Cavs lurch to humbling home defeat

Next game: U.Va. at Duke
When:next Sunday, 2 p.m., CSN

By Jeff White
Published: January 25, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The crowd at John Paul Jones Arena yesterday included the benefactor for whose father the building is named.

Paul Tudor Jones II could not have enjoyed what he witnessed. The final score -- Florida State 73, Virginia 62 -- doesn't tell the story of this ACC men's basketball game.

The Cavaliers scored nine of the final 11 points to make their margin of defeat respectable, but make no mistake: This was a rout. U.Va. missed 19 of its first 20 shots from the floor, by which time FSU led 30-12.

"I don't think I've ever been through anything like that," freshman swingman Sylven Landesberg said.

The schedule gets no easier for Virginia (1-4, 7-9), which has lost four in a row. Its next game is Feb. 1 against soon-to-be-No. 1 Duke (5-0, 18-1), which eked out a 41-point win over Maryland yesterday.

Against FSU, the Cavaliers had 16 points at the break -- their lowest halftime total in 15 years -- and were 3 for 22 (13.6 percent) from the floor.

The Seminoles (3-2, 16-4) came in ranked second among ACC teams in field goal-percentage defense. Tall and athletic and deep, the 'Noles made Virginia look inept for much of the game.

"They really, really, really, really guard you, so with the few open looks you get, you've got to make [them]," Cavaliers coach Dave Leitao said.

For all of its first-half woes, though, U.Va. trailed by only 14 points at intermission.

"That's not a huge deficit," said Landesberg, who broke out of his recent slump and scored a game-high 24 points. "We all came out thinking we had a chance to will our way back in the game and get ahead."

The Wahoos' offense improved markedly in the second half. Once again, though, Virginia offered little resistance on defense. In the final 20 minutes, FSU shot 62.5 percent from 3-point range and 51.6 percent overall.

U.Va. trailed 44-24 at the 14:00 mark before finally waking from its slumber. After a 3-pointer by Jamil Tucker, Landesberg hit two free throws. Moments later, Tucker swiped the ball from FSU guard Toney Douglas in the backcourt and threw down a dunk, and suddenly it was a 13-point game.

The crowd of 10,981 roared, but its hopes were soon dashed. On the next possession, Douglas was fouled by point guard Sammy Zeglinski while making a 3-pointer. Douglas (21 points) added the free throw, and FSU's lead was back to 17.

"That definitely changed the momentum," sophomore forward Mike Scott said. "We had them on their heels, we were making a comeback, and that four-point play just killed us."

Scott, Virginia's second-leading scorer, was coming off a 16-point performance against Maryland. He took only four shots against FSU and scored two points.

Landesberg was 14 for 14 from the line, and seldom-used sophomore guard Jeff Jones scored eight points in 14 minutes off the bench.

Tucker, who scored a career-high 21 points against Maryland, is usually one of the first reserves into the game for Virginia. Yesterday, however, the 6-9 junior stayed on the bench until the 9:16 mark of the first half.

"Just my decision," Leitao said, without elaborating.

In 11 minutes, Tucker scored 10 points, stretching his streak of games in double figures to a career-best three.

Asked if his lack of playing time was a disciplinary measure, Tucker said, "No, not really. It's just situations."





Cold Cavaliers continue slump
Florida State leads by as many as 20 in the first half and hands Virginia its fourth loss in a row.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Florida State's Seminoles didn't have to worry about taking the crowd out of the game Saturday at John Paul Jones Arena.

Virginia did it for them.

The Cavaliers missed 18 of their first 19 shots from the field and lost their fourth game in a row, 73-62.

"I don't know that I've ever experienced anything like that," said UVa freshman Sylven Landesberg, whose layup with 1:34 remaining before halftime represented the Cavaliers' second field goal of the game.

Virginia (7-9, 1-4 ACC) failed to score on 11 straight possessions during a 7- minute, 40-second scoring drought.

Florida State (16-4, 3-2) stretched a 10-5 lead to 24-5 and led by as many as 20 points at 30-10.

"That was crazy," UVa co-captain Calvin Baker said.

Landesberg scored the last six points of the first half as the Cavaliers trimmed the deficit to 30-16, which still represented UVa's lowest first-half scoring output since it trailed visiting Connecticut 44-15 at the half in 1993.

There was a glimmer of hope after a Jamil Tucker steal and dunk made it a 44-31 game with 13:09 remaining, but Toney Douglas quickly countered with a 3-pointer at the other end and was fouled by UVa's Sammy Zeglinski.

"That was a point in time where I thought the crowd got back in the game," UVa coach Dave Leitao said. "The door was slightly opened up again and it closed real quick.

"Any time you get in a hole like that, you've got to play damn-near perfect basketball. Especially when you do something positive, or two things positive, you can't follow it up with a negative. Obviously, it becomes a momentum swing."

Less than three minutes later, Florida State had increased its lead to 54-33 -- one of two times the Seminoles led by 21.

"They look at themselves and I look at them as a very good team [that] isn't getting quite the amount of attention or respect as the other people at the top of the league," said Leitao, whose team entered the game as a one-point underdog. "There really isn't that much difference, plus or minus."

It was the reminiscent of the Cavaliers' most recent outing, when Virginia lost at Maryland, 84-78, after trailing 45-30 at the half Tuesday night.

Leitao told his team at halftime Saturday that the 14-point deficit was "manageable."

"We [came back] the other night," Leitao said, "but the flipside is, obviously you don't want to live like that. The difference is, the style of play that [the Seminoles] play doesn't allow teams to go on spurts."

Maybe not, but the Cavaliers scored 46 points in the second half. If Virginia had been able to come up with some defensive stops, maybe it would have been a different story, but Florida State shot 51.6 percent in the second half and 50.0 for the game.

There was intermittent booing in the first half and, following a break in the action with 8:05 remaining, a fan could be heard yelling sarcastically from the upper deck, "Nice job Leitao !"

After the game, Leitao was asked if he thought about fouling the Seminoles after a pair of Zeglinski free throws that made it 71-57 with 2:31 left.

"No, I didn't," he said.

Instead, the Seminoles were able to run the clock to 1:59 before Douglas missed a jumper. Florida State got the rebound and 69 seconds went off the clock before the Cavaliers got the ball back.

Leitao also was asked if matchups had prevented him from inserting Tucker into the game until the score was 18-5. Tucker, who scored a career-high 21 points Tuesday at Maryland, was the ninth UVa player to get in the game Saturday.

"No, just my decision," he said.

Zeglinski, the Cavaliers' redshirt freshman point guard, continued to struggle. He did not have an assist, committed four turnovers and twice missed 2-of-3 free throws after being fouled on 3-point attempts.

On the flip side, Landesberg returned to form after scoring in double figures only once in UVa's previous four games. He finished with a game-high 24 points, converting 14-of-14 free throws.

"The last two games, my mind wasn't where it was supposed to be," said Landesberg, who is averaging 17 points per game. "I was thinking a lot, just letting too many things affect me. I just had to throw that out the window and play my game."





Seminoles pummel Cavaliers
FSU comes out strong, keeps foot on pedal for road victory
By Corey Clark
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — It's not supposed to be this easy. Not in the ACC.

But the Florida State Seminoles went on the road Saturday afternoon and manhandled the Virginia Cavaliers from jump ball to final buzzer in a resounding 73-62 victory at John Paul Jones Arena.

FSU, which improved to 16-4 overall and 3-2 in the conference, never trailed in the contest and had a double-digit lead for the final 32 minutes.

"We still have a lot of learning and growing up to do, but I thought today we really took a step in the right direction," FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said. "For the first time this year, I thought everybody that played was focused.

"It was a team effort. I thought the energy was there from everyone that went into the game. We didn't have anyone who took any possessions off."

Senior guard Toney Douglas once again led the Seminoles offensively, scoring a team-high 21 points and dishing out a team-high five assists.

But on Saturday, FSU got contributions from practically the entire team. All 10 players that entered the game for Hamilton hit at least one shot and nine players finished with at least five points.

"I think that's the way it's supposed to be," said freshman guard Deividas Dulkys, who hit two 3-pointers in the first half to help FSU extend the lead. "Because we're a team and we have guys that are capable of scoring any given day."

The Seminoles did commit 22 turnovers against the Cavaliers, including 13 in the first half. But those miscues were offset by the way FSU defended Virginia in the first 20 minutes.

Amazingly, the hosts hit just three shots from the floor in the first half and went into intermission trailing 30-16. The Cavaliers had a stretch of over 12 minutes where they didn't make a field goal.

At one point, they were 1 of 19 from the floor.

"The way Florida State plays basketball, they systematically and methodically wear you down," Virginia coach Dave Leitao said. "I thought they wore us down physically and mentally, especially there in the first half."

Said Hamilton: "They had some good shots that normally go down for them that just didn't fall. Sometimes you have a game, where even though you have good looks, they don't fall. . . . But I did think we did a good job defending them."

Despite the Cavaliers going on a 6-0 run to end the first half, they never really threatened the Seminoles' lead. The closest they came to making a game of it was when Jamil Tucker stole the ball from Douglas in the backcourt and threw down a dunk to cut the FSU lead to 44-31 at the 13:09 mark.

But Douglas answered 19 seconds later — knocking down a 3-pointer while being fouled. The four-point play by the senior from Jonesboro, Ga. extended the lead to 17 and sucked the life out of the crowd, which quite frankly didn't have much to cheer about all afternoon.

"Our energy level, our intensity — being aggressive on the offensive and defensive ends — really helped us sustain the lead," Douglas said.

Virginia (7-9, 1-4) scored the final four points of the game to cut the final margin to 11, but after Douglas' four-point play, the Seminoles were never in danger in the second half.

FSU freshman Solomon Alabi scored 10 points — his third double-figure outing in four games — and also blocked two shots. Freshman Chris Singleton had seven points (including his first career ACC 3-pointer) and a game-high seven rebounds for the Seminoles, who play again Wednesday at home against North Carolina.

"We don't need just one guy to step up every game," said Alabi, who was 5 of 10 from the floor. "We need everyone to contribute."




FSU picks up pace on defense vs. Virginia
By Corey Clark • DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER • January 25, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Apparently, they got the message.

After a 75-69 loss at Miami on Wednesday night, in which the Hurricanes shot 62 percent from the field in the second half, the Florida State Seminoles came into Saturday's game at Virginia focused on improving their defensive effort and intensity.

Let's just say it worked out well for them. Especially in the first half.

The Cavaliers missed 19 of their first 20 shots from the floor on their way to a record-setting, boo-inducing, 16-point first half in an eventual 73-62 loss.

"We were mad because we had the game in Miami and we gave it up," said FSU freshman guard Deividas Dulkys. "So everybody came with an extra energy and extra motivation."

The Seminoles held the Cavaliers without a basket for more than 12 minutes Saturday. From the time Mamadi Diane hit a jumper with 13:57 left in the first half until freshman Sylven Landesberg hit a layup with 1:34 left, Virginia didn't hit a single shot from the floor.

Not one.

The 16 points was the lowest first-half output for the Cavaliers since a 15-point effort against UConn during the 1993-1994 season.

"Defensively, in the first half, we were able to defend and rebound and play with energy," FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said.

The Cavaliers missed some open looks during that stretch, but there were also times where the Seminoles simply wouldn't let them get free for good looks.

"They really, really, really, really, really guard you," Virginia coach Dave Leitao said of the Seminoles.

Virginia was much better on offense in the second half, scoring 46 points and shooting 53.8 percent from the floor. But the tone had been set in the first 20 minutes by an FSU defense that had its pride bruised a bit in the Miami loss.

"I think (the intensity) was picked up a lot," FSU senior guard Toney Douglas said. "Energy level — that was the main focus of Coach Hamilton. And I think our defense created a lot of offense for us."

The only reason the Cavaliers even hit double figures in the first half was because of free throws. They made 10 of 13 in the first half and 24 of 30 for the game. Landesberg, who scored a game-high 24 points, was a perfect 14 of 14 from the line for the Cavaliers, who wound up shooting just 35.4 percent from the floor.

"Our coaches gave us a great plan," Dulkys said. "We knew what they were going to do. They hit a couple of free throws — we shouldn't be fouling — but we did what we were supposed to do."




Cavs go cold against Noles
By Whitey Reid
Published: January 25, 2009

Three ghastly efforts in Puerto Rico during the 2006-07 season. A wretched loss at home to Bradley in the CBI last season. A putrid performance against Liberty this season.

Well, they can all take a back seat now — there is a new low point in Virginia basketball during the Dave Leitao era.

It occurred on Saturday afternoon at John Paul Jones Arena in a performance that would likely have Dr. James Naismith wondering why he bothered to hang those peach baskets.

Virginia put forth a stinker for the ages. Playing a team as young as them, the Cavaliers couldn’t do a thing right in dropping their fourth straight game to visiting Florida State, 73-62, in front of a frustrated crowd of 10,981.

“They systematically and methodically wore us down,” Leitao said. “They wore us down mentally and physically.”

Florida State (16-4, 3-2 ACC) was led by Toney Douglas, who had 21 points and five assists. Sylven Landesberg had a game-high 24 points to lead Virginia, but most of them came after the game had already been decided in the first 20 minutes.

Think Virginia’s first-half performance against Maryland on Tuesday night was bad? How about this — UVa scored just one basket in the first 18 minutes and 26 seconds of the game versus FSU. For the majority of the half, Virginia had more turnovers than points.

The only thing that kept Leitao’s crew from getting completely blown out of its $130 million arena was the Seminoles’ 13 first-half turnovers.

Virginia’s first-half stats were almost too atrocious to believe: 3 of 22 from the field, (including 0 of 8 from 3-point range), 12 turnovers and one assist.

Florida State, which came into the game as the second-ranked defensive team in the ACC, was in the face of the Virginia players from the opening whistle. The tenacity that Seminoles players exhibited was reminiscent of those Hoya Paranoia teams of Georgetown in the 1980s.

The phrase “deer in the headlights” would be too kind of an assessment for how Virginia players looked on the court.

“They really, really guard you,” said Leitao, whose team is off until a visit to Duke next Sunday. “The few open looks that you get, you have to make…we obviously didn’t do that and paid a heavy price for it.”

Remarkably, Virginia only trailed 30-16 at the half after a Landesberg coast-to-coast driving layup at the buzzer. Landesberg said Leitao tried to fire everyone up during the intermission.

“He came in there and told us that this was a gut-check and we were going to man up now or never,” Landesberg said. “They were blowing us out and embarrassing us at home. We either had to turn the game around or it was going to get worse.”

Briefly, things got better. Virginia (7-9, 1-4) hit more shots in the first five minutes of the second half than it had all game.

When Jamil Tucker stole the ball from Douglas and raced in for a one-handed jam to cut the lead to 44-31, there was a glimmer of hope. But as soon as fans started to make some noise, Douglas swished a 3-pointer at the other end as he was being fouled by Sammy Zeglinski, setting up a four-point play.

“That was a point in time where the crowd got back in the game and the door was slightly opened back up — and then closed real quick,” Leitao said. “Anytime you put yourself in a hole like that, you’ve got to play damn near perfect basketball.”

For the umpteenth time this season, Virginia — which is starting three freshmen — was far from that.

“We’re all disappointed with the way we played,” said sophomore Mike Scott. “There’s just a lot of disappointment going around.

“Today we just couldn’t get into any kind of rhythm…it wasn’t a physical thing, because we definitely match up with them.”

Leitao believes FSU is a lot better than people think.

“I look at them as a very good team and not getting quite the amount of attention or respect as everyone else on top of the league — the [North] Carolinas and Dukes and Clemsons of the world and Wake Forest,” said Leitao, who will see FSU again on Feb. 10. “There really isn’t that much difference, … We were playing a very good team.”

“They were excellent on defense,” added Scott. “They were just playing harder than we were.”

Dunks

At halftime, Jason Bauman, Virginia’s associate director of athletics for facilities and operations, received the ACC Men’s Basketball Officials’ Association’s Skip Prosser Distinguished Service Award. The association presents the award annually to someone who has helped the cause of officiating in the ACC.





Phils’ Manuel steps up for UVa
By Jay Jenkins
Published: January 25, 2009

Winning a World Series ring will remain one of Charlie Manuel’s fondest memories.

The Philadelphia Phillies manager, however, also cherishes youthful moments playing sporting events in Central Virginia against Lane High and Albemarle High and the opportunity to take the floor in University Hall.

The days of admiring touchdowns scored by Terry Kirby and jumpers nailed by Ralph Sampson, two legendary athletes at the University of Virginia, also hold a special place in his heart.

Based on those experiences, Manuel was quick to jump at an invitation from one of his former players, closer Billy Wagner, when asked to speak at Virginia’s annual Step up to the Plate banquet. The event, which has a limited number of tickets available, will be held Friday at Memorial Gymnasium at 7 p.m.

“Ever since I was in school, I would always get to see games at UVa, basketball and football,” Manuel said. “UVa has always been one of my favorite places. That part of the country is beautiful and I love the campus and Charlottesville.”

A four-sport star at Parry McCluer High in Buena Vista, Manuel had scholarship offers to play basketball, his favorite sport growing up, but elected to play professional baseball after being offered $20,000 by the Minnesota Twins.

In 1963, when Manuel signed, college baseball was not viewed as a springboard to the professional ranks, as it is currently.

“Definitely the players out of college now are more advanced,” Manuel said. “Without a doubt, that’s the case.”

Manuel cited a pair of former Virginia standouts as prime examples how college players can make an early impact during their professional careers.

He should know.

“You’ve had Ryan Zimmerman and Mark Reynolds come out of there in the last five or six years,” said Manuel, who also has served as the manager of the Cleveland Indians. “That pretty much tells you about the Virginia program right there. The players you are talking about, they are good right now.”

Zimmerman, with the Washington Nationals, and Reynolds, with the Arizona Diamondbacks, have played numerous games against the Phillies manager, who beat Tampa Bay to win last year’s World Series just days after his mother passed away.

“Reynolds and Zimmerman have huge upsides,” Manuel said. “They are going to be tremendous players. Zimmerman went to the big leagues quick because he was with Washington, but at the same time he is going be some kind of player. He is going to be a big hitter. It is just a matter of time before he starts putting up some huge numbers. I like him. He is a good third baseman.

“Reynolds is already ready. He can flat-out hit.”

Manuel, who remains close friends with former Virginia assistant football coach Danny Wilmer, a high school teammate, said he is excited to discuss his experiences.

“Wagner said something to me about it and I said, ‘Yeah, I will do that. I would be glad to do that,’” Manuel recounted. “It should be a great night.”

Tickets for the banquet, which includes a meal, can be purchased through the athletic ticket office at UVa.





U.Va. hoops got you down?
Jeff White
Jan 24, 2009

Here’s some football news, courtesy of U.Va.‘s athletics media relations office:

CHARLOTTESVILLE – The University of Virginia football program presented the team awards for the 2008 season Saturday night (Jan. 24) at its annual team banquet. In addition, 20 fourth- and fifth-year players were recognized for their contributions to the football program throughout their careers.

Senior offensive tackle Eugene Monroe won the Colonel F.C. McCue Award as the outstanding interior lineman. Monroe was one of the top offensive linemen in the country this season and was named a second-team All-American by The Associated Press and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. He also received the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the best blocker in the ACC, while being named first-team all-conference.

Senior tailback Cedric Peerman garnered the Ben Wilson Award as the team’s outstanding offensive player. He led the team in rushing for the second year in a row this season with a career-high 774 yards. He also caught 44 passes, tops among ACC running backs, and was named honorable mention All-ACC.

Senior outside linebacker Clint Sintim was the recipient of the Ned McDonald Award as the team’s outstanding defensive player. He led the team with 13 sacks and 16 tackles for loss this season. A second-team All-ACC selection, he was the nation’s leader in sacks by a linebacker for the second year in a row.

Senior inside linebacker Jon Copper was presented the Joe Palumbo Award for self-sacrifice, dedication and enthusiasm. He recorded a team-leading 101 tackles this season and became the first Cavalier since 1984 to lead the team in tackles for three consecutive seasons.

Junior cornerback Vic Hall was presented with the John Polzer Award for ability, sportsmanship and character. He started all 12 games this season—11 at cornerback and one at quarterback. He finished with a career-high 59 tackles, including three for loss. Hall also led the team in punt returns and was second in interceptions. Against Virginia Tech in his only start at quarterback, he rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns.

Senior tight end John Phillips was named the recipient of the Speed Elliott Award as the most improved player. He was the next in a long line of tight ends to excel in Virginia’s system under Al Groh. He was second on the team with 48 receptions for 385 yards, figures that were the most by an ACC tight end. Phillips’ 48 receptions were more than double his career total prior to the season and are second most by a tight end in school history.

Defensive back Rodney McLeod received the Bill Dudley Award at the team’s most outstanding first-year player. As a true freshman, he played in nine games as a nickel back and on special teams.

Sophomore Raynard Horne received the George Welsh Special Teams Award for outstanding special teams play. A demon in kick coverage, he played a big role on four of the team’s six special teams units. He shared the team lead in tackles on kickoffs (seven) and punts (six).

Freshman wide receiver Javaris Brown won the inaugural Scout Team Player of the Year. A highly regarded receiver with a bright future, Brown excelled in replicating during practice the plays the Cavalier defense would see in the game on Saturdays.

The 20 fourth- and fifth-year players recognized were LB Antonio Appleby, LB Jon Copper, WR Maurice Covington, QB Scott Deke, TE Andrew Dewey, DE Alex Field, DE Jason Fuller, S Byron Glaspy, WR Cary Koch, OT Eugene Monroe, WR Kevin Ogletree, TE John Phillips, TB Cedric Peerman, TE Crutcher Reiss, PK Yannick Reyering, FB/ST Hall Simmons, LB Clint Sintim, OG Patrick Slebonick, OG Zak Stair and P John Thornton.





Connections aplenty for Tech, UVa in 2010
Bolling commits to Wake Forest
By Doug Doughty

The early line on 2009 football recruiting was that Virginia needed to make the most of its opportunity because Virginia Tech was looking at a small class for 2009 but had a lot of family connections to the class of 2010.

With 12 days remaining till signing day, it now appears that UVa has made the most of its in-state opportunities, even though the Hokies have more spots than they once anticipated.

Tech hasn’t lost any of its connections to the class of 2010, but UVa has some connections of its own:

Ed Reynolds Jr., a defensive back from Woodberry Forest, is the son of a former UVa defensive end. Ed Reynolds Sr. played 10 years in the NFL, nine with the New England Patriots and one for the New York Giants, so he and UVa coach Al Groh seemingly have much in common, although my research indicates that Ed Sr. never played for Groh.

(If Ed Jr. were to end up at Virginia, he and Ed Sr. would become the first African-American father-son combination to be on football scholarship at UVa. The Cavaliers made the younger Reynolds an offer this week.)

One of Ed Reynolds Sr.’s teammates on the 1979 UVa football team was Bill Revell, a 6-6, 227-pound defensive end from West Springfield. Revell’s son, Bo, is a 6-6, 210-pound quarterback for Battlefield High School in Manassas who, on at least one list I’ve seen, is viewed as the top prospect in Northern Virginia.

Brian Taylor, a 6-1, 175-pound defensive back from William Fleming in Roanoke, is the nephew of former Cavaliers’ and NFL linebacker Shannon Taylor. Academics are an issue right now for Taylor, but he is a player. I’ve watched him play.

There are more than half a dozen players in the 2010 in-state recruiting pool with ties to Virginia Tech:

Mark Shuman, a 6-6, 275-pound offensive and defensive lineman on the prep team at Fork Union Military Academy, is the younger brother of the Hokies’ starting center this past season, Ryan Shuman.

Levi Barber, who played quarterback this past season for Edison High School in Alexandria, is the younger brother of Ben Barber, a 2008 Edison grad who enrolled at Tech earlier this month. The Barbers are half-brothers of former Tech defensive back Willie Pile.

Ja’Quan Burchette, a 5-11, 204-pound quarterback for Highland Springs High School, is the younger brother of former Hokies’ defensive end Noland Burchette, whose last year at Tech was 2006.

Another rising Highland Springs senior, 6-1, 310-pound defensive lineman Derrick Hopkins, is the younger brother of 2008 Tech signee Antoine Hopkins, a linebacker from Highland Springs.

Zach McCray, a 6-5, 235-pound defensive end from Brookville High School in Lynchburg, is a cousin of Logan Thomas, who played quarterback at Brookville and was this year’s Group AA state player of the year. Thomas has committed to the Hokies for 2009.

Tahrick Peak, a 6-2, 185-pound junior from Pulaski High School in Dublin, is the younger and taller brother of Cougars’ running back Nubian Peak, who has committed to Tech for 2009.

Anthony Rose, a 6-3, 193-pound quarterback and all-purpose threat for Amherst High School, is the younger brother of 2008 Tech signee Peter Rose, who was last year’s Group AA state player of the year.

(The Hokies’ rescinded Peter Rose’s scholarship offer after he was arrested for selling marijuana to an undercover police officer but managed to retain cordial relations with the family.)

IT WAS INTERESTING this week to see stories on CavsCorner.com and HokieHaven.com on Drew Jarrett, a 6-foot, 175-pound senior from Cox High School in Virginia Beach who was the first-team All-Group AAA place-kicker.

Jarrett had 12 field goals this season, including a 54-yarder, and set a south Hampton Roads record (that’s the area covered by the Virginian-Pilot) with 29 field goals in his career.

Jarrett will be at Virginia this weekend on an official visit and also has attracted the interest of Virginia Tech. It is reminiscent of the spring 2003 recruitment of Connor Hughes, who picked UVa over Tech, which had signed Nic Schmitt earlier in the year.

Generally, it has been Tech that has gone the walk-on route with place-kickers over the years, but the Hokies extended a scholarship offer to Giles kicker Cody Journell last spring and he quickly made a commitment.

Before taking early retirement from the Virginian-Pilot, longtime prep coordinator Bryan Black told me:

“If Drew Jarrett doesn’t have a D-I offer, and he doesn’t, there’s no kicker I’ve ever seen on a high school football field who should ever get a D-I offer. Jarrett is better than most of the front-line kickers in the ACC right now.”

ACCORDING TO the Wake Forest site on rivals.com, the Deacons have taken a commitment from first-team All-Group AA offensive tackle Devin Bolling, a 6-5, 270-pounder from Brookville High School.

Bolling, who had taken an official visit to Boston College in November, apparently will not take a trip to Virginia Tech that had been scheduled for next weekend. Bolling was rated the No. 37 senior in Virginia this year and was the state’s fourth-highest uncommitted recruit prior to his announcement.

Bolling is the 60th in-state prospect to commit to a Division I-A program and the fifth Virginian to commit to Wake.

IT’S TRUE: Bill Dee, 55, is stepping down as Phoebus High School football coach after 24 seasons to join the staff at Division III Christopher Newport University. Dee has won four state championships since 2001, including the 2008 Group AAA Division 5 title in a 37-13 romp over Dinwiddie.