokies continue to take advantage of Vic Hall on their second scoring drive, resulting in a 20-yard Jud Dunlevy field goal to make it 10-0 with 5:47 remaining in the first quarter. Promising freshman corner Ras-I Dowling is sitting on the bench with his head down and helmet off.

Here comes the Cavalier offense for its third series. UVa has one first down.

*****

In case, anybody is wondering, Virginia defensive end Chris Long is in uniform and participating in pre-game workouts. A case of strep throat caused Long to miss at least one practice early in the week.

We've been told that there will be a pregame observance to honor Long. Don't know what it is.

*****

With just under 40 minutes remaining till game time, the temperature in Charlottesville is 37 degrees, with plenty of sunlight, so it should warm up.

For the sartorially inclined, Virginia Tech is in white jerseys and pants, with maroon helmets. Virginia is waring blue jerseys and white pants, with blue helmets.

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Friday's regional football results

Posted Nov23, 2007 at 09:33 PM

Stone Bridge 27, Edison 14

Sherando 38, Park View-Sterling 0

Amherst County 35, William Byrd 7

Richlands 39, Marion 20 Division 4

Salem-Va. Beach 10, Bassett 7

Buffalo Gap 29, William Campbell 28

Bath County 18, Rural Retreat 12

George Wythe-Wytheville 20, Giles 17, OT

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Virginia Tech-Miami updates

Posted Nov17, 2007 at 03:02 PM

-Hokies win 44-14.

-A 41-yard pass from Glennon to Hyman sets up a 1-yard touchdown run by Carlton Weatherford -- his first career touchdown run. With 11:33 remaining in the game, it's now 37-14 Hokies. About time to head down for interviews. Back with final score after the game.

-A 44-yard interception return by Macho Harris sets up a 37-yard field goal by Jud Dunlevy. With :28 remaining in the third quarter, it's now 30-14 Hokies.

-Branden Ore scores from seven yards out to give the Hokies a 27-14 lead with 3:01 remaining in the third quarter. Tyrod Taylor has been cleared to return to the game.

-Kyle Wright throws a 1-yard touchdown pass Leonard Hankerson to cut the Tech lead to 20-14. Fans aren't happy here, and they have a right to be angry. Replays showed that Hankerson pushed off on defender Macho Harris before catching the pass. Regardless, with 5:41 left in the third quarter, we've got a six-point game.

-Jud Dunlevy makes a 44-yard field goal on Tech's first drive of the second half. With 10:22 remaining in the third quarter, it's 20-7 Hokies. Still no update on Taylor's condition.

-Tyrod Tayor heads off the field and to the locker room with an unknown injury early in the third quarter.

HALFTIME THOUGHTS: The Hokies head to the locker room leading Miami 17-7, but they have to be disappointed in the drop-off in offensive production in the second quarter. After putting up 150 yards in the first quarter, Tech actually went backwards in the second and now have 138 total yards at the half. After switching QBs 12 times in the first three drives, the coaches stuck with Sean Glennon throughout the second quarter.
Why? Well, they guess here is they didn't want to reveal a ton of tendencies for next week's winner-take-the-Coastal game at UVa. Remember, this dual-QB system is still new, and it's hard to say how many plays they actually have set aside for Tyrod Taylor to run in it. With a 17-0 lead, it made some sense to scale back and play a little bit more conservatively. But now that the Hurricanes have trimmed the deficit to 10, you should see both quarterbacks again in the third quarter. In all, Glennon has taken 25 snaps and Taylor 9.
A few other notes: Center Ryan Shuman returned to the starting lineup for the first time since injuring his ankle in the BC game...linebacker Vince Hall, who returned to the lineup for the first time since breaking his wrist in the Clemson game, has seven tackles at the half....Branden Ore has averaged 6.0 yards on eight carries today...Glennon was sacked twice in the second quarter after not being sacked in the first....Sam Shields has four catches for 72 yards for Miami...The Hurricanes have minus-2 rushing yards, thanks in large part to the three sacks of QB Kyle Wright.

-The Hurricanes elect to take points off the board, and it pays. On 4th-and-3 from the Tech 9, Francesco Zampogna boots a successful 27-yard field goal, but officials call the Hokies for an offsides penalty. Miami takes the penalty and the first down that accompanies it, and quarterback Kyle Wright runs it in on the next play for a touchdown to make it 17-7 Hokies with :21 remaining in the half.

-The Hurricanes have a first-and-goal from the Tech 3 but cannot convert, as four straight runs up the middle don't cross the goal line. With 2:45 left in the half, the Hokies face a 3rd-and-9 from their own 2. Sean Glennon has played quarterback the majority of this quarter.

-We've hit a scoring lull here in the second quarter. Tech went three plays and out for the first time after forcing a fumble to thwart a Miami scoring opportunity. With 8:00 left in the half, it's still 17-0 Hokies.

-Jud Dunlevy tacks on a 40-yard field goal less than a minute into the second quarter. It's now 17-0 Hokies.

-And the new-and-improved Tech offense rolls on. Sean Glennon hits Justin Harper for a 15-yard touchdown pass on third down, giving the Hokies a 14-0 lead with 5:07 left in the first quarter. Tech's coaches have swapped quarterbacks eight times so far, and both have played well.

-Branden Ore looks solid early, bursting off right tackle for a 22-yard gain on Tech's first possession. Later, he powers over Miami's Colin McCarthy into the end zone from 4 yards out. With 10:12 remaining in the first quarter, it's 7-0 Hokies.

SCORING SUMMARY
FIRST QUARTER
VT—Ore 4 run (Dunlevy kick), 10:12. Drive: Eight plays, 61 yards, 2:46. Key plays: Ore 22 run to UM 20; Glennon 2 run on 4th-and-1 to UM 9. Virginia Tech 7, Miami 0.
VT—Harper 15 pass from Glennon (Dunlevy kick), 5:07. Drive: Nine plays, 57 yards, 3:23. Key play: Hyman 14 pass from Glennon on 3rd-and-10 to UM 19. Virginia Tech 14, Miami 0.

SECOND QUARTER
VT—FG Dunlevy 40, 14:17. Drive: Nine plays, 34 yards, 3:14. Key play: Weatherford 10 pass from Glennon plus 5 facemask penalty to UM 27. Virginia Tech 17, Miami 0.
UM—Wright 4 run (Zampogna kick), :21. Drive: Seven plays, 30 yards, 2:04. Key play: VT 5 offsides penalty to VT 4. Virginia Tech 17, Miami 7.

THIRD QUARTER
VT—FG Dunlevy 44, 10:28. Drive: 12 plays, 60 yards, 4:32. Key plays: Harper 23 pass from Glennon on 3rd-and-8 to VT 38; Ore 20 pass from Glennon on 3rd-and-13 to UM 45. Virginia Tech 20, Miami 7.
UM—Hankerson 1 pass from Wright (Zampogna kick), 5:41. Drive: 12 plays, 53 yards, 4:47. Key play: James 8 pass plus 7 personal foul penalty on 3rd-and-4 to VT 6. Virginia Tech 20, Miami 14.
VT—Ore 7 run (Dunlevy kick), 3:01. Drive: Seven plays, 68 yards, 2:40. Key play: Smith 20 pass from Glennon to UM 48. Virginia Tech 27, Miami 14.
VT—FG Dunlevy 37, :28. Drive: Four plays, 1 yard, 1:31. Key play: Harris 44 interception return to UM 20. Virginia Tech 30, Miami 14.

FOURTH QUARTER
VT—Weatherford 1 run (Dunlevy kick), 11:33. Drive: Five plays, 65 yards, 1:55. Key play: Hyman 41 pass from Glennon to UM 1. Virginia Tech 37, Miami 14.
VT—Cheeseman 2 run (Dunlevy kick), 5:48. Drive: Three plays, 9 yards, 1:21. Key play: Flowers fumble recovery at UM 9. Virginia Tech 44, Miami 14.

SOLO/ASSISTS/SACKS
Miami, McCarthy 3-6-0, Sharpton 3-6-0, Cooper 6-2-0, Phillips 3-4-0, Franklin 2-3-1, Gooden 1-4-0, Moncur 2-2-1.5, McCray 1-3-1, Johnson 1-3-0, Joseph 1-3-.5, Van Dyke 3-0-0, Ponder 1-2-0, Abdallah 2-0-0, Hill 1-1-0, Berry 1-1-0, Sharpe 1-1-0, Campbell 0-2-0, Abramson 1-0-0, Rutledge 1-0-0, Dixon 0-1-0, Gordon 0-1-0, Wesley 0-1-0, Grant 0-1-0, Zellner 0-1-0, Totals 34-48-4.
Virginia Tech, Hall 1-12-0, C. Martin 3-8-1.5, Adibi 3-7-0, Ellis 3-3-1, Flowers 5-0-0, Porch 3-1-0, Powell 1-3-0, Chancellor 1-3-0, Booker 2-1-1, Virgil 2-1-1, O. Martin 1-2-0, Reidy 1-2-0, Parker 0-3-0, Grimm 1-1-0, Br. Warren 1-1-0, Morgan 0-2-0, Brown 1-0-0, Harris 1-0-0, Boone 1-0-0, Taylor 0-1-0, Pickle 0-1-0, Worilds 0-1-.5, Carmichael 0-1-0, Dunlevy 0-1-0, Luckett 0-1-0, Totals 31-56-5.

PREGAME: Sean Glennon is listed as the No. 1 quarterback on the game-day depth charts provided to the media today. That doesn't necessarily mean he'll start, though. So why did I just provide this nugget of information? Because I have utterly nothing to say. Until this game actually kicks off, I can't try to sell you that you should be psyched for it. We're all just kind of killing time until next Saturday, aren't we?

You never know, though. Maybe we'll see a classic. The oddsmakers doubt it, as the line as ticked up to Hokies by 16.5 with the over-under set at 42. Kinda like the under here. You figure both teams will want to establish a ground game today -- the Hokies because they want to have that tuned up for next week; the Hurricanes because their passing game is dreadful and Kyle Wright is still hobbled. A lot of tailbacks running means a lot of clock running, and presumably fewer quick-strike scores and turnovers.

(I reserve the right to delete the preceding paragraph if the score is 24-20 after the first quarter. The deletion would be for entertainment purposes only, of course).

Had an interesting discussion with a couple of colleagues at the office yesterday. Can you imagine if the Hokies had held that 10-point lead against BC and were still sitting there with one loss? The way this season has gone, they'd still be in the hunt. You've got to assume the Big 12 champion will get the second BCS slot if LSU wins out, but stranger things have happened. Unfortunately for Tech, a stranger thing did happen that night, and that's why we don't have to worry about it.

-- Aaron McFarling

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A "classic" case of puffery

Posted Nov17, 2007 at 02:40 PM

If you drive a 2005 Hummer SUV, feel free to call it a “classic” car. By the standards of college basketball tournament organizers, it qualifies. Among the tournaments being staged this month: the Old Spice Classic (est. 2006), the CBE Classic (2001), and my personal favorite, the Anaheim Classic (2007). At least the new postseason tournament, unnecessary though it may be, has the decency to call itself the College Basketball Invitational. Modesty – now that’s a classic character trait. –Aaron McFarling

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State Volleyball Results

Posted Nov16, 2007 at 03:44 PM

All Games at the VCU Siegel Center
Group A
Friday's Semifinals
Gate City def. Rappahannock County 25-21, 22-25, 25-20, 23-25, 15-7
Strasburg def. Grayson County 21-25, 25-21, 13-25, 25-20, 15-13

Saturday's Championship
Gate City vs. Strasburg, 5 p.m.

Group AA
Friday's Semifinals
Grafton def. Northside 25-18, 25-21, 25-18
Loudoun County def. Brookville 25-14, 25-13, 25-18

Saturday's Championship
Grafton vs. Loudoun County, 3 p.m.

Group AAA
Thursday's Semifinals
Deep Run def. Frank Cox 25-21, 22-25, 17-25, 25-19, 15-11
Langley def. Mills Godwin 26-24, 22-25, 23-25, 25-18, 15-9

Saturday's Championship
Deep Run vs. Langley, 7 p.m.

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Want to know why Tech-UVa won't be at night?

Posted Nov15, 2007 at 10:35 AM

Were you hoping the Virginia Tech-Virginia duel on Nov. 24 would be a night game, so you’d have plenty of time for tailgating? Wondering why it will instead air at noon, on either ESPN or ESPN2? Well, ESPN is airing Alabama-Auburn that night, while ESPN2 will be showing Clemson-South Carolina. Under ESPN’s contract with the SEC, those channels can air SEC games only at night. And ABC would rather show a Big 12 game that night; it will pick between Missouri-Kansas or Oklahoma State-Oklahoma. ABC’s regional 3:30 game, by the way, will be Georgia-Georgia Tech. — Mark Berman

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Offical improvement needed

Posted Nov15, 2007 at 10:33 AM

Does just the ACC need better football officials, or does all of college football? At least two helmet-to-helmet calls should have been made during Saturday night’s Virginia Tech-Florida State game. You would think if they were going to look the other way, they certainly wouldn’t do so when quarterbacks are involved. The hits on Drew Weatherford and Sean Glennon should have drawn flags. Replay hasn’t solved everything, though it did give Tech a huge break in the fourth quarter when an incompletion was overturned that led to a touchdown. And while I’m at it, what about the obvious Illinois fumble that wasn’t called or even reviewed that led to a touchdown against Ohio State? Let’s at least ramp up the training of officials. — Jeff Gilbert

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Jimmie Johnson shows guts

Posted Nov15, 2007 at 09:58 AM

Kudos to NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson for his gutsy effort at Texas Motor Speedway last Sunday. Too often, a driver in a points race takes the safe (read: boring) route at the end of the Nextel Cup season, but Johnson showed some serious moxie in passing Matt Kenseth for his third straight win. With two races to go, Johnson would have led the points race even with a runner-up finish. But his extra effort leaves him 30 points clear of Jeff Gordon. You think Gordon wishes he could have that spring Martinsville race back? He didn’t risk wrecking Johnson that day in the final laps — an admirable gesture from one teammate to another — but you can bet that if the situation presents itself again in the final two races, Gordon won’t be so courteous. — Aaron McFarling

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NFL too lenient on Belichick

Posted Nov15, 2007 at 09:56 AM

Roger Goodell has been understandably tough on misbehaving players this season. Too bad he wasn’t as tough as he should have been on New England Patriots coach Bill Belicheat. He punished Belicheat and the team for shooting illegal game video, but that win over the Jets should have been forfeited as well. Did he really think he needed to cheat to beat the Jets? Now that the Pats have beaten the Colts, the perfect season watch is the biggest storyline in the NFL. The ’72 Dolphins are awfully smug about their perfect season being the only one in NFL history, but for this season, at least, let’s hope their perfection isn’t equaled. — Jeff Gilbert

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McRib, Clemens big on comebacks

Posted Nov15, 2007 at 09:51 AM

Apparently, the McRib sandwich thinks it’s Roger Clemens. “I’m coming back … maybe … and now I’m done again … and now I’m back.” Make up your mind, McRib! I have grown so tired of your noncommittal nature. Oh, who am I kidding? I could never stay mad at that tangy, pickle-topped patty o’ pork. Clemens, on the other hand, really needs to make up his mind. We can expect his decision in about six months, I suppose. The lesson here is, Roger would be a lot more lovable if he were on a bun. — Aaron McFarling

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Roanoke tumbler among world's best

Posted Nov15, 2007 at 09:51 AM

If tumbling was an Olympic sport, Roanoke would be sending an athlete to next summer’s games in Beijing. Susannah Johnson, a student at Faith Christian School, is a member of the team that recently won the team gold medal at the World Trampoline and Tumbling Championships in Quebec City. Her team is governed by USA Gymnastics, which will send other athletes to Beijing, but not tumblers. These athletes perform routines on a runway similar to that of what a gymnast uses for the vault. Johnson and her teammates did qualify for the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. If tumbling is part of the 2012 Olympics in London, Johnson might get her chance then. — Jeff Gilbert

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Tuesday's State Volleyball Results

Posted Nov13, 2007 at 09:07 PM

Group AA
Grafton def. Western Albemarle 25-21, 14-25, 25-17, 25-15
Northside def. Hidden Valley 25-22, 29-27, 19-25, 25-20
Loudoun County def. Chancellor 25-16, 21-25, 25-14, 25-16
Brookville def. Salem 25-16, 24-26, 25-23, 25-20

Group A
Rappahannock County def. Lancaster, 24-26, 25-18, 25-18, 25-21.
Gate City def. Glenvar 25-23, 16-25, 25-14, 21-25, 15-7.
Strasburg def. Middlesex 25-18, 25-13, 25-17
Grayson County def. Rye Cove 25-6, 25-7, 25-15

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UVa-Miami final report

Posted Nov10, 2007 at 11:30 PM

Virginia has had more important wins and it has made more dramatic wins, but the Cavaliers haven't had many wins more impressive than their 48-0 triumph Saturday night in Miami's final home game at the Orange Bowl.

At a site where the Hurricanes once won 58 consecutive games between 1985-1994 and had outscored their first six visitors 81-7 in the first half, Virginia dominated every facet of the game, forcing a season-high five fumbles and outgaining the Hurricanes 418-189.

Virginia had gained as many as 400 in only other game (434 at Maryland) and had not held a team under 200 all season (the previous low was 229 against Duke). The Cavaliers had not forced more than three turnovers in a game all season and had not blocked a punt all season.

"My team was very mindful of some of the great performances individually and team wise that have occurred in this stadium and we tried to set it as a standard of performance tonight," UVa coach Al Groh said.

"A lot of teams have run out of this locker room here today and the environment and competition has raised the level of their play and it looks like it raised the level of our play a little bit tonight."

Miami coach Randy Shannon said. "It was a tough one today ... big-time tough lkoss for us. I feel very bad and disappointed for the city of Miami, Dade County and the University of Miami. The fans were out tonight, the atmopshere was right but we just couldn't get anything started."

Virginia now has a bye week and suffered no obvious injuries. Mikell Simpson limped off the field in the closing minutes but all he had was a cramp. Simpson had 147 all-purpose yards -- 22 carries for 93 yards and three receptions for 54 yards.

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Virginia Tech-Florida State final thoughts

Posted Nov10, 2007 at 10:45 PM

So there it is: the long-awaited victory over Florida State. It had been 31 years since the Hokies had defeated the Seminoles, and their fourth-quarter flurry left no doubt as they ran away for a 40-21 victory.

Freshman quarterback Tyrod Taylor was huge when he needed to be, running in the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter and connecting on the two-point conversion to give Tech a 28-21 lead. From there, it was all defense, as Chris Ellis intercepted a pass for a touchdown and the Hokies notched a safety to produce the final margin.

Career game for receiver Justin Harper, who caught five passes for 167 yards and a touchdown. Don't look now, but that offense is looking strong. A week after putting up a season-high 481 yards of offense, the Hokies notched 395 yards against FSU.

Quarterbacks coach Mike O'Cain said the two-quarterback plan was hatched on Wednesday. Sean Glennon, who left the game with a concussion, said he doesn't remember the play that knocked him out of the game or anything that happened before it. He did return to the game in the fourth quarter and should be fine for next week's game against Miami.

The fans stormed the field and the players dumped a cooler of water on Beamer's head.

“I hope it means a lot to him, because it meant a lot to us," senior defensive end Chris Ellis said. "We dumped the cooler on him to show him how much it meant to us. We wanted to lift him in the air, but we let him slide on that.”

That's all for tonight. See you next week as the Hokies take on Miami.

IN-GAME POSTS:

-The Curse of the Bowdino is over. Tech wins 40-21. Back with more later.

-Blog will return after the game.

-Jud Dunlevy tacks on a 22-yard field goal to give the Hokies a 31-21 lead with 5:32 remaining in the game. Barry Booker forced a fumble that Cam Martin returned to the FSU 29 to help set up the score.

-Tyrod Taylor runs one in on 3rd-and-goal from the 3, then floats a pass to Zach Luckett on the two-point conversion to give the Hokies a 28-21 lead with 10:10 remaining in the game. Huge replay earlier in the drive on a deep pass from Taylor to Justin Harper. Harper caught it near the left sideline, but the question was whether he got a foot inbounds. The officials originally ruled that he hadn't but overturned it after review, giving the Hokies a 45-yard gain and a first down at the FSU 1. Beautiful pass on the move by Taylor there. Harper now has five catches for 167 yards. Also, Branden Ore has an ankle injury. We'll get you an update when we can.

-Missed call here right before the end of the third quarter. A deep pass from Tyrod Taylor intended for Josh Morgan fell incomplete, but replays showed a Florida State defender had his arms wrapped around Morgan before the ball got there. About to start the fourth quarter, the Hokies have it 3rd-and-6 at the FSU 43, trailing 21-20.

-And the Tech lead is gone. FSU quarterback Christian Ponder hits De'Cody Fagg over the middle from eight yards out to give the Seminoles a 21-20 lead with 3:41 remaining in the third quarter. FSU goes for two again and fails again.

-Tyrod Taylor makes his first significant mistake of the game, throwing behind Justin Harper over the middle. Harper tips the ball but can't bring it in, and Dekoda Watson picks it off and runs it back 40 yards for a touchdown. The Seminoles try a two-point conversion and don't get it, so with 9:06 left in the third quarter, it's 20-15 Hokies.

-Tech goes three-and-out on its first possession, and FSU uses good starting field position to set up a 50-yard field goal by Gary Cismesia, which bangs off the right upright and through to close the gap to 20-9 Hokies with 11:00 remaining in the third quarter.

-HALFTIME: Big ovation for the Hokies as they head to the locker room here at Lane Stadium, as they've put up 257 yards of offense and lead Florida State 20-6. For the second straight week, Tech's offense is clicking well. Last week it was Sean Glennon under center; today it's been Tyrod Taylor carving up the defense. The freshman has completed 7 of 9 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns and has also run three times for 40 yards.

After being mum on his plans all week, coach Frank Beamer unveiled a two-quarterback system very unlike what we saw with Bryan Randall and Marcus Vick in 2003. Starting with Tech's second possession, both Glennon and Taylor were alternating depending on down, distance and hunches. Taylor took over full time on Tech's first drive of the second quarter after Glennon was hit hard while scrambling for four yards. Taylor entered and promptly hit Greg Boone for 16 yards over the middle on 3rd-and-5, then hit Josh Morgan two plays later in the end zone to give Tech a 13-6 lead.

Obviously no reason to mess with the hot hand now, even though Glennon has been cleared to return after his bell ringing. This ought to be Taylor's offense for the time being. FSU quarterback Drew Weatherford might return, but backup Christian Ponder will start the third quarter.

Defensively, the Hokies have allowed 153 yards but have done an excellent job turning potential touchdown drives into field goals. That was especially key after FSU's successful fake punt, which threatened to swing the momentum in a big way and prompt that "here-we-go-again-with-Bobby-Bowden" sensation. The defense stiffened and forced a field goal, ensuring FSU didn't take the lead.

Branden Ore, always a storyline, has gained 41 yards on 12 carries. He had a nice 18-yard run on Tech's first touchdown drive but hasn't found much room other than that. Receiver Justin Harper is having a monster day so far, catching three passes for 107 yards and a touchdwon.

The 20 points scored by Tech is the most scored in the first half against Florida State since Clemson put up 24 in the season opener. The message in the Tech locker room right now? Just keep doin' what you're doin', and the Curse of the Bowdino will be history.

-A 2-yard touchdown run by Branden Ore puts the Hokies up 20-6 with 6:54 to play in the first half. Tyrod Taylor is 5-for-5 for 114 yards and two touchdowns and has run for 40 yards on two carries. He hit Josh Hyman for a big third-down conversion early in the drive and then threw a perfect pass to Justin Harper for 58 yards that set the Hokies up inside the FSU 5.

-A crushing hit by Tech's Brandon Flowers has knocked FSU quarterback Drew Weatherford out of the game, at least for now. Backup Christian Ponder, a redshirt freshman, is in at QB.

-A 5-yard touchdown pass from Tyrod Taylor to Josh Morgan gives the Hokies a 13-6 lead with 12:29 remaining in the first half. FSU tried an onside kick and had a shot at it, but Purnell Sturdivant wound up with the ball for Tech on the FSU 45. Later, on 3rd-and-31 from the Tech 34, Taylor ran for 38 yards and a key first down.

-All week, the Tech players talked about how Bobby Bowden always seems to have something up his sleeve. He pulls out a big trick early, as punter Graham Gano runs a fake and picks up 24 yards on 4th-and-10. The play helps set up a 39-yard field goal by Gary Cismesia. With :50 remaining in the first quarter, it's 6-6.

-The QB platoon is underway. Tyrod Taylor comes in for Sean Glennon midway through Tech's second possession and throws a 31-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Justin Harper. Jud Dunlevy misses the extra point. With 8:16 remaining in the first, it's 6-3 Hokies.

-A 41-yard field goal by Gary Cismesia gets FSU on the board. With 9:43 remaining in the first quarter, it's 3-0 Seminoles.

-Both teams go three-and-out on their first possessions, and a 32-yard punt by Brent Bowden has set FSU up 1st-and-10 on the VT 40. 11:44 remaining in the first quarter, no score.

-- Aaron McFarling

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UVa-Miami report #5

Posted Nov10, 2007 at 08:40 PM

Halftime ceremonies are wrapping up with the Miami band playing, "We are the champions."

Virginia leads the Hurricanes 31-0 and has outgained Miami 229-94.

Cavs forced four turnovers in the first half after forcing a total of two in the previous three games.

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UVa-Miami report #4

Posted Nov10, 2007 at 08:21 PM

Cavs go up 24-0 with 10:02 remaining in the second quarter on a 1-yard run by Jameel Sewell.

Summaries will say the key play was a 25-yard pass from Sewell to John Phillips, but it all stemmed from Ryan Hill not letting Chris Gould's kickoff to go out of bounds. Instead, Hill fielded the ball next to the boundary and then lost his balance and crossed the line. Three plays later, Kyle Wright pulled back from center and tripped at the 5..

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UVa-Miami report #3

Posted Nov10, 2007 at 08:02 PM

The first quarter ends with Virginia leading 14-0 after a 5-yard touchdown run by Keith Payne with 1:08 remaining in the period. Score was set up by Josh Zidenberg's punt block, giving possession to UVa at the Miami 4-yard line.

Then, on Miami's second play of the second quarter, Kyle Wright is intercepted for the third time, this time by Byron Glaspy after intended receiver Darnell Jenkins fumbles the ball, it bounces off his knee and into Glaspy's hands.

That's interceptions so far by Glaspy, Vic Hall and Jon Copper.

Chris Gould's 33-yard field goal with 13:29 remaining in the second quarter puts the Cavaliers ahead 17-0.

Miami's lucky it isn't 28-0.

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UVa-Miami report #2

Posted Nov10, 2007 at 07:51 PM

Virginia intercepts Kyle Wright on back-to-back possessions in Miami territory but Cavs fail to take advantage, the first time when Jameel Sewell is intercepted after throwing into triple coverage. On the second possession, Virginia gets lucky when Sewell fumbles but Miami's return for a touchdown is nullified by penalty.Then Sewell gets sacked on third down, taking the Cavs out of field-goal range.

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UVa-Miami report #1

Posted Nov10, 2007 at 07:33 PM

A 28-yard pass from Jameel Sewell to Maurice Covington on third-and-4 has capped a seven-play, 96-yard drive as Virginia takes a 7-0 lead with 8:35 remaining in the first quarter.

Drive included a 28-yard run by Mikell Simpson, the 28-yard pass to Covington and a 24-yard pass to Tom Santi.

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UVa-Miami report pregame

Posted Nov10, 2007 at 06:53 PM

This probably shouldn't surprise me, but I'm told by Miami officials that tonight's game -- the Hurricanes' last in the Orange Bowl -- is not sold-oot. They're expecting a crowd of approximately 65,000. Capacity is 73,219.

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Virginia Tech-Florida State updates

Posted Nov10, 2007 at 03:38 PM