Marques Hagans was catching passes, not throwing them. Art Thomas was playing offense, not defense. And Tony Franklin was playing defense, not offense. On Friday, the first day of spring practice, many Virginia football players were at different positions than the ones they occupied most of last season. But that’s part of what spring is all about — trying new things and shifting personnel. Some are experiments that will be aborted by fall. “Whether or not those things hold as long-term,” UVa coach Al Groh said, “the results of the spring will show us that.” A number of players will work out at two positions, Groh said. That includes Thomas (receiver and cornerback), Franklin (cornerback and tailback), Kase Luzar (fullback and tight end), Marquis Weeks (tailback and fullback), Brennan Schmidt (defensive end and nose tackle), Jermaine Hardy (safety and cornerback) and Stefan Orange (safety and cornerback). Almost all of those players will end up at one position by next season, Groh said, but their versatility ultimately could benefit the Cavaliers. “Besides giving us a chance to look at some of these players in different circumstances, I think it builds more depth into the team,” Groh said. Hagans’ days as a quarterback, however, may be over. The redshirt freshman backed up Matt Schaub last year and provided a change of pace at the position with his speed and elusiveness. He even started one game and finished with 14 completions in 25 attempts for 143 yards. But as the season progressed, Hagans made more of an impact as a punt returner. He also played both tailback and wide receiver. His only touchdown pass came on an option play in the Continental Tire Bowl. Groh said Hagans will work primarily as a receiver and punt returner this spring in an effort to get him on the field more often next season. “We don’t need a quarterback right now. We’ve got a pretty good one,” Groh said. Schaub is the reigning ACC player of the year. Anthony Martinez, a freshman who redshirted last year, is now the backup quarterback. Captain, my captain. Schaub and cornerback Almondo Curry were voted captains by their teammates this week. Center Kevin Bailey is the alternate offensive captain, while cornerback Jamaine Winborne is the alternate captain for the defense. “I just appreciate that the guys have enough respect for me to select me as one of the captains on this team,” Curry said. The coaches had no say in the selection of captains, but Groh said he approved of the players’ decision. “In this case, I think their votes were very appropriately cast.” Out of service. Many of UVa’s offensive linemen watched Friday’s practice in shorts, including centers Kevin Bailey and Zac Yarbrough, guards Brian Barthelmes and Mark Farrington, and tackle Brad Butler. Bailey, coming off knee surgery last fall, snapped the ball during some drills but will only participate on a limited basis this spring, Groh said. Yarbrough, Barthelmes and Farrington may miss the entire spring along with tailback Alvin Pearman because of injuries. “I think if I looked at it in one context it would be a disturbing number,” said Groh of the sidelined players. “But since our mentality around here has been, hey, we just deal with what comes up, that’s what we’re doing. We’ve dealt with these issues before. We’ll deal with them and find a way to make it a positive spring practice even if we kind of have to change gears a little bit.” Of the injured players, all are expected to be ready by next season. The only exception may be Barthelmes, a 6-foot-7, 286-pound sophomore who started the final eight games of the season at left guard. Groh said he has a condition called vascularitis that affects the blood vessels in his brain. “That’s something we have to have the utmost caution with,” said the coach, who said there is no timetable for Barthelmes’ return. In service. Defensive end Chris Canty, who missed the bowl game with an arm injury, has been cleared for full participation this spring. So has linebacker Dennis Haley, who started the opener but missed the rest of the season for undisclosed reasons. Freshman punter Tom Hagan, who was leading Virginia’s baseball team in batting average, suffered a separated shoulder that ended his baseball season. But he will participate in football practices, Groh said. Groh said no players are being held out for academic reasons. Of the 15 practices, however, only eight will be held on weekdays so that players should have fewer conflicts with classes. Fans welcome. Four more practices will be open to the public: today (10:45 a.m.), Sunday (2:15 p.m.), Monday (2:30 p.m.) and April 6 (2:15 p.m.). All of the practices will be held on the fields behind University Hall. Fans are asked to pick up an admission credential at the football office reception desk in the McCue Center. If no one is there, you can pick up the free pass at the entrance to the practice fields.
Last Sunday morning, Matt Ward woke up with an unfamiliar and unpleasant feeling. He was … a loser. Well, no one in their right mind would call Virginia’s freshman attackman that. But for the first time in two years and 45 games, Ward was part of a losing effort on the lacrosse field. So the day after UVa’s 8-7 defeat at Johns Hopkins late Saturday night, he experienced some atypical emotions. “I didn’t know how to deal with it. I was a little moody,” said Ward, who had not lost since the first game of his junior season in high school. “With the schedule we play, I guess you’re not going to win them all, so I have to get used to it. Hopefully I won’t get too used to it.” With Ward on the field, losing is unlikely to become commonplace for the second-ranked Cavaliers (5-1), who face No. 7 Maryland (4-1) today at 1 p.m. at Klockner Stadium. One of Virginia’s biggest question marks coming into the season was how it would fare without Conor Gill, a three-time All-American and among the most gifted players in the program’s history. Ward has filled that vacancy in the starting lineup, and though he has not been asked to fill Gill’s shoes, the team has thrived thanks in part to his precocious play. Ward is far from the focal point of UVa’s offense — that role belongs to sophomore attackmen John Christmas and Joe Yevoli, and senior midfielders Chris Rotelli and A.J. Shannon — but he has taken advantage of limited opportunities to score nine goals and deliver five assists. “He has a willingness to do whatever is required,” said Virginia coach Dom Starsia. “My concern was that he might need the ball in his stick to be effective, but he has done a great job of moving without the ball. I knew he was a poised, mature kid who could score, but his instincts for the game have far surpassed my expectations. I wasn’t really prepared for the fullness of his game.” Ward played a much bigger role in high school, where he led his Landon team to four straight conference titles and three No. 1 final national rankings in Inside Lacrosse magazine. Landon lost just three times in four years with Ward, who ended his prep career with a 39-game winning streak. “Matt’s a very special kid,” said Landon coach Rob Bordley. “When we needed him, he always rose to the occasion. Always.” Ward was at his best in big games. Last year, against Landon’s main rival, Georgetown Prep, he scored four goals despite a sprained ankle in an 8-5 victory. Three weeks later, the teams met again in the conference championship game. Ward scored the game-winning goal in overtime. “I’d say that was the highlight of my career,” Ward said. “That was probably the happiest I’ve been after a game.” Landon’s games at Georgetown Prep routinely drew close to 5,000 fans, many of whom stood just a few feet from the field and shouted at the visiting players. Ward says that helped prepare him for Virginia’s early games at Syracuse, Princeton and Johns Hopkins. “When you have all those people screaming in your face, you’re accustomed to blocking it out,” he said. “I think I’m able to keep my composure playing in front of crowds like that — hostile crowds. I was a little nervous before the Syracuse game, but when the first whistle blew it was just another game.” Ward scored three goals against then-No. 1 Syracuse in a 16-15 victory, which vaulted the Cavaliers into the top spot in the polls. He followed that up with two goals and an assist in a 10-7 triumph at Princeton, then three goals and an assist in a 14-8 win over Notre Dame. Against Johns Hopkins, Ward had one goal and one assist. He also had the ball in his stick on Virginia’s final possession, but his potential game-tying shot went into the side of the net. “Everyone thought I scored because of the way the net moved, but I knew I hadn’t,” Ward said. “I fell right on my face. It was a bad feeling.” By now, however, Ward says he is over the loss and ready to be a winner again. “You have to look at the big picture,” he said. “It’s tough to lose, but the game was really minute in the big picture. It’s not that big a deal. Maybe we needed a wake-up call. It all depends how we respond to it. If it makes us a better team in the long run, then maybe it was a good thing for us.”
When time came for Coach Al Groh to name a new offensive coordinator for Virginia’s football program, he didn’t hesitate to promote line coach Ron Prince. The 33-year-old Nebraska native isn’t your typical line coach, who only thinks from tackle-to-tackle. No, Prince has greater aspirations and so he has allowed himself to think outside the proverbial box, if you will. “This is why Ron has very easily moved into this position,” said Groh before UVa’s first spring practice session on Friday. Ever since Groh first put together his “tribe” a couple of years ago, he has taken notice of Prince’s hunger for football knowledge. The wide-bodied line coach took care of his own business but wanted to know more. He has asked about what the team was doing with punt protection; he has learned from defensive discussions about a front or coverage. Prince took notes on everything. “From the very start, he has been all eyes and ears,” said Groh of Prince. “He wants to know about the whole game and has always been interested in all facets of it.” Rare traits That’s somewhat of a rarity in the world of offensive line coaches, although not entirely unique. Tom O’Brien, the former line coach under former UVa coach George Welsh, earned the promotion to offensive coordinator before taking over the Boston College program, where he has led the Eagles to a string of bowl games. According to Groh, offensive line coaches are a different breed. In the NFL, for instance, o-line coaches have their own fraternity called the Mushroom Society. They have their own shirts, own hats, their own golf tournament. They have their own coaching clinic annually in Cincinnati, appropriately known as the Mushroom Clinic. Lastly, they have their own dinner at the NFL combine each year. Yes, it’s the Mushroom Dinner. “If you look at playbooks now, they have the play on the top, then for each position, it has the rule for that play. Then it has about eight different defensive fronts on the other side,” said Groh. “And then it shows how those rules accommodate each of those eight fronts. For a lot of line coaches, that’s where it is. The game evolves in between the tackles.” Prince has mastered that phase of the game as well. “He’s been the most significant person in the most important part of the passing game,” said Groh. “Consistently efficient passing games start with pass protection. He has set up all the protections.” Who calls the plays? While spring practice started Friday, Groh will likely hold off his decision on who will actually call the plays until sometime in August training camp. Could be Prince, could be Groh. Who knows? “I’m not concerned about the play-calling because I don’t think it’s a big issue,” said Groh. “I think execution is a lot more important than play-calling. A lot more important.” Groh said that the screen pass that running back Wali Lundy ran in for a touchdown in the Continental Bowl victory over West Virginia last December didn’t have anything to do with “brilliant play-calling,” but rather the execution by one player. Same held true for Marcus Hagans’ punt return for a TD. “Guess how many guys that we physically blocked on that play,” Groh said. If you’re thinking four or five Mountaineers, guess again. “One,” said Groh. “The player, through his talent and execution got the ball in the end zone. That’s why the emphasis has been on getting talented players, getting them trained and developed. That’s our most important job, train and develop talent. That is more important than drawing up plays.” Groh said he will watch, listen, think and then decide on what he thinks is best for the team as far as play-calling responsibility goes. The head coach said he doesn’t see any problems between his son, Mike, becoming both quarterbacks and wide receivers coach because usually the coach of both positions are in the same meetings anyway. Groh has seen it work and thusly is comfortable with the situation. He had discussions this summer with two prestigious NFL offensive coordinators who had each once served as quarterback and wide receivers coach and proved it can be done well without any problems. “In fact, there are a lot of guys who really prefer it that way because now there’s no issue as to everybody being on the same page,” said Groh. Meanwhile, Anthony Poindexter will work with UVa’s wide receivers as graduate assistant coach just as Andy Heck formerly did with the Cavaliers’ tight ends. Heck has been promoted to a full-time assistant and will continue to work with the tight ends. But he also helps out with the offensive line with expertise he brings to the program as a 10-year NFL offensive lineman. “Andy will do the same thing he did the last two years except now he will get paid and get benefits for it,” said Groh. “Obviously he brought a pretty substantial background with him, so even though he was coaching the tight ends, he wasn’t just a bystander in blocking drills. He was coaching the drill and coaching both positions [tight ends and tackles].”
U.VA. NOTES
Mar 29, 2003
SWITCHING SPOTS: Former Patrick Henry High standout Anthony Martinez is the
University of Virginia's No. 2 quarterback this spring. That's because Marques
Hagans, who backed up ACC player of the year Matt Schaub in 2002, has been moved
to wide receiver, if only temporarily.
"Hey, he might be the starting quarterback a year from now," U.Va. coach Al Groh
said of Hagans, a rising sophomore. "He might be the starting wide receiver a
year from now."
Schaub is a rising senior. Hagans, who played QB, wideout and tailback and
returned punts last season, is one of the Cavaliers' most dynamic players. In
U.Va.'s rout of West Virginia in the Continental Tire Bowl, the Hampton High
product threw a 14-touchdown pass and later returned a punt 69 yards for a TD.
"I want to get him ready to play in the games," Groh said yesterday before
U.Va.'s first spring practice. "I want to cut down the amount of time that I can
talk to him [on the sideline] during the games next year. I want him to be out
there so I can't talk to him. I like him in the game."
Cornerback Almondo "Muffin" Curry, another Hampton High graduate, said Hagans is
"an athlete wherever you put him. You could put him anywhere on the field, and
he's going to make plays."
Martinez, a 2002 graduate of PH, redshirted last season. At 6-3, 249 pounds,
with a strong arm, he's a traditional dropback quarterback, much like the 6-5,
240-pound Schaub.
"We have a talented young quarterback who we need to work heavily and develop,"
Groh said of Martinez. "It's hard to give reps to three [quarterbacks]."
If Hagans stays at receiver, the Wahoos' No. 3 quarterback in 2003 might be
incoming freshman Kevin McCabe.
OTHER CHANGES: Hagans isn't the only Cavalier trying a new position. The
safeties on the first-team defense yesterday included Jermaine Hardy, formerly a
cornerback. Working with the receivers was Art Thomas, another veteran
cornerback. Stefan Orange, who redshirted last season, will see time at safety
as well as cornerback.
Fullback Kase Luzar also will work at tight end, and tailback Marquis Weeks will
get some reps at fullback, too. Brennan Schmidt, a starting defensive end last
season, will also practice at nose tackle.
HONORED: U.Va.'s players selected Schaub and Curry as team captains. Center
Kevin Bailey and cornerback Jamaine Winborne are the alternate captains. All
four are rising seniors. Curry and Winborne were teammates at Fork Union
Military Academy in 1999.
INJURY REPORT: Tailback Alvin Pearman, who's recovering from knee surgery, is
sitting out spring practice. Bailey, who's also coming off a knee injury, is
taking part on a limited basis.
Mark Farrington, who can play center and offensive guard, injured his right leg
while skiing and won't do much during spring minicamp. Neither will Brian
Barthelmes and Zac Yarbrough, who started at offensive guard and center,
respectively, last season.
Barthelmes, a rising sophomore, has had inflammation of blood vessels in his
brain - "obviously something that we'd be of the utmost caution with," Groh
said.
Yarbrough, a rising junior, had surgery about 4˝ weeks ago to repair what's
called a "sports hernia." He said he'll be ready for summer workouts. Barthelmes,
too, expects to play in 2003.
"It's not a big deal at all," he said of his medical condition. "We're just
letting it rest up and heal on its own."
SHORT-HANDED: Center Damian Spradlin, who redshirted as a true freshman last
season, subsequently left the team. His departure and the injuries to Bailey,
Yarbrough and Farrington have resulted in a severe shortage at center.
In one drill yesterday, new strength coach Evan Marcus, a former star lineman at
Ithaca College, was Schaub's snapper.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: In practice, U.Va.'s first-team defenders wear orange jerseys.
Inside linebackers Ahmad Brooks and Kai Parham were in blue yesterday, but don't
be surprised if they're wearing orange by season's end.
Brooks, USA Today's prep defensive player of the year as a Hylton High senior in
2001, enrolled at U.Va. in January after spending the fall semester at Hargrave
Military Academy. Parham, a Parade All-American as a Princess Anne High senior
in 2001, redshirted last season while rehabbing a back injury.
Asked yesterday about the possibility of starting next to Parham, Brooks said,
"We haven't really talked about it, but if it's destined to happen, it's
destined to happen. We're both in the same boat. He's working for a position,
and I'm also working for a position. We're just first-years, so we'll get our
chance."
- Jeff White
Recruiting the question with Bristow
U.Va. has to find home for Hagans
By Dave Johnson
Daily Press
Published March 29, 2003
CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Asked how comforting it feels to have a fifth-year senior
returning at quarterback, especially one who rewrote the school's record book
last fall, Virginia coach Al Groh broke into a broad smile. "That should tell
you," he said, pointing to his face.
But Matt Schaub's emergence as one of the nation's best quarterbacks has
presented Groh one small problem: What to do with versatile backup Marques
Hagans? As spring drills began Friday afternoon, Groh was sure of only one
thing: He wants Hagans on the field, however and wherever.
"He's a very talented, dynamic player who makes things happen in the game," Groh
said. "He threw passes last year, he caught passes, he ran from scrimmage, he
returned kicks and he intercepted a pass. Sounds like a pretty good football
player. So we'll play him in the game."
Hagans, a sophomore from Hampton, will spend most of this spring at wide
receiver. Does that mean he's no longer a quarterback? Not necessarily. But to
put it in Groh's words, "We don't need a quarterback now. We've got a pretty
good one."
Virginia also has plenty of them, and aside from Schaub, they're all young. Groh
wants Anthony Martinez, a highly touted freshman who redshirted last season, in
the mix. Ditto Kevin McCabe, one of the best prep prospects in the country last
year, who won't arrive until August.
Last season, Hagans lined up at quarterback, tailback, wide receiver and punt
returner. In Virginia's Continental Tire Bowl victory over West Virginia, he
returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown and threw a 14-yard pass for another
score.
But this is also the same kid who, as a quarterback, nearly beat Colorado State
in last season's opener and replaced Schaub as the starter in Week 2.
"He might be the starting quarterback a year from now," Groh said. "He might be
the starting wide receiver a year from now. I want to get him in the games. I
want to cut down the amount of time I can talk to him during games next year."
A year ago, Groh went into the spring with several starting spots open and about
one-third of his eventual roster still in high school. This year, neither is the
case. But Groh must deal with injuries, both on and off the field.
Offensive lineman Brian Barthelmes has developed vasculitis, an inflammation of
blood vessels, in his brain. "Obviously that's something we'd be of the utmost
caution with," said Groh, who offered no timetable for Barthlemes' return.
Another lineman, Mark Farrington, sustained a skiing injury, the specific nature
of which Groh didn't reveal. Center Zac Yarbrough underwent surgery to repair a
"sports hernia." He is expected to miss most, if not all, of the spring but
return by August. Punter Tom Hagan separated a shoulder while playing baseball.
Meanwhile, tailback Alvin Pearman is still recovering from knee surgery. Center
Kevin Bailey, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament in last season's second
game, will work on a limited basis.
NOTES. Schaub and cornerback Almondo Curry were voted team offensive and
defensive captains for the upcoming season. Bailey and Jamaine Winborne are the
alternates. ... Doubling up on positions this spring are Art Thomas (cornerback/wideout),
Tony Franklin (tailback/running back), Kase Luzar (fullback/tight end) and
Marquis Weeks (tailback/fullback). ... Groh said linebacker Dennis Haley, who
missed all but one game last season for reasons Groh never revealed, is "ready
to go."
UVA FOOTBALL
Cavaliers
decide on a new route for Hagans
By DOUG DOUGHTY
THE ROANOKE TIMES
CHARLOTTESVILLE - Virginia coach Al Groh can't say if Marques Hagans will be the Cavaliers' starting quarterback in 2004. All he knows is he doesn't want to wait a year to see if Hagans can help UVa at another position.
Hagans, who will be a sophomore next season, was at wide receiver when spring practice started Friday.
It will mean more repetitions for Anthony Martinez, a redshirt freshman who is the likely backup to starting quarterback and ACC player of the year Matt Schaub if Hagans remains at wideout.
"Maybe he can't play receiver; maybe the other quarterback we're going to work can't play quarterback," Groh said. "We're just going with what we've got right now.
"Obviously, we have a very good quarterback, who, as we project things, is going to be our quarterback next year. We have a talented young quarterback who we need to develop. It's hard to get reps for three."
Virginia has also signed a quarterback, Kevin McCabe, who was a SuperPrep All-American.
"Who knows?" Groh said. "When we get a look at him, he might be the best of all of them."
Hagans attempted 25 passes last year, 20 of them in the first two games, including a start at Florida State. He also saw occasional duty at running back and was the Cavaliers' principal punt returner over the last 11 games.
"He's a very talented, dynamic player [who] makes things happen," Groh said. "He threw passes last year, caught passes, ran from scrimmage, returned kicks and intercepted a pass. Sounds like a pretty good football player.
"We don't need a quarterback right now. We've got a pretty good one. He'll [Hagans] learn to play wide receiver this spring. We want him to get ready to play in a game and cut down the amount of time he spends next to me on the sideline."
OTHER CHANGES: Al Groh said that Art Thomas, a former starter at cornerback, will get a look at wide receiver this spring. Jermaine Hardy, a promising cornerback from William Fleming in Roanoke, will have a chance to compete for a starting job at safety.
Under the heading of cross-training, fullback Kase Luzar will see time at tight end and tailback Marquis Weeks at fullback. Tony Franklin, a promising 2002 signee who was redshirted, will play running back and cornerback.
ABSENTEES: Groh thinks the Cavaliers will have an abundance of talent at center next year, but walk-on Phil Sims and converted defensive end Matt Stone will be getting much of the contact work this spring as Kevin Bailey continues to rehabilitate a surgically reconstructed knee.
Bailey will participate in some noncontact drills, but his 2002 replacement, Zac Yarbrough, has undergone surgery for a "sports" hernia and center-turned-guard Mark Farrington was injured while skiing. Signee Jordy Lipsey is another top center prospect.
Brian Barthelmes, a starter at offensive guard as a redshirt freshman, has been diagnosed with vascularitis after experiencing headaches. Groh equated it to a pulled muscle in the brain and said rest is the prescribed cure.
CAPTAINS: Groh said Matt Schaub and cornerback Muffin Curry were chosen the offensive and defensive captains, respectively, by their teammates. Alternate captains will be Bailey and cornerback Jamaine Winborne.
"They're not my captains; they're the players' captains," Groh said. "In this case, I feel the votes were appropriately cast."
Youthful Cavs Spring Forward
By Jim Reedy
Special to The Washington Post
Saturday, March 29, 2003; Page D14
CHARLOTTESVILLE, March 28 -- When they arrived on campus late last summer,
Virginia's freshman football players had only weeks to get settled before the
Aug. 22 season opener. Ten of them played in that game, with four more to follow
before the season concluded four months later.
Those rookies played surprisingly well, helping the Cavaliers to a 9-5 record
and a No. 22 ranking in the final national poll, but they spent most of their
time each week just getting ready for the next opponent. Spring practice, which
began this afternoon, will provide an opportunity for pure instruction.
"During that first year, they're just trying to learn what their job is,"
Virginia Coach Al Groh said. "Who to block, where to run. Once they get beyond
that phase, the next phase they move into is really learning how to do that
job."
"It's going to be more learning football, not just playing it," said outside
linebacker Darryl Blackstock, one of last season's most prominent freshmen.
"Half the time we were out there, we really didn't know a lot about the game."
Brian Barthelmes, who emerged as the starting left guard last season as a
redshirt freshman, leads a group of several injured players expected to miss
most, if not all, of spring practice. Doctors discovered a type of vasculitis
that caused inflammation in the blood vessels in Barthelmes' brain, but he said
his absence is mostly a precautionary measure and will not prevent him from
playing in the fall.
Junior center Zac Yarbrough is out after offseason hernia surgery, while junior
tailback Alvin Pearman and senior offensive lineman Kevin Bailey are still
recovering from last season's knee injuries. Sophomore right tackle Brad Butler
did not practice today for undisclosed reasons and junior reserve lineman Mark
Farrington injured himself while skiing during the offseason. Groh said the team
is also dealing with "a recent outbreak" of mononucleosis.
Several players will work at two positions this spring, including cornerbacks
Jermaine Hardy (junior) and Stefan Orange (redshirt freshman), who also will
play safety as Virginia looks to replace three graduating seniors. Others
include cornerback-wide receiver Art Thomas, tailback-cornerback Tony Franklin,
fullback-tight end Kase Luzar, tailback-fullback Marquis Weeks, defensive
end-nose tackle Brennan Schmidt and defensive end-center Matt Stone.
With senior Matt Schaub set as the starting quarterback, sophomore Marques
Hagans will spend most of the spring continuing to learn to play wide receiver.
Hagans, who operated last season as a utility player, remains in the mix for the
backup quarterback job this fall.
Cavaliers Notes: Linebacker Dennis Haley has cleared the undisclosed academic
issues that forced him to miss nearly all of last season. . . . Schaub and
senior cornerback Almondo Curry were elected team captains, with Bailey and
junior cornerback Jamaine Winborne as alternates. . . . Practice is open
Saturday, Sunday and Monday, as well as April 6. The spring game is April 19.