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Sportswriters, like anyone else, have plenty to be thankful for outside of sports. But this is the sports section, so besides being pleased when our teams win, we’re also grateful for people being people to give us things to write about that people want to read. So here’s a big thanks (in no particular order) to: Al Groh and his demonstrated performance to supply a good quote, Michael Vick and his attempts to get back in the good graces of the NFL and its fans, Bryan Stinespring and his beleaguered offense, Frank Beamer and his beleaguered offensive coordinator, undefeated high school football teams and the loquacious Purnell Sturdivant. — Jeff Gilbert

Forest-native Rashad Jennings, a running back for Liberty, was named the Big South's Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight season on Tuesday and VMI linebacker Jacob Rochester was named scholar-athlete of the year.

VMI had six second-team picks, including quarterback Tim Maypray who has now been all-league at three different positions including return man and wide receiver last year.

Other second-teamers for the Keydets were:
RB Howard Abegesah
OL George Handler
OL James Boatright
LB A.J. Gross
Long Snapper Travis Ludden

Liberty's Danny Rocco, whose team went 5-0 in league play, won his third straight Coach of the Year honor.

Gardner-Webb linebacker Jeffrey Williams was named Defensive Player of the Year and Stony Brook running back Edwin Gowins was named Freshman of the Year.

-- katrina waugh

Pulaski County High School's Group AA Division 4 semifinal football game against Amherst County has been set for 2 p.m. Saturday in Dublin.
The Group A Division 2 semifinal game between Floyd County and Lebanon in Floyd will be played at 1 p.m. Saturday.

VHSL Semifinals
SATURDAY, NOV. 29

GROUP AAA
Division 6
Varina (12-0) at Osbourn (8-4), 1:30 p.m.
Oscar Smith (12-0) at Oakton (13-0), 1:30 p.m.
Division 5
Liberty-Bealeton (10-2) at Dinwiddie (11-1), 1 p.m.
Stone Bridge (13-0) vs. Phoebus (13-0), at Darling Stadium, Hampton, 1:30 p.m.

GROUP AA
Division 4
Chancellor (12-0) at Broad Run (12-0), 2 p.m.
Amherst County (11-1) at Pulaski County (12-0), 2 p.m.
Division 3
Monticello (11-1) vs. James Monroe (11-1), at Maury Stadium, Fredericksburg, 1:30 p.m.
Richlands (9-3) at Brookville (12-0), 1 p.m.

GROUP A
Division 2
Essex (12-0) at Gretna (11-1), 2 p.m.
Lebanon (9-3) at Floyd County (12-0), 1 p.m.
Division 1
William Campbell (11-1) at Franklin (10-2), 1 p.m.
Holston (10-2) at Clintwood (11-1), Site TBA, 1 p.m.

Koby Clemens and Mark Ori will not have to stand trial for charges of disorderly conduct in Salem after all.

The two former Salem Avalanche players had the charges dropped after performing a day-long series of talks to area kids about drugs, alcohol and peer pressure, according to a news release from Salem Commonwealth’s Attorney Tom Bowers.

Clemens and Ori were arrested and a third member of the Avalanche minor league baseball team, Jimmy Goethals, was later charged with misdemeanor assault, after an altercation at the popular Mack and Bob’s Restaurant in Salem at 2 a.m. on Aug. 31.

All three were scheduled to face trial on Dec. 2. Goethals’ case remains on the docket.

Salem communications director Mike Stevens said that the punishment for disorderly conduct is often community service and Clemens and Ori made the trip to Salem on their own.

Clemens, son of seven-time Cy Young winner Roger Clemens, and Ori spoke at Fellowship of Christian Athletes breakfast at Salem High School, three classes of ninth and 10th graders at Glenvar High School, Gus Mitchell School at HopeTree Family Services and the Winter Sports Pledge Meeting at Salem High School on Thursday, according to the news release.

Friday morning, Bowers “nolle prossed and discontinued the prosecution” of the charges against Clemens and Ori in front of District Court Judge Jacqueline Talevi.

“The Salem Commonwealth’s Attorney believes the advice and insight provided by Ori and Clemens to the high school students of Salem and Glenvar is a valuable return of service to the community where their actions took place,” the news release said.

Goethals’ case could not be treated in the same way, because of the nature of the charge and because he was not as he was not arrested at the scene but charged later after a citizen, Jordan Parkinson, according to court records, swore out a complaint.

-- katrina waugh

Brian Bogusevic, Tommy Manzella and Drew Sutton were all added to the Houston Astros' 40-man roster, the Astros announced Wednesday.

Bogusevic had two stints for the Salem Avalanche, first as a pitcher, then last season when the Astros decided to try him as an outfielder.

Manzella played shortstop and Sutton second base for Salem.

All three starred in double-A Corpus Christi last season, though Manzella moved up to triple-A round Rock. Sutton was named the Hooks MVP.

Sutton and Bogusevic are currently tearing up the Arizona Fall league, hitting .327 and .329 respectively for the Scottsdale Scorpions.

-- katrina waugh

Brittany Cook has torn the ACL in her right knee and will miss the entire season, Virginia Tech coach Beth Dunkenberger said Thursday. Cook was the ACC's leading scorer last season.

"My heart aches for her and her teammates feel so bad for her," Dunkenberger said. "Obviously you'll miss the leading scorer in the ACC, but right now everybody wants to step up. She said she's going to be there for them. She told them how much she believes in them and they all want to prove that all of this hard work is going to pay off."

Initially doctors thought the injury was just a sprain, but the ACL tear was revealed in an MRI late Wednesday,Dunkenberger said. Cook will have surgery to repair the tear next week.

-- katrina waugh

There are three Big 12 teams among the top five squads in the polls and BCS standings — Texas Tech, Texas and Oklahoma. No argument there. But there’s one problem: only two of them will wind up in a BCS bowl. No more than two teams in a single conference are allowed to be chosen for the five BCS bowls. That’s another thing wrong with the BCS. All three of those teams could wind up with just one loss, but one will be a BCS wallflower. I have no problem with the BCS games being forced to take a Utah or Boise State, but they also should be free to pick the best at-large teams from BCS leagues regardless of conference affiliation. I’d rather see the third-best Big 12 team in a BCS bowl this year than the Big Ten runner-up.  — Mark Berman