Cavs pull off rare back-to-back shutout
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
April 30, 2006

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - For the second straight night, the scoreboard operator at Maryland's Shipley Field could have taken the bottom-half of every inning off.
Thanks to seven scoreless innings from Jacob Thompson and some timely hitting late in the game, Virginia cruised to an 8-0 win over the Terrapins.

Virginia (37-10, 15-8 ACC) had also shutout Maryland in Friday's night series opener, winning by four. It is believed to be the first time in Virginia's history that the team pulled off the feat against a league opponent.

"To blank an ACC opponent in back-to-back games is phenomenal," said Virginia coach Brian O'Connor. "This is the time of year where pitchers start getting a little tired, but our guys are pitching great. They are pitching some of our best baseball down the stretch run. That's great to see because starting pitching is so important come ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament time."

UVa had already clinched an ACC Tournament berth by the start of the game, but managed to move into sole possession of second place in the ACC's Coastal Division after Georgia Tech lost earlier in the day at Boston College. UNC (18-6 ACC) remains in first place, two games ahead of the Cavaliers.

Getting the win was harder than the final score might indicate.

Maryland starter Ben Pfinsgraff blanked Virginia through five innings, scattering five of the 10 hits he allowed.

It wasn't until the sixth that Virginia opened the scoring. And it happened in opportunistic fashion. With one out and UVa's Tim Henry standing at second, Brandon Marsh hit what should have been a routine fly to centerfield.

Maryland centerfielder Nick Jowers appeared to be in position to make the catch, but instead let the ball drop behind him. That allowed Henry to score and Marsh to reach third. Sean Doolittle promptly knocked Marsh in one batter later with an RBI single to left.

Virginia kept the pressure on Pfinsgraff (2-6) in the seventh. The Cavaliers chased Maryland's top starter from the game as they exploded for five runs on five hits, one of which was a two-run double from Doolittle.

"We took advantage of our opportunities in the late innings to blow it open and it allowed us to relax and get some different guys at-bats late in the game," O'Connor said. "Pfinsgraff is a great pitcher and we knew that coming in. We did a good job of staying with our gameplan and figuring him out."

It was more than enough run support for Thompson, who allowed five hits and two walks. The hard-throwing rookie, who struck out six, said the key was getting ahead of hitters and leaning on his defense, which played error-free baseball.

"Coach [Karl] Kuhn and I have been working on me getting ahead and staying ahead. It makes things a whole lot easier," said Thompson, who lowered his ERA to 2.39. "And I say this all the time, but every time I pitch the team plays perfect defense and they hit the ball well.

"It's hard not to want to pitch for a team like this."

Thompson improved to 9-1 on the season, a remarkable number in O'Connor's opinion.

"For him to be 9-1 is just amazing," O'Connor said. "I'd love to see him get 12, 13, 14 wins on the year, but he is 9-1 because he is so consistent.

"You know what you are going to get out of him every time, and that is great effort and that he's going to throw strikes. When you do that, you have a chance to win every game with our lineup."

Virginia, which has now won 10 of 11, will look for its third ACC series sweep today in the final league road game. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.

 

NFL DRAFT: Cleared for takeoff
Ferguson goes to Jets; Williams joins host of Hokies in Atlanta; Tapp is selected by Seahawks
BY JOHN O'CONNOR
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Apr 30, 2006

D'Brickashaw Ferguson heads home. Jimmy Williams joins an organization that gives him a homey feel.

Ferguson, a former University of Virginia star offensive tackle, grew up in Freeport, N.Y., about a 10-minute drive from the New York Jets' training facility at Hofstra University. Yesterday, the Jets selected Ferguson with the fourth pick of the 2006 NFL draft.

"I don't think there could be a better feeling," said Ferguson, a Jets fan long before yesterday. "Whenever you can come back home and come back to your family and your friends . . . I think this is a dream come true."

In 1942, former Virginia back Bill Dudley was the top pick in the NFL draft (Pittsburgh Steelers). Ferguson is U.Va.'s highest draft pick since Dudley, and the Cavaliers' second first-rounder in two years. Last year, tight end Heath Miller went to Pittsburgh, at No. 30 overall.

Williams, a cornerback from Virginia Tech and a Hampton resident, was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons with the fifth pick of the second round (37th overall). In Atlanta, he joins former Hokies Michael Vick (Newport News), DeAngelo Hall (Chesapeake) and Bryan Randall (Williamsburg), as well as others with Virginia connections.

"I can't be any happier. I feel like it will be a home away from home," said Williams, 6-3 and 214. "I feel like I felt when I was coming out of high school going to college. This is the perfect fit. I can't be put in a better situation."

Hall starts at one corner for the Falcons. Williams may start at the other. "There's not a better person to learn from, not a better person to gain from," Williams said of Hall.

Virginia Tech's Darryl Tapp was regarded by some draft analysts as too small (6-1 and 265 pounds) to operate effectively on an NFL defensive line. But his instinctive play, strength and quickness drew Seattle to the end, a Chesapeake resident selected by the Seahawks as the next-to-last pick in the second round (63rd overall).

Another Chesapeake resident and Virginia Tech representative, outside linebacker James Anderson, went to the Carolina Panthers with the 24th pick of the second round. The 6-3 230-pounder was a strength-and-conditioning phenom at Tech, and his game is based on speed.

U.Va.'s Ferguson could have been a first-round draft choice last year, but he chose to return to U.Va. for his final season of eligibility and was named first-team All-America. At Virginia, he played for former Jets coach Al Groh. Ferguson was viewed as the safe, solid pick for New York, starved for quality offensive linemen. The Jets roster has only two experienced offensive tackles, one a journeyman.

"He fits in anybody's offensive line, regardless of who else they have," Eric Mangini, the Jets coach, said of Ferguson.

His selection drew criticism from those who wanted the Jets to pick a quarterback. USC's Matt Leinart and Vanderbilt's Jay Cutler were available. The Jets are expected to hold a preseason QB competition between incumbent Chad Pennington, injured most of last season, and Patrick Ramsey, who New York acquired from Washington in March for a sixth-round pick.

"We got a great player, at a premium position, who's a good guy, at a position of need," Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum said of Ferguson. "For us, it was the total package."

After picking Ferguson, the Jets also spent their second pick on an offensive lineman, drafting Ohio State center Nick Mangold with the 29th overall pick.

No mock draft was without Ferguson high in the first round. Williams' selection spot was more difficult to project. "This is more or less motivation, man," Williams said of his second-round selection. "I feel like I've got to go out there and prove myself to these other 31 teams that passed up on me.

"I'm ready to go."

 

MEN'S LACROSSE TOURNMENT: Virginia vs. Maryland
Freshman Glading content to let others playing leading roles
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Apr 30, 2006

Soon enough, the day will come when Danny Glading draws the opposing team's best defender, as he did in high school. For now, Glading relishes his role on the unbeaten University of Virginia lacrosse team.

As a senior at Georgetown Prep in North Bethesda, Md., Glading was considered the gem of the nation's Class of 2005. As a U.Va. freshman, the 6-2 175-pounder starts on attack alongside senior Matt Ward and sophomore Ben Rubeor. Ward and Rubeor were named all-ACC on Thursday and are likely to be All-Americans, as well.

"I had great teammates in high school, but as the years went on it became harder, and it took more of a toll on me," Glading said. "Having such great guys around me here, I get to play the game I like to play. I'm more of a feeder than a shooter, and there's so many great people to feed."

Glading didn't leave the ACC awards banquet in Baltimore without a prize Thursday night - he was named ACC freshman of the year - but the spotlight hasn't shined solely on him this season. He's not complaining.

"For the last two or three years, he's been sort of a marked man, all through his high school career, so he's used to the attention," Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. "I think he probably welcomed being able to play a little bit of a supporting role."

Glading, 19, has started every game for the Cavaliers (12-0), who play for the ACC title today in Baltimore. He's fourth on the team in scoring, with 32 points on 18 goals and 14 assists.

"His play has gotten better and better," Starsia said. "He's playing with so much more confidence. I think for us, he's now a force as we head into the playoffs."

Even better, Starsia said, "He's just about the nicest guy in the world. . . . I feel good about the future of Virginia lacrosse knowing the program is going to be in Danny's hands the next few years."

U.Va. has won two NCAA titles under Starsia. Each team started a freshman on attack: Conor Gill in 1999 and Ward in 2003. Both later became All-Americans.

As first-year players, Starsia noted, Gill and Ward "weren't asked to carry the whole load. They were able to play a supporting role early and grow into college lacrosse."

Ward's teammates on that championship team in 2003 included a senior midfielder named Billy Glading. He's one of Danny's three brothers. Billy, a third-team All-American in '03, works in Washington and plays for the Boston Cannons in Major League Lacrosse.

Not until Billy Glading's final season at U.Va. did he get an NCAA championship ring. His kid brother may well add that piece of jewelry as a freshman.

"This is really kind of like a dream," Danny Glading said.

 

Falcons get Williams
Randy King

At approximately 5:40 p.m. Saturday, a big picture of Jimmy Williams popped up on the home page of the Atlanta Falcons' Web site.

The caption underneath read "Hokie Love."

If anyone ever needed some love nearly 5 12 hours into the first day of the NFL Draft, it had to be Virginia Tech's All-American cornerback.

Projected by most draft analysts as a first-round selection, Williams suffered through a long, agonizing wait until the Falcons took him five picks into the second round (37th overall).

"Oh, it was real tough," said Williams, who watched the draft with a group of approximately 40 family members and friends at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Hampton.

"After about the 12th pick I went in the bathroom and didn't come up until about the 22nd pick. Then I left. I didn't even get to see my name flash across the [television] screen because I was busy shaking family members' hands and letting 'em know I was OK."

Williams joins an Atlanta team that already includes four ex-Tech players, including Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall and Pro Bowl quarterback Michael Vick.

"Oh, man, it's a dream come true," Williams said. "It's a perfect fit."

Two months after being projected by most analysts as the No. 1 defensive back on the board, Williams painfully watched as seven DBs were taken ahead of him, including three from the ACC.

"That and the fact that 31 teams, a couple of which passed up on me twice, that's motivation for me, man. That's how it has always been for me," said Williams, whose stock reportedly dwindled with many NFL teams because of perceived character shortcomings.

"It's storybook. Come back five, 10 years from now and somebody is going to be writing a story, somebody might even write a book. The story will get out and my story will be told.

"C'mon, man! You're talking about a unanimous All-American. God did this on purpose, man. I know he did. I had to go talk to him. He was just waiting for me to come talk to him about the situation, and once I did, he came and got me like he always does."

While his precipitous fall in the draft will cost him millions in signing bonus and salary, Williams said he won't cancel his recent order of a $350,000 Lamborghini Murcielago.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going to get it," he said. "Nothing is stopping me now."